Approve the Cookies
This website uses cookies to improve your user experience. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies and our Privacy Policy.
OK
Forums  •   • New posts  •   • RTAT  •   • 'Best of'  •   • Gallery  •   • Gear
Guest
Forums  •   • New posts  •   • RTAT  •   • 'Best of'  •   • Gallery  •   • Gear
Register to forums    Log in

 
FORUMS Marketplace & Market Info Market Watch 
Thread started 03 May 2007 (Thursday) 16:40
Search threadPrev/next
sponsored links (only for non-logged)

My Experience with hvStar.com a.k.a MaxSaver BEstEastern hkDirect hvPhoto VIDEO

 
bocaj
Senior Member
Avatar
437 posts
Likes: 6
Joined Mar 2006
Location: Orlando, FL
     
May 03, 2007 16:40 |  #1

Well This is pretty nerdy BUT I wanted to share my experience with Ordering some PRICEY Hoya PRO1 DIGITAL Circular Polarizing Filters DMC CPL and I figured What the heck just shoot a video of the package and contents when i open it so enjoy this boring video :) I was a bit weary about ordering from Hong Kong and dropping $186.00 so I bet there are some other people out there like me who might want to view my little experience to help them decide if they want to buy from this great company. To make a long story short.. the packaged contents seem to be all legit and not a scratch on them so im very happy with my purchase. To view the Video of me opening the package check out the youtube video below.

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=KUAU4OwOxu4 (external link)

P.S. I will update this thread when i go out and shoot with the CPL on my 70-200 2.8L IS USM lens :)

http://hvstar.net/ (external link)

Price List:
Hoya 77mm PRO1 DIGITAL Circular Polarizer Filter DMC *
Manufacturer Part#: Mfr # 040602
(Qty: 1 x $66.90)

Hoya 72mm PRO1 DIGITAL Circular Polarizer Filter DMC *
Manufacturer Part#: Mfr # 040596
(Qty: 1 x $57.90)

HOYA 72mm Clear PRO1 DIGITAL Protector Filter DMC LPF * NEW
Manufacturer Part#: Mfr # 030061
(Qty: 1 x $25.90)

58mm to 72mm Step-Up Ring Lens-to-Filter/Converter Lens
(Qty: 1 x $4.50)

52mm to 72mm Step-Up Ring Lens-to-Filter/Converter Lens
(Qty: 1 x $4.50)

52mm to 77mm Step-Up Ring Lens-to-Filter/Converter Lens
(Qty: 1 x $4.50)

58mm to 77mm Step-Up Ring Lens-to-Filter/Converter Lens
(Qty: 1 x $4.50)




  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
rklepper
Dignity-Esteem-Compassion
Avatar
9,019 posts
Gallery: 2 photos
Likes: 14
Joined Dec 2003
Location: No longer living at the center of the known universe, moved just slightly to the right. Iowa, USA.
     
May 03, 2007 19:30 |  #2

I have purchased form Maxsaver several times. Like you and manyu others i was originally skeptical. I don't like the Hoya, but do like the B+W. I contacted B+W to determine the legitimacy of the company and was assured they were an authorized reseller. Great products at great prices. Each time it has taken 10 days to get to me. So like you say if you are in a hurry don't buy from them. I refuse to buy anything when I am in a hurry as that is when I lost money, so this fits my buying anyway.


BTW I did not have the patience to sit through your video. Nothing personal, but I just need more neuron stimulation.


Doc Klepper in the USA
I
am a photorealist, I like my photos with a touch of what was actually there.
Polite C&C always welcome, Thanks. Gear List

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
bocaj
THREAD ­ STARTER
Senior Member
Avatar
437 posts
Likes: 6
Joined Mar 2006
Location: Orlando, FL
     
May 03, 2007 19:35 |  #3

rklepper wrote in post #3147835 (external link)
I have purchased form Maxsaver several times. Like you and manyu others i was originally skeptical. I don't like the Hoya, but do like the B+W. I contacted B+W to determine the legitimacy of the company and was assured they were an authorized reseller. Great products at great prices. Each time it has taken 10 days to get to me. So like you say if you are in a hurry don't buy from them. I refuse to buy anything when I am in a hurry as that is when I lost money, so this fits my buying anyway.


BTW I did not have the patience to sit through your video. Nothing personal, but I just need more neuron stimulation.


haha yup the video was a one take thing pretty boring... i wasnt going to spend time and edit it and stick it in after effects and make it all pretty heck i even debated on whether to spend the time encoding it to stick up on youtube.. but since you have already purchased from them you already know how good they are :) Thanks for the input




  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
bocaj
THREAD ­ STARTER
Senior Member
Avatar
437 posts
Likes: 6
Joined Mar 2006
Location: Orlando, FL
     
May 03, 2007 19:35 |  #4

rklepper wrote in post #3147835 (external link)
I have purchased form Maxsaver several times. Like you and manyu others i was originally skeptical. I don't like the Hoya, but do like the B+W. I contacted B+W to determine the legitimacy of the company and was assured they were an authorized reseller. Great products at great prices. Each time it has taken 10 days to get to me. So like you say if you are in a hurry don't buy from them. I refuse to buy anything when I am in a hurry as that is when I lost money, so this fits my buying anyway.


BTW I did not have the patience to sit through your video. Nothing personal, but I just need more neuron stimulation.


P.S. why didnt you like the hoya? just curious so i might look out for the issue wheni shoot with it




  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
SunTsu
Goldmember
Avatar
1,593 posts
Joined Dec 2006
Location: Westcoast, Canada
     
May 04, 2007 02:40 |  #5

rklepper wrote in post #3147835 (external link)
I have purchased form Maxsaver several times. Like you and manyu others i was originally skeptical. I don't like the Hoya, but do like the B+W. I contacted B+W to determine the legitimacy of the company and was assured they were an authorized reseller. .

That's interesting because when I called B+W, they told me that MaxSaver was NOT an authorized US reseller. The fellow I spoke to said they had heard of the reseller, but B+W does not know where they get their supply from.


Canon 5D Mark II+BG-E6, Canon 5D+BG-E4 | 200-400mmL IS, 85mm F1.2L II, TS-E 17mm F4.0L , 16-35mm F2.8L II, 24-105mmL IS, 70-200mm [COLOR=#000000]F2.8L II IS, 100mm F2.8L Macro IS, 100mm F2.8 Macro, 40mm F2.8, 1.4x II, 2.0x III | EF12+25 II | Canon 600EX-RT (x5) | Gitzo support
Full Gear List

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
BigBlueDodge
Goldmember
Avatar
3,726 posts
Joined May 2005
Location: Lonestar State
     
May 04, 2007 11:49 |  #6

I've ordered from them (under the Besteastern name on eBay) and everything is legit. You can buy filters from them 1/2 price what B&H and all of the US companies charge. The ONLY negative is that shipping takes about 2 weeks.

I would definately order from them again


David (aka BigBlueDodge)
Gear

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
SunTsu
Goldmember
Avatar
1,593 posts
Joined Dec 2006
Location: Westcoast, Canada
     
May 04, 2007 12:30 |  #7

I've ordered an B+W filter from them too and it looked OK. Even so, I'm a little skeptical because:
1) They used to sell fake LV bags
2) The currently sell fake Canon lens caps
http://hvstar.net …ction=VIEWPROD&​ProdID=226 (external link)
3) It seems they sell fake lens hoods
http://hvstar.net …ction=VIEWPROD&​ProdID=188 (external link)
I just can't see how they could get them for so much cheaper.


Canon 5D Mark II+BG-E6, Canon 5D+BG-E4 | 200-400mmL IS, 85mm F1.2L II, TS-E 17mm F4.0L , 16-35mm F2.8L II, 24-105mmL IS, 70-200mm [COLOR=#000000]F2.8L II IS, 100mm F2.8L Macro IS, 100mm F2.8 Macro, 40mm F2.8, 1.4x II, 2.0x III | EF12+25 II | Canon 600EX-RT (x5) | Gitzo support
Full Gear List

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
jauiek
Member
106 posts
Joined Jun 2006
     
May 04, 2007 15:04 |  #8

I purchased two 77mm UV Haze filters from him... one of the best deals I have ever gotten at the time a local camera store was tryng to sell the same ones for $289 ea CDN.. I don't get it???? I got two for something like 90 bucks. They don't look like fakes at all to me.




  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
SunTsu
Goldmember
Avatar
1,593 posts
Joined Dec 2006
Location: Westcoast, Canada
     
May 04, 2007 15:49 |  #9

Well, I've been wondering about this fo a while, so I emailed Schneider Optics today and got two response from them. I don't like copying and pasting emails and posting them on the web because I personally don't think it's "polite", but I will paraphrase.

1st email:
- Maxsaver is based in HK and does not buy from Schneider Optics USA.
- They could not comment on the "authenticity" of the products.

2nd email:
- Got an email for the german head office (whom I plan to write to)
- They told me to buy from an Authorized dealer (no surprise there)
- B&H imports from a European distributor. So it seems the ones from B&H are real, but do not carry a US warranty.


Canon 5D Mark II+BG-E6, Canon 5D+BG-E4 | 200-400mmL IS, 85mm F1.2L II, TS-E 17mm F4.0L , 16-35mm F2.8L II, 24-105mmL IS, 70-200mm [COLOR=#000000]F2.8L II IS, 100mm F2.8L Macro IS, 100mm F2.8 Macro, 40mm F2.8, 1.4x II, 2.0x III | EF12+25 II | Canon 600EX-RT (x5) | Gitzo support
Full Gear List

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
Grentz
Goldmember
Avatar
2,874 posts
Joined Apr 2007
Location: Midwest, USA
     
May 04, 2007 21:40 |  #10

I just ordered a 77mm Kenko Pro-1 (same as the hoya) CPL from them and it came and looked perfect.

I checked it out on my L and noticed no flare or issues and the filter itself is in awesome condition and feels like it should (no rattles, tight, turns easily, and the threads are quality).


I would assume they can get them cheaper since they are in Asia and probably can source them direct or near direct somehow.


Search.TechIslands.com (external link) - Photography Shopping Search Engine

www.TechIslands.com (external link) - News and Reviews

My Gear List - 60D

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
condyk
Africa's #1 Tour Guide
Avatar
20,887 posts
Likes: 22
Joined Mar 2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
     
May 05, 2007 01:39 |  #11

Ordered a few times from them and excellent. Agree that the Kenko CP is better value than the Hoya given it is the same item with a different name. We had a similar 'too good to be true' thread a while back. Truth is business is about margin and cash flow. If they have fewer/reduced costs of sale then margin higher and able to offer deeper discounts. B&H have higher costs of sale I expect so won't discount to same degree. Not rocket science!


https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1203740

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
TeeJay
Goldmember
Avatar
3,834 posts
Likes: 4
Joined Jun 2005
Location: Warwickshire - UK
     
May 05, 2007 02:52 |  #12

rklepper wrote in post #3147835 (external link)
....BTW I did not have the patience to sit through your video. Nothing personal, but I just need more neuron stimulation.

:confused: :eek: :D :lol: :lol:


1DsMkIII | 1DMkIIN | 70-200 f/2.8L IS | 24-70 f/2.8L | 24-105 f/4L IS | 17-40 f/4L | 50 f/1.2L | WFT-E1 & E2 Transmitters - Click Here for setup advice | CP-E4 Battery Pack x 2 | ST-E2 | 580EX | 550EX | 430EXII | 420EX | Tripod + monopod | Bowens Esprit Gemini 500W/s heads & Travel-Pak | All this gear - and still no idea :confused:

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
SunTsu
Goldmember
Avatar
1,593 posts
Joined Dec 2006
Location: Westcoast, Canada
     
May 06, 2007 18:23 |  #13

condyk wrote in post #3154394 (external link)
Ordered a few times from them and excellent. Agree that the Kenko CP is better value than the Hoya given it is the same item with a different name. We had a similar 'too good to be true' thread a while back. Truth is business is about margin and cash flow. If they have fewer/reduced costs of sale then margin higher and able to offer deeper discounts. B&H have higher costs of sale I expect so won't discount to same degree. Not rocket science!

Not sure what you mean by, "business is about margin and cash flow", but I would argue that margin isn't as easy to calculate as you would think. Retail margin is generally calculated as (selling price - wholesale cost)/wholesale cost. This range that stores will accept is generally determined by the stores fixed costs, reputation (because it costs money to build retail brand equity), etc. I agree that a reseller like MaxSaver will have lower fixed costs and operating costs than a reseller like B&H. That said, I wouldn't be sure that B&H sells less than MaxSaver because for all the people that frequent this board, there are many more that just buy from B&H because of the convenience and perceived security. If we assume that, and also assume that the purchasers at B&H are not monkeys, I would highly doubt that B&H's per unit cost is much higher than that of MaxSaver.

I'm not saying that MaxSaver's products are definitely fake. It may not be rocket science, but I don't think it's that smple to figure out who's able to sell a legitimate product for less...I've bought from MaxSaver myself, and the stuff looks real, but anyone who's done business in Asia will tell you that they the MASTERS in copying anything they want. At the very least, one should be cautious and aware of the signs of fake products:
- super cheap prices
- other fake products sold (there are some things they sell which are 100% fakes)
- region (Asia is notorious for fakes)

One other explanation is that the products are real, but not "legitimate." Often in the manufacturing world, the company that markets and sells the product, is not the same company that owns and/or controls manufacturing. Sometimes, unscrupulous manufacturers will manufacture a little extra more than has been asked of them and then go and sell those on their own.


Canon 5D Mark II+BG-E6, Canon 5D+BG-E4 | 200-400mmL IS, 85mm F1.2L II, TS-E 17mm F4.0L , 16-35mm F2.8L II, 24-105mmL IS, 70-200mm [COLOR=#000000]F2.8L II IS, 100mm F2.8L Macro IS, 100mm F2.8 Macro, 40mm F2.8, 1.4x II, 2.0x III | EF12+25 II | Canon 600EX-RT (x5) | Gitzo support
Full Gear List

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
condyk
Africa's #1 Tour Guide
Avatar
20,887 posts
Likes: 22
Joined Mar 2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
     
May 07, 2007 02:00 |  #14

Man, if you don't like them or don't want to buy from them or don't trust them then let it go and shop at B&H. Have we seen any actual complaints from the many buyers here?


https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1203740

  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
blonde
Buck Naked Floozies
Avatar
8,405 posts
Likes: 1
Joined Oct 2005
Location: Boston, MA
     
May 07, 2007 09:55 |  #15

1) what is up with all these youtube videos of people opening boxes???
2) i bought from them before and was very pleased with the service and price.
3) if someone is looking for the Hoya pro-1 CPL, i have one for sale that was used once.




  
  LOG IN TO REPLY
sponsored links (only for non-logged)

5,509 views & 0 likes for this thread, 20 members have posted to it.
My Experience with hvStar.com a.k.a MaxSaver BEstEastern hkDirect hvPhoto VIDEO
FORUMS Marketplace & Market Info Market Watch 
AAA
x 1600
y 1600

Jump to forum...   •  Rules   •  Forums   •  New posts   •  RTAT   •  'Best of'   •  Gallery   •  Gear   •  Reviews   •  Member list   •  Polls   •  Image rules   •  Search   •  Password reset   •  Home

Not a member yet?
Register to forums
Registered members may log in to forums and access all the features: full search, image upload, follow forums, own gear list and ratings, likes, more forums, private messaging, thread follow, notifications, own gallery, all settings, view hosted photos, own reviews, see more and do more... and all is free. Don't be a stranger - register now and start posting!


COOKIES DISCLAIMER: This website uses cookies to improve your user experience. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies and to our privacy policy.
Privacy policy and cookie usage info.


POWERED BY AMASS forum software 2.58forum software
version 2.58 /
code and design
by Pekka Saarinen ©
for photography-on-the.net

Latest registered member is AlainPre
1355 guests, 140 members online
Simultaneous users record so far is 15,144, that happened on Nov 22, 2018

Photography-on-the.net Digital Photography Forums is the website for photographers and all who love great photos, camera and post processing techniques, gear talk, discussion and sharing. Professionals, hobbyists, newbies and those who don't even own a camera -- all are welcome regardless of skill, favourite brand, gear, gender or age. Registering and usage is free.