High Camera Prices Are Not Proof Camera Makers Are Greedy
Why does every launch feel overpriced?
Because launch prices are opening bids, the most a company will ever get for a product, and they are often optimistic. Baskin points to the Sony RX10 V: it looks dramatically more expensive than its predecessor, but its price rose roughly in line with US consumer prices over the nine years between the two models.
Camera makers wanted the highest price they could get five and ten years ago too. Their appetite for profit did not suddenly appear when prices went up. What changed is what it costs to design and build a camera.
Where do camera prices actually come from?
Baskin's point is that profit keeps makers alive and pays for research and development. Making cameras is not, as he puts it, a gold mine: Olympus sold off its camera business, and Samsung walked away from the market just as it was becoming a serious player. He writes that it can be in our interest for camera companies to be profitable.
Nobody ever calls a launch perfect, either. Every announcement draws the same complaint, if only it had this one feature, and since nobody agrees on the feature, manufacturers have to keep developing. That takes money.
When is price criticism fair?
A few brands dominate the market, and once you are invested in a system, switching is neither easy nor inexpensive. Companies have real leverage where you are locked in: proprietary batteries, pricey accessories, mounts that restrict third-party lenses. Those are fair targets, but they are a much more specific complaint than calling a company greedy because a body costs more than you want to pay.
Why it matters for you
If you are learning, gear decisions are the easiest place to waste money. Baskin's reframe is worth adopting: instead of asking why they are so greedy, ask is this worth it to me? If the answer is no, do not buy it. It is the most effective message a camera buyer can send. Patience is the learner's superpower here. If a camera sits on shelves, its price will come down, and it almost always does. Either way, the question protects you: your upgrade should be worth it to your photography, not just impressive on a spec sheet.