Those who know the story, knows that I've been considering the Canon 40D for a long time and I was even tossing ideas of settling for a 400D, or a 450D, or moving up to 5D, and even... switching camp totally to the Nikon D300. Yesterday, I bought the camera... but it was a day (or two) of very trying experiences... let me relate....
1. Sat 4pm, decided to call TK to check prices since I've never checked. Kit 1 price quoted at $1,590. HUH!? So cheap? I asked if it's local or grey, he said local and can collect free photo frame at Canon. Oh wow. I said, very good price, and I will go down by 6pm to collect. He said cash price only. I said no problem.
2. Sat 5pm, went down to shaw, carpark closed. Suntec, jammed, raffles city, jammed... argh! Oh, ok, turned one round at Nicoll highway, go back to beach road, parked at gateway instead... nice... just walk a bit only mah, some more got ATM there right in front of where I park. So withdrew the whole wad of cash, headed over to TK. NO, that's the BODY ONLY price. Gosh, I asked for Kit 1 price! No, I quoted body only price. I didn't think it was his or my fault, probably miscommunication cos I don't think they are bait and switch merchants. I walked away instead. A bit upset...but I know it wasn't their fault. They're not such a merchant.
3. Drove out of carpark... decided that since I was just a km away from sim lim, just go to orient photo to look see look see and buy the grey set with the cash I withdrew... now... on the way there, you know, rochor road, at the left turn out to simlim's carpark, that stretch usually busy and a lot of cutting lanes since it's a single lane split to double turn left lane. I did what I usually do, filter in (AND I ALWAYS SIGNAL) and suddenly, behind me, a toyota picnic by the car number plate xxx6200x approached me from the rear at relatively high speeds and HORNED at me for like 10 seconds and was swinging his arms furiously when I was checking in my rear view mirror. He accelerated past my car on the left, stopped and wound down window and threw vulgarities at me and wanted to hit my side mirror and windscreen. All the while, my wind screen was up and I was just staring blankly at him, amused that someone could get so so agitated. He moved his car forward about 5 meters and challenged me to get out of the car. He got out of his car. I locked my doors, still staring blankly at him. Honestly, if his life was cheap, I didn't want to get dragged down with him... he started screaming until all the cars and pedestrians were staring at two of us. I was still in the car, trying my best of ignore him. I drove off, he jumped into his car, and he drove extremely aggressively and cut into my lane. He turned into sim lim carpark. I skipped that cos I did not want to get into a confrontation with him and honestly, if he wanted court sessions and jail time, I didn't want to accompany him. So I parked at Burlington instead.
4. I walked over to Sim Lim Square, went straight to Orient, asked the price for the Canon 40D body... Ok, $1,600. Standard, but... to be frank, I was in a foul mood already and thus, didn't want to buy and try already. sigh... so, still ended up walking away. Cos I didn't want to spend time trying out the lens that I wanna buy...
5. After I drove off, I felt a little better... and went to meet my wife for dinner at her grandmother's house. After I cooled down a bit, I decided to call MS color. I checked only 2 things. Price and availability. I was given a positive answer at $1,760 cash price for Kit 1. I said ok, I'll go down and get it. I went down, picked it up, and go. So quick I didn't even put a parking coupon. But they didn't have stocks for the 50mm F1.4 USM so I didn't manage to get that.
6. Well, the story ain't over. Because I didn't get the 50mm F1.4, I really wanted something fast to standby for my kid's arrival in 6 days' time. So I decided that I might as well get the free 50mm f1.8 II from the extended warranty. Now, I remember reading that someone bought the set, registered online and was told to collect the lens at harborfront keppel tower or vivocity. Now, that is INACCURATE. I went down with my very heavily pregnant wife (due this coming week), and unfortunately, they said the promotion is NOT valid since it's only for sets from PC SHOW. I was surprised. I drove over to Vivo and asked the canon there, they also didn't know about the promotion. I clarified again with them, asking if that I went down to Suntec, could I get the free lens if i purchased the extended warranty there. She said, she'll check and call me back on monday. DUH!!!! And then? I go down to Suntec on Monday to the PCSHOW 2008 PART 2?!??!
7. My very kind wife said, if I am certainly sure that it's ok to buy elsewhere and get the lens for extending the warranty, we should go down to check at PC SHOW. I said, quite sure, cos I did read more than 1 case that it was possible. I was quite reluctant to go down knowing how jammed it was, and I didn't want another crazy driver go bonkers while my wife was in the car. I know how bad traffic and high petrol prices can cause people to go crazy. She insisted, I said, ok, I will go down, make ONE round in the car. As long as I think it's remotely difficult to get a lot, I will just drive away. Agreed, and so... suntec, here we come...
8. Out from vivo, hit AYE/ECP, out from Rochor, I reached my destination..relatively smooth so far but hit the convention center side and opposite the road to the carpark...wow.. parking is BAD. Queues and queues of cars trying to get into suntec! I then decided to skip the trip and at the circle at the round about, I wanted to drive off already. 1.40pm, let's go eat lunch. Then... outside conrad hotel, my wife suddenly said turn. Ok, I went in, and as luck would have it... there was ONE single empty lot. I slotted right in. Parked, walked across the road, signed up for extended warranty, got the free lens, and walked back to my car, and drove off. 1.51pm. 11 minutes. Very Happy.
9. Lunch as a leisurely one at Sim Lim Square, went up to Orient photo (again) to get the soft case and the hand grip for the 40D, and that was the end of the 40D buying experience... Whew.
In conclusion, I have to say the following about the promotion for the Canon extended warranty to clear the air for some here:
1. You buy the camera from PC SHOW, you get all the free gifts at the Canon registration/redemption counter at level 1
2. You buy the camera from PC SHOW, you can extend warranty at Canon counter at level 1, and get the free nifty fifty.
3. You buy the camera from OUTSIDE, you get some free gifts from Canon, collect at harbourfront.
4. You buy the camera from OUTSIDE, you can extend warranty at harbourfront or vivocity, BUT NO FREE LENS.
5. You register for extended warranty ONLINE, NO FREE LENS (stated by Canon staff at Vivocity and Harbourfront)
6. So far, after I tried all the ways, the ONLY way to get the free lens, was to extend Warranty at PC SHOW level 1 Canon counter.
7. The criteria was ALSO, camera must have been bought within 2 weeks prior to registration.
8. If camera bought > 2 weeks ago, can buy extended warranty at a slightly higher price, BUT no free lens.
My experience and what I hear and conclude might not be the final say, but since even Canon staff also not very sure, who am I to be sure?
ps : for record keeping purposes, I have decided to document my encounter with the errant malay driver of the metallic blue Toyota picnic by the license plat of xxx6200x along rochor road turning to sim lim square. Should any further incidents arise from that, I will take this post as documented here and in
www.noisyISO.com, as currently accurate information for investigation.