Toronto Photography Meetup Group

I might consider driving to Buffalo one of these days to pick up a lens at a local shop if the price was right. I am considering a Sigma 50/1.4 for Canon and would save at least $100 by doing the cross border thing. The other option would be to order one from B&H or Adorama.

1- Has anyone ever done this and if so what do you end up paying at the border? PST and GST only?

2- Is the warranty valid in Canada on these. I heard that Gentec is the only spot in Canada authorized to do the repairs and they charge $50 each time if it originates outside of Canada - as per a post on RFD that I saw. That would imply if I bought one here it would be covered for free.

New York States sales tax is 8.375 percent.

I know nikon canada won't honour warranties on American bought Nikon gear .. I can only assume Canon is the same

Nope Canon warranty is North America wide.

NY sales tax + GST + PST, I'm starting to feel right at home!

if you have items from B & H shipped to Canada, you don't pay New York sales tax- you only get charged that tax if it is shipped to a destination in New York or if you buy from a retailer situated in New York State.

I just did a huge BH order last week. One of the items I bought was a 15mm fisheye. No duty or customs on the lens but I did get charged PST and GST which is to be expected. The warranty card is good for US and Canada. Looks exactly the same as the warranty cards you get when you buy your Canon lenses here.

Since you're buying a Sigma lens, I'll check at home and see what the warranty card says. I bought the same 50mm f1/.4 Sigma lens from BH Photo last year. A hell of a lot cheaper than buying it here, that's for sure.

I tried looking for lens deals in Buffalo but didn't find anything comparable to the prices of BH Photo BUT that was looooong time ago.

Thanks Carlton,

Maybe the BH direct route is the way to go.

Do you like the Sigma(Lux) 50/1.4? Some of the images I have seen are stunning. I have heard about a lot of BF/FF focus issues with this lens and as I mentioned in my OP, if repair is needed there may be a $50 charge at Gentec if it is purchased in the good 'ol USA. Do you have any experience with this?

If you have a friend in a state that isn't NY, and can wait for them to cross the border with it, you won't pay NY sales tax, or shipping, and might not have to pay GST or PST.

This is the cheapest way to go; as a US resident they can also buy from B&H or Adorama via bing which is occasionally good for another 8-10% off.

I'd also consider looking at out-of-province options to save just the PST, looks like it's only $80 more expensive than shipped B&H, if the Canadian warranty is important to you.

Yup. I'f I'm not in a rush and the item qualifies for Free Shipping in the US, I get my bud down in Florida to order it for me.

I'm popping into B&H on Sunday to pick up a 45mm Tilt-Shift. Pretty good savings over Vistek/Henrys.

Yeah, I read all those FF/BF issues but also a lot of positive revs on it so I took a chance. So far, I think I've got a good copy. I've read that Sigma has corrected this issue but not sure what serial numbers you need to look for. Still a heck of a lot cheaper than Vistek/Henrys.

Vee, are you going to be in NYC???

After reading a few posts about the BF/FF issues I started looking into the Sigma warranty and was surprised to find that:

1) Sigma International warranty is one year. Gentec would charge a $50.00 fee if they had to service a lens that was purchased outside of Canada.

2) Sigma Canadian warranty is ten years on EX and APO lenses and no service fees apply.

I spoke to Greg of Gentec (most helpful) and he mentioned that the ten year warranty is transferable as long as the new owner has the original bill of sale.

At this point, it is shaping up to be more than a mere pricing exercise, there is peace of mind owning a lens that carries a ten year warranty.

ummm....

http://www.photoprice.ca/product/01053/ ... price.html

That being the case James I would buy from Canada .. but probably out of province to save on one tax. Side question: what more do you think the Sigma version will give you compared to the Canon 50mm 1.4 which is much cheaper and lighter (which is on sale for $420 + tax at Blacks/Aden currently)?

HEY you should be working

The Sigma has, IMO, better bokeh, better sharpness wide open and better build quality.

Dan, you are right, we should ALL get back to work so we can continue to stimulate the economy and buy more camera gear!

Thanks. I saw that yesterday. I just contacted the seller but if it does not include receipts, from a warranty point of view it would be like buying grey market, therefore no warranty.

Yes, flying out Saturday morning. B&H is closed on Saturday so have to wait to go on Sunday. My buddy is picking up his 16-35L which he bought last week over the phone during their sale.

Enjoy the trip - it has been roughly a decade since I have been. Have a fantastic weekend!

Adorama would be open I think no??

NOPE

Sun. 9:30am to 5:00pm
Mon. - Thurs. 9:00am to 7:30pm
Fri. 9:00am to 1:30pm
Eastern time.
Saturday we are closed

I seem to remember both of their websites saying they are closed over the jewish holidays, thus the Saturday closure on a weekly basis.

I just checked my Sigma lens warranty card for the 50mm f1.4 I bought from BH. International warranty is 1yr and 4yrs in the US. Maybe I took a risk but in over 20yrs of owning lenses etc. I've yet to have a lens fail on me due to being defective. Knock on wood. I figure that if a lens were to fail on me, it would be within the first few months of owning it. Watch me jinx myself now!