Since we're near the end of life of five Nikon DSLR bodies, I thought it might be interesting to do a quick analysis of how prices went from intro to end-of-life for these Nikon DSLRs:
- D40 with 18-55mm lens. US$589 intro to US$479 recent, a US$90 (15%) drop.
- D40x body. US$729 intro to US$534 recent, a US$195 (27%) drop.
- D80 body. US$999 intro to US$781 recent, a US$218 (22%) drop.
- D200 body. US$1699 intro to US$1364 recent, a US$335 (20%) drop.
- D2xs body. US$4999 intro to US$4299 recent, a US$700 (14%) drop.
So what did you just learn? You pay a 15-25% premium to be an early adopter, and if you see a body price drop 10-20% mid-life, that's a good deal. What's mid-life? Nine months for the consumer bodies, one year for the prosumer bodies, 18 months to two years for the pro bodies.
Of course, increased competition, a weak economy, and a declining dollar could all change those numbers in the next generation, but I think it's a pretty good starting place if you're the analytical type.