Well what better place to ask for a bit of honest advise than from the fellow bros on this forum...

CAMERA SHOPS IN HONG KONG.....

Do any bros have any recommendations on reputable shops to buy from.....

MUST HAVE LENSES....

RICO has recently taken up photography and was wonder what kind of lenses to buy to be able to capture every photo opportunity...

1... Zoom
2... Prime
3... Telephoto.
4... Wide angle.
5... Macro

You forgot the minor details like what camera brand that you currently use as Nikon or Canon have their own lens with different specs. The other important thing is budget as some lens like telephoto can cost up to HK$20K or more...

Check this site for HK prices for cameras and lens - http://www.ygdragon.net/

The safest way IMO is to go to a big Broadway or Fortress. They are reputable, have a zillion stores in HK so their policies are usually up to standard. The small high street shops in Wanchai/CWB/TST never put out a price and are tourist traps. They will tell u a ridiculous figure, then give you a big discount that is still over the MSRP.

Also beware of fakes, as crazy as it may seem they exist even for cameras/phones/computers. My friend bought a latest smartphone in Mong Kok only to find out that the phone's specs were not the real deal, and that the serial number of the phone didn't even match the one written on the box's barcode.

I buy all my electronics at Broadway these days.

I have the Canon 550D....

Jacobs was kind enought o let me field test the Canon 550D, 7D and the Nikon D7000..

I opted for the Canon 550D because it was more forgiving and more user friendly....

The 7D and Nikon D7000 were just to fridgety.. ( Have to fag about with the white balance..)

When it comes with lenses...Is Canon's own brand more superior than the competing brand names...E.g Sigma..

RICO would fork out 10,000HK dollars MAX...

WTF...  Didn't your friend test the phone first.....

I hope there are no fake lenses floating around in HK...

RICO will test the lense on his camera before purchasing anyway....

As the bros here are well aware, he was the victim of a bait & switch... showed him the proper phone, then switched while he wasn't looking... The receipts of those shops are usually handwritten and can't be used as evidence or anything, and it's his word against the store owners anyways... so be very careful when buying!

Hand written receipts....  Was it a small retailer he went to.....

Thanks for that bit of advice bro....

Once RICO decides which lenses to buy..Once tested with my camera...

I'll keep it on my camera and fag the box.....( I am going to throw the box away anyway...)

may i ask why you are buying in H.K.?
HK is no longer a bargain for camera/electronics.

Cameras and lenses are cheaper in HK compared to the UK and not to mention the exchange rate.......

I have had a look at the prices of lenses in HK on the web and they are at least 30 percent cheaper....

RICO, Broadway is a chain electronic store that's just about anywhere in HK. They have quite a good selection of anything, from flat screen LCDs to laptops to cameras.

Here's a link to their locations:

http://www.broadway.com.hk/shop

The largest stores are in Mong Kok, Sai Yeung Choi Street.

It's in Chinese but the location is in English, surely you can figure it out. The 3 tabs top left are: HK Island, Kowloon and New Territories. Hope it helps!!

[ Last edited by  acerbe at 10-2-2011 16:58 ]

Glad to find this thread as I was suppose to ask the same question "where is the best shop in Hong Kong to buy camera".  We'll be going to HK 2 weeks from now and planning to buy a digital cam.  Could be low end DSLR or perhaps LUMIX LX5 will suffice.  Would like to thanks the inputs given by asia-play and especially 'acerbe' together with his warning.

i say go for the prime lenses!

Rico, agree about Broadway. while other places may be cheaper, if you're not from HK, Broadway is your best bet for value and good reputation. Lots of outlets in Mongkok. Also have outlet in TImes Square in Causeway Bay.

As for Kit I have the following;
Canon 7d, 18-135 zoom lens, 580 flash unit and a 50mm prime lens.
The 50mm prime lens is great but sometimes you cannot get enough distance to get a full length shot. It has a good aperture so the flash unit does not need to work as hard (creating a harsher photo.) Generally shot at about 400 ISO.
The next lens I'm looking at is something like a 18-55mm with a decent aperture.  This should provide a good comprise in cramped hotel rooms.

As for shopping, I have gotten most of my kit in Central, the shop on the corner of Stanley St and Pedder st, uphill side. Ap Lei or something like that. Language is not a problem and their prices are very good. I agree the big chains; broadway & fortress are good as well - I purchased the body from fortress in causeway bay.

The site http://www.ygdragon.net/ that was listed by asia-play is a great price guide.

Rico - I don't have to fag around with the white balance on the 7d (you can if you like but I always have it in auto). Occasionally I do make some changes after the shot was taken (in software on the pc) but quite often that is my personal preference on the colors. But this would be the same with any camera/shot.

I enjoy taking photos (enjoy the sex more) so I do not mind lugging the kit around.
However I have been impresses with the quality of the shots from the Panasonic Lumix GF1

I've bought my kit from the Mong Kok electronics street, right east of the MTR station where all the stores are. Have to walk through the brand name stores listed on the http://www.ygdragon.net/photo/cameraprice.htm site to find out the best price.

Broadway
Citicall (just changed it's name, can't remember to what)
Fortress
Wing Shing (http://www.wingshingphoto.com/)


I'll recommend reading the professional but practical lens reviews at http://the-digital-picture.com
http://dpreview.com/ is probably the most popular site, but I find those reviews too technical for a common man.

This could be a very good all-purpose lens that covers a good range from wide angle to 55mm at wide f/2.8 aperture and image stabilizer. Price over HK$7000 though.
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens Review

The Tamron and Sigma lens are worth looking into for better value.

This high quality Canon L series lens is listed at Ygdragon.net at HK$7600, and would cover a big range from wide to zoom. The f/4 aperture requires more light, but image stabilizer will help in low light as long as you don't need fast shutter speed to stop motion.
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens Review

For taking photos of girls in dark hotel rooms, a 50mm prime with wide aperture is your best friend. The f/1.4 is listed at HK$2860, and f/1.8 just HK$700.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens Review
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens Review

Well two bros have recommended Broadway so Broadway it is....

RICO can speak cantonese but would rather speak english to the shop assistant....

Any of the Broadway shops have english speaking assistants...

The Canon 7D is an awesome camera with superfast shutter speed...

What spec is your 18-135mm and would you recommend as a must have in your arsenal...


I found while field-testing the 7D is that when i did indoor shots where the lighting wasn't that great...The background was too yellow for my liking...Hence having top alter the white balance...


I too have been hearing great things about the performance of the GF1...

Price in the UK.... £823.99 which is roughly 10300 HK dollars...


Price in the UK... £963.99 which is roughly 12050HK dollars..


The price in the UK.. £ 301.99 which is roughly 3775HK dollars..


The price in the UK.. £ 90.99 which is roughly 1137HK dollars..


RICO has the Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-5.6 , Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 and a Canon 50mm F1.8.

I bought the Tamron version because i just couldn't justifly paying more for Canon lenses ..

I am kinda regretting being a skintflint and should of bought all Canon lenses....

Is there a difference....

This is the best camera shop in Manchester...

http://www.jacobsdigital.co.uk/

[ Last edited by  Rico at 11-2-2011 02:59 ]

get the 70-200mm 2.8 mk 2 if you got the budget other wise the f4 IS is good enough

you will love this range.

get a 24mm 1.4 if you got extra budget.

will save you a lot

You have read my mind bro....

Excellent taste fella...

RICO has tried the Sigma alternative because they didn't have the Canon version in....

Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 HSM II MAC DG EOS which is £569.99 and roughly 7125HK dollars..

Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM which is £1982.99 and roughly 24790HK dollars..

Canon EF 70-200mm f4.0L IS USM which is £992.99 and roughly 1240HK dollars..


Canon EF 24mm f1.4L II USM which is 1363.99 and roughly 17050HK dollars...

I was think of also buying a wide angle lense.....Maybe a 10-20mm..

RICO had a go at a fish bowl lenses but i didn't like the pics taken because they were all distorted....

I have to say though....

Hong Kong is a lot cheaper than the UK when it comes to buying camera equipement....