Nikon Lenses

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Bee

606 posts

Ultimate Geek

#139003 24-Jan-2014 15:43

Hi,

I'm looking to buy either a Nikon DX 35mm lens or Nikkon DX 55mm-300mm, or both...

Being a somewhat obscure product I wondering where is the best place to buy Nikon Lenses from in NZ?

Or is somewhere online a better option?

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#973816 24-Jan-2014 21:11

Bhphotovideo.com is good, very trustworthy. In NZ there's wps.net.nz, progear, camera warehouse. Buying locally is safer. I haven't bought lenses in ages, I got some from the US and some from a store that's now closed.

High end Nikon lenses are great, built like tanks. Of course they cost around $3k.

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alasta

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#973842 24-Jan-2014 22:32

I personally prefer to get my gear from Photo and Video - www.photo.co.nz. Their service is excellent, and they have good product knowledge. Their store is in Merivale Mall if you happen to be in Christchurch but you can order online.

I have also used Digital Camera Warehouse during a trip to Australia last year and they have a good range and prices, plus you can reclaim the Australian GST upon departure.

kiwigander

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#974340 25-Jan-2014 21:40

I too recommend Photo & Video International (their full name) in Christchurch, www.photo.co.nz

I have also dealt with ProGear in Auckland and Wellington Photo Supplies in Wellington and have found them both reasonable to deal with.

If you're going to look overseas I'd suggest either B&H Photo-Video (www.bhphotovideo.com) or Adorama (www.adorama.com). Remember that you won't have the protection of the Consumer Guarantees Act if you purchase from overseas - and if you have to ship a lens overseas for replacement or service it'll probably cost you more than the merchant will have paid to ship it to you.

I would be very wary of any of the drop-shippers - apparently mostly Hong Kong based - that pop up from time to time. Too many horror stories.

rayonline

1723 posts

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#975153 27-Jan-2014 15:11

You might wanna check some local places like photo.co.nz or WPS in Wellington, when I checked the prices of the 70-200 F2.8 or the F4 they were pretty much inlign with the USA when they provide a 10% discount to camera club members......

For stuff that is not that in demand quite a difference in price it can be but from the USA there is import tax and there is the hefty $60min freight cost. And that the warranty needs to be sent back overseas.

Geektastic

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#982612 9-Feb-2014 11:48

Nikon lenses have international warranties for 12 months and also lenses sold in the USA and Canada have an additional 4 years for which you would have to send the lens back to the US or Canada.

P&V or Progear are the two best dealers in NZ.

Photowarehouse is always over-priced. WPS have somewhat lost their edge over the last few years IMV.

rayonline

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#982617 9-Feb-2014 11:54

Geektastic: Nikon lenses have international warranties for 12 months and also lenses sold in the USA and Canada have an additional 4 years for which you would have to send the lens back to the US or Canada.

P&V or Progear are the two best dealers in NZ.

Photowarehouse is always over-priced. WPS have somewhat lost their edge over the last few years IMV.

You sure about that? I've asked MacAlister in Auckland by phone and they said no. The MacAlister name needs to be printed on the warranty card. After I chatted with USA Nikon via online they said that foreigners can send stuff back to the USA and pay also for return freight possibly and the other 4 yrs are only if you reside in the USA.

Bee

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#982775 9-Feb-2014 16:00

I know they are supposedly dodgy, but valuebasket have some real good pricing...

Geektastic

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#982785 9-Feb-2014 16:24

rayonline:
Geektastic: Nikon lenses have international warranties for 12 months and also lenses sold in the USA and Canada have an additional 4 years for which you would have to send the lens back to the US or Canada.

P&V or Progear are the two best dealers in NZ.

Photowarehouse is always over-priced. WPS have somewhat lost their edge over the last few years IMV.

You sure about that? I've asked MacAlister in Auckland by phone and they said no. The MacAlister name needs to be printed on the warranty card. After I chatted with USA Nikon via online they said that foreigners can send stuff back to the USA and pay also for return freight possibly and the other 4 yrs are only if you reside in the USA.

Absolutely sure.

Nikon lens warranties (unlike their camera bodies which are only in the country of purchase) are international for 12 months from purchase. I have had NZ bought lenses repaired under warranty in Canada, for example. As long as it was official product purchased from an authorised dealer it has international warranty. I have here in my hand the warranty for my 70-200 f2.8G VRII and the document title is 'Worldwide Service Warranty"!

See here

If you buy US official Nikon stuff then just use someone you know in the US to do it for you if you need to return it. However, I pointed out to TA Mac (who went very quiet...) that if Nikon USA accepted that 5 years was a reasonable warranty, it was likely that fact could be used as evidence to claim the same thing under the Consumer Guarantees Act here in NZ....

TAMac are a bit ess aitch one tee I am afraid. Sadly we do not have a proper Nikon presence here in NZ, unlike Canon. So for example we have no access to Nikon Professional Services here for those of us that make a living with Nikon stuff.

kiwigander

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#982800 9-Feb-2014 16:30

I'm not unbiased here, having had a negative experience with ValueBasket, but I'd suggest that Nikon and similar photo gear is not where you want to risk warranty and repair problems to save a few $.

Most of the prices I've seen at the competitive domestic suppliers are within cooee of those from reliable international suppliers. The differences are reasonable when you consider the costs of distribution in a small market, of capital to maintain inventory and of compliance with the Consumer Guarantees Act. We are not talking about some shoe or fashion item costing X elsewhere and 2.5X locally.

I have ordered the odd item from offshore when it's been unavailable in NZ. Even then it pays to choose your supplier carefully.

kiwigander

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#982802 9-Feb-2014 16:37

However, I pointed out to TA Mac (who went very quiet...) that if Nikon USA accepted that 5 years was a reasonable warranty, it was likely that fact could be used as evidence to claim the same thing under the Consumer Guarantees Act here in NZ....

TAMac are a bit ess aitch one tee I am afraid. Sadly we do not have a proper Nikon presence here in NZ, unlike Canon. So for example we have no access to Nikon Professional Services here for those of us that make a living with Nikon stuff.

Doesn't your making a living with the Nikon gear mean that the Consumer Guarantees Act doesn't apply?

k1wi

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

#982803 9-Feb-2014 16:38

I've been wanting the 70-300mm type lens for my D 3100, but haven't bit yet because the money always ends up being better used somewhere else... :(

In looking at all the the reviews and such I've seen comments about the large range lenses having poorer optics across the whole range than the smaller ranged lenses (like the -200mn lenses)

rayonline

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#982804 9-Feb-2014 16:39

Geektastic:
rayonline:
Geektastic: Nikon lenses have international warranties for 12 months and also lenses sold in the USA and Canada have an additional 4 years for which you would have to send the lens back to the US or Canada.

P&V or Progear are the two best dealers in NZ.

Photowarehouse is always over-priced. WPS have somewhat lost their edge over the last few years IMV.

You sure about that? I've asked MacAlister in Auckland by phone and they said no. The MacAlister name needs to be printed on the warranty card. After I chatted with USA Nikon via online they said that foreigners can send stuff back to the USA and pay also for return freight possibly and the other 4 yrs are only if you reside in the USA.

Absolutely sure.

Nikon lens warranties (unlike their camera bodies which are only in the country of purchase) are international for 12 months from purchase. I have had NZ bought lenses repaired under warranty in Canada, for example. As long as it was official product purchased from an authorised dealer it has international warranty. I have here in my hand the warranty for my 70-200 f2.8G VRII and the document title is 'Worldwide Service Warranty"!

See here

If you buy US official Nikon stuff then just use someone you know in the US to do it for you if you need to return it. However, I pointed out to TA Mac (who went very quiet...) that if Nikon USA accepted that 5 years was a reasonable warranty, it was likely that fact could be used as evidence to claim the same thing under the Consumer Guarantees Act here in NZ....

TAMac are a bit ess aitch one tee I am afraid. Sadly we do not have a proper Nikon presence here in NZ, unlike Canon. So for example we have no access to Nikon Professional Services here for those of us that make a living with Nikon stuff.

Yeah I know that "worldwide" sheet on that warranty card / certificate. I was made to assume it was "worldwide" access to warranty if you send it back to the country you bought it from...

I don't know anyone in the US, would have to have them post to my hotel / motel and get myself there, haha. Or use a freight forwarding company.

But these days I just get used stuff now ... and take a punt. Least I just do landscapes, looking at moving to a medium format for that slower nature.

I did pay $70NZ to them to courier a lens for testing, came back within spec, but it was soft at 100mm or longer and at all apertures if you are less than 8m to the subject. Was the 80-200mm F2.8D AF-D. Sold that now.

Geektastic

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#982828 9-Feb-2014 17:34

kiwigander:
However, I pointed out to TA Mac (who went very quiet...) that if Nikon USA accepted that 5 years was a reasonable warranty, it was likely that fact could be used as evidence to claim the same thing under the Consumer Guarantees Act here in NZ....

TAMac are a bit ess aitch one tee I am afraid. Sadly we do not have a proper Nikon presence here in NZ, unlike Canon. So for example we have no access to Nikon Professional Services here for those of us that make a living with Nikon stuff.

Doesn't your making a living with the Nikon gear mean that the Consumer Guarantees Act doesn't apply?

Meh. No one has ever suggested that yet.

Often if there is a specific sales agreement with a term like "the parties agree that where this item is purchased for a business the CGA will not apply" I strike the line through to indicate that I do not agree same!

jnimmo

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#982876 9-Feb-2014 19:23

Photo & Video International (Christchurch) post some good trade-ins on their Facebook page sometimes too, was tempted by a wide lens on there the other day

Fred99

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#982893 9-Feb-2014 19:49

Geektastic:
rayonline:
Geektastic: Nikon lenses have international warranties for 12 months and also lenses sold in the USA and Canada have an additional 4 years for which you would have to send the lens back to the US or Canada.

P&V or Progear are the two best dealers in NZ.

Photowarehouse is always over-priced. WPS have somewhat lost their edge over the last few years IMV.

You sure about that? I've asked MacAlister in Auckland by phone and they said no. The MacAlister name needs to be printed on the warranty card. After I chatted with USA Nikon via online they said that foreigners can send stuff back to the USA and pay also for return freight possibly and the other 4 yrs are only if you reside in the USA.

Absolutely sure.

Nikon lens warranties (unlike their camera bodies which are only in the country of purchase) are international for 12 months from purchase. I have had NZ bought lenses repaired under warranty in Canada, for example. As long as it was official product purchased from an authorised dealer it has international warranty. I have here in my hand the warranty for my 70-200 f2.8G VRII and the document title is 'Worldwide Service Warranty"!

I'm damned sure that professional quality Nikon lenses I've purchased in the past through Photo and Video have come with a 5 year warranty / TA McAlister card, not limited to amateur use. Consumer quality lenses - no.

It's been a few years since I bought any pro quality Nikkors though - so things may have changed.
The only claim I've made on a Nikkor was for a consumer quality lens, officially out of warranty, but Photo and Video did the right thing and got it fixed for me as a warranty claim. P&V are an excellent retailer - and have been for decades.

One thing that has definitely changed is that Nikkors used to be electronically simple - not much used to go wrong with them (sticky aperture blades on some AI lenses, and cracked AF/MF rings on some AF-D lenses excluded).
Now lenses with ultrasonic ring-motors and VR, I don't know if I trust for the long-term. Nikon's earliest AF-s attempts, with the 17-35 and 80-200 AF-s seem plagued with problems now - a few years down the track - many end up on Trademe with hopeful owners trying to sell them "works great for MF". They cost a fortune to fix/replace the ring motor. I hope that was just "teething problems" and that newer generation AF-s lenses don't suffer the same fate in a few more years.

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