Any one deal with Igor's Camera Exchange in Cleveland ?

Has anyone dealt with Igor's Camera Exchange in Cleveland, Ohio ?

 

Thanks,

Ron

i have. but always in person at various shows. in my opinion, he is honest. just make sure you understand in advance how he grades things and what you are getting. he is somewhat gruff.

I bought an Asph lens from him. A good experience. I would buy from him again. As with any internet purchase, make sure you get all the details of what you are buying. Igor is good with email.

His grading really needs to be taken with a "grain of salt". I bought a LTM Nikkor 50MM that was supposed to be "excellant". In reality it was filled with dust, and had coating scratches.

As said above, Igor is good at replying e-mail. I've never dealt with him in person, but even though he may be a bit optimistic in grading his items, he won't lie. I purchased an Elmarit 28/2.8 for my Leica. He warned me that it had a bit of separation in the rear element (he posted that information on his site) but told me it was close to mint. Well... it wasn't quite that mint. I purchased it, had it repaired at Focal Point, and now it's perfectly fine.

 

In sum, he's reliable.

Thanks for the responses. He has some non-optical accesories I'm interested in.

 

Here are his grading standards:

 

MINT Like new, no signs of wear.

 

MINT- Near Mint, only couple minor signs of use.

 

EX++ Excellent. Only very slight marks from use.

 

EX+ Better than average, used not abused.

 

EX Average condition, signs of normal use.

 

 

EX-/VG Well used but works fine.

 

He's a member of the LHSA so I assumed he's a reputable dealer.

 

I'll send him an email ....

 

Thanks again,

Ron

I've bought and sold to him. My M4-P was better than expected. Do not fear.

My lens was rated as EX+, and I won't complain. Igor was quick at shipping it too. Good luck!

Yes, Igor Reznick at the Camera Exchange. I bought an OTZFO last month. Pleasant phone conversation, fast shipping, and I got what what I wanted! So I can recommend Igor.

Met him at a Chicago show. Like someone said, he is a bit gruff and tough, not to say he is dishonest.

 

I would not buy mail order from him. George Ury is nicer to deal with and I have dealt with him for years. Jim Kuehl from shutterbug is my all time favorite. Contact him by fax with your wants. He will call you. Jim has no website. George only carries better grade equipment. Jim has very nice things, more than his add shows, and he will grade honestly. He and George both send me things on trial with a bill which I pay or return the equipment. Takes a while to get to that stage.

Bought an MR-4 meter from Igor. Good experience, also from an international pont of view. The meter looked better that I hoped and was packaged well.

Bought a Contax II and several Leica accesories. He e-mailed me tons of pics so there were no surprises. I'm satisfied.

Igor is a good guy.

Only for a lens hood. By email, and then a follow-up phone call. The item i received was in better condition than described. Not a large transaction, but i would certainly deal with Igor again.

I've bought Leica accessories from him and it was quickly shipped, as described. I would buy from him again.

Ron I've bought from Igor direct from his web site (Leica telephoto lens) and from him on EBay (Contax IIA telephoto lens)..both items were conservatively described by Igor...they arrived much nicer than I expected in every respect. As was mentioned you may expect fast shipping and great service.

I have only seen Igor's at camera shows, perhaps he only brings his worst-looking stuff and prices it for people who aren't tuned in to the internet and don't know what the real market prices are for Leica in that condition.

I have bought several LF lenses from Igor that have been great deals; a couple had the added bonus of the super oddball retaining rings added; no mentioned in the advert.

Sorry to strike a dischordant note, but the "like new, recent CLA" Rollieflex 3.5F I bought from him online last year, had serious faults (according to Rollei tech Harry Fleenor) which would have cost hundreds of dollars to fix.

 

I (eventually) got a refund, and Igor relisted the camera on his website straight away, with exactly the same condition description.

 

YMMV. Caveat Emptor etc.

Thanks for all the responses everyone. Igor had some of those knives which went with ABLON (to cut film for an LTM). But today I found a rescue hook knife, with a protected sharp edge which is perfect for cutting film ....

<p>A little late to the party, but this may come up on someone's search. I've purchased two lenses from Igor, both mint, and both for a fair price. Other dealers would've charged more. And the lenses, although used, were in mintish condition. Shipping was fast, and packing was carefully done. When it comes to used equipment, one person's "Excellent" is another's only "Very Good," ect., but mint should be mint across the board. This is one of the reasons why I only purchase used stuff that is mint or close to mint. And when it comes to this type of equipment, Igor came through. I can't comment on equipment he sells that falls outside the mintish category.</p>

<p>A little late to the party, but this may come up on someone's search. I've purchased two lenses from Igor, both mint, and both for a fair price. Other dealers would've charged more. And the lenses, although used, were in mintish condition. Shipping was fast, and packing was carefully done. When it comes to used equipment, one person's "Excellent" is another's only "Very Good," ect., but mint should be mint across the board. This is one of the reasons why I only purchase used stuff that is mint or close to mint. And when it comes to this type of equipment, Igor came through. I can't comment on equipment that is more used.</p>

<p>Update: One of the lenses I got from Igor had a fog problem. I sent it back. He promptly refunded my money. Often the quality of a dealer comes to light when something goes wrong. Based on my two experiences, I would have no hesitation dealing with Igor in the future. </p>

<p>Update: One of the lenses I got from Igor had a fog problem. I sent it back. He promptly refunded my money. Often the quality of a dealer comes to light when something goes wrong. Based on my two experiences, I would have no hesitation dealing with Igor in the future. </p>

<p>I bought three items so far - found his rating as follows: Item 1 he rated "exc++" was actually "mint-", item 2 (Leica M8 at excellent price) rated just right, item 3 rated one "+" optimistic. Pretty well balanced. I also traded some equipment - Igor credited my trade as he quoted and what I expected. I'd do business with him any time - actually will be purchasing some more from him as my budget allows. He sounds gruff - it's just an Eastern European-ism. A good guy!</p>