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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Prices?? (1 Viewer)

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pesto126

Member
Hi.. looking for some advice. I have been lurking around for a number of years hoping to buy a Zeiss diascope. I found an old note that I had written almost 1 year ago listing the price of the 65 at $969 and the 85 at $1200..

I had thought the prices would have perhaps come down as I am now ready to purchase.. and I was shocked to find the prices have gone UP almost $300!

So.. I'm looking for some advice (or just a reality slap!).. are these lenses really going for this much more money now? and why?

If so, I'm going to have to wait.. Thx.. self loathing and kicking myself for not buying last year!
 
You can blame George Bush Junior as the US dollar is weakening against other currencies including the Euro. Hence imports will be more expensive. It's good news for us UK consumers because we can buy American goods more cheaply but you might be buying less of our products which will hurt us in the end.

Leif
 
pesto126 said:
Hi.. looking for some advice. I have been lurking around for a number of years hoping to buy a Zeiss diascope. I found an old note that I had written almost 1 year ago listing the price of the 65 at $969 and the 85 at $1200..

I had thought the prices would have perhaps come down as I am now ready to purchase.. and I was shocked to find the prices have gone UP almost $300!

So.. I'm looking for some advice (or just a reality slap!).. are these lenses really going for this much more money now? and why?

If so, I'm going to have to wait.. Thx.. self loathing and kicking myself for not buying last year!
Click to expand...

Think of it this way. How many gallons of gas were equivalent to the scope last year? How many this year? Somewhat fewer, actually. Don't be too hard on yourself. ;)

Ed
 
Yeah.. I guess that makes sense.. Too bad there isn't a strong used market for scopes like there is for lenses... I've been buying those used and saving a fortune.. and they are practically new!

Oh well... will need to wait and save some more.
 
Leif said:
You can blame George Bush Junior as the US dollar is weakening against other currencies including the Euro. Hence imports will be more expensive. It's good news for us UK consumers because we can buy American goods more cheaply but you might be buying less of our products which will hurt us in the end.

Leif
Click to expand...

Wouldn't disagree too much with on that one but you can be thankful that you're in the US even with the weakened dollar if Zeiss scope purchasing is your criteria.

Price for angled Zeiss FL 85 scope

Eagle optics price = $1499 US = 806 pounds at 0.53 US to pound
Warehouse express = 889 UK pounds = $1652 at same exchange rate

So US price works out at about 80 pounds cheaper ($148). Also remember that you're US scope will come with a lifetime transferable warranty whereas the UK purchased one will run out after 10 years due to some new EU directive on warranties.

Still I guess if you took away the VAT/Sales tax at 17.5% then the UK one would be cheaper but of course you can't in the UK and you can if you're buying across state lines in US.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?dept=1&type=4&purch=1&pid=3089

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/


Al Gore in 2008?
 
Yes since George took over the $ cost about 30 cents more against the euro .
But on the bright side When in AUSTRIA last year the swaro stuff cost more there than in the US or the UK.
Brian.
 
I am still green in economics, but I don't forsee the price of optics going down soon considering the state of our economy and the number of interested birders buying new equipment at high prices. I am hardly employed and constantly strapped for discretionary funds, but I am single with no family to support. Knowing this about me, my advice is to buy what you want when you want it- waiting another year may mean paying even more for the scope, and thats a whole year of great views of birds and digiscoping opportunities you'll never get back. Most people say after they buy that their only regret was not buying sooner; that sentiment was why I decided to spend a month's wages on my scope. Find the best deal you can, and buy knowing that you will appreciate the scope every time you use it and that you still could have paid more for it that very day from another vendor.

my two cents. and never a day passes that I regret buying my 85 diascope. good luck,

Jon
 
Thx for the thoughts everyone... I guess I'll just have to take the plunge and move on.

Now.. does anyone have an opinion on the 65 vs 85? If not using for digiscoping (or for very limited digiscoping with my canon A80).. do you think it would be ok to buy the 65 instead? That would save me about $300 or so... or, does it make sense to just buy the 85 since you are only likely to make on of these purchases (hopefully!).

Also, curious what tripod/head people use with these scopes... do you use a ball head or just a video camera head that has one of the handles... I use a ball head for my camera on a carbon tri so I'm trying to determine what works best for a scope.

Thx!!!!
 
Most people I see out with scopes seem to use pan and tilt heads. I think they are probably the most convenient and stable. I recently purchased a high quality ball head - Markins M10 - and it seems to work exceptionally well with a scope, and weighs almost nothing (500g, or one pound). Despite the tension knob, there is still a tendency to tilt, and it was expensive. I use it mainly for photography. The FLM heads have a novel mechanism that turns the ball head into a pan and tilt one.

Leif
 
I have lived through a few cycles of dollar decline and upsurge. Should the dollar ever strengthen against the Euro, there may be no price decline as the manufacturers and distibutors simply lock the profit for a while.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:
 
Pinewood said:
I have lived through a few cycles
Click to expand...

So have I. During the Carter administration I recall being ecstatic to get a super deal on a 14.6% mortgage; the rate jumped again the day after I signed.
 
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