rjaywallace wrote:
Bill, i've watched the GX8 for some time. The RETAIL price that B&H recently advertised was $1,198.98, so their current price IS a $200 savings and the 12-60mm IS a decent lens, so the bundle IS a better than decent deal for the OP. [aside]: You are a knowledgeable guy, and my posts have frequently recognized you as such, but your Trump-like smug attitude is not your most attractive trait. Regards, my friend. /Ralph
Trump-like? Really? Hey, NO smugness intended here. I'm just pointing out that companies change their own retail prices — and their dealer authorized price ranges — to reflect demand and other market conditions.
The ORIGINAL price at product launch was $1199.99. Panasonic took a lot of bad press for the shutter shock news. Demand fell. They lowered their price to encourage sales. I've never seen a company raise it back to the launch price before the product became obsolete. Panasonic did exactly the same thing with the GH4. It was $1800 at launch, and I bought it later for $1300, yes, with a bundle. By then, the firmware had gone from version 1.0 to 2.6, so that was REALLY a deal... Panasonic added many new free, useful features that you just had to download and install to use.
Companies do this all the time to bolster demand for their products. The OEM says it is a "sale", when really, it is just a reduction of the authorized selling price to reflect demand AND to take advantage of the long run marginal cost curve. As each successive unit is sold, the total cost of manufacturing additional units goes down, at least to a certain point. To maximize demand, sales, total revenue, and profit, companies drop prices. When demand falls from that point, it's time to introduce the next generation product.
Just about every dealer competing on the web will advertise a camera within $5.00 of the new OEM-limited price, and then offer add-ons to sweeten the deal. Companies that advertise a lower price on the *main item* are sanctioned. But bundles are allowed, in effect, providing a total sale discount to the customer. Virtually every large company that sells electronics plays this same game. It's great if you can use the bundled items, annoying if you can't, don't, or won't.
Yes, the 12-60 is a very decent lens. And I would agree it is a good package deal for someone starting out.
But really, TRUMP??? I'm a Libertarian...