[photo-3d] Travelling with a S1 is... expensive!!

[Jean-Francois Neron <jfneron@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm just coming back from a trip to New-York where I went to visit 
the big PhotoEast exposition. Before passing the US customs (I live 
in Quebec city, CANADA) I stopped as usually at the Canadian customs 
office to register my photo equipment.

After I unpacked my RBT S1 camera to show it to the custom agent (so 
he will be able to take the serial number) he asked me some questions 
about the camera since he had not seen a stereo cameras before. I 
told him that those cameras are made in Germany by a company called 
RBT, that someone in USA is importing them for americas, that stereo 
photography was popular in the 50's years, bla bla bla, etc... (I 
told him the full story). To prove that the camera was mine and to 
show him how expensive those cameras are I also showed him the 
receipt. Now I wish I hadn't done that.

The guy asked me to show him a proof that I have paid importation 
fees when I bought this camera. Of course I didn't had such papers 
with me at this time so I was told that to keep the camera I had to 
pay 800$ cdn NOW or the camera will be confiscated by the customs. I 
spent 1 hour at the canadian customs, trying to arrange something but 
the guy was very decided to not let me go with the S1 or my money...

Finally, promising that I'll register the S1 when I'll be back to 
Canada, I was able to convince the guy to let me go with the camera 
for my US trip. The guy picked my license plate number to be sure 
that the customs inspect my car when I'll be back.

I decided to left the camera in USA, at a friend of mine home. Now I 
have 3 options: reselling the S1 in USA and saving 800$, paying 800$ 
to legalise my camera, or asking someone to import it illegaly (and 
have it confisquated if it doesn't work).

In canadian dollars my S1 already costed me 5000$ ($3500US x 1.5 cdn 
exchange rate). I'll take a couple of days to think about what I'll 
do but there's big chances that this camera will probably become the 
most expensive S1 ever, at 5800$!!!

N.B. Some months ago I tried to sell my S1 but I finally retracted my 
offer and kept it. Best offer was 4000$US.


(-8
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Jean-Francois Neron, M.Sc.
Exercise physiologist & freelance photographer
Institut de cardiologie et de pneumologie de l'Universite Laval
Laval hospital, Quebec city, CANADA
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