[Guest]

photonius, you should try once shopping here

 

Cameras and lenses are usually cheaper, but as soon as I like to have something more special...



Now, how do you clean this brush? The Visible Dust products do have a small motor to throw the particles and load the brush statically and also one or two LEDs to see what I'm doing. But the brushes itself are the same as your's, I guess.



Now I just went to the brush site and then to a German vendor (of course, no Swiss dealer...)

 

Your site, photonius, wants 25$ for it, the German vendor 25 € (= 34$) - German V.A.T. + shipping costs to Switzerland: 37.92 € = 52$

 

A Giotto's rocket blower. 9.95 € - German V.A.T. + shipping costs to Switzerland: 25.31 € = 34.5$

 

Yesterday I purchased that one in a camera shop in Basle: CHF 29.9 = 33.3$

If I try to make a bigger order to reduce shipping, the tax drops in. Until 40 € goes taxfree via mail, over it's 15 € fee for post service + Swiss tax.

 

It's always like that, importing is just a tiny bit less expensive. And only in case there's no flaw of the product and I don't have to send it in.

 

I'm rather familiar with shopping in switzerland (and toppreise.ch), you do get good deals on lenses and bodies because of the VAT differences. Regarding price I was actually in general referring to your whole list of sensor cleaning items, and the expense of all these swaps etc.

But overall indeed, US prices are hard to beat, even bodies and lenses are often sold cheaper and with more rebates (but one tends to forget local tax, if you buy in a shop).

 

Regarding the dustpatrol brush, yes, buying it in europe, one gets the usual 1 $ = 1 Euro bad deal, and then the extra shipping costs depending on location. If you have a friend in Weil or Lörrach, you could have it shipped there.

I do use ebay for small items, usually from Hongkong, sent to Europe.