anyone that works in a shop?

[Dan Lorth]

Hey I have a question regarding going into a shop looking to see some high end product. I have been saving for about a year and a half to buy my ultimate setup and I want to touch and feel this camera before I drop so much money on it. I would ideally like to go into a shop and try the Mark III and the D3 with lenses but I know that simply walking into a shop and asking to try out those bodies is pretty touchy. I dont want to rent the cameras either because right now I dont have any insurance because I have nothing to insure ( im 19). Thanks for your help or advice in this situation. Oh and i apologize if this is in the wrong section, I figured a sub topic of this thread was the mark III so hey!

[lakiluno]

Hey I have a question regarding going into a shop looking to see some high end product. I have been saving for about a year and a half to buy my ultimate setup and I want to touch and feel this camera before I drop so much money on it. I would ideally like to go into a shop and try the Mark III and the D3 with lenses but I know that simply walking into a shop and asking to try out those bodies is pretty touchy. I dont want to rent the cameras either because right now I dont have any insurance because I have nothing to insure ( im 19). Thanks for your help or advice in this situation. Oh and i apologize if this is in the wrong section, I figured a sub topic of this thread was the mark III so hey!

I would think that some rental places (don't know how it works in the ukraine) would have insurance on the things you rent, although I guess you'd probably lose your deposit if you broke it.

You can always try and see.

[radiohead]

You could certainly walk into many UK shops and expect to handle the cameras you mention. Calument, Kingsley Photographic, Fixation, Grays, Jacobs, Ffordes. I don't know what the availability of the kit is where you are, but I walked into a local shop last weekend and they had both bodies available to buy off the shelf.

[Dan Lorth]

See I dont want to do that though because Im not going to buy it from them. Im most certainly going to just get it through work but I cant actually handle a D3 and a Mark III side by side at work. Hell I cant even handle a 5D at work. So I have moral issues going into a shop and asking them to open up 10K worth of boxes and then just split without buying anything, however I do want to make sure im spending my money on the right one. Internet reviews and research are both great things and I've read everything there is on either system but I just dont want to make a decision based purely on numbers. Its gotta feel right haha.

[Dan Lorth]

so everyone here has bought cameras based on internet stuff only? cmon throw me a frickin bone

[radiohead]

No, I've tried them in shops and then walked out to consider it. No different to test driving a car and then thinking about it.

[Pete]

See I dont want to do that though because Im not going to buy it from them. Im most certainly going to just get it through work but I cant actually handle a D3 and a Mark III side by side at work. Hell I cant even handle a 5D at work. So I have moral issues going into a shop and asking them to open up 10K worth of boxes and then just split without buying anything, however I do want to make sure im spending my money on the right one. Internet reviews and research are both great things and I've read everything there is on either system but I just dont want to make a decision based purely on numbers. Its gotta feel right haha.

The alternative is to check out the sales & return policy of where you'll be buying from and simply return the kit that you don't want before the cooling off period.

Or find other members/photography clubs near you and get first hand experience of the kit (even though it might not be super brand-new).

[Dan Lorth]

Pete that is an awful idea and is the reason many many stores have a restocking fee. It is also consumer fraud.

I was just pretending to be frusterated, Ive given myself all of the time in the world before I need to get a new camera so I was just curious about how some people more experienced than I did their research.

[sheckells27]

<-- Confused! I'm not even sure what the point of the question was..now.

[20droger]

Just remember the old adage...the customer is always right.

Uneducated, perhaps, stupid, ignorant, dishonest, and downright asinine. But always right.

[Dan Lorth]

my question is how people who buy professional grade equipment do their hands on research.

[woloi]

If I had the money to go build myself my dream kit I'd first spend some significant time (at least a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, depending on how much I'd be buying) viewing online reviews and price shopping. Then I'd make a list of all the possible items I'd want to buy, lenses, flashes, bodies, whatever, and take it to a big camera store (think B&H in NYC). They have so much business that they just have everything you could possibly think of, including a 1200mm f/5.6 (!), and are more than happy to let you try stuff out in the shop. Now, granted, trying something out in the shop won't give you real world feedback, but it might be enough. If I still wasn't sure, I'd appeal to the friendly people of this forum for personal opinions, and if possible, meeting up with members for some hands on real world use.

It's easy for me though, I'm most likely sticking with Canon, so there's only so many options I have. Also my current lack of money makes this a moot point for me :lol:!

[Andrushka]

hey Dan Lorth - where are you in Ukraine?? I live in Sevastopol... i'm and American and all my gear was purchased in the States, but i was trying to figure out where guys buy their pro (or prosumer for that matter) equipment here... i met a local photog last week who told me that everyone orders from 2 or 3 major Ukrainian photo equipment websites, to be honest the only one i remember was foto.ua - i know there are others, i just forget the site names... anyway if you can get to the States you will save enough money buying at B & H in New York or Samys in LA that it will cover the cost of your (approx. $1000) plane ticket... i dont know if thats an option for you... other than that it looks like theres a couple pro shops in Kiev and a couple in Odessa... i was just in Odessa and didnt have a chance to find any of them :-(

I was at Fleet Day here in Sevastopol and I saw at least 10 guys with press passes and pro Canon gear - and just as many with Nikon... they all buy it somewhere!!

well let me know what you find out about this! Im interested too... if your in Crimea give me send me a PM!

[condyk]

so everyone here has bought cameras based on internet stuff only? cmon throw me a frickin bone

The only camera I ever handled before I bought was my original 300D against a D70 and I preferred the D70, but the Canon was a better deal for the spec. Same with most of my lenses, I never gave 'em a feel up before buying! Wotcha wanna do fondle the thing all day or take pictures ;-) Sure, handling is important but we mainly get used to what we have through familiarity and the top end stuff all feels fine and so is much easier in some ways than the low end stuff that is all plasticky and yuK! Anything you need you can find out on the internet.

[Andrushka]

i agree... if you spend more than a couple hours surfing the net reading up on a particular product, you will start to see some sort of consensus built... enough to tell you something is good enough to buy or not good enough to try... what exactly do you need to know about a 1Dm3 that can only be found out by holding it??

[Dan Lorth]

if i can work for 3 hours+ with it in my hands with a long lens on it. ergonomics go a long way with me even if the mark III is the better deal. In the limited experience i have with the mark III and d3 though, the mark III has A LOT better ergonomics than the d3.

[radiohead]

Ergonomics are an intensely personal area and what I may love you may hate, and vice versa.

If you're historically Canon then a Nikon will feel odd, and again vice versa. Both make cameras that work well when you know where things are and both have areas that appear stronger and weaker ergonomically.

[Dan Lorth]

Im historically nothing. I used a bronica six by six for a long time before checking out a nikon d70 and hating it more than the bronica as far as ergonomics go. who knows, if you want though i can keep you guys updated when i go up to the pro shop to "kick some tires"