I'm a frequent visitor to B&H's used equipment department and also Olden Camera. I can't understand how anyone could possibly purchase or sell anything used at B&H at all! It seems that B&H's prices are damn near close to what a new model would cost. For instance, why would I purchase a used RZ-67 for $200 less than what a new one costs? If your going spend $2200 for a camera, then why not go brand new for $2500? Or why would I purchase a Nikon F100 for $50 less than what a brand new one costs? I recently took my immaculate F100 into B&H's used department and was offered a whopping $450 for it! I guess they enjoy doing business with those who have failed Economics 101, correct? So I guess B&H's policy is sell high and buy low. Looks as if they are looking for the desperate when they buy and the ignorant when they sell. And what about B&H's sales staff? Well, believe it or not, one of their salesmen in "Pro Photo" could not tell me off the top of his head which Mamiya used a focal plane shutter and which one used a leaf shutter. I would think that this would be elemenatary knowledge to someone who makes there living this way, correct? I purposely asked him this question to test his technical knowledge of the product because I had been given inaccuarte information in the past there. Poor boy failed with flying colors.
Olden Camera is another "gem" of a place. Now think about this.......would you purchase a precision instrument from a merchant that has 50 years worth of dust on his walls? I bet they go through tons of canned air in that place each year. Probably enough to claim a nice tax credit by tax day! I just was not impressed at all with the collection of antique cameras that don't even have films available for use anymore.
The Camera Trader on W17th Street seemed to be OK. He was willing to negotiate with me and from the get go and had much more reasonable prices than the above mentioned dealers. He was willing to sell me a very, very clean RB-67 Pro SD at a very reasonable price.
Used Medium Format stores in New York
in Medium Format
Posted
I'm a frequent visitor to B&H's used equipment department and also Olden Camera. I can't understand how anyone could possibly purchase or sell anything used at B&H at all! It seems that B&H's prices are damn near close to what a new model would cost. For instance, why would I purchase a used RZ-67 for $200 less than what a new one costs? If your going spend $2200 for a camera, then why not go brand new for $2500? Or why would I purchase a Nikon F100 for $50 less than what a brand new one costs? I recently took my immaculate F100 into B&H's used department and was offered a whopping $450 for it! I guess they enjoy doing business with those who have failed Economics 101, correct? So I guess B&H's policy is sell high and buy low. Looks as if they are looking for the desperate when they buy and the ignorant when they sell. And what about B&H's sales staff? Well, believe it or not, one of their salesmen in "Pro Photo" could not tell me off the top of his head which Mamiya used a focal plane shutter and which one used a leaf shutter. I would think that this would be elemenatary knowledge to someone who makes there living this way, correct? I purposely asked him this question to test his technical knowledge of the product because I had been given inaccuarte information in the past there. Poor boy failed with flying colors.
Olden Camera is another "gem" of a place. Now think about this.......would you purchase a precision instrument from a merchant that has 50 years worth of dust on his walls? I bet they go through tons of canned air in that place each year. Probably enough to claim a nice tax credit by tax day! I just was not impressed at all with the collection of antique cameras that don't even have films available for use anymore.
The Camera Trader on W17th Street seemed to be OK. He was willing to negotiate with me and from the get go and had much more reasonable prices than the above mentioned dealers. He was willing to sell me a very, very clean RB-67 Pro SD at a very reasonable price.