"Brick & Mortar" camera shops in the US?

I enjoy the convenience of shopping online, but have found that with camera lenses there seems to be an uncertainty factor. I'd like to find a place where I can take my camera and try out different lenses to make a better decision. I was able to do this with some of the lower end Sony lenses at Best Buy, but their stock is very limited and the employee told me that they couldn't open the higher end boxes at all (?) There are a couple Ritz Camera shops around, but again with limited variety.

Does anyone stock lenses anymore? Or are we at the mercy of online reviews and mega stores like B&H or even Sony Style??

There is a camera store in Indianopolis Indiana that has it all and the staff are knowledgeable and helpful, and not in the least contemptuous of any brands. They have every lens that sony makes except that $6200 one.

Sadly it is a bit like Cheers, they call me by name when I come in. Today I decided to get a real back up camera and sold to them my 700 and grip and all my DT lens
and bought my second A900.
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davidsdigitalphotography.com

There was a issue of Popular Photography about two or three years ago that had on the cover "Electronic Giants Invade the DSLR business" or something like that. They were talking about Panisonic, Sony and Samsung. They stated in the article the the Brick and Mortar and Ma & Pa shops would be greatly reduced.

This has happened! Our main store in the Detroit area was Adrays in the downriver area and it went out in 08.

On a trip out west from which my A700 was destroyed so on the way back we went to the Mall Of America in Minn. and they used to have a Ritz store there but it was gone. So I went to the Best Buy (looking for a A550), and they had no Sony DSLR's all!

I am afraid that you will have to do your hunting on line and read every review you can plus find the people on this forum who own the lens and bodies you are looking for and ask them.

The stores just don't want to carry any inventory of Sony Alphas because they constantly get beat up in the reviews on the web as Nikon & Canon offer better feature set and (Claimed better image quality in High ISO) SO why should the sales person push Sony when this is the case. I doesn't make Sony a bad system however.

As for me I am sticking with the Alpha system for many reasons one of which is I own 10 lens and I think the dynamic range of the Alphas are better at the low ISO's than that of Canikon. I own a A700 which was destroyed the summer on a vacation and replaced it with the A550 which I actually like better. I never found this camera in any stores in my area which is mid Michigan. So I did my research on line and my shopping and asking people on this forum who had the equipment I wanted. I got the A550 from 42nd street photo for $570.00 with USA Warranty.

If Sony had not had the A550 I would have jumped ship at that point because anything less that the A550 and coming from an A700 would not had made since to me.

Most of my lens are FF and so in a year or two I will be getting a A850/900 again because from all I've seen on the web images they are just fantastic and I my opinion as good if not better that Canikon in the low ISO area which is 99% if were I shoot.
Photo eye

The full frame images from the 900 are truely impressive; you are correct.

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davidsdigitalphotography.com

Depends where you are located. In the NYC region, I prefer B&H or J&R, primarily for their selection. They have a pretty good range and let you try out stuff all you want. As mentioned by other posters, days of smaller camera shops/chains stocking all lenses in stock are over. I was at B&H today to try out the Zeiss 85mm. The store itself is a zoo at times, but they have enough folks on the ground to help you out.

Online is not so bad either - B&H and Amazon do have a good return policy so even if you order online, it is not the end of the road. Obviously if you really want to try out a dozen or more lenses, you will have to go one of the big boys.

Riker D said:

On a trip out west from which my A700 was destroyed so on the way back we went to the Mall Of America in Minn. and they used to have a Ritz store there but it was gone. So I went to the Best Buy (looking for a A550), and they had no Sony DSLR's all!

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Sorry to hear about your camera. You should have looked in a phone book... we have several National Camera Exchange stores here in the Twin Cities, and I have gotten a couple great used lenses from them in the past. NICE camera store! http://www.natcam.com/natcamera/index.html They don't carry all Sony models, but they certainly have more than Ritz ever did.

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Karen Brittan, Minnesota, USA



'The trouble with having an open mind is that people keep
coming along and sticking things in it.' Berkely Breathed

Thanks for all the wisdom and advice. I am located in southern MA and haven't found much aside from a few Ritz Camera shops and a ma & pa in Providence.

fanboy6 said:

Does anyone stock lenses anymore? Or are we at the mercy of online reviews and mega stores like B&H or even Sony Style??

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Few places stock Sony DSLR equipment. Last year At the Local "pro" camera store in Cleveland OH there was a photography equipment show. there probably were around two dozen factory reps on hand including Sony. I saw some Sony equipment I was interested in and wanted to buy, however the store didn't stock any Sony DSLR equipment. 90% was Canon and Nikon. In fact in that large crowd of people I was the only potential Sony customer during the whole time I was at the store. At least I was able to have a long uninterrupted conversation with the Sony rep.

My nearest is 5 hours away and are total jerks. If it aint Nikon or Canon then its a joke and they want a big deposit to even touch a camera or lens. Ill stick with online

Denver Metro has three Mikes Camera stores (good stock of Sony equipment), 11 Wolf Camera (good stock of Sony equipment). One Sony Style and the usual assortment of big box retailers who sell only the basic equipment. I know there are several mom and pop types but none sell Sony that I know of.
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Sarge
Five Sony P&S + KM 7D & Alpha 700
Albums at http://www.sony-snapper.com

Just ordered an SAL 35 f1.8 SAM for $174 from Crutchfield with free shipping. Wanted to get it before the holidays for portraits and such.

I guess the key is knowing what you want, but the tough calls are when you have two lenses that are close and you want to compare side-by-side.

We have a local Mom and Pop and they don't sell Sony because they do not meet Sony "requirements" for sales. I gotten a few Minolta lens from them. They would really like to sell the pocket camera but just aren't big enough.

In LA Samy's seem to have most of the models and some lens. Simon's also has some lens selection including some of the 3rd party models from Sigma and Tamaron. Of course Sony Style usually has the cameras and sometimes even the Sony outlets have some camera stuff but it is not discounted.