G
Guest
Hi Francis,
Thank you for your kind words. However, after re-reading John's story, it isn't clear where he was when he was looking into buying the Vario-Sonnar f/4 80-200mm zoom lens. It wasn't clear whether he was actually in Malaysia, or whether the Internet seller was a dealer in Malaysia, or whether the lens was said to have been made there.
Actually, I did not have a bad experience in Hong Kong, but it was a good experience in that I learned a few things. And I fully understand the difference between buying at local versus tourist prices, which I avoid like the plague when at all possible. One is at an advantage when one speaks the local language and culture, and at a disadvantage otherwise.
The shop I went to (which I mentioned) was not small, per se, and was full of locals. I ended up selling the Pentax SLR and lenses I bought there back in Thailand for a tidy profit, and the buyer was happy with the price, so it worked out okay.
I love Asia and the Asian people and hold them in high regard (having a Master's Degree in Asian Studies), having spent a good many years serving them in my field of work. The moral of the story is: one has to adapt and learn how to live and operate properly there, just like anywhere else, especially when buying high-dollar items like the afore-mentioned Vario-Sonnar zoom.
Wherever and whatever the case may be, the key is always to shop around and gather prices and various tidbits of information, pros and cons. For instance, the story the salesman gave about the T* lens coating and the Malaysian-made "Zeiss" -- that, in it self was a tip-off to shop and buy elsewhere.
Of course John did the best thing possible, he asked people on the ContaxInfo list. And, I hope that he did not buy the item.
Ron Myers
San Diego
Thank you for your kind words. However, after re-reading John's story, it isn't clear where he was when he was looking into buying the Vario-Sonnar f/4 80-200mm zoom lens. It wasn't clear whether he was actually in Malaysia, or whether the Internet seller was a dealer in Malaysia, or whether the lens was said to have been made there.
Actually, I did not have a bad experience in Hong Kong, but it was a good experience in that I learned a few things. And I fully understand the difference between buying at local versus tourist prices, which I avoid like the plague when at all possible. One is at an advantage when one speaks the local language and culture, and at a disadvantage otherwise.
The shop I went to (which I mentioned) was not small, per se, and was full of locals. I ended up selling the Pentax SLR and lenses I bought there back in Thailand for a tidy profit, and the buyer was happy with the price, so it worked out okay.
I love Asia and the Asian people and hold them in high regard (having a Master's Degree in Asian Studies), having spent a good many years serving them in my field of work. The moral of the story is: one has to adapt and learn how to live and operate properly there, just like anywhere else, especially when buying high-dollar items like the afore-mentioned Vario-Sonnar zoom.
Wherever and whatever the case may be, the key is always to shop around and gather prices and various tidbits of information, pros and cons. For instance, the story the salesman gave about the T* lens coating and the Malaysian-made "Zeiss" -- that, in it self was a tip-off to shop and buy elsewhere.
Of course John did the best thing possible, he asked people on the ContaxInfo list. And, I hope that he did not buy the item.
Ron Myers
San Diego