Where to buy?

The most asked question I get after ‘which camera should I buy?’ is ‘where should I buy my camera?’ The short answer to this is I have a few key places that I routinely buy from, however, there are a few things that should be considered before you decide where to buy from.

Registered Manufacturer Supplier or Grey Market

There are two principle markets when purchasing a camera; the registered manufacturer supplier and the grey market. By definition grey market refers to an unofficial market in which goods are bought and sold at prices lower than the official price set by a regulatory agency. Grey market sellers generally purchase equipment produced overseas from a retailer who supplies directly from an off sure market.

So what does this mean for you?

Grey market sellers are usually cheaper to buy from and the products are usually the same product you would buy from a registered manufacturer supplier (this should be checked as some products come with overseas connections).

The biggest consideration when purchasing from grey market is that most warranties offered are third party warranties. Original manufacturer warranties are void and warranties are often offered as a ‘genuine Australian warranty’. This is not a manufacturer’s warranty and any repairs within the warranty period are usually undertaken by a third party repairer of the seller’s choice.

There is nothing wrong with purchasing from grey market, it is just a personal choice for what type of warranty you would like. Personally I purchase grey market for lower priced items. I always purchase from a registered manufacturer supplier when I buy my high end professional quality cameras and lenses. I use Canon cameras and lenses and when spending thousands on a camera or lens I want the full Canon warranty.

Grey market suppliers are sometimes difficult to pick. One way to identify a registered manufacture supplier is to go to the warranty information section on sellers websites and look for a statement that says ‘genuine manufacturer’s warranty’. Some larger companies like Canon also have on their websites a list of all genuine Canon suppliers with full Canon warranties (link). If the seller is not listed by Canon then Canon Australia will not honour a warranty claim with them.

Where I buy my gear

This largely depends on whether I’m buying from a registered manufacturer supplier with a full manufacturer’s warranty or from a grey market supplier.

When purchasing from registered manufacturer supplier I have three places that I go straight to: Ryda.com, Digital Camera Warehouse (DCW), and Tom Saades Camera House. I always do a web search to check prices but I am yet to find a non-grey market seller with lower prices than one of these three sellers. More recently I have discovered that Georges are offering great prices on many products with full manufacturers warranty. I have not purchased from Georges yet but I will definitely be checking them out next time I do.

I have purchased high end professional grade products from each of these and their service has always been excellent. They are all listed with Canon as accredited Australian sellers and you will receive a genuine Australian warranty with items purchased from these four.

When purchasing from grey market I usually purchase from Discount Digital Photographics. I purchase most of my lower end gear from these guys and I have never had any problem with them or any warranty issues.

All my lighting gear I buy from Dragon Image. In my opinion no one knows lighting like these guys and it is well worth having a look around their shop just to get some ideas about what things are available in the lighting world.

* Please note that I have no affiliation with any of the brands, businesses or companies mentioned above. The content contained within the tutorials on Matt Tinker Photography has been provided in good faith and should be considered a general source of information only. The information provided does not express the opinion of others or any manufacturers mentioned. All due care is taken when compiling this information, however we do not warrant that this information is accurate, free from omissions or up-to-date including any recent changes. The content does not take into consideration your personal circumstances. You should make your own independent assessment of the information provided and you should not rely solely on this information when making decisions.