[Samurai]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

That said, I like this about sony that they offer similar pricing in India and USA. Panasonic and Oly have ridiculous pricing in India.

Pany & Oly are obviously passing the customs duty to the customers. How is Sony getting around it?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Pany & Oly are obviously passing the customs duty to the customers. How is Sony getting around it?

I do not think Sony would ship to USA and then import from there and pay customs duty.
I figure
USA Price = Factory price(Thailand)+customs duty + profits + local levies
India Price - Factory price(Thailand) + customs duty + local levies

Since India has a FTA with Thailand maybe there is lower duty, so India price should not be higher.

That said, even Nikon D7100 with 18-105 kit is marginally expensive in India as compared to discounted USA price. Suggested MSRP is equivalent.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I do not think Sony would ship to USA and then import from there and pay customs duty.

Why would I think that?

Originally Posted by tsk1979

USA Price = Factory price(Thailand)+customs duty + profits + local levies

USA doesn't levy customs duty on electronics import. Even if they do, it is quite negligible. I have ordered many electronics items that was shipped to USA from other countries. Never paid customs for those. My latest lens was shipped from Japan to USA. Cost me $130 less than buying in USA.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I have ordered many electronics items that was shipped to USA from other countries. Never paid customs for those. My latest lens was shipped from Japan to USA. Cost me $130 less than buying in USA.

It is quite common for "Direct Import" to be significantly cheaper in US. These cannot usually be returned, and do not have global warranties. So, they cost lesser to retailers (and to a person buying directly from abroad).

E.g. "US version" of Canon lens has global warranty, while direct import does not. These are manufactured in the same facility. Just that importers are different.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HelpCenter/USGrey.jsp

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Why would I think that?

USA doesn't levy customs duty on electronics import. Even if they do, it is quite negligible. I have ordered many electronics items that was shipped to USA from other countries. Never paid customs for those. My latest lens was shipped from Japan to USA. Cost me $130 less than buying in USA.

So there you have it
Is the
Japan lens cost + India customs duty at 7.5% > USA lens cost?

That said, as mentioned earlier, USA does not levy customs duty on personal imports. Even in Singapore, as long as your import is less than 250 USD there is no customs duty.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

E.g. "US version" of Canon lens has global warranty, while direct import does not. These are manufactured in the same facility. Just that importers are different.

Olympus provides only worldwide warranty. So that is not an issue for me. Even this $940 lens from Japan has worldwide warranty. None of the same country business.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Is the Japan lens cost + India customs duty at 7.5% > USA lens cost?

No.

Japan Price = $940 [₹58000 charged to the CC]
US Price = $1000 + 7% sales tax = $1070
Indian Price = ₹95000 [this is lot more than 7.5% extra]

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Olympus provides only worldwide warranty. So that is not an issue for me. Even this $940 lens from Japan has worldwide warranty. None of the same country business.

No.

Japan Price = $940 [₹58000 charged to the CC]
US Price = $1000 + 7% sales tax = $1070
Indian Price = ₹95000 [this is lot more than 7.5% extra]

This is quite weird.
If you import a 940$ item in India, the cost of import after duty and all taxes will be 1200 USD total
This is like 75000

So Olympus is doing what other companies were doing Earlier. Fooling the customer.

In reality, here is what the pricing should be.

Lets say Olympus makes 34% Profit including tax (hypothetical example)
Cost of Item = 700$
Since its a bulk import, shipping is negligible

cost after import to India ~ 910$

Add 34% Profit margin . Since Customs already has charged 12% CVD, lets take out the sales tax component, and give Olympus 24% actual profit which it earns in Japan

MRP = 71000 ~ Realistic

Canon and Nikon also used to do this nonsense.
Accessories like batteries were 2X the USA price and cameras at about 1.3-1.5X USA price

However, as volumes increased, they started offering similar pricing. Actually when sony started pushing the Alpha and E mount in India, the prices of Nikon/Canon came down.

Olympus and Panasonic do not seem to be very serious about the Indian market yet, so they still go with their absurd pricing.

[aim120]

In grey market they don't sell Sony DSLR cameras ,they say the price is so cheap in showroom that it doesn't make sense and it will be infact be more expensive in grey market .They only sell officially imported cameras from Sony india with Bill and warranty.

I believe this has something to do with FTA agreement with thailand.

But some prices just doesn't make sense look at the A-mount SAL16105 lens it costs $698 in US and in India costs MRP32990 ,where as the A-mount SAL18135 costs $498 and in India costs MRP39990 .

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by aim120

In grey market they don't sell Sony DSLR cameras ,they say the price is so cheap in showroom that it doesn't make sense and it will be infact be more expensive in grey market .They only sell officially imported cameras from Sony india with Bill and warranty.

I believe this has something to do with FTA agreement with thailand.

But some prices just doesn't make sense look at the A-mount SAL16105 lens it costs $698 in US and in India costs MRP32990 ,where as the A-mount SAL18135 costs $498 and in India costs MRP39990 .

Could it be that the 18-135 is not made in Thailand?
this is indeed weird.
That said, its good Sony is treating India like an important market.

[aim120]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Could it be that the 18-135 is not made in Thailand?
this is indeed weird.
That said, its good Sony is treating India like an important market.

The 18-135 has the words "Made in Japan" but on the 16-105 it only says "Japan".

Yes , I think they are taking India serious.Only now did I see a TV Ad on Sony ILC cameras although those channels are owned by Sony.

[CliffHanger]

Originally Posted by aim120

The ILCE/A-6000 is a bit expensive but has one of the best APS-C sensors ,with really good high ISO performance and fast AF with surprisingly good tracking, good video quality.
Compared to the ILCE/A-5000 it has a EVF and better sensor,faster AF.
http://www.sony.co.in/product/ilce-6000l

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Actually Sony kit lens + body combos often start around 25K only.
15K can buy a an additional mid telephoto like 55-210.


I wonder if Olympus is keen to launch this in India!
I really am impressed by the Panasonic GH4, but I wonder if oly can give that kind of accurate AF even with a polarizer attached(which apparently GH4 can manage pretty easily due to its special contrast AF

Originally Posted by Samurai

He specifically said most recently launched. So 5R won't qualify, it came in 2012.

Originally Posted by joslicx

Hey Cliffhanger

If you can raise your budget a bit then the product shared by aim120 ( Sony ILCE/A-6000 ) is a very compelling choice for about 50k. (Or you can also consider the Sony Nex 6 for about same price). For 40k your best bet is a DSLR only, something like Nikon D3300.

If you do consider the ILCE/A-6000 then you can buy the SEL50mm later (I think its around 20k) and that would make a very good portrait lens for this camera.

Thank you gents. After taking all your opinions into consideration and having done a bit of my own research, I've zeroed in on Sony A6000. Primary reason being other manufacturers' products for similar offering are costlier in India. Also, A6000 is claimed to have a very fast AF which is one of the primary features I always preferred.

A6000 is listed at Rs. 51,900 in Sony India website. I'm trying to check the price in grey market as well before buying.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

A6000 is listed at Rs. 51,900 in Sony India website. I'm trying to check the price in grey market as well before buying.

No point, trust me. Sony has some brilliant marketing manager who understood that having a cheaper grey market system will only create a parallel ecosystem.
So if you buy grey market you only save some money on the VAT. that's about it!

You can bargain hard and get it for 50K

Think about it, Indian grey market prices are comparable to US prices for other companies.Sony India prices ~ Sony USA prices.

[aim120]

You no longer get Sony cameras in grey market at grey market prices.Read my earlier post.

Sony India also officially bundles a HDMI cable and a 8GB Memory card and also has 1 extra year of warranty compared to the US.

If you wait ,on line sellers in snapdeal or ebay will most probably list it for about 5 to 10% less then MRP.

[Ragul]

I am trying to purchase the Olly 25mm f1.8 m4/3rd before my coming vacation but nobody seems to be stocking it. Not fotocircle not shetala. Any ideas where I can pick it up in Bangalore?

R

[extreme_torque]

Guys... any personal review of the Canon EOS M. I have heard of the auto focus issues but apparently the new firmware update has made it borderline acceptable. What is your experience, if any?

I am looking at buying the same as a companion camera to EOS 7D.