ix415@sdcc6.UUCP (Rick Frey{|ix) (02/28/85)
I'm just getting into photography, but one thing that has already
disillusioned me is the inordinately high prices of camera equipment,
especially lenses. I own a Pentax ME Super annd have been very pleased
but now I would like to move up in the world of lenses, namely a zoom-
telephoto roughly around the 80-200 range. The prices for what camera
store attendants told me were good brands (Tamron, Kiron, etc.) were
far beyond what I culd afford, so having used mail order to buy various
things in the past, I bought an issue of Popular Photography for the
mail order price lists throughout the back sections of the magazine.
The difference in prices is amazing. Many of the mail order prices
were less then half of the respective store prices and I've got a few
good locations for discount shopping. But the big question is, how safe
is buying something through the mail, especially something like a lens?
And what about all of the horror stories of stores billing the Visa
number, but never sending the merchandise and telling you 8-10 weeks
later that they aree out of stock and you can have a refund?
I would love to save the money, but I would hatee to get ripped
off. If any of you have had successful dealings with any of the mail
order houses I would appreciate hearing about it.
Rick (ix415@sdcc6, U.C.San Diego)rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (03/01/85)
[] I've dealt with Focus (Honest Abe) in Brooklyn for about 10 years and have no complaints. I"ve also used one or two others without serious trouble. The one situation I've learned to avoid is - unless it's a new item which hasn't had time to get into an ad, don't order something they don't advertise. They will take your order, but they don't advertise it, hence they don't carry it - for reasons which your measely little order is not going to affect. They will give you your money back when you insist, or let you switch to another product. But when delivery is not a few days, but over a month, wise up - better yet don't place such an order in the first place. Modern Photog mag makes a point of policing - to some extent - advertisers in a well marked section of their mag. Probabilities are high you will not have any trouble. THat's why there are so few local camera stores anymore. Only outlets for selling to people who know nothing about photography. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
hkr4627@acf4.UUCP (Hedley K. J. Rainnie) (03/02/85)
In theory, every advertiser in MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY is clean. They withdraw advertisers they find to be sleazy. Personally, I've gotten stuff from Prestige Photo, 47th Photo, Executive Photo without any problems, but I bought directly from the store (I live in NY).