I am interested in buying an ebony or a linhof camera. How do the prices for these cameras in the states (where i live), compare to prices in Japan for Ebony and Germany for Linhof?

Thanks

-- john molloy (jmolloy@tcco.com), October 02, 2000

Answers

John, I cant comment on the prices of the Ebony range in Japan, but it may be an idea to check out Robert White here in the U.K as he deals in Ebony cameras and accessories and previous threads confirm his "competitive" prices. Best of luck !! Paul

-- paul owen (paulowen_2000@yahoo.com), October 03, 2000.

I have only 1 catalogue of a Linhof retailer in front of me, and it might be not the best price you can get here (www.monochrom.com)...
Anyway, a Linhof Master Technika is DM 8909,- (in the 2001 catalogue I got at Fotokina). They don't list the Technikardan anymore (IMHO amazing, I thought that the TK would sell much better!), but in the last (i.e. 2000) catalogue, a TK 45S was DM 5788.-.

As a non-german/non-EC resident, you should be able to reclaim the `Mehrwertsteuer' of 16% (albeit with quite a bit of paper overhead/time lag - don't forget that this is total bureaucracy quality country :), which means the Technika would cost about DM 7700,- and the 45S DM about 4990,-.

At these prices, you really should try to bargain - it pays, esp. if you can pay cash.

-- Stefan Dalibor (dalibor@cs.fau.de), October 04, 2000.

"As a non-german/non-EC resident, you should be able to reclaim the `Mehrwertsteuer' of 16%"

If the goods are sent to non european countries, the taxes are automatically deducted (just make sure the retailer don't "forget" it). If you pick up the goods, then you have to go through formulars and bureaucracy. At arrival, you will be charged import taxes from your own country.

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@smile.ch), October 04, 2000.

I think you should better look in the catalogues in US rather than buying directly from Japan if you are interested in Ebony. I have noticed the retail price of Japanese cameras tends to be much cheaper in the US than at discout stores in Japan. The price for whole sale depends on the quantity, not on the shipping cost. I wish you would find the best Ebony most satisfiable.

Cheers, Tsuji

----- If you give me the specific type of Ebony (there are so many), I can give you the retail price at discount stores here.

-- Dr Y Tsuji (ytsuji@mn.waseda.ac.jp), October 06, 2000.