Lenses from USA

S

starscream

Guest
Hey everyone,

First post :wave:

My parents are in the USA at the moment and I'm in the market for a telephoto lens for my 5D. Possibly something like a 70-200mm. With the £ so good against the $ at the moment I'm wondering if it's worth getting them to pick one up for me while they're over. Does anyone know a good cheap and reliable US based supplier? They are staying with friends so getting posted to an address is not a problem.

thanks
 
The best US suppliers are generally reckoned to be B&H and Adorama. And maybe Beach Camera.

You don't say which of the 4 flavours of 70-200 you're after. Let's look at all four.

f4 / f4 IS / f/2.8 / f2.8 IS from the USA
$560 /$1040 /$1100 / $1660 <= current prices from Adorama.
£273 / £507 / £537 / £810 <= converted at £1 = $2.05.
£339 / £630 / £666 / £1006 <= if your parents have to pay duty on the way back.

f4 / f4 IS / f/2.8 / f2.8 IS in the UK
£399 / £695 / NA / £1149 <= cheapest prices from Camera Price Buster.
£329 / £595 / NA / £1014 <= allowing for the UK cashback promotion.

So I'd say do it if (a) you want the f/2.8 non-IS, which doesn't seem to be available in the UK for some reason; or (b) you're confident that your parents are prepared to take the risk of bringing it back through customs without declaring it. (But remember, if they're stopped and they have a brand new lens but no camera, they'll have the book thrown at them. Will they risk it?)
 
Not that I have ever brought anything back without declaring and paying duty, but I've heard that not having the box with you can help...
 
dont forget that they will have to pay sales tax (average about 8%) on top of the price in the US (as well as paying VAT and duty if they decide to declare the items in customs)

sales tax can be avoided by posting to another state/city, but some states/cities have sales tax agreements with others so you might find you still have to pay.
and there is also the cost of shipping to add too
 
the price from Kerso for the 70-200 2.8 IS after cashback and inc delivery comes to £845, so not much more than the base cost from the US. and you know you dont have to worry about duty etc bringing it back.
 
grumpybadger said:
Not that I have ever brought anything back without declaring and paying duty, but I've heard that not having the box with you can help...
Click to expand...
Mmm. If I were buying a lens in the US which I didn't want to declare, I'd post the box, instruction manual, guarantee etc. to myself in the UK before I set off for home. But the other thing I'd do is make sure the lens was on my camera when I travelled. If I didn't have a camera, then it would look suspicious, box or no box!
 
StewartR said:
Mmm. If I were buying a lens in the US which I didn't want to declare, I'd post the box, instruction manual, guarantee etc. to myself in the UK before I set off for home. But the other thing I'd do is make sure the lens was on my camera when I travelled. If I didn't have a camera, then it would look suspicious, box or no box!
Click to expand...

why would you have to declare a gift?
 
Be careful. A friend of mine bought two iPods in the states for his daughters in the UK. Guess what, British customs stopped him and his wife.

They didn't declare them because they thought they didn't have to. Result a very embarrassing 30 mins with UK customs at Heathrow.You need to check the latest limit, but the allowance for gifts is only about £150 if memory serves me .

It turns out that they could have been fined and had the iPods confiscated. The rule about buying and using it a few times makes it second hand doesn't work either. It seems they had honest faces so they got away with paying the duty and VAT. The gifts weren't so cheap after all.
 
think i just read limit for a gift is only £36 to avoid duty
the only time i have ordered from abroad the invoice stated it was a "free sample, worth $1"
no customs interference, but then again from the people i have spoken to involved in any of my other hobbies who regularly order from abroad i dont know anyone who has been charged.. so customs obviously dont check every package, and on the few occasions i have been through customs at an airport i have never seen anyone stopped - in fact an old neighbour when i was growing up was a customs officer at an airport and i remember hearing him say as long as you keep looking straight ahead you probly wont get stopped - looking around even if you think you are doing it casually just makes you look nervous like you have something to hide..

if parents have a camera, as already suggested post home anything you might need like warranty card, and carry the lens with rest of kit
 
I like taking pictures from gigs mostly so Ideally I'd like the F/2.8, but I can't afford the IS version. I didn't realise it was so hard to get hold of in the UK.
 
Kerso can get one for you, about £650 delivered - drop him a PM on here...
 
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