Korean Job Discussion Forums

[palkorea]

I'm not from Seoul, so can anyone tell me the best (cheapest) place to get some new lenses for my Nikon DLSR?

Thanks.

[sketcha]

I heard there's a camera district at Namdaemun (Hoehyeon station)

that'll be my first choice to get camera stuff

[sketcha]

there's also a little plaza at Yongsan electronic market

right on top of the alleyways that sells hand phones and video games

[rebmetpes]

Can anybody tell me how much should I expect to pay for a Nikon D90 with 18-55 lens at Yongsan. I live far from Seoul so I would like to know if it is worth traveling to Yongsan or just ordering from the internet.

Thanks.

[musashij]

i don't know where you are from but i own a D90 from the USA and it is cheaper there. Also, unless you are paying in cold hard cash you can't even think about getting a discounted price. Yongsan is quite expensive and overmarks everything! I recommend going to namdaemun as those places do offer better prices on lenses but i am not sure about the camera itself. Try and get yourself a good deal!

[Kissmykimchi]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2009/01/dlsr-shopping.html

http://kissmykimchi.com/2007/08/digital-camera-shopping.html

I think your best bet is namdaemun.

[re:cursive]

There's a bunch of small stalls in a cramped underground mall in the basement of one of the bank buildings at Namdaemun. From memory it is the Shinhan bank. If you go out exit 5, walk to the intersection and turn right you should spot the bank on your right. I went there to get a ballhead for my tripod (cheaper than the US price) but the place was filled with new and second hand lenses as well. I think it would be worth a try if you're in the area.

At Yongsan I usually go to Jeonja Land (ET Land). I think the camera stuff is on the 3rd floor. I bought my DSLR and a lens there. The price was reasonable, the service good and nobody was hassling me as I browsed or walked around.

Chungmuro is also an option if you are interested in lenses. To be honest though, I've never been very impressed by the service at any of the Chungmuro shops. I always get the impression that they don't actually want to sell me anything and I am purely an interruption to whatever other important things they could be doing with their time.

I actually find it is better to do a search online, find the cheapest price, phone to confirm and then head to the specific store in person. That's how I've found my best deals, but then again, I'm not the best haggler.

[rebmetpes]

Thanks for the replies. Can anybody tell me how much the paid for their D90 kits and what else comes with it.

Sorry for asking may questions, I am new to this DSLR thing.

Thanks again.

[jonpurdy]

I picked up a Canon 85 1.8 for 320,000원 and a 18-55 kit lens for 40,000원 in Myeongdong on one of those big shops on the main road. Fantastic deals to be had.

[re:cursive]

[hempknight]

[Bundang]

[nathanrutledge]

PM Sent

The new D7000 is out, so the D90's should be dropping in price across the board, new and used. I bought a body only for about 880k in January through GMarket. All the guys in Namdaemun were highballing me, even the place I usually got good deals with.

Someone pointed out, go there knowing what the prices are from the internet, ask around, negotiate. Hempknight, IMO, you didn't get a GREAT deal, but it's not a terrible deal either. Now, if you were about 100k lower, that'd be something to brag about. Which brings me to the second point...

Know what you want and the lowest price you can get it for. If the guy is offering to toss in another lens for a little more know: is it a lens you want? Could you buy it cheaper elsewhere (not just alone, but could you buy the camera at a lower price and the lens at a lower price, or a different lens you DO want at a better price)? Remember, just because you can get a kit doesn't mean it has things you want/need in it. Specifically, why did hempknight get the UV filters? UV rays have no effect on a DSLR. They do protect the front optic, but that's about it. Personally, I don't use them, but I'm usually running some other filter on the front.

Anyway, I digress. I'd check Gmarket/Danwha/etc, and then try Namdaemun, but I would avoid Yongsan. There's another poster here who disagreed with me sometime ago about Yongsan and cameras, but in MY experience, it was a waste of time. So, take it with a grain of salt. You may find something there.

[hempknight]

I wasn't bragging, simply offering my experience. I had done my research, and at the time, I got my set up at the average online prices. The lenses I bought were the exact ones I had set out to get, no toss ins. It just so happens that one is a standard kit piece, but its a good general piece to get to cover basic needs.

I prefer to buy my shit in person, cause I don't trust buying lenses online. In person you can take it out and look to see if it's clear of scratches or other defects. The people at Namdaemun check the online prices, so make sure you know them too, and you can bargain them down to the online price AND get to check out the merchandise first.


After dropping money on lenses, I want to make sure they're safe. I don't tend to use other kinds of filters, so a UV filter is my 10$ extra insurance fee to protect them.

[nathanrutledge]

I didn't mean to say you were bragging, just giving my opinion that your deal was average. I agree with you about checking out things in person, but at the same time, GMarket is a very reputable site and I've had no problems using them.

This does emphasize my point though about know what you want. OP sounds like he's new to the camera game, so do your research about the gear. UV filters do nothing for an image on a DSLR, but people use them to protect their lens. Some standard lens' are the 18-55, 55-200, 18-105, and even the 18-200. You get the 18-105, then you've wasted money if you plan on getting the 55-200.

What Hempknight got works for him, but it's not the kit I would go with. What I use would probably not be what the OP would want. So know what YOU want.