Price Steadily Rising on Soon to Be Replaced Canon G7X II. Why?

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  Hybroid on 12/02/2019 - 10:09

  +2

  Why would price drop before a replacement has been announced or released? Sounds like pretty normal demand/supply and distributor/manufacturer/retailer price fluctuations over time.

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  HighAndDry on 12/02/2019 - 10:40

  Retailers might be getting less units from Canon/suppliers because they're ramping down production in anticipation of the new model, but demand is remaining steady because cameras tend to be very long-term investments in a very mature field so having the latest model is not a priority for most buyers. Lower supply + same demand = higher prices? Pure conjecture. Hybroid could be right - just normal market fluctuations.

  • 

    Banj0 on 12/02/2019 - 11:54

    Good points Hybroid and HighAndDry both. I guess I hadn't known what sort of fluctuations to expect, and of course, a replacement model hasn't been officially announced. I was wondering if the increase may have been setting the scene for the new model to hit the market at a slightly higher price, with discounts then on the old model seeming much better (marketing)…though Canon's own RRP has remained steady.

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  donbot on 12/02/2019 - 10:46

  +1

  I'm not familiar with the Canon, but any reason you wouldnt consider the Olympus TG5? Used very commonly as an underwater compact camera. Waterproof to 10m without case, brilliant zoom function and fast focus.

  Also can be had cheaper.

  • 

    Banj0 on 12/02/2019 - 11:27

    Yeah…the TG5 was indeed on my short list, but I'd like to go for the higher IQ of a 1" compact camera such as the G7X or the RX100. The TG5 takes some good shots - don't get me wrong - but my impression is that it can't quite compete with the G7X or RX100 on image quality. It's really a dual purpose thing for me, and though my best intentions are to get into the water some more (and maybe learn to dive properly too), I'll probably be using this camera more often topside than underwater. The idea is to have something with better IQ and more flexibility than my phone, but more compact than my SLR gear.

    Slippery slope though…you can step up from the 1" sensors to MFT, or even mirrorless APS-C, and get some image improvement at every increment. I will wait to see what the CP+ camera show unveils (if anything). The G7X/RX100/LX100 type cameras seem to be about the sweet spot to me though.

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  poohduck on 12/02/2019 - 11:09

  +1

  Yes, it seems as though the enthusiast compact camera era is coming to an end. The two highest performers were sony with their RX100VA and Panasonic with their LX100 II. Both these cameras have been around for a long time; no new models, they've just done minor updates on existing models and charging for new model prices. No other cameras to speak about - that is with optical view finder - you really need this if you're shooting outdoors. The other advantage of optical viewfinder is the extra stability - using your forehead as an extra anchor point. Underwater cases are expensive and generally tied to that one model of camera - whatever you get isn't going to be great quality unless you go big and expensive. You'll be competing against big and expensive and lose out in quality. Above water, lesser cameras compete quite well quality wise in the right hands.

  • 

    Banj0 on 12/02/2019 - 11:50

    I must admit, I haven't looked at this market before, but my impression is that sales of enthusiast/pro compact cameras are not too bad (though perhaps never a huge market to begin with), whereas cheap compact camera sales have completely dropped off a cliff (why buy a compact camera if it won't take a better photo than your phone).

    Looking at a couple of the less compact enthusiast cameras (with fixed primes), namely the Ricoh GR and FujiFilm X100 series', I must admit gives me a bit of GAS. FujiFilm refreshed the X100 not long ago, and it looks to be an exceptional camera, and Ricoh is refreshing with the GRIII in the very near future. Both are a little bit niche, but there seems to be genuinely decent offerings in this market. (note: my impression is that neither of these are popular for underwater use, assuming you could even get housings for them).

    Point taken on the EVF or OVF vs just a screen. I have an old Pentax K-01 (mirrorless, no viewfinder) that I still use frequently. With the Pentax I do experience the shortcomings of a screen in bright sunlight, where I can just see enough to frame the shot and maybe just make out the focus peaking on the display - not ideal. I often find myself seeking a shaded position for this reason (not a bad thing to do anyway). I find that it affects me less often than I would have thought though, and I quite like the experience of framing up with a display. Only because of that experience am I considering a compact sans viewfinder, as I know that it will be of marginal annoyance to me. The little RX100 EVF seems to be a nice way of dealing with it though - just that, for various other reasons, I am leaning into the Canon G7X instead.

    Of course, these compacts produce underwater images that can't compete with a decent DSLR rig with strobes and wet lenses etc (or, for shallow work, even just a DSLR with a housing, fast lens and nothing else). From what I've seen, the G7X, RX100, and even Olympus TG5 do surprisingly well. All have comparatively well priced underwater housings available too (compared to a DSLR housing anyway).

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  sauce2k on 12/02/2019 - 11:25

  +1

  Same here waiting for price to drop ok the g7x. Travelling To Japan end of the year so hopefully there's a sale soon! 550 sounds reasonable

  • 

    Banj0 on 12/02/2019 - 12:00

    Yes…I would probably be jumping at $550…although I am curious about what the next model will bring (if it comes). If Canon sticks a dual pixel auto focus (DPAF) sensor in it, then I think that will make a big difference. If not…then I'd be happy to pick up the MkII on sale (maybe it will even get down to $499).

    DPAF really impresses me…probably because I'm in the Pentax system, and autofocus hasn't really been one of their strong points (at least in the digital age). I wouldn't mind owning a camera that can focus well for a change, though I'm not ready to jump ship completely.

    • 

      sauce2k on 12/02/2019 - 13:13

      +1

      I think it all comes down to personal needs. I'm relatively new to taking videos, so I think the current version suits me more than enough. I wouldn't want to pay for something more (the new model most likely going to cost more) if I'm satisfied with the current make.

      • 

        Banj0 on 12/02/2019 - 14:34

        For sure. I'm not about to drop $1k on the new model if the old one is $550. Will have to see.

        Interesting though…I note that TGG's price has just gone down to $739. Maybe $849 was a pricing error? I actually have two different tabs open on their website listing, one (from earlier today) showing $849, and the other $739. 10% off atm for Plus members, so that's $689. I'd be more impressed in $699 with a 20% off bringing it to ~$560.

        I have seen three G7X ii listings sell on eBay at $510, $510, and $570. I think that's a little much for a used one, but shows that they retain value - at least on eBay.

        • 

          sauce2k on 12/02/2019 - 15:53

          +1

          @Banj0: JBhifi is $749, so you can always price match anyway.

          Fingers crossed for EOFY sale :)