Camera lens - buying another one

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:21 am

I'm after a zoom lens for my Canon EOS350D. After much reading review etc I've settled on an Image Stabilizing lens, the Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM. Don't start changing my mind, Ive read pages of debate in the camera forums over the last few days.

According to a dealer I spoke to they make them quite slowly, and from what I read had a setback when they recalled all of the early stock for a modification. For this reason, they are like hen's teeth at the moment.

The dealer is notifying me when he gets one. he sells at �369, I can find them at the full price, more like �450, but that's way past my budget. So is �369 really, but I'm only going to buy it once.

I found a source on Ebay in Hong Kong, selling for �295 plus �30 carriage. The bugbear is Customs duty - it may or may not be pulled out and charged by customs. In the past I bought some motorcycle parts from the US, they were labeled as a gift, and not opened or charged. These guys make no such offer, I believe the Chinese Government can be, er, rather strict.

Anyone know how much we are looking at on �295? Would they put VAT on too?

Master Baiter Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 113

HMRC states:

If you purchase goods through the Internet you should be aware that Customs duty and VAT will be payable, as follows:

* Customs duty - if the amount of duty is �7 and over and
* Import VAT - if the value of the goods is �18 and over.

Camera Lenses are charged at 6.7% Customs Duty
Plus VAT @ 17.5%

So your �295 lens would end up costing you

19.77 in duty
51.63 in Vat
30.00 in Shipping

�396.40

Some traders will offer to send as a "gift" or "low value" item. Please be aware that this is fraudulent and could expose the seller and/or the recipient to criminal proceedings.

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:44 am

Ew! Thanks for the straight answer. Looks like I'm going to wait for the Uk dealer to get one in stock, he has my email and mobile number.

I would imagine anyone caught fraudulently exporting in HK runs a risk of being locked up forever.

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:04 pm

HK is a little different to mainland CN. They do have more autonomy and there are many 3Bay sellers who have set up shop there. There is also the issue of local warranty too; this why I'd suggest beating the local retailers (baiting???) down wherever possible.

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:10 pm

Cool, thanks for the advice, glad I didnt pay more to buy from HK and risk the warranty. Its a very complex bit of kit, it has giros built in to compensate for camera shake, handy when you have a handheld zoom lens. That sounds like more to go wrong, though.

I found one for �379, but free postage, after a bit of intensive Googling. It will be here tomorrow or Monday. Hayley must never know how much it cost (ie more than the camera Shocked

).....

Still relatively cheap, I was shocked to find out those white 'drainpipe' lenses I see at football matches and racetracks can cost �3-6,000! :yikes:

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:49 pm

When I started getting into photography a bit more seriously, I very quickly realised that my price range would mean using a practika and second hand equipment. I did a bit of searching and found that the cameras that really made me drool were �10,000+. I found work and saved up, and decided to upgrade. I still found myself buying second hand equipment and the stuff that makes me drool now is still way out of my price range. Anything 'fancy' like time exposure shots at night is still done with my old practikas.

That's why I'm still looking for that one deal that is real.

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:21 pm

The guys at the Observatory who use cameras for astro imageing
all swear by the Cannon 350's,some of their 'deep sky object' shots are mind blowing Very Happy

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:53 pm

/\/\ I think they use even more expensive lenses, wouldnt like to pay the carriage on one of those from Hong Kong. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:08 pm

^^

It's only the camera body thats goe's on to the telescope so no need for any lenses, I will post a link tomorrow to our images site it's well worth a visit.

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:03 pm

@ Roycropper & chc74.

Just a slight amendment to those Customs charges, Duty is payable on the C.I.F. (Cost, Insurance & Freight) value, i.e. the price at UK Quayside, therefore Duty is calculated as follows

Cost �295.00

Freight � 30.00

Total �325.00

Duty @ 6.7% � 21.77

V.A.T. is payable on the delivered price i.e. the price delivered to your door. Sneaky little trick by HMR&C, this price includes the Duty, so you pay V.A.T. on Duty, as follows

Value for V.A.T. = �295.00
+ � 30.00
+ � 21.77

= �346.77

V.A.T. @ 17.5% � 60.68

Total �407.45

Total Duty & V.A.T. �82.45

F.Y.I. - If you are caught trying to import without paying, you will have to pay the charges i.e. �82.45 & will be fined the same amount again for being a naughty boy. If you still want the goods, you will have to pay the �82.45 a third time to get them or HMR&C will keep the goods. This is of course if you accept a summary charge, if you go to Court it may well be higher & you could get chucked in chokey!! Hence the reason that you will find the following charming phrase on HMR&C documentation "Warning, heavy penalties exist for false declaration".

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:10 am

Which explains why HMRC can take such good close up pictures when they publish surveillance photos.....

Glad I bought a lens from the UK now. BTW, my new camera has turned out to be a Canadian grey import, which explained why the selling firm is covering the warranty, and the warranty card was missing. So far, I've left no feedback, though I am happy with the camera for the price I paid.

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:02 am

And just to add insult to injury the company that delivers the goods will usually add about �13 for themselves!! ( to cover their "costs" Rolling Eyes

)

Glad you got what you wanted

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:38 am

^^^

If I'm doing the Customs Entry, that's �45.00!!

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:41 pm

http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1

Link as promised,just click on the gallery tab when you get to the site.

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:40 pm

Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM

Got one Laughing

A very very nice lens! Got some great shots using it with my 30D

Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:05 am

A quick bit of 'proof of the pudding' Reduced in quality to spare me from mod hissy fits Wink

, the originals are over 1.5 Mb each.

The first is a crop, remember this is hand held, pointing up, so the IS system is working overtime. You can hear the little giros spinning away.

One of the twins, on the wall outside.

Steam trains, on the East Lancs Railway, yesterday.

Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:17 am

Nice work Roy mate. Very Happy

Thats one great shot of the moon for hand held!!

Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 3:45 pm

Nice shots, Roy.

music man wrote:

And just to add insult to injury the company that delivers the goods will usually add about �13 for themselves!! ( to cover their "costs" Rolling Eyes

)

I've bought a couple of lenses from the USA; one got through the system without any charges ( Mr. Green

); for the other I was slapped with full Irish VAT at 21%, plus customs charges, plus UPS demurrage fees..... Smile

Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:31 pm

Ditto, nice shots rc. If you were considering purchasing any filters, I'd suggest a circular polariser. It will help reduce reflections from non-metallic surfaces. Could be handy when photographing landscapes, seascapes or other bodies of water and painted objects like cars, motorcycles, trains etc.

btw, the exposure for the moon is relatively easy to determine: use the "moony 11 rule". Shutter speed approximately equals 1/(iso setting) at f 11.

Anyway, here's to many happy years of digital photography Smile

Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:33 am

Roy, those are gorgeous! Handheld on that moon shot? Very nice!

Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:44 am

Roy - I wish you'd been here a couple of weeks ago to see the most spectacular comet (McNaughts) you are ever likely to see. We were up on the Victoria/NSW border on a houseboat on the Murray River and just after sunset this magnificent comet took up the entire western horizon including a perfect 'tail' that stretched waaaaaaay up into the sky. This was just with the naked eye - I can't imagine what it would have looked like with a decent camera/zoom lense. You could wait for the next time but unfortunately it won't be back for another 100,000 years. Truly awe inspiring.

Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:53 am

Nice pics,
Down under we have dispensed with steam as a transport mode. Might be worth having a chat to your powers that be and getting and electric system Smile

Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:07 pm

The scary thing, the last time a steam engine was in Portland, OR, they were selling rides to Bend being pulled by it. The cheapest seat aboard was $600.

I thought that was sad, considering that behind the beautiful steam engine was a diesel engine, doing most of the work.

But I still got a few nice shots Smile

Annoying Stuck-Up Cow Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 222

Judging from your info and photos Roy, I dare not ask where you live, for I am sure I live in the exact same place, considering your train picture Shocked

.

Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:37 pm

$600 for a train trip.
We have really nice steam museum in the Hunter Valley a family pass including steam train rides (it's only about 40klm return but it's still fun) was not much more than a lunch at McDonalds. Not that I would eat there.
Great thing was last time we went my son asked so many questions from the driver we got to do the trip in the engine. Very Happy

oops look like it's a steamtrain thread.
loverly pics too .

Camera lens - buying another one	View next topic View previous topic