What camera?

[Finless]

I have the opportunity (through my brother) to buy some 'diving cameras' whilst he is on a business trip to China if:-

1. He can see any such cameras whilst he is there at a trade fair.
2. We have a target price to go aim at.
3. Etc etc etc.

I assume that some of the main brand camera manufacturers get their stuff made in China? I, like the supermarkets who sell 'own brand' stuff cheaper than the exact same goods under a known brand, I am hoping it may be possible to buy some cameras in China.

I don't know if we can BUT he will be looking on my behalf.

[Horndog]

I recently did a trip to Hong Kong, Mainland China, Korea and India and thought about buying a Branded camera cheap whilst out there and ended up waiting untill I got home as prices were cheaper online in the UK

Most of the shops were department store or electronic shops and stuff may have been cheaper on the back streets .

I didnt see any "own brand" in the shops, but you may have more luck at the trade shows.

[David P]

I very much doubt your plan's going to work, Bryan - the cameras may be made in China by/for mainstream manufacturers, but I very much doubt that the same goods appear in "own brand" styling there (and if so, whether there's any way you'd be confident that they were actually the same thing, rather than just something vaguely similar).

(The alternative model is, say, my laptop - made in China as a "white label" version which is then tweaked, customised etc by a "manufacturer" in the UK and shipped under their name. But I doubt that's how cameras are made...)

[Finless]

Originally Posted by David P

I very much doubt your plan's going to work, Bryan - the cameras may be made in China by/for mainstream manufacturers, but I very much doubt that the same goods appear in "own brand" styling there (and if so, whether there's any way you'd be confident that they were actually the same thing, rather than just something vaguely similar).

(The alternative model is, say, my laptop - made in China as a "white label" version which is then tweaked, customised etc by a "manufacturer" in the UK and shipped under their name. But I doubt that's how cameras are made...)

Good point. The camera(s) were just a 'hope for' rather than a specific target. Our main aim is to stock up with stuff for people who go shooting (sawn offs, balaclavas etc ). AIUI, the trade fair is for 'sporting goods/clothing/accessories' so I hoped cameras for diving might be present.

Anyway, I've asked BB to at least get a trade sample camera IF there are any there.

[ChristianG]

Originally Posted by Finless

Good point. The camera(s) were just a 'hope for' rather than a specific target. Our main aim is to stock up with stuff for people who go shooting (sawn offs, balaclavas etc ). AIUI, the trade fair is for 'sporting goods/clothing/accessories' so I hoped cameras for diving might be present.

Anyway, I've asked BB to at least get a trade sample camera IF there are any there.

My MacBook Pro is "designed (by Apple) in the US, made under licence in China". There is absolutely no way that Apple would allow the component manufacturers, leave alone the assembly manufacturer, to make a similar "own brand" laptop. Apple would have sown up the legalities of that so tightly as to make Fort Knox look like a sandcastle.

Similarly camera manufacturers might allow P&S cameras to be made for them in China (pretty well all the SLRs are still made by that manufacturer, often in Japan) but no "own brand" cameras would be allowed. Significantly, very importantly, camera manufacturers that have little to no experience in lens manufacture often get lenses from well known manufacturers of these, for example Panasonic uses Leica lenses exclusively and we all know, don't we, that it's the Lens that makes the pic with the rest just being a box. As an aside, if you're looking to buy a Leica camera, look at the Panasonic equivalent: it's going to be exactly the same, just with a different name on the body (but not the lens) and it's going to be a bit cheaper.

I guarantee you that none of these specialist lenses are manufactured in China and that's a major reason why I would be very leery indeed of any camera designed and wholly made by Messrs Yum and/or Cha.

Sure, this may change in the future (personally I doubt it - look at how long it's taken for the Leicas and Schneiders of this world to reach their pre-eminent positions) but it's going to be a long time coming if it does at all. Making a lens is NOT the same as cobbling together a PC or a P&S.

There are a few camera/housing combinations around of the sort described by Finless: Adorama of New York (to their eternal shame - they should bluddy well know better) flogs one or did so last time I looked. Yes, they're cheap - they're also pretty nasty. Have a look here <http://tinyurl.com/5f4xvp> there's lots and lots of pure (and cheap) rubbish on that page.

I hope this answers the several very polite PMs I've received to explain my position, even before what I knew what my position actually was.

[ChristianG]

Originally Posted by ChristianG

Making a lens is NOT the same as cobbling together a PC or a P&S.

For those interested, here is Canon's (there are three parts to this) method of making a lens:


Part 1 is above


Part 2 is above


Part 3 is above

I find this fascinating and the complications of it are universal - take shortcuts and you come up with rubbish. As you can see the investment in technology and human expertise is nothing if not significant.

Edit/: I should point out, I suppose, some of the stuff that the commentator didn't talk about. At the assembly stage, and often even before that, you are in laboratory/clean room conditions with the atmosphere overpressurised and rigidly controlled entry/egress. You'll also find that most of the assembly workers in that area are female - they're just so much more precise than us merely mortal males in that kind of environment. Look at the hands in the third video, none are those of big, blokey males.

Now Canon chose to show one of their bigger units being made, probably because it looks more spectacular. Yet some of the smaller lenses can and are still ground by hand, imagine the skill of those artisans, again, mostly those of the fairer sex.:\Edit

[eddy]

Finless I'd be interested in which you pick - at the moment I'm stuck between brands let alone models, i cant decided if i want to go Sony, Fuji or Canon. I've almost always had Canon but i have a case of "the grass is greener" syndrome and I've been looking around.

I've subscribed to the thread so keep us up to date.

Eddy

[Finless]

Originally Posted by eddy

Finless I'd be interested in which you pick - at the moment I'm stuck between brands let alone models, i cant decided if i want to go Sony, Fuji or Canon. I've almost always had Canon but i have a case of "the grass is greener" syndrome and I've been looking around.

I've subscribed to the thread so keep us up to date.

Eddy

This was more of a business idea than for my personal use.

As it happens there appears to have been no 'diving cameras' there so it's a 'non starter'.

This might help with prices?

underwater camera - Google Product Search

[ChristianG]

Originally Posted by Finless

This was more of a business idea than for my personal use.

As it happens there appears to have been no 'diving cameras' there so it's a 'non starter'.

This might help with prices?

underwater camera - Google Product Search

The old adage that what you gets is what you pays for has never been more relevant than today.

[David P]

Though equally, there are some real potential bargains on Flebay - I just tend to keep an eye on Sporting Goods > SCUBA & Snorkelling > Cameras & Camera Accessories from time to time though I've also got email alerts on a few relevant terms.