Why are canon lenses half the price in the USA?

[robvonk]

I've been following this forum for a while now and i got my EOS 10D last monday :) So the next step will be buying some nice lenses. I've got two lenses from my old eos 5000. One is good (20-35mm 3.5-4.5) and the other is the one that came with the packet (38-78mm). The last one definitly needs replaced.

So i've been reading the forum and got all exited about all those nice lenses. But when i look at the prices here in the netherlands i see that all of them are double the price here. And now with the low dollar even more.

For example:

Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II

Googling for price shows me that you can buy it for $65 in the USA (according to eopinions)

At a cheap shop here in the netherlands, you have to pay
160 euro for it (at the current rate that is about $180)

Another example:

Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Lens
epinions tell me that the lowest base price is $189.85

in the netherlands i have to pay 544 euro for it (at the current rate that is about $625)

And you post the same low prices here for each and every lens. This way, a 'L' lens is never in my reach :)

I don't have any clue why the same product is less than half the price in the USA.

Anyone have an explanation?

Or does anyone have suggestions for (reliable) shops that deliver to europe? With these prices i laugh about the tax and import costs they will charge me here in the netherlands).

Rob

[Patrick 10D]

I know how you feel. In Finland, the prices are also about 40-100% more on any Canon item.

My 10D would have cost me 2200 EUR ... if I would not have traded in my Sony S-85, Canon EOS 30E, 540EZ, two lenses and a bunch of fliters! At least my camera bag is light these days!!

As a result, I have now purchased a 550EX Speedlight, Battery Grip, Memory, filters and soon, a 70-200 L lens, from B & H Photo and had it sent to a friend in Maine. He then ships the equipment to me ...

With the EUR/USD exchange rate being in our favor for once, now IS a good time to buy things form the US - if you know how to do it.

Patrick

[onehotrx7]

Here in Australia we're in the same boat... but different countries do have different pricing... I've seen good prices on lenses originating in Germany, which may be a bit closer to home for you??

Bear in mind that only by buying in your own country do you get a warranty... that's how Canon entice people to buy stuff at the 'local' price...

Cheers,
Stuart

[robbroek]

robvonk wrote:
I've been following this forum for a while now and i got my EOS 10D last monday :) So the next step will be buying some nice lenses. I've got two lenses from my old eos 5000. One is good (20-35mm 3.5-4.5) and the other is the one that came with the packet (38-78mm). The last one definitly needs replaced.

So i've been reading the forum and got all exited about all those nice lenses. But when i look at the prices here in the netherlands i see that all of them are double the price here. And now with the low dollar even more.

For example:

Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II

Googling for price shows me that you can buy it for $65 in the USA (according to eopinions)

At a cheap shop here in the netherlands, you have to pay
160 euro for it (at the current rate that is about $180)

Another example:

Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Lens
epinions tell me that the lowest base price is $189.85

in the netherlands i have to pay 544 euro for it (at the current rate that is about $625)

And you post the same low prices here for each and every lens. This way, a 'L' lens is never in my reach :)

I don't have any clue why the same product is less than half the price in the USA.

Anyone have an explanation?

Or does anyone have suggestions for (reliable) shops that deliver to europe? With these prices i laugh about the tax and import costs they will charge me here in the netherlands).

Rob





Rob,

You mean the 28-135 IS USM for 544 euro, that's another lens as the cheaper 28-105.

Groeten uit Den Haag

Rob

[robvonk]

Thanks for the reactions so far :)

I've looked at B&H and they ship to the netherlands for $36.50. The 28-105 costs $219 there.

So the price will be something like this:

188 eur (lens)
32 eur (shipping)
50 eur (tax and import rights)
----
270 eur

Is still about half the price..

In germany the lenses are cheaper indeed but the 28-105 lens would be about 350 eur + 30 eur shipping (here's no tax or import rights from germany to the netherlands). So thats still a whopping 380 eur compared to 270 shipped from the USA..

B&H states this about warranty:


A "USA" warrantied item is a manufacture's warranty that would be repaired in any manufacturer's authorized service facility worldwide if the item required in-warranty service. The "direct import" item would have to be returned to B&H Photo-Video Corp. in New York City if it required in-warranty attention. A resident of the USA may wish to make the buying decision based on price, since the cost of shipping to an American service center or to us should be about equal. A non-USA resident may want to consider the cost of returning the "direct import" item to us for warranty service, compared to the expense of buying the "USA warrantied" item and having warranty service available locally.


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh4/controller/home?O=productlist.jsp&A=getpage&Q=GreyMarketStatic.jsp

So they have two prices. A "USA price" and a "Direct import price". They state that the "USA price" articles have worldwide warranty.

I still have some time before buying a lens so i'll keep watching...

[robvonk]

robbroek wrote:
Rob,

You mean the 28-135 IS USM for 544 euro, that's another lens as the cheaper 28-105.

Groeten uit Den Haag

Rob


Rob,

i've looked at these products:

Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Autofocus Lens USA
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh4/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=206434&is=USA

Canpn EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Lens (note the spelling error on their page)
http://www.fotovideoshop.nl/nl/dept_161.html

So that looks the same to me..

fotovideoshop is one of the cheapests shops here in the netherlands i think. Or do you know a better place?

Greetings also from The Hague :)

Rob

[BurningArrow]

robvonk, I ordered my 28-135 IS USM @ B&H and paid no more than $ 425 including shipping, which is about € 367.
Konijnenberg has it listed for € 560 ....

Normally you'd have to pay 6.7% import duties plus 19% tax, but somehow I got the lens without having to pay those.
But even if I had to pay duties + tax, the lens would still be cheaper, so I know I will be getting most of my lenses in the US.

Matt

PS photovideoshop doesn't seem cheap at all, check out www.koopdigitaal.nl

[George]

When I've travelled to Europe, I've noticed that alot of things are more expensive... especially with high-tech items. I've always stacked that up to two things, volume and free-trade. With volume comes reduced prices and competition. Here in the states, people are always having sales and trying to under-cut the competition. Doesn't Europe have some sort of law against that? Isn't it the reason why there are only "sales" twice a year? Or is that only a few countries? Also... didn't alot of merchants take advantage of the change to the Euro to up prices?

[robbroek]

robvonk wrote:
robbroek wrote:
Rob,

You mean the 28-135 IS USM for 544 euro, that's another lens as the cheaper 28-105.

Groeten uit Den Haag

Rob


Rob,

i've looked at these products:

Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Autofocus Lens USA
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh4/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=206434&is=USA

Canpn EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Lens (note the spelling error on their page)
http://www.fotovideoshop.nl/nl/dept_161.html

So that looks the same to me..

fotovideoshop is one of the cheapests shops here in the netherlands i think. Or do you know a better place?

Greetings also from The Hague :)

Rob

Rob, it must be a mistake. Cheapest shops in Holland are:
www.kamera-express.nl
www.geengeld.nl
www.japancamera.nl

fotovideoshop is quite expensive....

I know your name from somewhere, can't remember. Did you go to school in Rijswijk? (ROS?)