Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Frank, Interesting review. I wouldn't wholly agree with it though. As someone who has shopped in all of those stores I find your review a little askew. K&S is one of the better stores in the area and though I haven't always bought equipment there, I have never had an experience there that would come close to the B+H style. You are correct about Gassers though. Its a horrible store. Discount camera is one of the worst in the city. I've known many people who have been ripped off from that store. Also, it appears that you missed Fireside Camera. I've been there a number of times and bought about 1/3 of my equipment from them and have always had a wonderful time in there. Also you missed Calumet Camera, another good store chock full of knowledgeable people and lots of good prices on their equipment. - -Mark On Mar 7, 2004, at 7:53 PM, Frank Filippone wrote: > We were in San Francisco this past week. Without supervision for most > of > the week, I got to several stores... My feedback on the stores... > > Keeble + Shuact ( sp?) ... A nice store, lots of new "stuff" and a well > equipped darkroom department, but I was treated like I was in NYC at > B+H > camera... If I was not going to buy the first thing they showed me, I > was > not going to get the salesman's attention. There were 2 of us in the > store, > and 5 salesman. Would I go back? Not likely. > > Adolph Gasser.... Low in any inventory of anything Leica. LF was > pretty > good, MF was better, but little Hassy stuff. Mostly Japanese cameras > in MF. > Another one to pass on. > > Discount Camera.... OK the listed prices are pretty comical, but the > owner, > a guy who claims to live in NJ, and commutes to SF to the store there, > is > pretty easy to work with. His inventory is excellent on almost any > used > Leica or Hassy items ( I did not check on others). As long as you work > with > someone who knows what the value of stuff really is, you can do well > here. > If you try to deal with the average salesman, you will not be taking > anything home. I would visit again..... > > Thanks for all the great leads.. it is always nice to know ahead of > time > what might be uncovered.... > > A final comment..... for those of you going to LA and SF, Samys camera > is > the best of the stores I have visited on the West Coast over the years. > Good inventory of new or used, prices moderately high to very high ( > they > keep on the lookout for the Yen based buyers). But they have the > stuff. > Second best is Pro Photo in Costa Mesa. Better for used Nikon and MF > of any > brand ( little to no Leica). No new cameras. Used only. > > > > > Frank Filippone > red735i@earthlink.net > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html