Where to buy the to be announced body(s)?

[chabotc]

Like many members of canonrumors I'm super eager to get my hands on the new 1D mk V if/when it's announced.

But I also know it takes a while to get from announcement to general availability - so I'm wondering what your tactic has been to get one as soon as possible?

Order it from canon direct? Amazon? Local camera shops?

 

[TexPhoto]

I buy my gear from B&H 90% of the time. For a new body or lens, they will allow pre-orders at some point. i pre-order from them as soon as that's available. You can always cancel that later if you find it someplace earlier.

 

[prestonpalmer]

BH

 

[gene_can_sing]

I LOVE B&H. Great service and return policy, but I think the main reason I buy a good majority of my stuff is because they have by FAR, the best website of any camera dealers. It's so easy to find things and navigate. Makes a huge difference and ultimately makes you buy more.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

I've gotten most of my stuff from Adorama.

Online, B&H and Adorama are just about interchangeable in terms of links from the top enthusiast sites.

 

[yankidank]

Gene, what makes B&H better than Adorama's website? I prefer Adorama's site because they make it easy to sort things. I tend to split my purchases between B&H, Adorama, or Amazon. I only go with Amazon when tax or shipping are an issue (Prime membership). B&H seems to always undercut the other two by a couple bucks.

 

[Bruce Photography]

BH but sometimes Adorama if they have a better shipping deal. Small matter but BH will debit your credit card upon an order (I don't think pre-orders) and Adorama doesn't until it ships. Sometimes they both take many vacations so this can sometimes be more than a week depending upon the time of the year. I know this is a small matter. I do think keeping competition is always good for the consumer.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

When I went to get my Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 OS and a EF Extender 2x III, I had just enough money available in PayPal to buy the lens - hadn't factored in shipping. The extender came from Adorama (via eBay) and the lens was from Beach Camera actually (also off eBay, and they were doing free shipping - not as good a deal as some others I heard people getting via call-in offers, but still a better deal than paying price and shipping).

So actually that's a fairly decent alternative - plus eBay is very familiar to me and they have a good process. With any of these sites it's not my expectation you'd need to rely on PayPal or eBay for consumer protection, though it's nice to have that additional option.

 

[TexPhoto]

Just don't get too excited and loose money to some scam.

It's not unusual to see any hot item for sale on ebay or craigslist long before its available, and while it might be someone who got a hold of a pre production version, it could also just be a scam.

B&H is going to have the item as fast or faster than anyone else, and is just a good safe way to make this kind of purchase.

 

[awinphoto]

I used to shop BH all the time until I started shopping Adorama. Dont ask my why but adorama just comes to mind quicker than BH so when I do pricing, they tend to go in my browser first. I've had great service with both companies however be aware of their holiday schedules, especially any time september or after. Both take frequent holidays and especially around christmas has a cut-off in which if you need equipment quickly and miss that cut off, they wont ship until they get back from their holiday which can really get you in a bind. I missed that cut off 2 years ago and needed gear quick... had to pay out the nose at a local store so I had what I needed for a paying photo shoot.

 

[unfocused]

I've shopped Adorama since the 1970s and have never had a problem. I do sometimes buy from B&H and have no complaints about them either.

One thing though, seems like some people posting on this site are confused about both companies' holiday schedules. Both firms are Orthodox and honor the Jewish religious holidays and schedules. They shut down at sundown on Friday for the Sabbath and don't open up again until Sunday. They also observe holy days, so if you know you are going to be ordering something that is time-critical, it doesn't hurt to take a look at the calendar to check for Jewish holidays that might interfere. Keep in mind that the holiday begins at sunset the day before.

Adorama will usually take an order on a Saturday, but it won't get processed or packaged up until after the Sabbath. Not sure about B&H. Ordering early on a Friday or waiting until Sunday can speed things up a bit.

 

[rocketdesigner]

Shopping a clearance house like Amazon is somewhat shaky ground, as they do not necessarily get their products direct from the OEM like B & H.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

it might be someone who got a hold of a pre production version, it could also just be a scam.

Now are you talking from experience or just repeating things you heard on the Internet? And an unlabeled "preproduction" item sale would certainly also be a scam, not just against the buyer but against the original maker who obviously has a stake in (if not a binding agreement for) getting their review copies back. The heavy use, scuffs, and general wear from transportation such items usually have would weigh heavily against the soundness of purchasing one for daily use (not to mention the potential problems explaining how you came to own a stolen piece of equipment) count against the neatness factor for having something that may differ from the production item (probably not in any meaningful way).

(For what it's worth I saw a EOS-3 on sale the other day that was claimed to be shown at PMA 2007 or some such, shame I didn't have money to burn as it was a nice example of the camera. And at least once I have bought a prototype item from eBay, though not from Canon, and it was indeed a prototype.)

Shopping a clearance house like Amazon is somewhat shaky ground, as they do not necessarily get their products direct from the OEM like B & H.

How then does Amazon get brand-new items, if not from the OEM? They have their own warehouses. The only concern I've had about Amazon is that listings might differ from one to the other - one might be for Amazon selling the item, and another might be for somebody else's sale. I haven't seen any indication that low-quality sellers are being let loose on Amazon to scam people, though. The only advice is the general "look at the actual listing to see what's included" and don't buy used unless you're willing to take just a bare, used item.

 

[gferdinandsen]

Shopping a clearance house like Amazon is somewhat shaky ground, as they do not necessarily get their products direct from the OEM like B & H.

I frequently shop from amazon for camera gear. I would not call Amazon shaky. In fact, I have never received a grey market item from Amazon (though one of their resellsers did send me a grey market battery grip; but it was clear that the sale was from a partner). No offense, but I think you have come very close to libeling Amazon. I would have no problem recomending Amazon as a retailer to anyone looking to buy.

 

[Loswr]

Shopping a clearance house like Amazon is somewhat shaky ground, as they do not necessarily get their products direct from the OEM like B & H.

I would not call Amazon shaky.

Ditto. Distinguish between Amazon itself, Amazon's retail partners (for whom Amazon is merely the electronic storefront), and Amazon Marketplace. Look for the phrase "Ships from and sold by:," which tells you exactly who is really selling you the item. If "Amazon.com" follows that statement, it's from Amazon directly - they are a Canon Authorized Dealer. For camera gear, it might be sold on Amazon by Adorama, Calumet, or several other quite reputable photo equipment vendors (but for example Adorama may charge more for the same item on Amazon than they do on their own website). Amazon Marketplace can include reputable dealers (I think Avidmax sells that way, and they are a great source for Lowepro cases), but it can also include sellers like 'Tom-from-Topeka,' who might really be from Timbuku and not even have real stock to sell. In that event, Amazon will still stand behind the purchase and ultimately refund your money, although you may have to jump through a few hoops.

 

[rocketdesigner]

Shopping a clearance house like Amazon is somewhat shaky ground, as they do not necessarily get their products direct from the OEM like B & H.

I would not call Amazon shaky.

Ditto. Distinguish between Amazon itself, Amazon's retail partners (for whom Amazon is merely the electronic storefront), and Amazon Marketplace. Look for the phrase "Ships from and sold by:," which tells you exactly who is really selling you the item. If "Amazon.com" follows that statement, it's from Amazon directly - they are a Canon Authorized Dealer. For camera gear, it might be sold on Amazon by Adorama, Calumet, or several other quite reputable photo equipment vendors (but for example Adorama may charge more for the same item on Amazon than they do on their own website). Amazon Marketplace can include reputable dealers (I think Avidmax sells that way, and they are a great source for Lowepro cases), but it can also include sellers like 'Tom-from-Topeka,' who might really be from Timbuku and not even have real stock to sell. In that event, Amazon will still stand behind the purchase and ultimately refund your money, although you may have to jump through a few hoops.

Yes I should have been more specific.

I have had experiences in both contexts .... the first where the item for sale is sold by Amazon.com, and the second where Amazon is the storefront from a non-OEM.

In the first instance, it is probably one of the better places to buy. In fact, you don't need to even make a phone call to return the item (like you do with B&H) ... you can link directly to your account item and request a return RMA (within a normal return timetable) and you instantly get a link to print a shipping label and the RMA doc to include in the return to Amazon.

In the 2nd context, I stand by my statement that you are indeed on shaky ground when you purchase through Amazon but the product originates from another retailer. I have had several bad experiences in this case, and have waited months for resolution. If you have a dispute, Amazon will instruct you to deal with the retailer directly ... but in the end, Amazon will mitigate a complaint if you have one. It can be a major hassle and one not worth it IMO.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

I will be the first to agree that this part of Amazon - especially allowing multiple instances of the same product to be listed but, as you say, as different "storefronts" for either Amazon or some unknown third party - is something that could be more clear in their system. Actually, their pages are rather cluttered as is. I'm sure that the reason for the multiple listings for one seller problem is either the result of Amazon not being attentive or acquiescing to seller demands. If I were a seller, I would be rather unhappy with the tiny "4 new from..." and "24 used from..." text under the main listing price. Ultimately, Amazon runs into some difficulties for trying to service many different needs...jack of all trades.

 

[EELinneman]

I've had nothing but great experiences with Amazon. If you are a prime member, two day shipping is free, one day is $3.99 per item. If you have an Amazon visa card, you get 3% credit for Amazon purchases. My only caveat with Amazon is that if you have to involve them in a refund for a 3rd party purchase, you are limited to doing this only 5 times in your lifetime.

Recently I purchased some mats from Adorama through Amazon and somehow they were folded 3 times between Adorama and my house! Adorama gave me a full refund the next day after contacting them including the shipping costs too, so good for Adorama.

Finally, even though I'm not Jewish, I find it neat that companies adhere to their religious beliefs like B&H and Adorama too and shut down for a while. I believe that only B&H stop taking web orders during this time. I support this and can plan my purchases around this schedule. In my opinion, it's good for their employees and families.

Lastly, I have found a good local vendor - Denver Pro Photo and purchase from them too. It would be a sad day when there are no local photo shops where you can look and try different equipment. If I take their time to give me advice and guidance, I'll purchase it there rather then go and buy it from Amazon, B&H or Adorama.