UK lens pricing
Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 8:53 pm
I often find myself coming up against the limits of my lenses these days - although I have a lot to learn with regards to creative and interesting compositions, I'm at the stage where I really want to make a bit of pocket money. I'm involved with pictures for my local gym and feel like I'm gravitating towards events and indoor photography at the moment. But my glass just isn't good enough. I have an 18-70, 50/1.7, Sigma 70-300, and Tamron 90.
The 18-70 is, as I'm sure everyone knows, pretty damn slow at f/5.6 for most of it's range, and is soft towards the long end. The 50/1.7 is nice but is noticeably lacking in contrast compared to the others (perhaps a Sony 50/1.4 would improve this with it's better coatings) and doesn't have the zoom versatility that you need when you don't have the freedom to take steps forwards or backwards. The Sigma 70-300 hunts terribly in lower light and has no focus limiters or anything to help it. The Tamron is easily my best quality lens (optically) but also focuses slowly, hunts, and has no zoom.
Top of my list would be a 70-200 SSM. Yes, it's heavy, and looks rediculously disporportionate on a little A100, but it has the brightness and focal range that I find myself yearning for.
But jeez... the price. I can understand paying for quality. I don't expect a pro-grade lens to ever be what you would call "cheap". But I hate being ripped off, and that's what it feels like Sony UK is doing.
Does anyone (especially David K, should he read this) have any idea why the prices are so disproportionate? Is there any sort of valid reason behind it, or is it simple price gouging? I know it's even worse in Scandinavia, but a large part of that price is their taxes. I know that just because the dollar is weak doesn't make it any cheaper to manufacture the lens or to do business in the UK, but this thing sells for ~$1900 in the US. The cheapest I can find it for in the UK is ~£1600, which is ~£1360 without VAT. Even if I'm generous and allow for a more typical 1.7 USD to the pound rather than the currently very weak dollar, that's still ~$2300. Direct at the current exchange rate for the past few months, that's over $2700.
And if we're talking Sony MSRP, that's £1565 before tax, which is over $3100 at current exchange rates.
I can get the equivalent lens from Canon for only £800. Might not be quite as good as the Sony G, but is the Sony G really twice as good as the Canon? And if it can be sold in the US for $1900, why can't our pre-tax price get anywhere near that?
Everytime I look at this lens, I just get angry that Sony UK is basically giving me the finger, and telling me to go shaft myself. I'll happily invest in quality, but I won't be ripped off.
PS. Nice Photoworld mag this quarter David, enjoyed reading it. Good quality, informative and useful technical insight, as always. However I was slightly bemused to find a page dedicated to listing all the Sony Centre's in the UK. I was bemused because I've yet to find a Sony Centre that will have anything to do with the Alpha line.![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
The 18-70 is, as I'm sure everyone knows, pretty damn slow at f/5.6 for most of it's range, and is soft towards the long end. The 50/1.7 is nice but is noticeably lacking in contrast compared to the others (perhaps a Sony 50/1.4 would improve this with it's better coatings) and doesn't have the zoom versatility that you need when you don't have the freedom to take steps forwards or backwards. The Sigma 70-300 hunts terribly in lower light and has no focus limiters or anything to help it. The Tamron is easily my best quality lens (optically) but also focuses slowly, hunts, and has no zoom.
Top of my list would be a 70-200 SSM. Yes, it's heavy, and looks rediculously disporportionate on a little A100, but it has the brightness and focal range that I find myself yearning for.
But jeez... the price. I can understand paying for quality. I don't expect a pro-grade lens to ever be what you would call "cheap". But I hate being ripped off, and that's what it feels like Sony UK is doing.
Does anyone (especially David K, should he read this) have any idea why the prices are so disproportionate? Is there any sort of valid reason behind it, or is it simple price gouging? I know it's even worse in Scandinavia, but a large part of that price is their taxes. I know that just because the dollar is weak doesn't make it any cheaper to manufacture the lens or to do business in the UK, but this thing sells for ~$1900 in the US. The cheapest I can find it for in the UK is ~£1600, which is ~£1360 without VAT. Even if I'm generous and allow for a more typical 1.7 USD to the pound rather than the currently very weak dollar, that's still ~$2300. Direct at the current exchange rate for the past few months, that's over $2700.
And if we're talking Sony MSRP, that's £1565 before tax, which is over $3100 at current exchange rates.
I can get the equivalent lens from Canon for only £800. Might not be quite as good as the Sony G, but is the Sony G really twice as good as the Canon? And if it can be sold in the US for $1900, why can't our pre-tax price get anywhere near that?
Everytime I look at this lens, I just get angry that Sony UK is basically giving me the finger, and telling me to go shaft myself. I'll happily invest in quality, but I won't be ripped off.
PS. Nice Photoworld mag this quarter David, enjoyed reading it. Good quality, informative and useful technical insight, as always. However I was slightly bemused to find a page dedicated to listing all the Sony Centre's in the UK. I was bemused because I've yet to find a Sony Centre that will have anything to do with the Alpha line.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)