Buying an XL2 in Canada
 

Hey,
I'm wondering where the Canadians bought the XL2 in Canada or if you ordered it from the states did customs kill you?

I looked around at local stores and they all want around $5800.00 CAD.

Thanks,
Cory Cone

Check out Camera Canada, not the web site you will have to call. Many other high end camera shops will give you a quote as well.

Brian

I saw a few really good priced units at Carman's Foto in Ontario. Personally, I bought mine from Don's Photo (commercial division) here in Winnipeg. I got a really sweet deal. I'd give them a quick call to find out.

Dave Wowchuk

I gave the local Don's a call and they said $5,799.00 CAD. It would be cheaper to just get it from bphotovideo.com even after paying customs.

I'll check out Camera Canada.

Check out Vistek. 5,700 even. I got all my stuff there. Great store.

I bought mine in the US, but I live in the US and work in Canada. Haven't had any problems going across the border, but I haven't been grilled about it either.
Not sure about Vistek. In Calgary, the guys there always seem to be unable to give you a camera that's brand new in the box. Seems like a lot of shops say "the one on the shelf is the last one" and want you to take the floor model that everyone's pawed over.

B&H Photo delivered my camera to my door, packed super well (the entire XL2 box was put in another box, with padding) for the lowest price I could find on-line for the full package. No hassles, very straight forward. Just ordered a Kata rain cover and B&W filter, same deal, no problems at all.

Maybe you could get the price from B&H Photo, print it off and see if a local shop would like your business. I know a lot of people say "support your local dealer" but I'd first ask them straight out, "ok, if I'm going to support you what are you going to do for me?" If your local dealer is going to tell you to take your camera back to Canon if you have problems, then what's the point? But some shops may offer service that's worth paying a bit extra, such as exchanging the camera if there's a problem. When it comes to sales though, the phone is your best friend. Ask to speak to a salesperson, tell them what you want and make sure that they know you are serious and willing to buy right away. Good luck!

Hi,
I'm also considering the XL2 and while we're on the subject of Canadian pricing, is there anywhere in Canada that's selling for under $5000?
If bought from BH, after exchange it'll only be 4600 CAD which is 1000 bucks cheaper. I know with Canon, their warranty is the same for US and Canada, so theoretically, there's no disadvantage to buying it from BH, or am I missing something? Why such a huge difference in price?

I did email Canon Canada a while back and ask them specifically if I purchased an XL2 from a Canon authorized dealer such as BH Photo in the States, in person or on the web, and brought it into Canada and later found I needed service if they would honor the Canon warranty and their reply was a definite "No" - if it was purchased from a US dealer the camera would have to be returned to the States to Canon USA for any warranty service.' I don't like it one bit but there you go, that's what they told me.

I wish there was some sort of consumer voice in such matters. Using just Canon as an example - the argument applies to the entire industry equally, Canon USA and Canon Canada are separate companies legally, true enough, but they're wholly-owned by Canon corporate and are separate only as a legal fiction for tax and other purposes. As far as I'm concerned, if I buy a Canon camera I'm dealing with Canon Corporation and I could give a damn if its the office in Canada or the office in the US or the office in Japan or the office in Fiji. It's all the same company as far as I'm concerned and I could care less about their internal politics, organization chart, or who they pay taxes to. If Canon issues a warranty, it should be honored by any company bearing the Canon name or acting as their agent by being an authorized dealer no matter where in the world it is that I may happen to walk into the door. Especially now when travel is so common that a photographer based in the States using camera gear bought there may suddenly need emergency service in order to complete an assignment in Kuala Lampur or some such. He should be able to present his gear at the Canon office there and receive exactly the same service as if he presented it to the Canon service centre in the States.


<soapbox mode off>

that's what they say, but in reality, every Canon product I have bought has a warranty card that says it is valid in both the US and Canada. This is what I'm curious about.
Maybe we wouldn't really be asking such questions if their pricing here was fair, but over a thousand bucks more for the same product is just rediculous and I really wish they would do something about it. I know all about economies of scale and all that sort of stuff, but the Camera isn't even manufactured here. Am I correct in any of my thinking, or am I way off when it comes to this topic?

Hey Andrew,
If buying from BH remember that there would be shipping and not only that but you would probably get nailed at the border for customs, which really isn't fun!

However, thanks to Dave Wowchuk's tip of Carman's Foto Source in Ontario I gave them a call and they said it would be $5000.00 CAD. The $5000.00 also has the shipping included but you still have to pay tax I believe. That's the cheapest I've found it inside Canada, so I will probably buy from them within the next couple months unless I find someone better.

Cory Cone

I don't think there are duties on electronics when they cross the border - just the tax which I would need to pay anyway. $5000 is actually a good deal considering it's in Canada - maybe I'll consider it, but that's still 400 bucks more - enough to buy a case and some batteries for it.
I know I'm being a little stubborn, but as a student, I just want to get the best deal possible (within reason of course) since I'm not exactly raking money in.
Carman's Photo source sounds like a good place and I will consider them.
thanks for the info

Canadian source for XL2
 

I purchased my xl2 from Robinsons Camera in Calgary via their ebay store.
Paid way less than the prices mentioned in your post. Also there is no prov sales tax in Alberta. Tony at the 9th ave. outlet handels the ebay store and is great to deal with.

Check out what Dale is talking about. I used to live in Calgary, and I came across the Robinson's ebay listing. I actually phoned the Robinsons store in Calgary when I saw the ebay listing, but Robinson's E-bay is a seperate identiy. The price was really good though, so if Dale has had a good experience with it, that might be your best bet.

I just checked their ebay store and it doesn't seem to have any video stuff and the XL2 on their main site costs 5688.
I emailed them asking them about it and I'm waiting for a response.
thanks for the tip

Let me know what they say Andrew.

Thanks,
Cory Cone