Buying cameras in Hong Kong
Discussion
I'm off to Hong Kong next month and wondered whether it is worthwhile to buy a camera over there? Are prices cheaper? Are there any duty free deals? Years ago I bought an Omega watch in Australia. Unlike the U.K, the shop allowed haggling and I got the VAT back at the airport.
I'm after a Sony RX100 M3, BTW.
I'm after a Sony RX100 M3, BTW.
We stayed over in Hong Kong a few years ago at the Mira Hotel which was sensational and was very close to the main shopping street so we of course went for a wander down the main street to see what was on offer and it was absolutely mind-boggling.
First impressions were that prices were substantially cheaper than here but it's all hard sell, you so much as glance in a shop and they are out there trying almost to pull you back into the shop, the reason being is that the high street is littered with loads of camera and gadget shops so competition is intense, you name it they will have it, I seem to recollect seeing Sony camera models for sale that hadn't even been announced in the UK market. Just make sure if you buy any cameras that they set the menu system to English because you might struggle to decipher the menu systems if they are set to Japanese or Chinese, though all is not lost if the menu is set to Chinese, just pop into your local Chinese takeaway when back in the UK and have a quick chat with the owner
And don't fall for the tailer shop salesman who will accost you on the street, just tell him to sod off, and be warned if you so much as show an inkling of interest and he will drag you half way across town to measure you up for a bespoke suit in whatever fabric you desire, we were flying back the following morning so thought that excuse would work but that didn't put him off, in the end we walked out and told him in no uncertain terms that we weren't interested!
Hong Kong is a fantastic place to visit but it's absolutely mad - and did I mention the airport which is breathtaking and puts Heathrow to shame.
Hope this helps...
First impressions were that prices were substantially cheaper than here but it's all hard sell, you so much as glance in a shop and they are out there trying almost to pull you back into the shop, the reason being is that the high street is littered with loads of camera and gadget shops so competition is intense, you name it they will have it, I seem to recollect seeing Sony camera models for sale that hadn't even been announced in the UK market. Just make sure if you buy any cameras that they set the menu system to English because you might struggle to decipher the menu systems if they are set to Japanese or Chinese, though all is not lost if the menu is set to Chinese, just pop into your local Chinese takeaway when back in the UK and have a quick chat with the owner
And don't fall for the tailer shop salesman who will accost you on the street, just tell him to sod off, and be warned if you so much as show an inkling of interest and he will drag you half way across town to measure you up for a bespoke suit in whatever fabric you desire, we were flying back the following morning so thought that excuse would work but that didn't put him off, in the end we walked out and told him in no uncertain terms that we weren't interested!
Hong Kong is a fantastic place to visit but it's absolutely mad - and did I mention the airport which is breathtaking and puts Heathrow to shame.
Hope this helps...
I live in HK.
There is no VAT or sales tax on cameras in HK.
Never buy anything from the camera shops along Nathan road in TST - the ones with no prices on the items. They will take your credit card and then insist that normally included accesories are extras (lens cap, strap, charger etc) ; or that the model you want is not available however, they have this other model.
Chain electronics stores are OK - Fortress, Broadway (usually in large shopping malls)
Slightly cheaper are several in
kok - Wing Shun (Sai Young Choi St.), Man shing photo supplies (Tung Choi St). You will probably get a memory card, camera bag and crappy cheap tripod thrown in for free.
There is no VAT or sales tax on cameras in HK.
Never buy anything from the camera shops along Nathan road in TST - the ones with no prices on the items. They will take your credit card and then insist that normally included accesories are extras (lens cap, strap, charger etc) ; or that the model you want is not available however, they have this other model.
Chain electronics stores are OK - Fortress, Broadway (usually in large shopping malls)
Slightly cheaper are several in
kok - Wing Shun (Sai Young Choi St.), Man shing photo supplies (Tung Choi St). You will probably get a memory card, camera bag and crappy cheap tripod thrown in for free.If HK is anything like Singapore you'll find that due to the collapse in the value of Sterling it's simply not worth buying anything as you'll get it cheaper here in the UK. It will also have the advantage of a UK warranty (although maybe not if you buy from a grey importer) & be wary about the claims of the HK hustlers telling you everything comes with a world-wide warranty.
wong said:
I live in HK.
There is no VAT or sales tax on cameras in HK.
Never buy anything from the camera shops along Nathan road in TST - the ones with no prices on the items. They will take your credit card and then insist that normally included accesories are extras (lens cap, strap, charger etc) ; or that the model you want is not available however, they have this other model.
Chain electronics stores are OK - Fortress, Broadway (usually in large shopping malls)
Slightly cheaper are several inkok - Wing Shun (Sai Young Choi St.), Man shing photo supplies (Tung Choi St). You will probably get a memory card, camera bag and crappy cheap tripod thrown in for free.
+1 on all that. There is no VAT or sales tax on cameras in HK.
Never buy anything from the camera shops along Nathan road in TST - the ones with no prices on the items. They will take your credit card and then insist that normally included accesories are extras (lens cap, strap, charger etc) ; or that the model you want is not available however, they have this other model.
Chain electronics stores are OK - Fortress, Broadway (usually in large shopping malls)
Slightly cheaper are several in
kok - Wing Shun (Sai Young Choi St.), Man shing photo supplies (Tung Choi St). You will probably get a memory card, camera bag and crappy cheap tripod thrown in for free.Mrs Puff is from HK and if you add up all the time I've been there, it would be close to a year.
If your risk appetite is a bit higher, then you can also buy cameras in
kok from the electronics centre. They are grey market imports, so they have no warranty other than a warranty from the shop you bought it from (which obv is not much use if you don't live in HK). However, they are cheaper than Man Shing/Wing Shing or Broadway/Fortress. I generally buy all my stuff in these no-warranty shops. I just check it out beforehand. This means bringing a computer with you, taking test photos with the camera or lens and then examining the photos in full resolution. So far, I've never had a problem. Even with the value of the £££ going down the toilet, I'd still never consider buying a camera in the UK.
creampuff said:
+1 on all that.
Mrs Puff is from HK and if you add up all the time I've been there, it would be close to a year.
If your risk appetite is a bit higher, then you can also buy cameras inkok from the electronics centre. They are grey market imports, so they have no warranty other than a warranty from the shop you bought it from (which obv is not much use if you don't live in HK). However, they are cheaper than Man Shing/Wing Shing or Broadway/Fortress. I generally buy all my stuff in these no-warranty shops. I just check it out beforehand. This means bringing a computer with you, taking test photos with the camera or lens and then examining the photos in full resolution. So far, I've never had a problem.
Even with the value of the £££ going down the toilet, I'd still never consider buying a camera in the UK.
Avoid the electronics centre in Mrs Puff is from HK and if you add up all the time I've been there, it would be close to a year.
If your risk appetite is a bit higher, then you can also buy cameras in
kok from the electronics centre. They are grey market imports, so they have no warranty other than a warranty from the shop you bought it from (which obv is not much use if you don't live in HK). However, they are cheaper than Man Shing/Wing Shing or Broadway/Fortress. I generally buy all my stuff in these no-warranty shops. I just check it out beforehand. This means bringing a computer with you, taking test photos with the camera or lens and then examining the photos in full resolution. So far, I've never had a problem. Even with the value of the £££ going down the toilet, I'd still never consider buying a camera in the UK.
kok, it's just a waste of timeGo on this site, for example this camera
http://www.price.com.hk/product.php?p=240831
the Blue price is for a camera that's imported grey market
the green price is for a genuine camera.
stores have feedback
each shop also has a whatsapp number that you can contact them on.
I've had many bargains from there. If you want some used stuff, check here
http://www.dcfever.com/trading/index.php
It's the ebay of hk where you can buy used stuff.
I don't speak a word of cantonese/mandarin but never had a problem buying stuff.
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