Nikon Rebates 0n D70 & SB800 - A Signal??

Does the fact that Nikon has just announced a rebate on the D-70 ($100) and the SB-800 ($25) mean that new models are just around the corner?? Any rumblings out there...........

Sieg

My guess is this is their response to the Canon rebates. The next one to be replaced is the D100. This may of course overlap with the D70 market.

There is always a new model around the corner in DSLR world :?

Right now there are rumors about replacement to the D100.

I agree. As far as I can tell, Nikon's normal mode is to offer rebates on their products but not when they are brand new. To me, this is a sign of two things:

1) The D70 demand is not red-hot like it was when it was released in April. I thinks its still a great camera and a great buy but most of the people who really wanted one got them and now there are more choices out there than when the D70 was released dilluting demand. When they released the D70 they could not keep up with demand so why offer a rebate? The same was true for the SB-800. In April when the SB-600 wasn't even out it was pretty hard to find the SB-800 even at list price.

2) Trying to stay competitive with Canon's rebates on the rebel. Come on you can get a Rebel kit for about $600 now. I love my D70 but that's a pretty good deal!

Re "You can get a Rebel kit for about $600 now."

Yes the DSLR prices are becoming very attractive. So much so that the real question for new buyers should probably be what camera company do they want to live with over time i.e. with each lens purchase I am becoming more committed to Nikon for my next camera.

Then there is the housing and the ports. Together they cost as much or mote than the camera and lens ... much more if DSLRs start selling for $600.

My point, perhaps as a note to self, is that new buyers should begin to focus more on the strategic aspects of their purchase and less on the price of camera.