Where do you buy YOUR gear?

[st87]

Hi all,

Just wondering what shops that you know of that others like myself do not, so hoping to start this thread so we can share information. I realise there is a similar thread and it recommended eGlobal. I went to it and said it was closed, so the information may not be as current.

Anyway, I'll start with myself:

I bought my 5DMKII, my 100mm 2.8L, 100-400mm 4.5-5.6, and my 50mm 1.4 from DWI Digital Cameras. They are now also closed (bummer!!!)
My 85mm 1.4 Sigma ART from a local store in Sydney.
I bought my 24-105 4L lens years ago from a local store in Hong Kong.

[ameerat42]

Hi Shaun. Just as a reminder, new members are subject to the 30/50 rule on AP.
That stands for "30 days AND 50 posts" before they can complain or recommend
anyone/thing/place/organisation/... Have a look at Rule 3 here.

As such, I consider that your reference to DigiDirect in para 3 should be removed.
You can seek advice from others, though, and about the best you could ask is for
opinions on any company which you may mention. Your statements about EGlobal
and DWI are OK in this context.

So, you can practise a bit of post editing.

- - - Updated - - -

On the subject, though I haven't recently bought anything from any of them,
you could browse the websites of the "big coys", like George's, Ted's, Digital
Camera Warehouse, and a few others I can't recall.

[st87]

Ah oops. Sorry about that. Didn't think that came across as a recommendation. Didn't want to just be the one leeching information without any contribution. Hope you can understand.

I have edited my post so that I don't sound like I'm promoting DigiDirect. Can you see if the result is acceptable?

Thanks,
Shaun

[ameerat42]

No, you wouldn't be doing that, as members would be aware of your present
(and, hey! soon-to-be-remedied) position.

You still need to remove the whole reference to DD HK, as it's still giving a recommendation.

[Tannin]

I shopped with Quality Camera in Perth for years and was sad when they closed down. Then DWI for quite a few years with satisfaction, but they have closed down too.

More recently, I've bought from:

• the local (Ballarat) branch of JB Hi-Fi (sort of OK, not bad, not great)
• Digital Camera Warehouse (very good, happy to buy again)
• Kogan (more trouble than it's worth, I won't be back)
• Michaels (mail order from Melbourne for a small item: they did everything right)
• Walch Optics here in Hobart (excellent - not really a mainstream camera dealer but looked after me very well for Swarovski binoculars and then an EOS R)

[ricktas]

Eglobal and DWI were owned by the same parent company. Many of these grey importers found that once the Aussie dollar bounced a few years ago that we coud buy stuff here in Aus cheaper than they could supply it from OS, and it really impacted their operations. MANY grey sellers closed down.

It should also be noted that when you buy from OS, the local company does not have to support your products. So if something goes wrong... well bad luck.. some local branches will even decline to service it, even if you are willing to pay. In the past I have purchased grey, but not for years now.

I am with Tannin^ - I buy locally from Walsh Optics here in Hobart mostly.

[ricktas]

And to follow on from Am's comments above. The rules exist as we have had people join in the past and bag out a camera store etc, only to find out the person doing the bagging works for the store over the road. So we out the 30/50 rule in place to try and ensure businesses were not unfairly treated on the site.

[st87]

And to follow on from Am's comments above. The rules exist as we have had people join in the past and bag out a camera store etc, only to find out the person doing the bagging works for the store over the road. So we out the 30/50 rule in place to try and ensure businesses were not unfairly treated on the site.

Yep, this was sort of what I understood as to why you have those rules in place. For all you know, I could be working for a camera store and using your forum as a free marketing platform to promote my own shop. I totally understand that perspective but when I wrote a post, all I wanted was to say where I bought it, as it was of primary relevance to the original topic.

I have now changed it to simply "a local store in Sydney", which feels like useless information now. But, to satisfy the rules, I have chosen to abide.

Now my question is, do you prefer new users like myself to "follow the rules", or actually understand why they were there in place to practice etiquette? Because when I edited the post from that first round, I still mentioned the shop (again, it was relevant to the discussion) but kept the sentiment neutral as to not promote it. To me, that would have still been acceptable as I am not abusing the forum to promote or defame a store.

Anyway, not trying to rock the boat here; just seeking clarity.

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

[ricktas]

Yep, this was sort of what I understood as to why you have those rules in place. For all you know, I could be working for a camera store and using your forum as a free marketing platform to promote my own shop. I totally understand that perspective but when I wrote a post, all I wanted was to say where I bought it, as it was of primary relevance to the original topic.

I have now changed it to simply "a local store in Sydney", which feels like useless information now. But, to satisfy the rules, I have chosen to abide.

Now my question is, do you prefer new users like myself to "follow the rules", or actually understand why they were there in place to practice etiquette? Because when I edited the post from that first round, I still mentioned the shop (again, it was relevant to the discussion) but kept the sentiment neutral as to not promote it. To me, that would have still been acceptable as I am not abusing the forum to promote or defame a store.

Anyway, not trying to rock the boat here; just seeking clarity.

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

The rule states we don't allow those with less than 30 days and 50 posts to either promote or complain about a business/service/product.

In the past what we have tended to do is leave the entire post there, and simply remove the name only. In the end you only have a few weeks to wait, and based on your posting speed so far, you will hit 50 posts soon, so then when the 30 days rolls over, you are free to name names.

[Gazza]

eBay...

[axle01]

I look for quality then price then if I can’t make it my self I’ll buy local.

Al

[Mary Anne]

I buy locally Ted Cameras, Camera House and Camera Pro, bought a few things on line from DCW.
I find the cheapest price in Brisbane City and if it is to far away like DCW I ring Teds they price match. Always ask if they Price Match you never know your luck.
Actually when I bought either my 80D or my 150-600mm Sigma lens they not only priced match they gave it to me at $50 below the lowest price.
They do ring around to make sure of the price though

[Nick Cliff]

I must say Rick is right about buying locally. Had a bad experience with a highly rated (weight wise) ball head purchased locally in south Brisbane turning out to be unsuitable for macro photography. The local camera store sent the ball head away to be fixed a few times. The store decided to replace the defective ball head with a different brand ball head that the store manger recommended (the manager is a professional photographer when not in the store) and have been very happy with the advice and service. The replacement ball head supplied was heavier duty and fortunately cheaper as it was on sale at the time. The manager allowed me to get a few other useful items from his store (he did offer to pay cash for the price difference), very impressive local service, these guys seem to have a lot of customer loyalty and a thriving business model

cheers Nick

[Jaded62]

I recently purchased a 5Ds and a 16-35 F4 L from CameraPro in Brisbane for what I thought was a very good price.

[Boo53]

I, probably like most here, have purchased "grey" in the past, but I found a few years ago that the prices in the main retailers here in Aus had trended down so that the prices available from o/s + freight evened out so there was no reason to not support the locals, and as mentioned in a number of posts, many reasons to support the shop down the road.

I've purchased a fair bit locally, i.e. Melbourne, but living in a rural area where online shopping was going to be involved anyway, have purchased from the online portals of bricks and mortar stores in Brisbane, Townsville, Port Macquarrie as well as the Melbourne shops.

Having said that I have purchased a couple of things from B&H in New York when they were out of stock for too long in Aus, but price wasn't the issue there when Gst & the exchange rate is considered.

[Geoff79]

My last camera (Canon 70D) I bought from Harvey Norman, tripod from Ted’s at Erina... though, that said, I still use my rusted old used and abused Manfrotto tripod, purchased at Harvey Norman many moons ago. All lenses from eBay, bar the last one which was actually through Gumtree.

[Bensch]

Majority of gear has been from DigiDirect, as they've had cheaper prices at the time.

Other gear has been from Ted's Cameras, Amazon and eBay.

[jamesmartin]

im looking to buy something at the moment & CCCWarehouse has good prices & have good reviews

[Geoff79]

tripod from Ted’s at Erina... though, that said, I still use my rusted old used and abused Manfrotto tripod, purchased at Harvey Norman many moons ago.

This is now past tense. One must love photography, mustn’t one?

So after four or five months now of getting up, on average, once a week for sunrises, and 95% of them being average to terrible, I get up again this morning. Even very early on I can tell it’s going to be an absolute belter. So I head out to my desired location, over an abundance of difficult rocks in the dark by the light of my iPhone, to a place I’d had success with in the past... at low tide with no swell. Today was spot on high tide, with decent swell about.

So just as I get there the morning comes alive. The most stunning sunrise I’ve seen in a few years. But I just can’t find a decent frame where I am with that condition. The spot just wasn’t working for me at all, so I make the call to head back towards the beach nearby. So instead of snapping away at the wonder, I was scaling the rocks back to the beach with the light show to the side. I only got three sympathy shots of the colours in full flight. But somewhere between shot two and three, as I’m climbing across rocks, the tripod head just comes off. Don’t know how, but I’m guessing a decade or so of erosion and salt finally caught up with it. R.I.P. It has been a tough and loyal servant.

Anyway, by the time I got back to photographable land the wonderful light was gone and I had a broken tripod, lol. Banged my legs up pretty good rushing around those rocks too. Great morning.