Can anyone suggest a reputable retailer that I can purchase one of these digital cameras at a great price - travelling next week in Sing & HK. TIA

-- Bruce Munro (munro@internode.on.net), February 22, 2002

Answers

Forget about buying it at major shopping mall. The list price is too expensive. The street price is about US$60 lower if get it in small camera shops. However, be careful not to get "conned".

An usual trick by these type of shops to "con" foreigners is : they will quote you unbelieveable low price for Pentax Espio 330 to test your commiment level and sincerity. Then they will start telling you that this model is lousy and recommend you another model which is much better at a slightly higher price. In the end, you find yourself buying a unfamiliar model with a higher price even higher than listed in major shopping malls.

The above trick is very common in Singapore and HOng Kong. Avoid all electronic shops, camera shops in Orchard Road (Singapore).

In Singapore, I recommend you Cathay Photo and Alan Photo (Sim Lim Square). Go to their website at www.cathayphoto.com.sg and www.alanphoto.com.sg to ask for e-quotation. Print out the quotation and bring along with you when you go to that shop. The price they quoted in their e-quote are very reasonable and cheap. TAKE NOTE : if you did not bring along the printed e-quote with you as proof, the sales person will just quote you a high price because you are a foreigner (easy target :-)

-- Kho (gabkho@yahoo.com.sg), February 22, 2002.

Bruce:

All the above is true,: take it from one who has been stung.

The major reason not to buy a digital camera in Sing or HK is the warrantees on digital equipment are almost always good ONLY in the country of original purchase.

I got stung with a Leica from HK even tho' the distributor was the same for HK and Sing.

There is no longer any real advantage here or in HK, compared to NYC mail order or most cities in Canada or US.

IN the East here they really take advantage of we westerners, having what is referred to as the "laughing price"; that this after we leave the store, all warm and happy, they get a good laugh at the price we paid.

The best thing to do if you still want to get one, is to take a copy of the ads from Shutterbug or the Websites of Adorama or B&H with you. I went to one of the above-mentioned stores with a copy of the B&H Web page and was told flat-out they could/would not, match the price. They were not polite about it either, as they could see I was an informed shopper- their worst enemy.

The attitude towards customers here is a lot different than one might be used to in US or Canada. I make sure I do not buy any major equipment here because of the minimal price difference, the warrantee and the attitude.

Buying used stuff is a crapshoot as well, at least until you get to know the dealer.

Have fun, eh!

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), February 23, 2002.