Is it cheaper to get DC from Japan?

[sue]

Halo all, I'm a newbie trying to get a DC. Just wonder if it's cheaper to get from Japan. Should I worry about other things like charger voltage or manual ?

My budget is abt S$500 and currently looking at few cameras

1. Sony DCS-P31, it's S$499 in singapore (not sure abt japan)

2. Nikon Coolpix 2500, $599 as advistised on papers. However this one doesn't come with viewfinder, which I'm not sure how important it is. Btw, is Nikon a Japanese brand?

3. Fujifilm finepix 2500. Heard from a fren its 28,800 yen or abt S$400 in Japan now. Package includes additional 32MB memory and a bag, not sure worth it or not. This model seem only available in Japan and I can't find it elsewhere on the web.

Hope to hear from you experts here before I make a bad purchase. Thanks

 

[dbchoong]

Don't know much about pricing in Japan. But I fear it could cost more there than here (due to high labour and rental cost).

Have you checked out the Canon A40? For $500 range, I think this one has the best features. Slightly big if compared to the P31 and Nikon 2500.

The A40 has 3x optical zoom and 2.5x digital. Some manual control with up to 15secs exposure (great for night shots). Adapter to let you hook up filters and lenses. Uses low cost CF memory and AA batteries.

 

[misato]

I agree with dbchoong. Its one of the few entry level priced DC with a more promising upgrade path. Besides this, the semi manual mode of the A40 allows fantastic Nightshots to be taken. While the auto mode worst great during day time and well lighted places.

 

[sue]

okie..i just did a search on canon a40, seem abit bigger.. and it cost 599 SGD

My preference will be to get a small camera (as small as Che-ez! Spyz digital !!). Any other suggestions ?

BTW, just wonder wat are the cost for various type of memory. Heard Memory stick is quite ex, is that true?

Sigh, how I wish getting camera is as easy as buying shoes

 

[misato]

Originally posted by sue
okie..i just did a search on canon a40, seem abit bigger.. and it cost 599 SGD

My preference will be to get a small camera (as small as Che-ez! Spyz digital !!). Any other suggestions ?

BTW, just wonder wat are the cost for various type of memory. Heard Memory stick is quite ex, is that true?

Sigh, how I wish getting camera is as easy as buying shoes

Sony Memory stick is nearly twice as expensive as a CF card of the same capacity

 

[TsQ]

digital camera as small as Che-ez spy would only be che-ez spy itself, nothing is as small.. then again that one is not a proper camera.. just some toy that capture images.. oh wait.. that's a camera then :dunno: hehe

The smallest camera now i think is minolta dimage X.. which is crap also compared to A40

 

[dbchoong]

No,lah. $599 is RRP. I think you can it for $510-$530 at Alan Photo (Sim Lim) or Cathay (Peninsular).

And yes, it's bigger. If want small, then maybe the Sony P31.

Originally posted by sue
okie..i just did a search on canon a40, seem abit bigger.. and it cost 599 SGD

My preference will be to get a small camera (as small as Che-ez! Spyz digital !!). Any other suggestions ?

BTW, just wonder wat are the cost for various type of memory. Heard Memory stick is quite ex, is that true?

Sigh, how I wish getting camera is as easy as buying shoes

 

[Shadus]

Originally posted by sue
Halo all, I'm a newbie trying to get a DC. Just wonder if it's cheaper to get from Japan. Should I worry about other things like charger voltage or manual ?

Hope to hear from you experts here before I make a bad purchase. Thanks

To answer your question, Yes, it is cheaper in Japan for DC. But looking at your budget, the price difference is not worth going through the trouble unless you stay in Japan yourself.

You can check price from this website, yodobashi . This is one of their biggest camera store. Do remember to add 5% 'GST' to the shown price. Website is in Japanese though.

As for voltage consideration, most DC comes with multi-voltage charger. This may vary from different models. So its better to inquire before making purchase.

DC's LCD manual are usually multi-language selectable. But again, this may differ in some DCs, esp. those lower end. To be save, do some research before commiting.

User manuals are usually downloadable from the web. So you can print out the English version. Japan will give you a Japanese manual. You can make request for the English version but usually, they do not stock too much of these.

 

[copland]

Originally posted by misato


Sony Memory stick is nearly twice as expensive as a CF card of the same capacity

Actually not that ex anymore. The last I read, you could get a third party memory stick at $120 at AP. Sony MS around $140-145. So I would say that the its abt 50% more expensive.

The other thing is MS currently only have up to 128MB capacity while CF already have up to 1Gb (note: its not the microdrive).

 

[sue]

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

Looking at yodobashi prices, seem like not much difference in terms of prices. Just that my friend is right now having a work assignment in Japan and asked me if I wanna get anything (maybe out of politeness ), that's why I thought of getting a DC there. I didn't want to give him so much trouble, so better for me to do some research and tell him exactly what I want.

I'm not a serious photographer, and right now I use my camera for holiday fotos only. Well, it might be different story when it come to DC, gotta take more pictures to justify my purchases

So, I should refine my choice to:

1. Sony DCS-P31, with lots of memory sticks from JP
2. Canon A40

Any other suggestions?

 

[TsQ]

I remember last year HK sell Sony P5 parallel import (jap model with english) for SGD825..should be even cheaper in japan, and here it sells for SGD1100

 

[ccmheoa]

Originally posted by sue
Thanks for all the feedback so far.

Looking at yodobashi prices, seem like not much difference in terms of prices. Just that my friend is right now having a work assignment in Japan and asked me if I wanna get anything (maybe out of politeness ), that's why I thought of getting a DC there. I didn't want to give him so much trouble, so better for me to do some research and tell him exactly what I want.

I'm not a serious photographer, and right now I use my camera for holiday fotos only. Well, it might be different story when it come to DC, gotta take more pictures to justify my purchases

So, I should refine my choice to:

1. Sony DCS-P31, with lots of memory sticks from JP
2. Canon A40

Any other suggestions?

Sony P31 is being sold in Simlim for $430 and the A40 for $515 at AP.

I went for the A40 due to the optical zoom....which P31 doesn't have...

 

[sue]

Thanks tsq and ccmheoa for yr reply.

I knew that Sony P31 doesn't have an optical zoom from dpreview.com. Not sure I should be concern with that or not. Sony at $430? Seems good leh. Didn't expect so much different between Sony's official price and AP's price. Do u happen to know what is in the package?

I just read the review at cathayphoto.com on Finepix 1400 and Canon Powershot Digital Ixus. Looks very nice camera too. Sigh, the rate I go, I might not able to get a DC for my July holiday.

 

[TsQ]

Originally posted by sue
Thanks tsq and ccmheoa for yr reply.

I knew that Sony P31 doesn't have an optical zoom from dpreview.com. Not sure I should be concern with that or not. Sony at $430? Seems good leh. Didn't expect so much different between Sony's official price and AP's price. Do u happen to know what is in the package?

I just read the review at cathayphoto.com on Finepix 1400 and Canon Powershot Digital Ixus. Looks very nice camera too. Sigh, the rate I go, I might not able to get a DC for my July holiday.

before this I got a Sony F55V .. no optical zoom.. but now i have optical zoom i would say its more useful.. with digital zoom, quality really drops esp in 2x-3x (so i never use it.. )

as for P31, its aint too bad.. just that it does not have voice recording in movie mode. For me, movie record without sound really suck, if u find video clips important then u definately need sound with it...

if u go for the Canon A40 ($100 more) u get Optical zoom, movie with sound recording, able to add lens filter (making photography more interesting), uses AA batt (u will never have problem finding battery), uses CF (cheaper then MS)... seems like the $100 is really worth it isnt it?

on the other hand.. with the Sony u get better LCD screen, nice and small design.. and its a SONY

edit: wait.. i think the P31 also uses AA batt .. opps.

 

[ccmheoa]

Originally posted by sue
Thanks tsq and ccmheoa for yr reply.

I knew that Sony P31 doesn't have an optical zoom from dpreview.com. Not sure I should be concern with that or not. Sony at $430? Seems good leh. Didn't expect so much different between Sony's official price and AP's price. Do u happen to know what is in the package?

I just read the review at cathayphoto.com on Finepix 1400 and Canon Powershot Digital Ixus. Looks very nice camera too. Sigh, the rate I go, I might not able to get a DC for my July holiday.

i checked with them and it appears the package is exactly the same as what is being sold officially for $499.00....ah well simlim price are really cheaper...

if you need zoom......p31 ain't so good....only got digital zoom....quality really suffers.

 

[Blitz]

To be frank, I'll say optical zoom is quite important so might as well get A40.

To me, I think zoom is nebber enuff Pity my C2040Z only got 3x