Buying a DSLR in Joensuu - Finland

deepupkn · Post by **deepupkn** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 1:11 pm

Hi all,

I am in the market to buy a DSLR. For over 2 months or so, I have been reading reviews, comments etc on different cameras. I like the pentax k50. But I also like the Nikon d5100. Rajala has a good offer for Nikon d5100 with 18-105 vr + accessories for 575 Euros http://www.rajalacamera.fi/nikon-d5100- ... y-kit.html. I found that only one shop in Joensuu sells Pentax camers; Kuvanmaailma. The pentax k 50 with 18-55 wr kit is priced at 695 Euros http://www.kuvanmaailma.fi/product/604/ ... 0-18-55-wr. Which do you think is the best buy? I have also heard that pentax doesn't have any services centers in Finland. Can anyone clarify this point?

Does anyone in this forums uses a pentax camera in Finland who can tell me about the reliability and service of the product?

Any help will be appreciated. Your replies are invaluable to me. Thanking you all in advance for your replies. Kindly do reply.

**Sponsor:**

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:01 pm

Both are good cameras. The longer zoom range of the Nikon has a slight advantage so you don't need a second (longer) lens in most circumstances.
Most important however is how the camera feels in your hand. Are all the knobs and wheels comfortably situated.

Pentax is less popular so finding assesoires for it can be more difficult.

deepupkn · Post by **deepupkn** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:17 pm

rinso wrote:Both are good cameras. The longer zoom range of the Nikon has a slight advantage so you don't need a second (longer) lens in most circumstances.
Most important however is how the camera feels in your hand. Are all the knobs and wheels comfortably situated.

Pentax is less popular so finding assesoires for it can be more difficult.

Thank you rinso. Do you think the pentax service is good here in Finland? If I go with Pentax, I will be buying from Kuvanmaailma.fi. Do you know any thing about their reputation?

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:14 pm

I will be buying from Kuvanmaailma.fi. Do you know any thing about their reputation?

I didn't knew them before.
But looking at their website I notice that they have a very limited choice in camera brands. I suspect therefore that they are not an official dealer but get their stuff from parallel imports. And since it is only one store as it seems and not a chain, there can be issues with the continuity. I wouldn't buy there unless I really, really wanted the pentax.

Do you think the pentax service is good here in Finland?

No idea, but since the pentax is only sold in small shops and not in the main chains, I have my doubts.

I have found an other option for the pentax.
Cyberphoto is a Swedish chain that also sells in Finland.
http://www.cyberphoto.fi/index_fi.php

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:05 pm

deepupkn wrote:Do you think the pentax service is good here in Finland? If I go with Pentax, I will be buying from Kuvanmaailma.fi. Do you know any thing about their reputation?

Pentaxes get serviced in Sweden, Nikon @ JAS here in Finland. But they too can take their time...

deepupkn · Post by **deepupkn** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:09 pm

Upphew wrote:
deepupkn wrote:Do you think the pentax service is good here in Finland? If I go with Pentax, I will be buying from Kuvanmaailma.fi. Do you know any thing about their reputation?
Pentaxes get serviced in Sweden, Nikon @ JAS here in Finland. But they too can take their time...

Thank you for your reply. I know that the question that iam going to ask is absurd, but still, will this service in Sweden be a real problem?

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 8:02 pm

deepupkn wrote:Thank you for your reply. I know that the question that iam going to ask is absurd, but still, will this service in Sweden be a real problem?

No. Shutter is the only thing that, imo, might need servicing after warranty and most likely you are better off getting new body than servicing the shutter with your own money.

riku2 · Post by **riku2** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 8:04 pm

deepupkn wrote: I found that only one shop in Joensuu sells Pentax camers; Kuvanmaailma. The pentax k 50 with 18-55 wr kit is priced at 695 Euros http://www.kuvanmaailma.fi/product/604/ ... 0-18-55-wr.

I would buy it from amazon.uk. 637e and that includes delivery.
Their prices are really much lower than finland. 149 pounds for a galaxy tab 3 8" tablet. 280e at gigantti.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 8:39 pm

riku2 wrote:
deepupkn wrote: I found that only one shop in Joensuu sells Pentax camers; Kuvanmaailma. The pentax k 50 with 18-55 wr kit is priced at 695 Euros http://www.kuvanmaailma.fi/product/604/ ... 0-18-55-wr.
I would buy it from amazon.uk. 637e and that includes delivery.

Yeah, but did you actually try if they accept deliveries to Finland...?

riku2 · Post by **riku2** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 8:48 pm

Rip wrote: Yeah, but did you actually try if they accept deliveries to Finland...?

No, I didn't try since I've ordered so much from them before. Sony RX100 compact camera: 250pounds delivered by UPS, 500e at gigantti. The galaxy tab 3 8" like I mentioned, also much cheaper.
Doing a test order they will certainly ship the pentax K50 to finland, shipping cost = 0e.
I have ordered bike parts as well from them a lot (as well as the usual suspects of blu-rays and books), very useful since many finnish bike shops shut during the summer (great logic there, close for the month which sees the most people out on their bikes).

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:41 pm

Ok. This was genuinely useful thing to learn. They "discriminate" between different Finnish addresses.
(I usually use my office address)

deepupkn · Post by **deepupkn** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:59 pm

Thank you all for replying. But for now I think I will stick with NIkon D5100 + 18-105 vr from Rajala Pro Shop, Joensuu. I think it is a good choice. What do y0u guys think?

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:57 am

deepupkn wrote:Thank you all for replying. But for now I think I will stick with NIkon D5100 + 18-105 vr from Rajala Pro Shop, Joensuu. I think it is a good choice. What do y0u guys think?

As rinso said: whichever fits your hand better is the better camera for you. Sure Canikon has much more choice with lenses, but at this stage it won't matter. If you have friends with certain brand, it might be a reason to get same system as then you can loan lenses and flashes.

Hämeen Hitain · Post by **Hämeen Hitain** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:10 pm

rinso wrote:I didn't knew them before.
But looking at their website I notice that they have a very limited choice in camera brands. I suspect therefore that they are not an official dealer but get their stuff from parallel imports. And since it is only one store as it seems and not a chain, there can be issues with the continuity. I wouldn't buy there unless I really, really wanted the pentax.

Kuvanmaailma is an official dealer with long history, going back to 1970's as Kuva-Silta. Their main brand has always been Canon, in the old days Canon only. Customer service has always been excellent. I have bought several Canon SLRs and lenes etc from them between 1979 and 2006 when I lived in Joensuu.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 3:05 pm

Upphew wrote:
deepupkn wrote:Thank you for your reply. I know that the question that iam going to ask is absurd, but still, will this service in Sweden be a real problem?
No. Shutter is the only thing that, imo, might need servicing after warranty and most likely you are better off getting new body than servicing the shutter with your own money.

I have no idea how hard it is to do a DIY replacement but the other day I was just browsing eBay and noted many Chinese sellers offer shutter assemblies for various types of popular DSLR camera bodies in the range of $20...$40.

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