Purchasing a camera from overseas

[iwan_tirta]

I live in Australia, but am looking to purchase a camera from the US.

At the current exchange rate, an Elan 7e is approximately $650 AUD

including shipping to Australia. Local shop prices here are about

$900 AUD.

 

Does anyone have experience (particularly Australian experience) in

buying a camera from o/s and what the potential problems are ? As a

start, I anticipate problems with international warranties, being

able to service the camera locally under warranty and shipping a

defective product back to the store.

 

Thanks

[yakim_peled1]

I don't know about taxes is Australia and possible warranty problems but about the store, I'll give the usual recommendation: B&H and Adorama. Very big, very honorable, very reliable.

[paul_smith15]

Hi I live in Australia and have purchased equipment from B& H and highly recommend them.

Do keep in mind though John Howard will slug you 10% gst and the customs brokers will want a little too plus of cause the Fed Ex charges.

Still it can work out quite viable for more expensive equipment.

[stuart_todd]

Greeting from the other side of the 'ditch'.

I've purchased to date- two Light Meters, two lenses, one camera body and enough accessories and film you don't get in New Zealand to choke a donkey and have had only one minor problem to date. IR film going off sitting in the mail box in the summer heat...

 

Canon New Zealand don't care where the camera/lens/accessory is from, be it the US, UK, Japan or Singapore, as long as it is an official Canon product and it's within the warranty period, you should be fine. Also Canon NZ doesn't seem to care if the item is "Grey Market" or "US Market", far as they are concerned the products all have the same warranty period, REGARDLESS OF WHERE IN THE WORLD YOU MIGHT BE.

Service hasn't been an issue, mind you I do purchase Grey Market items and the Grey Market items are exactly the same as we get in NZ and most likely Oz as well. Classic example is the EOS 5/A2. In the US it was known as the A2 due some copyright thingy, but the several shops sold the so-called "Grey Market A2", which was an EOS 5 (BTW which is a LOVELY camera to own and use).

I still pity the Nikon users of NZ, sure they get a five year warranty, but soon as you go aboard and your camera breaks down, forget it. And vice versa. I know a fellow student who bought a new lens from the US, three months later it died horrible grinding death, but did the NZ distributor of Nikon want to know about it? No. So back it went to New York at his expense.

 

The only two problems I fore see are-

1. Import Tax. It's 25% of total order here in NZ, so it can turn a good looking US-NZ currency rate into "Oh my gwad, it's $50 more the off the shelf price here!" So talk to customs or an import agency and get the low down first.

2. Parcel Security. I have come home from university twice now to see a rather expensive looking lens sitting on the front door step of my dorm, in plain view for the rest of the students on my floor to see.

So on the third order I gave the sales agent my postal address as my Friday morning lecture with the instructions to deliver the package on Friday Morning. Guess what, two weeks later the FedEx guy came strolling in with big brown box looking for me. So if no one were home during the day, I would recommend getting the item sent to your work address.

 

Stu :)

[whayne_padden]

Iwan I am just in the process of recieving orders from BH and Robert White and AAA and it has saved me a fortune, even with GST, shipping and a poor exchange rate. For example I got a 24-70 f/2.8L + 1.4x TC landed for about $2800 AUD as compared to about $3900 AUD

 

Australia is ripped off unmercifully. How about $1100 AUD for a 550EX, I paid $289 USD, or $1700 AUD for a 70-200 f/4L, I paid $550 USD or maybe $1400 AUD for a Gitzo G1325 CF tripod, I paid 300 GBP. Even worse how about $23AUD for Provia 100F as opposed to $4.80 USD

 

Prices in Australia are mostly 2.5-3.5x the US price except for a few items which are only 2x.

[ron c sunshine coast,qld,a]

Hi Iwan ,as far as i know the GST minimum is au$500-anything below that escapes being taxed so the Elan would definitely be taxed.Still,as you say,it can work out cheaper.As well as B&H i've heard very good things of KEH

[stuart_todd]

Hey Wayne,

 

My gwad you guys over is Australia are being ripped off, I thought the prices were bad here in New Zealand.

I just checked the local prices in New Zealand for the 550EX and the 70-200mm f/4L and prices where: $795.00 NZ for the 550EX and $1500+/- for the EF 70-200MM f4 L USM and that's including GST and before you start to talk turkey with the salesman with the so-called "cash discount".

 

Stu :)