Good Deals, Great Deals, Crazy Deals

'Tis the season ... for big discounts from retailers!

There are always good deals to be found around the holidays, but this year, some of the camera deals we're seeing are really in the sit-up-and-take-notice category. Here's a selection from some of our affiliate partners that caught our eye:

From Adorama: 

Canon 5D Mark II Body only: $2099 = $400 off list

Canon 5D Mark II with 24-105mm IS lens: $2799 = $500 off list

But here's the really *killer* deal: There's a rebate coupon for $400 off if you purchase a Pro9000 Mark II printer along with the 5D Mark II - And Adorama is selling the Pro9000 for only $444. So you can get $400 off the 5D Mark II, and then end up owning a Pro9000 Mark II printer for only another $44! Crazy.

Here are some other great deals from Adorama:

A great little pocket-zoom camera, the Panasonic ZS8, for only $149(!) Crazy!
(It's actually fairly widely available at this price, but that doesn't make the deal any less crazy-good, and Adorama is a great, no-hassle place to buy it.)

The sleek, svelte Nikon S100 for $249 (almost $48 off the regular price)

Also in the Nikon camp, you'll find a deal on a D90 with 18-105mm lens, for $148 off the normal price, as well as a whole 'passel of $50 and $150 instant rebates on various kits and colors for the Nikon J1 and V1; two of the hottest cameras this holiday season.

Finally, in the Olympus corner, you'll find some discounts on the new Olympus E-PM1 "PEN Mini" with 14-42mm lens, for a net price of $425
Here's the trick, though: (a) The deal is only on the versions with just the 14-42mm lens; it doesn't apply to the two-lens kits; and (b) You have to put the E-PM1 in your cart, start the checkout process, and then enter one of the top-secret coupon codes below, depending on the color of the camera you've selected:

• IOMEPM1BB black with 14-42 use coupon code S1442111
• IOMEPM1BRS  silver with  14-42 use coupon code S1442112
• IOMEPM1PKS pink  with 14-42 use coupon code S1442113
• IOMEPM1PUS  purple  with 14-42 use coupon code S1442114
• IOMEPM1SS  silver with 14-42 use coupon code S1442115
• IOMEPM1WHS  white with 14-42 use coupon code S1442116

We know: Kind of a hassle. - But worth it to save $24: The E-PM1 is selling all over the place for $449; this is the only deal we're aware of that knocks $24 off the price. (Also note that this deal is valid only for stock on hand; once the current stock is gone, so's the deal.)

Meanwhile, over at B&H:

You can get the same $400 Pro9000 Mark II rebate, but with the Canon 60D or T3i instead of the 5D Mark II

- But it's actually better than what's shown on that particular deal page: If you print out the PDF rebate form, you'll see that it also applies to the 5D Mark II, T2i and T3 as well. Adorama's price on the 5D Mark II is better, so go with them if that's your interest, but B&H seems to have a broader rebate program that includes more different camera bodies. There are lots of other Canon rebates at B&H as well; here's a link to their Canon Rebates page.

For the Sony fans out there, you'll find instant savings as high as $500 on a wide range of Sony lenses

Some other great B&H deals:

A Panasonic FZ-47 superzoom camera for $199 ($50 off)

A Canon PowerShot S95 pocket enthusiast model for just $279.75 (also $50 off)

Bottom line, some exceptional deals from the two top photo retailers in the country. So what are you waiting for? :-)