Camera Deals

(OLDER POST) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals coming on Friday

Check the top of the blog for this week's Friday lightning deals breakdown... Another week flew by and Friday is almost here! Other things equal, there will be a new round of Amazon Camera & Photo Lightning Deals going live at Amazon after 3am eastern on Friday. If you don't see them there, look for them also at the Gold-Box All Deals page... We will have our usual breakdown after they go live, but you don't have to wait for us to see the specials, you can use the aforementioned links to check them out at your pleasure.

(ENDED) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals coming on Friday

This week's specials ended. Check back next week for potentially another round... Friday is almost here! This is a reminder. Other things equal, there will be a new round of Camera & Photo Lightning Deals at Amazon. The specials will start at 3am eastern on Friday. The prices will be revealed as each deal goes live. We will post our usual breakdown in a new blog-post after they go live, but you don't have to wait for us - you can start checking the Camera & Photo page after 3am eastern on Friday. As to what specials will be offered, we do not know. We will find out when you find out!

(OLDER POST) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals on Friday

This is an older post. Check the top of the blog for the latest updates on this week's Friday Lightning Deal specials...

Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals on Friday

If history repeats itself, there will be a modest round of Amazon Camera & Photo Lightning Deals on Friday. We will post our usual breakdown after they go live, but starting at 3am ET on Friday you can check for them at the aforelinked page and/or the Gold Box All Deals page.

(OLDER POST) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals on Friday

This is an older post. Check the top of the blog for the latest updates... Other things equal, there might be new Camera & Photo Lightning Deals at Amazon on Friday. If you don't see them there after Friday 3am ET, check also the All Gold Box deals page. We will likely post our usual breakdown after they go live, but you don't have to wait for us - you can check using the above links.

I am saying "likely" because we are still trying to finish the epic Review Catch-up-a-thon (catching up with all reviews posted the last 60 days) which may leave us brain dead for days :)

(ENDED) Camera & Photo Lightning Deals: Sony NEX-5, TX66, Tenba Vector

This Friday's round of Camera & Photo Lighting Deals at Amazon ended. Check back next week for potentially another round... Expired items after the jump for the deal historians...

(OLDER POST) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals on Friday

This is an older post. Check the top of the blog for the latest updates... This is a heads up! If history repeats itself, there will be a new round of Amazon Camera and Photo Lightning Deals. For the last few weeks, the pattern was a smaller number of items, typically four. We have no idea what's coming. We will post our usual breakdown after they go live, but you don't have to wait for us, you can check at any time after Friday 3am ET at the Amazon Camera and Photo Lightning Deals.

Pay no interest for 12 months with Amazon Store Card with eligible purchase of $599 or more

Amazon has their own Store Card, issued by GE Capital Retail Bank. This is a different card from the Amazon.com VISA credit card issued by Chase Manhattan. They currently have a promotion on select cameras priced at $599 or more, you pay no interest for 12 months if you pay them in full within those 12 months. If the full amount is not paid within those 12 months, interest is charged from the purchase date. So you must plan ahead to make sure that you will be able to pay in full within those 12 months. Minimum monthly payments required. Offer is subject to credit approval. Check all the details before jumping on! If you have any questions, contact Amazon Customer Service about this promotion - do not make assumptions! Use credit wisely!

The easiest way to find out if a camera is eligible, is to look at the "Special Offers and Product Promotions" section, two sections below the camera product picture at the camera product page. For example, if you locate the "Special Offers" section for the Sony RX1, you will notice this text:

"Twelve-Month Financing: For a limited time, purchase $599 or more using the Amazon.com Store Card and pay no interest for 12 months on your entire order if paid in full in 12 months. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional balance is not paid in full within 12 months. Minimum monthly payments required. Subject to credit approval. 1-Click and phone orders do not apply. See complete details and restrictions"

(OLDER POST) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals on Friday

Check the top of the blog for the latest updates... If history repeats itself, there will be a new round of Camera and Photo Lightning Deals at Amazon. We will post our usual breakdown after they go live, but if you can't wait, you can start checking on them using the previous link starting at 3am eastern (midnight pacific).

Meta: Internet Sales Tax is Coming (Symbolic Vote passes with 75 votes in Senate)

An internet sales tax is coming! It is no longer a question of if but a question of when. A symbolic non-binding vote in the Senate (a shot across the bow of sorts) passed with 75%+ of the votes (75-24). It got the vast majority of the Democratic votes, and a 3-to-2 majority of the Republican votes.

This margin is big enough it can survive not only filibusters but also a presidential veto. If members in the House of Representatives were to vote with the same party affiliation percentages as they did in the Senate, it would also get a veto-proof majority of the vote there.

Please note this was only a symbolic non-binding vote, but actual legislation is pending and being worked on that would make this a reality. Other things equal.

Here is the actual vote by Senator and here is the amendment that was voted upon and here is the pending bill that could/would make an internet sales tax a reality.

Via The Verge and The CNet and The Techmeme.

(OLDER POST) Will there be Amazon Camera & Photo Lightning Deals on Friday?

Yes, there are Amazon Camera and Photo page this Friday. See them at the aforelinked page or check the top of the blog for more details...

The previous previous two weeks there were no Camera and Photo Lightning Deals at Amazon. Last week, they did launch some but by the time we noticed them, they almost expired so we didn't post them. So we have no idea whether to expect any this Friday. We obviously can't stay up all night hitting refresh every 30 minutes, but you don't have to wait for us to spot them - you can check the Amazon Camera and Photo page. If/when the lightning deals are launched, you will see them there... We will of course try to check in as early as possible, but we are not robots. We has to ZzzZZZZz at some point!

(OLDER POST) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals on Friday

This is an older post. Check the latest blog posts for the latest updates... A quick reminder. Friday is just around the corner and on Friday Amazon will be having their usual and unpredictable Camera & Photo Lightning Deals. The products will be revealed there at 3am ET on Friday and the prices will be revealed as they go live. We will have our usual coverage after they go live, but in case we don't post them early enough, you can check them on your own.

(OLDER POST) Reminder: Camera & Photo Lightning deals on Friday

This is an older post. Check the top of the blog for the latest... This only a reminder. Friday is just around the corner and this means a new round of Camera and Photo Lightning Specials at Amazon. As usual, the specials teasers will posted at the aforelinked page after 3am ET on Friday and the prices will be revealed throughout the day as the lightning specials go live. As usual, we will have our detailed post after they go live, but we are posting this in case we are late in posting the detailed post.

Meta: The rise of Monoprice feature story at Buzzfeed

If it wasn't for the boldly-going early adopters, we would probably still be scared of buying online. But because the boldly-going early adopters check out new retailers and new paradigms of doing business, they help the rest of us figure out where it's safe and good and reasonable to shop. One company whose profile is rising is Monoprice.com, featured in a feature story at Buzzfeed.com with the horror movie title "How Monoprice Is Eating The Tech World From The Inside Out". (via The Verge).

(OLDER POST) Coming on Friday: Camera & Photo Lightning Deals

This is an older post... The days fly by, another week is almost over and Friday is almost here. Just like before, Amazon will be having another round of Camera and Photo Lightning Deals. The specials will be listed over there at some point after 3am eastern on Friday. The product names are typically revealed initially, but the prices are only revealed when they go live... We will have our usual detailed listing after they go live, but in case the alarm clock breaks or we are abducted by aliens, you can check for them on your own after Friday 3am ET at the Camera and Photo Lightning Deals. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, will this mean better or worse deals? Will it be red and pink galore? :)

Request Line: what are you interested in?

What a sharp contrast between the holiday shopping season and now. It's like someone pushed the OFF button. As you have noticed, the number of deals posted here has dropped the last few days. Part of it is because we were frantically trying to catch up with the New Digital Cameras of 2013, part of it is because the retailers were trying to do the same, and part of it because there were not that many specials compared to the "regular season" (let alone compared to the Holiday Shopping Season).

So this is a good time for another edition of the "Request Line". What items are you looking for so we can keep an extra eye out for them? You can let us know in the comments below or using the online contact form or on Twitter @CameraDealsblog or the Twitter of the main blog @1001noisycamera (without the final "s"; twitter has a limit of 15 characters in a user name; so keep that in mind if you are planning an online branding).

Deal Ended: 2% discount on Payroll Taxes (ENDED)

If you are budgeting for new digital camera purchases in 2013, we have some breaking news for you. The 2% rate-discount on Payroll taxes (for employed and self-employed individuals) ended on 12/31/12 and it was not renewed by Congress during the emergency fecal cliff drama. This development is something that is under-reported and mis-reported by the mass-market corporate media, so we are making sure people are aware of it. This brings the payroll tax rate back up to the previous rate (6.2%) before the temporary stimulus discount was launched and had brought it down to 4.2%.

A 2% increase on a $50,000 household income is $1,000. 2% on a $100,000 household income is $2,000. This is like removing a nice lens or a nice camera body from your purchase list :(

Amazon Holiday Season Lightning Deals Ended

It looks like the Holiday season Amazon Lightning Deals are over. The usual Gold Box specials continue as always. As you can see, the Camera & Photo Lightning Deals widget and the Holiday Deals widget are nearly empty. The items they have, they come from the Traditional Gold Box.

Free listing: Photographers with Typepad blogs

If you have a Typepad blog (or are planning to start one), TypePad.com has recently launched a new TypePad gift shop that lists small and independent businesses. They have a photography section as well, and currently there are only two listings, so this might be a good opportunity to get a high profile listing. They have a "Submit" button at the bottom of the page. You get two links in your listing, one to your TypePad blog and one to the place where you sell your photography art. As an example, the two photographer shop pages currently listed there: Caryn Drexl and Moonflowers Photography on Etsy.

TypePad offers plans starting at $9/mo, with the more versatile unlimited plan at $15/mo.

Note: B&H Photo will accept orders again on Sat at 5:45pm ET

If you are trying to buy any of the B&H Photo Black Friday specials, please note that B&H Photo is, as usual, not accepting orders during the Sabbath. The B&H Photo website will begin accepting orders again on Saturday at 5:45pm ET.