Trip to USA/Canada - worth buying anything ?

[leehal]

I am on my annual holiday to the USA (an Canada this time) in September and was wondering how much of a bargain to people from the UK cameras/accessories are ?

I am going to Chicago, Montreal and New York.

I currently have a good condition EOS300D which I could sell for a reasonable price, how much does the average 10D cost in the USA or am I better off buying in Canada ?

Last time I was in New York I wasn't as keen on photograhy (but like gadgets) so I checked out a few camera shops, the prices looked too good to be true - are they likely to be dodgy sellers ?

Any specific camera dealers in these cities (not too far off the beaten track) would be great to know to.

Also slightly off topic, I have already bought my US travellers cheques (checks to you guys :D ) (when the rate was good at the turn of the year), I have never been to Canada and hadn't considered the currency issue. Do I need Canadian dollar travellers cheques or are my US Dollar ones good - I do have an American Express card too.

Cheers,

Lee

[nucki]

I am on my annual holiday to the USA (an Canada this time) in September and was wondering how much of a bargain to people from the UK cameras/accessories are ?

I am going to Chicago, Montreal and New York.

I currently have a good condition EOS300D which I could sell for a reasonable price, how much does the average 10D cost in the USA or am I better off buying in Canada ?

Last time I was in New York I wasn't as keen on photograhy (but like gadgets) so I checked out a few camera shops, the prices looked too good to be true - are they likely to be dodgy sellers ?

Any specific camera dealers in these cities (not too far off the beaten track) would be great to know to.

Also slightly off topic, I have already bought my US travellers cheques (checks to you guys :D ) (when the rate was good at the turn of the year), I have never been to Canada and hadn't considered the currency issue. Do I need Canadian dollar travellers cheques or are my US Dollar ones good - I do have an American Express card too.

Cheers,

Lee

go to B&H in New York! Its the first address in the world I think! just save enough of money until your trip! the have nearly anything and they seems to be the cheapest.

take a look at the link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

best regards
Peter

[Belmondo]

You don't say where you're traveling from, so it's hard to answer all your questions with great specificity, but here are a couple points that might help.

1. B&H is in New York City, and is not off the beaten path. It's worth the trip and you will see some of the best prices anywhere. A common complaint we see on the forum is from people in other countries who observe that things are much cheaper here in the USA, and the prices at B&H are usually among the best here. The main advantage to B&H is that it's a real store ---not an etail warehouse--- and their customer service is very good. If you have a problem, they'll help you deal with it. There are lots of stores in New York that will sell you things, and they might even sell it to you cheaper, but you are taking considerable risk when dealing with many of them. Also, B&H will consistently have more selection and better prices than most. If nothing else, it is something to be experienced. Oh....they close at noon on Friday and stay closed through Saturday, so plan your visit accordingly

2. I don't know about the cost of bringing items back to your own country. You will have to look into the customs question wherever you live, but that could affect whether or not the attractive prices elsewhere really are a bargain.

3. We have a lot of Canadians in the forum, including a couple very active people in the Montreal area. I'm sure they will be able to steer you to the better camera stores in the area. I gather from them, however, that prices in the U.S. are moderately better.

4. There should be very little problem converting your US$ into Canadian. Be mindful of the exchange rate, however. US dollars are worth more than Canadian dollars.

5. I can't help you at all with information about Chicago.

It sounds like a fun trip.

Have a good time.

Tom

[tommykjensen]

I live in Denmark and I plan to visit New York next year on my way to Florida for holiday because B&H have the best prices. Period.

Even when taking into account a possible 25% tax in danish custom it will still be cheaper than buying the same stuff in Denmark.

For example on the lens EF 400/5,6L USM I can save 52% before tax. With tax I still save 36%.

[Belmondo]

I live in Denmark and I plan to visit New York next year on my way to Florida for holiday because B&H have the best prices. Period.

Even when taking into account a possible 25% tax in danish custom it will still be cheaper than buying the same stuff in Denmark.

For example on the lens EF 400/5,6L USM I can save 52% before tax. With tax I still save 36%.

Wow! It's worse than I'd heard. You could pay for a trip to the US if your shopping list was long enough.

[tommykjensen]

Wow! It's worse than I'd heard. You could pay for a trip to the US if your shopping list was long enough.

Exactly, and I seriously do consider that because sometimes there are cheap offers for an extended weekend in New York for less than the saved cost on some of the items!