I went and did it!

[JerryPH]

I ordered my Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR even though I said I was going to wait until after the holidays... nope, I had to look around and finally decided to just get it.

Not sure if anyone noticed, but as of a couple days ago they were freaking hard to find at a reasonable price... anywhere! All I saw was "out of stock" at about 90% of the places that normally carried them!

I placed a "buy it now" bid for $1499 at Cameta (a Nikon Refurb)... click refresh and its suddenly $1599! I call them up asking whats up... and decide to check elsewhere. I found a BNIB for $1630... sorry Cameta, but for $50 more (delivery included) I know its a new one and not a refurb!

Not nice what Cameta did!

This takes the stress of waiting to a whole new level! :lmao:​

 

[Big Mike]

Congrats.

I would have waited until after X-mas...if only because of the super high volume of mail & packages being shipped everywhere. Your lens may end up at the north pole :er:

 

[JerryPH]

I sure hope not... but if it does, I know where to get it... becuase the north pole moved into our neighborhood this past weekend!

At least I'll know where to go pick it up... lol
(this pic was taken less than an hour ago!)

 

[kundalini]

I'm confused. Did you wind up paying the elevated price $1680 (w/ S&H) for a new one at Cameta?

I had been looking at the B&H site for weeks...she loves me...she loves me not... So I look again on a Monday, drool some more and close the window. The next morning I said the hell with it and was going to order it any way. "ON BACKORDER" I called and they confirmed and had no idea when it would be stocked again. On the next morning it was available. Logged in as quick as my little fingers would fly, place the order and paid extra for the 2 day shipping. I received it the next day. Woo Hoo.

Enjoy!

 

[JerryPH]

Nope, I went for the $1619.95 + $33.54 for shipping from Sigma4less (http://www.sigma4less.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=15474c3c7b85e19/shopdata/0010_Lenses/0010_Zoom/0040_Tele+Zoom/product_details.shopscript?article=0180_Nikon%2BZoom%2BTelephoto%2B70-200mm%2Bf%3D26slash%3D3B2%3D252E8G%2BAF-S%2BIF-ED%2BVR%2B%3D28Vibration%2BReduction%3D29%2BAutofocus%2BLens%2B-%2BBlack%2B%3D28NI70200F28GI%3D29).

Grand total: ~$1653US to my door (sorry, I was a bit off in the initial post. I was after all, quite excited).

Cameta had it on Ebay for $1499 all day...I rushed home, found the page at $1499, went for a coffee (5 min) and decided to get it, came back and clicked on BUY NOW, and it refused me... a refresh showed me they had raised the price of their 70-200 Nikon refurbs by $100 to $1599. I called to see if it was a mistake, they refused to honor the price. I was not even put off very much (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=350005655806&Category=3343&_trksid=p3907.m29).

I scouted around and found a price for a new (not a refurbished) version at $1619.95 (thats a mere $20 more for a NEW lens, not a refurb). Thats what I paid and ordered. The shipping was more expensive at ~$33 vs $16 at Cameta, but still.

If Mike's prediction doesn't come true, I think I found the best deal on the net for this lens... at least for me.

Here is a cut and paste of the confirmation email:

Quantity Name Item Number Unit Price Total Price Sales Tax
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Nikon Zoom Telephoto 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S IF-ED... NI70200F28GI USD 1,619.95 USD 1,619.95
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount: USD 1,619.95
Shipping Costs: USD 33.54
Total Amount: USD 1,653.49

Oh.. I called them to verify that they were in stock, and they assured me that they had stock and it would ship out ASAP... and that it was *possible* that I could get it as early as the end of the week, but more likely next week.

 

[JIP]

Nya Nya NA na naaaa na

I got mine for $1100 new 2 years ago.

 

[kundalini]

My total was $1653.20 with 2 day shipping and like I said, it arrived the next day.

 

[JerryPH]

Nya Nya NA na naaaa na

I got mine for $1100 new 2 years ago.

LOL! 2 years ago, I was putting money into my 9.5 second street legal Corvette (well, kinda sorta street legal... it passed the smog test and was licensed and insured)... I had no idea I could have this much fun back then with something so small.

Honestly, I don't regret paying the few extra dollars... but looking around today and seeing people selling it for $2500+... that was TOO MUCH!

 

[JerryPH]

My total was $1653.20 with 2 day shipping and like I said, it arrived the next day.

I would gladly have purchased it from B&H even if it was a little more, just to support a forum sponsor... but they don't have stock. Near no one does.

 

[kundalini]

Nya Nya NA na naaaa na

I got mine for $1100 new 2 years ago.

Go away, just go away.


Wait... is it the AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.6 G IF-ED?

 

[JerryPH]

Go away, just go away.


Wait... is it the AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.6 G IF-ED?

Wait... 2.6???

 

[JIP]

Go away, just go away.


Wait... is it the AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.6 G IF-ED?

No no no it was the same one the OP posted But I was a Ritz employee at the time and I ordered it direct from Nikon.

 

[JerryPH]

Now we know about how much profit they make. I suspected sometihing a little higher than that amount, and frankly, even at that margin, its not a lot.

Cameta told me that at $1499 they made 2 bucks profit. I wanted to ask of that was true, why even post an ebay sale with a buy now price at that level and leave it there for several days then... but decided it was not worth discussing. The guy on the phone was trying to help me, after all. I thanked him before moving on.

 

[sabbath999]

Anyway, where ever you got it from, enjoy it.

My 70-200 shoots better pictures than I do (i.e. I am still learning how to use it).

 

[chrisb2794]

I went and held one the other day from my local Wolf Camera. Beautiful lens, but for $1799 plus tax, I'll wait. If their cost is still $1100, I'm really not going to do it.