NYC Camera Merchants

[EdDekker]

I have purchased from several of the NYC camera stores and basically have learned that the stores with the low advertised prices are the worst to deal with. When dealing with the low cost dealers you must know what you want and not let the sales person suggest 'extras'.

(My embarrassing phone order moment - I ordered a VCR from FOCUS back when a VCR was a major purchase. I was offered a dust cover for a few dollars more. It seam It turned out that the dust cover was included in the package from the manufacturer and I would have received the dust cover without the extra charge. I called and complained and was told that I ordered a VCR with a dust cover and received a VCR with a dust cover. )


I can recommend B and H Photo in New York and Hunt's Photo (formerly Hunt Drug) in Massachusetts. Both have sales people who know chemical and digital photography. They both have good prices and good reputations.

B and H publishes several big catalogs and has a web site http://www.bhphotovideo.com which I find poorly organized. B and H has been my favorite photo store for a many years. B and H was an early adopter of computers and had a presence on the Compuserve Photo forums by the late 1990's

Hunt Photo started as a pharmacy with some cameras. They kept the name long after they were just a camera store. They have a web site http://www.wbhunt.com I have not used Hunt's photo for phone or Internet orders, I have used the store in Melrose Massachusetts.



J and R Music and Computer World is a big New York camera and electronics store, with reasonable prices but do not rely on the sales people to answer questions. J and R is an amazon.com affiliate and some products appear through the amazon web site. Other products appear only on the J and R web site http://www.jandr.com/.

 

[TresCrows]

I buy very little on line but I have done lot's of mail order with B&H advertized in Shutterbug, also Brooklyn Camera Exchange, Classic Connection, Adorama as well. I have never been cheated or dissapointed. I have ordered a lot of used Nikon optics, two point and shoots, my Nikon FMIIT and several other things from these shops. Yes, they often offer a gray market unit for less than USA. I have a second gray market motordrive that is identical to the USA drive except it was cheaper and the manual was in Japanese.
I have diffuculty using my "powers" /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gifvia internet but via telephone--no problem, if I get a bad vibe, I hang up. These people have treated me square.
E-bay, everything I have bought off e-bay I have been ripped off, everything I tried to sell on e-bay was a bust. I don't do e-bay /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. E-bay has been taken over by scam artists and vendors attempting to scam people with junk they cannot move.

 

[PitbullMidwest]

<font color="blue"> I'll never buy from a NYC camera shop again. Let the buyer beware. ...It's a litle unfair to lump them all together.
</font>

You're right of coarse they are not all dishonest, I guess its the old "once biten, twice shy" syndrome.

 

[BubbaJr]

I posted an earlier message that was a little too nasty and a moderator deleted it. So I won't go into specifics again, I just want to give you a link to a message board that has a lot of comments both good and bad from actual customers from camera stores all over the country and especially from NYC.

LINK

 

[BubbaJr]

<font color="blue"> E-bay has been taken over by scam artists and vendors attempting to scam people with junk they cannot move.
</font>

You're doing the very same thing I did when I talked about NYC camera dealers and my post was pulled. There are a lot of scam artists on eBay, but by no means are they all theives. I've bought and sold hundreds of items on eBay, and with very few exceptions the sale was without any problems. We both took our personal experiences and made a sweeping generalization that was in fact not totally true. I apologise for my nasty remarks in my earlier post. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[F350Lawman]

You're right of coarse they are not all dishonest, I guess its the old "once biten, twice shy" syndrome.

I understand, I've been there.

I posted regarding the particulars of the stores that have cropped up in the past 15 years. Unfortunately my post was edited due to it being "insulting or deliberately offending other users" . I don't know about that, it was however accurate and was based on actual experience with these merchants in both a personnal and law enforcement capacity.

The NYC camera market was made up years ago of numerous small family stores with years of experience and solid reputations. A rash of scam artists have "relocated" to NY and become a large % of the market. These new merchants are not ALL dishonest nor are they the ONLY dishonest merchants, they are however the main reason for this thread.

I doubt anyone who spends an hour shopping for a camera in NYC in the 42st area, 14th street, Nassau St. and numerous other areas with a high concentration of electronics/camera shops will disagree with my statement.

If anyone viewed my post before it was edited and was offended I apologize. I am still working on becoming politically correct, for now I am stuck operating under the outdated concept of speaking the truth as politely as possible.

 

[BigDave]

I've purchased from Etronics and J & R Music World without any problems. I also purchased from Amazon(not NYC) on multiple occassions and found them to be competitive with an excellent return policy. I made a return without the least amount of hassle.

I did buy a printer a few years back from some NYC store that I don't remember the name. They were about $25 cheaper than their competition, but they tacked on a $25 shipping cost which made them only $10 cheaper.

 

[TresCrows]

Well, as to e-bay, if the shoe fits------ /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif.

I love the rating systems people give things on e-bay. They will say it is "excellent" or "like new". On e-bay, like new is equal to my "well worn", "average" would be equal to my "ready for the junkyard." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It is almost funny /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. I was looking for a parts bike for my Bultaco. I came across "ready to race--fully restored"----a careful inspection of the picture despite the placement of a shadow to cover it revealed a frame that was pretzled and the seat had then been sat down on it to hide it--nope, I don't think so dude /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.
I suppose some catagories are rife with scams while others are relatively safe. The best guide whether shopping for cameras in NYC by computer or phone in order or buying "like new" items on e-bay is buyer beware.
I always like to act like I am stupid and then ask a question that will require honesty to answer correctly. If they give good advice that is at least an indication that the person you are speaking with may be OK, at least you have something, a human connection, to go on to base your trust or lack thereof. Oh, the Bultaco on e-bay, I questioned the seller about the frame--he said it was in perfect condition, then a second correspondence I pointed out where it was bent, I heard nothing more from him. Internet purchases and e-bay make that much more diffucult, though not impossible. Each to their own, I don't do e-bay, that is just me. J

 

[JDgreen227]

I have never ordered camera or video equipment online but spent thousands of dollars on mail orders with B&H over the last 15 years. I have NEVER had any problem with them of ANY type. They are hands down the BEST you will ever find for mail order photo equipment but for online purchases I have no experience.

 

[RobertN]

I use BH Photo-video in NYC. They have been good to work with. Good prices, response, ect. I got my Nikon F100 body from them, as well as other stuff over the last few years. I think they ship for free over $100 orders too?

I also use Cameraworld.com in Oregon. Free shipping over $100, no tax(Oregon...). I have bought lenses, doodads, film from them.

Both were recomended by a friend who is a photo teacher and pro-photographer(we went to Alaska with her for a week long photo trip too). I now know of other folks who have bought from both places and like them.