Buying a canadian lens....

[moneypenny02]

Hi all,
In my ongoing search for the best (and price sensitive) zoom lens for my XTi, I was hearing great things about the CANON EF-S 55-250MM 4-5.6 IS. It seemed to be about the upper limit that I could afford, so it was the best lens I could afford, but unfortunately, after much hunting I found out they weren't planning to release it in the US.

I did find it at Henry's--a Canadian camera store. I'm still waiting to see if they ACTUALLY have it in stock, not just a misleading website, but I was wondering if any other folks have bought from a Canadian store: I imagine everything would be compatible--the camera is the same I assume, but if I'm wrong, I would REALLY appreciate someone letting me know!! Also, are there any additional fees for ordering things across the border? The lens itself is $390 with $13 for shipping. Are there any other fees that I would need to pay? :confused:

Any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!

[The Mangler]

Are there any other fees that I would need to pay?
Yes, and sometimes they can be quite steep.

If this lens is already at the upper limit of your budget, buying internationally will almost definitely push it completely outside of it. I'd be surprised if you could have it shipped for less than $100 after all the duties & that BS. But look into it, it could be less than that.

Now, if you live near the border you might be able to drive into Canada and buy it there, then sneak it back to the US. Not sure how legal that would be...


As far as compatibility:
Nothing to worry about. It's all the same no matter where you buy it.

[nqjudo]

Henry's is a decent and honest outfit. I have had good experiences with them in the past, even when they weren't really obliged to accommodate me.

The unfortunate part is that camera equipment costs considerably more in Canada than in the US. By purchasing a lens from Canada, you are automatically lowering your cost/value ratio as you can get more lens for the same money south of the border. If you are absolutely set on this lens, Henry's is a good place to buy from but all things considered I would look for a different piece of gear if I were in your position.

[swpars]

Yeah - for a little more $, you could get a 70-300 IS lens in the EOS mount that is totally compatible with a full-frame camera, should you decide to go that route someday.