B&H alternative? - DPChallenge Forums

03/02/2004 04:10:27 PM · #1

Can anyone recommend an alternative to B&H for buying lenses? I'm in the UK, and as B&H don't accept Visa I'm stuck!

Any Brits had good experiences with ordering lenses from the US?

TerryGee

Canon EOS-30D

03/02/2004 04:33:20 PM · #2

Is your Visa something different?
They accept Visa cards.

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

03/02/2004 04:34:36 PM · #3

Originally posted by TerryGee:

Is your Visa something different?
They accept Visa cards.

Not for orders in certain countries, unfortunately.. They only accept Amex or Discover. :-(

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

03/02/2004 05:45:11 PM · #4

You might try 17th Street Photo. I've dealt with them and have been very pleased, and they have gotten very high marks at resellerratings.com. I am not familiar with their international purchase/shipping policies, however.
Another possibility would be Adorama, I think they're pretty good though I've heard a little more negative than for the others.

Mick

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

03/02/2004 05:53:38 PM · #5

Originally posted by PaulMdx:

Can anyone recommend an alternative to B&H for buying lenses? I'm in the UK, and as B&H don't accept Visa I'm stuck!

Any Brits had good experiences with ordering lenses from the US?

I've only bought from B&H, and they have been great every time. If you can't find a way to buy from them then you might try Adorama. I've read a lot of good comments about them as well.

Good luck!

sn4psh07

Canon EOS-10D

03/02/2004 06:05:29 PM · #6

Paul, get an amex card :-)

eikidigi

Canon EOS-10D

03/02/2004 07:13:34 PM · #7

Originally posted by PaulMdx:

Can anyone recommend an alternative to B&H for buying lenses? I'm in the UK, and as B&H don't accept Visa I'm stuck!

Any Brits had good experiences with ordering lenses from the US?

They accepted my Icelandic Visa,is ther any different

03/03/2004 03:46:50 AM · #8

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

eikidigi, it's because the UK have introduced new banking regulations that prevent Visa and Mastercard cards being validated.. Seems fairly ludicrous to me, but there you go.. I used my Visa only a week or two ago for an X-Drive in the US, without any probs...

I am getting an Amex card (bit obsessive, JUST for B&H?), but I'l check out the competitin too. Thanks again.

Natator

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/03/2004 04:00:34 AM · #9

Real bad news there with the UK Visa card, I certainly hope that is not a trend that spreads.

I can't fault B&H, but no good to you it seems.

When I was in the US I bought my actual camera from 17th St photo as they offered me a better deal. Small place, very small in fact, but because I believe they are geared up more for mail orders.

So, only bought from them over the counter, but if I couldn't access B&H I would not hesitate to order from them from overseas.

03/03/2004 05:12:36 AM · #10

Originally posted by Natator:

When I was in the US I bought my actual camera from 17th St photo as they offered me a better deal. Small place, very small in fact, but because I believe they are geared up more for mail orders.

So, only bought from them over the counter, but if I couldn't access B&H I would not hesitate to order from them from overseas.

Thanks Simon, seems good.. I'll have a look at the prices and see what they're like. Seem competetive though.

jonpink

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2

03/03/2004 05:56:17 AM · #11

Don't buy from the USA, support your country and buy from a little local store ;)

03/03/2004 06:03:57 AM · #12

Originally posted by jonpink:

Don't buy from the USA, support your country and buy from a little local store ;)

Tempting, apart from the lens costing about double. :-)

And what I'd be doing is supporting Canon's ludicrous pricing scheme of "charge as much as we possibly can in a given country". Why does an identical lens cost double? Currency certainly doesn't account for 100% increase.

Mick

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

03/03/2004 09:51:29 AM · #13

Originally posted by PaulMdx:

What makes you think it's Canon's doing? I'm not saying that it isn't their doing, just that it might be someone else's doing. I'd guess it's the greed of the people at the "little local store", perhaps combined with import tarrifs, shipping costs, smaller market, etc..

03/03/2004 10:05:03 AM · #14

Originally posted by micknewton:

I think it's Canon's doing because of market economics. A company will charge as much as they can without reducing their market beyond a certain point. Related to price elasticity, I believe..

Local stores - this would only be true if their prices was ABOVE the RRP from Canon, which they're not.

Import tarriffs - these are high (21.5% between duty and VAT), but that's not quite the ~90% increase.

Shipping costs - Lenses will be shipped from Japan, the same as to America, also see below.

Smaller market - I believe Europe is the largest growing digital camera market in the world. Hence, the UK, being part of that, will also experience the same economies of scale. The UK is also fairly affluent, meaning camera purchases will be reasonably high.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It's a company's right to choose what they charge.. It's also my right to buy elsewhere. :-)

03/03/2004 10:09:19 AM · #15

Paul

Which lenses cost 90% more in the UK and which UK shop(s) are you using for your price comparison?

Brent_Ward

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM

03/03/2004 10:23:58 AM · #16

CALUMETPHOTO.com

:D

03/03/2004 10:33:51 AM · #17

Originally posted by robsmith:

Which lenses cost 90% more in the UK and which UK shop(s) are you using for your price comparison?

Most shops have lenses for approximately the same in dollars as in pounds.. I've particularly looked at DigitalFirst, CameraDepot, and some of the larger shops (Jessops, etc). As it's about $1.90 to Â£1.00 atm, there's a fairly large price difference.

Originally posted by MeThoS:

CALUMETPHOTO.com

Thanks Methos, I'll have a look..

03/03/2004 10:38:51 AM · #18

Originally posted by PaulMdx:

Originally posted by robsmith:
Which lenses cost 90% more in the UK and which UK shop(s) are you using for your price comparison?

Most shops have lenses for approximately the same in dollars as in pounds.. I've particularly looked at DigitalFirst, CameraDepot, and some of the larger shops (Jessops, etc). As it's about $1.90 to Â£1.00 atm, there's a fairly large price difference.

Originally posted by MeThoS:
CALUMETPHOTO.com

Thanks Methos, I'll have a look..

So the 90% difference is down to fluctuations in the exchange rate then, not Canon or local shops. At the moment the rate is advantagous for us shipping equipment in, the earlier $1.5 = Â£1 rate meant it was pointless as VAT and duty wiped out the savings.

03/03/2004 10:43:18 AM · #19

Originally posted by robsmith:

So Canon is pocketing the extra spread? Nice..

03/03/2004 10:59:38 AM · #20

Originally posted by PaulMdx:

Originally posted by robsmith:
So the 90% difference is down to fluctuations in the exchange rate then, not Canon or local shops. At the moment the rate is advantagous for us shipping equipment in, the earlier $1.5 = Â£1 rate meant it was pointless as VAT and duty wiped out the savings.

So Canon is pocketing the extra spread? Nice..

Example
Canon Zoom Super Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens

Canon USA list price $2400
Canon UK list price Â£1320

USA shop price $1400
UK shop price Â£1120

Who pockets the difference? Canon?

sn4psh07

Canon EOS-10D

03/03/2004 11:19:53 AM · #21

Methos -- Calumet don't add VAT to their prices

Rob Smith -- Our retailers make nuts all on camera bodies and only like 10-15% TOPS on lenses. Manufacturers rip Britain off all the time.

03/03/2004 11:36:40 AM · #22

Originally posted by sn4psh07:

Methos -- Calumet don't add VAT to their prices

Rob Smith -- Our retailers make nuts all on camera bodies and only like 10-15% TOPS on lenses. Manufacturers rip Britain off all the time.

Problem is that big retailers in the UK (Jessops) try to sell at list price, I get better prices and service at my local, independent, retailer.