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gofioamasado

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Shopping in Hong Kong
« on: May 02, 2007, 08:05:34 am »

Going for holidays one week to HK, can anybody help me to find good shops for Canon Lenses?
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Anders_HK

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« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2007, 09:04:34 am »

Hello,

I see you live in Spain. I am an expat originally from Sweden, now in Korea but I lived in HK before.  I bought 98% of my gear in HK. Compared to Europe HK prices are about 2/3, or similar to USA low prices.

Here is a guide for pricing in HK;
http://www.ygdragon.net/index.php?page=photo/cameraprice.htm

You can also use this website from reference;
http://www.tincheungcamera.com.hk/

Note though, I would not recommend Tin Cheung for purchases. I actually went there twice last week, second time with money because they had the Mamiya 7II+80mm in stock. Noone else had stock but needed order from agent (only took few days). Tin Cheung showed me an original box but equipment was laying loose inside without any plastic bags or wrappings for items. Also they said there was warranty from agent but that there was no warranty card. That is HK, one need be cautious and careful and shop per references. Tin Cheung is in Tsim Sha Tsui, and most people advice to stay away from shops there. I finally bought the Mamiya at Man Shing that I recommend below. At same price because the CP came at a special package deal, and in box that I could tell was straight from facory, individual packing of all items AND warranty cards!

In Central on HK island there is Stanley Street, there is one store on east end that seem realiable, but Stanley is usually more expensive than the places I recommend below.


Where I bought 98% of my gear are following places

Wing Shing / Man Shing (same chain, different names, only a few blocks from each other, three stores that seem biggest in HK on cameras including pro gear. Man Shing seem to carry also medium and larger formats);

Wing Shing
G/F, 91/95 Fa Yuen Street
Mongkok
(ask for Simon, I blought most of my Nikon gear from him. He propably remember me, remind him I now live in Korea)

Man Shing
G/F, 106 Tung Choi Street
Mongkok
(ask for Hoi, I bought my Mamiya 7II + 43mm + 80mm from him last week. For sure he remember me)

Wing Shing
G/F, 55-57 Sai Yeung Choi Street
Mongkok
(the original Wing Shing store... went here lots when I lived in HK. Simon was in this store before they opened on Fa Yuen St)


Kowloon Photo Service
G/F., 5 Woo Sung St.
Yau Ma Tim (or is it Yao Ma Tei??)
Kowloon
Phone +852 2384 9302
(ask for Paul. I bought my Nikon D200 and 70-200 AFS VR from him early last year. They accept pre order to make sure the items are in the store when you arrive. Also, they are able to find hard to get items on order)


Many local HK people go to Wing Shing / Man Shing (they have grown from one and half to three large stores in about 4 years). They have low but not lowest prices and they are stores you can trust (complete new items, warranties etc). Same go for Kowloon Photoservice who have similar prices, but they are smaller.

In regards to warranties, I am not sure of Canon, but for Nikon all lenses in legible stores such as those I recommend above seem to come with international warranty, while digital camera can be HK only warranty. At other shops you may get store only or Japanese warranties. If you go off peak hours the staff has more time.

To those reading who live in the USA, USA prices are similar to HK prices. I lived in States in past as well, so done my research. It is better for you to buy in USA since seems some brands also give you extended warranties, and.. of course it is easy for you to exhange. For rest of world it is different... Europe is expensive as general, but.. it also depends on what items.

Best of luck.

Regards
Anders
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gofioamasado

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« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2007, 04:14:38 pm »

wow Anders, that has been so kind of you, thank you very much indeed, don't hesitate to contact me if you any time come to the Canary Islands,
Regards,
Luis

Quote
Hello,

I see you live in Spain. I am an expat originally from Sweden, now in Korea but I lived in HK before.  I bought 98% of my gear in HK. Compared to Europe HK prices are about 2/3, or similar to USA low prices.

Here is a guide for pricing in HK;
http://www.ygdragon.net/index.php?page=photo/cameraprice.htm

You can also use this website from reference;
http://www.tincheungcamera.com.hk/

Note though, I would not recommend Tin Cheung for purchases. I actually went there twice last week, second time with money because they had the Mamiya 7II+80mm in stock. Noone else had stock but needed order from agent (only took few days). Tin Cheung showed me an original box but equipment was laying loose inside without any plastic bags or wrappings for items. Also they said there was warranty from agent but that there was no warranty card. That is HK, one need be cautious and careful and shop per references. Tin Cheung is in Tsim Sha Tsui, and most people advice to stay away from shops there. I finally bought the Mamiya at Man Shing that I recommend below. At same price because the CP came at a special package deal, and in box that I could tell was straight from facory, individual packing of all items AND warranty cards!

In Central on HK island there is Stanley Street, there is one store on east end that seem realiable, but Stanley is usually more expensive than the places I recommend below.
Where I bought 98% of my gear are following places

Wing Shing / Man Shing (same chain, different names, only a few blocks from each other, three stores that seem biggest in HK on cameras including pro gear. Man Shing seem to carry also medium and larger formats);

Wing Shing
G/F, 91/95 Fa Yuen Street
Mongkok
(ask for Simon, I blought most of my Nikon gear from him. He propably remember me, remind him I now live in Korea)

Man Shing
G/F, 106 Tung Choi Street
Mongkok
(ask for Hoi, I bought my Mamiya 7II + 43mm + 80mm from him last week. For sure he remember me)

Wing Shing
G/F, 55-57 Sai Yeung Choi Street
Mongkok
(the original Wing Shing store... went here lots when I lived in HK. Simon was in this store before they opened on Fa Yuen St)
Kowloon Photo Service
G/F., 5 Woo Sung St.
Yau Ma Tim (or is it Yao Ma Tei??)
Kowloon
Phone +852 2384 9302
(ask for Paul. I bought my Nikon D200 and 70-200 AFS VR from him early last year. They accept pre order to make sure the items are in the store when you arrive. Also, they are able to find hard to get items on order)
Many local HK people go to Wing Shing / Man Shing (they have grown from one and half to three large stores in about 4 years). They have low but not lowest prices and they are stores you can trust (complete new items, warranties etc). Same go for Kowloon Photoservice who have similar prices, but they are smaller.

In regards to warranties, I am not sure of Canon, but for Nikon all lenses in legible stores such as those I recommend above seem to come with international warranty, while digital camera can be HK only warranty. At other shops you may get store only or Japanese warranties. If you go off peak hours the staff has more time.

To those reading who live in the USA, USA prices are similar to HK prices. I lived in States in past as well, so done my research. It is better for you to buy in USA since seems some brands also give you extended warranties, and.. of course it is easy for you to exhange. For rest of world it is different... Europe is expensive as general, but.. it also depends on what items.

Best of luck.

Regards
Anders
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pobrien3

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« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2007, 08:27:30 pm »

In HK you can get great prices, but if you go to the 'wrong' shop where they smell a tourist, you'll get ripped off.  Remember, telling lies to shoppers here is a national sport!

The shops in Central as a rule are more expensive (higher rents, selling to a more affluent market), so if you want the best prices then you have to try Kowloon and shop around.  Photo Scientific in Stanley Street are the best known 'kosher' camera shop in Central, but they are also one of the most expensive.  Try the other three shops in that street, two of them on the same side as Photo Scientific but about 100m further up the road, and another small one further up still over the brow of the hill on the right hand side walking away from PS.

Not all shops in Kowloon are to be avoided, though as a general rule if you're a tourist in Tsim Sha Tsui you can expect to be exploited.  There are 2 shops I would recommend, and you can call them beforehand to get their prices...

New Sankyo Cameras
Mody Road (Off Nathan Road)
Holiday Inn Golden Mile
Tsim Sha Tsui
+852 2367 0350
Ask for Tony and tell him Peter O'Brien recommended you - you'll get his best price.  He has an email address but I can't remember it, sorry.

Salon Camera
Yee Cheong Street
Tsim Sha Tsui
+852 2376 0132
Ask for Bruce - he speaks the best English, but he never remembers my name!

New Sankyo tend to be better for Canon and Nikon lenses and bodies, whereas Salon have been cheaper for Hasselblad and Mamiya.  However try them both - I bought most of my canon stuff from New Sankyo, but my 1DsII body from Salon.  I bought all my Mamiya equipment from Salon.

I strongly recommend you shop around these and the other places you've been recommended on the telephone first, save you some shoe leather.  Do also make sure they have the item in stock before you go there!  HK shops are renowned for quoting fantastic prices on stock they don't have!  As a guide for whether they're giving you a good price or not, get prices from the B&H website for the same items and use that as your yardstick.

One final note - you get the best prices on grey market goods: you can get 'official' imports if you ask for an international warranty, but they will be more expensive.

Happy Shopping!

Cheers,
Peter
« Last Edit: May 02, 2007, 08:28:00 pm by pobrien3 »
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gofioamasado

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« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2007, 09:36:56 am »

Thank you very much Peter, your info is gonna be very useful to me.
Regards,
Luis
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feppe

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« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2007, 10:45:59 am »

I bought a Canon EOS 50E in HK in '99. I first went to Tshim Sha Tsui shops, fully knowing the perils. I was offered a 50E for a very nice price. They brought the camera to show to me, but it was the lower-tier model (500 IIRC). This bait-and-switch is one of the better-known scams there and elsewhere. So, when you get your camera for a "great" price, triple-check the boxes before you pay and walk out the store.

I walked out on the deal, and went straight to Stanley Street. Paying a somewhat higher price is well worth less anguish, at least to me.

Please be advised that you are expected to pay taxes when you bring back gear from outside Europe. If you don't, and get caught, you'll have to pay a hefty fine. A, umm, Guy I Know had to pay €370 in fines in addition to customs duties and VAT when that happened to him. Even after that he came off on top due to the ridiculously high taxes and prices in Europe.

Anders_HK

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« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2007, 11:11:28 am »

Luis,

Canary Islands is very nice indeed (as long as avoid all charter tourists... I honest think they are boring, but I am a bit adventurous treveller...). I was there in 2002. Much and very sincere thanks to your offer.

Like was implied be previous poster, do be careful with stores you have not been recommended in HK. Especially in Tsim Sha Tsui they are happy to rip you off. For sure HK culture is a bit different from Canary Islands, but... after gone into Wing Shing... off peak hours and spoken to Simon and/or Hoi you should be able sense the differnce...


Before I moved to HK I made plenty of research on the internet. Two links recommended Wing Shing, one of them the name of Simon, that was how I began to shop from him. My ex dentist recommended me to Kowloon Photo Service. This is how to get to know places in HK.

I have stuck my head into a number of stores in Tsim Sha Tsui.... do try what I recommend first and then compare. True, you may find gray market products to be cheaper than Wing Shing/Man Shing... but you are one to decide if risk on product is worth the little more than the 2/3 of European price is worth it. Personally I would target international warranty products, if available. It is peace on mind.

You said you will be in HK for about one week. I am not sure if you have been there before or if to China. Let me just throw in something for you to consider. When I lived in HK I went to Shenzhen on China side a few times. Nothing much interesting. However, my first travel to China beyond Shenzhen was to Guilin. Look it up on internet. Since you like photography, that is really a beautiful place. I have now been there two times... not to mention I also worked China one year and travelled many places there... I like it much!

Ok, lets face it, hotels in HK are expensive. Throwing in Guilin for 2-3 days would not add much, serious. When I first travelled Guilin, I simply took the KCR train in HK to Lu Wo station, that gets you to the border. At Lu Wu station on Shenzhen side I booked flight and hotel to/at Guilin. Very simple. And, it honest lots cheaper than to fly from HK, about half (!), just check air tickets on www.ctrip. com for domestic China airlines... not sure if they deliver tickets in HK, but in Shanghai no problen... I use them all time when in Shanghai! Do try at Lu Wo if not... I flew from Shenzheon to Guilin. At hotel I arranged a traditional cultural dance show, and... very nice a cruise on the Li River from Guilin to Jangszhou (or spelling something like it). That is doable in 2-3 days... if you book fast and easy. Great experience! If first time to HK and China, it would be very very nice experience.

Regards
Anders
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