E-510 - Unrealistic Pricing expectations

[Earl_of_Omaha]

When I see rapid turnover of models, price disparities, and market share, I wonder how profitable the Olympus DSLR segment is.

At least in all the ORs I have been in, they seem to have cornered the Endoscope market. I wonder if it is keeping the DSLR segment up and running.

 

[gnarayan]

Not a direct answer to your question -

For the fun of it I looked at the how Canon, Nikon, Oly, Ricoh and Sony - its easy to look them up on Reuters. All of them are down - Oly blames lower earnings on the US market. I'm guessing the others are as well.

I've no idea about the popularity of Oly's DSLRs but I do actually know quite a few real life people who ended up with the 510. I think the 5XX series - while maybe lacking the character of the 3XX series - has got them well into the game because they are just simple to use, well rounded, sensible, reliable little cameras with great value for money.

--
C&C always welcome.
Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/

 

[insaneoctane]

The $449.00 deal is a right place at the right time deal. I spent
some time talking with a camera guy from my local Best Buy and he
explained that company policy with discontinued merchandise is to
discount like this only if there is excessive stock that needs to be
moved. As they had only two units left, he doubted such a discount
would be instituted at his store. This is counter to the lucky guy
who got the discount after the unit was out of stock. Right place,
right time, right sales person. I got my E330 at Fry's about two
months ago with the 18-180, a bag, cleaning tools and a two year
warranty extention for $432.00 We all get lucky once in a while.

Well, after reading this thread, I figure W.T.H. let's call my Bestbuy. I still have 3-5 days left to return my camera to AMAZON that I JUST paid $633 for (and I'm proud of that price, by the way!). The first Bestbuy I call, on the way home, guy tells me they are in fact $449, but they are out of stock. I asked if any surrounding stores had them and he said hold..............

Then he came back and said the system said he had 2, he was going to check to see if they were floor models.............
Told me they were brand new in a box!
I said I'd be right there.

I drove in 30 minutes later and asked if both were brand new in box...YES. I said I'd take BOTH.

He rang the first one up, it came up as $749.99. Hmmm, he said he was afraid of that, but got his manager. Told me that he'd have to match the clearance price and within 3 minutes I was out the door! This bestbuy is in a city with a population of 130,000 or so. It was HIS idea to price match the clearance, not mine! Anyway, I bought the 2nd one just in case my buddy wants it. I still need to ask him. Anyway, maybe right place, right time? But, undeniably the deal of the century in my book!

Here's a scan of my receipt:
" http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bestbuye510cleanbw1.png "
http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bestbuye510cleanbw1.png
I'm on cloud 9!!!!

 

[gnarayan]

oh good for you have fun.

--
C&C always welcome.
Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/

 

[igelfeld]

these days. The product line gets updated, at least, once a year. People rush out to buy new cameras because of all new features and what not. It used to be different. You bought a camera with an expectation that it will last you years if not decades. This madness must stop. Buy glass not cameras .

--
Cheers,

Igelfeld

 

[mrhodges2]

This madness
must stop. Buy glass not cameras .

--
Cheers,

Igelfeld

What about buying cameras at a bargain and then reselling them and then buying glass?

Or maybe buying cheap kits, keeping the body for a backup, selling the glass at a profit and then buying more glass?

Or maybe buying a cheap kit, reselling at a profit and then patiently waiting for the 520? :> )

Robert

 

[Goffen]

A 400/f4 is typically a bit more expensive than a similar 300/2.8 . a10-20k 400mm from Oly will be 400/f5.6

Goffen
--
http://www.flickr.com/goffen

 

[photo_owl]

I'll wait for the 520. 510 thing I don't like is it's tiny viewfinder .

you will have to wait for something else - happy to bet you right now (the price of an E3) the viewfinder will be the same baisc spec in any 520

--

• enjoy your camera equipment -

 

[boggis the cat]

Olympus are very prominent in medical imaging, but I doubt that they would turn out cameras at a loss. (Overall, including P&S, they would be profitable. The E-510 appears to have sold very well.)

Given the previews of the E-420 it looks like they are still putting substantial R&D effort into DSLRs. It is likely that the wholesale chain want to unload the E-510 before the E-520 comes along, as if it is on par with the E-410 to E-420 gains then why would you want the E-510?

I'm hoping that a sub E-3 series may yet appear (the much speculated upon E-xx series) with weather sealing but a lot less weight. That would be an ideal upgrade for me from the E-510.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

It's been said many times, that (generally speaking) Olympus is favoring zooms over primes because the quality of "today's" zooms doesn't justify having as many primes.

As for lacking in telephoto -- I'd agree if 4/3 was a 35mm full frame system, but TODAY, they have a range from (in 35mm terms) 14mm through 600mm. 1200mm if you add the EC-20. You want a 400 or 500mm lens from Olympus -- how many 800 or 1000mm lenses are in Canon's or Nikon's stable, and how much is there a real need for them. It's one thing to make them, another to be able to sell them.

Canon and Nikon's 400mm+ lenses were made for 35mm film cameras. There was a need for that focal length to achieve that angle of view. With the 2x FOV factor, there's not nearly as much need/demand for such long focal lengths.

That said, I could have used that kind of reach recently, though in some sense I was simply chasing after a shot too hard -- at the range my targets were atmospheric effects were as much an issue as anything else. It certainly wasn't something I'd pay $5k for nor lug around such a beast for.

A prime 500 5ish iso or 400/4 would be worth 1-2k but 1k for a 500
zoom thats soft as hell at 500 no thanks.

Canon's 400 f4 is $5k, Nikon's is about the same. Both have IS/VR which the Oly wouldn't need, but at best you're talking only a couple/few hundred less. $1k? That is unrealistic.

--



E-Five-Ten/E-One/E-Three-Hundred/E-Ten/C-Twenty-OneHundred-UZ/E-OneHundred-RS
DZ Eleven-TwentyTwo/DZ Fourteen-FiftyFour/DZ Fifty-TwoHundred
EC-Fourteen/FL-Fifty/FL-Forty
Oldma-cdon-aldh-adaf-arm-EI-EI-O

 

[granite123]

well... at ~$450 for E510 2 lens kit (although not typically that low now) that represents a price of about 1/3 of the original retail price of the E510 2 lens kit when it first came out in July 2007.

at this rate, I think it would be best to wait another 6 months and pick one up for $100.00

 

[gnarayan]

450/1000 =0.45 which is not 0.333 by quite a bit.
And they aren't going to sell it at a loss so $100 is right out.
--
C&C always welcome.
Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarayan/

 

[BigBen08]

This
bestbuy is in a city with a population of 130,000 or so. It was HIS
idea to price match the clearance, not mine! Anyway, I bought the
2nd one just in case my buddy wants it. I still need to ask him.
Anyway, maybe right place, right time? But, undeniably the deal of
the century in my book!

insameoctane, congrats, bro...

I live pretty close to your area. I called 5 BestBuys and only 1 store had the 510, but they still wanted a little more than $700. They didn't know about - and not interested in - any talk about a discount price or clearance price.

Two clerks said the 510 was discontinued, and that their store would only carry N & C dslrs.

 

[jd_davis]

I found a deal on the E510 for 696.00 and it comes with the 14-42mm and 40-150mm plus they are throwing in a 1gig card and all the other usual stuff comes with it. I should have it in about 2 weeks around the 28th... (keeping my fingers crossed.)

I totally satisfied with the price... I don't think I'll be sorry. I've been using the E500 for about 2 years or so, and I hope this will be step up!!

btw, this deal is gone now, because it was on one of the shoppers network stations.

--
jd

 

[BigBen08]

I found a deal on the E510 for 696.00 and it comes with the 14-42mm
and 40-150mm plus they are throwing in a 1gig card and all the other
usual stuff comes with it.

$625, free shipping, no sales tax. Store has a pretty good rating:

http://www.us1photo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4686

 

[jd_davis]

Wow it comes with a 2gig high speed CF card too.

I guess my main advantage to is that I'm making 4 payments on the one I bought. That helps me out. My Dad just passed away and I've spent several months helping him and my mother with whatever I could. So I'm stretched a little thin for the whole amount right now.

It was an impulse, but I'm ready to get back to having some fun..!!

That's a great deal, I hope some other folks see it.

Thanks,

--
jd

 

[jd_davis]

Wow it comes with a 2gig high speed CF card too.

My mistake... you can add the 2gig high speed CF card for additional money. $669.00

I guess my main advantage to is that I'm making 4 payments on the one
I bought. That helps me out. My Dad just passed away and I've spent
several months helping him and my mother with whatever I could. So
I'm stretched a little thin for the whole amount right now.

It was an impulse, but I'm ready to get back to having some fun..!!

That's a great deal, I hope some other folks see it.

Thanks,

--
jd
---

--
jd
---

 

[BigBen08]

I think at times we drive ourselves crazy searching for the lowest price - I know I do !

When all is said and done...a few bucks here or there...it doesn't really matter.

Main thing is to have fun with your camera. Enjoy your E-510. Post some photos, ok?

 

[ArtieD]

I posted this yesterday in a different thread, but it's true and I have the camera and lenses to prove it -

I just picked one up in Manhattan for the $449 price.

First, I went to the store closest to me (Broadway & 62 St.). At first, they said it was $749, but I showed the saleswoman the image that someone on another thread had posted of the receipt from a store in Thousand Oaks, Ca. She then went into a back room. When she came back, she said that the camera is discontinued. They would honor the $449 price, but that they only had the floor model for sale. I could have it for that price (with the two lenses), but they didn't have any of the packaging, including strap, battery, charger, s/w, etc. She also (very helpfully) told me that the only store in Manhattan with a retail box was on 86th and Lexington.

I went there. It was again listed at $749, but another nice saleswoman did a price scan, which came up something like $520. Again, I showed her a printout of the scan. While the purchase number had been blanked out by the person who posted it, they were able to view the records of the Thousand Oaks store and confirm that they sold two units at $449 each. They then agreed to give me the same price.

Long story short - If you're in Manhattan, you can either try the Lex and 86th store and see if they have any more retail boxes, or you can try the Broadway and 62nd store for just the body and two lenses.

If you're going to another Best Buy, they should have access to the sales at other stores. The one in Thousand Oaks is store #112, and the one where I made my purchase is #835. No guarantees, but it's worth a shot. (I really didn't believe I would get it.)

Now, I can get friendly with my 510, and if/when the 520 comes out and I want to upgrade, I can trade up, knowing that I saved a bundle on my 510.
Happy hunting.

Artie

 

[insaneoctane]

I'm glad my scans proved helpful