DSLRBodies

Just for fun I thought I’d put up a page this holiday buying season that tracks Nikon DSLR pricing:

The numbers come from B&H and are US prices (rounded to the nearest dollar). B&H tends to match lowest price, but if I see a legitimate deal that’s lower in each of the reporting periods, I’ll use that instead. 

The D3300 price includes the 18-55mm kit lens, while the others are all body only. These days many of the big sellers such as B&H are also throwing in a few “extras,” though curiously not for the Df. 

Note also that Nikon has lens rebates triggered to body purchase, which can save you a few more dollars.

Anyone want to bet what the Dec 15 numbers will look like? Here are my guesses:

• D3300, D5300, D7100 — prices may drop a bit, especially for short periods, but the biggest discounts will come on the previous generation versions of these cameras. Also  I’d expect the D5300 to be more discounted than the D3300. The D7100 might get discounted if there’s a D7200/D7300 waiting for January launch.
• D610 — hard to predict, as it recently dropped in price; however it’s the camera no one wants, and Nikon wants to look aggressive against all those Sony A7’s, so I suspect we may see some movement.
• D750 — as the initial demand tapers, I expect a modest drop in price, in the range of US$100 to US$200. Of course, if the demand doesn’t taper because prospective D610 and D810 purchasers are diverting, all bets are off.
• D810 — going to stay close to its current price, if not exactly at it. 
• Df — going to stay close to its current price, if not exactly at it. 

As I’ve noted before, Nikon almost always wants to sell the middle model most (D5300 and D750 in the current lineup). The cost differential to them generally isn’t as big as the price differential to the customer (i.e. has a higher gross profit margin). Thus, it has more margin to discount. 

Note that D800 and D800E cameras are disappearing from the market fairly quickly. There never was much of an inventory build-up of those bodies, so the remaining supply will get quickly exhausted. If you see a great deal on one, you might want to snap it up. Given how good that camera is compared to other current DSLRs, I expect it to sell well on the used market.

A reminder about “refurbished,” since I’m sure we’ll some of those pop up in this selling period too: 90-day warranty, no returns, and sometimes not original packaging (e.g. white/brown box). 

If you do decide to buy a new DSLR body this year, please consider starting your purchase from one of the B&H links on this site.