UK vs US Camera Prices

SteveUK

Member
Original Poster
Hi everybody;

I'm off to WDW next weekend, and have decided I want a new digital camera. I don't want anything special or expensive, but was wondering whether I should buy one in the UK before travelling, or if it would be cheaper to wait and buy one in the US? I would probably only want to spend £100 - £150 ($200 - $300), as I said I don't need anything amazing; just small and easy to use at a sensible price.

Also, where would be a good place to get one if the US turns out to be the best option? We are staying at the All-Star Music without a car, so somewhere close by - Florida Mall maybe?
 

dolbyman

Well-Known Member
I never buy any large eletronics in the us .. they're not that much cheaper but you have the hassle with customs and later warranty claims

when it comes to video there also the PAL/NTSC "problem" (although this is no big deal anymore)
 

CAPTAIN HOOK

Well-Known Member
As has been said - your biggest problem will be warranty claims if anything goes wrong. When you return to the UK Gordon Brown will charge you for the privelege of saving money in the US.

Unless the purchase of a camera is going to save you several hundred pounds by buying overseas I'd say forget it - search the web, there's bargains to be had on there (not Ebay) at cheaper than shop prices.
 

KeithVH

Well-Known Member
Slightly different viewpoint here.

First, at your pricepoint, these items are basically consumables. If there is a major failure outside of warranty, it'll probably be cheaper to buy a new one - and, in most cases, most cameras should last for at least the warranty period.:animwink:

Secondly, don't confuse equivalent pricing between UK and US. Jessops, for example, list the Canon A720IS at £149.99. Best Buy has it for $199. Or the A590IS for $179 at CircuitCity. Both of these stores are in Orlando. And Canon, AFAIK, will honor any warranty at the factory anywhere in the world.

I would recommend a Canon. But there are a boatload to chose from in this price range, making it a tough choice in some ways. I stay away from Sony as they do have minor known quality control issues (MTBF issues) and their proprietary memory cards. Panasonic has great features but their sensors and noise reduction spoil it for me. Olympus isn't bad and neither is Nikon. But there's a reason Canon has the majority market share here - they make a better, more consistent product. If you want to go a little higher end, try the SX100IS for $249.

Don't forget to add in extra batteries and a couple of memory cards. This is why I suggested the A590/720. They have image stabilization and that is amazingly helpful at DW. Learning to use either would take about 15 minutes. You could buy two sets of rechargeable AA (if possible, get the new hybrids - holds a charge for a year) and a couple of 1Gb memory cards (ANY will do, high perf isn't needed) and still be under the $300 limit.
 

SteveUK

Member
Original Poster
Thanks for all the advice, it's been really helpful. If I get some decent shots, I will post a few when I get back.
 

Pumbas Nakasak

Heading for the great escape.
The warranty is world wide so thats a bag of bollox used to encourage you to pay rip of Britain prices, the Vat man is there to be defeated, however there are e-bay firms in Hong Kong who are better priced and quite skilled at limiting the impact of Vat (ie if your paying something he dosent look so hard)
 

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