Buying lens online or in store .

[Morgo]

My current working theory is anything under $1000 I'll shop around for the best price online here or generally overseas.

Over $1000 I'll shop around in Aus or wait for a sale in which case I can get the price generally to a similar point as buying from overseas once you factor in shipping costs and potential GST on the import.

I don't want to have to worry about possible warranty issues and shipping back overseas on high dollar items.

Items under $1k if they fail and the warranty falls apart atleast $1k is a bearable loss, relatively speaking.

[Cage]

Thanks for the reply's Ricktas and Cage , i decided to purchase the mentioned lens from a store in parramatta and got a fair price !
Its an awesome lens to use as the focus and picture quality is great !

So which one did you finish up getting ?

[MissionMan]

I think the price point Mongo suggested is probably a practical starting point, although mine has been a little lower depending on the goods.

For example, I've found the price differential between Aus and OS is pretty low on some third party lenses like Tamron or Sigma (if you shop around) whereas Nikon you pay a premium, particularly on accessories. For this reason, I purchased my Tamron 90mm Macro locally despite the asking price being about $600 because there was only a marginal difference. I did however buy my light meter and my nikon 1.4x converter overseas as I found locally it was nearly double the price and under the $1K mark had no GST so I could land it at about $350 vs the $650 they were asking at the time. I figured if things went pair shaped, I could buy another without making a loss, and realistically, teleconverters are less prone to issues because you don't use them all the time. I think I bought my SB600 OS, although the SB700 I got locally because I negotiated a bulk discount with a couple of other items. Again, flashes aren't normally problematic.

[harmo]

Hi All,

I've had wildly varying experiences buying in brick and mortar shops versus online, and there are always going to be situations where one offers a better deal than the other. Especially when you consider personal preferences, the varying exchange rates, the laws of supply and demand in any given area, how many middlemen/women between the shop and manufacturer... and purchasing power of your store in question, taxes/import duties, shipping prices... just to name a few factors in play.

Firstly, I don't disagree with anything that has been mentioned so far. I prefer to shop locally, and I like holding things in my hand before buying anything... but if I have to choose between paying for the equipment I want wherever it's cheap, versus not being able to afford the gear.. then the choice isn't really a choice at all. Especially when you're starting out as a pro, you need quality, but may also some need "Branded gear" because some clients feel that a good photographer has the best equipment, Having viable but less branded alternatives (however practical) can hurt your apparent professionalism. It's amazing how many "Uncle Bob's" have 5Ds or D800s with high end lenses.. but no clue on how to use them. If they have better gear than you, many think they can do a better job.

My experiences with online sellers, and the local "Brick and mortar" shops:

For my first pro wedding photography job, at the time, the local shops weren't even close to competitive to online options *removed*. Of course, when you're buying thousands worth of equipment, (all in one hit after a fire destroyed most of my gear), those "few hundred bucks difference per item" add up very quickly.

Other times, *removed* have undercut online prices by as much as 22% on things like the Gorillapod Focus, remote triggers, filters, camera bags and more. I've also had a great deal of success with the likes of *removed* in Sydney... because I spoke to their staff in person, and haggled the price.

Warranties, and something else which can help when disaster strikes; insurance:

Warranties are an interesting phenomenon. Previous posts have mentioned that online purchases from overseas often need to be sent back to their country of origin for repairs, which can incur expensive shipping fees (not to mention delays). However, few have mentioned that if you have a quality insurance policy in place (Home and contents, or dedicated workplace policy, or even a camera gear policy)... the policy can help you to bypass the warranty altogether and replace "new for old". I had an assessor come after a workplace fire, and after I emailed them a copy of the receipts, and photos of the equipment, and shown them the molten slag that was once my camera, I had a cheque for the full replacement value within 11 business days. Most warranty work, even domestically, is slower than that.

Insurance is great, you don't have to be the first owner, you don't have to buy the gear from any particular country, but this is obviously dependent on the exact "fine-print" of your policy. So check the details before you take on a new policy... and certainly before you need to claim. If your policy doesn't do what you want, maybe shop around for a policy that does what you need!

Second hand gear:

For anyone who isn't professional, I'd urge people to consider buying second hand equipment, especially if you can test the gear in person prior to purchase, and you get a copy of the receipt (or eBay purchase, or some indication that you've paid for it and it belongs to you). I've gotten some fantastic deals which have.. simply put, gotten gear for photography-enthusiast friends who simply can't afford new equipment prices, regardless of store type. Second hand gear can usually be sold again for very little loss (and sometimes gain), and you can use it for weeks, or even years in some cases...before selling and incurring a significant loss. With that much time, you can get far more acquainted with the gear than any hour-long test in-store, and in a greater variety of circumstances.

Outside of warranty....

Also, I've had both bodies, and lenses repaired out-of-warranty by Canon Australia, and third parties like *removed* in Melbourne. This is another aspect, where people don't consider life after warranty. Chances are, if you take care of your gear (wherever you get it), it will outlast the warranty without so much as a hitch. There's a reason that the warranty is as long as it is... because the manufacturer is pretty confident it'll last that long.

However you proceed, whether it's supporting a local shop (which I do) or buying online (which I also do when I can't get something locally, or it suits my needs), your preferences, budget, and situation will have a role to play. I like being able to take something to the local shop and say "Just make it work, and I need a loan camera to get me through the next two weddings". I also like the advice available from good sales reps (but be warned, there are bad ones as well in local shops).

*Please refer to the site rules, in particular rules 3-7, thanks, site admin*

[ifung]

Personally always buy from online because it's much cheaper than in Australia.

[Babu]

I prefer to shop at bricks & mortar stores in Australia, especially when buying bodies or lenses, for reasons expressed by several respondents above.
However, I have purchased many items of photographic equipment online from overseas and will continue to do so. As MissionMan commented, it is quite common
to be able to land goods here for around half the best offer in Australia even after freight has been added.

I've found some items such as Vello Ultra LCD screen protectors or some B+W filters hard to source here in OZ at competitive prices or lengthy order-in periods.
Really Right Stuff camera L-brackets, clamps, lens plates.... seem to only be available from RRS in California.

It's unlikely that we will see AU$1 buying US$1.10 in the foreseeable future which made shopping at B&H et al pretty much a no-brainer, especially when I can receive goods
from New York in 4 days but an item in stock in Melbourne can often take more than a week to arrive.

So, except for bodies and lenses, I'll continue to shop judiciously while trying to support the local economy.