Hi folks.
I'm looking to purchase a bridge camera for my daughter for Christmas. She has identified a Nikon Coolpix P500 as the one she wants (her friend has one and she has been using it and likes what it does). This particular model has been discontinued (replaced by the P510) but can still be purchased. Two questions really, firstly, this P500. I see sites offering it for sale in and around the £320 mark but then found a site called buyacamera.co.uk who have it listed at £199 as a 'white box offer'. I think i'm aware of what white box is, basically they get unsold/discontinued models back and repackage them complete in plain boxes (hence the name) and resell them at much reduced prices. The contents are exactly the same as before and the guarantee likewise? Is there any risk involved in this and has anyone else used this company or purchased a 'white box' camera? If so what are they like?
Second question. I then investigated the newer P510 model. There's not an awful lot between the models actually but would appreciate it if anyone out there has made the 'upgrade' (some will dispute that it is an upgrade) if they could advise whether to go with the 500 or 510. Now the real important bit. Being a 'savvy shopper', the usual RRP for the 510 is around £350ish, but I've come across this Australian site cameraparadise.com who are offering it for the unbelievable price of £180! I'm really interested in knowing if any of you good people out there have had any dealings with this company and what your experiences have been.It really is a knock-out price compared to what we'd pay here in the UK. I've emailed them and they came back promptly to reassure me that the item was new (not recon) and that everything was suitable for usage within the UK. Anyone use them? Any pitfalls?
Sorry about the essay but I wanted to give as much detail as I could.
Thanks a lot in advance.
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