Why are digital cameras so !&@^#%$ expensive?

[Deja Q]

A good film SLR with two lenses costs $400.

A good film point'n'shoot costs $150.

A good digital point'n'shoot costs $700.

So why does a good digital SLR cost $1500 and more?! Try $700 and I'll bite...

Otherwise I vastly prefer digital, even if the CCD sensor is prone to cause that purple fringing around highly contrasting areas... (I forgot the technical term for that...) And with Neat Image, all the noise created by a CMOS sensor (or CCD) can be removed without loss of quality to to the photo itself!)

[bocadem]

1. No sh*t...

I've been wanting a Canon D10 for a while now, but geeez... they're too damn expensive.

[DS1]

expensive but worth it

besides, like everything else electronic, the price WILL drop

[Redleg]

2. Just bought a nice digital for $499 (accessories not included)

Fuji Finepix S5000- has automatic settings for idiots like myself and manual settings for experienced photographers. Fuji was rated highly by Consumer Reports. Of course after buying additional memory, a USB memory reader, and a battery recharger with camera case, it is closer to $750. Still not a bad deal for a solid camera. Plus I can take pics of my newborn daughter and e-mail them to family and friends!

[Kellanved]

3. The price is dropping

You can get a decent point'n shoot for 200-500€ (2-5 Megapixel); gadgets like an infrared complete dark mode cost extra of course.

Canon presented a 6-Megapixel SLR for 1200€ on the IFA this week and expects a 500% growth in the market.

I expect the US prices to be well below that numbers. (European prices are always with tax and two-year warranty)

[amazona]

4. good digitals are cheap actually

Good Lord. Will you please leave a message for me here at DU, telling the name and model number of the camera you like? I am pretty good at finding rebates, discounts, etc. I will check back tomorrow or early next week if you do.

I would never pay $1,500 -- I can get "the" camera for digiscoping, the Nikon coolpix 5400 -- for way less than that but even if I DID pay $1,500 I would have long ago saved much more in processing costs.

[Deja Q]

7. I already own a Sony Mavica CD-500

$700 - very decent camera and at 500MP it's a reasonable price, but digital SLR cameras' prices are simply obscene. :-(

Still, one day, one day...

[DisgustipatedinCA]

5. Look at the Canon 300D

It's the digital "Rebel" and it will be priced at $899 with no lens, $999 with a starter lens (something like 24-85). It has the same sensor as the 10D (which is the camera I have--great camera), the same AF system, the same (lack of) shutter lag. And of course, it takes all Canon EF mount lenses. I think Nikon had better get busy if they want to compete in the prosumer market.

Link: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0308/03082005canoneos300d.asp

[shockandawed]

6. They aren't

Prices are dropping like crazy. SLR digitals are still considered prosumer. Just wait six months.

When you factor in the cost of film and developing, you are SO far ahead it is crazy.

Trust me. I am engaged to a pro photographer and I recently spent $7000 to take her digital to SAVE money on film and developing and dark room chemicals and fucked up crop jobs and so on.

Digital cameras are a bargain.

[Deja Q]

8. What's the industry like for pro photographers?

I'm thinking of leaving IT for photography in a couple years or so...

Thx!

[Julien Sorel]

13. Get ready to shoot weddings.

And high school graduations. And if you're lucky, some portrait work. It doesn't pay all that well, and there are tons of people who do it part time on wekends, keeping competition high. I know a guy who is a pro photographer, and he finally threw in the towel. It's fun, but the money isn't too good.

[electricmonk]

9. Sigma SD9

I've read good things about this camera but haven't actually seen prints from it. It uses the new Foveon sensor and goes for about $1000 without lens. That's the lowest cost interchangable lens digital SLR that I know of.

My dream camera is the Nikon D1-X which goes for about $3500 body only. Since I already use Nikon film cameras I have some lenses. The Canon 1DS would be nice but at $8000 it cost more than my car.

[MercutioATC]

10. I own a lowly Canon D30 and I love it...

1) Yep, I paid $1800 for my refurbished D30 (3.25MP) body 18 months ago. Today, a new Canon 10D body (6MP and improved autofocus) can be had for $1500.

2) The digital SLRs accept a plethora of lenses. The bodies advance faster than the lenses. Therefore, you wind up with great glass attatched to whatever body you can afford at the time. The glass devalues VERY slowly. The body can always be replaced.

3) I'm an air traffic controller. I shoot as a hobby. I have two 256M cards and one 1G Microdrive. I can shoot ALL night (in large JPG and 750+ pics) on just the Microdrive. Afterwards, I can edit out what I don't like on my computer and keep the rest. There's no extra expense for shooting like a madman.

I love my DSLR. Wouldn't trade it for anything (except a better DSLR). I currently have the Canon 28-135 zoom and the Canon 100-400l zoom. True, the lenses are worth more than the camera, but I get great shots.....and I can take enough shots to GUARANTEE that I get good shots.

Digital SLRs kick ass.

[DS1]

14. great post

DSLRs are finally coming down to consumer levels, this was inevitable.

I work at a CVS that does photo development, and the prices people pay to have their pictures printed on tiny 4x6 inch prints are astounding!

You pay when you buy the film, and you pay again to get it developed.

If you take a lot of pictures, this will add up fast. Digital offers not only the ability to take as many shots of the same subject as you want, you can even delete the ones you don't want, should you run out of memory space. You can't do that with film, it's one shot, one dollar - thank you drive through.

Buy yourself a decent photo printer and you're all set, you'll never have to spend another dime on film, and ~you~ have the option of printing out only the best shots, in a much larger format than whatever a photo processing shop can deliver without charging you and arm and a leg.

[Fovea]

11. But if you use it...

How many rolls do you burn a week?
Do you develop your own?
Remember to add in the other costs of operation as well, and a higher input price seems a bit less outrageous.

I got a pretty good digital for a lot less than 1500.00 as well.

[leftist_rebel1569]

12. yeah...no crap...

and for some of them, the Li-Ion batteries that come with some of them? THEY'RE SO...DAMN...EXPENSIVE!

[TreasonousBastard]

15. Yeah, well...

I've got four Nikon bodies and lenses from 19-600mm.

What I really, really want is a digital back for less than mortgaging the firstborn or putting the Mercedes in hock.

I can get a Hasselblad or view camera digital back for a hell of alot more than my tax rebate, but one of these days there will be an affordable 15-20MP sensor for 35mm.

Right now, I have a film scanner that gives me up to 250MB files if I really want to tie up my machine for a while. Good for murals when you figure out how to print them.