Where to buy the Panasonic DMC-FZ3 (US or NL)?

[Siddhartha]

Hi people,
I have decided to buy the Panasonic DMC-FZ3 (thanks to another forum in the group for showing me the right way :)).

Which is the best (least expensive) place to buy this camera (either online or from the shop) in the US? And if anyone knows good shops where I can buy them from in the Netherlands, that weould be great too. Can't wait to get my hands on it!

Thanks in advance

[Rhys]

If you're in the US then I suggest buying anywhere in the US. Case in point - my S1. In the US it was USD 400. At home GBP 400. Given that the exchange rate is about 1:1.8, it's almost double the price in Britain. I suspect the same situation exists in Holland.

[judge9847]

When Raynox produced their 2.2 teleconverter lens for the Panasonic, it was available and in stock in the Netherlands well before it's very limited arrival in the UK.

However, the retailers in the Netherlands would not, under any circumstances, deliver it outside the borders of that country. I suspect it was to do with Raynox's own "rules" if you like but it could have been something else. I've no idea because I didn't persue a situation that clearly wasn't going to change. Whatever, I couldn't purchase it until it arrived at the only retailer of Raynox products in the UK.

When it did, I paid an exact 1:1 conversion € to £ sterling, based on the retail price in the Netherlands. Frankly, I was ripped off.

My experience was, with that lens, I couldn't get it without driving to the Netherlands or finding someone there to buy it for me and send it on. I could have done either but then, any problems with it and likely as not, I'd have been left high and dry.