buying online vs at store?

[msuitc]

hello!
looking to buy a MF film camera after some research/reading.
can you please share your experience between buying one from peninsula vs online sites like ebay, amazon or clubsnap?
prices vary quite a bit between stores and online sites. only thing is how can you know about the camera's quality from websites?
thanks.

 

[mamypoko]

I assume you are talking about used cameras.

There is no way to know from websites (eBay) unless you know the seller and contact him directly by either phone (best) or email. Clubsnap is okay as long as you can view the camera in person. I don't think Amazon sells used cameras.

For KEH they only go by rating but they are quite dependable.

If buying from eBay you'd better factor in the cost of a CLA when it reaches you in Singapore.

 

[msuitc]

I assume you are talking about used cameras.

There is no way to know from websites (eBay) unless you know the seller and contact him directly by either phone (best) or email. Clubsnap is okay as long as you can view the camera in person. I don't think Amazon sells used cameras.

For KEH they only go by rating but they are quite dependable.

If buying from eBay you'd better factor in the cost of a CLA when it reaches you in Singapore.

thanks mamypoko. what is the avg cost of CLA for a set of camera and lense? any thoughts about the good ol' peninsula?

 

[azzurri]

agree with mamypoko. the big plus of buying from cs and shops is that you can physically check and inspect the camera and lens. for shops, some do offer a short warranty so that might be helpful.

for online, ebay is very much hit and miss. keh is a pretty good source and they do have pretty good offers from time to time.

if you're buying online, do factor in the shipping cost. your purchase is subjected to gst if the total price (inclusive of shipping) exceeds s$400.

for cla, the price really depends from item to item and place to place. but they almost certainly run into the hundreds for mf