Looking to spend around $2k on new gear via "grey" online store...

[coolhand78]

just wondering if i'll be up for import duties etc?

looking to buy through dwi, eglobal or digitalrev depending on which has the best price for the gear i'm after... (nikon D7100, Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G)

any other advice about my purchase would be greatly appreciated...

[mudman]

no gst under $1000, so don't buy it all at once

[Simondipity]

Mudman is right in terms of the law, however, I have never had to pay GST or duty on the gear that I've bought from DWI and EBay - about 5 orders in total, no order less than $2k, a couple being over $5k. (your experience may differ)

*removed - read the site rules, in particular rule 3*

Only other advice I can give is - buy Canon

S

[Mark L]

You can't rely on not being charged G.S.T..

.......
any other advice about my purchase would be greatly appreciated...

Since the all the retailers you mention are AP site sponsors, make sure, when ordering, to link to them via AP. Gives Rick a couple of extra cents to run this place.

[ROA44]

If you can afford the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 would be a better choice than the f/1.8

[Tzi]

Everything I have read online on the 50mm f1.4 says that the f1.8 is a better lens and sharper too. Automatically I would assume the 1.4f to be better but it seems this may not be the case.
Side note... I just read that nikon has filed a patent for a 1.2 :

[arthurking83]

Everything I have read online on the 50mm f1.4 says that the f1.8 is a better lens and sharper too. Automatically I would assume the 1.4f to be better but it seems this may not be the case.
Side note... I just read that nikon has filed a patent for a 1.2 :

Yeah, you'll get that .. but 99.999% of people will not have the ability to pick the differences between images made with either!

The 'greater' sharpness of the 1:1.4 is probably at f/5.6 or something silly like that .. roughly at an aperture value that is wasted on a lens acquired for it's fast aperture.

Actually, just checked and both PZ and DxO both have the 1.8 as slightly sharper in an ultimate sense. Of course there is the advantage of the f/1.4 aperture .. which is basically what the 2x price premium covers.


The patent for the 1:1.2 design has been around for a few years now, and usually doesn't translate into an actual lens.

They also have (current) patents for a 105/1.8 and a 135/1.8 from memory too .. likely explanations would be as replacements for the DC lenses .. but maybe in a few decades time as the cost of producing such technology decreases.

It's common practice for these companies to file patents for such trivia ... just so that the opposition doesn't do it first!

but we can only hope that they translate into actual products that we, mere mortals, can aspire towards!