Bargain m4/3 lenses
 

For all the Aussies out there... if you're thinking of buying the 14-42mm lens, don't pay $650 just for the lens - buy the G10 + 14-42mm lens for $599 at Camera Action haha. Aparently that camera is such a dud that they think people would rather pay an extra $50 not to have it.

Just another examply of ridiculous price differences in Australia. I was looking at prices on B & H today and noticed this same lens goes for $199. Thats means we are paying 3.25x as much over here at a time when our dollar is on par with the greenback. Where's the logic in that?

Are you sure that is right? You're saying the 14-42 by itself is selling for $650 in australia? The 14-42 is a $100-200 lens ($100 with the GH2 kit, $200 new retail here in the US). Seems like even if prices are that inflated, youd save a lot buying US even if it is $100 in shipping... or are you sure you are reading the product/price correctly?

In Aus it retails from $600-$700. Grey imports from Taiwan on ebay are still close to $400.

The 7-14 goes for $1999 and the 14-140 is about $1850. In fact I just went and double checked all the prices and it seems you can also get the GH1 + 14-140 kit for cheaper than just the lens itself at some places.

Prices have been like that for a long time, the difference now being that the DSLR movement has opened up the opportunity for us to import more stuff. Either we can import DSLR bodies (many of which shoot video in 50hz and 60hz so are compatible worldwide) for cheaper than we could buy them here, or we can buy our bodies here for the standard rip-off prices but save thousands later by importing lenses. My still photogrpaher friend has been doing this for years and didn't understand that the NTSC/PAL divide meant that us video folk couldn't do the same.


People say "but what about the warranty?" but often in reality we can import something and have it fail, then import it again (and sometimes even a third time) before we have paid the same as what we would've buying locally.

The fact that the dollar is on par now is making a lot of people here wonder why we've been getting so ripped off all these years - because we always just brushed it off as being due to the exchange rate.