Hello,
is there any problem to buy photo equipment in shops of China??.
There is a significant money difference, but I have the doubt about the quality construcction of the lenses and bodys.
Thanks
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09-12-2013, 03:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-12-2013, 03:15 PM by thxbb12.)
I've purchased a brand new Panasonic 14mm lens on ebay.com from a seller located in Hong Kong and it had been totally fine.
At least you get the paypal protection if anything bad happens.
I'd check if they accept paypal. If they don't, I'd probably not dare buying gear from them.
My doubts are about the construction of the lenses or bodys.
In case of Canon or Nikon .. I dont know if the SLR equipment is manufactured in the same plant for the whole world .. or there are many sites
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In case of Nikon or Canon those do have service departments in the countries they are exporting to. So if there's a problem with an item, it's comparably cheap to get it fixed. If you buy something in China, how can you know if it's a big factory or small dealer in a growing suburb whose address will change the next years? Even if the manufacturer satisfies your standards, occasionally you can get problems with 'em which are not related to quality issues. Accidents do happen. And service centers do cost money and probably are not making a huge benefit.
So, what do we usually do? We throw broken things away and buy new stuff instead of getting broken things repaired - but this is not only going for China: If I import american items, the shipping costs of a repair trip can get higher than the item's value. Or, at minimum, eat the price diff. I think these cheap China shopping actions are overrated. Also, ask yourself, if YOU would like to work in conditions responsible for the low prices?
How much is the difference in price and for which particular product? It's not surprising that you see lower prices in China (compared to Europa). "Made in Taiwan" or "Made in China" is not unusual when it comes to electronics... I would suggest you check the price of the item sold in the US and compare it with yours, and of course check the item itself (basic functionality & body quality) before you actually buy it.
Serkan
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Brisco, maybe you should give a little more insight what kind of gear you plan to buy.
Lenses the big brands are manufactured in only one place, so you always get the same products, regardless if you buy it in Hong Kong or Amsterdam.
You may get into trouble with warranty, though. And always check possible import duties when you return home with your new gear.
-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com
A major problem when purchasing cameras from China or many other countries, is that you will most likely receive a camera designed to operate under the PAL video standard instead of the NTSC standard used in the U,S. If you are at all interested in shooting photos or videos and viewing them on your TV, confirm it is NTSC, otherwise purchase from a U.S. dealer.
