In Taipei

In a few weeks time I will travel to Taiwan.

I guess I will have some time free while in Taipei.

Does anyone know any good, reliable camera shops there. Tips for

photegenic places in Taipei are also welcome.

Thanks

Maarten

While I have travelled to Taipei several times, I cannot say that I am familiar with any good camera shops. Any prices there were usually higher than those in the US. For interesting locales in Taipei, visit the Night Market, Chiang Kai-shek's memorial, and the National Palace Museum. If you can get out of Taipei, go to Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake.

If this is your first visit you will be amazed .-)

 

But you will not have any free time on your own - your host will babysit you. Actually in the first few days this is not a bad idea if you do not read chinese. If you take a card from your hotel a taxi will always bring you back home for very little money but your host will be scared to let you walk around on your own ^^

BTW: Taipei is a very safe city, something I liked especially.

People are very friendly.

 

Many camera stores are near the main train station.

Prices vary for Nikon goods. Some are similar to central Europe (are you from the netherlands?) some items are cheaper. Its always worth to try out. I found filters more expensive than in Germany where I live.

(Imported from Germany haha). Some lenses are cheaper than in Europe or in the US e.g. the 12-24mmF4 zoom or the 24mmAFD F2.8. the SB800 also may be a good deal. Small accessories may be much cheaper than in Europe or the USA. D70 battery or remote control for example. Other items like flash cords were higher than at home.

 

But the Euro/NT$ is not as good as it was a few month ago.

Older models - bodies or lenses like most MF lenses may be available for sale new.

The dealers expect you to know everything and you just buy or dont buy. No testing and little asking or conversation. A few pro shops are a bit more personal, especially if you come back a few times over the years. Very few used items are offered but when you find something you might get a good deal since used gear brings bad luck and is hard to sell.

send me an email and i will look up the names of two stores i can recommend - but it will take a few days until im back home.

 

Going around is very easy using the MRT. You can buy a magnetic card and fill it with a few 100 NT$ and every bus ride or MRT ride is deducted from the card holding it near the reader at the exit. great system and cheap. bus routes and directions may be confusing at first but the MRT is extremely easy to use (not like in my home city where I never know how much to pay and how to pay).

You will have a lot of fun.

cheers

walter

Try Bo-Ai rd, near the main train station. Plenty of stores there, and in the first 2 cross streets off Bo-Ai.

As for good spots to shoot, just click on my name and browse my portfolio. Most of the images are from Taiwan (there's some from India and Thailand also), but if any of them look interesting, email me and I'll tell you where they were taken.

GOOD photo shops? Probably none, there are a number of passable ones...the prices are high and an awful lot of people will come across as knowing something they don't, lol (errr, this is NOT a unique problem to Taiwan, unfortunately).

 

Places to shoot? Depends on what you like to shoot. I've been here far too long, so I don't even see a lot of shots anymore...markets...Yang Ming Shan if you like flowers, trees, and the like...OH, I've been threatening to go to Hsin Men Tin and shoot as the sun sets for about a year (hmmm, I think I'll have to do that SOON, lol)...be aware that you need to define photogenic before anyone can really answer you...I'm to the point myself of shooting abandoned factories and rusting equipment because Taiwan and I don't get along as well as we used to as far as photography (errr, I've been here too long, lol)...

Thanks for your help guys.

It is not my first visit to Taiwan and I have been to some shops in the Bo Ai road during a few hours off in Taipei. But some of them reminded me a bit of the shops in Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong (search on these pages and you will know what I mean). So I did not feel very comfortable there.

Since my flight back to Amsterdam (I am from Belgium, but my name has it's origin in the Netherlands) is in the early evening I don't have the time to go very far. So I will limit myself to some temple (Craig shows you can take beautiful pictures there), a visit to Bo Ai road (can't resist and a friend is interested in getting a 'cheap' D70s) and a look at their new large skyscraper.

Thanks again for your advice.

Maarten