I noticed that Canon put up the retail prices for the Canon 5D Mark II accessories. Holy smokes! I had to double check to make sure I wasn’t on the Canon Australia website. Sure enough though, it’s US dollars.
Check these out:
- Battery Charger LC-E6 – $80 (it’s a freaking battery!)
- Battery Pack LP-E6 – $100 (are you kidding me?)
- Battery Grip BG-E6 – $380 (the current price of a Rebel XT)
- Car Battery Charger CBC-E6 – $270 (isn’t this just a battery charger with a different cable?)
I’m a big fan of battery grips, but come on . . . $380!?! Granted these are retail prices, but these are still off the charts for retail.
I suppose Canon is making the most out of that attractive price point for the 5D Mark II body. Well, maybe we’re just a couple days or so away from when you can put all these fancy accessories on your new 5D Mark II.
Who’s going to get in line for these accessories? Which ones are must-haves?
Alex G says
they just want to give more business to Optek and Photix :) I got my 40D grip for $70 shipped WITH 2 extra batteries from ebay. There’s just some texture difference between original and photix, the rest is identical.
Pricing a piece of plastic with some buttons at $380 is just silly.
Jeff says
I think the listed accessories may be overpriced, but I wouldn’t say it’s “price gouging”. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe that there is such a thing as “price gouging” (hence the quotation marks). You have a product for sale and you price it how you like. Nothing else matters. If people pay for it, then so be it – if they don’t, then so be it.
I know some will say there is “price gouging” during disasters and it should be illegal, but I don’t think that’s the case either. If I have a hotel and people fleeing a disaster want rooms, then I SHOULD raise my prices. Otherwise, the family of four with the grandparents tagging along will get two or three rooms, thus depriving someone else of a room. If the price were higher, they might make do with one room.
The same goes with food or supplies. If prices aren’t raised in the face of disaster, then the first people to the store with money will buy more than they need and not leave enough for others. The government should not be in the business of telling people for what price they can sell merchandise.
Yes, these accessories are overpriced, but please don’t call it “price gouging”.
Lisa says
Wow, you weren’t kidding about the gouging. $380 for a battery grip? The inconvenience of changing batteries suddenly isn’t as much of an issue for me now. Just placed an order for the 5D Mark II. Local Canon tells us it won’t get here till December. Boo.
Max says
I agree a $380 grip is ridiculous… The current grip for the 30/40/50D is around $150! I was really looking forward to having the grip but being in Canada with the recent $300 price hike, I don’t know if I’ll be getting the grip. Should be interesting how much more the grip costs in Canada.
In defense of Canon though, I think this grip differs from previous grips in that it is not made of plastics, but built with the same magnesium alloy as the body making it stronger and a more seamless transition. But $380 is a bit ridiculous…
And the $100 batteries!? Getting a grip and an extra battery is going to cost almost $500… :(
Jake says
The Mark 1 5D also have magnesium alloy grip so it cant be it, that’s justifying the price.
They’re probably just greedy
Bill says
I agree with some of the comments, but the battery is more than just a battery – it has an interface (microchip) that lets the 5D Mark 2 identify it specifically, and allows you to keep track of the condition of up to six batteries. The charger also has the ability to recondition the batteries and extend the life. So, maybe this isn’t such a bad deal. And my dealer says the grip will retail for about $265.00 – still a little steep, but…
Dean says
You’re right – their accessory prices are completely ridiculous – and yes, I would use the words “Price gouging.” One can argue if the 5D alone is worth the price they’re charging, but these accessory prices should be criminal. Does one of their high end Canon Powershot SD 990IS 14MP 3.7X Optical zoom camera with image stabilization (currently sells for about $399) cost only $15 more to manufacture than a simple battery grip????
I guess they think that we’re all stupid enough to buy this stuff at these prices> They need to remember that the only way to bank profits is if you actually sell the products. At these high prices, I hope everyone is smart enough to save their cash! Maybe this is why Canon lost money in their last quarter – for the first time in quite some time.
Anton says
Hi all, Just got update from our local dealer here in Hongkong that battery grip for 5D Mk II: HKD 1600 (USD 210) and the battery: HKD 500 (USD 65)
Patrick Harrington says
If you think that is bad you should have a look at some of the Canadian pricing. In the end these are products geared towards pros and entry level pros so unless you have a large budjet for your hobby then you need to make you equipment earn for you.
Patrick Harrington says
I can’t believe some of the comments in here, if you can’t afford high end equipment don’t buy it! As for Canon losing money in their last quarter look at GM and everyone else it is the economy right now. The bottom line is you get what you pay for, and if you can’t afford it start saving up! Or finace it! It is an investment. If you are making a living with your equipment it is the smartest way to go anyway, if you lease your equipment it is a total write off. If it is just a hobby and you must have the best and newest of everything…… well then better get a better paying day job!