Where to buy

Hiya people,
I am new to this forum. I have had a Canon 350d for nearly 6ish months, but never got around to using it. Just getting into photography...

I am going to the states soon and I have noticed the lenses are a bit cheeper there. So, my question is this (might be a bit silly, but am new to the lense market!!):

1. Is it actually worth buying lenses from there?
2. Does it affect the warrenty?
3. Is there any difference in the lenses?


Appreciate any help.

Would help if we knew where you are from in the first place

Where in the states are you going?

Sorry for missing the vital info.

Live in London, going to NY and Islin (New Jersey)

Make a pit stop at B&H in NYC. Great prices!

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …lpCenter/NYSupe​rStore.jsp

Sir Tony wrote:
Make a pit stop at B&H in NYC. Great prices!

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …lpCenter/NYSupe​rStore.jsp

Ditto... You may want to check on import and export rules and regulations....

Yeh B & H all the way!

As Rhino says, be careful about import regulations. On the HM Reveue & Customs web site it says you can only bring in goods to the value of £145. If you buy stuff that costs more than that. you'll have to pay UK duty and tax (VAT). Of course it might still be cheaper to buy from the US, but do your sums carefully.

One way some people try to avoid duty is by claiming the goods are not new and had been bought in the UK previously. With camera lenses that could be quite plausible. But if I were you I really wouldn't go there. Even setting aside the moral/legal issues, you can be certain that your luggage is going to be inspected, and you could only reasonably claim the lenses were old if you had dumped the packaging they came in and your proofs of purchase. That effectively means throwing away your guarantee. I wouldn't do that.

Thanx for the advice.
MY Gran lives in the states so was going to leave any packaging there and only bring back the lenses in the camera case.

1 thing tho, is a warrenty on US lenses only applicable in the US? or are they world wide?

Check out the Canon USA web site. If you select the product you're interested in and go to the suppot section, you can see the precise warranty terms.

I don't think you're going to be in luck though. I looked at the warranties for a few SLR lenses and they all say:
"The limited warranty set forth below is given by Canon U.S.A., Inc. (Canon U.S.A.) in the United States and Canon Canada Inc., in Canada (herein referred to collectively as "Canon") with respect to the Canon Binoculars and Photographic Lens Products packaged with this Limited Warranty and identified by model number on this limited warranty card (each a "Product")when purchased and used in the United States or Canada. (My emphasis)

The national Canon dealers will only repair Canon stuff that THEY have sold...

It is still worth it in my opinion.

Check out if they are open before trekking to their shop. A colleugue of mine has travelled twice from New jersey to B&H to find them closed due to a Jewish holiday.

Then again, the gods probably tried to stop him from buying Noink lenses.