Canon's price hike: Not happening in South and Southeast Asia

Leonard Goh | Apr 28, 2008

Last Thursday, Canon USA issued a letter to its dealers in the States that there would be an increase in dealership net price for most EF lenses, EOS/ PowerShot accessories and binoculars. This was due, it explained, to the increasing price of fuel as well as unfavorable currency exchange rates between the Japanese yen and US dollar. Come May 1, dealers could expect to pay 3 to 5 percent more for their orders on the stated products.

Photographers in Asia were concerned about this issue and whether they would have to pay more for their equipment in the future.

When contacted regarding this issue, Canon Singapore commented that it won't apply the price hike to retailers in South and Southeast Asia, and prices will remain the same to stay competitive in the region.

According to Canon Singapore, the countries under their jurisdiction not affected are: Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Thailand and Bhutan.

Correction: In the original story, we mentioned that the typically higher price of Canon's IS-enabled lenses, coupled with the recent price hike in the US, may be a factor in driving users to seek alternatives from other vendors. However, this has led several readers to incorrectly assume that the price hike is related to the use of optical image stabilizers in the lenses. We have since removed the section to avoid any misunderstandings.

Filed under: Digital Cameras
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lv208306

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lv208306 says...
My personal view is that with so many camera brands available in the market, one would expect very stiff pricing competition. If a manufacturer of a certain brand of camera increases their prices including accessories, they will eventually lose out in terms of sales volume which equates to the end profit.

People will go for other brands that are equivalent, cheaper and yet get the same or better end results.

It does not generally implies that a good brand camera such as Canon is more superior and produces better pictures than other brands. It's how knowledgeable a person uses and understand the functions of a camera.

May 08, 2008 22:12