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UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:45 pm
by Tangfish
As someone who's been stuck at home like many people lately, and therefore online more than usual, I saw an email pop into my inbox just now from Backscatter, listing a whole bunch of UW photo equipment on sale (one came in from Reef at almost the same time, probably not a coincidence).

I immediately thought "hey, I've been meaning to pick up some odds and ends, spares and other stuff. Maybe now is a good time with a sale on so many brands and also as a way to help some of the UW camera shops who are probably freaking out and trying to thin inventory in what looks to be the beginning of a sustained drop in consumer spending. Win-win, right?"

So I assembled my cart and made sure I had everything I'd been thinking of getting for the past several months, and then looked at the total and thought to myself that it still added up to what seems like a whole lot of scuba units.

I had happened to save my cart as a pdf from a little while back with nearly all the same items, but then didn't end up submitting the order at the time because it was 50/50 that the items would arrive in time for a trip I was about to go on. I went back and looked at it. The normal prices of all the items on the website have gone up by virtually the exact same amount of the discounts being offered.

I'm not sure when this happened, or if it was very recently, but basically the prices across the board got raised 15-20% and now there's a "sale" essentially reducing them by the same amount. Bit of a head scratcher there.

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 5:05 pm
by ScubaJess
Very interesting!!!! :eek:
Are you back in Seattle yet? I hope you and your family are safe :luv: and that we can dive soon!! :partydance: :taco:

Did you watch Picard yet?!?! :luv: :popcorn:

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 7:21 am
by Scubak
Calvin,
Funny that you posted this. I got the email and my thoughts were the same as yours. Time to upgrade and pick up some things that I have been needing. Not much of a "sale" if you raise the prices to bring them back down again.
I will hang onto my scuba units right now!
Hope you are doing well in these crazy times. I haven't seen you in forever! Keep well and take care!
Kirsten

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 11:31 am
by dlh
I looked at the Backscatter sale as well and did bite on something cool and it seems to be a legitimate deal.

Backscatter Mini-Flash / Snoot combo for $314. In December when released it was $499.


https://wetpixel.com/articles/backscatt ... ical-snoot

  • The MF-1 Mini Flash and OS-1 Optical Snoot will ship in December, priced at $399 and $149, or as a combo pack at $499

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:27 pm
by coldfinger
That is a good price for the Backscatter mini-flash/snoot. The price really was $499 a few weeks ago when I looked it up after seeing a buddy's pictures. Now I have to decide how lucky I feel and if I can justify more money on dive gear. Thanks! (I think...)

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 3:23 pm
by derekcs
dlh wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 11:31 am I looked at the Backscatter sale as well and did bite on something cool and it seems to be a legitimate deal.

Backscatter Mini-Flash / Snoot combo for $314. In December when released it was $499.


https://wetpixel.com/articles/backscatt ... ical-snoot

  • The MF-1 Mini Flash and OS-1 Optical Snoot will ship in December, priced at $399 and $149, or as a combo pack at $499
Oh man. Before all this, I wanted to try a strobe with a narrower beam that was easier to handle than my current snoot. This looks perfect. Hmmm...

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:01 pm
by Tangfish
Glad someone found a deal on something they were looking for!

Jess, yes I'm back in the dystopian PNW, traffic is a breeze! I've been watching Picard but not caught up yet so we'll have to hold off on discussing yet :)

Kirsten, I'm with you... I'll sit this "sale" out, but who knows they may drop prices again, down to below normal, if things continue to be so ugly.

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:57 pm
by coldfinger
I had non-buyer's regret today and found the price for the Backscatter miniflash+snoot was $349, not $314, on Backscatter. Google found that Optical Ocean Sales (here in Seattle) has it for $314 (+tax; no idea if Backscatter charges tax) with free shipping. So, if you're teetering on the fence, the $314 price is still available, from a local merchant.

Re: UW Camera Equipment "Sale"

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:21 am
by Tangfish
coldfinger wrote:I had non-buyer's regret today and found the price for the Backscatter miniflash+snoot was $349, not $314, on Backscatter. Google found that Optical Ocean Sales (here in Seattle) has it for $314 (+tax; no idea if Backscatter charges tax) with free shipping. So, if you're teetering on the fence, the $314 price is still available, from a local merchant.
Backscatter charges tax in WA now. All things being equal, support a local shop.