john_jovic Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 Hi Guys Which camera shops do you recommend visiting in LA and Vegas? My interest is in second hand Contax, Leica and Canon equipment. TIA JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart_richardson Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 I would say Kevin Cameras, but he does not have a storefront. If you go to his website and say what you want to see, he will show it to you, but you can't just drop in...<P>His website is www.kevincameras.com <P>Otherwise, Samy's Camera is a great big store, but I think their used prices are not very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart_richardson Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 Sorry, I should have added that both of those are in LA. I am sure there are more, but I actually live up the coast a ways, so I am not sure of others. Marc Lieberman should know, but I have not seen him posting lately. Russ Roca might also have a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 Do people actually go to Vegas to buy cameras? Whatever next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_lieberman1 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 What do you mean, not posting lately. Trader Jims on Sepulveda in Culver City (310.390.3326)has a great used camera case with two really knowledgable salesmen. One is David Gobbeo. The other is the famous "Sid-Used Person." It is worth going in there just to meet Sid. Note: the prices posted on the used items in the case are negotiable. My experience is that they will discount 20% of the posted price if asked. Note: Sid only works on Friday afternoon and on Saturdays. The store is closed on Sundays. Steve's Camera Repair is next to Trader Jim's. Steve specializes in Leica repairs. Steve's wife Lucy just bought a whole bunch of high-quality and collectible camera gear from an estate. Steve's is open 9-5 during the week and 10-2 on Saturdays. (There's a great little Cuban restaurant next to Steve's Camera Repair.) Samys has some really terrific collecible/classic gear. The used equipment doesn't have prices on it. Rather, the sales person punches a code into the register and quotes you a price. That price can easily be 30% above what they will actually sell the item for. The actual price depends on what Samys paid for the item and how much commission the sales person expects out of the deal. Unlike Sid at Trader Jim's, the sales people at Samys don't know much about the collectibles in their case. Apart from collectibles, Samys also has a very large selection of used gear. Again, prices are negotiable, so don't be shy about asking if they can offer you a better deal. (Prices are negotiable on used equipment, because the profit margins tend to be much higher than on the new gear.) You should know that there are two Samys in Los Angeles. You will want to go to the main store located on Fairfax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_lieberman1 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 There are some other places as well: 1. Bel Air Camera in Westwood has used gear. Their prices are high, but they will probably negotiate. I have not found any one at Bel Air that knows much about the used equipment they sell. 2. Boulevard Camera on Wilshire in Santa Monica has a much improved selection of used gear. Prices range from very fair (I bought a mint Hexar AF for $350) to over-priced. The people are very nice. One of the problems with Boulevard Camera is that much of their used gear is on consignment, so they aren't as free to negotiate prices as Samys and Trader Jims. 3. Venice Camera. The people at Venice Camera are nice, but not particularly knowledgable about their used gear, most of which is on consignment. Prices tend to be high and the gear will sit forever. Bottom line: If you are looking for something in particular, you have the best chance of finding it at Samys. If you want to have a good time learning about all sorts of camera trivia from someone who knows just about everything there is to know about the history, advances and folklore, visit Sid at Trader Jim's. When your there, go next door to Steve's Camera Repair and introduce yourself to Steve, Lucy and Bill. Photos of the people and camera case at Trader Jim's and Steve's Camera Repair are in my PNet folders. Then have lunch at that Cuban place on the corner. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lo_..._t_o Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 What about the pawnshops? I've been hearing about Las Vegas pawnshops for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_lehrer Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 John, When you get to Southern California, don't bother visiting the camera shops in San Diego. They "ain't got nothin"! BTW, it is LAS Vegas, not Vegas. The pawn shops there are loaded with expensive cameras. They have to hold the cameras for a certain time before they can offer them for sale. Some of those shops are pretty savvy about eBay, though. I did buy some great spotting scopes from them that way. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fju Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 I was at Samys Fairafax a couple of weeks ago and they had very little used Contax or Leica. One body of each, I think. They present the collectibles as being just that, and useless for shooting. Bel-Air has a lot more in the used dept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart_richardson Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 That's funny, they have about 4-5 Leicas and a few Contaxes here in Santa Barbara. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_lieberman1 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Samys on Fairfax presently has several used Leicas (R, M, and LTM)and Contaxes (SLR and Rangefinders)as well as lenses and all kinds of accessorys in condition ranging from user to mint. The used Leicas and Contaxes are kept in at least 4 different cases around on the third floor. The reason they probably said that the collectibles are not for shooting is because few of the sales people know much about older cameras. BTW,as far as Samys pricing: I bought a Mint- Rolleiflex GX there for $1200 (the original asking price was $1850) and a single stroke M3 with rapid load kit in excellent condition for $650, originally priced at $900. The price plummeted when I should the salesman that the rangefinder was slightly misaligned, requiring a fix that Steve's Camera repair didn't even charge me for. I say this so that people know that Samys can be competitive on the pricing of their used gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_jovic Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 Thanks for all the good tips guys. Looking forward to blowing some hard earned cash. JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johns1 Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Best camera shop in 'Vegas: at your hotel pool with the appropriate companion by your side and your laptop locked onto eBay via wireless internet link. Oh wait ... I forgot ... the reason we go to 'Vegas is to leave the bleedin' laptop at home, right? What was I thinking??? (Probably too much sugar recently.) LA? You're on your own there, pal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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