Buying Digital Camera in Europe
 

Hello:<BR>I would like to get your input if it is worthy buying a digital camera (a good brand) in Paris or Frankfurt compared to buying it here in the US price wise? I thought here they have inflated the prices even it it's on sale.<BR>What do you think? Any brand you can recommend?

No! Digital cameras, together with most consumer goods, are way cheaper in US. Find the cheapest on-line dealers through various price-comparison sites. I tend to go for reputable photographic brands which tend to have better optics - Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Olympus, Fuji, plus Sony.

Agree with Alec. We did price comparisons last year and bought in the US.<BR>Cheers,<BR>Jan

I agree with the previous posts that you will probably get the best price in the USA. However, if you do decide to buy one in Europe, make sure you check with the manufacturer (not the store) to make sure that the warranty will still be valid in the USA.

USA, USA...my friend and I bought the same exact camera..me in FL , her in Germany..I paid under 300 usd..she paid over 500usd!

I have heard/seen the same thing. The online and New York discount houses are cheaper than anywhere (except those far-east places?). England is particularly expensive. I have heard Amsterdam is a good place for some discount items, but I have never been there. <BR>Things to consider:<BR>Power - on dpreview, I have seen numerous comments that N.American power adapters (those power bricks) say 100V-240V (work in Europe and N. America), whereas a lot of Euro-plugs say just 240V.<BR>- Also, consider the physical plug; what are you going to do back in the USSA?<BR>- Language: some clever cameras will switch languages, or only come in English (hmmm...); if you are conversant in French or Deutsch, you can read the manual no problem.<BR>- Repairs? Most warranties are not terribly international; do you want to ship a camera to Europe for return or repair?<BR>- Taxes? What is the exemption coming back to the USA? Will you have to pay duty? Will you have spent enough to get local VAT back?<BR><BR>I think the best deal is to buy a camera in North America, if you're talking big fancy expensive...

I would be interested in knowing which camera cost $300 here and $500 in Germany.<BR>

It is almost certain that a digital camera will cost more in Paris or Frankfurt than in the USA. That is true for almost any electronic device. Get the best deal you can in the USA and buy it here!

Scottish friends visiting us this summer bought a total of three digital cameras from office/electronics &quot;big box&quot; stores, and reported that they paid in dollars what they would have paid in pounds in the UK. They especially raved about the cheap cost of add-on memory in the US compared to home.

I would suggest you ask this question on dpreview.com forums and see if the locals tehre can answer. The general comment there (at least from the English) seems to be how expensive it is in Europe. My brief browsing in European stores seems to confirm - everything in England is twice as expensive as here in Canada.<BR>It also seems the &quot;box store&quot; and other highly competitive retailing is far less developed than in North America; there are still lots of &quot;mom-and-pop&quot; sized stores, and hoity-toity department stores (Think Harrods). I don't know what the suburban retail landscape is like (anything you save, you'll pay for car rental - something else that's expensive over there) but you can't beat big city USA for bargains.

Photogenic,<BR><BR>Yes, dpreview.com is THE link for digital photo info. As it is a UK-maintained site, it has been well publicized that digicams are more expensive in Europe than in the U.S.<BR><BR>You should pick up a Canon A-40 (or A-20, older model) through one of the New York mail order outfits for less than $300. (The Nikon CoolPix 2500 is cute, too.) <BR><BR>Get a 128 MB memory card ($50 or so), extra AA rechargeable NiMH batteries at Radio Shack, and you'll be happy as a clam...

May I return to this thread with some price comparisons? Quoting best on-line price I can find (excluding shipping):<BR>Nikon Coolpix 2500<BR>Japan - 23,200 yen + 5% tax = $196<BR>US - $205 + sales tax (if applicable)<BR>UK - &pound;209 = $326<BR>Germany - 324 euro (tax incl) = $323<BR>France - 325 euro (tax incl) = $324<BR><BR>The moral seems to be : buy in Japan or US!

Thank you all for all your replies!<BR>Do greatly appreciate them. Now I can start my product search and see which one is affordable. thanks!