Singapore Expats

Hi,
I am looking to buy a DSLR camera within a budget of 1000 SGD.
Where is the best place?

(wow, really?)

you may try sim lim square and mustafa.

without coming across as rude. i suggest you save up more money. because camera with no lens is not good.

when i first started out photography i went with the d700s (yes you read correctly!!) this gives you all the features to slowly sit there and play with it.

would i get into photography any other way? hell no. buy it once, and please no entry model cams.

ok thanks, i appreciate the honesty.
Is SG a cheap place for Cameras ?

shumy2 wrote:ok thanks, i appreciate the honesty.
Is SG a cheap place for Cameras ?

Hell, no. You can get them cheaper from Japan, Malaysia and sometimes, even the Philippines.

Hong Kong is a lot cheaper too, damn, I think my camera costs less in the UK than I paid here! Don't expect cheap prices!

I too need to buy a Nikon D5100 at as much possible low cost. Any reliable place for it.?

nakatago wrote:

shumy2 wrote:ok thanks, i appreciate the honesty.
Is SG a cheap place for Cameras ?

Hell, no. You can get them cheaper from Japan, Malaysia and sometimes, even the Philippines.

Even compared with expo time as well (in which we can get free gifts)?

Our friend bought theirs at Mustarf square. Hope that helps.

I get my stuff from Cathay Photos. And sometimes John3:16 (yeah, that is a shop name!) at Funan Mall. Stay clear of the crooks in Lucky Plaza !

bayguy wrote:I get my stuff from Cathay Photos. And sometimes John3:16 (yeah, that is a shop name!) at Funan Mall. Stay clear of the crooks in Lucky Plaza !

FYI, John 3:16 has a new store front in Funan. More seats for customers being consulted. Business has been good for them.

I bought a camera a few months ago (for the F1 GP) a Canon 7D. I did a lot of research, went to Sim Lim, Funan mall etc etc. here are my observations these are just my thoughts and you may well have a difference experience.

1) Prices seem very fixed - most places had exactly the same price for the "7D package" (camera + lens)

2) those places offering it at a cheaper price where offering a grey import and when asked about warranties become very evasive and in some instances just plain lied. You want to make sure your warranty is valid in Singapore.

3) The value add is to be had on what extras the store will throw in and discounts on memory cards and batteries etc they seem to be able to discount these but not so much the actual camera package.

4) Look out for the manufactures special offers - I got a free Speed Lite flash with mine just for registering the camera with Canon.

5) I did look in various other countries HK, South Africa, UK and prices where much the same once the whole package was taken into account and I got a GST refund.

I bought from Budget electronics? in Harbour Front mall got a "free" tripod, camera bag a few books thrown in for the price I paid, also big discounts on memory cards extra battery. On the whole with the free flash I got a reasonable deal - but you need to look around and remember the if the price sounds too good its probably a grey import.....

I've bought plenty of gear over the years. HK is probably the cheapest and most reliable, but if you're going to buy something from another country, you need to be aware of warranty issues.

Singapore is not the cheapest, but as these things are basically a commodity these days, we're not talking thousands of dollars.

I would definitely second the recommendation of Cathay / John 3:16... for an extra couple of bucks you can be guaranteed peace of mind.

If you are a little more adventurous, then the online places in HK are definitely the cheapest: Digitalrev and DWI are the two that I have used. Be aware though that if you're importing into SG from an online purchase you will have to pay GST if the value is over (I think) $400.

AFAIK, camera body has local warranty but lenses and other accessories have international warranty.

To recommend...

Sim Lim Square: Alan Photo & Orient Photo, beware of the rest, too many scams around...
Funan: Alan Photo, TK Foto, John 3:16, SLR Revolution
Peninsula Plaza: Cathay Photo
Nieghbourhood: MS Color, Parisilk...

Once you have compared the prices from 3-5 shops up there, you will have a rough idea on the market price. From there you decide on which shop to go for, taking into considerations the chemistry between you and the salesman...

Happy shopping.