Digital Camera from New York

mercurystar999

I am off the New York on Thursday and plan on getting a camera while i am there.

Any reccomendations? It doesn't ahve to be the smallest as i would like it to be slr looking???

Have read steves website but its all a bit to much jargon for me!

One other question is that i was wondering about the charger for the internal battery. Will they supply me with two leads as obviously the voltage is different.

Thanks Neil

Lord_Gardener

Have a look here for american reviews at PCworld (no - not our PCworld!!)

http://www.pcworld.com/ic/cameras/#

mercurystar999

Couldn't find anything on there that i fancied, i'd also like it to use sd memory as that s the cheapest i think?

ManAtHome

This might give you a few ideas - shortlist of Imaging Resource recommendations http://www.imaging-resource.com/WB/WB.HTM

Wouldn't get too hung up on type of memory - unlikely to be more than a tenner difference for a 1gb card regardless of type (you'll get at least a couple of hundred shots on one of these).

I have the Fuji S5200 (S5600 over here) - pretty good holiday-type camera, although I'm keeping my eye out for a good deal on it's big bro' the S9500 (S9000 in the US).

ps - have a check on the Customs site as to what value of camera you can bring back without it attracting VAT and Duty (think it used to be around £140 but there have been talks about changing it for some time).

bennygod

I've always found this site useful as they have good reviews plus users opinions. Also as it is American they use the American names whereas they can be different in the UK. So just be careful that when you've picked one you know the American name or you might not find it! I have always found teh Canon Ixus range to be fantastic little cameras that take excellent and vivid images and the batteries have a good long life and they are very robustly made. IXUS is called ELPH in the US I think.

http://www.dpreview.com

Little_John

Im not gona tell you which camera to buy.

I bought my camera from NY, avoid the stores on times square thy get you promise you a cheap camera and dont let you leave untill you have bought every accessory for it.

I bought mine from http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ I saved about 40% on the uk prices for pretty much everything camera and battery. They are a Jewish family store so are closed on Saturdays The staff know their stuff so you can ask anything. You will also find discount coupons in most hotels and leaflets you can pick up.

As for the power you will receive a 2 pin cable, they dont give 3 pin cables for UK use, the charger should be a universal one, 110~230 so it works in the UK and US all you need is either a 2 to 3 pin adaptor or replace the cable to the charger, it isnt easy to say which one come camers have a charger and a cable others have a transformer and this varies on which camera you buy.

As for importing I read somewhere that photography equipment is free of import duty, if your worried post the manuals ect home to make it look less like you bought it over there. I didnt have a problem and my mate brought cameras over for other people 3 in total again without problems.

Tell us what you want to take photos of and we can try to help more, do you want a point and shoot? or the option to have manual control over the shutter speed and aperture also how much do you want to spend?

my next camera will come from the US I was hoping to go ofer there for new years in times squarebut Im saving to go to Florida next August.

Another reasonable price place is JR.com they are down near ground zero just a few blocks north but the staff arnt quite so helpfull or patient infact ignorant would be a better description. I bought my memory card in the UK as they were cheaper at scan.co.uk than over in the US.

Have a good trip and take your new camera up the empire state twice, during the day and during the night or save money and go up an hour before dark and hang arround up there for a few hours also the Lobby of the Chrysler building is stunning grand central station and the cheapskates way of the statue of liberty and skyline by taking the free staten island ferry there and back.

delorean_2

Thanks, i'll be in New York on Monday and was looking to buy a new camera!

mercurystar999

I went in to jessops today and found the panasonic FZ7, it seems to fit the bill.

Its got a good lens a leica one, 12 optical zoom, good battery life, 6 million pixels and best of all its only $286 in bhphoto! It was £279.99 in jessops. Can you remember the amount of discount? Of course because its New York the have a sales tax on top so any extra saving would be good.

Regarding memory i didn't know what camera i was going to get so couldn't get the memory from here. Unless i got it from a lovcal shop and then it would of probably been more expennsive than over there.

Going tomorrow morning so can't wait!!!

Little_John

That is exactly the way I went about it, look in Jesops use their advice I actualy bought online from pixmania but it was faulty so I sent it back it took months for a refund but I had bought it from B+H so Iwasnttoo bothered.

If £120ish saving isnt enough of a discount what do you want? LOL. The vouchers varied, some a free gift if you spend over $100 some were 5% some 10% tax I think was 8.375% your still getting a bargain especially that camera. and their memory prices arnt to bad. just avoid the temptation to go in the bright lights shops on times square and broardway.

I just found this review site

ohh and dont forget the free gifts in Bloomingdales and Macys if you buy stuff and the visitors discount card for macys floor 1.5 is the visitor centre and take some phot ID with you everywhere as they ask for it when paying by credit/debit cards.

mercurystar999

I ended up getting the camera from J&R in NYC. Their price was much better than B&H, and i had a discount of $10 in a guide map.

I got the Panasonic FZ7, its got great reviews and i can see why!

I paid $253 for the camera and i also bought a case and a 2 GB memory card. Total price including tax was $336. A bargain!! Which is roughly £175 in our money.

The camera costs another £100 by its own over here.

One thing to say about the shop though, the salesman was really quite rude. Considering i was spending a fair amount of money he wasn't all that intrerested. If it would have been the same price at B&H i would of got it there.

Little_John

I did say the j&r staff were not interested in customer service. B+H are far better. but both stores have vouchers all over infact every reasonable sized store in NY will have coupons somewhere you just need ot find them.

I hope you enjoyed the trip and enjoy your new really cheap camera. I enjoyed saveing a fortune over the cheapest place I could find mine whihc was pixmania it make the trip feel it saved you money traveling all that way.