Because the the relative strength of the US dollar in relation to that of almost every other currency in the world as of this writing the we have pretty good purchasing power at the moment, but will change quickly.

On top of that camera stores, and some camera manufacturers, are wheeling and dealing to move merchandise that’s still on the shelves after Christmas.

However, there is one gloomy cloud on the horizon, the strength of our US dollar against that of the Japanese Yen. In the last 120 days the exchange rate of Yen to US dollar has fallen from a high of about 110 Yen=$1 to 89 Yen=$1. The Yen is currently the strongest of the currencies and because of that prices on photographic goods in the US are about to raise in the next several days or weeks.

So, if you’ve been holding off purchasing a new Nikon or Canon body or lens then my advice is to jump now. This opportunity can disappear and day. Look for the best deal you can get. Do your homework. Especially important, try to find a deal where you have 0% interest if you pay off the balance within a year or two. Those sorts of credit deals are getting harder to find but they are out there. Chain stores like Sears are a good place to check. Any business offering a line of credit is worth investigating and start looking for that interest rate deal!

Once you get your new gear, start shooting! Use this as an incentive to do some self promotion. Advertise your business. Expand your client base. Make money with your new gear. Now that’s a sound investment!