The Price of a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 IS Lens (Singapore vs USA)

By Robert • May 8, 2008

Canon EF 300mm f.2.8 What’s up with price of Canon lenses in Singapore? With the strengthening of the Singapore dollar, they should be getting cheaper.

A photographer friend of mine here in Singapore just purchased a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 IS lens from B&H Photo Video in the USA. He was able to place the order online with a follow-up phone call to verify credit. B&H then shipped it to Singapore via UPS. The money he saved by ordering from the USA was a whopping S$2,126!

Here’s the comparison

Alan Photo price: S$8,300 (US$6,103) includes GST

B&H price: S$5,576 (US$4,100)
UPS: S$197
GST: S$401 (at delivery)
Total: S$6,174

Savings: S$2,126 (US$1,563)

What about the warranty? The lens from B&H came with a USA Only Warranty Card and a Canon International Warranty Card.

The price of the lens at Amazon is nearly identical to the price at B&H. Amazon doesn’t ship lenses internationally? That’s correct. However, Singaporeans can use vPost.

If you are living in Singapore, is it worth ordering lenses from the USA? For Canon L-series telephoto lens it certainly is worth the trouble.