Originally posted by monochrome From the outside it appears they have moved from a ‘large batch’ production model to more of a constant maanufacturing production model. This reduces/eliminates the need to heavily discount* cameras held in inventory as they age, and allows the cash flow from current sales to finance the costs of current production. It would be a much leaner, more flexible, less capital-intensive business model.
* and if true calls into question the consumer strategy “wait
until the price drops in six months before I buy” so commonly espoused here.
It would be interesting to see, as an academic exercise, how a "constant manufacturing" model would work with lenses.
It seems to me you have to make them in batches or have independent lines running slowly for years.
I also think the really steep discounts on lenses will be less common as we progress and the market further contracts.
Except in the case of a model replacement, there would be no reason to heavily discount something.
That said, I do expect a 'new product' premium to continue to exist on new introductions...
So, like the 70-200 f2.8 or the DFA 50mm f1.4, the prices will drop, just maybe not as much as we'd like...
It will also be interesting to see how that works on lenses or accessories (like the new 70-210 f4) that are made under some sort of cooperative agreement with another OEM.
-Eric