Getting good camera gadgets in India has always been a challenge. There are online and traditional stores selling products from the big brands like Nikon and Canon and then there is the non-branded stuff that I can try my luck getting in the photography shops in the old lanes of Fort, Bombay.
I am of the opinion that apart from camera and lenses, hobby shooters should not spend a lot of money on other supplementary gadgets like small flashes, radio triggers, straps etc since we don't earn from photography - at least not as much to justify Canon SpeedLights and PocketWizards!. That's the reason, I tend to buy a lot of eBay stuff that's good enough for someone like me whose photography budget is tight.
While comparing between US prices and India prices, I expected the cameras and lenses to be priced 10-20% higher than the US price - and my base is the Amazon price - and for most parts that pricing holds true. What I did not expect is the strictly limited options in the small ticket items that are cheap but reasonable quality like the ones on the eBay shops in the US.
Let me take the example of the few online shops in India that are selling my favorite eBay brand - Yongnuo are selling it at a exorbitant price. Take the case of Flipkart - They are selling Yongnuo RF-603 for a whopping Rs 4600/-!! That is roughly US $85. Even eBay India has these but priced significantly higher.
Now, while checking on the eBay US site of Yongnuo, I found that they not only sell Yongnuo RF-603 for much more palatable US $29 but they ship it worldwide and ships it free to India via standard international shipping.
I am not sure how this free shipping will handle customs and other duties. Next time I am in market for gadgets, I am going to give this a try and see how it goes. For now, it's good to know that I have option to buy directly from eBay US.
