OT(sort of): Frustration-Local Camera Stores...

I'm just curious, do many of you find that you have to live in a big, major city to have a camera store that carries pro equipment?

Generally, I try to purchase from a local store but I'm telling you, they really make it difficult sometimes. I've called all my local stores and it appears that all they stock is the consumer quality (lower) lenses. When I asked how much they could get me several lenses for, they were approx. $250-$300 more than the standard internet rate. (canon 10-22 $900)

I like the idea of local stores and I try to support them but the main benefits to the consumer is the ability to see/handle a lens and ease of return. With these stores not having a decent stock, they are no benefit.

I'm thru sympathizing with their "plight". They are obviously not catering to the advanced amateur or pro photographer.

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ErikH
Equipment in Profile
http://www.pbase.com/snapman/350d_xt

I made every effort to purchase from the local stores.

I even told them, I can have this lens delivered in 3 days from B&H. I will pay you 10% over that price.

They said we can't get it in any less than 10 days at 30% over price!

Sorry. I will pay some for local service, but not that much.

Local stores are doomed.

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CityLights
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CityLights said:

CityLights said:

Sorry. I will pay some for local service, but not that much.
Local stores are doomed.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Ok, glad it's not just me. I think you are correct, doomed. Most can't even compete on service. Price, service , speed. What else is there?

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ErikH
Equipment in Profile
http://www.pbase.com/snapman/350d_xt

ErikH said:

Most can't even compete on service. Price, service , speed. What else
is there?

Click to expand...

People who don't know anything about the internet, or are so terrified by using their credit card online that they'd rather pay 30% more. They're still out there, trust me.

You should try Sydney Australia. I would have to travell about 1 hour to the centre and even than the prices were to much. I shop online it's the way to go. There is nothing that online stores and even ebay can't offer compared to the shops.

Even though the prices were a bit to much when i was in Singapore recently there was a camera shop with pro gear on just about every street cornere. It was everywhere.

Same thing here. The local store is really a nice place. Friendly, I can chat with the guys for hours, but I can't really spend anything serious in there. I bought my 20D there for list. I bought a nice tripod there, spent 20% more than I should have. Although they deny it, they are a Nikon store. I asked them about some Sigma glass, specifically the 10-20, the Bigma and the 80-400 OS. They didn't have a single one in EF, but they had them all in Nikon.

I ended up driving to san fran (from nevada) top pick up some L glass, my local store could get it, but it would be pricier and would take a while to get there.

I really like the local store and I buy many small things there. Really a shame, I spent $2400 on lenses in san fran, and spent $14 on fuzzy lenscaps locally.

--
rich
http://www.photoallure.com

Same situation... I only use local shops for printing and framing now. BH always is so much cheaper and they have amazing speed.
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Eli

I went yesterday to THE big store in my area with the intention of purchasing the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. I had checked it out there before about 2 months ago, the salesman at that time telling me it was $489. Yesterday the saleman told me that same lens was $650 and that they had none in stock and there was a 6-month waiting list for them! I don't know which of the two salemen was blowing smoke, but I wasn't a happy camper and I won't be buying the lens from them now, that's for sure. I also asked about neutral density filters, and they only had two in stock - a 1x and a 2x, and no prices marked on them. I'm not the kind of monied person that can buy without asking the price first and I'm not going to ask a saleman to do a price check for me on every item I'm interested in.

I think I'll be doing my shopping on the web from now on.

C
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That's unfortunate.. but we don't even have camera stores where I live. lol I would be in heaven if I ever actually walked into one. I mean, there are Best Buys and Circuit Cities and things in the surrounding cities (20-40 miles away) but do they really carry good lenses? Or lenses at all?

I've not checked since I got my XT.

-- Alana Dale --
http://img.alanafranklin.com

I do use local stores, but as I live in central Osaka that's not exactly a sacrifice. Prices vary, but the two stores I use are never more than 10% over the going rate on the net - and frequently the same or lower price (one of them actually does more business over the net than in store). And that 10% extra is no great pain when I know I can just wander back into the store with my purchase should there be a problem.

However, I have seen local stores in other places (like Sweden) and heard enough horror stories here. A store that can't compete decently with a mail-order business deserves to die, period. Yes, the store does give you soem benefits, like being able to try the exact lens beforehand, and being close by if there's an issue, but that is worth perhaps 10-15% of the going price, and no more (higher for small purchases, lower for large). If they are unable to go below 30% over the net price they are incompetent or out to gouge naive customers.

Local stores - like local manufacturers - do not "deserve" to be around. If they are unable to provide any benefit by virtue of being local then they aren't a benefit to anyone but themselves anymore. There is no intrinsic goodness in having that storefront used by a camera seller no matter how expensive and lousy at customer relations. If they go bust, they go bust - and that storefront is filled by some other business that perhaps is able to provide an actual benefit to the local population. I buy my stuff locally from a couple of small stores not because I want to support them, but because they give me so much better service, at so small a markup (sometimes none) compared to their online competition that I happily pay it.

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