Canon has long held a pre-eminent position in the lens market, but some significant recent price drops on its ‘L’ range suggest that the company is coming under pressure, either internally or externally.
The price drops vary from a fairly meagre 5% to a definitely noticeable 33%, with the biggest drops reserved for the larger lenses. So, while the Canon EF 600mm f/4 L IS II USM will still cost you a hefty $11,999, that’s a whole $1000 cheaper than it would have done lost week.
Probably the most eye-catching reduction is the Canon EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS USM, which sheds $500 to come down to $999, while even the rather well-regarded Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM is down to $2,300, an 8% drop.
All the indications are that these are permanent new positions at new price points. And, given the importance of glass to the business model, that in turn suggests that either competition in the market is reaching levels that can only be described as uncomfortable, or that the company has got a sudden and strong desire to shift some inventory to make way for something else…