Recently, I’ve had a few relatives & friends make enquiries about buying camera gear, so I thought I would write this article about it.
A common question is why is there such a price difference when searching on the internet. Firstly, you will need to understand the difference between Australian distributed & grey imports. It’s exactly the same equipment, just cheaper for a few reasons:
it by-passes the Australian distributor who add a premium to the cost for local warranty (more on this later)
global companies (not just camera manufacturers) price their products according to the local market. It just smart business, price the item according to what the market is prepared to pay for it.
Distributors buy in bulk, very big bulks, and accordingly have to hedge (protect) themselves against the currency fluctuations.
Grey importers (i.e. when you don’t import the item yourself) don’t operate from retail locations, hence reduce their overheads and require a lower markup to make a profit.
NOTE: Most manufacturers warranty is only valid in the country of distribution. This means that if something goes wrong with your grey import, you will need to send it back to the country of distribution to have it repaired under warranty, or pay to have it fixed locally.
I have bought both locally distributed equipment as well as grey imports. I like the idea of a shopfront, talking to a sales person, playing with something before you buy it, knowing who’s door to knock should you have a problem, and most importantly, knowing that if my equipment breaks down I can go straight to the distributors service centre at Lidcombe and have it looked at almost immediatly.
As for retailers that sell equipment covered under local warranty, here is a few I’ve used myself:
Digi Direct
European Camera Specialists
Foto Riesel
But as I said, I have also bought grey stock, sometimes the price difference is just too much to justify paying for the local product. Here is some places I’ve used to buy grey stock.
Bought direct from overseas supplier:
HK Supplies
B & H Photo
Local Importer:
D D Photographics
When buying from overseas, always take into consideration the costs associated with bringing into Australia, freight, insurance and of course Customs & Duties.
If you can’t decide what camera to buy, don’t ask me (I’m biased), make use of the best camera resouce on the internet, Digital Preview.
If this information is usefull, or you have any comments that can benefit readers, please use the feedback option below.
