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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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nuorange
Joined: 20 Jul 2007
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 Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:14 pm Post subject: Buying a Camera & Lens |
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I'm planning on buying a Nikon D40 with a Nikkor 18-200 VR lens within the next couple of weeks. I've done a ton of reading and it seems like this will do me well. I've got a couple of questions, though.
1. Is it better to buy online (better price, in theory) or in person (better service, in theory)?
2. How can you tell if you are buying a new or a used product that's in good condition?
3. What is the downside of buying a grey market product? The lens alone is almost 200,000 won cheaper when bought off of the grey market. Is a warranty worth that price difference?
4. What are some good haggling strategies to bring the price down? Printing off internet prices? Comparing vendors? Being persistent? All of the above?
5. I've heard Namdaemun may be better than Yongsan for buying. Is that the case?
Thanks! |
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AaronDiesel
Joined: 27 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
1. Is it better to buy online (better price, in theory) or in person (better service, in theory)?
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Find the cheapest online prices and try to negotiate something lower. Vendors will try to persuade you with high-margin low-value "freebies" like cleaning cloths, dust blowers and extra (generic, low quality) batteries. If you're not in a rush, you can find good deals in the classifieds here or on Seoul Craigslist.
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| 2. How can you tell if you are buying a new or a used product that's in good condition? |
This can be kind of hard. I had a vendor try to sell me a used lens as new but it came with a new hood and all the paperwork, plastic bags etc. On Canon cameras there's a way to check the number of shutter activations, but I'm not sure about Nikons. Look for wear around the hand grip, marks on the inside of the battery compartment from the battery being inserted/removed, scuffs near the tripod mount, and wear around the lens mount.
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| 3. What is the downside of buying a grey market product? The lens alone is almost 200,000 won cheaper when bought off of the grey market. Is a warranty worth that price difference? |
To me, the warranty isn't worth the price difference. It's really up to you.
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| 4. What are some good haggling strategies to bring the price down? Printing off internet prices? Comparing vendors? Being persistent? All of the above? |
Pretty much. Bring cash. Be polite but firm. Don't bring the printouts with you - they already know what everyone else is selling them for. Bottom line pricing for new stuff is usually 10% less than the lowest price on Danawa or Enuri. |
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