Are Photorama shows any good?

[mpphoto]

A Photorama USA camera show will be in my area (suburban Chicago) tomorrow. They have camera shows across the US. Is it worth attending? Judging from the photos on their site, it looks like the dealers mostly have film gear. I'd be looking EF lenses or lighting gear.

Just trying to find out if anyone has been to one of these shows before, if it's worth the $6 admission and 30-minute drive, and if there are any good deals to be had.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

A good write up here: - look down the page a little.

http://forums.popphoto.com/showthread.php?253695-Photorama-Shows

I'd be very careful, even the experienced photographers cannot tell if a lens is decentered or just cobbled together internally enough to make it focus. Get a written warranty from a local dealer.

You might find a bargain, but finding a camera or lens on craigslist can be less expensive, and you can probably take some photos using your body or memory card, and then go home and check for flaws before buying.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

BTW, use a credit card if possible. If a dealer will not take one, there is a reason, and its probably not a good idea to buy from him. If you get cheated and the dealer refuses to make a written warranty good, your bank will refund you and get the money back from the dealer.

 

[mpphoto]

Thanks for the link. Good point about lens damage issues. Considering I just returned a used lens to KEH because the aperture was stuck wide open, I will be wary of lenses.

I guess I will check out the show. If I'm not impressed, I'll only be out $6 and an hour of my time.

 

[mpphoto]

In case anyone else searches the forum about Photorama in the future, I will give my opinion of the show.

Summary: Not worth going to unless you are into film.

I paid $6 to get in. The show was in a conference room at a Holiday Inn. The room was maybe 40ft x 50ft. There were tables around the perimeter and in the center. Cameras and lenses were behind plexiglass panels. There were antique-looking film cameras, some rangefinder-style cameras, a few EOS-style film DSLRs. I know next to nothing about film, so forgive my poor camera vocabulary.

The camera bags interested me a little. There were used camera bags for $20, but on closer inspection were quite used and some had a smell. One pocket of a bag had plastic pieces of something and dirty crud in it. If I were selling a bag, I'd make sure it was clean. I was tempted to buy one bag, but as someone who is a neat freak when it comes to his gear, I realized I would rather spend a lot more money and get a clean bag.

There were some Canon FD mount lenses. Some well-used tripods. Bins filled with all kinds of filters. So many filters. A lot of Tiffens and store-brand filters. The store-brand UV filters on one seller's table were $10 for 52mm size, so not exactly a great deal. I saw dirty worn camera straps that should be thrown away. Assorted film paraphernalia I didn't recognize because I don't shoot film and am too young to have used it in the past. My hands felt dirty after pawing through the boxes of stuff.

One guy drove down from the Milwaukee area (about 90 minutes away) and bought something. I'm glad I only drove 30 minutes. I guess if you're into film and old cameras, these shows may be worthwhile. Some stuff seemed useful or collectable, but there was also a lot of junk that I can't imagine anyone ever buying.

There was a KEH rep on-site to buy gear. An email from KEH was how I found out about the show. I didn't have any gear to sell, though.

Now I know these shows aren't worth my time. I shoot digital and expect used gear to be clean. I'll stick to eBay, Craigslist, KEH, and B&H for used stuff. I can see why these shows are getting smaller and dying.