Lenses

On 4/18/2011 10:51 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On 2011-04-18 08:27:44 -0700, Dymphna
said:


My daughter is in photography at Montana State University. She is trying
to purchase a lens. She called me on Saturday asking me to go halves
with her on a $600 lens and $200 warranty. Over night the price of the
lens went up another $200. What is happening and does anyone have an
outlet that does better on the cost of lenses? Thanks

Find out what lens she is talking about, that would help us provide an
intelligent response.

There are online vendors such as B&H and Adorama, or even Amazon.com who
provide good service and reasonable prices:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
http://www.adorama.com/

Then as far as the $200 warranty on a $600 lens goes, IT IS A SCAM. The
store or vendor making that offer to you daughter is just attempting to
take advantage of her.

If the lens is built by one of the reputable manufacturers it will have
a warranty which should cover any latent defects for at least 12 months.
There are some so called "gray market" lenses where the vendor will sell
a third party warranty, but for the most part these are not in the $200
range.

I would advise your daughter to shop elsewhere.


My usual method of dealing with a warranty sales pitch like that is "If
I need that extra warranty I don't think I want your (product)". Makes
one wonder, considering the 33% overnight price increase, if she's
buying it from a used car lot.
Allen

On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:27:22 -0500, Allen wrote:

On 4/18/2011 10:51 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On 2011-04-18 08:27:44 -0700, Dymphna
said:


My daughter is in photography at Montana State University. She is trying
to purchase a lens. She called me on Saturday asking me to go halves
with her on a $600 lens and $200 warranty. Over night the price of the
lens went up another $200. What is happening and does anyone have an
outlet that does better on the cost of lenses? Thanks

Find out what lens she is talking about, that would help us provide an
intelligent response.

There are online vendors such as B&H and Adorama, or even Amazon.com who
provide good service and reasonable prices:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
http://www.adorama.com/

Then as far as the $200 warranty on a $600 lens goes, IT IS A SCAM. The
store or vendor making that offer to you daughter is just attempting to
take advantage of her.

If the lens is built by one of the reputable manufacturers it will have
a warranty which should cover any latent defects for at least 12 months.
There are some so called "gray market" lenses where the vendor will sell
a third party warranty, but for the most part these are not in the $200
range.

I would advise your daughter to shop elsewhere.


My usual method of dealing with a warranty sales pitch like that is "If
I need that extra warranty I don't think I want your (product)". Makes
one wonder, considering the 33% overnight price increase, if she's
buying it from a used car lot.
Allen

Reminds me of the time I went to go buy an Olympus OM-2n from a camera
sales-person, when they first hit the shelves. I had already done my
extensive homework, and already KNEW that that camera was the one that
would surpass all others, including the fine Zuiko lens-farm it had
available to it (many of which I already had).

The sales-person kept trying to push a Nikon on me. I kept tell him, "No, I
want the Olympus." Then as a last-ditch sales-effort to make the most
profit for himself, he pulled a *HEFTY* (4-inch thick) 3-ring binder with
the label "International Nikon Repair Centers" out from below the counter.
And a much thinner one, about 1/6th the thickness, with "International
Olympus Repair Centers" on the cover. He had such a wide smile on his face
as he exclaimed, "See this? THIS is how many places will repair your Nikon
gear!" And scoffingly adding, "And THIS is how few places are available to
repair your Olympus gear!" He was certain he had a sale and a higher profit
for himself.

Until I simply said, "So ... that's how many repair-centers are needed to
keep a Nikon functional. Wrap up the Olympus".

The smirk completely drained from his face and he rang up the sale for my
Olympus. I've never regretted that purchase, not once. To this day it's
never needed one repair.

Read between the sale-crap, dude. (Though, considering the circumstances,
this sounds more like a daughter-scams-parent-for-money routine more than
any real camera deal.)

_NEVER_ go to a sales-person for camera-gear advice. The ONLY advice you'll
ever get from them is how to make more money for their own bank account and
how to more completely diminish your own.