Calumet UK half price sale - including 35mm F1.4 and 70-200mm F2.8

Two Truths said:

Cheers for the compliment!

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You're welcome!

Two Truths said:

If it were the 85mm 1.4 ZA - and - I actually had £800 to spend
right now, then I would do.

I am indifferent just because I was being rather opportunistic myself

• it wasn't a lens I would have bought otherwise, and I was using

credit to buy it.

I am have a little niggling feeling that Sony is about to announce
something else that would be worth buying :O)

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Understandable. I'm looking forward to the PMA announcements as well.

Hopefully my post didn't come across as rigid. I started reading all of the posts from rejected people and it's a little disheartening.

The store doesn't seem to understand the value of customer loyalty or how to build it. The tough answer is that it doesn't come free.

I would love to see Sony do this kind of thing in the near future. Have a "clearance sale" even if there is no need for clearance. I would love to see Sony put an array of quality lenses in the hands of people who can't or won't buy with Sony's normally high prices. It might do wonders for the Sony efforts.

--
Rich L.
http://www.pbase.com/metaz89

For example:

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/Cameras/Lenses+Lens+Accessories/SLR+Lenses/Sigma/?orderBy=pricedesc

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/399-322D/

The Sigma AF 500mm f/4.5 EX Apo HSM Lens for Nikon mount goes for half price - says their web page, even now after the "sold out" messages, FWIW....

So this sale may be less brand specific after all - oooops, now I am speculating - yuck.
--
Ralf

• too lazy for hosting an online gallery

Ralf Bliesener said:

For example:

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/Cameras/Lenses+Lens+Accessories/SLR+Lenses/Sigma/?orderBy=pricedesc

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/399-322D/

The Sigma AF 500mm f/4.5 EX Apo HSM Lens for Nikon mount goes for
half price - says their web page, even now after the "sold out"
messages, FWIW....

So this sale may be less brand specific after all - oooops, now I am
speculating - yuck.

Click to expand...

Sigma has also been feeding some low-cost stock into dealers recently - everyone offering half-price stuff seems to have Sigmas included.

David

--
Publishing & Editing Photoworld (photoclubalpha.com) and Master Photo Digital
Currently writing for f2 and the BJP

Rich L. said:

Two Truths said:

Cheers for the compliment!

Click to expand...

You're welcome!

Rich L. said:

If it were the 85mm 1.4 ZA - and - I actually had £800 to spend
right now, then I would do.

I am indifferent just because I was being rather opportunistic myself

• it wasn't a lens I would have bought otherwise, and I was using

credit to buy it.

I am have a little niggling feeling that Sony is about to announce
something else that would be worth buying :O)

Click to expand...

Understandable. I'm looking forward to the PMA announcements as well.

Hopefully my post didn't come across as rigid. I started reading all
of the posts from rejected people and it's a little disheartening.
The store doesn't seem to understand the value of customer loyalty or
how to build it. The tough answer is that it doesn't come free.

Click to expand...

In the UK, Calumet is only a couple of steps up from Jessops in terms of reputation -

1. Calumet usually have the same prices in-store as they do on the web, whereas Jessops usually put a mark-up on everything in-store

2. Calumet organise occasional events / training sessions, which usually try to promote one brand or another.

In my opiinion, Warehouse Express has a slightly better reputation, as well as generally better prices. Of course, none of them are very energetic when it comes to Sony Alpha!

Rich L. said:

I would love to see Sony do this kind of thing in the near future.
Have a "clearance sale" even if there is no need for clearance. I
would love to see Sony put an array of quality lenses in the hands of
people who can't or won't buy with Sony's normally high prices. It
might do wonders for the Sony efforts.

Click to expand...

It would be better for the brand if Sony formed some decent relationships with some top camera stores, offering smaller but more frequent discounts, and got itself on some of those marketing emails that the stores send out all the time.

--
Stuart / the Two Truths
http://www.flickr.com/photos/two_truths/
http://two-truths.deviantart.com/gallery/

Only problem is, the text said "Call for availability". They must of course have known that their stocks were empty, and no way would or could they resupply, but those of us who received the mail had not followed procedure.

I don't think there is anything anyone can do about it. Calumet are well within their rights to withdraw the sale and there is no way anyone can prove they didn't have stock in the first place or any other conspiracy theory - and even if you could, it isn't going to help.

It was a dud, it's gone, time to move on!

Ed

I also ordered the 35mm via Amazon, and like mediman30, have not received a 'sorry we've run out' email. Still holding my breath............

Have just got my 'sorry we're out of stock' email - has anybody out there got a lense out of them?

Two Truths said:

Two Truths said:

Good morning

Thank you for placing your order with us.

I am very sorry to say that the items you have ordered where in our clearance
section, whilst stocks last and have now sold out so we are not able to for fill
your order

Please accept my apologies. Your credit card has not been charged

Thanks

Reece

Reece Piper
Calumet Photographic Ltd

Click to expand...

--
Stuart / the Two Truths
http://www.flickr.com/photos/two_truths/
http://two-truths.deviantart.com/gallery/

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Allow me to be pedantic - this email hasn't even been through a spell check.

where in the clearance - should be were in the clearance and

for fill - should read fulfil

Now if I can just convince my friends over the pond that colour has a u in it

Not that shocked, I would not have expected them to carry that much sony stock, esp high end stuff like the 70-200mm f2.8

Interesting to see the frenzy caused by nice prices on optics ;-)
--



Clint is on holiday! Soon to return! ;-)

I find this whole episode rather strange. If they had so few lenses to offer at these low prices why were they priced so low ? When I first saw the prices my instinct immediately told me that something was wrong.

Was it a miss-judged publicity stunt or a deliberate fishing expedition to test reactions to price reduction ?

Keith-C

Half prices usually does that

Barry Fitzgerald said:

Not that shocked, I would not have expected them to carry that much
sony stock, esp high end stuff like the 70-200mm f2.8

Interesting to see the frenzy caused by nice prices on optics ;-)
--



Clint is on holiday! Soon to return! ;-)

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--

A700 owner

that I checked out the available macro lenses for A-mount pricewise, and found that the Sigma 105mm and Tamron 90 mm are priced around what the Sony 100 mm macro is at half price. So no rush, should i finally need a macro lens, I will go that route.

--
Ralf

• too lazy for hosting an online gallery

The other thing to come from this episode is the profit margin on lenses - surely Calumet didn't clear these lenses at a loss ?

Keith-C

KEITH-C said:

The other thing to come from this episode is the profit margin on
lenses - surely Calumet didn't clear these lenses at a loss ?

Keith-C

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Good question!

I know nothing about wholesale lens prices..but

Overall, I can tell you that products in general have higher margins than peeople think, esp some areas like clothing. And premium brands carry a bigger markup too.

On the other side, dont forget VAT, and costs of the business..they have overheads, insurance, wages etc.

And whilst sony dont control prices directly, they can by making their stuff a bit more expensive wholesale, which means a retailer isnt likely to take a lower margin on their lines, likely they would carry it over onto the punter price.

As sony lenses are in general more expensive shop price in the UK, it would be logical to assume they cost more for the retailer to buy.

In short, weak sales..mean that why would they bother? Just fill up on the good dead cert selling stuff (canon , nikon) and make your money that way. Business is business.

--



Clint is on holiday! Soon to return! ;-)