harishon Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Does anybody have any experience with cambridgeworld.com? They seem to have good prices, but very poor site as far as desriptions and product info. Are they credible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john lehman, college alask Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Check out Cambridge Camera in the neighbor to neighbor section of Photonet :-) A quick glance through does not turn up a single positive comment, which is consistent with my experience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konrad_beck1 Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 If they are the same as "Cambridge Camera" in N.Y. check here: http://www.photo.net/neighbor/one-subcategory?id=2 There seems a "Cambridge Camera" in the U.K. which to all I know has quite a good reputation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_levine Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Not to slander or libel,they are the biggest bunch of thieves on Gods green earth!Save your time,energy & money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klix Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 If any of the elves are tuned in... I wonder if it might be a good idea to create a special interest forum listing good online dealers, and bad online dealers?? Don't know how you'd rate them good vs. bad (remember, even B&H does get the occasional complaint), but there seems to be general agreement on which dealers are good (B&H, Adorama, KEH, Photo Village, etc...) and which to avoid (CCI, Royal, Cambrudge World NY, etc...) Just a thought.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd peach seattle, washi Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 RJ - I thought that was the point of the 'neighbor to neighbor' section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk_arts Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Wow... that bad with such high prices? If I was going to take people's money I'd atleast mark down a Contax 645AF kit to about $2500. Glad i read this post all the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 From that website, under the "repair" section, it shows the store address as "119 West 17th St., between 6th and 7th Avenue in New York, NY 10011" It doesn't show on this website, but I find other links to this website showing it as "Cambridge Camera Exchange". Several months ago, someone had posted that the store was shut down, and all merchandise moved. However, this address is the same one that was listed in a 1998 ad. Either the previous post was wrong, or they don't really have a store there, or they closed and reopened- who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klix Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Todd-- I guess you're right, but I was hoping for something simpler - such as the eb@y feedback rating system - good, neutral, bad - or some such rating system, in addition to the current posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cxc Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 CambridgeWorld has a longstanding, and widely held, bad, reputation. Benefit from all of our bad experience and avoid the place. Me, I basically price-check my item across Badger Graphic, B&H, Adorama, and Robert White, and buy my new equipment from the cheapest of these four. CXC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I bought a 135mm F2.8 Vivitar from them in 1968; and it still works well; dittos alot of bodies; film; etc. I bought several thousand dollars worth of goods from them; over 3+ decades; without any problems. This is because we do our homework; and buy name brand items. Many ill will is people assuming that a cheap Kit lens; a Cambron house brand lens; will work like a Summicron. <BR><BR>Cambridge had alot of weird filter adapters; lens adapters; weird cases for Exakta lenses (with bumps for the outboard mechanism); that nobody else ever carried. It was one of the last shops that had adapters for older lenses; and real oddball stuff. The current favorites long dumped most of this stuff; while Cambridge still had some. I got the giant flash bulbs from them several years ago; which were long gone from the others. They had weird retaining rings.<BR><BR>My last purchase from Cambridge within the last year; was a wad of many dozens of new fresh 120 Verichrome. The "photo.net" favorite sponsers all had run out of Verichrome 120. I got my stash from Cambridge; because they had a known product I wanted; at a decent price; and the other guys were long out of stock. I figured that I would trust my success with them for 3+ decades; over the many here who have had problems.......<BR><BR>Is Cambridge still around? maybe I can get some other great deals; on stuff no longer carried by others. <BR><BR>It is wise to avoid mailorder; if one doesnt do one's homework. Vist a local store; and pay the extra shot to get exactly what you want; and see it before usage. The local stores need support; to stay afloat too. Last fall one of the house sponsers delivered some film that came in a package that was hot as heck sitting in a truck; and had the mostly wrong film types. This is abit taboo here to mentions this; because Cambridge seems the one that gets dumped on.<BR><BR>The other jury members here have Cambridge ranked a zero and hung; But I have my hundred rolls of Verichrome 120; which they will never get. Also remember that many dont trust an Ebay transaction; or PayPal; credit cards; or digital cameras. <BR><BR>Avoid any product description that is poor; and move on. If you assume anything; you probably will get burned. Find a major that you get good service; get to know which person to deal with. When they go sour decades from now; you might get great service; and better prices; than the current star.<BR><BR>I usually fax requests for quotes; with space for them to jot prices. This frees up there time. I get alot better response using fax; that email; which requires more work for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I have also had no problems with Helix; Jacks Camera; Calumet; Franks camera; Sunset Sales; Hudsons in Detroit; Sears tower enlarger; old Olden camera; old Wall street; garden city..and many others. It is best to avoid package deals; house brand lenses;; starter kits........This was mentioned in a Photography magazine in the early 1960's......But still many people get drawn to the no name brand goober zooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 A couple of examples, from the tiny print in their March 1998 ad: A listing of two dozen Leica items with prices (which I suppose are decent)- below all the hardware, a book, below that the single line "Above EQ is demo". In other words, they only have to sell ONE of these items at the advertised price, and they can tell everyone else, "Sorry, we're out of that, you'll have to pay $xxxx extra." A listing of Vivitar lenses- whole section of lenses with prices, assumed to be good- below that, "Can., Nik., Min., Om, Pk., Yc add...$14.95". In other words, the only way you get the advertised low price is if you buy screwmount, every other real mount is extra. A listing of Sigma lenses, below it says, "Above Universal MI Bayonet add...$14.95". Same deal as the Vivitar. I've seen ads that listed only the Contax mount (presumably the least common) and every other mount was extra. And on it goes. A quick read through the neighbor-to-neighbor section will show that people have gotten cheated dealing with various disreputable dealers even when buying name brand merchandise when they knew exactly what they wanted (getting demo as new, used as demo, grey market for US, etc.). Also, that employees of some of these dealers apparently have put in recommendations for themselves. I've bought from B&H, from Adorama, from Freestyle, from Porter's (Porter's has higher prices, but some odd items, too), and had good results in each case. I've TRIED to buy from some of these other companies, and couldn't get them to agree to sell me their product at their advertised price in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stemked Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 My only Cambridge experience: They had two numbers to call, one a 1-800 number (for those not in North America this refers to a number that is free for long distance) and a regular local pay number. The 1-800 number was listed as for sales only and as I had a question about an odd adaptor (a Pentax K lens adaptor to a screw mount body) I used the other number. After a half hour of being placed on hold I got the rudest guy in the photo world who treated me like an idiot for asking him about the adaptor. I've never considered ordering anything from them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary e Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 I can confirm that their shop on 17th St in NYC is indeed closed. It has been for a few months. I went in then to check on some used camera bodies and a tripod. Prices and conditions weren't that good and salesman claimed the model of the tripod I was looking for didn't exist; though it was listed on their website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 I was just reading the latest Pop Photo and noticed it no longer had an advertisement from them. It was rather amusing to watch their ads shrink over the last several years, with the print almost microscopic. They probably would have done better giving more detail about fewer products in a larger font. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 Pop Photo has not accepted ads from Cambridge for many years because of their marketing practices. I believe that they are now in receivership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 The tire guys also use ads that display the cheapest tire; a 12" one for a honda 600. With Cambridge; and others; I just send them a fax; and get them to confirm their prices in writting. Here there is no monkey business in the transaction. This is how I bought about 100 rolls of Verichrome 120 from Cambridge; when the local favorite B&H ran out. Sure I took a big risk; becuase of all the negative feedback here; but since I never had any problems with them since LBJ was in office; I figured the risk was worth it. I would rather have a stash of Verichrome; than worry about others who have problems with mailorder or Cambridge camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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