It has come to my attention that Canon UK has lowered it's prices on many EF lenses and other items. Below is a list of that information gained from Robert Scott at EOS-Magazine

I am wondering if anyone can verify that Canon USA would follow suit and lower prices on US lenses?

-- Bill Meyer (william_meyer@stortek.com), October 14, 1998

Answers

Here are the UK numbers:

MORE PRICE REDUCTIONS

In the last newsletter, we gave details of UK price reductions for the EOS 5 and EOS 500N. Canon UK has now given details of price reductions on more EOS cameras and a range of EF lenses.

EOS 1N body: was #1599.99, now #1299.99 EOS 1N HS body: was #1799.99, now #1499.99 EOS 1N RS body: was #2399.99, now #1999.99

EOS IX7 body: now #249.99 EOS IX7 with EF 22-55mm lens: was #399.99, now #349.99

Prime lenses EF 14mm f2.8L USM: was #2,499.99, now #2,199.99 EF 15mm f2.8: was #849.99, now #799.99 EF 20mm f2.8 USM: was #529.99, now #499.99 EF 24mm f1.4L USM: was #1,499.99, now #1,299.99 EF 24mm f2.8: was #379.99, now #349.99 EF 35mm f2: was #299.99, now #249.99 EF 50mm f1.OL USM: was #2,699.99, now #2,199.99 EF 50mm f1.4 USM: was #399.99, now #349.99 EF 85mm f1.2L USM: was #2,199.99, now #1,699.99 EF 135mm f2.0L USM: was #999.99, now #799.99 EF 135mm f2.8 SF: was #379.99, now #299.99 EF 200mm f1.8L USM: was #4,999.99, now #3,799.99 EF 200mm f2.8L USM II: was #849.99, now #649.99 EF 300mm f2.8L USM: was #4,499.99, now #3,599.99 EF 300mm f4.0L USM: was #1,199.99, now #799.99 EF 300mm f4.0L IS USM: was #1,499.99, now #1,299.99 EF 400mm f2.8L USM II: was #7,499.99, now #5,999.99 EF 400mm f5.6L USM: was #1,449.99, now #1,199.99 EF 500mm f4.5L USM: was #5,999.99, now #4,999.99 EF 600mm f4.0L USM: was #9,999.99, now #7,999.99

Tilt-and-shift lenses TSE 24mm f3.5L: was #1,499.99, now #1,099.99 TSE 45mm f2.8: was #1,499.99, now #1,099.99 TSE 90mm f2.8: was #1,499.99, now #1,099.99

Macro lenses EF 50mm f2.5: was #389.99, now #349.99 EF 100mm f2.8: was #649.99, now #549.99 EF 180mm f3.5L USM: was #1,599.99, now #1,299.99

Zoom lenses EF 17-35mm f2.8L USM: was #1,699.99, now #1,199.99 EF 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM: was #499.99, now #399.99 EF 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 USM: was #399.99, now #299.99 EF 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 MS USM: was #399.99, now #299.99 EF 28-70mm f2.8L USM: was #1,499.99, now #1,199.99 EF 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 USM: was #359.99, now #299.99 EF 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L USM: was #1,999.99, now #1,699.99 EF 70-200mm f2.8L USM: was #1,599.99, now #1,299.99 EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM: was #599.99, now #499.99 EF 100-300mm f5.6L: was #749.99, now #599.99

Extenders EF 2x: was #349.99, now #299.99 EF 1.4x: was #449.99, now #349.99

-- Bill Meyer (william_meyer@stortek.com), October 14, 1998.

There may be some savings, but I doubt they will be very drastic. The reason I say that is because a dollar has been worth about 140 yen lately, give or take about 5. When I got back from vacation and finally got around to checking on such things, I was shocked to see that a dollar was only worth 115 yen now. That is a big change in 2 or 3 weeks, and it could go back up, or continue to go down. If Canon USA didn't bother to lower prices when a dollar was worth 130+ yen for several months, I doubt they will now that the yen is worth more. I didn't see yesterday or today's quote, but I am hoping the 115 I saw for friday was a misprint, not that I want Japan to suffer, I just want lower prices here.

-- Brad (reloader@webtv.net), October 21, 1998.