Olympus PRO Primes ... How cheap could they likely get ?

Glass_Elements · Jun 6, 2018

Olympus are currently offering 175euro cashback on their PRO Primes (and various other cashback offers for other olympus products)

These lenses are all on my 'definite purchase' list ... but as I ponder my budget during this offer, and possibly buying multiple lenses during the offer ... I have a few nagging concerns:

Do these cashback offers (on the PRO primes specifically) happen with relative frequency, and I just haven't noticed ?? (only been shooting with olympus for 6 months, bought an EM1 MK II during a cashback offer at the end of 2017, prior to that I was shooting with Panasonic [as far as m43 goes]. So the only Olympus thing I was proactively monitoring, in terms of price, was the EM1 MKII)

The other thing is ... I noticed a guy, who comes across to me as a fanatical and hyperbolic troll (given his various posts on m43 and olympus issues) insist - amongst a bunch of m43 doomsday rhetoric - that the PRO primes (infact, the entire PRO lens range if i recall correctly) are going to get steep price cuts in the very near future. Now, I know, my impression of the guy should lead me to not really take it at face value ... but he definitely planted the seed, hehe. So I'm wondering, just how steep could Olympus cut the price on these lenses, in all probability ?? (as opposed to hypothetical doomsday scenarios). I could stomach maybe a 10% - 15% further discount on what I paid, in less than a year ... but much more than that and I'd be pretty sickened

JakeJY · Jun 6, 2018

You can go on camelcamelcamel.com and price track whatever lens you are interested in. As long as it's on Amazon it'll be there. You can press the flag icon to switch to whatever country you are in.

In the US, not only Olympus, but Panasonic runs frequent promotions on their lenses (at least the regular ones; I don't really follow the PRO and Leica ones). Almost never a good idea here to pay the full MSRP unless you really are in a hurry to use it.

Other countries may be different (for example they lowered MSRP of E-M1 II in Europe, but in US, they never did, but rather just put it as a discount).

Glass_Elements · Jun 6, 2018

JakeJY said:
You can go on camelcamelcamel.com and price track whatever lens you are interested in. As long as it's on Amazon it'll be there. You can press the flag icon to switch to whatever country you are in.

wow, that's a great tip ... never knew about that site but I will absolutey be using it. Thanks! Unfortunately though, cashback promotions will not be reflected in their system since the items are listed in full price, and you pay full price (initially). but nevertheless, very useful site.

JakeJY said:
In the US, not only Olympus, but Panasonic runs frequent promotions on their lenses (at least the regular ones; I don't really follow the PRO and Leica ones). Almost never a good idea here to pay the full MSRP unless you really are in a hurry to use it.

I'm with you there as far as never paying full MSRP unless you got to.

JakeJY said:
Other countries may be different (for example they lowered MSRP of E-M1 II in Europe, but in US, they never did, but rather just put it as a discount).

ya ... currency plays a big roll there. Even after the permanent price reduction in Europe, and also accounting for currency exchange rates AND vat ... the US retail price is still cheaper by about 100+ euro.

Guy Parsons · Jun 6, 2018

They can be sold a little cheaper right now, here in Oz a store is giving 15% off for a brief period, possibly a special Olympus+store arrangement. So today's prices........

17/1.2 Oz$1511.30 = US$1157.30 .... and at B&H US$1199.00

25/1.2 Oz$1358.30 = US$1040.46 .... and at B&H US$1099.00

45/1.2 Oz$1349.80 = US$1033.95 .... and at B&H US$1199.00

Those Aussie prices are the final price with the usual 10% tax included. US people need to add whatever tax they need to pay to the B&H prices.

We often see Olympus prices cheaper in Oz than in USA, but Panasonic seems to be the other way 'round.

As for the future, who knows, they may slowly slide prices down a bit over the next few years but don't expect dramatic drops unless they decide to dump making cameras at some future time and want to shed stock.

As an example of what really happens look to the old super-duper zooms for the old 4/3 DSLRs, they still seem to be found new at no discernible discount, those fancy lenses are just so darn expensive to make.

As Olympus says, it's all about selling less high end gear now but with higher profit margins for Olympus.

Regards...... Guy

Kiwisnap · Jun 6, 2018

No cash back here in NZ.

I can't see any reason why the lenses would get any cheaper than they are now unless they were replaced with upgraded new versions.

Lucas1964 · Jun 7, 2018

Well, in the grey market prices have been much, much lower. The 25mm 1.2 for instance has been on offer for about 750 Euros at regional Central. They offered the 12-40 2.8 for less than 500 Euros. The 40-150 2,8 was less than 800 Euros. The 75 1.5 less than 500.

Unfortunately, they ceased selling Olympus lenses a couple of months ago. Apparently Olympus stopped supplying them. I guess other retailers complained about it.

However, it does still give a realistic view on how much room there is for further price reductions.

Gregm61 · Jun 7, 2018

Guy Parsons said:
They can be sold a little cheaper right now, here in Oz a store is giving 15% off for a brief period, possibly a special Olympus+store arrangement. So today's prices........

17/1.2 Oz$1511.30 = US$1157.30 .... and at B&H US$1199.00

25/1.2 Oz$1358.30 = US$1040.46 .... and at B&H US$1099.00

45/1.2 Oz$1349.80 = US$1033.95 .... and at B&H US$1199.00

Those Aussie prices are the final price with the usual 10% tax included. US people need to add whatever tax they need to pay to the B&H prices.

and that tax would be -0-, if you order the lens from B&H and they deliver outside of the State of NY, in my case to Texas. One of the huge reasons why I'll but anything I can at B&H vs. ordering on Amazon.

Jon555 · Jun 7, 2018

Since one of Oly's main aims is to improve their margins they are only likely to get cheaper if they think they can sell a big bunch more, which seems unlikely.

Glass_Elements · Jun 7, 2018

Lucas1964 said:
Well, in the grey market prices have been much, much lower. The 25mm 1.2 for instance has been on offer for about 750 Euros at regional Central. They offered the 12-40 2.8 for less than 500 Euros. The 40-150 2,8 was less than 800 Euros. The 75 1.5 less than 500.

Unfortunately, they ceased selling Olympus lenses a couple of months ago. Apparently Olympus stopped supplying them. I guess other retailers complained about it.

However, it does still give a realistic view on how much room there is for further price reductions.

But It doesn't give a realistic view, as far as europeans are concerned (you quoted euros), of how much room there is for further price reductions as far as Olympus is concerned because it does not include VAT, much less customs duties. 750 euros + 23% VAT = 922 Euro. During the current cashback offer, I can get the same lens from Amazon at a net price of 990 Euro with an Olympus warranty and the standard 2 yr retailer warranty - not to mention having the option of returning it to Amazon at their expense if there is a problem with the lens in order to have it replaced. So, realistically, the grey market prices you quoted only serve to confirm that the net cashback promo prices being asked for the PRO primes is pretty much as low as it goes as far as Olympus are concerned. It's tough titty for europeans that we have to pay VAT on top of that.

As far as regional central not selling Olympus lenses any more, my money would be on the fact Olympus completely changed their worldwide warranty policy a couple years back - which made buying grey market lenses even riskier, since effectively Olympus would not cover them under their revised warranty policies. This was obviously a move against the grey market, which no doubt slowed down sales ... and maybe that was enough for certain grey market retailers to give up on those lenses eventually. Or perhaps behind the scenes Olympus put even more measures in place to combat the grey market.

SystemAgnostic · Jun 7, 2018

It seems to me that prices always gradually drop, until there is a replacement which is generally priced higher. The MSRP may not change, but the selling price will. Or at least, the lens will be on sale more often and for a lower price. This may happen over years, but it happens. A few examples below.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Lens Only

Amazon price tracking & price history for Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Lens Only

camelcamelcamel.com

Panasonic LUMIX G II Lens, 20MM, F1.7 ASPH, MIRRORLESS Micro Four Thirds, H-H020AK (USA Black)

Amazon price tracking & price history for Panasonic LUMIX G II Lens, 20MM, F1.7 ASPH, MIRRORLESS Micro Four Thirds, H-H020AK (USA Black)

camelcamelcamel.com

OM SYSTEM Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 Black for Micro Four Thirds System Camera, Compact Design, Beautiful Bokeh, Bright

Amazon price tracking & price history for OM SYSTEM Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 Black for Micro Four Thirds System Camera, Compact Design, Beautiful Bokeh, Bright

camelcamelcamel.com

In the last case - the Olympus 45mm 1.8 is available for 25% or even 50% off for weeks at at time. And that is not including some refurbish prices below that.

Predicting the timing of the drops may not be possible. But I'd be surprised if in a few years there aren't occasional sales of the PRO lenses at $800 or even less. Up to you if it is worth waiting...

Glass_Elements · Jun 7, 2018

SystemAgnostic said:
https://camelcamelcamel.com/Olympus...nic-Cameras/product/B00CI3R53W?context=search

In the last case - the Olympus 45mm 1.8 is available for 25% or even 50% off for weeks at at time. And that is not including some refurbish prices below that.

ya, I picked up the 45mm 1.8 during a cashback promo ... my fav m43 lens of the ones I own.

SystemAgnostic said:
Predicting the timing of the drops may not be possible. But I'd be surprised if in a few years there aren't occasional sales of the PRO lenses at $800 or even less. Up to you if it is worth waiting...

A few years absolutely wouldn't bother me ... even a 10% or so reduction inside a year wouldn't be so bad ... it's just steep cuts, particularly inside a year, that were nagging me. and that seems quite unlikely on the PRO primes from what I'm reading here and using the camelcamelcamel site. Some people have also informed me that the cashback promos on the PRO lenses are likely to be relatively frequent. So I am confident that whether I decide to splurge on more than one lens during this promo, or just one, I won't be sickened in the long run for one reason or another (i.e overpaying, or missing out on a deal)

HUN · Jun 7, 2018

There is a promotion now in Hungary with a 10% Olympus roadshow coupon for the PRO f/1.2 lenses (and other lenses too) + the cashback. Overall it is 25% cheaper than the normal price. On par with the gray market prices.

Glass_Elements · Jun 7, 2018

HUN said:
There is a promotion now in Hungary with a 10% Olympus roadshow coupon for the PRO f/1.2 lenses (and other lenses too) + the cashback. Overall it is 25% cheaper than the normal price. On par with the gray market prices.

are you sure the 10% roadshow coupon discount stacks with the cashback offer ?
because Olympus explicitly state in the terms & conditions of the cashback offer that:

"You are not allowed to combine this bonus-promotion with any other Olympus promotion or discounts."

https://bonus.olympus.eu/terms-and-conditions-promotion/6513/?country_promotion=1

RobbieBear · Jun 7, 2018

Glass_Elements said:
Lucas1964 said:

Well, in the grey market prices have been much, much lower. The 25mm 1.2 for instance has been on offer for about 750 Euros at regional Central. They offered the 12-40 2.8 for less than 500 Euros. The 40-150 2,8 was less than 800 Euros. The 75 1.5 less than 500.

Unfortunately, they ceased selling Olympus lenses a couple of months ago. Apparently Olympus stopped supplying them. I guess other retailers complained about it.

However, it does still give a realistic view on how much room there is for further price reductions.

Click to expand...

But It doesn't give a realistic view, as far as europeans are concerned (you quoted euros), of how much room there is for further price reductions as far as Olympus is concerned because it does not include VAT, much less customs duties. 750 euros + 23% VAT = 922 Euro. During the current cashback offer, I can get the same lens from Amazon at a net price of 990 Euro with an Olympus warranty and the standard 2 yr retailer warranty - not to mention having the option of returning it to Amazon at their expense if there is a problem with the lens in order to have it replaced. So, realistically, the grey market prices you quoted only serve to confirm that the net cashback promo prices being asked for the PRO primes is pretty much as low as it goes as far as Olympus are concerned. It's tough titty for europeans that we have to pay VAT on top of that.

As far as regional central not selling Olympus lenses any more, my money would be on the fact Olympus completely changed their worldwide warranty policy a couple years back - which made buying grey market lenses even riskier, since effectively Olympus would not cover them under their revised warranty policies. This was obviously a move against the grey market, which no doubt slowed down sales ... and maybe that was enough for certain grey market retailers to give up on those lenses eventually. Or perhaps behind the scenes Olympus put even more measures in place to combat the grey market.

I buy grey lenses knowing full well they are not covered by Oly warranty. Of course, they are covered by the seller's warranty. That's why i give my lenses a good test when I receive them. Any issues, and they go straight back. I have never had a lens become faulty on me that was perfect when new - maybe luck.

The savings are often very signiificant - saw a 17 Pro for £739 a couple of weeks ago.

wolfychi · Jun 7, 2018

if you really want those lens, just buy it now and enjoy them, the time you get to spend with the lens is more than make up for the little price difference, life is too short.

Mark Ransom · Jun 7, 2018

wolfychi said:
if you really want those lens, just buy it now and enjoy them, the time you get to spend with the lens is more than make up for the little price difference, life is too short.

Life is too short, but it's also too expensive!

Glass_Elements · Jun 7, 2018

RobbieBear said:
Any issues, and they go straight back.

at whose expense ?

Anyways, my point wasn't that grey market lenses aren't worth taking a chance on - or that you can't save money that way. My point was, the person I was replying to was making a fundamental error in his assumptions that grey market prices are proof that Olympus can sell these lenses cheaper. He didn't take VAT in to account. If he did, he'd have realised that the grey market prices and the cash-back promo prices in the EU are effectively the exact same as far as what Olympus is charging. It's the individual european governments that are increasing the price with the addition of VAT.

that important detail aside, and accepting the difference in price inclusive of VAT vs grey market with no VAT .... when it comes to the sums of money involved, I prefer going the Amazon (etc) route and benefiting from all the consumer protection that affords. Any PRO primes that I will buy, I will be testing to see if they are a 'good copy' (even though variance on Olympus PRO lenses is reportedly small in comparison to other brands) ... and will absolutely return for a replacement, at Amazon's expense.

But really, grey market VS domestic market is a different topic entirely, and basicaly boils down to personal anecdotes ("i bought a grey market lens, great success!") vs people who prefer the added security of easy & free after-sales service and extended warranties. Anyway, this side-topic is pretty much removed from my query since I am sticking with the domestic market regardless ... the weather sealing on these lenses will absolutely be used, and if there are any issues owing to weather sealing in 1.5 years time, I'd rather deal with Amazon/Olympus and not some shop owner in Hong Kong. No disrespect meant to shop owners in Hong Kong, but I am in a much stronger position dealing with issues like that domestically.

NowHearThis · Jun 7, 2018

Glass_Elements said:
Olympus are currently offering 175euro cashback on their PRO Primes (and various other cashback offers for other olympus products)

These lenses are all on my 'definite purchase' list ... but as I ponder my budget during this offer, and possibly buying multiple lenses during the offer ... I have a few nagging concerns:

Do these cashback offers (on the PRO primes specifically) happen with relative frequency, and I just haven't noticed ?? (only been shooting with olympus for 6 months, bought an EM1 MK II during a cashback offer at the end of 2017, prior to that I was shooting with Panasonic [as far as m43 goes]. So the only Olympus thing I was proactively monitoring, in terms of price, was the EM1 MKII)

The other thing is ... I noticed a guy, who comes across to me as a fanatical and hyperbolic troll (given his various posts on m43 and olympus issues) insist - amongst a bunch of m43 doomsday rhetoric - that the PRO primes (infact, the entire PRO lens range if i recall correctly) are going to get steep price cuts in the very near future. Now, I know, my impression of the guy should lead me to not really take it at face value ... but he definitely planted the seed, hehe. So I'm wondering, just how steep could Olympus cut the price on these lenses, in all probability ?? (as opposed to hypothetical doomsday scenarios). I could stomach maybe a 10% - 15% further discount on what I paid, in less than a year ... but much more than that and I'd be pretty sickened

I bought a PL12-60 last year and paid $1000, it is now on sale for $800. Am I mad that the lens is 20% cheaper now?

Nope. The thousands of great images I’ve taken were worth getting the lens when I did.

I’d be more sickened realized I missed so many memories, great shots, etc over a couple hundred bucks.

wolfychi · Jun 7, 2018

Mark Ransom said:
wolfychi said:

if you really want those lens, just buy it now and enjoy them, the time you get to spend with the lens is more than make up for the little price difference, life is too short.

Click to expand...

Life is too short, but it's also too expensive!

Well, the OP is obviously have the interest and the budgeting for these lens, so may as well buy it early and enjoy it, yes life is expensive, enjoy it as much as you can. :-D

wolfychi · Jun 7, 2018

NowHearThis said:
Glass_Elements said:

Olympus are currently offering 175euro cashback on their PRO Primes (and various other cashback offers for other olympus products)

These lenses are all on my 'definite purchase' list ... but as I ponder my budget during this offer, and possibly buying multiple lenses during the offer ... I have a few nagging concerns:

Do these cashback offers (on the PRO primes specifically) happen with relative frequency, and I just haven't noticed ?? (only been shooting with olympus for 6 months, bought an EM1 MK II during a cashback offer at the end of 2017, prior to that I was shooting with Panasonic [as far as m43 goes]. So the only Olympus thing I was proactively monitoring, in terms of price, was the EM1 MKII)

The other thing is ... I noticed a guy, who comes across to me as a fanatical and hyperbolic troll (given his various posts on m43 and olympus issues) insist - amongst a bunch of m43 doomsday rhetoric - that the PRO primes (infact, the entire PRO lens range if i recall correctly) are going to get steep price cuts in the very near future. Now, I know, my impression of the guy should lead me to not really take it at face value ... but he definitely planted the seed, hehe. So I'm wondering, just how steep could Olympus cut the price on these lenses, in all probability ?? (as opposed to hypothetical doomsday scenarios). I could stomach maybe a 10% - 15% further discount on what I paid, in less than a year ... but much more than that and I'd be pretty sickened

Click to expand...

I bought a PL12-60 last year and paid $1000, it is now on sale for $800. Am I mad that the lens is 20% cheaper now?

Nope. The thousands of great images I’ve taken were worth getting the lens when I did.

I’d be more sickened realized I missed so many memories, great shots, etc over a couple hundred bucks.

Olympus PRO Primes ... How cheap could they likely get ?

Active member

Veteran Member

Active member

Forum Pro

Senior Member

Well-known member

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Active member

Leading Member

Active member

Well-known member

Active member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Active member

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Similar threads

Keyboard shortcuts