Lens Price Increases!

But you don't know. That's not a fact.

Don't forget that not all prices of Japanese sourced goods have gone up yet anyway. It takes time for price rises to filter through and those who want to sell will keep prices as low as possible for as long as possible.

As for our prices overseas, our exporters like a weak pound because they can sell more, or at least governments like to claim that it helps in that way.

Everybody does need to make a profit though, otherwise we won't have anybody left to buy our gear from, so prices here will have to go up.

Thanks for the heads-up on these rises. Chris at SRS has just got an order for a DA*50-135 a lot sooner than I was planning. Was procrastinating 'til I saw what I'd have to pay if I waited. Ho hum, it's only money.

Ironically, a colleague here in Japan has not purchased a European-made telescope because the prices have gone up since February when he was planning the order - but it would have cost a lot more here last summer.

Jon

I wonder if any of our EEC members living outside the UK could confirm if if they have seen any price drops of around 23% on UK manufactured goods in their shops?

23% is the fall from 1.48 Euros to the Pound to 1.13 Euros to the Pound.

My sister living in Italy used to get a Christmas Hamper every year from a shop in London, now with the exchange rate she gets stuff off them all year because it's cheaper than Italy.

shim

When I was living in Spain 3 months ago we English were taking a right beating because of the exchange rate. My money is in the UK so whenever I needed some cash I just took it from the local cashpoint but by the time I left it was costing me approx 30% more than 12 months ago for the same amount of Euros. What did amuse me though were the small shops that catered for the English that couldn't do without their Heinz baked beans and Mcvities digestives .. the shops buy the stuff my the van load and drive it over to Spain to stock their shelves .. they sell in Euros but buy in Stirling so therefore by rights their prices should have dropped significantly .. did they? .. did they hell.

The point I was trying to make earlier in the tread was, yes I accept the price rises due to exchange rates etc, but Pentax's predicted price rise is not in line with their competitors, IE, Canon & Nikon, by comparison Pentax's price rise as I said before is extortion.

I think Nikon have put their prices up twice this year already and they are due to rise again this month as well, not sure about Canon.

I thought about this ... I could only think of one example: British Hifi manufacturers, where I think some of the companies have reduced their prices significantly. I know that Rega did that recently, and I believe Naim did that as well. But apart from Hifi I don't really know what we get from England.

Somewhat related: I have friends that work freelance for British companies and get paid in £ - that hurts.

I wonder what the situation is in Ireland...... Do the people from Southern Ireland nip into Northern Ireland to do their shopping where it's 23% cheaper

shim

Yes shim, I have friends in both the North & South of Ireland and the traffic across the border is unbelievable, particularly petrol. In May we stayed with friends in the South, after a couple of days they announced they were going to do their weekly shop, local supermarket I thought? no, a trip into the North were they filled up the car + petrol cans, did their shop at the Northern supermarket, clothes shopping, it was amazing how much they told me they saved.

It's nice to hear that someones benefiting, Good Luck to them!

shim

oh poop. This thread is making me want to buy the 50-135 lens now.
I just got a tamron 17-50mm instead of the 16-50 i was going to get.

I was thinking - if i was to get a 25000 loan to get the good interest rate, I could then pay back 24480 back the next month and pay the lens off over 15 years at 7%. that sounds affordable! probably never work though

So... are you regretting not getting the Euro?

I'm wondering now though if your buying power is going down... everything is getting more expensive because of the exchange rate but I don't think you are also getting paid that amount. so prices are going up but salary stays the same...

Well... yelvertoft has just ordered a 50-135...Chris at SRS is saving one for me (almost 2 weeks to go till I get it!). If you consider how much they are going to be shortly it does pay to get now rather than later.

If you could, I would...

But that will only count for products produced in the UK.
KEF for example is producing the majority of their products in China these days so those products can't be affected.