B & H Photo vs Amazon and other retailers (Page 2): But if Paul is in Vietnam I don't think Amazon is selling directly to him. I knew that my nephew (who lives in Vietnam) couldn't. I...

BebuLamar

OddJobber wrote:

I don't think Asia paul, location Vietnam is overly concerned about USA warranty.

But if Paul is in Vietnam I don't think Amazon is selling directly to him. I knew that my nephew (who lives in Vietnam) couldn't. I had to buy it for him here in the USA then bring it to Vietnam.

jcboy3

AsiaPaul wrote:

I thought B & H Photo had the best prices for lenses but after checking out the price for a Tokina on Amazon, I was shocked to see that the same Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX II Digital Zoom Lens was $ 152 cheaper on Amazon. I am hoping that here in China it may be even cheaper.

Was curious where UHH members got their equipment from?

The price difference may be due to USA versus non-USA models. In the US, the price difference is more like $30. At any rate, B&H is not always cheapest, but they have excellent customer service and selection. And you can shop there with confidence. Amazon is more of a collection of sellers, and while they have excellent return policy, what you get is not always what you want.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

amazon can be a great place to shop Their prices can be great and other times more than other places. . there are people that sell thru Amazon and they can be a problem to deal with. I recently bought a tamron referb lens thru amazon. when I went to register the lens, I found that it didnt come with a guarantee... I could havereturned it but I decided to keep it. It worked great and I saved a LOT.

Bill_de Loc: US

jcboy3 wrote:

The price difference may be due to USA versus non-USA models. In the US, the price difference is more like $30. At any rate, B&H is not always cheapest, but they have excellent customer service and selection. And you can shop there with confidence. Amazon is more of a collection of sellers, and while they have excellent return policy, what you get is not always what you want.

I shop at Amazon for all sorts of things. But, I only buy 'sold by Amazon' and 'fulfilled by Amazon'.
--

jcboy3

"Fulfilled by Amazon" now just means they ship it from their warehouse, but the supply can come from a third party. There have been issues with counterfeit goods being sold that way.

steveo52 Loc: Rhode Island and Ocala Florida

B&H
Locally Hunt's Photo& Video
Adorama

gsmith051 Loc: Fairfield Glade, TN

I buy from both, but mostly camera equipment from B&H. For me, both Amazon and B&H offer good service and the prices are about the same over all.

asiafish Loc: Bakersfield, CA

Always either B&H or Adorama for online, also Leica Store San Francisco and Samy's when I want to buy from brick-and mortar stores. I never buy big-ticket items at Amazon because they have presence in California and as a result, I have to pay sales tax. B&H and Adorama are New York only, and there is tax charged.

MtnMan Loc: ID

AsiaPaul wrote:

I thought B & H Photo had the best prices for lenses but after checking out the price for a Tokina on Amazon, I was shocked to see that the same Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX II Digital Zoom Lens was $ 152 cheaper on Amazon. I am hoping that here in China it may be even cheaper.

Was curious where UHH members got their equipment from?

Many of us prefer ABC and check each for best deals. (Adorama, B&H, Cameta). All have excellent service and are up front if something has less than full US warranty.

Not the same for all Amazon sellers. You do get some degree of Amazon protection but it isn't always full. You need to look carefully for grey market items and return policies...they differ.

I'm pretty sure the one you found was grey market. But that shouldn't be an issue in China.

MtnMan Loc: ID

asiafish wrote:

Always either B&H or Adorama for online, also Leica Store San Francisco and Samy's when I want to buy from brick-and mortar stores. I never buy big-ticket items at Amazon because they have presence in California and as a result, I have to pay sales tax. B&H and Adorama are New York only, and there is tax charged.

Think you meant no sales tax in your last sentence. I don't get sales tax from any of them and usually free shipping from Amazon prime. ABC often include free shipping also.

queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

With B&H, Adorama and KEH you have people to talk tp before and after the sale.

queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

With B&H, Adorama and KEH you have people to talk tp before and after the sale.

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

I will pick B&H every time. They can be called on the phone to discuss any of their products, and I have never talked anyone there who is not an "Expert" on the product in which I am interested. And, all their policies are "Customer" oriented.

Further, if you are in NYC, visiting the B&H store is like being in a Photographic Wonderland.

And, oh yes, B&H and others were too competitive for local photo shops so most are "history" now. They failed to compete.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

AsiaPaul wrote:

I thought B & H Photo had the best prices for lenses but after checking out the price for a Tokina on Amazon, I was shocked to see that the same Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX II Digital Zoom Lens was $ 152 cheaper on Amazon. I am hoping that here in China it may be even cheaper.

Was curious where UHH members got their equipment from?

Good sources: Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Cameta, Crutchfield, Hunt's, KEH, Robert's, and probably some others.

Like you, I compare prices. Check all the letters and numbers when buying lenses and examine the pictures carefully. A new model can have a similar name that varies by just one letter or number. Is the Amazon lens from Amazon or an independent seller. New?

EDIT: I see it on B&H for $479. Amazon prices range from $449 - $825. I paid $690 in 2012.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Be aware that "Amazon" does not always mean a store called "Amazon". Any number of companies can sell a particular product on Amazon. You have to look at the fine print. For example, right now I see this lens listed at $464 at Amazon - from Tokina, but there are 125 other companies, mostly Chinese, selling this lens through Amazon. You have to watch carefully anymore - the only clue a company may be located in China is the 4 week shipping!

For cameras, you may not know whether or not you are getting a US camera with a US warranty or a gray market camera. You have to make sure you are buying from a major retailer through Amazon.

The lens you mention is currently only $15 more at B&H according to my look this morning - but you get a 4% reward, so the price is about the same. So - you can buy from Tokina through Amazon and have Amazon support, or you can support one of the top "brick-and-mortar" stores still in existence...