Dirt Cheap Cameras experiences?

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In my opinion I do believe that what the majority of people say and what people actually do with their money are different all together. It may be correct that the economy at the moment is bad, but I recently went to my local camera shop to get a quote for a Canon 50D body only and the local shop wanted $1899. I can get the same camera from the same chain shop interstate for $1699. I can buy locally or save $200. When the $ picks up again a lens purchase can be around 45% cheaper than here in Australia. Each to their own, but saving $600+ then I reckon I know where a lot of people will purchase.

Only got to look at the Supermarket chains and the closing down of small family run businesses to see were the majority spends their $$ Sadly I don't see it changing anytime soon. We will come out of the global recession some day, but it will all be back to the 'free market' model as well....

[Dan Cripps]

I guess you've also got to take the type of store into consideration.

I don't expect to walk into a retail camera shop and expect a good deal on professional equipment. Those stores don't specialise in professional equipment. They specialise in consumer/prosumer gear and hope that once in a while a cahsed up amateur walks in with a bit of gear lust.

I deal with a local business who know their gear, are a certified service outlet and who understand my needs as a working professional. They can't compete with gray market dealers on price, but the gray market dealers can't compete with them on service, warranty, product knowledge and relationship.

Sadly loyalty seems to be the first human trait to fall when dollars are introduced into any equation. I know full well the temptation, but recently the community and relationship have been more important to me. I'll continue to shop at brick and mortar stores and talk with real people as long as they continue to exist. If we all rallied behind some of these stores they would be able to achieve the economies of scale in buying power that they need to be able to offer some sort of competition to the backdoor internet sellers.

I know it comes across as preachy and utopian, but I think we need to support our local businesses now more than ever before.

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Totally agree with your comments Zeke, it's about shopping locally as this helps not only local employment but for me it can also build community etc. I just keep on seeing local shop after shop close down or merge that I think people really do vote with their $$. For instance we had a local family pharmacy here running as a family business since it started back in the 1800s. Now recently just bought out by a major chain. It's sad to see the diversity go.

Interestingly the shop I got a the price from was a brick and mortar shop, and where I got another price $200 cheaper was from the same shop, just interstate (whom a sales rep said because our manager deals direct through the other Chain store our prices should be the same) but were not in the end. In more general terms of shopping locally (food/goods etc) many who are on low/middle incomes may genunely want to buy say at a small local grocer, but with bills and mortgages to pay etc, it comes down to where the food is cheapest etc, which is often at the big chain stores etc.


The boundaries are blurred when it comes to shopping locally, as there are going to be small family run camera stores say, and then there are going to be the massive chain stores that sell everything from cameras, furniture and computers. They both employ local staff, but where the bulk of the money goes is going to be different to a small local store. Then there are the goods from shops which can be imported anyhow, austrlaian made but not australian owned, shareholders all over the world etc etc.....Suppose its what they call the free market global economy?

Regarding expertise, I tend to think in this day in age where 'everyone is a specialist' that there isn't much difference for me in terms of a shops expertise. It depends on person to person. I can go into a brick and mortar shop and get someone who has no idea what I am talking about, or I can get someone with good knowledge. But most of the time it involves carrying out ones own resarch in order to gain knowledge of goods. The days of the specialist in our mass consumerist/free market/global economy I reckon are sadly over.

[Kym]

My recent major purchases (10-20, 50-500) and my K20D body were all local.
Some minor things from eBay shops (Katz eye knock off and some filters) as the price difference was huge.
The lens prices were very good locally, but they were pre- AUD$ drop stock.
I get very good service from http://www.photowholesalers.com.au/ aka http://www.camerastore.com.au/ .

[wideangle]

Thanks for your experiences cyperoz.