Canon from China

Hello.

I heard about "Canon" cameras being manufactured in China, but in fact these are not really Canon, but insted very precise mimics of Canon cameras. Are that only rumors or these copied cameras from China really exist? I tried to google little bit and found this for example:

http://www.tradevv.com​/vs-real-canon-5d-mark-ii/

What do you think about such equipment, is this Canon or not?

I ask, because one reputable store, here in Croatia, claims that they are going to sell Canon equipment from Chinese, directly from their fabric, and sell that on extremely low price. For example, regular prices here in Croatia for 5D MKII are something little less than $4000, and in this store, MKII from China will cost around $1750.

Any comments please? Thx

Fake. Fake. Fake. EOS DSLR bodies are all Japanese. This is a scam.

I forgot to mention, this seller here (not on link I posted!) will not sell equipment over Internet but in his store, all cameras can be checked there before purchase... The fact is that this seller didn't received first cameras "from China" yet, so even they do not know what is going on until first order "from China" arrive.

So this should not be possible that "Canon from China" exist?

It doesn't say anything about the camera actually being made in China,,and it's not..These cameras are supplied out of China..

I've bought heaps of stuff out of China (Hong Kong),, my 50D for example.. Canon, Tamron and Sigma lenses also and I can tell you they are the Real McCoy..

I'd also guess they are getting them imported from China - I've never seen or heard of a 'fake' Canon made in China.

yogestee wrote in post #9012672
It doesn't say anything about the camera actually being made in China,,and it's not..These cameras are supplied out of China..

I've bought heaps of stuff out of China (Hong Kong),, my 50D for example.. Canon, Tamron and Sigma lenses also and I can tell you they are the Real McCoy..

That's encouraging. Is there a big difference in cost? How does it come about that cameras and lenses shipped to China and then back out again experience such price reductions? I find this all very interesting.

coldplug wrote in post #9012576
Hello.

I heard about "Canon" cameras being manufactured in China, but in fact these are not really Canon, but insted very precise mimics of Canon cameras. Are that only rumors or these copied cameras from China really exist? I tried to google little bit and found this for example:

http://www.tradevv.com​/vs-real-canon-5d-mark-ii/

What do you think about such equipment, is this Canon or not?

I ask, because one reputable store, here in Croatia, claims that they are going to sell Canon equipment from Chinese, directly from their fabric, and sell that on extremely low price. For example, regular prices here in Croatia for 5D MKII are something little less than $4000, and in this store, MKII from China will cost around $1750.

Any comments please? Thx

Coldplug
I think you might not understand world trade. China is a huge trading partner with the rest of the world and not all trade is fraudulent. If they don't buy goods from other countries, then the world economy cannot recover. If the store in Croatia decides to import Canon cameras from China that is 100% possible. No one said the Canon product was Chinese!! Chinese traders will be happy to import from Japan and sell to Croatia. They won't be fakes. However, differences in currencies, exchange rates and pricing strategies will result in apparently higher or lower prices depending on which country you are looking at the rest of the world from! When we look FROM the UK, the rest of the world looks much cheaper for nearly everything, but we still shop locally and pay inflated prices. To some traders, this price differential is a perfectly legal money making opportunity which is known as Arbitrage and is an opportunity to make profits by buying and re-selling, when the item price is different in another country. It works for currencies as well. Commodity traders buy from non-country-of-origin and re-sell to any buyer, anywhere.

You and all of us face one problem: Should we buy from the cheapest supplier worldwide or shop for bodies in our local area and pay higher prices. There's been plenty of debate about this on these forums, but in the end it is a personal decision, strongly influenced by your personal aversion to risk and your reliance on the support you get from your dealer.

As someone has rightly mentioned. Wait to examine the product when it arrives at the Croatian shop. If it is a reputable shop, then it must sell original products with full manaufacturers's warranty.

Good luck, and keep us informed with facts, not unsubstantiated claims or rumour.

Coldplug -
A "grey import", where the store buys the camera in Hong Kong instead of from the official Canon distributor for your country can be a good deal but it is a gamble. The official importer will maintain a repair lab with top quality equipment, software supplied by Canon and technicians trained by Canon. He may also give a longer warranty period. This justifies (in his mind, at least) his making a bigger profit on each camera. For the "grey import" the warranty is given by the store. If a repair is needed, you will have no idea who is actually doing the work. It might be a competant workman or it might not.

I should point out that I have purchased several grey market cameras and have never needed a repair.

Luke Cern wrote in post #9013349
Coldplug
I think you might not understand world trade. China is a huge trading partner with the rest of the world and not all trade is fraudulent. If they don't buy goods from other countries, then the world economy cannot recover. If the store in Croatia decides to import Canon cameras from China that is 100% possible. No one said the Canon product was Chinese!! Chinese traders will be happy to import from Japan and sell to Croatia. They won't be fakes. However, differences in currencies, exchange rates and pricing strategies will result in apparently higher or lower prices depending on which country you are looking at the rest of the world from! When we look FROM the UK, the rest of the world looks much cheaper for nearly everything, but we still shop locally and pay inflated prices. To some traders, this price differential is a perfectly legal money making opportunity which is known as Arbitrage and is an opportunity to make profits by buying and re-selling, when the item price is different in another country. It works for currencies as well. Commodity traders buy from non-country-of-origin and re-sell to any buyer, anywhere.

You and all of us face one problem: Should we buy from the cheapest supplier worldwide or shop for bodies in our local area and pay higher prices. There's been plenty of debate about this on these forums, but in the end it is a personal decision, strongly influenced by your personal aversion to risk and your reliance on the support you get from your dealer.

As someone has rightly mentioned. Wait to examine the product when it arrives at the Croatian shop. If it is a reputable shop, then it must sell original products with full manaufacturers's warranty.

Good luck, and keep us informed with facts, not unsubstantiated claims or rumour.

I don't understand how this explains a 55% difference in price, if that was your intent.

runninmann wrote in post #9014087
I don't understand how this explains a 55% difference in price, if that was your intent.

You are right, but it wasn't my intention to do that..

There isn't any real evidence yet of a 55% price difference.
However, price watchers in the UK will have noticed a a large fall in the "new" price of a 7D since launch, and especially if they buy it from another country and don't get caught with any import taxes or duty. Early adopters always pay heavily to have the box from day one! The true value of a 7D is not yet clear, but its a long way off the original launch price in the UK. Maybe 50%. Noticeably, that doesn't happen with the 1D range of bodies.
By the way, Croatia is hoping to join the EU in the next couple of years. Then they will have extra value added taxes on their shopping. That's when the down side of EU membership hits you!

If someone was capable of reproducing a functional Canon camera body I would be ultra impressed.

mikeassk wrote in post #9014467
If someone was capable of reproducing a functional Canon camera body I would be ultra impressed.

Exactly : Who would buy it? and who's going to make the sensor chip with all it's functions... cheaply? That's the real problem that a copier has to overcome.

Impress your friends.. I don't think so!

It's not even like owning fake watches. I love my originals. I've owned them from when they had full value and I paid for them. I also have a few fakes for when I'm in a risky situation or travelling. I have no respect or admiration for them.

I just don't buy the idea of fakes on the market that could trick a photographer with some Canon knowledge.

mikeassk wrote in post #9014467
If someone was capable of reproducing a functional Canon camera body I would be ultra impressed.

Exactly, if there was a chinese company that could make a 5Dmk2 clone that performed and handled close enough to fool anyone for 1/2 the price they should launch their own brand.

jr_senator wrote in post #9013177
That's encouraging. Is there a big difference in cost? How does it come about that cameras and lenses shipped to China and then back out again experience such price reductions? I find this all very interesting.

There is a good price difference.. I'm getting gear sent to me to Laos much cheaper than if I was to buy the same item at retail prices in Australia.. For one thing I'm not paying any import tax..

Canon Australia would be paying import tax which is passed onto the consumer plus a certain percentage on top of that.. I don't know how it works in China but possibly suppliers there are either not needing to pay import tax or import tax at a reduced rate when compared to Australia, Europe or the US.. These savings are then passed onto the consumer..

I'm not an economist but I do know is that anything you buy is taxed whether it be import tax, sales tax, GST and all/or of the above..

Possibly this supplier in China is buying in bulk off Canon, Nikon or whoever and these price savings are also passed onto the consumer..

Asia is a huge market and China the the biggest.. Just go there are take a look at what's available and the price savings,,absolutely amazing.. Asia, especially China will come out of this so called world recession a lot better than Europe and the USA..

Not a chance in the world.. It would be cheaper for the supplier to buy in bulk off the manufacturers and pass the savings to the consumer than set up a factory that makes "fakes".. I have never heard of a Canon, Nikon etc fake..

If a company in China had the ability to manufacture a camera which was of world standard they would market it under there own name..

What the above poster is saying is that any camera bought in the US for example is then also a "fake" because EOS bodies are made in Japan.. Silly statement..

yogestee wrote in post #9015314
There is a good price difference.. I'm getting gear sent to me to Laos much cheaper than if I was to buy the same item at retail prices in Australia.. For one thing I'm not paying any import tax..

Canon Australia would be paying import tax which is passed onto the consumer plus a certain percentage on top of that.. I don't know how it works in China but possibly suppliers there are either not needing to pay import tax or import tax at a reduced rate when compared to Australia, Europe or the US.. These savings are then passed onto the consumer..

I'm not an economist but I do know is that anything you buy is taxed whether it be import tax, sales tax, GST and all/or of the above..

Possibly this supplier in China is buying in bulk off Canon, Nikon or whoever and these price savings are also passed onto the consumer..



Not a chance in the world.. It would be cheaper for the supplier to buy in bulk off the manufacturers and pass the savings to the consumer than set up a factory that makes "fakes".. I have never heard of a Canon, Nikon etc fake..

If a company in China had the ability to manufacture a camera which was of world standard they would market it under there own name..

What the above poster is saying is that any camera bought in the US for example is then also a "fake" because EOS bodies are made in Japan.. Silly statement..

my current understanding is that, because of FTA between China and Japan (was taken into effect not too long ago), imports (including cameras) from Japan into china (vice versa) is not taxed; heard this in my macro class.