Authorised Nikon Dealers in Singapore

Hi,

I will be intransit in Singapore for a few hours this weekend.

Interested to find out reliable authorised Nikon dealers to have a

look around. I am keen to look at F6. Cathay Photo which I have been

before does not have stock. Please help.

Cheers

I think there are Authorized Nikon Dealers at the duty-free section of Singapore Int. Airport. But their prices may be higher than those in the city.

Get into a cab and tell the driver to take you to Pininsular Plaza. Tons of camera shops over there. The biggest and probably best authorized dealer is Cathay Photo on the ground floor. Ask the information counter if you're unable to locate them.

You may find that prices at Cathay Photo are slightly higher than the surrounding shops, but they are an established company with probably the largest customer base for professional/prosumer SLR cameras in the country. Just remember to ask about international warranty?

What models are you interested in? coz I can give them a call tomorrow and get prices for you. (in Singapore dollars)

Have a safe flight and happy shopping.

Cheers!

Hi Gan Esh,

I am contemplating on buying F6, 28mm/F1.4. I gave a ring to Cathay Photo, Marina Square SC where I have bought stuff before, thay said that thay are out of stock. May be there's stock at Peninsula Plaza. Appreciate if you could check the prices.

Cheers

Sorry but Cathay in Peninsula doesn't have any F6's in stock as well.

When I bought mine they told me that they bring in very limited numbers becoz not many epople are willing to pay around 3200 SG dollars for a film based slr these days. When strong does arrive, they are usually reserved for pro/semi pros who still work with film (thats how i got mine).

I actually live in Malaysia but work in Singapore on an assignment basis. I don't have any assignments there this week, so I won't be able to travel in to check out other stores for availability.

You could go to www.nikon.com.sg and check the list of dealers (lots).

Get their tel/fax numbers and contact them for price and availability.

You can also get nikon's suggested retail prices for lenses and bodies. Wide-angle and short tele lenses are usually 10-15 percent cheaper at dealers than those stated on the website.

Hope this helps. Cheers!!

Also just want to add my 2 cents.

Unless you are a pro/semi-pro who has a lot of assignments and photographs in harsh conditions, the cost of the F6 may not be justified (unless you're a rich man or a rich man's son).

The f6 is a great camera, don't get me wrong, but its a film camera, which is basically a box that store's film. A F100 may be a better alternative, or you could get a d100 , d70s.

Best of Luck!

Gan Esh,

Thanks for all the tips and information.

Cheers,

Cham

Gan Esh,

I just checked Lord's Photo in Lucky Plaza got F6 in stock. What is the reputation of this store. Thanks again.

Cheers,

Cham

Cham, are you just looking for will actually be buying? If you are just looking, the reputation of the store doesn't really matter, does it? :-) If you are actually buying, well, since you are buying it in person, the reputation doesn't really matter, either. I would verify that everything is working fine while you are there, though.

I am not sure that it is a good idea to buy an expensive SLR while only having a few hours in transit in a city, though. Should you find any problems in the following week or two, it is impossible to return/exchange.

I'm not too familiar with that store, but Lucky plaza is also a place with quite a number of camera dealers. Its in Orchad Road though, the official 'shopping district' in Singapore, with all the Armani and Cartier boutiques, so prices may be a bit high because of the rental these shops have to pay. But I may be wrong. What kind of prices did they charge?

Regarding reputation: I recommended Cathay Photo becoz I've never had any problems from them. You can test any camera at the store to see if its working, but problems may arise when you get home, or even a week later. A few years ago I bought a Canon 1v body at Cathay Marina. A few days later, it just died. I took it to back to Cathay, they held onto it for a day and asked me the next day whether I wanted it sent to Canon or a new body. (I got the new body). So you could say I trust them. It also maybe partly due to the fact that I've had a long relationship with them.

I agree with Shun that it is a risk to buy in a foreign country when you'll only be in transit a short while. Also, its a fact that one in every hundred or thousand cameras that are mass produced will be defective.

Will ask a few of my mates tomorrow if they know anyone at Lord's Photo.

Cheerz!

P.S.... you may want to enquire if they have all the relevant accessories you may want for the F6, such as rubber eyecup DK-19, diopter lenses (if required) and focussing screens. Recently, I've had to wait a couple of weeks for certain accessories to arrive (77mm L37c filter for my 85mm, eyecup for my fm3a) . Wasn't a problem before, maybe its a case of more demand than supply.

I will eventually buy F6. The question is when?

I have been to Cathay, Marina few times years ago and never had problems. Over the last few years I have shopped in Hong Kong where there seem to be all the items in stock in contrast to Singapore. Man Shing in Hong Kong virtually got everything!

Cham, if you are indeed going to purchase with only a few hours in transit, I would prepare a list of main accessories beforehand and make sure that everything is in the box. I would also put an actual roll of film through and test various shutter speeds. 1/15 sec should sound very different from 1/1000 sec. Check all the switches, buttons, and the LCD menu on the back. I would put a flash on and make sure that flash sync works ....

Essentially, you need to compress all the checking you would normally do in the first a couple of days into 15 minutes or so. It is doable, but a list of things you can check off before you walk out the door would help.

It would have been easier with digital because you can see results immediately. With an F6, you probably don't even have sufficient time to get one test roll developed.

I agree with Shun about a test roll.

Depends how many hours you'll be in transit.

Fotohub at Premier Centre (Beach Road, I think) can E-6 an unpushed roll in 3, maybe 4 hours.

A friend once bought a zoom lens at Lord's. She said its alright.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, as most of us buy from Cathay or Alan Photo (Sim Lim Square - no stock).

If you are already decided on the f6, you may wan't to call and reserve it. Also, I'd get started on that checklist.

If you're still undecided, you may want to wait till the end of the year, prices may go down slightly. Or you may want to buy in Hong Kong. Prices there are supposed to be cheaper than Singapore and even Japan (strange).

Have a nice trip.

Thanks all for the information.

Cheers

One more thing.

You had better ask if if your getting a unit from their stock or a display unit. The ones on display would have been tried out by quite a few people (the shutter has been cocked maybe 50 - 100 times)

Some people in this forum may think I'm making a big deal out of it, but when I buy a new camera, I like it to be brand new.

If the shutter has been fired 100 times or even 1000 times, it is not a big deal, especially for a camera such as the F6. That is merely a tiny fraction of the expected durability for that class of SLRs. The problem with demo units is that they typically have some cosmetic flaws because of overuse. My wife has an interesting analogy on that: she thinks getting a demo unit is like getting married with a hooker. :-)

I would check the lens mount and film transport areas. Demo or rental units usually show some wear in those areas.

That's a good one, Shun.

My analogy is that a demo unit is no longer a virgin!

Also, other peoples nose grease can be pretty gross. Heh!

:-)

Cham

A bit late but maybe you have not bought it yet.

THE best place in SG for Nikons is GOPES camera in Tanglin Rd. Not a flashy store but a little hideaway on the 3rd floor of the Shopping Centre. No price haggling or deception, full warantee service if needed and knowledgable people. It is a 5 minute walk from the Hard Rock Cafe.

Check out the Nikon Sg website for their address. If you go there, tell them Richard from Toronto Canada referred you.

Cheers