World wide costs

[Footski]

Hi,

Using a well known Photography Magazine, I priced up to buy two spare batteries for a Nikon D60, a 52 mm UV Filter to protect the lens and two Sandisk 2 gig SD cards. Total price without delivery charge was 98.90p sterling.

searching on ebay and using a company I have used before in Hong Kong, I got the lot, including postage to Europe fro 23.17p

Okay the batteries are not genuine Nikon, but are only to be used as spares.....

No wonder the east is a fast growing economy...

[browndog 2]

for £ 23 i think you will be getting fakes

[chris-p]

Yeah... and your point is?

Proprietary batteries are ALWAYS expensive. Nikon own batteries should be around £60-80 depending on the exact model. Third party ones are very cheap - I got 2 for free with my battery grip.

UV filters range in price depending on quality. You can buy 52mm ones from within the UK for pennies. My local independent camera shop will actually give them away for free from their box of bits under the counter.

As for the SD cards - most of them from the Far East aren't real. You've a 75/25 chance of the cards actually being Sandisk ones (in your favour) and a 60/40 chance (against you) that they are the model the label says they are. Most Extreme III's from HK actually turn out to be bog standard SD cards.
It doesn't mean they're useless - it just means they're not necessarily what you think you've got. UK prices vary depending on speed. 2GB SD cards range from a few pounds to £30+.

I'm not knocking Far Eastern prices. So long as what you buy works properly then it's fine. Just be aware that it's not as clear cut as you seem to be making out and, without specifying exactly what you've bought, it's quite likely that you're not comparing like with like.

[Footski]

Thanks for that guys. i do appreciate that I may not be getting like for like, but as spares, they will do me, even if the odd item turns out to be useless.