Like someone mentioned, Keepa works well for data granularity and cost. Reminds me of my buddy who spent months perfecting his gear specs but forgot his passport heading to Japan... what a disaster.

Been thinking about this since I saw your post an hour ago... Honestly, it is kinda disappointing how the price tracking landscape has changed lately. I used to swear by CamelCamelCamel but unfortunately it just doesnt cut it for high-ticket items like a Sony A7 IV where prices can shift in minutes. Here is the breakdown of why those two might let you down:

• CamelCamelCamel: It is free, sure, but their data refresh rate is way too slow. They often miss those flash sales or lightning deals because they dont scrape the pages frequently enough. If a price drops for two hours, Camel might never even see it.
• Keepa: This is technically the superior tool because they track almost everything like Buy Box, Warehouse, New, and Used. But it is super annoying that they moved the most useful analytics—like the Buy Box history—behind a monthly fee. For a 2k camera, knowing who has the Buy Box is actually huge because it tells you if the sale is just a third-party seller with bad reviews or a legit Amazon discount. If you are really trying to stick to that budget, maybe check out Honey too. It is not as data-heavy as Keepa, but their Droplist feature is actually surprisingly good at catching those quick price changes that Camel misses. Tbh, for a one-time purchase like this, Keepas free tier is still better than Camel just because the charts are more granular, even if you lose the pro features. It is a bit of a bummer there isnt a perfect free middle ground anymore tho...

Honestly, I am super satisfied with Keepa for tracking high-ticket gear like cameras. Even the free version works well enough to catch those legit drops without needing the paid subscription.

@Reply #4 - good point! honestly if youre looking at a Sony A7 IV, you basically need Keepa because of how their tracking actually works. CCC uses a much slower polling rate which is why it often misses those lightning deals or flash sales that only last an hour. Keepa tracks the Buy Box, New, Used, and even Warehouse Deals separately... it is way more data-heavy. Even if you dont pay for the premium sub, the free chart gives you a much better look at price volatility over the last year. If that camera drops below 2k for even ten minutes, Keepa is way more likely to catch it than Camel ever will. Just set a specific alert for your target price. honestly, for a big trip to Japan, you dont wanna be overpaying because of a delayed notification... good luck with the search.

Re: "@Reply #5 - good point! honestly if youre..." - honestly spot on. Over the years, Ive tried many tools for tracking high-end mirrorless cameras, and Keepa is the only one that captures the actual price volatility of the Sony A7 IV accurately. In my experience, when you are on a strict 2k budget for professional gear, you gotta take a more DIY approach to the data. Here is how I usually handle it:

• Set multiple granular alerts. Dont just track the "New" price; track the Amazon Warehouse "Like New" category too. I once snagged a body for $300 off just because of a damaged box.
• Cross-reference the Keepa data with the specific seller. If it is not "Shipped and Sold by Amazon," the price history can be super erratic.
• Watch the lightning deal patterns from previous years. Usually, there is a predictable dip about two weeks before your November trip. It takes a bit of extra effort to filter through the noise, but it is the only way to ensure those sales are legit. Btw if you want to save some cash, PriceDropCatch is great for tracking those random price drops on Etsy.

Ok adding this to my list of things to try. Thanks for the tip!