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Buying a Camera at Duty Free

Be careful when buying online. If it's an import and customs check, you will end up paying import duty and then VAT on top. Amazon marketplace is a nightmare in this situation.
 
Shops at an airport can be expensive because the airport will charge extortionate rents. It's a major source of profit for most large airports. They have a captive market with people who are waiting for flights, and they take full advantage of it. I can't comment on what the situation with camera stores there might be though.

I would suggest also looking in local camera shops. I bought mine in one a few years ago, and it was actually cheaper there than in one of the discount chains. The place that I bought mine also offered courses on basic photography, I didn't take advantage of that as I was too busy, but it may be worth thinking about if you don't know a lot about photography.

You will also need to buy some accessories for it, and unless you really know your cameras (or have a friend with you who does) you will need to ask someone at the shop as to what works with what. In that case, you will want to be sure you are dealing with to someone who knows what they are talking about, rather than just a minimum wage cash register minder.

I can't make any judgements as to your situation, but I wouldn't go off on a vacation with a camera that I've never used before. Get the camera well in advance of the trip and take it out and practice with it so you'll know how to use it. The last thing you want to be doing is sitting in your hotel room trying to figure how the hell the bloody thing works. Even worse is finding out that you ought to have some extra bit or bob, and you didn't get it and now you need to find a camera shop wherever you are. Plan on taking at least 500 photos under different conditions just to get familiar with how it works and what you can do with it. It's not like it's film these days, so it doesn't cost any money to practice with it. Also, upload the practice photos to your PC to take a good look at the results. The pictures can look different on a large screen than they do in the small one on the back of the camera and you will want to know if you are doing something wrong.

Don't forget things like camera bags (including one that hangs around your neck for walking around with), spare battery, a second (different) lens, lens covers, cleaning kit, extra memory cards, etc. I put UV filters over the lenses just to act as protectors. I also got a cheap tripod that will fold up small enough to fit in my suitcase, which I use occasionally so that I can get in group photos. I would also bring a cheap point and shoot camera for taking pub photos.

I'm not a photography nut by any means and I don't really know all that much about photography, but I do appreciate having some nice photos of friends and family and of vacations. My DSLR is a fairly low end Nikon but there's no comparison between it and any point and shoot camera that I've tried. Someone handed me his DSLR camera to take a photo of him with his wife, and the difference between that and my own point and shoot was so day and night that I went out and bought one of my own.
 
Although it is possibly not applicable to you I bought my (sorry, the wife's) Canon 550D when I was in Afghanistan. I paid full Amazon UK price but as soon as it is marked as dispatched they refund the VAT as it is being posted to a BFPO address. I did the same with a Kindle. Both got out without issue and in very good time.
 
I've bought cameras and lenses from Digital Rev, who will pay the tax and duty, if any. Reliable and generally cheaper than Amazon. They do their own guarantee with repairers in UK.
 
Decided to go with eBay in the end and picked up an old-ish Canon EOS DSLR for under £100. Just need to find a good long lens to take maximum advantage of the skin on show at the beach but with minimum risk of ending on up some register.

While browsing, I came across this listing: Canon EOS 5D Mark III with 16-35mm LII Lens - Not working 013803142433 | eBay

Who the flying duck would pay out over £260 for what even the guy selling it is saying is a 'bag of bits'?!? Insurance scam is all I can think of!
 
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