Mr. Cad... Are they reliable?

Has anyone ever ordered from www.mrcad.co.uk ?

If so how was your experience?

I am a US resident, and I will be ordering my medium format gear from

them. They had the best prices of anywhere I could find.

I have never ordered from overseas, and I don't want to get ripped

off! Please inform me of anything else I should know about ordering

from the UK.

Thanks for any help,

Terry

They are right up there with Robert White........when I first inquired about a piece of equipment by e-mail with them, I put my phone # in the e-mail for the hell of it, next day I get a phone call from them from the UK!

 

They're warm, gracious, and honest, I've gotten several pieces of gear from them, on one occasion they made a rare mistake, they sent an item I ordered to the wrong address, to their credit, they quickly admitted their mistake, and quickly rectified, which is what I really like, they will not leave you hanging.

 

They have integrity, and I trust them, out of the technicians and dealers I deal with, I trust 5, nobody else.

Terry

 

I had dealings with them many years ago and I have never heard good reports about them( that doesn`t mean to say that they are not OK)I can`t actually remember exactly why i avoided them since then but I would be a bit careful. I don`t know what it is your buying but Robert White is the most popular for you guys in the states and they are good or Ffordes photographic www.ffordes.co.uk are also good.

surely Cad`s can`t be much cheaper and for the peace of mind I would go with one of the two I`ve mentioned. If you ordered from Robert White and the goods were faulty then they would replace them very quickly and that is what you want really. Mr Cad is known for bulk purchase of unusual stuff and end of lines etc and I`ve never seen him be competitive on new gear. I saw his stand at our camera fair this year ( Focus)and the Mf gear I was looking at looked tatty and well used. sorry to kill your enthusiasm but you ask for true feelings. As I say, I haven`t used them for years and might well be doing them a misjustice but I go on gut feeling and I don`t feel good about it. That`s not to say that if I was looking for a bit of second hand gear and they were offering it at the right price i wouldn`t consider it but I would need to visit the shop and inspect it closely.

Ffordes is one of the leading new and second hand dealers in the country and when he says an item is mint, or good or average then you can believe it.

 

Good Luck

 

Dave c

 

Dave C

Well, they have been careless with a description of a used lens once to a friend of mine. My friend asked for a Focotar 2 100mm Leitz enlarging lens. One of their staff said they had it. My friend asked to see a JPEG. It turned out to be a V-Elmar. Still, we agreed it was an honest mistake and I'd give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

I know them as a used dealer though so I do not know if you are buying new from them or not. In any case, ask them to email you JPEGs of the equipment you intend to buy. They are usually accomodating.

When ordering a new enlarging lens from them they told me and sold me a used mint version about £100 cheaper. I mis-ordered a Hasselblad spare - they couldn't have been nicer or quicker with correct replacement. FWIW

Ok, if you really do not wish to be ripped off then David's advice to patronise Robert White UK for new MF equipment is a good one. Lots of happy US customers in this forum. In fact, RW should pay this forum for all the free endorsements he gets :)

 

As David says, I cannot imagine anybody beating RW's prices on new MF gear by a significant margin.

 

You pays your money, you takes your choice.

My last purchase with them was two months ago, they had the last brand new Docter Optics 450mm Apo Germinar that I could find on the planet, I searched everywhere, e-mailed everywhere, they held this lens for me, also like Robert White they have a personal touch.

 

Everybody has a right to an opinion, but I just have no concern dealing with RW or Mr Cad, what I like about them and others, when they tell you the truth about times frames, availability, the willingness to make mistakes, updating on the progress of ordered gear, the dealers and technicians I respect, tell you what they can and cannot do, and the time frame within when they can do it.

 

Bottom line, if you've go doubts, ask 'em, if you like what you hear, order from them, if you don't, order from RW.

I too have been very happy with the service I have had from Mr

Cad. My only warning would be that they rate used gear with

cosmetic blemishes somewhat higher than, say RW or KEH.

Their online descriptions are also a little terse, but they have

always worked hard to give me all the extra information I have

needed before buying.

I don't know about their reliabilty, but they are certainly not the cheapest.

Terry, if you're looking at buying new medium format gear, you won't find

better prices than Robert White offers. I've bought quite a lot of equipment

from him and never had any problems.

 

However, if you're looking at buying used, there are quite a few companies in

the UK that have large stocks of good medium format equipment, including

the likes of Ffordes, who have already been mentioned. I've dealt with Ffordes

before and have found them to be pretty good as well; certainly a company

that you could rely upon at any rate. I'm selling my old Pentax 67 through

them just now.

 

I don't have much experience of buying from Mr Cad, just some filters that they

were selling off a while back, but the filters were fine.

I was not aware that Mr. Cad dealt only with used equipmnent.

I just stumbled across their website.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Robert White was my first chouce until I found CAD, but they only deal in used, and I don't want that junk :)

Thanks for the help!

Dear Terry, once you have used your new equipment it too is used - just a thought. Mr.Cad also deals in what can we call it "pre-used" equipment ?

Oh, I know Derek.. I was just being a smartass :)

I'm anal-retentive about my photo gear. Every piece of equipment I own is spotless, and it's almost all over 3 years old. I think I am just uncomfortable buying something that I don't know about.

It's just peace-of-mind for me if I get new gear. I use my gear to make money, and if it breaks in the middle of it all, then I can decide what is at fault, and I can't blame it on the camera for being used.

Later,

Terry

I have used them for many years without any problems, though I do live in the UK and would be straight up to there shop if they cocked up.

If any one reads this that lives in the UK their store must be visited, I have neve seen so much gear in one place, a true Aladins cave. Managed to gets all sorts of bits over the years that I couldn't get anywhere else.

Please get a shipping quote BEFORE you bid on any of their E*bay items; when living in the USA. A lens I bought used from them was in great shape; well packed; and I had to sign for it....This is all great. ; But paying 48 dollars US for a 2 Lb weight box seems REAL stiff in price. I have bought Russian cameras from Moscow or the Ukraine with the same airmail time; and signed delivery; for about 12 to 19 dollars. I goofed by not getting a shipping quote; before I bid on the item form Mr Cad in the UK. My only beef was the super high shipping cost; all else was VERY professional.

I've bought darkroom equipement from Mr Cad; they were fun to deal with and the items arrived next day as described.

A general point; I think most dealers over describe gear, infact the whole exc+++ to Mint- thing defies good description. In my experience dealers buy and sell items without having tried them in the field or even submitting them to proper examination. They rely on their warranties and customer willingness to return faulty goods. I'm afraid I just take them apart, fix them and take the blow on the chin. That's probably what they bank on though. ebay is great but I guess you have honest amateurs, the above pro's and plain dodgy crooks. Which you you end dealing with is just luck.

Does Mr. Cad have a website?

Yes, http://www.mrcad.co.uk - I'm another satisfied customer. It was the only place I managed to get condensors for my Durst 138S which didn't cost more than the entire enlarger. And an LF lens (Apo-Lanthar 150mm/f:4.5)...

 

Dangerous website - to be avoided like all costs.

I have found them mixed. They sell very well priced storage sleeves but their medium format

cameras seem to quickly develop faults in my experience, in spite of being originally priced

as being worthy; I have bought three SLR cameras from them, the first a Bronica Zenza, the

third a Hasselblad; I won't be buying a third.