Calumet UK and Wex Photographic will officially merge tomorrow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calumet_Photographic

Apart from Park, LCE, Jessops, Clifton Cameras, Bristol Cameras, Carmarthen cameras....
Too many monopolies to count really. A plethora of monopolies in fact to buy from and I have purchased from all of them at one time or another with no problems. I have never heard of Calumet up to now.

8 months agopermalink

sh10453

Calumet is a very old company, with a fairly long history:

8 months agopermalink

(unknown member)

In 2005 I bought a ton of equipment from Calumet in London, Canon 1Dsii, plus lenses, flash etc., about £9k in all. They agreed a delivery date a week before I had a major assignment. The day I started that assignment half the stuff was delivered, with a list of 'to follow' equipment; so I had to rent.
The 'sales manager' on the phone offered to throw in a cheap cf card for my inconvenience; and when I said that I'm sending the stuff back he said "We're Calumet, as a professional photographer you can't manage without us"!! I delivered the equipment myself to their Milton Keynes warehouse and never bought from them again. In business as in life: Pride comes before a fall.

LCE are ok, but they're a franchise, so each branch is autonomous and I've found that some are better than others. My favourite suppliers right now are Ffordes and MBP Photographic; very helpful and professional, and neither has ever let me down.

9 months agopermalink

PhotoFitzPaddy

Don't recall that episode, if that was the case you would have been offered a free rental and nobody would ever say "We're Calumet"

9 months agopermalink

minh0204

Absolutely love Ffordes, everything is very reasonably priced and they deliver next day.

9 months agopermalink

(unknown member)

@PhotoFitzPaddy. "Joined on Sep 26, 2017" One comment. Enough said.

9 months agopermalink

Tim Gander

Sadly for LCE, they left it too late to get their online act together. The website is terrible and of course this might also be a symptom of the autonomous franchise set-up.

9 months agopermalink

razadaz

As I remember, Calumet always offered a price match promise. I cannot find that on the new Cal/Wex site.

9 months agopermalink

Andreas Stuebs

Calumet here in Germany are one of the cheapest sources for B&W film, wire releases (I seem to go through them at a rate of knots) plus has had - when I was shopping for this - some awsome own brand carbon fibre tripods. So I find it a useful store.

9 months agopermalink

tom1234567

they ae two of the most expensive companies for cameras/Lenses

so nothing will change they will make more monies and prices will go up

does nothing for the general public
one more thing Canon Printers here in the U.K. we NEVER get a discount compared to the USA They get fantastic deals
anyway had my weekly moan, sorry.

9 months agopermalink

Simon Barker

They sell more than just cameras and lenses, they also have plenty of used equipment and Calumet has a rental side.

Kinda useful things...

9 months agopermalink

Intrepid Landscape Photographer

A lot of people seem to think Calumet and WEX are the only places to buy gear... years ago I remember Jessops being the only name around. These days I get all my gear from Park Cameras, or Amazon Prime if they don't stock it.

9 months agopermalink

Brent Crude

In a way, what's new? Calumet was a take-over of KJP, which was itself the product of a merger between Keith Johnson's and Pelling + Cross.

These things happen and if it gives WEX greater buying power at the higher end of photography by sheer weight of bricks and clicks, that's all to the good.

In theory.

9 months agopermalink

Mike Crabbe

Have traded with Wex several times, very good and honest company to deal with, have traded in with them, and they have actually increased there offer when they have received the items, Give very prompt delivery, hope this will not spoil an excellent company,

9 months agopermalink

technotic

Yes, Calumet were dire in my experience.

9 months agopermalink

Dr_Jon

BTW don't forget Fixation are also a Wex acquisition...
(Fixation are mostly a Pro store, but they'll serve anyone and have a good repair dept, well Wex now have a good repair dept.)
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/wex-photographic-snaps-up-fixation-62132

9 months agopermalink

JohnVPhoto

Very concerning that this parent "company" can switch off business's at the drop of a hat. Bowens stops manufacturing at a moments' notice, with little thought of current and previous purchasers. Now, having bought a profitable company, which essentially sells the same kit to (mostly) the same market, how long until the accountants at Aurelius decide Wex isn't making "sufficient margins" and switches them off too?

I've always seen Calumet as aimed more at the pro market, where Wex was primarily aimed at the enthusiast market. I have used both over many years and have no complaints about either.

Such is the modern world where companies are owned by investors, not actual people who are interested in the business, but by inversors simply to make profit.
Such is the modern world that you buy a PILE of kit by a manufacturer, only to be told that the company has ceased overnight.

Accountants rule the world, and that's wrong!

9 months agopermalink

Dante Birchen

Looks more like WEX took over Calumet

9 months agopermalink

Richard Butler

It shouldn't, since that's not what's happened.

The private equity group that already owned Calumet bought WEX back in March, and has now merged the two companies.

9 months agopermalink

Sir Reginald

I buy all my gear at London Camera Exchange these days. A real shop, knowledgeable staff, competitive prices... and a short lunchtime walk from the office! I used to use WEX, who are great, but decided 'use it or lose it' in relation to walk-in. Stopped using Calumet after they charged me twice for a cancelled lens order.

9 months agopermalink

Bilbo_bobbins

Calumet are so expensive so this isn't really good news for UK Photographers really. I use LCE too, very good and well experienced staff.

9 months agopermalink

Dr_Jon

Sometimes expensive, I got a really great deal on my RX100V there (Calumet Drummond Street, new not secondhand) a couple of months back.

9 months ago*permalink

Jon Schick

I've had very good experiences with WEX and the UK does pretty well with other stores like LCE and even the revamped Jessop's. The mail order market is extensively covered by numerous excellent suppliers with one or two shops in various parts of the country: Park, Cameraworld, Castle Cameras, SRS, Ffordes, Clifton Cameras to name but a few. Given the difficult margins in this business, we probably do ok.

9 months agopermalink

Ansel Spear

I have a D850 on back order with Calumet. To say that I'm somewhat apprehensive is an understatement.

9 months agopermalink

Goodmeme

I understand your concerns but I wouldn't have thought you have anything to worry about, really.

9 months agopermalink

Ansel Spear

I'm not concerned about honesty issues. I just wonder i) how seamless the transfer of systems will be and ii) how priorities will work out between Wex and Calumet customers awaiting delivery of the D850.

9 months agopermalink

Goodmeme

Sure, I understand. Wait and see I guess! If it's any consolation I just bought a posing stool from Calumet which is fine when children sit on it, but when anyone heavier tries to, it slowly sinks! Hopefully Wex -Calumet will sort it tomorrow. :)

9 months agopermalink

barrym1966

a very sad day indeed

I have purchased from both stores (but mostly WEX)

Now there is very little choice in the market of where to buy from and no real competition except for Amazon

9 months agopermalink

Leonard Shepherd

While there is little in the UK the size of Calumet or Wex there is plenty of price competition listed at www.camerapricebuster.co.uk with Amazon only infrequently having the lowest prices.

9 months agopermalink

they have not closed you can still buy from them

9 months agopermalink

JT26

Little Choice?

LCE
Wex
Park Cameras
Dale Photographic
Wilkinson
Clifton
Ffordes

Not to mention the tonne of specialist and pr shops and plethora of small independents

9 months agopermalink

barrym1966

Wex are actually one of the few companies whose customer service rivals Amazon

Easy returns with no fuss.

9 months agopermalink

cosmicnode

@JT26 that depends on where you live we had 3 phorography shops that all closed due the crash within a year, and now years later nothing but pcworld/currys

9 months agopermalink

I’ve never bought anything from Wex , although been vaguely aware of them .

Have bought a fair bit from Calumet over the years , both Edinburgh and Glasgow branches , largely because you can actually go into a shop and look at things .

They also have an extensive range and of own brand products , which tend to offer good value , and are a great place to pick things up when needed urgently .

I too would have thought Calumet were the stronger and better known brand , but can only assume new owners want to break away from USA parent company ?

9 months agopermalink

Glen Barrington

I'm reasonably certain the American company has been dissolved. At least it was headed in that direction in 2014.

9 months agopermalink

zzzxtreme

Any fans of ffordes? good experience with them

9 months agopermalink

Yes , I buy regularly from them , great service , good prices , great range of used stock . Have traded in to them . Very efficient and nice people to deal with .

9 months agopermalink

Vanitas Photo

I am a fan of ffordes and MPB photographic, the fact I have bought from them online says a lot, since I don't live in the UK

9 months agopermalink

SvQMedia

Ffordes wrote the book on professional, timely and veery helpful customer service.

9 months agopermalink

zzzxtreme

Their website is listed page 10 of google search lol. Only know about them this year

9 months agopermalink

Mac McCreery

Love SRS Microsystems. But how the prices have rocketed.

9 months agopermalink

chromalighting

I've bought used equipment off Ffordes for years- always unfailingly superb service and the kit has always exceeded their descriptions of it's condition. I just wish they were closer so I could visit them in person. They are a superb independent company and the first place I look when buying anything photographic. And I work only 5mins from a really friendly Calumet!

9 months ago*permalink

Brian Homer

My local Calumet is actually OK but in the bizarre branding decision to keep the shops as Calumet but to make the website Wex - currently the Calumet store presence is now absent from the web. Very weird decision making- there are some FAQs buried but it takes effort to find them most people wanting to find a Calumet store will probably be frustrated.

9 months agopermalink

Simon Barker

I'm assuming they'll re-brand the shops to Wex too, which surprises me as I really thought Calumet was the stronger/better established brand name.

On the bright side I'm not sorry to see the Calumet website going, that thing has always been a dumpster fire.

9 months agopermalink

I regularly visit the Glasgow branch where staff are very good . My employer buys a lot of kit and supplies there .

9 months agopermalink

Simon , perhaps the plan is to move away from Calumet USA and not be seen as the same company . I go back to them being KJP and H West X Ray Ltd .

9 months agopermalink

Ansel Spear

I spoke with an online Calumet salesperson yesterday. It was interesting that he let slip the stores would remain as Calumet - for the time being!

9 months agopermalink

BRPWS

My experience with Calumet is that anything they touch turns to journey to hell and no way back. They screwed up their USA and British market and Bowen Lighting and now Wex whoever Wex is. Soon your only choice will be Amazon in the European marketplace.

9 months agopermalink

bluesman2070

Wex are an excellent mail order company in my experience. The only time I tried buying from Calumet they totally screwed up my order. Hope the Wex influence wins out.

9 months agopermalink

Semajal

This is not Calumet taking over WEX, this is WEX buying calumet. They also bought Fixation a while back.

9 months agopermalink

JeanPierre Koenig

You may want to consider that there is more to Europe than the UK. In
fact the Brexit voters may not want to be part of Europe. Look biggehan your island.

9 months agopermalink

Semajal .....nope wex has not bought calumet out ...wex have been bought by the some people that bought calumet in march and is merging to two .....Wex Photographic, based in Norwich, has been acquired by Aurelius from Barclays for an undisclosed sum and will now join with international camera seller Calumet Photographic.

9 months agopermalink

h2k

"Soon your only choice will be Amazon in the European marketplace."
---
Not sure what motivated you to make such an absurd statement, but i have a suspicion.

9 months agopermalink

johnami

Soon your only choice will be Amazon in the European marketplace? Brpws

Where do you get that 'fake news' from?
There are several excellent on line sites in France selling camera equipment and certainly much more pro than Amazon. These companies also pay their taxes in the country, something that Amazon avoids doing.

9 months agopermalink

Vanitas Photo

Bowens killed itself because they refused to stop resting on their laurels... While everyone and their uncles were updating their gear line, Bowens tried to resist the change and when confronted with the harsh truth (every other reputable brand with new gear with a plethora of new features) their efforts to catch up were: too little, too late and too expensive (too close to Profoto which didn't do any good to them)

In short Bowens died because they were too lazy...

9 months agopermalink

@JeanPierre Koenig
Well done bringing Brexit in to this. We are an Island people which is the definition of insular. Getting on and off it is as much a pain as before we were in Europe and living here is an experience mainland Europe cannot really understand popping in and out of each others countries in a motor car. The current hatred of Britain and desire to punish us just makes things even more irreconcilable.
To most of the British membership of Europe was something for the economists and bore little relevance to our daily lives.

9 months agopermalink

King Penguin

Absolute rubbish......Brexit (or Brexshit as I like to call it) will be terrible for the UK.....the Brexiters (or Brexshitters) will have denied their children the benefits that they have enjoyed over the past 40 years if it goes ahead.

The polls are changing and if a 2nd referendum was held tomorrow the Remainers would win.

Europe isn't 'punishing' the UK for leaving, they are just looking after their own interests which is exactly what we would do if the situation was reversed!

9 months agopermalink

@King Penguin
Ah .. speculation on the outcome of a referendum on the referendum. How useful. It could go on for ever. Those who know far better than everyone else will learn next time not to ask the public what they actually think. I have no particular view on it such as to get so excitably coarse about things but the boat has sailed so we have to make the best of the trip wherever it takes us.
On a positive photographic front hopefully these Euro limits on video time can be ditched. Possibly we can do trade deals with Japan and get these camera prices down as the £1,800 RX10 IV is a bit scary.
Hope Wex keep as they are as they are good to deal with. I never knew Calumet existed so I hope things do not change too much.
At the moment whenever I hear the words Brexit or Trump I just switch channels as the endless repetiticve chatter is just too tedious to endure. The curse of 24 hours news channels with a few hours of news to spread out over the day

9 months ago*permalink

johnami

I think KeepCalm that you should really pop over to the continent more in your life to really understand how people live. Most people don't pop across borders unless they happen to be working in the neighbouring country and there aren't many in that situation. As for your 'current hatred' remark, I'll will have to put that down to pure ignorance. People in general who don't vote for nationalist parties are rather sad and disappointed to see the current British situation. Leaving the EU will make Britain weaker and unfortunately have a negative impact on Europe.

9 months agopermalink

<< On a positive photographic front hopefully these Euro limits on video time can be ditched. >>

Top of the list. I'm told Davis and Barnier talk of little else.

9 months agopermalink

King penguin ....i voted to leave.for any 1 of 4 reasons.. main one protecting our borders..i live 30 miles away from the highest concentration of immigrants in the UK between boston in lincolnshire and kings lynn in norfolk..approx 15% of the population are immigrants funny how that region had the highest vote to leave in the UK at around 75% ..think about it...that 15% of immigrants are going to vote to stay ..so around 90% of the indigenous population voted to leave .....i doubt very much you live in a high immigration area with all the things that bring the quality of life down..oh you will love the pub that say no english on the door

9 months ago*permalink

h2k

"King penguin ....i voted to leave.for any 1 of 4 reasons.. main one protecting our borders..i live 30 miles away from the highest concentration of immigrants in the UK between boston in lincolnshire and kings lynn in norfolk..approx 15% of the population are immigrants funny how that region had the highest vote to leave in the UK at around 75% ..think about it...that 15% of immigrants are going to vote to stay ..so around 90% of the indigenous population voted to leave .....i doubt very much you live in a high immigration area with all the things that bring the quality of life down..oh you will love the pub that say no english on the door"
---
Thanks for letting all of us know.

And you voted to leave not only EU, but also English language rules, one assumes.

Now please continue.

9 months agopermalink

<< so around 90% of the indigenous population voted to leave >>

Indigenous, eh? Depends how far you go back.

<< oh you will love the pub that say no english on the door >>

You being a photography enthusiast and all, I take it you have photographic evidence of that?

And as a true patriot, I'm surprised you're unaware of the convention that the word English is spelt with a capital letter - as is the first word in every sentence. Even a Romanian fruit-picker knows that...

9 months agopermalink

@peterwr
Actually the majority of the Welsh voted to leave and many of them speak English as a second language only when they have to.

9 months agopermalink

Vanitas Photo

Geez, between Some of the UK and some of the USA commenters this section seems to revolve on the politics of your country, even if you are very vocal about your political choices guess what? The rest of the world doesn't care simply because this is a effing PHOTOGRAPHY website...

Now grab your silly brexit/no brexit, rep/dem sillyness and go to an appropriate political forum to discuss them until your fingers fall off from your hand.

I thought the brand vs brand discussions were the most annoying...

9 months agopermalink

<< Actually the majority of the Welsh voted to leave and many of them speak English as a second language only when they have to. >>

Not sure what this has to do with my or davev8's comments, but having lived there for twenty years, I'm well aware of that. It is the native language, after all. But the number of people who speak it in preference to English is smaller than you'd think, and I don't know of anywhere where English is banned, even in the most militant Welsh-speaking pubs.

And now, in deference to Vanitas Photo's (and no doubt others') wishes, I'm going to shut up.

9 months agopermalink

peterwr
with indigenous folk you can only go back far enough that folk are still alive to vote ...to be relevant ...but you cannot deny the place with the highest foreigners got the highest leave vote
the pub in question was in boston some years ago ..it was the talk locally but i never see anything on local news (i live 30 miles) away ...but you can bet if it say no foreigners it will have made national TV and arrests will have been made and you can bet your life it will be a non foreign dogooder that reported it .. and should not your name have a capital P

9 months agopermalink