Getting the best price for the Canon 5D body these days might not be a straightforward affair simply because of the intense competition among the various retailers. With these levels of competition, you’d probably be confused by the different combinations, packages and deals being offered, and you’d need to put pen to paper and list down what’s being sold to you, and whether you really need the individual components taht are being thrown in. The one thing you must absolutely keep in mind is that the lowest price isn’t always a guarantee you’ll get the best Canon 5D deal.
For example, consider these points:
- Will the retailer include any photographic accessories or equipment such as a camera bag, tripod and memory card with your purchase? The Canon 5D, being a 12.8 Megapixel camera yielding JPEG image files of approximately 3.5 MB each, demands huge amounts of memory. A day of active shooting while on vacation can easily see you firing off a few hundred shots a day, so as a minimum, getting a 2GB CompactFlash card thrown in, or at least discounted with the 5D purchase, is highly recommended.
- What’s the merchant’s policy with regards to you returning a faulty 5D? Is a restocking fee levied? How much would it be? Factor this fee into your total cost of purchase. It’s not uncommon to have a defective unit delivered into your hands. For those who’re able to, the best bet is to walk into a shop and examine the camera there and then prior to purchase.
- What about an extended warranty? How much does that option cost? Yet another element to be included into the total price. Additionally, what does the warranty cover, and what are the terms and conditions?
- Does the vendor offer Free Shipping and No Sales Tax? Are these factors that would make it more attractive to purchase the 5D from this particular merchant?
Just making sure you run through the purchase checklist above goes a long way to ensuring that your purchase decision is a smooth one, and would minimize any post-ownership headaches later on. Good luck!