[asd]

has any pixalo members bought from B&H camera shop in new york by mail order at all?

thanks asd

[stepheno]

Nope...I haven't, but I've often thought about it. They seem to have an awesome reputation. If you do I'd be very interested to hear about the experience.

[Dave]

How do the prices compare with the likes of OneStop in Hong Kong ?

[VeddieEdder]

I purchased a lighting setup from B&H. They were fairly priced, prompt with delivery, and were easy to get hold of for questions,

[asd]

thanks for the replys guys,


i have decided to bite the bullet and splash out on a canon 70-200 2.8 IS, buying it at uk prices at £1300 are out of reach ,but one stop have it £1038 which if i sell a few things on ebay will hopefully fund most of it

with regards to B&H dave, they have it for £860! +international shipping costs(about £80) bot checked out their other prices properly yet, there are conflicting reports as to whether they like delivering to uk, but in in shipping options there is uk option available so should be ok i think, have yet to find out about uk customs duty etc, will hopefully be using the lens next weekend to shoot the ladies golf open, talk about leaving everything to the last minute!, will go with one stop as they can deliver within 2 days as i am running out of time

still worried about spending so much on a lens but hopefully grow into it and improve in photography. fast lens with IS will be used a lot by me i think,will get a kenko 1.4x as well ...thats me spending for a few years then

[asd]

if there are no customs trouble then this place could be a gem!

100-400L £745 shipping to uk £30 with UPS

[Dave]

Well I assume you would get hit for import duty of 10% & then the dreaded VAT also, if importing from States ...... Almost worth paying out for long weekend to States for these kind of savings ....it would pay a fair chunk of hols

[Toonie]

B & H had a stand at this year's Focus so they are obviosly hoping to do more business in the Uk & assured me that delivery of any item in their catalogue could be here within a couple of days.

[VikingPhotography]

Import duty on lenses is 6% and yes, there'd be VAT on top as well.

I've bought a few things in-store at B&H on those occasions when I've been either working in NYC or just visiting. New York sales tax is just 8.375% and, even when this is added on to the ticket price, it still makes for some great savings over UK prices.

My last purchase there was a Nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens & Nikon 77mm Circular Polarizer (Mk II) - cost me $1262.46 (£677) including sales tax, but would have set me back about £1000 over here for the same kit. Even though I'm VAT registered, it was still cheaper for me to buy the lens in the US!

A word of caution, though: never buy a digital camera of any kind when in the US if you expect to get warranty service here in the UK - you'll be requested to send your camera back over there for warranty servicing and possibly out-of-warranty issues too.

This only applies to compacts, prosumer and d/SLR bodies - accessories such as lenses, flashguns, batteries etc. all carry international warranties.

[asd]

thanks viking,

definately might plan i visit there in the future, never knew that about camera bodies bought from the US, thanks for all the info, had a look at your website..good stuff

[Steve]

B&H are happy to supply to the UK but require payment in full beforehand. That means that if you are using CC they request a full photocopy/fax of both the front and back of your card to verify you have it and they will only post to the address the card is registered too as well.

All vat and customs that you may get hit with is also the full responsibility of the buyer, as is the return postage costs should you need to send anything back to them for any reason.

I nearly ordered a lens from them and got up to the stage of CC verification, but as soon as they wanted copies of both sides I pulled out of the transaction. With that info anyone could order online from most places without a signature and I was not about to open myself up to that chance.

Since then OneStop has begun trading and offering duty free or refund should you get stung, this is a better option for most as its almost as cheap and less risky, as Dave had said though, a cheap weekend trip to the States would be a even better value as you get a mini break, chance to check the product when you buy and hopefully some great shots of NY while you are there

[SeanBoyce]

I bought most of my Photo gear from B&H and I have had no......... trouble with any of it.I Love my Canon 350Rebel, 16-35,24-70, 70-200,100-400,and my 100 macro.Great Store if you have ever been there.

[RichB]

Originally Posted by Steve

.....as Dave had said though, a cheap weekend trip to the States would be a even better value as you get a mini break, chance to check the product when you buy and hopefully some great shots of NY while you are there

Best time to go, according to a friend, is Thanksgiving in November, as the NY sales are on with huge reductions, not sure if this applies to the photographic businesses, though. Don;t see why it wouldn't.

Various tour operators are now arranging package deals of 3-4 night stays in NY, specifically as shopping trips.

[SeanBoyce]

If you are going To US and have a friend in another State (besides NY)have him or her order what you want through the internet and save on Taxes.You dont have to pay taxes, if you dont live in NY.But you will have to Pay for delivery. Good luck.

[lon10c]

I order nearly all of my photography stuff from B&H or 17th Street Photo and have it shipped UPS. So far I have not had a single problem. I returned a faulty $3000 Sigma lens to B&H for a refund but there was no fuss.

I actually prefer 17th Street Photo. 17photo.com They just seem to be a bit more personable and will ship to my business address which is different from the address on my credit card.

The USVI is not as far away as the UK but it may be harder to get to.