Camera Purchases in St. Thomas

[donaldsc]

I am going to be in St. Thomas in January and was thinking about maybe buying a new dSLR. I have a couple of questions -

1) I know that I have to do my homework before doing a purchase but can I actually save enough to make it worth while as opposed to buying one on a legitimate internet site?

2) Do I have to worry about gray market versus US warranties?

I have a Nikon D70 which is a few years old and am considering a new one in the Nikon line.

DON

[MDSue]

I'm not sure if your ship is sailing to St. Maarten also. I know they have a good camera store right on the pier there- called Boolchand's I think. I'm seriously thinking about buying a nice SLR camera there this Spring, and also and have the same concerns as you. I bought a digital Sony Cybershot there two years ago. It was in a factory box and I was told it had a one year factory warranty. It did not appear to be a grey market camera [but I'm no expert]. However, the camera was identical to one I bought in the States and is still working flawlessly. I paid $185 for the camera, memory stick and case. I paid $300 for the same model at home.
I'm a bit more worried about shelling out a lot more money for a better camera, but I'm going to compare prices when I get there in the spring.

[pilotdane]

I would buy from a reputable dealer here in the States. I'm taking money out of the thought process and just thinking of cruising with a new piece of equipment. It took me several months to get to know my camera body. I would hate to be on a cruise and missing great shots because I did not know how to operate my camera.

Yes, you will have to be carefull about the waranty. Even US retailers like B&H clearly indicate which items are USA and which are "imported".

Now, about the money. My friends in KL, Bangkok and Singapore seem to like shopping for camera equipment when they visit the US.

----
I would not mind dropping a few hundred for a point and shoot in a Caribbean port but when there is a comma in the price I like to deal with a known, reputable retailer in the US.

[RichYak]

Originally Posted by donaldsc

I am going to be in St. Thomas in January and was thinking about maybe buying a new dSLR.

I kind of thought that the advent of internet commerce made electronics "deals" in the Caribbean a thing of the past. Personally, I wouldn't even consider it.

[RVRCLC]

Originally Posted by donaldsc

I am going to be in St. Thomas in January and was thinking about maybe buying a new dSLR. I have a couple of questions -

1) I know that I have to do my homework before doing a purchase but can I actually save enough to make it worth while as opposed to buying one on a legitimate internet site?

2) Do I have to worry about gray market versus US warranties?

I have a Nikon D70 which is a few years old and am considering a new one in the Nikon line.

DON

Do your homework. Know what you want and how much it would cost at home. Realistically cost at home - not at some cut rate internet warehouse - but someplace you would actually buy the item.
Over the years I have "shopped" cameras in St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
I do not like the crowds, or clerks, at the stores in St Thomas.
The year I was ready to buy...
I bought a Nikon dSLR body and a lens at
Boolchands near the dock in St Maarten.
I did not buy the kit, I wanted a better lens.
Then DH and I went out to the patio by the back door and took a bunch of pictures with it, to make sure everything worked. (We had been to St Maarten enough times that we just planned to hang out around the dock, anyway.)
The clerk was very nice, very patient, unlike those at both camera stores in St Thomas.
One year later, we went back and bought a Canon P&S from the same clerk.
This time, a cruiser who had done no homework was humming and hawing over whether to buy the very same Nikon I had bought a year earlier. I helped the clerk explain the camera because he did not appear to believe whatever the clerk said. The man didn't even know how to properly hold the camera. He refused to take some photos while he was there, his wife wanted to get going. All too much a rush, and too much uneducated, for such an expensive item.

When I plan to buy an expensive item, I begin by asking questions to which I already know the answer. If I do not get the correct response, I am out through the nearest door!

I am very happy with both cameras. I would not hesitate to buy photography items from them again, and probably will do so!

I left home with a list of models I would buy, each time they had my first choice in stock.

[bakechef]

I have found that searching online is the best bet, I wasn't in the market for any particular brand of DSLR, but found an unbelievable deal on one of the brands that I was leaning toward.

[donaldsc]

Originally Posted by RVRCLC

Do your homework. Know what you want and how much it would cost at home. Realistically cost at home - not at some cut rate internet warehouse - but someplace you would actually buy the item.
Over the years I have "shopped" cameras in St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
I do not like the crowds, or clerks, at the stores in St Thomas.
The year I was ready to buy...
I bought a Nikon dSLR body and a lens at
Boolchands near the dock in St Maarten.
I did not buy the kit, I wanted a better lens.
Then DH and I went out to the patio by the back door and took a bunch of pictures with it, to make sure everything worked. (We had been to St Maarten enough times that we just planned to hang out around the dock, anyway.)
The clerk was very nice, very patient, unlike those at both camera stores in St Thomas.
One year later, we went back and bought a Canon P&S from the same clerk.
This time, a cruiser who had done no homework was humming and hawing over whether to buy the very same Nikon I had bought a year earlier. I helped the clerk explain the camera because he did not appear to believe whatever the clerk said. The man didn't even know how to properly hold the camera. He refused to take some photos while he was there, his wife wanted to get going. All too much a rush, and too much uneducated, for such an expensive item.

When I plan to buy an expensive item, I begin by asking questions to which I already know the answer. If I do not get the correct response, I am out through the nearest door!

I am very happy with both cameras. I would not hesitate to buy photography items from them again, and probably will do so!

I left home with a list of models I would buy, each time they had my first choice in stock.

My choices are down to only a few models and I will have a list of current prices from reliable internet vendors before I leave. Also, since I will be buying a camera from the same vendor as I currently have, the learning curve should not be too bad and in the short term, I can use it in program mode.

BTW, I Goggled Boolchands and the links to their sites were broken. Does anyone know if they are still in business?

DON

[TheRoff]

I am a believer in purchasing big ticket items, like a DSLR, close to home. Just my preference.

Here is a link to a discussion about US and Gray Market Canon equipment. I imagine it applies to most any brand.

Larry

[chipmaster]

Originally Posted by donaldsc

I am going to be in St. Thomas in January and was thinking about maybe buying a new dSLR. I have a couple of questions -

1) I know that I have to do my homework before doing a purchase but can I actually save enough to make it worth while as opposed to buying one on a legitimate internet site?

2) Do I have to worry about gray market versus US warranties?

I have a Nikon D70 which is a few years old and am considering a new one in the Nikon line.

DON

Nikon smart What are you thinking of getting? I just picked up my 4th Nikon body a D5K, love the little thing

Just be aware even if you buy from a reputable dealer and get a new, not a refurbished or returned camera, that if it isn't USA designated then you can't get warranty work done on it by the Nikon USA repair shops if something was to happen. ( my understanding ).

Nikon has a strange distribution and repair agreement. Even for lens you need to be aware as Nikon won't touch a non-usa marked lens. They know based on serial number.

I did have a lens that had to go to Nikon USA for a VR/focus rebuild. Wouldn't have happened if it wasn't a USA lens. So think carefully before deciding buying offshore. The repair was a big enough job that our local big independent shop could't do it inhouse. I would think for camera it would be even more have to go to Nikon.

Costco and others have such good deals already I'm skeptical the deal you get going overseas is worth the aggrivation even if you save 10%.

[piper28]

I know I stuck my head in a store in St Thomas when I was there because I was in the market for a lens. Now I realize there was undoubtedly some room to bargain, but I felt the starting point was really not worth the effort. There just didn't seem to be enough room for savings that would offset dealing with a store that I just don't know the reputation well for. I ended up waiting and buying the lens back when I was home.

[shipmate5967]

Hello Don,

I buy all my camera equipment with either B & H Photo or Adorama, both out of New York. Very reputable dealers and the prices are good. I'm a retired wedding photographer and have bought several thousand of dollars on professional cameras and equipment from them without a hitch. The prices are very good and I don't believe you'll be able to beat them buy buying on the island. They also sell on Amazon, if you like buying there.

Hope this helps, let me know how it works out for you.

John

I forgot to mention, I've check out some prices while in St. Thomas for canon lenses and a portable camera and didn't see any savings at all.