Buying lens online or in store .

[graham68ktm]

Hello AP members in thinking about buying a canon 24-70 2.8 mk2 lens and wondering what people think about an online purchase over a store bought one as a store bought one is approximately $2500 and an online one on amazon is $1800 , any thoughts would be appreciated !

[ricktas]

depends on the store. Some are overseas stores etc, and thus your warranty is for the country the item comes from, therefore if something goes wrong, you have to deal with someone elsewhere in the world and maybe pay shipping costs to send it back for replacement/repair. Others are Australian stores but they source their stock from overseas (hong kong etc) and again it will not be covered by Canon Australia under warranty.

Then there are Australian stores who buy stock via Canon Australia and you get all the warranty and statutory benefits of that.

So you need to research the store(s) you are looking at, find out more, and then make an informed decision, based on having all the information.

[Mark L]

a store bought one is approximately $2500

Pick some stores with better prices and go and negotiate in person. You just may get a better price.
Where I live there is no competition, so they (hardly normal) refuse to negotiate.:( But you have a lot of retailers across Sydney that may wish to compete if you get in store and off the w.w.w..

[Brian500au]

Recently I bought a lens at a camera store in Sydney.

I had checked the price of this lens over the web at estores in HK, Singapore and USA. I had also checked the price of the lens over the web at the store in Sydney.

To be honest the price at the store in Sydney over the web was cheaper than any of the other stores in other countries. I eventually went into the store - asked for the best price (which they gave me their web price) but after some small negotiation (like had the money in my hand) they knocked off another 5%. On top of that their service was friendly and professional.

Could not have asked for a better experience.

[ricktas]

Recently I bought a lens at a camera store in Sydney.

I had checked the price of this lens over the web at estores in HK, Singapore and USA. I had also checked the price of the lens over the web at the store in Sydney.

To be honest the price at the store in Sydney over the web was cheaper than any of the other stores in other countries. I eventually went into the store - asked for the best price (which they gave me their web price) but after some small negotiation (like had the money in my hand) they knocked off another 5%. On top of that their service was friendly and professional.

Could not have asked for a better experience.

You are allowed to name the store.

[Cage]

Or you could do what myself and a lot of others have done and bypass the OEM offering and get the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD.

It's about 1/2 the price and I can assure you that it certainly offers much more than 1/2 the performance. Do some googling and be pleasantly surprised.

[mpb]

...... store bought one as a store bought one is approximately $2500 and an online one on amazon is $1800 , any thoughts would be appreciated !

Is that $1,800 US dollars or AU?
The recommended price on the US canon site is around US$1,800.00. Thats about AU$2,500.00.

I will also add that it is worth thinking about the effect on our economy (I know I have said it before).

Less taxes (GST?, company tax, employees payg, etc) into our economy, less jobs, fewer stores where you can go and try cameras etc, etc, etc.

[Mary Anne]

Look around and Buy in Australia.. Better for the Economy Good on you Mark.

After you have paid your USD$1800 to a USA on line Store as Mark wrote is around AUD$2500.
Then there is postage UPS 4-6 days USD$70.80 and Duties and Tax USD $276.21 if bought from B&H in New York brings your total to USD$2146
Thats AUD$2966.43 And no mention about Insurance in Transit either. So not Cheaper after all.

[HughD]

Provided the price difference is relatively modest, I would suggest that you purchase from a local store and support the economy, jobs etc.
However, I am not a supporter of the Australia Tax, where we pay more for goods simply because we live on the other side of the globe, so if you think the supplier is gouging then that is a different matter.

[graham68ktm]

Thanks for the replys on this subject , i think buying one in sydney would be the best option as far as warranty and supporting the economy is concerned !

I have done some research CAGE and some have said focusing accuracy and build quality is not as good as the canon , im not sure if this is true or not but as i want to keep this lens for a long time i was thinking that buying one a bit better to begin with might save a bit of hassle !

Some people that have bought the tamron equivalent said they returned their's and got the canon model after all , again i dont know if this is true but just thought the members of AP would be a better place to get some advice , again thanks for the help and look forward to some more replys on this subject !!

[Cage]

Graham, I've had my Tamron for twelve months now and would not hesitate to buy another one if I lost it.

I'm not a Tamron fanboy, I just like to get the best bang for my buck. There are quite a few forum members using it and I don't remember seeing one complaint. I got mine after being very impressed with the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 that I'd acquired previously.

All the best with your decision.

[CandidTown]

Or you could do what myself and a lot of others have done and bypass the OEM offering and get the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD.

It's about 1/2 the price and I can assure you that it certainly offers much more than 1/2 the performance. Do some googling and be pleasantly surprised.

I second that.
Had mine for over a year and happy with it.
The image quality is great and it comes wtih IS, so defenitely not just a poor man's canon lens.
Oh.. and I bought it online; from DWI, I think.

[graham68ktm]

Thanks again for the replys , looks like ive got some googling to do !!

[Cage]

I got both my Tamrons online from Ted's Cameras, but they also have a store in Sydney and they advertise that they will price match.

I decided to go this way for the peace of mind of the local Tamron manufacturers warranty. I have a rule of thumb that if the item has a motor and a PCB I buy from a local authorised dealer.

I usually start my buying search with Static Ice to get a ball park figure of what prices are on offer. http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=tamron+24-70mm+f2.8&spos=3

[ricktas]

I got both my Tamrons online from Ted's Cameras, but they also have a store in Sydney and they advertise that they will price match.

I decided to go this way for the peace of mind of the local Tamron manufacturers warranty. I have a rule of thumb that if the item has a motor and a PCB I buy from a local authorised dealer.

I usually start my buying search with Static Ice to get a ball park figure of what prices are on offer. http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=tamron+24-70mm+f2.8&spos=3

www.shopbot.com.au offers similar to staticice.

[graham68ktm]

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 !

[MissionMan]

I'm a fan of buying big ticket items locally and overseas for small items.

I've had very few issues with big ticket items, but one issue is enough to make it a costly exercise. Case in point my D750. First one I received with photos of dogs testicles and a shutter count of 4000 from a local store (I got it on special for about $400 off). Got it replaced in May last year. This weekend my shutter went and I had to send it back to Nikon locally. That's two issues with one camera which could have got expensive if I was footing the bill for shipping. Realistically, because I bought it on special, I probably would have saved $200 if I was lucky (bare in mind you pay GST when it hits Australia so the pricing you see overseas isn't always correct) and I don't know what the issues would have been like if I was trying to ship it all over the world.

[spootz01]

bare in mind you pay GST when it hits Australia so the pricing you see overseas isn't always correct

And therein lies my main problem with buying big items from an overseas store. Personally the overseas warranty is an inconvenience but isn't a deal breaker but when I would only end up saving 100-200 because of GST being slugged separately it doesn't make it worth the time involved. Plus I'm a sucker for actually being able to hold it in my hands before buying it. I went into my local store last week and the guy had a 7D2 out. He put it in my hands with a Sigma 24-105mm f4 and I almost walked out $3000 poorer.

[MissionMan]

And therein lies my main problem with buying big items from an overseas store. Personally the overseas warranty is an inconvenience but isn't a deal breaker but when I would only end up saving 100-200 because of GST being slugged separately it doesn't make it worth the time involved. Plus I'm a sucker for actually being able to hold it in my hands before buying it. I went into my local store last week and the guy had a 7D2 out. He put it in my hands with a Sigma 24-105mm f4 and I almost walked out $3000 poorer.

You weak minded fool. Don't fall for their Jedi mind tricks. Never let them put something in your hand. It's a trick.

They did that once with with me with a medium format lens and I almost bought it...and I don't even have a medium format camera...since then I don't go into stores unless I have something specific to buy and even then, I go in under strict conditions:



Go in with a list of what you need
Never look the shop assistant in the eye
Only have enough on my bank card for the items required
Never look at what other people are buying
Don't look at any specials that are on
Don't listen to any additional offers they throw at you while you are buying. I just put both fingers in my ears and shout "DADADADADADA" until they stop talking (might explain why I am banned from some stores)
AND NEVER, UNDER ANY CONDITIONS LET THEM PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR HAND THAT ISN'T ON THE LIST UNLESS IT'S THE RECEIPT!!

[spootz01]

Go in with a list of what you need
Never look the shop assistant in the eye
Only have enough on my bank card for the items required
Never look at what other people are buying
Don't look at any specials that are on
Don't listen to any additional offers they throw at you while you are buying. I just put both fingers in my ears and shout "DADADADADADA" until they stop talking (might explain why I am banned from some stores)
AND NEVER, UNDER ANY CONDITIONS LET THEM PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR HAND THAT ISN'T ON THE LIST UNLESS IT'S THE RECEIPT!!



Good rules to live by in general really. Although I don't know if the amicable relationship between me and the guy that runs my local would continue if I tried number 6. I just need to buy everything I want then he wont be able to tempt me...

[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.