Buying Nikon Lens in Hong Kong

[mala_metka]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am travelling to HK and wondering if its worth buying Nikorr lenses there - its nothing special, just a travel lens 18-200mm. Are prices better compared to Europe (new is around 700 eur)? And which stores in HK do you reccomend?</p>

<p>Thanksssss!</p>

<p>Mala</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>HK prices are cheaper, I believe and at least there are no taxes. Avoid any tourist trap no name stores in TST on Nathan Road. There is no tax in HK period...don't get screwed by seller claiming no taxes at their store special. You can probably find this lens anywhere...Fortress, Broadway, etc... should have them.</p>

<p>Mong Kok (Kowloon) and Causeway Bay (HK Island) are two large shopping areas with numerous shops. </p>

 

[guido_h]

<p>I've had a good experience several times with <strong>Tim Cheung Camera</strong> on Carnavon Road:<br /> <a href="http://www.tincheungcamera.com.hk">http://www.tincheungcamera.com.hk</a></p>

<p>Here is a link to some further HK dealer and price info:<br /> http://rolandlim.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/camera-lens-street-price-list/</p>

<p>According to that list, the current street price for the 18-200 would be around $670, so maybe not really a bargain.<br>

Update: just realized you mentioned Euro; then it might be a bargain after all ;-)</p>

[sheygetz]

<p>Three years ago I found that Canon and Olympus stuff wasn't much cheaper in HK than German prices (which arguably are among the lowest in Europe, after Holland and the UK maybe). Not enough of a difference to risk getting caught out at customs on the way back. And if you play it by the rules and declare the lens at customs in Europe, it'll be more expensive.</p>

<p>Also, do not underestimate the amount of valuable time you're spending searching out and comparing stores. There are so many things to do and photograph (including hikes, something most people don't consider when thinking of HK), that I'd rather get the lens prior to travelling and then spend my time *using* it - even if it should work out at, say, 50€ more. But then again, for the stuff I researched, there was no tangible price advantage.</p>

[iwong]

<p>Canon and Nikon stuffs are not any cheaper in HK than in other countries, except maybe Australia and NZ. US and Canadian prices are sometimes cheaper, but sales taxes tend to even out the differences, depending on which state/province. So you mostly end up paying the same everywhere. The major thing you have to watch out for is warranty. Does the item you buy in HK have international warranty? You have to ask the staff. Sometimes grey import items are available, but only the store warranty is provided. For a complex AF-S lens, I would look for an international warranty with at least the same length as provided as if it were purchased in your home country.</p>

<p>If you do decide to buy in HK, Tin Cheung as mentioned above is a reliable shop, along with the chain stores like Broadway, Fortress, Citicall, Chung Yuen etc. Wing Shing and Man Shing at Mongkok are frequented by locals, and recently have grown in reputation to be the "B&H of Hong Kong". However, due to a large influx of mainland China tourists, customer service levels have declined. Absolutely avoid any shops in busy tourists areas like Nathan Road, TST that don't display a real shop name but have prominent neon signs of "SONY", "Nikon", "SAMSUNG" and "TAX FREE" which are mostly scams and employ bait-and-switch tactics.</p>

[Mary Doo]

<p>It seems HK prices are a little cheaper (than what you can find in the US) only on some camera items. But then you will need to deal with import duties if your total purchase abroad is above the free allowance, not to mention the warranty caveats. Why not buy online from reputable stores that do not have a branch in your home state (then it would be tax free)?</p>

[ArthurRichardson]

<p>Out of curiousity I took a look tim cheugns website. Prices are generally not lower than over here in The Netherlands. Some lenses are a bit cheaper, some are quite a bit more expensive.<br>

No warranty, import duties, no thank you.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Check out this thread about Nikon Hong Kong I posted back in 2004: <a href="../nikon-camera-forum/00AUnD">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00AUnD</a></p>

<p>You can find authorized dealers on this Nikon Hong Kong link: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://en.nikon.com.hk/dealers.php" target="_blank">http://en.nikon.com.hk/dealers.php</a><br>

I would stick with those. There are several of them on Stanley Street, which is a small street just up the hill in the Central District on Hong Kong Island.</p>

<p>For prices, you can find a lot of them on this link, for comparison purposes: <a href="http://www.ygdragon.net/index.php?page=photo/cameraprice.htm">http://www.ygdragon.net/index.php?page=photo/cameraprice.htm</a></p>

[iwong]

<p>Tin Cheung's website prices are not reflective on real street prices, as even the in-store prices are sometimes 5-10% cheaper, for official imports. Grey imports are cheaper still. Many of the prominent dealers who show prices on their websites have the same practice - they rather post higher prices on the websites and have lower prices in store.</p>

<p>One thing that makes comparing prices in Hong Kong frustrating is that even among the same chain, prices do vary among different branches. Beware also on items that are not in stock. If you manage to find an item that is say 10% cheaper than everybody else's, make sure it is not backordered.</p>