Buying photography gear in Asia

10jh

10jh

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Hi, i'm off to SE Asia soon and was wondering if anyone knows if photography gear such as filters, tripods etc is cheaper out there. I've read recently that lenses offer very little if any saving compared to here. How about the less expensive stuff?

If so, where would be cheapest/most reliable. Hong Kong, Bangkok etc?

Would like some filters for my holiday and think that as many ebay sellers ship from HK then surely it is cheaper out there!

Thanks
James
 
10jh said:
Would like some filters for my holiday and think that as many ebay sellers ship from HK then surely it is cheaper out there!

Thanks
James
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You'd think, but it's not. I was last in HK a year ago and saw very little that was cheaper than here. And yes, that includes ebay sellers in HK and accounting for post! You need to go prepared with a list of stuff that may interest you and what you can get it for here - inc ebay from HK. I used to buy loads of stuff but these days, very little. Usually now it's just little odds and ends that you might not see anywhere here. Last year the only things I saw worth buying were usb memory sticks, and even they weren't worth it from a lot of sellers. I still didn't get any though. I had to buy a new walkaround camera bag as one of my suitcases with it in was misplaced by the airline for 2 days. I found a Lowepro Slingshot 100 for £25 when they were around £50 here. The big stuff - cameras, lenses - no significant saving and then there's tax/duty to pay on return. So take a price list to compare. It's still good fun looking though.
 
When I lived out in Hong kong there was a brilliant camera shop on bottom of Nathan Rd in Kowloon called ABC Photography, not sure if they are still there. They did some really good deals on all kinds of kit.

The trick is don't pay the tourist price. Tell them in the shop you live up in the New Territories in Yuen Long and that you wont be paying tourist prices.

When we lived over there it was funny to see all the shop keepers changing all their price tags just before a cruise ships came in.

As an example of tourist prices, we were once in a jewelry shop in the Mirimar hotel looking for a present for my mum when this English couple came in, they asked about a ring and were told it was $27,000 (it was a very nice ring) after they left I asked what I would be expected to pay for the same ring, I was told $10,000.
 
Cheers guys, this is unfortuantly what I was expecting to here. The price list idea is a very good one, will start compiling.

Thanks for the tip Quaker, will give it a go!

Anyone know about the rest of Asia's prices?
 
Quaker said:
The trick is don't pay the tourist price. Tell them in the shop you live up in the New Territories in Yuen Long and that you wont be paying tourist prices.

When we lived over there it was funny to see all the shop keepers changing all their price tags just before a cruise ships came in.
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and if you're non-chinese, you'll still probably be paying over the odds :thinking:. My old man lived in HK for a year, and his chinese work colleagues would consistantly get better prices on electrical gear than he could ever get.
 
hong kong is sometimes more expensive at the moment (it was 2 weeks ago)...we are at least getting deals from struggling retailers here, there doesn't seem to be much of that out there.
 
I spent a few months in Thailand last year and found the prices to be similar to UK prices. That was obviously before the exhange rate weakened so I wouldn't think you would get anything cheaper in Bangkok at the moment, even if you include the 7% VAT refund as a tourist.

I found Fotofile to be one of the cheapest (www.fotofile.net) so that should give you a general indication of the prices in BKK:)
 
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