Buying Top end Lenses from HKG .. make sense ?


kaylan2000

New Member
Jan 16, 2010
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Singapore
Recently one of my friend came back from HK Disney with family and claimed that the amount he saved from his camera equipments compensated his holiday cost. He purchased few L lenses in HK and the amount he saved in comparison to Sin almost paid for his holiday.

We did a quick calculation, and basically you need to buy one high end lens to break-even..

here it is.


SIN-HKG-SIN = S$334 (Jetstar) (go morning, comeback evening, buy early can be even cheaper)
Bus : Airport - Tsim Sha Sui & back = HKD 33X2 = S$12
Makan = S$20
Home-Changi-Home =$3 (MRT)


HKD price for EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM : HKD 10200 = S$1800 (actual price sud be lower!!)

Total : S$2169

Here is the price in Sin

EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM - $2699 (RRP) | $2172 (CP-P, Mar09) | $2160 (JO, May09) | $2140 (PA-HV, Jul09) | $2150 (TK, Sep09) | $2160 cash (MS, w/ GST, Mar10) | $2190 (AP-S, Apr10)$2140 (MS, w/ GST, Jun10)

Canon lenses are International Warranty, so not much issue on that end.

Ideally, u must declare the items at custom and pay 7% gst... but not many really bother to do so when they self carry the item.

So basically if you plan to buy few items or few kakis combine together... you each can save few hundreds!! To me this few hundreds are worth than saving on 2nd hand items!!

Some food for thought!! or we are missing something :think:
 

Well-known, over-discussed, you are beating a dead horse.
 

Alamak.. Then why are lenses here so eX? Aren't there parallel importers like in the case of cars? I think the difference is too much la.
 

Alamak.. Then why are lenses here so eX? Aren't there parallel importers like in the case of cars? I think the difference is too much la.

It's called "gray market". Please look it up.
 

Recently one of my friend came back from HK Disney with family and claimed that the amount he saved from his camera equipments compensated his holiday cost. He purchased few L lenses in HK and the amount he saved in comparison to Sin almost paid for his holiday.

We did a quick calculation, and basically you need to buy one high end lens to break-even..

here it is.


SIN-HKG-SIN = S$334 (Jetstar) (go morning, comeback evening, buy early can be even cheaper)
Bus : Airport - Tsim Sha Sui & back = HKD 33X2 = S$12
Makan = S$20
Home-Changi-Home =$3 (MRT)


HKD price for EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM : HKD 10200 = S$1800 (actual price sud be lower!!)

Total : S$2169

Here is the price in Sin

EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM - $2699 (RRP) | $2172 (CP-P, Mar09) | $2160 (JO, May09) | $2140 (PA-HV, Jul09) | $2150 (TK, Sep09) | $2160 cash (MS, w/ GST, Mar10) | $2190 (AP-S, Apr10)$2140 (MS, w/ GST, Jun10)

Canon lenses are International Warranty, so not much issue on that end.

Ideally, u must declare the items at custom and pay 7% gst... but not many really bother to do so when they self carry the item.

So basically if you plan to buy few items or few kakis combine together... you each can save few hundreds!! To me this few hundreds are worth than saving on 2nd hand items!!

Some food for thought!! or we are missing something :think:

Yes.. i went back almost every year (for relatives visiting).

Last March i was there, Whatever i bought offiset both me and my wife 5 days 4 night trips with some leftover..

Cam stuff are relatively cheaper over there, esp long primes..
My friend save ard 2K, getting a 200 vr f2 there.. :thumbsup:
 

It's called "gray market". Please look it up.

Gray sets usually comes with dodgy "shop" warranty. But buying from HK comes with proper manufacturer's international warranty. Quite a significant difference IMO.
 

Thanks Guys.. I'll go search "grey market" to read up.

Sounds like a good deal... And guess some of the items offered on BnS are "grey sets" as well..?? Sorry for my ignorance but I suppose we can't tell a grey set from a "non-grey" set unless we have receipt from local distributor to verify, right?

Thanks for your patience in explaining. Really appreciate.
 

I am guilty of buying all my lenses in Hong Kong. My last purchase was a 16-35 f2.8L II USM for HK$11,000.
 

Gray sets usually comes with dodgy "shop" warranty. But buying from HK comes with proper manufacturer's international warranty. Quite a significant difference IMO.

Yes, that's the risk of gray market items.
 

Gray sets usually comes with dodgy "shop" warranty. But buying from HK comes with proper manufacturer's international warranty. Quite a significant difference IMO.

Lets be clear, the HK price quoted is for normal shop, local copy from reputed shops like TC (our Cathay, MS equivalent). gray sets are further cheaper.
Lets compare apple to apple.
 

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Guess it all comes down to warranty. So far, all my lenses gives very good results a couple of them even has HK warranty. Consider it is an L lens, quality control should be very high. So far so good.
 

Is that to say that lens sold in HK = cheaper than lens sold in SG (generally)?
 

that's like saying that if i went for a holiday to vietnam and found a foreign bride there and brought her back to singapore..

and then i project the costs of upkeeping a singapore housewife for 30 years, with different tastes and a tai-tai slanted lifestyle..

it means i make money by meeting and purchasing the foreign bride.

please, if you go holiday, you have spent money. you buy lens, you spent money.

saying that the purchase of lens offsets the cost of your holiday is ridiculous, unless you sell the lens and make money off it.
 

Alamak.. Then why are lenses here so eX? Aren't there parallel importers like in the case of cars? I think the difference is too much la.

3 letters. G S T.

Wait till you see the prices when gst goes up to 12%.
 

I think unless we resell the items back in Singapore, it is still considered money spent.

I just came back from Hongkong and its true that the camera stuff is generally cheaper there; at the risk of being a wet blanket, I think its prudent to buy only if you need the stuff, not buy simply because its cheaper.
 

I think unless we resell the items back in Singapore, it is still considered money spent.

I just came back from Hongkong and its true that the camera stuff is generally cheaper there; at the risk of being a wet blanket, I think its prudent to buy only if you need the stuff, not buy simply because its cheaper.

3 letters. G S T.

Wait till you see the prices when gst goes up to 12%.

Yup Main reason is theres not GST or VAT in HK. hence for items in range of 2k, you save 140 immediately.

Coupled with shipping and other import duties local distributers pay , it adds up even more. No need to talk abt lens ba , camera bags in range of 100 plus can also be 30 bucks cheaper :)