Brick and Mortor or Online?

savone wrote in post #2090676
I recently sold all my Sigma and Tamron lenses in order to purchase some canon lenses. I just got sick and tired of all the hunting with the Tamron 28-75 although when it did focus it was sharp as hell. The sigma lenses that I owned were also sharp (150mm & 50-500) but both slow focusing and the Bigma just didnt get used all that much.

Anyway my question is...

I am interested in a 24-70L and a 70-200L. I have been looking at prices both online and local stores. Calumet has the lens for $1235 including taxes but I can get it at adorama for just over a hundred dollars cheaper. I was wondering if I should pay the extra $100 so if I needed to return it I would have less of a problem. Or would I have to bring it to a Canon service center (there is one just over an hour from my house in NJ).

What do you think? Local shop or Online?

any legit store will have a return policy. i am a bargain shopper and i go for the best price -- whereever it is -- as long as the purchase suits my needs and i am protected.

i hear you on the third parties. i never had bad luck with a third party lens but they are a compromise that i'm no longer willing to accept.

good luck.

ed rader

I am never again buying from retail.. i realized how much they screw you, and that was it for me. lol

SkipD wrote in post #2091936
Aside from price differences (stores here don't match on-line prices), the local stores usually don't stock more than one copy of a given high-end lens (like Canon L lenses). That means that they have probably taken the lens that you want to buy out of the box and allowed a number of folks to "play" with it in the store. It also means that if you buy it and find the next day that it has a problem, they don't have another in stock to exchange for the one you took.

I must be lucky then b/c with Showcase they have exceptional quanaties of stock and treat tech with care. When trying glass they put it on a body for me using my CF card where I promptly put it into the laptop for review in PS and DxO.

So my point to counter is not all stores work like ritz or wherever you do business. Also consider when ordering from B&H, etc there is a chance the lens came out of the box before it ended up in the back yard or in the BBQ grill

~peace

tdaugharty wrote in post #2092393
Also consider when ordering from B&H, etc there is a chance the lens came out of the box before it ended up in the back yard or in the BBQ grill

~peace

Same chance at your own store.

tdaugharty wrote in post #2092393
So my point to counter is not all stores work like ritz or wherever you do business. Also consider when ordering from B&H, etc there is a chance the lens came out of the box before it ended up in the back yard or in the BBQ grill

What store do you shop at?

tdaugharty wrote in post #2092393
I must be lucky then b/c with Showcase they have exceptional quanaties of stock and treat tech with care. When trying glass they put it on a body for me using my CF card where I promptly put it into the laptop for review in PS and DxO.

So my point to counter is not all stores work like ritz or wherever you do business. Also consider when ordering from B&H, etc there is a chance the lens came out of the box before it ended up in the back yard or in the BBQ grill

Unfortunately, the stores in our area (Milwaukee) do not cater to quite the population of Atlanta, New York, etc. Thus, they don't have the turnover to warrant the stock levels you describe. Yes, they handle the equipment they are showing carefully, but that doesn't mean you are ever sure that you are buying an unopened (after leaving the factory, that is) lens or camera at many - if not most - retail outlets.

At large outlets like B&H or Adorama, I would suspect that they are moving so much product that they never actually unpack and touch the equipment they are shipping.

cdi-ink.com wrote in post #2092406
Same chance at your own store.

But the point I'm making is I get to say QC issue hand me another please.

SkipD wrote in post #2092427
At large outlets like B&H or Adorama, I would suspect that they are moving so much product that they never actually unpack and touch the equipment they are shipping.

True.. they have such large a large quantity, that i dont think very many lenses get taken out and messed with, maybe if any, only the ones sold person to person.

surfologist wrote in post #2092411
What store do you shop at?

Showcase of Atlanta. The largest dealer in the SE for dSLR and Video

I have bought all my cameras & lenses at B+H except for the Sigma 30MM f/1.4 (which I got at Sigma4less.com) and my 100MM f/2.8 MACRO (which I got at J&R on an AMEX Rewards cash in program for free).

I bought my monopod and the head at Ritz Camera as I wanted to try the feel and fit before the purchase...I am 6'4'' tall and the Manfrotto monopod I selected will go to eye level for me.

If you can find what your looking for locally at a comparable price I would go locally. If there is a problem its easier and faster to replace/return. If you can save a substancial amount of money online then buy it online (from a reputable dealer of course).

estart wrote in post #2091863
Unique Photo in NJ also will match prices.

Where is unique photo?

I tend to use B&H because its seldom only $100 difference in price around here (CA state taxes). I hate waiting for things I buy though so I generally go for the 2nd Day Air option on shipping. If I could drive an hour and pay only $100 more, I'd probably do that.

How much is the gas to the Canon shop in NJ? If it is less then $100 and I hope it is, you got your answer, buy online and save. That is if you know you want these lenses. I only wish I lived so close to a Canon fixit shop.

Amazon has a great return policy. I actually returned my XT for a full refund (even shipping) when the XTi came out 2 weeks later.

And their prices are almost identical to Adorama and B&H.