Travelling to Malaysia/Singapore - photographic bargains to

[losfp]

Hi guys, I'll be going to Malaysia/Singapore for a couple of weeks on Saturday, and wondered if people had any tips about shopping for lenses/accessories in those countries? I grew up in Malaysia, but haven't been back there probably in about 11 years (since I was 16)

I'll be mostly in KL / Penang in Malaysia, and being ferried around from relative to relative so getting to places shouldn't be a major hassle.

I've had a search on here, esp threads like this - http://www.dslrusers.net/viewtopic.php?t=9265 - so please don't repost anything that's already on there.. Just if anyone has anything new to add that's not already covered would be interesting to see what prices I could get for some wide angle primes (as discussed in my other thread elsewhere..)

I might have a wander through B&H, ebay etc and take note of the prices so I know when to simply walk away on the assumption that I can do better from back here

[birddog114]

You may something little bit better in Singapore, depend on where are you going to shop.
Whatever way, our Aussie dollars are not in our favour atm, and I believe buying in Singapore does not reflect much of saving in compare to buying from HKG.
Most of the important thing is money, if you have full pocket of money and ready for lust, then Singapore or HKG does not make anything difference.

[Alpha_7]

Knowing the prices back here would defnitely help, and set out a list of things you interested in, (and I'd personally suggest) only shopping for them.. don't get conned into buying anything you haven't researched before.. I've been stung, because I got excited and bought stuff I hadn't properly researched, at a deal that seemed to good to be true.

[LOZ]

losfn It all sounds like good fun purchasing from O/S but in the end consider how much wasted time that you may spend and the piece of mind that you have purchasing locality (Mr. Birddog). Your holiday will be all the more rewarding by not cluttering up your mind just to save a very few dollars.


LOZ

[losfp]

You're right, loz. Our itinerary will be chockers anyway, I think we basically have things planned, people to visit etc every single day we are overseas. I won't have a lot of time to go shopping

But I might just bring a small list of prices, just in case, and stick to them. If I can't get a clear price advantage, I'll simply come home and shop at Birdy-Mart

[hangdog]

For price checks and 2nd-hand deals, have a look through http://www.clubsnap.org (for Singapore) and http://www.photomalaysia.com.

It's true that unless you're buying 2nd-hand, you won't save much if anything over Birddog's prices. Somehow I left Singapore with a not-especially-cheap 18-200VR anyway (the price was inflated by scarcity), which Customs were kind enough not to tax.

[Onyx]

Get your photographic prints done there. They're cheap. Almost all electronic items are cheaper than US, including photographic equipment. As with shopping in most of Asia, you will have to know the value of the goods you wish to buy, and have to enjoy haggling or get ripped off (as a rough guide, go by B&H prices, minus about 10-15%). The ringgit is no longer pegged to the US dollar, and ever since then it's gone from strength to strength, so that might land you back to square one for any cost savings.

I've been told by my relo's who've recently travelled that customs in Oz are cracking down on pirated CD/DVD movies/software upon re-entry - so I'd suggest not to attempt bringing any back.

Aside from touristy Penang (and Langkawi); almost everything will cost the same everywhere. eg. chicken satay sticks in the slums of KL will cost you 30 sen. chicken satay sticks at the beachside in Morrib will cost you 30 sen. Unlike in Oz where a can of coke can cost anywhere from 70 cents to $2.50 (or $3 at airport) depending on location. So it won't matter where you buy what you buy, it will more or less be the same price.

[losfp]

Well, as it turns out, I didn't really see anything I was interested in (either the 18-200, 12-24, 20 or 35), and I didn't really try very hard anyway. I was hoping that I would find a bargain, while simultaneously hoping I didn't see anything so I wouldn't be tempted!!!

Nevermind, I got some great shots with the gear I've got, and I reckon I can still get quite a lot better before my equipment becomes the limiting factor.

[paulvdb1]

For those who reade the thread later - I found the guys at Peninsula Plaza were quite keen on price. Cathay gave me a starting point without much pressure. I found I could handle a bit of pressure so I haggled with guys around Cathay and was VERY firm that I did not need batteries/filters/chargers/bags/mem cards/etc. I got my D70s HEAPS cheaper than it was in Sydney. I bought mine just after it came out.

I'll be having another look there next week - I'm in SG for a week - just to get a feel for what's there. This time all I need is some cheap filters and possibly memory, so maybe Sim Lim Square will be go for me. Funan's fairly close too but I think it has less hagglers and more rec retail.

[gooseberry]

Just saw this thread. If anybody needs help in getting prices for things in Singapore, just PM me and I can let you know the best places to go.

example of some prices - 18-200 VR in SG is S$1240 (which is around A$1010 at the current exchange rate - Aussie dollar has dropped), but you'll be hard pressed to find this lens, it's selling like hotcakes here, flying off the shelves even faster than the D200, with waiting lists at most of the popular stores.

HK used to be much cheaper than SG, but nowadays the price gap has narrowed, but still a saving.

Malaysia is also generally cheaper than in SG for lenses, but you need to find the right places and they may not be as well stocked as stores in SG.

[locopano]

There is a few shops along Orchard road that will price match just about anyone along there. You can go to the bigger more respected stores like cathay and mscolour but they wont be any cheaper than the grey market dudes. the cheapest place i found funily wasnt at the IT mall, it was the shopping centre next to Tangs and orchard road if your heading away from scotts road.

Like someone else said go to the bigger stores or even email then before you get to singapore they will give you an onlne quote, then use that as a guide of what to buy. Some things are cheaper there some arent so cheap.