as (01/04/83)
I'm interested in buying some photographic equipment, and I wonder if some of you have had information that could help. I know that the cheapest place to buy cameras is downtown New York, but I've heard stories that make me want to check some more. I've heard that the prices advertised in the photo magazines in some cases are "lowball" prices; once they have you in the store they say that in order to get such a low price, you have to buy a case, battery,etc. Another technique is to strip the camera of some of the standard accessories (battery, strap, grip, etc.) and then sell them back to you. Do any of you have experiences (good or bad) with specific dealers in New York City? I've also heard a little about the "gray market" for photo equipment. Some New York dealers buy in Europe to take advantage of currency situations, but those cameras then don't have the U.S. (one year) warranty. I've heard conflicting reports about the effect of having a non-U.S. warranty. Some local dealers claim that I might not be able to get service if there's a problem, but of course they would like to talk me into buying from them. Any information about gray market equipment? More specifically, I'm looking at the Canon AE-1P camera, their dedicated 188A flash, and two zoom lenses to cover the range 28 (or 35) to 210 (or 250 or 300) mm. I already have a 2X (Vivitar) teleconverter. I'm thinking of a 28-80 zoom and an 80-210 (or so) zoom. I'd like to buy aftermarket lenses if the quality is good. The Tokina 50-250 zoom seems attractive in size and range; any experience? Thanks for any information. Abe Shliferstein, BTL Holmdel.