Some observations about buying photo equipment abroad

[Curious Yellow]

Recently went abroad to meet a few friends and dropped in at a couple of camera places (Adorama and B and H) to have a look. Picked up a couple of lenses on my visit but here are a few things I hope may help someone else.

1. Identify the lenses/equipment you want first.

I had 3 potential choices and wound up with two of them.

2. Once 1. is over with, check the UK price.

Warehousexpress is probably the best place, but if you don't mind buying from private dealers then it's worth checking with Kerso as to what his prices are as well.

3. Check the web prices for the camera BEFORE you leave.

If you don't have a laptop or know someone abroad who has access to the internet you will struggle to find somewhere to check these things. Once you've checked the prices for all equipment you'd like to get, get a printout, or write down the prices. A lot of places will offer things like Canon cashback as an instant rebate instead of you having to send off barcodes etc so you can use these as arguments to get the prices down when they are offered to you. The salespeople are reasonable with things like that, but if you get someone who's a bit wet behind the ears don't hesitate to ask to speak to a supervisor or a senior who knows what they're talking about. Remember, you're spending your hard earned money and I personally don't want to waste time explaining to a new salesperson about how the rebates work. Harsh, but this is how I felt about it.

4. Make a decision as to whether you'll order online, or rather buy in store.

Both options were available to me as I knew people who lived in town. However, if you're like me and you want to handle and test lenses before you get them then shops will match the web prices. Else, test them in a shop here and then order them before you leave and pick up in town for a hassle free shopping experience.

A few other things to think about are whether you're comfortable buying refurbs or not. Depending on what lenses cost new, you can get a refurb/demo lens for about 20% off retail value. The problem with this is the warranty on it can be a bit dodgy. The salespeople say that this can be sorted out by buying an extended warranty on the lens. At Adorama it's done by a 3rd party company called Mack Camera. They initially offered it at about $30 but when I hesitated they brought the price down. If you're good at haggling I'm sure you can get this thrown in with the lens. I eventually plumped for a new lens because I don't trust extended warranties and the manufacturer's warranty on the product is good enough for me. Be careful though, there's a real hard sell on the warranty and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the salespeople quote the price for the lenses with the warranty included. Ask for a price check and a printed quote detailing the price if you're not sure. Also, make sure you know what the warranty will and will not cover and make sure it's for the right product.

There's also a hard sell on UV filters as they sometimes do in the UK. This is your call once again, I've never had to use a UV filter, but if you're thinking about a polarising filter then the prices seem good compared to places like One Stop Digital and other online retailers.

Once you've gone through all this it's up to you whether you mail the packaging back to yourself in the UK to save yourself the hassle of carrying it. USPS can take care of it for you for less than a tenner, and that's including buying the box and packaging tape!

I hope this helps someone else in the position I was. If you've got any questions then feel free to post them up and I'll try and answer them as best as I can. In the end, the savings from buying abroad are unbelievable even if you get a bad deal so don't be too bitter if you didn't wind up saving every possible penny, but be grateful that you didn't melt the plastic while over there!