Grey import Canon 5d mk 2

[britinozz]

I was thinking of selling my 50d with 100 macro lens 18-55 sigma and twin flash also sigma 150-500and getting 5dmk2 with 17-40 lens .
I have seen grey imports for$ 2370
And $3000 for Aussie one with canon warranty I understand it's a gamble but saving $800 is a massive saving and at the end of the day you still have a warranty of some sorts with grey imports.
My question is what's your thoughts and do you recommend any where to get one.
Cheers

[JM Tran]

One of my 5D2s is a grey import I bought in store in Shanghai. Since August last year, it has done around 40k actuations for professional work, as well as taken into the Gobi desert in Mongolia covered in sand, and then wet high up in the mountains of Bali, it hasnt failed me at all yet.

The only reason I bought it overseas was that I needed a camera asap for a client shoot there, and I was able to take my laptop into the store and take shots and uploaded it into LR to view the files for any camera defects etc, before I agreed to purchase it. Got it for something like $2700AUD with the battery grip.

[jasnat]

Do what you want the 5d is a great camera. but keep the flash :th3:

[fabian628]

Is that $2370 from HK or from a dealer in oz? If its from HK you may have to pay tax if the package is marked with the full value.
Although you will most likely get warranty from the overseas dealer it could be a pain if things go wrong to send it overseas.
You could have a look for a second hand one on ebay. If you get one that has been lightly used it will be like new. It may even still have genuine canon warranty. However there is always that risk that the camera dies a few months after you buy it.
I had a look at the prices recently and they seem to be similar to 6 months ago, maybe even slightly higher. The price will drop dramatically when a new one is released but who knows when that will be :rolleyes: I thoght the mk 3 was going to be released late last year, never happened, then I just got sick of waiting and bought a second hand one (which looked like it would after only a few weeks out of the box) for $2150 early this year :)

[Namus]

Prices for most things seem to have almost returned to pre-tsunami levels, however afaik they are still slightly higher (e.g. @ DWI, 24-70 is ~$1420, where before the tsunami it was ~$1250 and the 55-250 is $216, where is was ~$205 beforehand; can't comment on the 5DII before/current pricing)

If you are looking for ideas on where to buy from, don't forget this thread: http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?39556-POLL-Would-you-buy-a-grey-market-body :th3:

[soulman]

If its from HK you may have to pay tax if the package is marked with the full value.
Although you will most likely get warranty from the overseas dealer it could be a pain if things go wrong to send it overseas.I think this is the main risk really - a failure during the warranty period. After that, you're going to pay for repairs anyway, so it doesn't matter much. AFAIK, Customs will definitely charge GST, plus a $50 processing fee if the documentation shows the correct price. Some retailers mark the item as being less than $1000 to get around this, but that must carry some risk.

By the time you add freight, credit card charges & GST to the overseas purchase, you're probably looking at close to $2700. I bought mine from Quality Camera Sales at a time when Stu had the best price of any reputable dealer in Oz, but I always buy grey lenses and could be tempted to buy a grey body next time if the difference was enough.

[britinozz]

Thanks for replys mmm still not sure which way to go I will have another good look around and I still gotta sell my gear.

[britinozz]

I think I will get a grey import with Aussie warranty but then again I can wait until mk 3 comes out.

[fabian628]

I think I will get a grey import with Aussie warranty but then again I can wait until mk 3 comes out.

the phantom mk3? :D
I reckon they will sell it for 4.5k+ which would be rediculous.
I wouldnt pay more than $2.5k for a new 5d2, it s nice camera but I do not know how they get away with still selling it in excess of 3k in the shops :eek:

[britinozz]

Wdi I think the company sells for$ 3450 with warranty in Australia but when I rang they said if canon doesn't except to do the warranty work there warrenty people in Sydney would fix it either way u get a warranty at least and save a lot of money ,so I was thinking of getting the camera from there.

[britinozz]

I have been looking for a good price with a australian warranty there's a few is there any one out there that can recommend a company .