Reliable UK photography equipment shops.

[mal]

Can somebody recommend one for me? I guess something like the UK equivalent to B&H would be good.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Artemis]

Jessops or Parks Cameras are too shops ive always had great work from, never been let down by either

 

[mal]

Thanks. Does Parks Cameras have a website?

 

[FuddyDuddy]

Hello,

Have you tried Robert White?

http://www.robertwhite.co.uk

(NB All prices exclude VAT)

They are in Poole, so you are looking at mail/net order. But they offer an excellent service and really know their onions.

Regards

Fuddy

 

[darich]

I had a quick look at Robert White's website.
Comapring the price of the 1Ds MKII is quite amazing.
Robert White is £4300 ex VAT (£5052 inc VAT) while Jessops is "only" £4678 inc VAT.
The 5D body at RW is £1790 ex VAT (£2103 inc VAT) while Jessops is £1910 inc VAT.
Robert White strikes me as an expensive place to shop.

 

[FuddyDuddy]

I had a quick look at Robert White's website.
Comapring the price of the 1Ds MKII is quite amazing.
Robert White is £4300 ex VAT (£5052 inc VAT) while Jessops is "only" £4678 inc VAT.
The 5D body at RW is £1790 ex VAT (£2103 inc VAT) while Jessops is £1910 inc VAT.
Robert White strikes me as an expensive place to shop.

Yes, comparing two prices is very instructive. They have plenty of products which are priced competitively, and the people there are not recovering from a frontal labotomy.

Fuddy

 

[ThomThomsk]

I had a quick look at Robert White's website.
Comapring the price of the 1Ds MKII is quite amazing.
Robert White is £4300 ex VAT (£5052 inc VAT) while Jessops is "only" £4678 inc VAT.
The 5D body at RW is £1790 ex VAT (£2103 inc VAT) while Jessops is £1910 inc VAT.
Robert White strikes me as an expensive place to shop.

The fact that RW quotes all of their prices ex-VAT tells you that export is important for them, so maybe they don't see the need to compete with Jessops. Having said that, they are extremely professional (not a word that you would associate with Jessops), knowledgeable and very fast. The difference still seems like a lot to pay for good service though.

Ffordes are very good. When I got rid of my digital kit recently and moved on to film I bought some Voigtlander gear from them, and they were very efficient. Another recommendation is Mifsuds, from whom I bought a Nikon Coolscan V film scanner with the proceeds from selling my dSLR. Excellent price, called them on the Tuesday late morning to order, and the scanner arrived a little under 24 hours later. Can't fault them on anything.

The dSLR came from Park Cameras. I went to the shop in Haywards Heath, where my impression was of a better class of assistant than you find in Jessops. I'd phoned first and that was a good experience too.

I'd treat Jessops as a last resort for film in an emergency (and even then if you ask for 120 you'll probably get a blank stare), or for equipment that I had researched already and where I knew exactly what I wanted, because my experience of their shop assistants over the last few years has been pretty unhappy. Last time I went in there, all I wanted was a microfibre cleaning cloth, a Pentax one. The shop manager wasn't sure what I meant, tried to sell me a Jessops own brand alternative (not microfibre) and I had to insist that she looked through the drawers behind the counter, where she eventually found what I wanted. Painful.

Thom

 

[Lol999]

In my Jessops there's one guy who pounces everytime he catches anyone looking at the secondhand gear, which is ridiculously overpriced. Despite my assuring him I do not have £240 for a 24mm lens he insists on trying to lure me with 20% off deals. catching me looking at a Contax RTS2 body, at a mere £700, he tries to get me signed up for finance. This despite my repeatedly telling him I'm a mature student, i.e. skint! Trouble is our only other option is a branch of LCE, which are run under franchise, who only stock Konica film and are no better than Jessops

 

[darich]

I'm not saying Jessops are the best...far from it. I was merely comparing the price of 2 cameras. I didn't look at the price of anything else.

As for RW exporting a lot, where would he export to? Everywhere else seems cheaper than the UK!! I'm a bit of a cynic and unless it's a trade or wholesale outlet i always think that excluding VAT is a way to entice you in and sometimes sucker you into buying something you think is cheaper when it's actually not.

I have no way of questioning the professionalism of the shop because I've never used it. I 'd agree up to a point about Jessops and the staff not being the most knowledgeable but my local Jessops isn't too bad at all.

I find the best way to buy anything is to do my own research, find the cheapest seller then go there and it's not the first time I've been in a shop like PC World or a mobile phone shop etc and known more about the product and the deals than the bloke trying to sell it!!!

There is a lot to be said about having a local friendly knowledgeable retailer for whatever product you're buying and sometimes I'll use them even when they're not the cheapest if i trust them and like the service. It's also easier to go back and return faulty goods!

 

[ajmall]

http://www.apertureuk.com

run by 2 or 3 guys. LOTS and i meant LOTS of used stock. the website is updated pretty much daily. You get 6 months warranty on used stock and will post to anywhere in the uk for £5-10.

They give really good advice too. The shop itself is pretty cool, has an internet cafe on the back of it.

 

[binglemybongle]

In my Jessops there's one guy who pounces everytime he catches anyone looking at the secondhand gear

That happens in mine as well! Perhaps it a national slimey sales man agreement that they have to sign when they join Jessops.

I cant personally vouch for this but ive heard good things about harrison cameras:

http://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/


I'd personally reccomend (depending on how many there are in your area) going to a local one man band. Usually if theyre reputable and you can usually tell by presentation, they know everything about everything.

Helpful but not too pushy and a good range of new and used. If theyve been there a while, they must be doing something right because they rely on return business and word of mouth.

I'm guessing that York will have a similar amount as Manchester.

 

[Artemis]

www.parkcameras.com, try that

 

[Lesjordans]

Photo Optix are very good, i bought my Canon EOS 350D there, and had to take it back the day after, they swapped it over no bother at all and now everything is fine

 

[Lensmeister]

the secondhand gear, which is ridiculously overpriced.

Now I have had the opposite .. I bought my son a Canon EOS 500 QD and it only cost £40. Also the lenes I have bought have all been great and never had a problem with them and they were great in price.

Croydon North End Jessops ... best one I have been in.

***** (five stars that is)

 

[Lol999]

I guess my Jessops, Chesterfrield, is run by plonkers. I don't think they know THAT much about the secondf hand gear. Theyr'e selling a Nikon fit Kiron zoom ( one of the TOP Japanese manufacturers, made the best of the Vivitar Series 1 lenses) for £15!! My philosophy is grab a bargain where it's to be had, foster good relations where possible, but don't let them exploit you financially as part of that relationship.

Lol