mark_cooke Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 Hi folks, I am over in vancouver from uk for a week and wanted to do some lens shopping. Whilst there are always the shops advertised in the phone book, it is always good to know the friendly dealers and where to get the best buys. I am in downtown vc. I am after nikon prime lenses. ANY IDEAS/recommendations ??? thanks Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimvanson Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 http://tinyurl.com/33m2p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 see <a href="http://www.beauphoto.com/">Chris at Beau Photo</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 And i have an AF 180 f2.8 for sale too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 I guess you are talking about Vancouver, B.C., Canada. My impression was, not a good place to look for Camera equipment, in general. Even without the GST, I very much doubt if you would get a "good deal". At any cost, avoid Kerrysdale area. One shop I visited there had the most incredible prices I have ever seen anywhere! Don't be surpised to find that Jessops is not that bad after all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_cooke Posted June 23, 2004 Author Share Posted June 23, 2004 I will have a wander along granville st and see what i find, many thanks, Marr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane_kucheran Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 There aren't too discounts here on new stuff unlike, say, New York. Used can be a good bargain unless it's in demand. Interpro photo at 549 Howe can have good prices. Lens & shutter is across the street in the mall and has the odd deal (they also have a bigger store on West Broadway). Leo's is at 1055 Granville but doesn't have big discounts. Beau can be OK. Dunne & Rundle doesn't have much and is not cheap. Kerrisdale Cameras main store is at 2170 W. 41st. I avoid Broadway Cameras. Make sure you know what you want. I understand that GST is refundable but being a resident I'm not able to take advantage of the rebate so I have no firsthand experience. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic_. Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 Also take a look at Broadway Camera, got a good assortment of used lenses, last time I checked they even had a 50/1.2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 Leo's doesn't/wont sell new Nikon gear, sometimes they have trade in's, but everyone in town knows it's the last place you go for Nikon. The trouble is with Vancouver, the new laws of holding and reporting serial numbers for thirty days has really slowed the trade of used gear. You used to be able to trade in your F100 towards something. Side bar, I'd like to know what our prices are like compared to England? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_t Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 You can not get good deal in Vancouver BC, Canada. I compare the price against ebay and ebay has the best bargain against all camera shops in the world. Trust me!! An exception is once a while you may find something good in Garage sale or Pawn shop but I doubt you have the luck to find it. Chances are same as winning first price in a lottery ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_cooke Posted June 24, 2004 Author Share Posted June 24, 2004 in response to how Vancouver prices compare with those in UK.- The UK pound is currently very strong so we get a good deal generally over here. That said, the prices I have seen today in granville street aren't much cheaper than back home, although as a visitor I could claim back the 7% tax. I did have a look in inter photo on Howe st, and almost bought a 50mm f1.4 nikkor, but the prices there are excluding tax which was a little misleading.The best deals do appear to be on eBay, but I will be in Hong Kong in august so I'll wait and having a bit of a spree when i get there.thanks again,regardsMark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimvanson Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I'm getting a chuckle outta this thread.<P>Today I hear this sniveling that prices are higher then eBay.<P>Tomorrow I suspect that I'll be listening to a lot of bemoaning that all the full service camera shops are gone: that locally there's no place to buy 6 rolls of NPH 220 on a Saturday afternoon. I guess that's just like eBay, huh?<P>Leo's and Lens & Shutter have some highly trained personal working the floors. They can pull a 70-200 f2.8 IS lens off the shelf mount it to your body and will allow you to fire off a roll of film -- just like eBay, huh?<P>I've sent dozens of students into Leo's to have their cameras checked out or features explained -- just like eBay, huh.<P>Broadway Camera's multi lingual staff & Beau's rental area keep me shopping there.Dunne & Rundel has probably the best one hour photofinishing in Canada -- real people look at every pic going through the machine yet the prices are not pro level. Just like eBay, huh.<P>Guys I could go on but it probably won't do any good cause I suspect that I'm dealing with a bit of pawn shop mentality here -- just like eBay, huh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Fresh clean air. Temperate climate. Beautiful (or is it "Super, Natural") surroundings. Friendly Folks. YES to all the above! Nikon primes for a good price, NO! Enjoy your stay in Vancouver Mark. Don't waste your time in Camera shops. If you can spare half a day (or a few), do visit Victoria. Fabulous place! There is lot more in Vancover/surroundings that no amount of money can buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I shoot Nikon and even though they stopped selling new due to conflict with Nikon Canada service, Leo's is one of the best photo stores anywhere, especially if you're into "the classics" like me. There film was really no more expensive than ordering from B&H, unless in a huge volume. They have a pretty decent stock of used and some esoteric stuff, though nothing like New York. The gear is probably in better condition though. Much of the stuff I saw in New York was BEAT. There's a girl at Leo's named Tia that was really cool, cute and knew a lot about cameras. Too bad I'm now married and live 4200km away! (moved last year) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Mike, i need to confirm everything you've said about Leo's. It is one of Vancouvers jems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Mark in Canada everything is priced without sales taxes included. Its just the way things are done here. Custom colour is also a good lab. They had $14.99 processing included pro Fuji slide film deals. Lens & Shutter has a similar deal but a little more expensive. If you buy 5 rolls or more, you get an additional buck off each. Or was it ABC Photocolour? Man I miss my Vancouver labs (and prices) though I was lucky to find a reliable one here. When I was in grad school I lived right in the heart of the cool Kitsilano area around 4th and Blenheim. Life was good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimvanson Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I'll add a comment on Leo's staff: They are really good people!<P>Peter knows his stuff -- I've never been able to trip him up.<P>Tina and her husband Jeff, who also works at Leo's, have just had their second child. They are both shooters. I believe Leica, Nikon & Mamiya. Jeff is also the resident MAC guy (the store is an Apple dealer).<P>And I gotta hype Leo's Agfa lineup. Agfa APX films are around $2.25 a roll. Paper & chemistry is also very reasonable.<P>I purchased all my medium format gear there. The Pentax 45 and 200 lenses I got were cheaper then B&H. Body was slightly more expensive.<P>They also deal Fuji. The 690 GW & GSW prices were lower then anywhere in the states.<P>Big rental department, they ship Canada wide too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_cooke Posted June 24, 2004 Author Share Posted June 24, 2004 This thread has indeed been both useful and entertaining, so here's what I am planning to do. Go to Leo's to see Tia (she sounds worth the visit), save my money for when i am in honh kong, and go on a trip to Victoria and take in a seaplane trip. PS the comments about eBay are all valid, but sometimes a bargain is just hard to resist. go on you know you've had a look too! (but no replacement for the personal service and expertise). This forum is TOP BANANA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Also worthwhile is a trip towards Whistler. Consider getting an early start and doing the hike out to Garibaldi Lake. Its best as an overnight trip but nobody ever forgets their first moonrise at Garibaldi. If you're a climber, Squamish Chief is worth a visit near Squamish, about halfway to Whistler from Vancouver on the Sea to Sky HWY. Its a huge sheer rockface second only to Gibraltar in height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic_. Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I don't get the chance to go to Leo's as often as I'd like but I must agree with the others, it is simply top notch. The people are friendly and the service is great, they also have an excellent stock of used equipment there. Take time to visit it if you get a chance, its on the seedy part of Granville (for some reason it seems like a bad location for a shop that deals with some very expensive equipment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_ilomaki Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Mark Before you go to Hong Kong, check the archives here as there is much to be aware of buying anything there. You may get a good deal but you may get badly stung also. Be very wary of Nathan Street in Kowloon. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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