Some help for a new FZ5 wannabe buyer


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fadeout

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Dec 19, 2005
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I'm a noob to the camera scene, but have been doing alot of research on reviews and such and have settled on the Lumix FZ5 as the cam that best fits my requirements/budget. I will be travelling quite abit next year (to North America) and am getting the camera now to tune up my skills to get the most out of it.

Anyway, I went down to Lucky Plaza earlier today for some price quotes and advice and was quoted prices ranging from $640-$600 for the FZ5. However I find some of the shops quite aggressive or unfriendly with their sales tactics and the experience leaves me dubious as to whether I should get the cameras from these places. I visited APO Foto & Electronics and Max Mobile & Electronics there, among others.

My question is, where can I get a good deal on the FZ5 and what are the things I should look out for as a new camera buyer? I'm a student and hope to spend as little as possible... all I need is the basic accessories like a 512 SD card and a camera case. Hope the experienced people here could offer me some advice on where to shop for the camera.... right now I'm thinking of visiting Sim Lim Sq tomorrow to look around. Many thanks!
 

you can try out in MSCOLOR in AMK or Alan Photo in Sim Lim Sq or Cathay Photo in Peninsular.
 

yes you should get your camera from more reputable shops, like the ones mentioned above.

lucky plaza is er... :sticktong
 

I've gone round to some of the shops mentioned in the FAQ today, as well as obtained some equotes. Current prices at most shops are $630 before GST, with 512 and case.

There's a shop at Lucky Plaza that quoted me $600, but doubt it's with accessories. Also, he was quite rude. Not to mention the initial price was $720 and after I acted amazed he quickly changed his tone.
 

Ya.. get from the few shops mentioned. Safer.
 

woah... u should see wat underhand means that they use to prey on students man.(cos i also student) i also kana once when i search for my FZ5. some sell veri cheap but without warrenty, some sell with accessories like memory cards which is way above price. some tries to sell u the offical case(dun buy if u wan i can sell it cheaply to u.) cos the case onli can hold the camera without the adaptor. the best of them all is on shop in SLS. woah that fellow must have think i'm a fool. he quote fz5 veri cheap think around 580 or wat. dirt cheap tat is. then he tries to sell mi a minolta z20 for 700 plus (note harvey norman sells it onli at 500plus). then he use the television to show mi the picture difference between the 2 cameras. the FZ5 pictures are a bit bluish which is not true from the reviews. however i suspect that he put the camera to cool or the change the white balance. then he keep promoting the minolta saying that Lecia lens is lousy (bull ****!!) when i insist that i wan the fz5 he fake a phone call and say no stock. tell mi to come tomorrow or call. i called but the ppl there say no such person. i went down and they say he not around. and they claim tat they would not quote such a price. woah... i never been so pissed in my life! i student they even wanna cheat on mi bloody suckers!! oh by the way the reason y the minolta z20 is so much cheaper is tat it does not have anti shake so the 10x zoom it has is well "useless"
 

:bigeyes: such people ought to have a 400mm lens shoved up their arses...
 

Amazing, the lengths some salespeople will go to rip off buyers. Let's just say I'm planning to get my cam from a shop with good service. Don't mind paying them abit extra for a good experience purchasing the FZ5. Why give our hard earned money to unscrupulous characters?
 

the best is to get someone with camera knowledge u know with you to the camera shop. lol
 

from what i know $630 is currently the cheapest you can get from alan photo but only if you purchase straight away.spend some time there and the person promoting will charge you $660 saying that the $630 price is without GST.
basket he was the one who say i could get it for $630 straight away.
 

i was also been told the best price is $630 nett
Now $660 with GST T_T
maybe this a trick they play inorder to bring ppl to an chop chop you
with the 5% GST

i got a suggestion
can we, have an newbie outing,
Code name : Camera Shooting Star
For those who wish to buy camera,
meet at 1 place, with someone who are know lot with digi camera
bring us to a good shop, from there we buy our camera.

Like that, think might not get to be chop too much
more ppl buy, we all chop chop the shop more freebie^^
:angel:
 

Its a good idea!;)
 

You can try asking for e quotes form these camera shops as it maybe cheaper than a walk in price. I had an equote of $630 from mscolour so all should be around there.
 

Yeah, but $630 is always before GST. I'll be going after Xmas since alot of shops are closed now. Just received a present in the mail today - a $100 voucher for Funan. Guess where I'm gonna spend it? :angel:
 

Alan photo in Funan?:)
 

Try to get from MS color, and remember to get an equote before you go.

If you go MS color, go and look for Florence...I think so far feedback is she is more serious with her business conduct.
 

Hi! Just another advise to Fadeout...

512MB not enough for a holiday trip. You'll need more memory. I went on a 10-day China trip and brought along a 1GB and 512MB CF card. Just about enough!

So unless you intend to bring a notebook or a portable HDD along, you'll need more memory...
 

haa fadeout dun forget the batteries! get from eastgear.
 

Can someone tell me how much would an extra battery cost. I need to factor that in when deciding which camera to buy. Thanks.
 

watchthewaves said:
Can someone tell me how much would an extra battery cost. I need to factor that in when deciding which camera to buy. Thanks.

The OEM battery for FZ series (not the 30 though) was quoted to me as $25 from AP a few weeks ago. I am not sure if the price have changed though.
 

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