Email from Canon

[Matt. K]

I have been sent an email today by Canon Australia offering me a deal on a Canon 5D that I just can't believe! I thought it was a hoax but after a quick phone call and a chat I now know the offer is genuine. It concerns me trading in a D70 or D70'S for a Canon 5D at a price trade up that is almost negligable. Unfortunately I can't give details or I will disqualify myself from the deal. They will also trade lenses one for one and the SB800 for a Canon flash in a similar deal as Stubbsy spoke of. What I did find out though was very interesting...this is a very clever marketing ploy by Canon who apparently have identified a number of photographers and can see some advantage in getting these people to switch brands from Nikon to Canon. They believe that these chosen photographers have a sphere of influence in the forum or other areas and that as a marketing ploy it will pay dividends in the long run. I guessed that if I refused the offer then another member on the list would receive the same offer...so they must have a list taken off the forum at some time. My problem is I don't own a Nikon camera at this time and so I am contemplating purchasing a second hand D70 and some lenses. However, I am not all that sure that I want to go down the Canon road and so will give myself a few days to mull it over. Very very interesting stuff though. I believe a few more forum members will be or have already been made the same offer. Strange world we live in.

[xerubus]

very interesting. i wish someone would make me a deal like that. wonder how it would perform as a pj camera


cheers

[Michael]

Where can I trade my D70's body for one? id only sell the 5D and get another nikon body though.

But this certainly is strange it would definatly explain the mystery surrounding the latest canon purchases.

EDIT: To mark, I think it'd go great with the silky smooth high ISO images! and low light you often come across.

[shutterbug]

Is my name on the list I have a few nikon to trade in

[obzelite]

after jumping ship to get the d70 i feel the need to go back now. 5d would be a nice way to do it.

just counting my pennies, but as i get more in the jar the value of the d70 keeps going down so i dont feel i'm getting anywhere.

[LOZ]

Stubbys seceret is out hope they email me or I might email them this offer might tip me over the edge .My signature may help LOZ

[ozczecho]

Nice one Matt

[gstark]

This is of great interest to me.

First of all, if Canon (or anyone else) have skimmed this forum for any contact information of any memebr, that's probably not legal.

Certainly, if they've contacted any member by email, with no prior contact to them initiated by that member, under Oz law, that is illegal.

And finally, if they're contacting key members of this forum, why have they failed to contact Leigh or myself? Nobody is more "key" to this forums than we are, after all.

I'm going to look at some logs to see if I can find if/where they may have skimmed those email addresses.

[obzelite]

So you want a 5D as well. :p

Could someone who works for canon be a member of the forum?
Contacting another member and asking if they are interested in a deal I don’t think would come under the email laws. Your a member of a forum and another member contacted you wouldn't fall under the unsolicited email laws.

edit: btw any canon employees who wish to contact me have my permission.

[losfp]

Gary, you can get people's email addresses from the memberlist - hovering over the email button reveals that it is simply a mailto: link. Not a feature of phpBB that I'm particularly fond of, but that's neither here nor there.

If you have specifically indicated in your profile that you don't want your email to be displayed, then that button does not show up. I am not 100% certain if that is the default option or not....

EDIT: Actually, that is the case for everywhere that the "email" button appears... So on each post you make, and your own profile page as well.

[blacknstormy]

pick me pick me

[LOZ]

I'm now waiting for Porsche Australia to email me to trade in my Subaru

[gstark]

Could someone who works for canon be a member of the forum?

That's possible, but contacting them for any sort of business related purpose, by unsolicited email, would fall foul of the law.

And it's certainly an abuse of our fascilities, and were any member to do this, without my approval beforehand, would be subject to my wrath.

Or something much more serious.

[gstark]

EDIT: Actually, that is the case for everywhere that the "email" button appears... So on each post you make, and your own profile page as well.

And it wouldn't take much of a script to be able to skim the pages and extract whatever datawas needed.

[BBJ]

Well it is all strange, and well i guess if they only turn 1 person to there products is a bonus. Oh well i would want more than a 5d LOL.

[LOZ]

I just got a email for Viagra some one here must know my other lust

[gstark]

I'm now waiting for Porsche Australia to email me to trade in my Subaru

I'm waiting for someone from Kia to do the same for me with my SLK.

[gstark]

I just got a email for Viagra some one here must know my other lust

It's sourced through your better half Loz. She's sick of you falling out of bed every night.

Let's now try and keep this thread on topic.

[LOZ]

I'm now waiting for Porsche Australia to email me to trade in my Subaru

I'm waiting for someone from Kia to do the same for me with my SLK.

I dont blame you

[Alpha_7]

I wondering if this really is the case, if they did their research ? Or if they just went of post count ? Stubbsy, Glen, Matt K all in the Top Ten.

Gary and Leigh, checked all your different email addresses ?

[losfp]

Craig, if that's the case, I'll be waiting a long time for MY email

I am #106 on the list.. Though there are 1700ish users.. Plenty of lurkers. Nothing wrong with that though I guess... I have been registered on OCAU since about 2002, and I read it almost every day... But still only with an almighty post count of 111....

[stubbsy]

Matt. Very funny. Thanks for taking the mickey out of Glen & myself. Are you jealous?

[gstark]

I wondering if this really is the case, if they did their research ? Or if they just went of post count ? Stubbsy, Glen, Matt K all in the Top Ten.

Birdy is #1.

I'm #2.

Should I look more closely at Birdy?????

Gary and Leigh, checked all your different email addresses ?

They're all automagically checked by a client that aggregates them into the one place. So yes, and no, there's no email.

[MATT]

ok, to test if its the post thing, edit mine so I am on top of th elist and I will wait for my emaill


I'd be tempted..

MATT

[NikonUser]

That certainly would be a very interesting proposition indeed.

I've often thought about the lack of Nikkor long VR lenses. My decision to go with Nikon was based solely on the D70 being the best bang for the buck at the time. I had no idea I'd be investing this much time and effort into photography when I started.

Legal or not it's certainly a very sneaky move.



Paul

[owen]

Or something much more serious.

5D's all 'round then?

[LOZ]

Now that the cat is out of the bag why don’t we storm Canons stand and demand a trade-in on a 5D .

I wonder what their dealers would think if Canon are going direct ?. I will give Greg Lee a call tomorrow and see if he will trade in my D70.?

In all serious I think this deal may back fire and heads may roll .How stupid not to look at the possible repercussions or a marketing exercise if that is what it is. Let’s see how long it takes them to retract their offers. LOZ

[gstark]

Or something much more serious.

5D's all 'round then?

That actually might be a less expensive resolution.

[gstark]

Now that the cat is out of the bag why don’t we storm Canons stand and demand a trade-in on a 5D .

I wonder what their dealers would think if Canon are going direct ?. I will give Greg Lee a call tomorrow and see if he will trade in my D70.?

In all serious I think this deal may back fire and heads may roll .How stupid not to look at the possible repercussions or a marketing exercise if that is what it is. Let’s see how long it takes them to retract their offers. LOZ

Given the potential seriousness of what may have happenned here, please do not do this, or even contemplate this sort of action.

I need to fully investigate what has (or may have) happenned, and any contact external to what I might be initiating may be counter-productive.

I've already asked Matt K to forward to me the email he reccieved so that I can try to see from where it came, which will help me immensely.

And as Matt has also mentioned, it seems to contain some contact details, so I'd rather just run with those for the time being.

So, again, please do nothing about this.

[LOZ]

Gary maybe you should move this thread to members only ??

[gstark]

Gary maybe you should move this thread to members only ??

That only stops some people from posting ....

[ozczecho]

gee, maybe i should add my email to my profile

[DionM]

Gee, how about offering their already loyal customers some perks them

If they'll take a lowly D70 surely they'll take a 20D! And I'll gladly upgrade my non-IS 70-200 2.8 for an IS version! Oh, and maybe my 100 2.8 macro for the 180 3.5 Macro, and my 400 5.6 to a 2.8 version

[big pix]

I am open to offers........ but it must be in dollars........ all the way for D70 day.........

[johndec]

My problem is I don't own a Nikon camera at this time and so I am contemplating purchasing a second hand D70 and some lenses.

Hmm, what happened to your D2h?

[leek]

Gary, you can get people's email addresses from the memberlist - hovering over the email button reveals that it is simply a mailto: link. Not a feature of phpBB that I'm particularly fond of, but that's neither here nor there.

If you have specifically indicated in your profile that you don't want your email to be displayed, then that button does not show up. I am not 100% certain if that is the default option or not....

EDIT: Actually, that is the case for everywhere that the "email" button appears... So on each post you make, and your own profile page as well.

A slight problem with that theory... Matt K. doesn't have his e-mail displayed in the forum (like any person with any sanity)... They must have harvested the e-mail from somewhere else: dpreview / nikonians???

I think I might send Canon an e-mail to provide them with my details just in case they want to make me a similar offer... I'd probably blow them a long raspberry, but it would be nice to be asked...

[big pix]

if various members are getting E mails on this site, how many members on other sites ........... There might be a new model canon being released soon so Canon are moving some stock, to make room for the new model ? with cleaver selling......... now how are Nikon going to respond ?????..........

[NikonUser]

now how are Nikon going to respond ?????..........

Getting a D200 into the country so I can buy one would help

[phillipb]

Surely one of the conditions must be that you have to keep the 5D for a certain period of time - sort of like the mobile phone contracts, otherwise it's a no brainer. Get the 5D, sell it buy a brand new D70s and make a good little profit on the side.

[johndec]

As Leon said in another thread, something suss is going on...

[thaddeus]

Thanks Matt for letting us know.

What this means to me is that I can't copmpletely trust the comments from people who suddenly convert to Canon.

I think there should be full disclosure of commercial interests on the board, otherwise it will be hard to separate real opinion from advertorial.

[MattC]

Hmmm... I tend to be a suspicious bugger on a good day. With the only 24 hours or so to go, I cannot help but wonder if this and other related threads are part of some elaborate ruse to suck us all in.
I guess I will know in another 36 hours.

Cheers

[johndec]

Good call MattC. This little fishy is jumping off the hook..

[MCWB]

Good call MattC. This little fishy is jumping off the hook..

And on jumps a poisson d'Avril...

[nito]

May be they just want to increase the canon experts in the forum. Fishy way of doing things.

[johndec]

Good call MattC. This little fishy is jumping off the hook..

And on jumps a poisson d'Avril...

Exactly The change of "status" of a certain member gave it away.

[moz]

What this means to me is that I can't copmpletely trust the comments from people who suddenly convert to Canon.

I'd wait until you hear the comments... in a couple of weeks when they've been trying to use them for a bit it'll be all "I want my Nikon back <waaaaahhh>". At which point I'll step in and offer to relieve the pain for a very reasonable price...

From matt's comments it doesn't sound as though they're precluded from disclosure, and from the very start we've been hearing "special deal" and "cheap but can't tell you the details", so I don't think the members here have been exactly hiding. But I share everyone's curiousity about what Canon is up to.

[gstark]

John

EDIT: Actually, that is the case for everywhere that the "email" button appears... So on each post you make, and your own profile page as well.

A slight problem with that theory... Matt K. doesn't have his e-mail displayed in the forum (like any person with any sanity)... They must have harvested the e-mail from somewhere else: dpreview / nikonians???

No, there's not a slight problem at all. Please reread losfp's post, about hovering over the email button. That action causes that person's email address to be displayed in the status bar.

And ues, I've just checked that with Matt K's too, and he is no exception.

So it doesn't take too much code to parse through the HTML and redcuce it to just a list of the email addresses.

I think I might send Canon an e-mail to provide them with my details just in case they want to make me a similar offer... I'd probably blow them a long raspberry, but it would be nice to be asked...

Please see my earlier comment to Loz; I'd really prefer that people not do this, because it detracts from the action that I'm looking at instigaing on this matter.

FTR, and in looking at the logs, I've found one IP address that hit this site over 5000 times on Monday. The limit where I ask people to move to the .com site is 1500/day.

Make of that what you will.

[gstark]

As Leon said in another thread, something suss is going on...

What Leon was referring to was the fact that some members have been getting this offer, but not others.

My understanding is that his concern is - and as a couple here have noted - that of disclsure, and I have full sympathy with that argument, especially when I provide these facilities for all to enjoy, free of any charge.

[gstark]

Good call MattC. This little fishy is jumping off the hook..

And on jumps a poisson d'Avril...

Actually, poisson is french for fish.

We're reminding Stubbsy that he's made a promise to a few of us that he will cook a fish dinner in April, and that we're intending to hold him to it.