Buying gear in New York

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Shutter Stutter

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Hi everyone, I read this forum quite a lot, although rarely post, but here goes...

I am looking at buying a Canon 24-70 2.8 lens to complement and maybe replace my 24-105.

A mate of mine is going to New York for the weekend and I was thinking that he would be able to pick one up quite a bit cheaper over there.

Does anyone know of any good (cheap) camera shops in the New York area?

From the research I have done it looks like amazon.com is quite cheap, and I could possibly get it delivered to friends for him to collect.

Does anyone have any experience of this that they could help me out with please?

Thanks.
 
Adorama and B&H are in New York. Just make sure you give him enough money to pay for the taxes at customs, in case he gets stopped.
 
Sorry to hijack your thread a little, but I have a similiar plan... I'm off to Orlando in April and wondered if anyone could recommend any good shops out there???
 
I would make sure that you check prices first. I'm sure B&H do a tax calculation in the shopping basket if you are buying from aborad, at least I think it was B&H that done this :thinking:

Make sure with taxes it is cheaper and it includes the relevant warranty. If you don't get hit with taxes then its an added bonus.
 
Remember you'll have to pay NY state tax for the lens on top of the price listed at. It's like a shop here listing excluding VAT and you pay the VAT at the till. You can avoid paying it, by showing your passport, but then they staple a receipt to the passport so then you have to pay import duty and VAT on entry to this country.

When I was there last year it was more expensive to buy camera kit in the US, and you have the issue of warranty.

Pete
 
I bought a CF card there in December and didnt have to pay customs (because i unwrapped it and put it in the camera :))

BandHPhotovideo (a few blocks from Macy's) seem to be cheaper than Adorama but as stated above, NY state tax is about 8% so add that onto the website price.

Depends on what you are buying but if you do get stopped at customs, make sure it looks 2nd hand and hide the reciept
 
icecavern said:
Remember you'll have to pay NY state tax for the lens on top of the price listed at. It's like a shop here listing excluding VAT and you pay the VAT at the till. You can avoid paying it, by showing your passport, but then they staple a receipt to the passport so then you have to pay import duty and VAT on entry to this country.

When I was there last year it was more expensive to buy camera kit in the US, and you have the issue of warranty.

Pete
Click to expand...

staples are easily removed!
 
icecavern said:
The holes left behind in the page aren't though... Would you want to risk the rubber gloves being deployed if they notice? :lol:
Click to expand...


I've got tons of holes in my passport from things that used to be stapled there, green tags to US etc, it's never caused me any problems before
 
n1kcy said:
Sorry to hijack your thread a little, but I have a similiar plan... I'm off to Orlando in April and wondered if anyone could recommend any good shops out there???
Click to expand...

Only option is to find a local independent retailer, there are no Calumet or similar large retailer stores there
 
I am heading there in march for the 2nd time :) bought a lens last year no probs folded the box and with the receipt sent it back to myself :cool: b&h is a big shop with lots of assistants that no there stuff,, I managed to get a couple of things thrown in as I spent quite a bit :cool: been saving all year for my next trip :thumbs:
 
No Calumet in the States? what a load of cobblers.

Calumet
New York 22 W. 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010 212.989.8500 M-F 8:30 to 5:30
Sat. 9 to 5:30

When I worked for an agency there the guys bought kit. The other togs bought kit and never payed taxes.

Buy your gear and ditch the boxes. As the guys go back and forth as togs, it looked like your work gear.

Never buy and bring back boxed and packed. it needs to look like you are using it.

warranties are'nt worth scrap.

Never had anything break or go wrong within warranty time period.
 
You can also try K & M camera, B & H photo & video an more listed below

http://www.acecam.com/new-york-camera-stores.html

Adorama have a masive 2nd hand stock in store,But they send their internet orders via their dispatch facility in NJ 30 mins drive away to avoid NY state taxes .

This facility has no public access.

You will have to pay around 12% added to the internet price for buying anywhere in manhattan/NY store though.
 
Daryl said:
No Calumet in the States? what a load of cobblers.

Calumet
New York 22 W. 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010 212.989.8500 M-F 8:30 to 5:30
Sat. 9 to 5:30

When I worked for an agency there the guys bought kit. The other togs bought kit and never payed taxes.

Buy your gear and ditch the boxes. As the guys go back and forth as togs, it looked like your work gear.

Never buy and bring back boxed and packed. it needs to look like you are using it.

warranties are'nt worth scrap.

Never had anything break or go wrong within warranty time period.
Click to expand...


No calumet in Florida, in fact there are hardly any in the southern states :)
 
nikonman said:
Adorama have a masive 2nd hand stock in store,But they send their internet orders via their dispatch facility in NJ 30 mins drive away to avoid NY state taxes.
Click to expand...

Actually, that isn't quite accurate; if you go into our store in NYC you can ask for one of the staff from the used department to show you whatever you want to look at!
The reason we truck used gear that has been ordered down to the warehouse in NJ, is because that is where the UPS / FedEx trucks come in to pick orders up for shipping out!

BTW we can usually consider price matching to most legitimate competitors

Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
http://helenoster.blogspot.com


helen.oster@adoramacamera.com
www.adorama.com
 
TIP1 : B&H will need to see your passport if you are paying over $500 on a credit card.

I didn't know this and had go back to the hotel and then return to B&H before they closed at 2pm. It was Friday. They close at 2pm on a Friday.

TIP2: B&H observes all the Jewish holidays, close at 2pm Fridays and are closed Saturdays.
 
For the Canon 24-70L at least, it's cheaper to buy in the UK at present.

UK: £962 from Jacobs, using the CPB discount code - see here

USA: $1279 from B&H (here), plus 6.9% import duty and 17.5% VAT on import to the UK comes to $1593, which is £1030 at today's rate of £1=$1.547. Add on currency conversion charges of say 2.75% and you're looking at around £1058 at the end of the day.
 
StewartR said:
For the Canon 24-70L at least, it's cheaper to buy in the UK at present.

UK: £962 from Jacobs, using the CPB discount code - see here

USA: $1279 from B&H (here), plus 6.9% import duty and 17.5% VAT on import to the UK comes to $1593, which is £1030 at today's rate of £1=$1.547. Add on currency conversion charges of say 2.75% and you're looking at around £1058 at the end of the day.
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i thought the idea was to 'avoid' the vat! in which case it would be $1279 = £826.73. then add the credit card currency conversion charge of your quoted 2.75% then it still works out cheaper at £849.46

this is assuming the person isnt bringing the lens back in a box so there is no way to prove it has been imported especially if it is sitting nicely on the end of the camera!

worth the risk if said person is going for a holiday over there but if it is a friend just purchase the lens (on behalf) with no camera for it then it is a slightly different proposition....
 
StewartR said:
No it isn't. That would be illegal. Condoning or encouraging such activity is against the forum rules.
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who is encouraging such an activity? just making mathematical conclusions :thinking:
 
Been away for a bit, but thanks for all the responses.

I have tried to message Kerso in the past but have never had any response.

Any idea of his current price on the 24-70?

thanks.
 
Hi Shutter Stutter.

Having been to NYC several times, I have always found B & H and Calumet to be your cheapest and best options for camera gear. Avoid any of the cheap shops on broadway as these are normally dodgy and / or fake !

As regards customs. I always take lens out of box and just stick it in the camera bag. That way if stopped, it just looks like you've had it there all along ;) If you want the box, just post it back to yourself.

Both camera shops mentioned have excellent staff who are very knowledgable and helpful. Not sure of current prices so can't help you there.
Best of luck !

Anth
 
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