Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Hey guys, I'm heading over to Hong Kong around the New Year to visit my parents. I know that some of you have been there and was wondering if you could give me the low down on camera stores. Particularly stores that carry film and film cameras. Is it a good city to get deals in?

Other than NYC, Hong Kong is probably your best bet in terms of prices - however for film Tokyo probably ranks at the top.

http://www.ygdragon.net/index.php?page= ... aprice.htm

The conversion from HK to USD is constant at 7.8 - which makes it an easy comparison with Amazon or BHPhoto

Here's a list of shops:

http://www.ygdragon.net/shops.htm

Stanley St in Central area of Hong Kong will have photography stores carrying older equipment as well as new.

I think in recent years, especially because of the digital SLR, Mong Kok is also turning into a good place to look for deals on gear.

One thing to remember, though, is that you can always and always should bargain and try to get the best deal... If you find a good deal in one store, look through others before returning to make the purchase... They can be pretty competitive

Also, as I pointed out in another thread, you can take a look at this guy's site to see the "street" prices of equipment in HK: http://www.ygdragon.net/index.php?page= ... aprice.htm

Hmm. that's a nice site.

The really good deal I see in HK is that 100 f2.8 IS. Considering photoprice is listing the cheapest one here to be $1287 CAD, the $7150HKD street price it lists works out to be $916 USD.

And don't forget that there isn't tax in HK. The only thing though would be the lack of warranty.

Some other items seem a little bit cheaper, but the 85 f1.2 seems more expensive by quite a bit.

Just do NOT walk into any store with BIG neon signs "NO TAX" or "TAX FREE" @ Tsim Sha Tsui.... any item in those store will cost you more than you get in TO.

When I was at Canon Repair they told me lenses where International warranty and they would honor it. You can call and double check.

yep, lens and flashes I know for sure.

I will be going back to HK in the new years also!

I dont want to shop....

As Bernard mentioned always try to bargain with the salesperson. The listed price on the displayed item / camera is for tourist. They can and will always give it to you for less especially if they know you are not a tourist. Remember to bring your parents

You can ask them about the warranty for the camera - it should be specified on the warranty card if its covered in Canada. I have purchased a camera in HK that was covered in Canada but I think it was for less than 1 year. They will also show you everything in the box before you leave the store. Make sure you check out the item carefully as its very hard to return it after you leave the store. Most places will not accept returns and only exchange if you can prove that you did not damage the product yourself.

Good luck and happy shopping!

Mike

I think they'd mistake my parents for tourists too, their British accents give them away.

But Hong Kong was a British colony for over 100 years! Also, I have met British people who can speak Cantonese! Very cool!

Shop at the big department stores and stay away from the small stores in tourist areas - very tricky - hard to tell real from fake stuff. This is advice from a good friend of mine who is from Hong Kong.

Make sure you bring a good tripod to The Peak, if you can elbow your way into a good spot.

Very true and don't be fooled even if its an old chinese lady either

That also reminds me of a great exchange I had with a shopkeeper. I was negotiating for a Canon 24-105 right after it came out in a wealthier area of southern Kowloon. After using NYC street prices to try to bring down the price, the guy turns to me and says 'YANKEE GO HOME.'