Best place to buy a lens in Madrid or London?

[tobias]

I am travelling at the moment, and have decided that my primes are

just too difficult to manage - I need a zoom.

 

So the Tamron 28-75 it is. I will be in Madrid in a day, then London

a week after that. Anyone know of a camera shop in either place that

would stock the lens at a reasonable price?

 

If not I guess I could order the lens from the US while I am in

London, but I don't know how taxes etc work for such things there...

[frank uhlig]

Incidentally, I just decided that my 2.8 zooms are just too heavy to carry around, so I completed an all prime f/2 set that weights 1/2 of the old load.

 

So maybe we should just have swapped gear for a month to see what we like and are willing to carry.

 

Sorry, I do not know those stores in London or Madrid, though.

[stuart_whatling]

For a new lens in London you could try either Jessops or Jacobs on New Oxford St (Tottenham Ct Rd Tube) - prices will be similar. Downstairs at Jessops is OK but the main floor is a dreadful place where the staff don't give a damn. Jacobs is much better and also has a good selection of second hand lenses round the back. Either way, if you get the appropriate form, I think you can reclaim VAT after leaving the EU.

 

Ordering from the states for collecting in London is a really bad idea because of the extortionate VAT/Duty that gets added at UK customs.

[jorn ake]

Calumet also has a branch in London. You can find out where by checking their website - http://www.calumetphoto.com. London is not the cheapest place by any stretch. The price of water alone will get you a sandwich and a handshake in just about any other city in Europe. Be sure to stop by the Photographer's Gallery in Charring Cross while there.

[robert_charbonnet1]

With the difference between the pound and the euro the answer is simple; Madrid. Just

make sure you buy it from a store that doesn't rip you off on the price. Know what the lens

sells for in the US and base it around that.

[gabriel_shaw1]

Cameraworld in Wells Street off Oxford Street in Central London right near the other dealers mentioned above often has very keen prices. Check on their website http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/

 

You can order in advance and if the retailer participates (check not all do) in the VAT (sales tax) refund scheme and you live outside the EEC you can get a 15% tax refund when you take the goods out of the UK. Nearly all prices on UK dealers websites include VAT.

 

UK customs will charge you about 22% tax and duty plus customs handling charges on photo equipment entering the country from the USA.

 

London has a very competitive photo equipment market less so than Madrid so in spite of the current strength of the pound prices can still be much cheaper here.

 

Check on the dealers websites before you travel and possibly make a costly mistake

[stephen_w.]

The London shops near the British Museum mentioned are fun for looking, but the prices are not attractive. Madrid is more hit and miss. With the Dollar the way it is, it's better to buy gear in the US and/or eBay.

[tobias]

TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY POUNDS!?

 

I feel ill...