A friend wants to move up to a serious camera and has been researching on-line. I (foolishly) suggested a trip to Best Buy to physically check out different models.

They have a decent selection of floor demos, some Nikons, Canon, Pentax, and a few others. They are all mounted in security brackets that only let you spin them in a circle. Not very useful but I get it, theft and all that.

I snag an employee, who calls for the right employee, who shows up and when I explain that we want to be able to pick a few models up and fondle them he is lost. He wave some kind of short want around the stand and it flashes leds but nothing else happens. He call someone else who shows up and explains that the brackets are attached by cables and you can just pick them up off the stand. He then grabs one and lifts it up to show us and, it doesn’t move.

I tell them there are 3 cameras we want to check out and can they unlock them for us. Nope, can’t do that.
My friend explains that handling the cameras is a requirement before buying one. Nope, can’t unlock any.

I asked one of them if they were really going to let a 2-3K sale walk out the door because they wouldn’t meet a reasonable request and he just shrugged his shoulders. We walked out.

It is no wonder Best Buy is circling the drain. Unfortunately, we don’t have a real camera store in town.

Check local area for camera rental business.

Look on social media for local camera group. They may have a photo shoot scheduled where you can evaluate a few cameras.

in line with 4MUL8R

https://www.lensfly.com/Default.asp

I can advocate for B&H once he does find one he likes, just don't order on Saturday.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:

Unfortunately, we don’t have a real camera store in town.

Have you checked this place?

https://www.jaxcamera.com

Sounds like your local store. Mine they’ll show you anything and everything. This is a problem with this young generation who just doesn’t want to work and they know zero about customer service. I love Best Buy because of their 0% offering. If I have an appliance go dead, I buy it there on 0%. Same for a flat panel, PC, tablet, monitors, so many things.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:

Unfortunately, we don’t have a real camera store in town.

Have you checked this place?

https://www.jaxcamera.com

I have not gone there, but they are a booth at a flea market and are only open sat & sun.

Buy it. Handle it. Return it. 15 minutes. Done.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Buy it. Handle it. Return it. 15 minutes. Done.

Sadly, this may become a common strategy.

From this thread, I shared prefontaine's point and maybe going to a different store might work out better and v-tail's mention of Jaxcamera got me thinking it might worth a visit if only to fondle. (Cameras)
I don’t know what their next step is going to be but they have a few options.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Buy it. Handle it. Return it. 15 minutes. Done.

Until you then get hit with a restocking fee to return it.

I myself like Best Buy. The store near me will let you check anything out. They will unlock cameras, phones, tablets etc. Plus the 0% can't be beat. Lets your hold onto your cash and then pay it off later.

quote:

I can advocate for B+H once he does find one he likes, just don't order on Saturday.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

These guys have never let me down.

I haven't been to Best Buy in years. I took offense after their 5th "offer" for the extended warranty on about 4k worth of computer equipment I was attempting to buy. I expressed myself rather freely and was escorted out by two employees. Fuck 'em!

quote:

I haven't been to Best Buy in years. I took offense after their 5th "offer" for the extended warranty on about 4k worth of computer equipment I was attempting to buy. I expressed myself rather freely and was escorted out by two employees. Fuck 'em!

I will never go back into a BestBuy after trying to return an unopened $25 item that was not needed with a $2000 purchase. The sales person made an error. On the 31st day after purchase I went to returns and was refused. I understood that I was one day late so I politely asked to see a manager. The return clerk refused and when I protested she told me to leave the store or she would have security escort me out.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:

quote:

I can advocate for B+H once he does find one he likes, just don't order on Saturday.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

These guys have never let me down.

if you ever have the time to visit the store in person it's truly my favorite tech store anywhere.

Also consider the retail used market. Www.keh.com and www.mpb.com offer curated items, with a return policy that recognizes the risk of buying preowned.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
in line with 4MUL8R

https://www.lensfly.com/Default.asp

I can advocate for B&H once he does find one he likes, just don't order on Saturday.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

I agree with the B&H recommendation 110%. I purchased the following camera in 1984 by using the telephone number they had on the back cover of Modern Photography magazine. Asked for their catalog to be mailed to me and used it to select the camera (new) and the Lens (used). Called in and placed my order and the camera, lens board, and lens/shutter arrived after about 7 days. Been shopping with B&H ever since. BTW it takes 4 x 5 inch film and I still have that camera but do need to order some film for it.

I did mention both B&H and keh for purchases but the point of the trip was so they could physically handle them.
My last lens purchase was from keh, a 24-120.

I would have asked them wich models they had in stock. I suspect that they didnt have any. if they did and wouldnt show them I would have asked to talk to a manager. The sales people could care less if they make a sale. The manager does!!!

Camera stores used to be the lifeblood of phototgraphy. All the employees were passinate about photography and workered there to supplemtnt thier hobby.

Then 2 things happened. Digital took over so no film processing. And Online stores like B&H beat them on price. People would use the local store for demoing and getting information and then buy it online for less money..

I wrote Bb off many years ago. I needed a hard drive, they had one on sale, plus a nice rebate. Rebate was active for another month. Outfight crooks. Long story, but I was screwed over… along with thousands others, enough that an official investigation was triggered but BB squashed it by agreeing to clean up their sketchy rebate practices with the .gov. Still didn’t get the rebate.