OT: Cameras from Bahrain
Aug 20, 2007, 4:20 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 690
OT: Cameras from Bahrain
Hi - am heading out to BAH this week for work (also considering a BAH-DOH-BAH run to take me exactly to Gold...) and am looking for a new camera after my old one got nicked on top of the Arc de Triomphe 2 months ago. I have set my mind on a Canon IXUS 850is which is selling at a shade under £200 on Amazon over here. It is any cheaper from BAH and is it advisable to buy from there? Any recommendations of shops welcomed as well.
Thanks!
JSC
Thanks!
JSC
Aug 20, 2007, 4:29 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, BD Gold, PC Ambassador, SPG Gold
Posts: 4,001
I would look in Duty Free at the airport. Also consider DOH duty free if you're going to do a run (as I did last night! 
). A bit of a mangle, but the prices for cigarettes and alcohol are very good, didn't check electronics though. But you can't beat 200 B&H for $12.50 and 1 litre of JW Blue for $166.
). A bit of a mangle, but the prices for cigarettes and alcohol are very good, didn't check electronics though. But you can't beat 200 B&H for $12.50 and 1 litre of JW Blue for $166.
Aug 20, 2007, 5:02 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Cardiff, UK
Programs: BA GGL, Concorde Room card, KLM Silver, PC Platinum Ambassador, Marriott Platinum, UA Premier Silver
Posts: 5,278
I looked for exactly the same camera back in February and although the selection was better in the Duty free at Bahrain the prices were the same as here. Even the US dollar prices quoted at nearly $2 to the £1 worked out about a saving of maybe £10.
Using a price comparison website such as unbeatable.co.uk brought up similar prices when I checked in the lounge in Doha.
The selection of cameras in Doha was quite poor as well in comparison to Bahrain. Certainly not many Canon - seemed more bias towards lower end Nikon and Sony.
Using a price comparison website such as unbeatable.co.uk brought up similar prices when I checked in the lounge in Doha.
The selection of cameras in Doha was quite poor as well in comparison to Bahrain. Certainly not many Canon - seemed more bias towards lower end Nikon and Sony.
Aug 20, 2007, 5:31 am
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
The USA seems to be the cheapest place to buy cameras having recently been checking prices.
I ended up buying a new Samsung NV10 through Ebay from a UK seller which came with a 2GB memory card free and it has turned out to be a great camera.At the time it was about a £100 cheaper than the big stores here but within a few weeks the price in some of the shops came down to the same level I got it for.
If you can I would wait until the price comes down here then buy it as the after sales service could come in handy if anything goes wrong with it.
I ended up buying a new Samsung NV10 through Ebay from a UK seller which came with a 2GB memory card free and it has turned out to be a great camera.At the time it was about a £100 cheaper than the big stores here but within a few weeks the price in some of the shops came down to the same level I got it for.
If you can I would wait until the price comes down here then buy it as the after sales service could come in handy if anything goes wrong with it.
Aug 20, 2007, 7:52 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 690
Cheers for the advice. Surprised to hear it is no better than buying in the UK but maybe I will try to hold off then until my trip to HK in Feb. Will have a look around and report back.
To go OT (but to bring this back non-OT, if you know what I mean) I have 900 TPs and will get an extra 240 TPs after this trip. So that means a BAH-DOH-BAH in F will get me exactly to Gold. This is currently pricing up at around £265... so should I do it?? I already am enjoying being able to select seats and have lounge access, I have 4 more months of this year to get the 360 TPs if I didn't go for it and I have no idea whether I would make it. Plus next year there is a chance I will be doing a similar level of flying as this year. So if I don't go for it this time maybe I won't get so close again!! Dilemma...
To go OT (but to bring this back non-OT, if you know what I mean) I have 900 TPs and will get an extra 240 TPs after this trip. So that means a BAH-DOH-BAH in F will get me exactly to Gold. This is currently pricing up at around £265... so should I do it?? I already am enjoying being able to select seats and have lounge access, I have 4 more months of this year to get the 360 TPs if I didn't go for it and I have no idea whether I would make it. Plus next year there is a chance I will be doing a similar level of flying as this year. So if I don't go for it this time maybe I won't get so close again!! Dilemma...
Aug 20, 2007, 2:40 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 690
I think you've convinced me - the prospect of trying out the 1st lounges in T5next year clinches the deal!
So now do you think it is better I do it on the outbound or inbound? I'm flying tomorrow so would nbeed to buy the seats PDQ.
So now do you think it is better I do it on the outbound or inbound? I'm flying tomorrow so would nbeed to buy the seats PDQ.