Another End-of-the-Month Refurb Sale, Nikon USA

[shuncheung]

Such as the Z7 II refurb at 1199.95

https://www.nikonusa.com/p/z-7ii-refurbished/1653B

the D850 at 1629.95

https://www.nikonusa.com/p/d850-refurbished/1585B

and finally the Zf at 1199.95 BTW this one is out of Stock so it's not likely to be possible.

https://www.nikonusa.com/p/z-f-refurbished/1761Q

Wow, those refurb Zf didn't last very long. I am surprised by that low price, for a camera introduced merely one year ago. There shouldn't be too many refurbs floating around.

 

[NikonBiologist]

I'm this close to getting a z7ii. I have a z6 iii (no I don't like the large size of the Z8), but wouldn't mind a backup 45mp camera. hmmmm

 

[Ryan Schwartz]

Such as the Z7 II refurb at 1199.95

https://www.nikonusa.com/p/z-7ii-refurbished/1653B

The Z7II is now sold out, even with the kit lens.

 

[Petruska]

I called Nikon, explained the problem, and the person on the other end was initially helpful. Took all of my information down, I gave him the credit card information, and he was all set to process my transaction manually--put me on hold, came back, and abruptly stated that he was instructed to cease all actions. I asked him if there were technical issues, and he replied with a very hesitating "Yeah...", as if he knew more but wasn't at liberty to say. He did suggest that I try later.

Yes, the Nikon rep tried to manually input the order then the the order was denied.

 

[Bob A L]

I have had this happen 3 times in the last two months. Once with Nikon and two other major retailers. Each time I contact the credit card co and they said one moment please and come back with OK you can finish transaction. They claim it is security measures to verify that I was in fact the right person to be charging on this card. Transaction goes through without problems after I call the card company.

 

[Gerry LoSardo]

I submitted the issue to Nikon via email (the fact that I couldn't even get the item into the cart). They suggested trying to complete the transaction as a guest vs signing in to my account. At first I laughed, but lo and behold, it worked. Have no idea why. Maybe this will help someone.

 

[Berend Botje]

I love my Z8 for wildlife and landscape. However, for street photography and travel I find it too large. So I am considering a 2nd camera next to the Z8.

I had long thought to go with the Zf - I like the retro style and the price is good - but recently had begun to think about the Z6iii. It is smaller and I would like to duplicate as many functions and controls as possible with the Z8.

Waiting for the price of the Z6iii to come down (holiday sale?) I am surprised to see that the Zf refurbished was offered for USD 1200. I had seen the Zf + 40mm/2 refurbished for around 1800 earlier, but this price point surprised me. Compared to a new Z6iii this is 1300 less for a camera that can do 85% of what the Z6iii can.

So what might be the reason that the refurbished Zf was offered this low? Was there a glut of returned Zfs due to the arrival of the Z6iii? Why did the Zf + 40mm stay at 1800 with the kit price for that lens being 230 - it looks like there were more bodies NikonUSA wanted to sell this time. And might we see this price return in the future (I missed this opportunity)?

 

[shuncheung]

I love my Z8 for wildlife and landscape. However, for street photography and travel I find it too large. So I am considering a 2nd camera next to the Z8.

I had long thought to go with the Zf - I like the retro style and the price is good - but recently had begun to think about the Z6iii. It is smaller and I would like to duplicate as many functions and controls as possible with the Z8.

Waiting for the price of the Z6iii to come down (holiday sale?) I am surprised to see that the Zf refurbished was offered for USD 1200. I had seen the Zf + 40mm/2 refurbished for around 1800 earlier, but this price point surprised me. Compared to a new Z6iii this is 1300 less for a camera that can do 85% of what the Z6iii can.

So what might be the reason that the refurbished Zf was offered this low? Was there a glut of returned Zfs due to the arrival of the Z6iii? Why did the Zf + 40mm stay at 1800 with the kit price for that lens being 230 - it looks like there were more bodies NikonUSA wanted to sell this time. And might we see this price return in the future (I missed this opportunity)?

I was very surprised that the refurb Zf was priced so low, for a body introduced merely a year ago; I mentioned that earlier on this thread. I thought perhaps Nikon had a lot of them, but then they sold out within a few hours on day 1.

Not sure Nikon will price the refurbished Zf this low again any time soon, but new Zf and maybe Z6iii will be discounted soon.

 

[Bob A L]

I have never been able to put any rhyme or reason to Nikon's refurbished pricing. It continues to amaze me like when they offer a body for x dollars and a body with lens for $1 more, or in some cases less than body only. I have delayed too long several times on Nikon refurb sales, but just kept frequent checks and have always managed to purchase what I was after, just with a delay of a few weeks, sometimes at an even better price.

 

[shuncheung]

Both the Zf and Z7ii are $1200 as well.

Yeah. A refurb Zf is $1200, $800 off the $2000 price tag merely one year after its introduction. The refurb Z7ii is really low as well.

I don't remember whether these deals have been available before.

Nikon USA also has the 600/6.3 PF and 800/6.3 PF refurb available.

As usual, refurb sales last for 4 days, i.e. Tuesday to Friday, October 22 to 25, while supply lasts. I have no idea how much inventory Nikon has on hand. For those who want one, act quickly, although previously refurb Z8 didn't seem to run out.

Some of those refurb body prices are really low. We are now only on the second day of the four-day sale, even the Z8 is also out of stock. Perhaps Nikon realizes that their prices are too low so that they are stopping it, or perhaps they only have a small allocation at such low prices. The Z7ii and Zf refurbs, both @ $1200, are both out of stock after a few hours on day 1, so are the 600 PF and 800 PF.

I wonder whether such deals will be back next month or Nikon will adjust the prices higher in response to the high demand.

 

[Ryan Schwartz]

I love my Z8 for wildlife and landscape. However, for street photography and travel I find it too large. So I am considering a 2nd camera next to the Z8.

I had long thought to go with the Zf - I like the retro style and the price is good - but recently had begun to think about the Z6iii. It is smaller and I would like to duplicate as many functions and controls as possible with the Z8.

Waiting for the price of the Z6iii to come down (holiday sale?) I am surprised to see that the Zf refurbished was offered for USD 1200. I had seen the Zf + 40mm/2 refurbished for around 1800 earlier, but this price point surprised me. Compared to a new Z6iii this is 1300 less for a camera that can do 85% of what the Z6iii can.

So what might be the reason that the refurbished Zf was offered this low? Was there a glut of returned Zfs due to the arrival of the Z6iii? Why did the Zf + 40mm stay at 1800 with the kit price for that lens being 230 - it looks like there were more bodies NikonUSA wanted to sell this time. And might we see this price return in the future (I missed this opportunity)?

I was very surprised that the refurb Zf was priced so low, for a body introduced merely a year ago; I mentioned that earlier on this thread. I thought perhaps Nikon had a lot of them, but then they sold out within a few hours on day 1.

Not sure Nikon will price the refurbished Zf this low again any time soon, but new Zf and maybe Z6iii will be discounted soon.

For the Zf, it seems like people either really love the camera, or they get tired of the ergonomics (or lack thereof) and look for something else.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Refurb Z8 is down to $2799.95, merely $300 more than a new Z6iii.

https://www.nikonusa.com/p/z-8-refurbished/1695Q

Thee Z8 is really cutting into the Z6iii price range. I am still hoping that there will be some Z6iii discount next month, as the holiday shopping season starts.

I'm going to guess the Z6 III probably won't go on sale until it's one year anniversary. I mean we might see $100 off for Black Friday but nothing big. That's just my suspicion because the Z6 III is still technically "too new" and if Canon does release their R6 Mark III either by the end of the year or early next year, Nikon will probably still hold firm on the price, because it does seem like it may be selling quite well (but I haven't checked the numbers, that's an assumption based on the number of people I see who claim to have one).

Apparently the Z8 refurbished is sold out now, so anyone who wanted one, they missed their chance ($2800 is a great deal). Although I don't quite know the aggressive pricing on the Z8 (new and refurbished) over the past several months. Last year, it was because of all the recalls but it seems that a lot of people are picking up Z8's even at just $200-$300 off).

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[Berend Botje]

I love my Z8 for wildlife and landscape. However, for street photography and travel I find it too large. So I am considering a 2nd camera next to the Z8.

I had long thought to go with the Zf - I like the retro style and the price is good - but recently had begun to think about the Z6iii. It is smaller and I would like to duplicate as many functions and controls as possible with the Z8.

Waiting for the price of the Z6iii to come down (holiday sale?) I am surprised to see that the Zf refurbished was offered for USD 1200. I had seen the Zf + 40mm/2 refurbished for around 1800 earlier, but this price point surprised me. Compared to a new Z6iii this is 1300 less for a camera that can do 85% of what the Z6iii can.

So what might be the reason that the refurbished Zf was offered this low? Was there a glut of returned Zfs due to the arrival of the Z6iii? Why did the Zf + 40mm stay at 1800 with the kit price for that lens being 230 - it looks like there were more bodies NikonUSA wanted to sell this time. And might we see this price return in the future (I missed this opportunity)?

I was very surprised that the refurb Zf was priced so low, for a body introduced merely a year ago; I mentioned that earlier on this thread.

Thank you. I had not seen your earlier post, apologies.

I thought perhaps Nikon had a lot of them, but then they sold out within a few hours on day 1.

Quite possible. Or maybe the Zf body sold out so quickly because the price was so low. Maybe a fair number of people bought the Z6iii and Zf with the idea of returning one of them - which then might have been the Zf. It is hard to know but interesting to guess.

It will also be interesting to see whether Nikon will sell them again at this price point. I still don't know whether I would go for it. Around where I live I have not been able to have either one in my hands. So without the possibility of returning Nikon's refurbished models I am hesitant even at this low price point.

Not sure Nikon will price the refurbished Zf this low again any time soon, but new Zf and maybe Z6iii will be discounted soon.

It will be interesting to see the holiday sales. There are enough old models to discount heavily. The Z6iii was only introduced recently - but we have seen Nikon discount some items very quickly. They may very well make a push. The Zf appears more a niche product - if it is indeed returned more frequently Nikon may be more cautious.

Looking for a smaller camera I am also curious to see what Nikon's rumored next model will be, especially if it is indeed a Z50 successor. Though it would have to be really convincing because I do not want to mix FX/DX lenses again. My default remains another FX body with better AF than the Z6ii.

Thank you.

 

[shuncheung]

I was very surprised that the refurb Zf was priced so low, for a body introduced merely a year ago; I mentioned that earlier on this thread. I thought perhaps Nikon had a lot of them, but then they sold out within a few hours on day 1.

Not sure Nikon will price the refurbished Zf this low again any time soon, but new Zf and maybe Z6iii will be discounted soon.

For the Zf, it seems like people either really love the camera, or they get tired of the ergonomics (or lack thereof) and look for something else.

Back in 2013, Nikon USA loaned me a Df for testing. I never liked its ergonomics. Actually back in 1997, after using the F4s for 7 years, I added an F5. (I am talking about film SLRs.) After about 6 months with the F5, I realized that I didn't want to use the F4s any more. In other words, I don't need to try the Zf or Zfc and I already know that I won't like those camera myself, but I did try a Nikon rep's demo Zf and it didn't surprise me. Another issue is that one of its card slots is Micro SD, which is no no to me. But of course I know plenty of people like the Zf, and $1200 is a good deal.

I think there were a lot of people who bought the Zf in late 2023 to early 2024 because of its improved AF, on a 24MP body. But when Nikon introduced the Z6iii in June 2024, some of those upgraded to the Z6iii for the better ergonomics and the new 24MP sensor with new features that come with the sensor. Therefore, perhaps it is not that surprising that there are plenty of used/refurb Zf on the market. I think prices for new and used Zf will have to go down, but maybe not as low as $1200.

 

[Berend Botje]

I love my Z8 for wildlife and landscape. However, for street photography and travel I find it too large. So I am considering a 2nd camera next to the Z8.

I had long thought to go with the Zf - I like the retro style and the price is good - but recently had begun to think about the Z6iii. It is smaller and I would like to duplicate as many functions and controls as possible with the Z8.

Waiting for the price of the Z6iii to come down (holiday sale?) I am surprised to see that the Zf refurbished was offered for USD 1200. I had seen the Zf + 40mm/2 refurbished for around 1800 earlier, but this price point surprised me. Compared to a new Z6iii this is 1300 less for a camera that can do 85% of what the Z6iii can.

So what might be the reason that the refurbished Zf was offered this low? Was there a glut of returned Zfs due to the arrival of the Z6iii? Why did the Zf + 40mm stay at 1800 with the kit price for that lens being 230 - it looks like there were more bodies NikonUSA wanted to sell this time. And might we see this price return in the future (I missed this opportunity)?

I was very surprised that the refurb Zf was priced so low, for a body introduced merely a year ago; I mentioned that earlier on this thread. I thought perhaps Nikon had a lot of them, but then they sold out within a few hours on day 1.

Not sure Nikon will price the refurbished Zf this low again any time soon, but new Zf and maybe Z6iii will be discounted soon.

For the Zf, it seems like people either really love the camera, or they get tired of the ergonomics (or lack thereof) and look for something else.

Thank you Ryan. As I wrote in response to Shuncheung, not having had the Zf in my hands your observation caution me against buying it refurbished.

I did have the Z6ii which I loved ergonomically (but for wildlife the AF drove me crazy) so I feel much more confident about purchasing that one unseen.

 

[Berend Botje]

I have never been able to put any rhyme or reason to Nikon's refurbished pricing. It continues to amaze me like when they offer a body for x dollars and a body with lens for $1 more, or in some cases less than body only.

My guess is that Nikon resells the models (body + lens or body only) as they sold them originally. But that does not explain the price differences between bodies and kit offerings (the amount of items perhaps?)

I have delayed too long several times on Nikon refurb sales, but just kept frequent checks and have always managed to purchase what I was after, just with a delay of a few weeks, sometimes at an even better price.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope we may see the Zf at 1200 again. I like the body only option because I would like to add the 28mm/2.8 SE, which does not come as kit. However, I would still need to get my hands on a Zf body and play with it a bit before I would want to buy it refurbished.

Best, BB

 

[LTheWafflePWN]

Yeah, I'm glad everyone else took the bullets and bought up all the Z8's, I was about to make a poor financial decision ;-)

As far as aggressive pricing goes, I think there are a number of factors that each contribute to a reduction in Z8 pricing:

• Relatively weak Yen to USD should account for some of the discount we're seeing here in the US.
• Improvement to sensor yield from the fabrication plant. To some degree the percentage yield of chips improve over time, and both the Z8's sensor and Expeed 7 are not particularly new anymore (Z9 came out late 2021).
• Volume orders usually help bring costs down as well, and with the Z9 being "Nikon's most sold flagship in 15 years " and the Z8's popularity I think that the 45MP stacked sensor is probably being made in good volume. I don't have sales volume data so that is just a hunch I suppose.
• Perhaps the materials used to make the Z8 itself have become cheaper? Isn't there some amount of carbon fiber used to make the Z8 in addition to the typical Magnesium Alloy?

In any case, I'll gladly take cheaper Z8's (but preferably when I have the money to comfortably buy them) ;-)

 

[shuncheung]

Refurb Z8 is down to $2799.95, merely $300 more than a new Z6iii.

https://www.nikonusa.com/p/z-8-refurbished/1695Q

Thee Z8 is really cutting into the Z6iii price range. I am still hoping that there will be some Z6iii discount next month, as the holiday shopping season starts.

I'm going to guess the Z6 III probably won't go on sale until it's one year anniversary. I mean we might see $100 off for Black Friday but nothing big. That's just my suspicion because the Z6 III is still technically "too new" and if Canon does release their R6 Mark III either by the end of the year or early next year, Nikon will probably still hold firm on the price, because it does seem like it may be selling quite well (but I haven't checked the numbers, that's an assumption based on the number of people I see who claim to have one).

Apparently the Z8 refurbished is sold out now, so anyone who wanted one, they missed their chance ($2800 is a great deal). Although I don't quite know the aggressive pricing on the Z8 (new and refurbished) over the past several months. Last year, it was because of all the recalls but it seems that a lot of people are picking up Z8's even at just $200-$300 off).

The Z8 was announced in May 2023 and then of course there were two service advisories in quick succession, in July and August 2023. But it had mostly recovered by September and October 2023. What surprised me was that Nikon USA's Z8 discount didn't happen on November 1 or November 15, but they suddenly introduced a $300 discount on Thanksgiving Day in the US (23 Nov 2023).

The Z6iii was announced in June 2024 (about a month and half later in the year compared to the Z8 in the year before). Therefore, I think there is a chance that it will be discounted during this holiday season. It will be modest, perhaps $200, but that could be on Nov 1 or even December 1, depending on sales situations. Or that is merely my wishful thinking.

In a way the Z6iii is already discounted as Nikon USA is now giving a "free" FTZii. Its value is $250 and perhaps one can resell it for $100 to $150. Used Z6iii are around $2000 now in the used market so that there is already some pricing pressure on new ones. We'll see in about a month.

 

[shuncheung]

I have delayed too long several times on Nikon refurb sales, but just kept frequent checks and have always managed to purchase what I was after, just with a delay of a few weeks, sometimes at an even better price.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope we may see the Zf at 1200 again. I like the body only option because I would like to add the 28mm/2.8 SE, which does not come as kit. However, I would still need to get my hands on a Zf body and play with it a bit before I would want to buy it refurbished.

When I post about these refurb sales, I usually mention that "while supply lasts." When I was a teenager, I missed a few buying opportunities because I waited an hour or two and the stores were sold out. Nowadays when I go to a brick-and-mortar store, if the supply for an item is low, I place it on my (physical) shopping cart immediately and continue shopping. I can always decide not to buy it later on.

And if there are some sale items I am interested, I always order first before I post about the sale on this forum. :-D

Concerning the Zf, definitely hold one in your hands before you buy. In particular, if you are going to use a heavier or longer lens on it, the lack of a true grip can be an issue for some, and I don't like any add-on grips. I also don't like using any Micro SD card in the second slot. However, it is your individual preferences that matter, and they could be totally different from mine.

 

[Berend Botje]

I have delayed too long several times on Nikon refurb sales, but just kept frequent checks and have always managed to purchase what I was after, just with a delay of a few weeks, sometimes at an even better price.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope we may see the Zf at 1200 again. I like the body only option because I would like to add the 28mm/2.8 SE, which does not come as kit. However, I would still need to get my hands on a Zf body and play with it a bit before I would want to buy it refurbished.

When I post about these refurb sales, I usually mention that "while supply lasts." When I was a teenager, I missed a few buying opportunities because I waited an hour or two and the stores were sold out. Nowadays when I go to a brick-and-mortar store, if the supply for an item is low, I place it on my (physical) shopping cart immediately and continue shopping. I can always decide not to buy it later on.

And if there are some sale items I am interested, I always order first before I post about the sale on this forum. :-D

Concerning the Zf, definitely hold one in your hands before you buy. In particular, if you are going to use a heavier or longer lens on it, the lack of a true grip can be an issue for some, and I don't like any add-on grips.

I hear you. This is also why I didn't jump on the deal when I saw it first posted (thank you!).

I do use long lenses (currently the 180-600mm and plan for a 50-300mm for travel). I have always used such long lenses on modern bodies (D90/7100 Z6II/8), and want a 2nd camera body to be a backup for use with those lenses.

My experience with the older SLR ergonomics go back to the OM system (making your Nikon Fs huge by comparison). I never had any problem with the ergonomics of my OM-2, but my longest lens was the 85mm f/2 and I would not like to hang my 180-600 on a the OM-2 body that still sits on my shelf

I also don't like using any Micro SD card in the second slot. However, it is your individual preferences that matter, and they could be totally different from mine.

I agree. In this regard too I would prefer compatibility with the Z8, and rather not have an SD card as the primary storage solution.