Last time I looked (which I think was last year) I needed two qualifying bodies with the lenses I owned; My 6D met the criteria for one of these (be interesting to see if it still does?) but there was no mention of any historic 'high spec' 35mm film cameras on the list, regardless of whether or not I'd bought them new from a bona fide UK Canon dealer (which I did).
ISTR the rest of the criteria seemed to mainly revolve around ownership of 'L' series lenses, of which I have two, one of which was bought 2nd hand. So I didn't meet the threshold for CPS membership, despite owning and using 'high-spec' Canon cameras since 1980 (the A1 was the first thing I saved up for when I left school at 15 and started work), and currently own and use 6 Canon SLRs (1 x DSLR, 5 x 35mm film SLRs).
Don't get me wrong, I like their kit, after all I've been using Canon cameras for 38 years, but as F1.2 says above, it seems you have to keep buying new kit to qualify for preferential treatment? If so, someone switching to a high-spec Canon set-up tomorrow could qualify for CPS, but not someone who's been buying and using their cameras and lenses for almost 40 years?
Yes, a customer reward scheme is a good way to encourage sales and profits; camera manufacturers need to make money (and there should be no shame in them doing that) otherwise they'll go out of business, but I think it would be nice if a camera manufacturer could find a way to reward brand loyalty, not just someone that's spent a wedge of money with them on potentially just one occasion.
I'd be interested to know if any camera manufactures have a reward scheme for long-standing and continuing customers (brand loyalty)?
