Question: What’s the deal with new DSLRs with shockingly low price tags?
Joe in Kentucky wonders whether buying a super-discounted Canon 50D is a safe bet.
Joe in Kentucky writes:
This question is about buying a new camera. Shopping online for a Canon 50D I have seen prices ranging from $629.00 to full retail $1399.00. What is the deal on the cheaper priced cameras? Are they grey market and do they come boxed with any accessories? Your advise will be appreciated.
Hi Joe-
You’re right to be wary of those low prices. To see something as new as a Canon 50D with such an unprofitably low price tag generally–though not always–means one of three things.
1.) It’s a stolen item.
2.) Somebody opened the camera’s shutter and poured a grande Frappucino all over the sensor–or some other, much more believable mishap occurred–and the thing doesn’t work.
3.) It’s a “bait and switch” site on which they’ll try to lure you in with a stunningly low price. Then, after you get a few clicks through the process, the company will say, “Uh, oh! We’re out of that item at that particular price, BUT the good news is…” and then either jack up the price or try to sell you something else. Sometimes those sites will also tack on exorbitant shipping costs or other additional fees, and in the end you’re not saving that much dough, and the bottom line is you’re buying an item you care a whole lot about from some sketchy internet company.
If you’re ready to drop upwards of $1,000 for a camera, odds are you’re starting to get a bit more serious about your photography. That being the case, you’ll be much happier in the long run if you buy your camera from a reputable location like B&H (who we shamelessly make a plug for and put at the front of the list), Samy’s, Calumet or Ritz Camera. That way, in addition to Canon’s warrantee, you’ll have a customer service team available to you so you can safely exchange your camera if you get a bum product, or someone’s ear to bend in the event the Canon 50D’s price takes a nosedive a week after you buy it. It’s simply more protection for your investment.
That having been said, there are plenty of reputable eBay stores–yes, their ratings matter–that do a great job and are very fair in terms of exchanging items and what not. However, those are a more appropriate first choice if you’re after a something not quite so recent, like, say, a Canon 30D, and you want to save a few bucks.
If you’re going for the newest stuff, though, your best bet is to stick to those stores who are going to take the best care of you. Going too far toward the cheap end of the spectrum could land you feeling swindled, if not actually swindled. Also, while it is a big, cold world these days, those respected camera stores do often reward customer loyalty.
Best of luck, and let us know how it turns out!
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