When the Canon 10D was released in 2003 it was hailed as a marvel. The Canon CMOS 6 megapixel sensor set the standard for the type of camera. It was the camera of choice for the well-heeled, serious amateur photographer. And the fact is that the camera still takes terrific pictures with the same technology. And at $1400 it is in direct competition with other lesser cameras.

Karl Marx predicted that as capitalism entered its final phase it would be fantastically productive with a few giant corporations reaching for monopoly by killing off their competitors. In the process product life cycles would get shorter and shorter and each new model would seem to offer more for less. This never-ending cycle of new model and rapid obsolescence can make a customer nervous. In this cycle when is the right time to buy?

Now that digital camera technology is mature the differences between models are more evolutionary than revolutionary and, as with motor cars, the bargains are to be had just after the announcement of a new model.

The retail market is also fiercely competitive and there are some astonishing price reductions in the shops. Just a few months ago when dpexpert reviewed the Sony Cybershot V3 we found it to be an outstanding camera but offering poor value for money at a retail price of $1499. Since then Sony has dropped the RRP to $1099 which makes the V3 superb value for money -- the best of the optical viewfinder cameras on the market. But never mind $1099 -- the Sony V3 is now being advertised for $800. Those who paid $1500 will be disgruntled, but those paying $800 are getting the bargain of a lifetime. Why has Sony dropped the price? It seems to be their practice to test their customers’ brand loyalty and then to go after those for whom brand is not as important as function.

There are a couple of ways to assess the value of a camera and to have as much knowledge as the salesman. One is to check with the manufacturer’s Australian web site for their RRPs which helps to work out the discounts on offer in the shops. Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Konica Minolta are amongst the makers with their own .au sites. Nikon is distributed by Maxwell Photographics and Pentax by C R Kennedy.

The camera review web site www.dpreview.com lists virtually all digital cameras ever released with their announcement or release dates. Any camera model that has been on the market for a year or more is due for replacement. Often dpreview will have news of forthcoming model replacements and retailers are understandably anxious to clear any stock that is in danger of obsolescence.

Never forget the immortal words of Woody Allen: “In my family, the biggest sin was to buy retail.”

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