Finally, cheap cameras in Australian shops

[Pyrenees]

Until Australian stores wake up to the colluding rort, they call business, I will continue to purchase OS.  In the last couple of years, I would have saved $15K+ buying OS and feel no shame in doing so.  Sadly I wish I felt otherwise, but they have been taking the piss for far too long.  If they can explain to me the added expense/benefit in purchasing locally, I'm all ears... until then...

I very much agree with this. Ultimately, we as consumers have to make a lot more 'noise'. That means writing to the camera companies, to blogs and to politicians. We need to keep chipping away at it - it won't just happen overnight.

[pj1974]

Hi PeterJ and niccyboy

Thanks for your comments / replies on my lonnnnggg post :-)  I appreciate what each of you has written in relation to this. It seems like we're on the same boat... generally go with what you know, and some store staff might help you with some (extra) info - but don't bank on it.   

Where a product is available significantly cheaper eg online, it can be worth getting it if one is prepared to wait.  I've never had issues importing lenses and accessories from other countries.

The only problem I've ever had with my 7D was that 'built in flash' not popping up (after using a speedlite). I researched and discovered it as a problem with some Canon camera bodies... and tried to get the microswitch to get 'unstuck' (without voiding the warrantee).  It wouldn't get unstuck, so I got it repaired (for free, and it took about 2 to 3 weeks, as it needed to be sent interstate).  I'm glad I had my 350D as a backup :-)

Interestingly the 350D never has this problem.  My 7D has got stuck once or twice since the repair (and they did replace the whole flash assembly / mount area).  This getting a bit 'restuck' has happened when I have a flash (or my remote timer house mounted on it), but each time with a slight push down on the underside of the mount, it releases the microswitch and will pop up).  Hopefully that won't cause future issues.

For time-lapse photography, I use my 350D (which is probably just as good, as it actually has just as clean, if not cleaner ISO 100 shots anyway). So I mount my interval timer / remote housing on the 350D instead.   

Cheers!

Paul

[niccyboy]

Hi Paul,

Yeah we definitely are, although my accountants and bookkeepers just shake their heads when i drop receipts on their desk far too often from far too many different retailers haha. They don't understand my addiction.

While i'm not a big fan of my 7d, i love the feel, colours, noise and the length of the lenses in my full frame cameras.... HOWEVER...

re: cleaner ISO 100 shots...  with the 7d... try setting your iso at 160.

I find the results are better on 160 with both the 7d and 5d2, i read it on a few forums, and i've had good experiences with it.

See
http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Yita
http://blog.peter-johnson.com.au/?p=264
http://shootintheshot.joshsilfen.com/2010/05/13/canon-hd-dslr-native-iso/ (video)

then those that speak negatively
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=922906
http://vimeo.com/groups/magiclantern/forumthread:237731 (video)

I got good results doing it on a few long exposures in the himalayas recently.

[scottsdaleriots]

If only jb would start selling flashes. Has anyone had experience but lenses/flashes from harvey norman? Not camera, I'm just interested in flashes/lenses from them. They do have a low price guarantee policy but have limited product (lens) range.

[AG]

Whereas I really like the Twin City camera house guys in Adelaide, went in there one sunday afternoon, no other customers, and had a chat for about an hour about tripods and stuff (even though my first words were "i'm not buying anything, I just want to pick your brains"). Tried the same in Photographic Wholesalers and they couldn't have ignored me any more, never even bothering to walk back there.

Strange i had the exact opposite happen to me. But then again i had just spent over $25k on cameras for work (bunch of 600Ds).

Either way i think its just a matter of what day and person, sometimes they can be friendly sometimes they can't. Its the same with any retail place really. Especially here in Adelaide.

[scottsdaleriots]

digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au Good or bad? They seem ok but I'm still a bit suss

[PeterJ]

digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au Good or bad? They seem ok but I'm still a bit suss

The only thing I've ordered from them was an off-camera flash cable. Their web page at the time didn't give an indication of stock levels but I wasn't in a rush so went ahead and placed the order without calling. It's going back a while but someone called within a day or so to say it was back ordered and would be 7-10 days, then got another call about 3 weeks later to apologise and say it was getting close and it turned up a week or so after that.

Anyway I wouldn't be too critical of them, it may have been an unusual supplier problem and they didn't bill my card until they sent it but it did make me wonder how much stock they really carry as they don't show it on their pages. They seem legimate enough but in the future I'd call to see if they really have any stock and where it's coming from.

[niccyboy]

I don't like them but it's because I ordered off their site, and they wanted me to documents like a bank statement to verify my credit card?!

If you are having fraud probelms, get 'verified by visa'. One of my companies builds at least one or two of these sites weekly, that all manage to have fraud protection in their payment gateways.... It's not difficult. I do not trust sending a bank statement to a random company so i cancelled the order.

I was purchasing 2 tripods for a job that i needed asap, and wasn't keen on their 'alternative'... a direct debit deposit.

They were polite and understanding though, and i've had friends who have done phone orders without a problem.

Even though i cancelled it, they still send a stupid amount of spam! haha.

They do have some bargains too!

[scottsdaleriots]

I don't like them but it's because I ordered off their site, and they wanted me to documents like a bank statement to verify my credit card?!

If you are having fraud probelms, get 'verified by visa'. One of my companies builds at least one or two of these sites weekly, that all manage to have fraud protection in their payment gateways.... It's not difficult. I do not trust sending a bank statement to a random company so i cancelled the order.

I was purchasing 2 tripods for a job that i needed asap, and wasn't keen on their 'alternative'... a direct debit deposit.

They were polite and understanding though, and i've had friends who have done phone orders without a problem.

Even though i cancelled it, they still send a stupid amount of spam! haha.

They do have some bargains too!

Would you recommend/buy from then again?

Anyone have experience from camerasdirect.com.au? I was going to buy my 70-200mm 2.8 IS II from them 12 months ago til I realised they sell grey imports (the whole canon australia warranty not honouring overseas/grey imports) and I think they're a family business as in they operate outta a house? Bad assumption, but I entered the address on their website (they might've changed address by now) and it was a residential building. Which lead me to believe they just buy grey imports from overseas and sell them here.

Lastly can someone come up with a theory on how a store/company (e.g. B&H) can sell the canon 50mm 1.4 lens at a higher price than the sigma 50mm 1.4 lens? Then here at camera house (city) they sell the sigma cheaper than the canon one. How is that possible? 

[PeterJ]

Anyone have experience from camerasdirect.com.au? I was going to buy my 70-200mm 2.8 IS II from them 12 months ago til I realised they sell grey imports (the whole canon australia warranty not honouring overseas/grey imports) and I think they're a family business as in they operate outta a house? Bad assumption, but I entered the address on their website (they might've changed address by now) and it was a residential building. Which lead me to believe they just buy grey imports from overseas and sell them here.

I can comment on Cameras Direct, just ordered a 5D from them today in fact . I've probably placed about 8-10 orders with them, when things show in stock they always have been and arrive in 1-2 days. I live near Hobart so QLD -> Hobart overnight is a bit 50/50 with the courier but they've always sent in stock items the same day as I ordered as long as it was early in the day. Only non-stock item I've ordered was a tripod plate and the 7-10 days delivery shown turned out to be correct.

Labrador is a fair bit out of Brisbane but looking at Google Earth the exact address looks to be part of a large warehouse complex and I've spoken with a few of them so no reason to think it's a backyard operation. They do sell grey imports however, I've never had a reason to use it but part of their warranty is paying for freight each way last time I checked. Anyway for me I've bought a 7D, 3 L lenses (including 7-200 2.8 IS II), 580EX II, cards, tripod and heads, cleaning bits and various other odds and ends and never had a problem.

[Hillsilly]

I've also bought a number of items from CamerasDirect.  I've never had any problems and think they are great.  They're located in a comercial section of Labrador, which is a suburb on the Gold Coast.  Their office isn't flash. but very business-like (one of the reasons they can keep costs down).  The service is always fast and professional and they carry a lot of stock in their warehouse.  Its not just an online shop.  They're open to the public and you can always go there  to pick the item up.

Being in Brisbane, I find them very handy.  Just a quick trip down the freeway.

However it is grey market and for a lot of this year, there prices crept up a bit and they weren't that much cheaper than shops selling "Australian" stock.  But they've sharpened up their pricing recently and are running a 5% disount right now.  I ordered a new lens from them on Monday and hopefully will find time to pick it up tomorrow!

[wickidwombat]

FYI if you get from ozdigital online (ebay seller) and need to return something the return address is in NSW not in hong kong, this makes it considerably cheaper if you do have a problem their prices are a little more than most other ebay sellers but still have great service, I have bought quite a bit of stuff from them and from digital rev both gave excellent service. (digital rev you have to return the item to hong kong though which can get expensive)

[scottsdaleriots]

has anyone here tried buying lenses/bodies from jb? i am considering getting the 1.4 nifty-fifty. Im just afraid that i'll get busted by customs since its a grey import. i cant remember what it said in jb's T&C/policy but if you get busted you get fined or something.


btw ted's 'live chat' isnt helpful, i spoke to a guy called "matthew" (doubt its his real name) and only asked 2 qusestions before he closed the chat, WTF?

[AG]

has anyone here tried buying lenses/bodies from jb? i am considering getting the 1.4 nifty-fifty. Im just afraid that i'll get busted by customs since its a grey import. i cant remember what it said in jb's T&C/policy but if you get busted you get fined or something.


btw ted's 'live chat' isnt helpful, i spoke to a guy called "matthew" (doubt its his real name) and only asked 2 qusestions before he closed the chat, WTF?

Just buy one from DWI or eGlobal or similar.

The 50mm 1.4 is under $1000 so you won't get slugged the tax like you would the 1.2 and you also will find that its a lot cheaper than both JB and TEDs.

[scottsdaleriots]

I prefer free shipping but i know that's not always the case. Have you ever bought from DWI or eglobal before? One thing that annoys me a bit is that they (DWI, camera paradise, other HK/china online stores, etc) don't accept debit cards yet they accept credit. Seriously why not accept debit?? You're losing customers and you get the money instantly instead of waiting a few weeks from the credit card payment option. Anyway I'd rather not use direct deposit or paypal.

This is why i pay ridiculous amounts of money for shipping fees when i buy stuff from amazon and B&H