Buying Nikon lenses in Hong Kong

So SWMBO and I are off our belated honeymoon in September to Australia and on the way back we're stopping off in HK for a couple of days to visit family.

Given the prices are supposed to be pretty good over there, I'm looking at maybe buying a couple of Nikkor primes. From what I've read, it appears that while the warranty on camera bodies is only good in the country of purchase, the lenses are covered worldwide. So, assuming the price is right it should be a pretty safe deal.

Has anyone on here actually bought camera bits from HK in person, ie. not over the internet?

Don't you have to pay duties and declare it if you buy something "new" overseas?

That is what you are supposed to do, yes.

I've never bought lenses in the US and brought them home without declaring them, not me...

...and I certainly didn't post the boxes, receipts and manuals home separately.

Get yourself over to Wing Shing in Mong Kok. So long as you don't expect any service other than "here it is, where's your cash" you'll be good. Warranties vary - some are intl, some are local, there's no firm rule, you need to read the small print. Which of course may be in Chinese.

In theory (and face value), Nikon does offer warranties that are valid worldwide for purchases made within the market the goods were intended for, including for bodies. There's a ton of misinformation regarding so-called GREY products though and unfortunately a number of Nikon service centers that are taking advantage of consumers. Specifically, classifying certain purchases as grey when they're in fact not.

Examples:

I'm in Canada and I buy a Canadian Nikon from a Canadian dealer. The warranty applies worldwide and I can get service anywhere while, for example, traveling. Or if I move to another country, I should have no problem with service.

I buy a US Nikon from a US dealer while traveling. Same, the warranty should be fine and honored worldwide.

Now, if I were to buy a Hong Kong or US Nikon from a Canadian dealer, or a Hong Kong or Canadian Nikon from a US dealer, that's a grey market camera, a product sold outside its domestic market, whether or not from an otherwise authorized dealer. Authorized dealers are authorized to sell domestic Nikon products only. The warranty on that body is only going to be good at the place it was purchased from (if they're reputable) or the country it was originally intended (and marked) for.

That said, you will read stories online of people having issues getting repairs on their gear - this includes lenses. Nikon Canada has (or had) a notice on their web site basically dishonoring worldwide service. It's a huge slap in the face because they're marketing their own stock as having worldwide warranty coverage.

I don't know about U.K. prices, but U.S. prices are pretty damn cheap. If you look at B&H, which carries proper domestic-warrantied lenses as well as "grey market" ones, the price difference might be $100 on a $2000 product. At that point, I think I'd rather have a functional warranty.

We were there a few years ago, and the exchange rate was pretty poor at the time, so we didn't buy anything.

One word of warning: keep an eye out for fake stuff. Most of the shops are pretty good, but some of the stuff's a bit hooky.

In the US, you don't even have to do that. I bought a mountain of computer stuff in Taiwan while I was staying there and brought it home in the original boxes. On my way through the "nothing to declare" line, the customs guy asked what's in the boxes. I told him, computer stuff. He said "go".

I did use the stuff in Taiwan for about a year, so I didn't think I'd have a problem, but I don't think they care unless you're smuggling in stuff.

Ummm, I would want them before I went on a trip like that!

Cheers

Cris

Yes, that's my dilemma. We're stopping off in Tokyo on the way there, although we're only there for a night so I'd rather not waste precious time trudging round camera shops.

I've found a few good websites on buying photo kit in HK, along with a list of street prices to use as a guide. Looking at that, the prices are between two-thirds to a half of the prices in the UK (High Street).

I had the following lenses in mind:

AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1.8D
UK Price (High Street) £304.99
HK Price (Website) £230.23

AF-S Nikkor 35mm 2.0D
UK Price: £252.99
HK Price: £171.90

AF-S Nikkor 105mm 2.8
UK Price: £809
HK Price: £477

I'd also really like a super wide, something like AF 18-35, although that's a 3.5-4.5 lens. There's also a 24-85 which is 2.8. There's also a 28-300 that looks quite nice.

These are all FX lenses, I have a D80 currently, which is a crop. But I'd like to take a longish view on things, so if FX bodies become more widespread then I don't need to throw all my glass away when I upgrade to an non-crop body. I'm very interested to see what Nikon bring out to replace the D700.

To be honest, while I'm saving nearly £100 a piece on the cheaper lenses, I may simply buy them now and leverage the cost difference on the more expensive lenses. My favorite lens is my 50mm 1.8 but sometimes it's just that little bit too long. I think a 24 or a 35 would be better. I find with my 17-200, I'm either at 17 or 200, and nothing much in-between.

Dammit, photography is like feeding a drug habit!

If you like prime lenses and don't want to feed a new habit then definetly don't get into adapting older manual focus lenses to your DSLR like some people here. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities when you realize you can use all kinds of crazy lenses from years past.

If you don't know for sure which lenses to get, some camera shops rent lenses so you could try them out. Of course, at those prices, you could just buy all the ones you think you might want and then sell the ones you don't for profit when you get back to the UK

You may be able to save a little by buying them in Australia compared to UK prices, not as much as HK though.



Those prices are from a site I am familiar with, some googling may net cheaper prices. I am not up with Nikon lens nomenclature so apologies if these are not correct.

DigitalRev are reputable, I have never managed to make it to their shop at Star House though. edit: Oh they have one at Peak Tower too, that would be mighty convenient if you are sightseeing!