Robert White price increase??

[Mike M]

Has anyone else noticed that Robert Whites prices have just rocketed!!
Surely someone has made a mistake with their pricing?!

(On a side note.....I spoke to Mike Walker the other day and ordered a 5x4 Titan XL!! Whooohoo Strangely enough my girlfriend isn't quite as excited about it as I am so I just had to tell someone! ).

[Paul Mitchell]

I totally agree. A few weeks ago I was looking at the Fuji 240 f9 on the RW website and thought it was a reasonable price at about £450... returned a few days later and it had gone up to £845!

Paul

[PAUL O]

It's not just RW! Prices are going up all over the place! This is also being reflected in an increase in used prices too. I had a shock when I checked RW's site a few weeks ago and saw the increased prices for Ebony cameras - as much as I'm a fan of these cameras the prices are now bordering on the ridiculous

[Thingy]

Robert White's prices for Ebony cameras and accessories increased a couple of months ago, just after I ordered my camera ( ) when Sterling had fallen in value unfavourably! When I ordered the camera it was £2550 neggers VAT. Two weeks later it had gone up £1000!

The increases in the prices of Schneider & Rodenstock lenses is more recent. I first noticed it a couple of weeks ago.

Hopefully when Sterling bounces back the prices will fall again.

[Paul.]

Oh bugger, just when you think you've saved enough the goal post moves

A while ago I thought I needed a longer lens, looked at prices and baught a Landrover to get my existing lens closer.

Spent yesterday (saturday) as part of my camera clubs extreame department, green laneing with cameras, saw parts of my locality I have never seen before, ruined farmhouses, shepards bwthies, old mine workings, got 2 rolls of film waiting for developing, as it was a recci trip I only took 35mm kit, the Sinar goes next time along with a shovel and longer tow rope.

Regards Paul.

[IanG]

Living abroad and having my funds in a UK banks I fully understand the price rises.

If the pound falls against the Dollar & Yen & Euro as it has then prices will rise accordingly, the manufacturers want paying in their local curency or the exchange rate equivalent at the time they are paid.

The truth is the UK has been lucky until recently the high value of the pound made buying imported goods including second hand lenses & cameras from the US very attractive. I up-graded/re-equipped 2-3 years ago just at the right time.

Ian

[Thingy]

I should have bought the camera last July when I was first thinking of doing so, instead of buying secondhand lenses. I did not expect the price to rise so dramatically, so I only have myself to blame. The moral: use savings to buy early and save later on!

[timparkin]

I had a lot of stick (mostly off wife) for buying all my gear in one go at the end of 2007 but I think I've saved about 50% on current prices by doing so.. (

Fujinon 240A
was 410 now 850

Schneider 110xl
was 860 now 1255

Schneider 80XL
was 860 now 1095

Rodenstock150S
was 455 now 631

Ebony 45SU
was 2550 now 4000

For a total saving of £2700

Phew... best go out and buy something else with my savings then

Tim

[DJ]

Robert White's prices always were higher than most, now... they're just ridiculous.

I have to wonder at the sense of businesses increasing their prices in this way to compensate for falling sales... if people aren't buying at the old prices, they're not going to at the new ones.. and yes I realise the exchange rate is a factor.

Let's hope Robert White can weather the storm, their prices aside, they're quite a helpful bunch and it would be a shame to see them go under.

C'est la vie.

[Thingy]

Robert White's prices always were higher than most, now... they're just ridiculous.

I have to wonder at the sense of businesses increasing their prices in this way to compensate for falling sales... if people aren't buying at the old prices, they're not going to at the new ones.. and yes I realise the exchange rate is a factor.

Let's hope Robert White can weather the storm, their prices aside, they're quite a helpful bunch and it would be a shame to see them go under.

C'est la vie.

Robert White are the supplier of Ebony cameras in the UK. When I ordered my 45SU from Teamwork in October they in turn ordered it through Robert White. The price I'll pay Teamwork will thus be the same I would have paid RW.

I too hope RW survive as, like Teamwork, they are an excellent supplier and source of advice, unlike quite a few photographic suppliers I encountered before "discovering" these two suppliers. Personally I don't mind paying a bit more if I get good customer service. It compensates for the aggro and good advice can save money too. Since "discovering" them I have stopped using my old suppliers and stick to quality.

[Tim Myers]

I've always liked to support RW - but a recent purchase (of one of those cameras we don't talk about here) would have been over £450 more expensive buying from RW than alternate sources (eBuyer and Amazon).

I don't mind paying for the service I get from RW when I need it (like when being out on location and having lost an 82mm WA lee adaptor!), but for a purchase such as my recent one where no advice was needed, the £450 in my pocket is far more welcome than a friendly voice at the end of the phone.

As it was my orders from the alternate sources were processed and delivered within 24 hours.

[PAUL O]

As I said, it's not only RW. I just checked used prices for LF gear on FFordes - again BIG price hikes! For example a used 150mm Rodenstock Apo N (just in) ... £349! A Wista 45DX (just in) ... £599 Yikes!

[Paul Mitchell]

I've just bought a VGC Schneider 240 f9 G-Claron from Ffordes for £249 which I didn't think was too bad, mind you the used Wista board was £25 which I thought was a tad on the dear side.

Paul

[IanG]

I've only read last week's BJP online (the subscribers fuller version) but there's an article about the price rises of cameras, lenses etc.

You can't blame the UK suppliers for passing on the effects of the pounds nose dive.

Ian