should a first time dslr user buy a grey import

[kipp]

hi i have just joined and curently have a kodak dx7590, it has been a good camera for the last five years. but it's started to feel its age, eg i cant blow images up much bigger than A4 or thay start to get pixelated, and the flash no longer works.
so i've decided to upgrade to a true dslr, rather than paying to get it fixed.
i think ive decided on a canon 7d as a kit with the 15-85 lens.
i would like advice on whether buying from teds and paying over $3400 is the way to go or if i should buy a grey import off the net and get a warranty from their third party, saving around $400?
i also need a new card CF instead of SD, and are wondering if it is worth paying the extra for the 60x and 90x cards?
thanks for any advice kipp

[Wayne]

Im certainly not afraid to buy a grey market product and more often that not will not support local rip off sellers. You will often save a great deal of money, particularly on high end equipment. My only advice is to use a reputable grey seller, there are many who have sold to members here wit positive results.

The faster cards are only really of benefit if you are shooting bursts of many frames, but it will be limited by the write capability of your camera.

[Cliff]

G'day Kipp. You can buy much cheaper than Teds in Australia.
DDP (Discount Digital Photographics) $2629
Cameras Direct $2827
Many people seem to think that you should buy your camera in Australia but it's OK to buy outside for lenses.
I'd definitely recommend the Sandisk Extreme 60Mb/s CF card for the 7D. The 8 Gb size is only $78.95 at Cheapchips.

[maccaroneski]

You should not pay $3400 wherever you buy it. I'll save you $400 from a non-grey source:

Site sponsor Quality Camera Sales:

http://www.qualitycamera.com.au/canon-platinum-with-1585mm-lens-p-4886.html

If you want to go grey here it is for about $2,400: http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=2368

Now I've saved you $1,000. You can post me a cheque :)

Here's a really good thread on the topic:

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=39556&highlight=grey+market+body

Or you can hedge your bets and buy grey market merchandise from an Australian storefront:

http://www.d-d-photographics.com.au/canoneos7d.htm

[reaction]

go grey, makes no diff. retailers won't help you use your camera anyway.
if you're sure about 7D, buy the fastest card you can.

don't buy sandisk, they are overpriced, and full of smallprint on speeds.

[ving]

yup go grey. its the same camera either way, just go for an australian store like DDP and you are set to save a bundle. my first camera was/is a nikon d40 which i purchased in 2007. its been running flawlessly so buying it as a grey didnt effect quality.

just read up on the waranty conditions before you buy but DDP is reputable and safe.

[BillW]

I am in a similar situation but will probably split the camera and lens purchase. DWI in HK seem to have good feedback, Citiwide in HK reasonable, DD Electronics in Singapore likewise. DDE have an affiliated outlet in Sydney, DD Photographic, who sell quite cheaply and I think lenses bought through there include manufacturer warranty (always open to correction!). DDE will add GST to sales over $1000 at source.

However I have one quandary. Looking at a lens like Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS USM, DDE charge $1047 pre GST but DDP charge $1299. Approx $250 extra is way more than GST, any import duty and $50 delivery. On the other hand, I believe DDP accept Amex if that suits you. I have just learned that any CC purchases through PayPal do not earn FF or other points.

Hope this may help and hope others can help both of us.
Bill

[Kym]

don't buy sandisk, they are overpriced, and full of small print on speeds.

I've posted this before...

Why buy reputable brand name cards from a reputable dealer like our sponsor
Cheap Chips (http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=13499) and not eBay cheapo knockoffs?

Glad you asked!

The problem with fakes and knockoffs is either ...

a) mis-labelling and fake labelling (wrong size/wrong speed) {which is fraud }

b) Quality - most chips in a factory go through a testing phase - sub standards are sold off
and the good ones get the premium brand. eg. A few years ago sub sub-spec CPUs got
sold off and put into lower spec boards, was ok unless you overclocked - bang!

When chips are produced there is a % yield in fabrication.
For high end chips this can be as low at 30% (eg. CPUs) due to density issues.
This is why the latest / fastest chips are expensive.
As the product is developed and more importantly the Fab process improved
the yield improves and the cost will fall.

That's part of the premium you pay for genuine Sandisk Panasonic etc.
The MTBF of the genuine is much higher and it will perform to at least spec.
I've worked for a major computer hardware company and believe me - the chip quality issues is a biggie.

IT IS NOT JUST BRAND LABELLING!!

If you have any understanding of chip Fab issues then you understand the concepts of yield and burn in quality.
All chips are not the same - even from the same production run!

Further...

Computer wafer testing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wafer_testing)

Chip FAB device testing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor_device_fabrication#Device_test)


Once the front-end process has been completed, the semiconductor devices are
subjected to a variety of electrical tests to determine if they function properly.
The proportion of devices on the wafer found to perform properly is referred to as the yield.

The Fab tests the chips on the wafer with an electronic tester that presses tiny probes against the chip.
The machine marks each bad chip with a drop of dye.
The fab charges for test time; the prices are on the order of cents per second.
Chips are often designed with “testability features” such as "built-in self-test" to speed testing, and reduce test costs.

So the 'good' chips cost more for good reasons, not just branding.
I've used Sandisk in several applications including my camera and never had an issue.

[wazzu]

Bought my tokina 11-16mm from O/S, world wide warranty for a lot less than here.

Would recommend for saving $$$$

[kipp]

i always like to support local business, and i dont mind paying a bit extra for a better service, but when the price difference is upto 25% difference, you wonder who is making the money, the store? or some other middle man, that is doing nothing to help the end consumer in anycase?
kipp

[Wayne]

i always like to support local business, and i dont mind paying a bit extra for a better service, but when the price difference is upto 25% difference, you wonder who is making the money, the store? or some other middle man, that is doing nothing to help the end consumer in anycase?
kipp

The retailers I think are victims of the greedy often sole distributors who make the huge mark up at the wholesale level. I love it when a salesman blames the high price of an item in their store compared to the identical item from O/S on the greed of these distributors. My response is simply that as long as the retailers keep buying at these inflated wholesale prices, the distributors will keep marking them up. Send the distributor a clear message, and boycott their products until they offer a wholesale price with parity is what I tell them, and, meanwhile I buy my things elsewhere....

[RamblinR]

Welcome to the site.

I have the 7d and its a fabulous camera. You will love it, great choice.

The articulating screen on the new canon 60d looks good and being able to set parameters for auto ISO a nice feature (hope they add that to the 7d software with an upgrade - but they probably won't). But the 60d doesn't have the 19 focusing points of the 7d which is one feature I love and it's missing a few other things also.

The thing I love about a DSLR is holding the camera up to my eye but there are occasions when that articulating screen would come in handy for shooting over crowds and getting low to the ground.

[kipp]

i went in to teds today and ordered the 7d, got it for well under $3000, i think it quite often depends on the salesman? so thanks for all the advice offered. will post some photos when i have got it.
thanks kipp