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Nikon D200 with 18-200mm lens. A good package?
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Hi Everyone
I’m in the market for a Nikon 18-200mm VR lens, but they’re very hard to locate and priced very high because of their scarcity (?600-?700). I did a search on ebay for D200 cameras combined with this lens and forund the following for ?1450:
It is a very tempting offer (though I did intend to wait and upgrade to a D3X when it appears). And I have also bought in the past with good experiences from etefore, the Hong Kong ebay trader.
I wondered what others might think of the package. Is it a good deal?
Berie,
I ordered that package from Warehouse Express, but had to wait so long for delivery (10 weeks), that I just ordered my 30D with 17-85 from HK. That seems like a pretty good deal, considering I paid only ?100 less for my package a few months ago.
Just dont forget you have to pay some import duty to the delivery driver! Mine worked out at about ?40. Enjoy your new camera!
?40 import tax on a 30D doesn’t sound like much. It should be 17.5% VAT plus duty (about 4% I think) plus UPS always charged me extra for paying the charges. On ?1450 plus ?79 delivery that potentially comes to another ?300 or so. Personally I’d buy in the UK – try AJ Purdy.
GilesKS wrote:
?40 import tax on a 30D doesn’t sound like much. It should be 17.5% VAT plus duty (about 4% I think) plus UPS always charged me extra for paying the charges. On ?1450 plus ?79 delivery that potentially comes to another ?300 or so. Personally I’d buy in the UK – try AJ Purdy.
FYI, in the ROI there is no import duty on a digital camera body, only VAT at 21%. Shame we don’t share the same VAT rate that UK and NI have :cry: 21% may not seem that much more than 17.5% but it all adds up!
GilesKS wrote:
?40 import tax on a 30D doesn’t sound like much. It should be 17.5% VAT plus duty (about 4% I think) plus UPS always charged me extra for paying the charges. On ?1450 plus ?79 delivery that potentially comes to another ?300 or so. Personally I’d buy in the UK – try AJ Purdy.
Looking at my UPS docket now.
Import VAT: 32.32
Brokerage Surcharge: 11.00Total charge: ?43.35
Package value:1980 Hong Kong Dollars
SteveD wrote:
Package value:1980 Hong Kong Dollars
Or about ? 135.00 – sounds about right for the VAT and Duty you paid.
ecp wrote:
SteveD wrote:
Package value:1980 Hong Kong Dollars
Or about ? 135.00 – sounds about right for the VAT and Duty you paid.
Looks like quite a helpful move on the part of DigitalRev! :lol:
ecp wrote:
FYI, in the ROI there is no import duty on a digital camera body, only VAT at 21%. Shame we don’t share the same VAT rate that UK and NI have :cry: 21% may not seem that much more than 17.5% but it all adds up!
Are you sure about that? Information on the Revenue website gives 4.2% duty for ‘Other’ photographic cameras. 4.2% is the standard rate for film cameras, and it isn’t clear whether the ‘Other’ section includes digital or not. But, a literal reading would say 4.2% for digital cameras unless they are mentioned / excluded elsewhere in the document. However, the Irish rate is not relevant for Co. Armagh in the UK. If you order from outside Ireland, you will pay the foreign VAT rate anyway. Warehouse Express will not deliver to the Republic.
I believe the Irish 21% VAT rate is higher to compensate for all the tax dodgers in this country.
Must admit, I can’t say that I’m 100% sure of it but I do know when I imported my 10D from B&H several years ago I wasn’t charged any import duty but was charged VAT. Perhaps the situation has changed since then, although duty rates are largely regulated by the EU, if I’m not mistaken. Agree with you that the tariff codes aren’t the easiest to navigate through. I don’t know if digital cameras are classified under tarrif code 8525401100 “DIGITAL CAMERA DESIGNED FOR USE WITH A COMPUTER, USB INTERFACE. STILL IMAGE AND VIDEO CAPTURE.” in which case they attract 0% duty or if they are 9006590000 “PHOTOGRAPHIC, OTHER” in which case you are correct and they attract 4.2% duty. I think it’s the former, but I could be wrong.
As for the 21% VAT, I think it’s just because the politicians like taking as much money as they can get away with from their citizens! :?
Hi Everyone
Thanks for all the comments.
I have had a look at AJ Purdy’s and 1-2 other UK suppliers. I think their prices work out somewhat higher in every case. But the price was not the whole story. Availability was more of an issue. I can buy from Hong Kong today, but the UK suppliers are quoting around 3 months on delivery simply because they already have such a backlog of orders and are only getting a few lenses in each month. Might wait – but it seemed like a good package when I first stumbled on it.
Regarding Import Duty and VAT – if your goods come from Hong Kong via courier, they will always incur VAT and duty (where applicable). If they are sent via the normal postal service – it’s a lottery as to whether there will be any charges (often not).
FrankC wrote:
If they are sent via the normal postal service – it’s a lottery as to whether there will be any charges (often not).
I’d go so far as to say that it’s a lottery whether you’ll even get the goods with the normal postal service :!: :D :D
Is the D200 and 18-200 VR lens a good package.. It’s great kit! Along with the lenses you already have and an sb800 or 2, this is a terrific setup.
Ali has a D200, perhaps chat with her about how it handles?
Si
All the time I’ve been reading this thread and contributing to it, one thing that’s been bothering me is the lens – can a lens with an 11x zoom range really be any good? Would you not be better of getting two shorter range lenses to fill that range. Maybe it really is good enough, I don’t know. Personally, it’s not something I would be in a rush to get, although I can appreciate that it would be mighty convenient.
That’s something that has put me off it, but have spoken to one person who bought it with the D200 and he’s very pleased with it. Personally I don’t want one, not just because of the zoom ratio but the aperture is quite slow as well. But I can well see the convenience of it, and it looks like a more versatile alternative to the 18-70mm. It really depends on what you photograph, and whether you would rather have one do-it-all compromise lens rather than a bag full. I have the 18-70mm, and as a replacement for that I’d rather go for something on the 17-50mm f/2.8 range, maybe the Tokina one if I had any money. That and one of the 70/80-200mm f/2.8 zooms would be a very versatile, good quality two lens kit for a lot of people.
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