Camera Labs

Hi everyone, this is a question for people who are not based in the USA or UK...

As you may know, the only way cameralabs generates any money - and pays the bills - is when people shop through the stores which advertise on this site. BUT most of the stores we have partnerships with are based in the US or UK. So unless you want to order from the US or UK, you can't support us! (unless you go through the Google ads or make a donation via paypal anyway).

I would like to have some adverts for other regions outside the US and UK, but it's actually more difficult that you'd think, as not many stores offer decent partnerships.

At the moment, I have two main options for people outside the US and UK:

1: A partnership with B&H in the USA, which will deliver overseas.

2: A partnership with ebay which will show local ebay adverts for the camera in question for most European countries and Australia.

My question for those people outside the US and UK is whether they would use either of these schemes, and if so, which would be preferrable?

These would replace the Pricegrabber adverts you would see on most of our reviews for people outside the US and UK. People inside the US and UK would still see the Pricegrabber adverts.

Thanks,

Gordon

Greetings, Gordon.

I've just checked B&H prices for a couple of cameras. The shipping and VAT would mean they would be much more expensive if I bought them through B&H.

So, speaking for myself, it seems eBay would be the best choice.

Unless my country does something with these fluctuant border taxes everyone is talking about,people here will not buy from B&H anytime soon. (plus that my country suffers from a huge crysis right about now) And I would love to buy from B&H...I mean,they are the icon of quality & professionalism,I would save up to 30-35% for cameras & lenses...& also, I would help Camera Labs.

The 1st option seems more interesting to me. I don't trust ebay,never did,never will.

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Gear: Nikon D80, 18-105mm, 35mm F/1.8, 85mm F/1.8, SB-600
Visit my work here

... hi from spain. an ex. i have just buied
a fz38 a few months ago. price was 293 €,
in b&h price is (incluing delivery) 302 €.
problem is that when good arrived spain
you must pay very expensive duty.

by other side, goods with video have problem
of diferents systems (pal/ntsc), in some items
you can set and changes but another ones offers doubts.

(sorry about my english. i don´t know if i told
something you want know)

Hi Gordon,

I once tried to order from B&H to Switzerland and the shipping costs were murderous. I ended up placing the order because I could not find the same item on any store in Europe, but I doubt I'll do it again.

Can't you make a partnership with amazon.de? That would give you the exposure you want for people in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

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Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 24-105mm f/4.0 L

Unless you team up with some major camera stores in Belgium or the Netherlands, I'm afraid I won't be able to do anything for Camera Labs except when ordering books at Amazon.com/co.uk...because I never order any gear online.

Next time I'm ordering any books I'll use the link you provide though!

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Sony α77V/VG-C77AM/α350/18-70/70-400 G SSM/NEX-5/18-55 OSS/Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW/CompuTrekker AW/Nova 140 AW/Street & Field gear/Toploader Pro 75 AW. And a huge wishlist...

My photos on Flickr...

Same here I'm afraid. I've never even considered eBay and wouldn't order from the States because of import taxes and such...
I do, however, buy music and apps on iTunes through CL!

- Bjorn -

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

Hey Gordon .. for me in canada... my issue is more with holdups at the boarder and taxes.

Regarding holdups at the boarder... many times it doesnt happen but some times it can take 6 to 8 weeks to get something if it is help up in customs...

Taxes... Here is a prime example... I bought my hydrophobia directly from thinktank.. they charged me $139.00 US if I rmember right... when customs got its hands on it I had to pay an extra 78$ canadian for taxes... rediculous if you ask me...

I will buy from the states only if I have enough time (6 to 8 weeks) and if there is no other option as the taxes will almost always get you.

We have multiple good camera stores here so what I usually do is go to the best local one to try out a product hands on.... If they have a good price I will get it from them.. if they dont I will head online and try to find a better price elsewhere in canada... Both Best Buy and Future Shop up here guarentee the lowest prices so if there is a big difference between the local camera store and either of the above 2 places I will play with it at the camera store then buy it from on of the other 2 places.

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Canon 7D + 50D + EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM + EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Pelican // Black Rapid // Think Tank // Manfrotto // Garmin

Reflections On Canadian Wildlife
My Flickr

I'm in sweden and I would love to see CL "team up" with "cyberphoto.se"
My favorite cameraselling site in here. Since I buy pretty much all of my gear from them anyway, why not help CL a little while doing so?
Allthough sweden is not a huge market with 9 million people.

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Canon EOS 450D. (soon a 7D hopefully)
Canon EF-S 17-55/2,8 IS USM
Canon EF 70-300/4-5,6 IS USM
Canon EF 50/1,8 II
Canon EF-S 10-22/3,5-4,5 USM
Manfrotto 055 XPROB
Canon Speedlite EX580

Hi Gordon,

maybe a stupid question. But does it matter what we purchace trough the pricegrabbers?

I mean, besides if the excange rate makes it lucrative or not.
I'm hesitant to buy a lens from overseas, but I don't mind buying acessories and tripods or ballheads trough the internet.

I can imagine that cameralabs recieves a higher amount depending on the product purchaced. If so there has to be a format that takes the hesitation away. Lenses bought trough B&H have a usa guarantee, and I remember Nikon europe not being to fond of servicing a usa lens.
If it doesn't really matter what we buy, maybe that should be made a little bit more known to the public.

As to shipping cost and import taxes.
Shipping costs trough some stores can be verry high as compared to others. But the import tax varies in my country (if the package gets cought or not). But most of the time with a good excange rate, parcels from the usa are cheaper than bought here in europe. Even if they get cought for import taxes and including the expensive shipping.

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www.pimvandevelde.com

For something as valuable as camera equipment, I would only buy from a shop in the country I was currently residing in so BH and most of ebay is out for me.

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Graham
Flickr

Hi everyone, thanks for your comments.

As far as B&H is concerned, items would be ordered from and dispatched from the USA, so yes, there would be shipping to pay, and maybe tax and delays when it arrives in your country. That said, I have done this several times and it can still work out cheaper than buying locally, but I of course also understand concerns over guarentees, returns, etc.

The ebay proposition would show adverts for your local ebay region, so Australians would see ads for ebay Australia, Germans would see ebay Germany and so on. I would also expect most of the ebay ads to be from shops selling new, as oppose to individuals selling second hand.

PS - murdockcrc, we do already have a pertnership with Amazon.de - and France and Austria too, on this page:

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Affil ... ping.shtml

Being in Canada, neither of your options really work for me. I don't use ebay, and the shipping cost on B&H products is obscene.

So far I've bought all my camera gear in local stores. These stores are cheaper, in some cases even before shipping is considered. The only site I've come close to ordering from is Amazon.com, but they don't ship everything to Canada (the particular items I've looked at as things I want soon aren't shipped across the border). Amazon.ca has very little in comparison for camera gear.

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Nikon D90 | 18-200mm VR | 50mm f/1.8D
living in my purse: Minolta DiMAGE G400

When it is possible i will/am shop through B&H. As I am traveling a lot to the US or some of our friends living in the US are coming to Denmark.
I would never even consider Ebay or shipping over seas.
Ebay, I would never know if my package ever arrives.
Over seas, We have some insanely high taxes here in Denmark.....
(Outside of the EU = Product price + 40% , inside of the EU = the same).

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Victor
Nikon D300 - Nikkor 16-85 VR - Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR I
www.victorhoffmann.com

I am from Australia, and i almost exclusively shop from eBay stores...

so i would click through your links if given the chance.

i have brought from B&H before but it was only feasible if i spent ALOT of cash to outweigh the shipping costs.

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Canon 50D || Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 || Tamron 17-50 f2.8 || EF 50mm f/1.4 || EF 35-105mm f/4.5-5 USM || 430EX II w/wireless system flickr