Cheap Equipment / Grey Imports?

So, I placed my order with Panamoz for the 5D mk IV, 24-70 & 70-200 f2.8 plus a few of extras. It shipped yesterday afternoon, arrived from Hong Kong at Koln, Germany 01:00 hrs, was back on a flight to UK within 55 mins, arrived at the local depot 08:00 and was delivered just after lunch.... amazing service!! Everything I ordered was there and no issues at all, no damage, no hidden charges, nothing. I'm absolutely delighted with the service received and thanks to those who recommended Panamoz!

As for the equipment, wow! I am blown away by the quality of the images even after only taking 6 in the house tonight, the speed of the focusing and that touch screen on the 5D is superb. I feel like an excitable child desperate for the light to appear in the morning so I can go and play for the day :)
 
Sounds like a happy result to me!

Happy new toys - enjoy!

:)
 
i ordered the Sony 24-70 GM, it took the same route Ordered 9Pm Sunday evening, was knocking on my door Wednesday Morning, same as above great service.
UK companies cant even get it to me that fast in most instances.
 
Last edited:
Whilst shopping around for the D7200 I've seen some third party sellers on Amazon with them for sale at a price roughly halfway between the known grey importers and traditional UK sellers.

This has confused me a bit. Will these be good UK deals or poorly-priced grey import deals?
 
just check the deals and seller, youll get an address, most will resolve to a Chinese store..

Stick with Panamoz for Grey or wex/park/lce for UK.... oooo and buy a d500 there ace :)
 
They both have UK addresses, but one is described as a seller of biker apparel, and the address is a flat in London, the other one is called Preowned Galore ltd, but they are advertising the camera as new. Don't trust either, really.

So I'm still trying to weigh up a grey from Panamoz / DigitalRev / HDEW or from a reputable UK dealer at over 150 quid more, or a used one from MPB. Don't mind used if I know it's used!
Bought a lens from them not long ago and they were good to deal with and the lens was almost mint.
 
JayJay said:
They both have UK addresses, but one is described as a seller of biker apparel, and the address is a flat in London, the other one is called Preowned Galore ltd, but they are advertising the camera as new. Don't trust either, really.
Click to expand...
If it sounds too good to be true ... it probably is!
 
JayJay said:
They both have UK addresses, but one is described as a seller of biker apparel, and the address is a flat in London, the other one is called Preowned Galore ltd, but they are advertising the camera as new. Don't trust either, really.

So I'm still trying to weigh up a grey from Panamoz / DigitalRev / HDEW or from a reputable UK dealer at over 150 quid more, or a used one from MPB. Don't mind used if I know it's used!
Bought a lens from them not long ago and they were good to deal with and the lens was almost mint.
Click to expand...

HDEW/Panamoz/DigitalRev are reputable dealers. Of course they are gery market and that comes with saving vs conscious debate, but there are many UK based shops that have much less of a good rep and customer service.

Whatever you do dont go to Simpley Electronics if you come across them. One of the worst places to buy form apparently.
 
dave_bass5 said:
HDEW/Panamoz/DigitalRev are reputable dealers. Of course they are gery market and that comes with saving vs conscious debate, but there are many UK based shops that have much less of a good rep and customer service.

Whatever you do dont go to Simpley Electronics if you come across them. One of the worst places to buy form apparently.
Click to expand...

Yes it could read like I meant they weren't, but I meant deciding between them as reputable importers or finding a good UK dealer, just still undecided on which route to take.

Haven't head of Simply Electronics but I'll avoid, thanks.
 
Sorry, i didnt mean you didn't think they were, i just wanted to point out that although they might be doing something shifty, they were still very good places to deal with from a customer point of view.

I do tend to buy lenses from UK dealers, Mainly Amazon or Park, as i get paranoid about de centering etc. I prefer to buy from somewhere thats easy to return. Ive had an issue in the past with a lens not preforming properly when shooting landscapes, but when i took it back to the shop i ended up having an argument with a shop assistant who insisted that shooting across the shop and not seeing an issue was not a reason to return a lens, even though i said it was distance shots i was having issues with. These days i prefer to buy on line so i have the luxury of testing a lens in my own time and in the way i intend to use it.
 
dave_bass5 said:
HDEW/Panamoz/DigitalRev are reputable dealers. Of course they are gery market and that comes with saving vs conscious debate, but there are many UK based shops that have much less of a good rep and customer service.

Whatever you do dont go to Simpley Electronics if you come across them. One of the worst places to buy form apparently.
Click to expand...

Simply electronics seem to have ceased trading http://www.simplyelectronics.net/

Not an encouraging message.
 
Archie747 said:
Simply electronics seem to have ceased trading http://www.simplyelectronics.net/

Not an encouraging message.
Click to expand...

That's great news. They were a terrible company, who seems to have messed so many customers around. Its a surprise they lasted so long considering the amount of bad publicity they have gotten over the years.
 
Archie747 said:
But not according to the Simply Electronics message, although I am not sure why.
Click to expand...
I read Simply Electronics message as "hey you should have bought using your credit card cause you ain't gonna get a penny from us!"
 
Eloise said:
I read Simply Electronics message as "hey you should have bought using your credit card cause you ain't gonna get a penny from us!"
Click to expand...

Yep. 'We have buggered off, you're on your own'. Pretty much their policy when they were trading by the looks of things.
 
Can i ask those that have brought a camera from Panamoz if there is a serial number on the box? Ive noticed my 80D and MKIV but have that information missing on the boxes. I did ask Panamoz about this when i got my 80D but the answer was a bit vague, other than to assure me the camera was legit.
Im not worried, but id like to know if this is the norm, as it wasn't with Digital Rev.
 
Can't speak for Panamoz but on my mkiii from digital rev a few years ago the serial number on the box did not match the camera. There was a thread on it as a number of people had the same issue. Maybe it's the way they are sourced in HK and they do not come boxed from the factory and the distributor boxes them?
 
Thank goodness for "grey" imports, the tax man steals enough from us already and squanders what they get
 
wolfyccfc said:
Can't speak for Panamoz but on my mkiii from digital rev a few years ago the serial number on the box did not match the camera. There was a thread on it as a number of people had the same issue. Maybe it's the way they are sourced in HK and they do not come boxed from the factory and the distributor boxes them?
Click to expand...

I think I remember that thread, pretty sure i was also involved with it although i didn't personally have that issue.
 
wolfyccfc said:
Can't speak for Panamoz but on my mkiii from digital rev a few years ago the serial number on the box did not match the camera. There was a thread on it as a number of people had the same issue. Maybe it's the way they are sourced in HK and they do not come boxed from the factory and the distributor boxes them?
Click to expand...

I can speak for my Panamoz experience as the D750 I bought from them last week has the same number on the camera as the box

Dave
 
dave_bass5 said:
I think I remember that thread, pretty sure i was also involved with it although i didn't personally have that issue.
Click to expand...

Actually I'm thinking about the thread (might have been on POTN) where the serial number on the camera was different to the serial number the Exif was showing. I'm not sure how that turned out but it was a bit worrying. I always check the Exif now when i get a new camera.

DG Phototraining said:
I can speak for my Panamoz experience as the D750 I bought from them last week has the same number on the camera as the box

Dave
Click to expand...

Cheers. Maybe it depends on where they get the gear from and the route it takes.
 
dave_bass5 said:
Actually I'm thinking about the thread (might have been on POTN) where the serial number on the camera was different to the serial number the Exif was showing. I'm not sure how that turned out but it was a bit worrying. I always check the Exif now when i get a new camera.
Click to expand...

I sent mine back and canon HK matched it to the camera, they sent it back with an official canon letter confirming the work done, was all a bit strange.
 
So I went used in the end. Found a low-click D7200 body on WEX for less than the grey imports and a couple of hundred off a new UK one.
It's only really the packaging and paperwork and the creases in the strap where it had been on the camera that gives it away as a used product, looking at the actual body itself, I can barely see any signs of use on it. The eyepiece cup is also missing but that's well worth the price difference IMO.
 
wolfyccfc said:
Can't speak for Panamoz but on my mkiii from digital rev a few years ago the serial number on the box did not match the camera. There was a thread on it as a number of people had the same issue. Maybe it's the way they are sourced in HK and they do not come boxed from the factory and the distributor boxes them?
Click to expand...
That explanation seems highly unlikely to me. These cameras are all made in Japan, and I can't see any reason why they would do a special production run of unboxed cameras for HK but provide them boxed for the rest of the world. When you think about the number of items that go into any box, it's surely very inefficient and error-prone for the local distributors get a box of cameras, a box of manuals, a box of straps, a box of boxes(!), etc etc, and assemble them all themselves.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top