It's official, folks! Amazon Prime Day 2023 has a date.
This year, the big sale will kick off in Australia at 12am AEST on Tuesday, July 11 and the official Aussie deals will end at 11:59pm AEST on Wednesday, July 12. Don't quit just yet though, as we get an extended Prime Day sale, with the deals finally ending at 4:59pm AEST on Thursday, July 13 as we get to shop international imports via Amazon Australia. So our Prime Day doesn't end till it the US West Coast calls it a night.
Now that you know exactly when the big sale is, it's time to really think about what you'd like to get during the sale. This still gives you a few weeks to think about not just your shopping list, but what you're willing to pay for each item. There'll be savings aplenty on all kinds of cameras and lenses, as well some accessories like tripods, SD cards, filters and more.
Best of all, these savings aren't necessarily restricted to just Prime members any more – it's a great shopping event for any Amazon customer – you can sign up for a free account easily enough, which you will need to get updates on your purchases, but you could be spending extra on delivery charges if your purchase costs less than AU$39 in total.
You'll maximise your savings by signing up for a Prime subscription. This gets you free and fast delivery on plenty of Prime-eligible items, no matter how little or how much they cost. Moreover, being a Prime member means you get to shop Lightning Deals (those available for only a few hours on limited stock) earlier than non-Prime members.
Whether you're a newbie to the world of photography and looking for the best camera for beginners or you're an old hand in need of an upgrade to the best professional camera, you are sure to find a great price on Amazon during Prime Day given a lot of official stock from Canon and Nikon is now available on Amazon AU. You'll also find gear from Olympus (now OM System), Panasonic and Fujifilm. What is typically missing is Sony, although third-party resellers might offer some decent discounts on Alpha cameras and some native lenses.
Amazon Prime Day 2023 date and time
As we've just mentioned, the official Australian Prime Day 2023 dates are July 11-12, with the sale finally ending at 5pm AEST on July 13 as the global store part of the retail site will carry on offering discounts on select items shipping in from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany and Amazon Japan.
Yes, we get a lot of international products here in Australia, so you will want to keep an eye on the Prime Day landing page on Amazon for all deals for a full 65 hours.
These July dates are exactly what we predicted and Amazon hasn't disappointed.
How to make the most of Amazon Prime Day
Despite the name, most of the deals offered during Amazon Prime Day are open to everyone, but if you really want to make the most of it and maximise your savings, it's best to be a Prime member. There are several offers that are only available to subscribers, so signing up means you won't miss out on the really juicy bargains.
However, you don't need to shell out for a monthly membership in order to make the most of the sales festivities. Instead, why not sign up for a 30-day free trial closer to the sale in order to take advantage of the discounts – and then simply cancel the membership when Prime Day is over.
If you do sign up now, you'll also be able to take advantage of the other free perks that come with a Prime subscription, namely full access to Prime Video, Prime Reading (a 'lite' version of Kindle Unlimited) and Prime Gaming (another version of Twitch). Plus, of course, the free-and-fast shipping promise is there for all eligible products. Note that from May 24, any new Prime membership will cost you AU$9.99 a month (up from AU$6.99) or AU$79 per year ( up from AU$59).
Do cameras go on sale for Prime Day?
If you're after a bargain on a camera body, lens or other photography accessories, you can save a packet by shopping on Amazon during Prime Day.
It should be noted that not all camera brands are available on Amazon, with Sony being the main omission. If you aren't too fussed about Sony cameras and lenses, then Amazon is a treasure trove.
Canon, Nikon, Olympus/OM System and Fujifilm are the usual suspects that get some serious price drops for Prime Day. Panasonic cameras also get discounted, but typically that's been on the micro four thirds models and not the S-series full-frame cameras.
There are plenty of instant cameras that get discounted for Prime Day too, particularly the Fujifilm Instax range, but you'll also find some Polaroids there too, alongside some international models shipping in from Amazon US and UK. If you do choose an international model, make sure you're able to buy the compatible film refills locally.
Action cameras from Insta360 and DJI also do get discounted, with Amazon being one of the rare retailers in Australia to actually stock the former brand. Keep an eye out for DJI drones to drop prices too.
If you're after a model or brand that isn't available or discounted on Amazon, chances are eBay might have a competing sale and you could save a pretty penny there. So be sure to shop around if you're after the best camera deals.
When can you get the best deals on cameras?
The best time to buy a new camera or lens would be during massive sales such as Prime Day or Black Friday. The discounts are definitely a lot better during these times.
While Prime Day only gets you offers on products sold on Amazon, Black Friday is when pretty much every specialist camera retailer will offer discounts and the competition to offer the best prices will be high.
That said, Amazon typically has the best prices on the cameras and lenses it stocks, even outside of sales events. So do keep an eye on prices on the retail giant's site.
How to find the best camera deals during Prime Day
If you're shopping for a new kit – whether it's your first camera, a gift for someone or an upgrade – it helps to keep a few things in mind when shopping during Prime Day.
1. Try and sign up for a free Amazon Prime subscription
This should give you full access to the sale, including Prime-exclusive offers. You can cancel at any time.
2. Figure out what you want to buy beforehand
Shopping any major sale can be overwhelming. So knowing exactly what you're after can save you both time and money. Take the time to do some research on price histories of the items you would like to buy. While camera prices don't necessarily fluctuate too much, it's still good to know whether a deal is worth your hard-earned money – after all, we don't upgrade our cameras as often as we do our phones, so the investment is best made with some thought.
3. Be flexible on what you want
Sometimes the specific model you want may not be discounted, but if you aren't faithful to a specific brand, you might get a better offer on a camera from a different brand – one with similar specs. This is easier with APS-C models more than full frames, but if you're open to the idea of a different model, it might make bargain hunting a little more economical. We also admit that this is easier for people looking for their first camera and not already tied down with a specific system. You could also look into third-party lenses for your camera bodies instead of opting for the one made by the brand.
4. Create a wish list
Once you've narrowed down what you're after, you can save them in a wish list on Amazon. This will also show you price fluctuations (if any) in the lead up to the sale and makes it really super quick and easy to then move the item to your shopping cart directly from there.
5. Check back through the event
We've noticed in the past that Amazon's prices change through the duration of the sale. Sometimes a piece of camera gear will be cheaper on day two of the sale. So while it might be worthwhile picking something up as soon as the offer has gone live on the shopping site (particularly if stock is limited), it could pay to wait too. If stock hasn't run out, then you could save yourself a few more dollars.
6. Stick with us
Not to toot our own horn, but if you're willing to get some help, we'll be on hand to scour Amazon Australia for the best deals on photography gear. We won't list them all, but we will hand-pick what might be the best options across the different categories of gear. This could make it quick and easy for you to find a specific deal rather than spend hours going through the shopping site to find a particular option.
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