A rant from Canada about prices.
 

I am looking for a digital camera with a larger optical zoom factor,
for use when cruising to attempt to catch photos of whales, shore
features, etc. Several choices are available. My rant is using only
one of the choices, simply because I know the precise numbers for that
camera. The rant has to do with price!

I sent the following to those named when the press release was issued
in both the U.S. and Canada, although I would be surprised to get an
answer. I object to the highway robbery involved in the Canadian
prices, obviously... and the message makes it clear.

Does anyone know what the WHOLESALE price for this camera happens to
be in both the U.S. and in Canada, since the press release only covers
the 'suggested' retail price.

-------------------

The camera in question below is the FujiFilm S8000fd, which hit the
marketplace in last month.

We will start off with the press release in Canada and the press
release in the U.S. for the FujiFilm S8000fd camera, issued on July
26th. On that day the exchange rate was

Currency Unit CAD per Unit Units per CAD
=========================== ============ =============
USD United States Dollars 1.0536227976 0.9491062668

Since on that same day this same press release was issued in BOTH
countries, it is easy to make a direct comparison of the retail prices
shown in the two press releases.

The U.S. press release shows a retail price of $399.95 which equates,
on that specific date, using the above conversion factor, to Canadian
$421.40, yet the price shown in the Canadian Press Release is $469.99

NOW the situation has changed...

Rates as of 2007.10.02 20:09:21 UTC (GMT). Base currency is CAD.

Currency Unit CAD per Unit Units per CAD
=========================== ============ =============
USD United States Dollars 0.9977915989 1.0022132889

so U.S. $399.95 is now equal to Canadian $399.07 yet the price is
obviously staying up there, since the camera is on sale for as little
as $284.00 in the U.S. and no less than $444.63 in Canada TODAY!

Wth the U.S. and Canadian dollars at par, I personally find these
types of price differential unacceptable, and will be buying the
camera where I pay the least, whether or not that is what FujiFilm
likes.

Feel free to communicate my dissatisfaction with the price set in
Canada to FujiFilm in Japan, where the prices likely are really set,
and to FujiFilm in both the U.S. and Canada.