Casio Offers Upgrades on New Digital Cameras

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.popphoto.com/article.asp?section_id=5&article_id=1923' target='_blank'>http://www.popphoto.com/article.asp?section_id=5&article_id=1923</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Casio Inc. announces the Casio Trade In, Trade Up Program, where consumers have the opportunity to trade in their old camera, regardless of brand, and trade up to a new Casio digital camera. To provide consumers with an easy way to upgrade to the latest technology available in digital cameras, and even receive bonuses when upgrading to certain Casio models, Casio will offer the Trade In, Trade Up program from April 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006. Consumers can visit, <a href="http://exilim.casio.com/tradeup">http://exilim.casio.com/tradeup</a> or any participating retailer’s website to check the value of their trade in camera. Casio has teamed up with participating retailers, and Deal Tree Services, Inc. as a service provider, to provide a way to trade in any brand of an older model camera to receive a check for a trade-in value, and in some cases even an additional bonus, as a reward for purchasing a new Casio Exilim digital camera."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/43200625529.gif" /><br /><br />I have always been weary of trade-in value deals because while they would seem excellent on the surface, one needs to really consider how happy/unhappy they are with their existing camera. For example, Canon says that my EOS 10D's trade in value is just $300 which I think is a rip-off given its excellent condition and I really don't think I find the 10D limiting. Yes, I'd like it to be faster and take higher MP photos but I can easily survive. On the other hand, I can see why this is tempting because $300 is still $300 bucks which means I could upgrade to a 30D for as little as $1K which could have been quite tempting if I was in a trigger happy mood right now. Anyways Casio's site assesses camera value based on a number of factors so try it out and see what your camera gets valued at.

[Jeremy Charette]

The trade-up offer is only $76 for my Kodak LS753, but I think I'll take it. It has a dent in one corner of the case (dropped it), and it's a store demo unit, which means every time I boot it up, it goes right into the demo mode. Can't tell you how annoying that is. I'd be happy to get anything for it at this point.

[mcsouth]

I have made use of the trade in program offered at B&amp;H Photo in NYC several times. You email them the equipment that you have, along with a brief assessment of the condition - they will email you a trade-in value within 24 hours or so. You then have the option of sending in the equipment, or passing on the deal.

If you send it in, they do a final assessment in shop, and then advise you of the final value they will offer. At that point, you have three options; refuse the deal and have the equipment returned, accept the deal with the value as store credit against a new purchase, or accept the deal as cash (they send you a check). I have always found their trade-in values to be reasonable, and if you accept store credit, you have more than just one brand to consider for purchase.

In my mind, that would be my preferred route over tying myself to a single brand, unless that brand was offering insane trade-in values to drive business. Even then, though, it would depend on whether or not I had any desire for their equipment. In the case of Casio, I don't.