cambridge camera

[shaaktiman]

so, what is the story with these guys.

Their prices scream SCAM and everything I've heard about them has been to warn me away, but what do they do exactly. Let's say I purchased one of their new MPs for $2,700 and a 35mm summicron asph for $1,100.

What happens? Do I never get them? Do they tack on mysterious fees? Do I get a call that that 'special' price was without a shutter and the shutter costs extra?

Has anyone ever tried to buy anything from them?

(I'm smart enough not to try, but I am damn curious.)

adam

 

[julianphotoart]

I once bought an item from them: a 50mm f1.5 Zeiss Opton lens for a Contax. It was NOT as advertised, and it was shipped with inadequate packaging. Post-purchase communication was not good either. I did not come away feeling good about them.

 

[shaaktiman]

really? how was it not as advertised?

 

[RJBender]

They were pretty decent 20 years ago when they made a small repair to my sister's Nikon F for free. We were walk in customers, though.
Check out this site:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/cambridge.html

R.J.

 

[julianphotoart]

really? how was it not as advertised?

The glass had some marks that I'd like to have been told about, though they aren't major. The big thing was a big ding in the filter ring that someone had used plyers on (badly). One couldn't see the deformity in the photo but it was super-obvious when I got the lens. It makes it impossible to screw on filters. That's what pissed me off. I would not have bought that lens.

 

[shaaktiman]

so julianphotoart,

what happened, if you don't mind me asking? Did they take it back or tell you to blow?

 

[julianphotoart]

so julianphotoart,

what happened, if you don't mind me asking? Did they take it back or tell you to blow?

I'm a softie. My profession requires that I spend all day arguing with the whole world on behalf of my clients. I don't do that with personal stuff. I tried out the lens, it took good photos, it arrived safe in spite of the pitiful packaging, I wrote a private e-mail telling them of my disappointment, and I never dealt with them again.

 

[pshinkaw]

Back in 1969 when I bought some stuff from Cambridge they were pretty decent. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. The Best Stuff Russian camera forum is full of bad reviews of them and there were reports of enforcement action against them by the New York AG's consumer protection division.

I bought a neckstrap for a Hasselblad from them a few years ago. I paid too much and it doesn't fit a Hasselblad, but it is otherwise OK. At least they delivered.

From everything I've heard I would not buy from them again. Too risky.

-Paul

 

[djon]

I recently bought a Canon P from them, via Ebay. They described it conservatively and I got the camera for about $250 (don't recall exactly). They described the shutter as "wrinkled"...it's almost pristine. They described the camera as "engraved," showed that online.

This camera is equal to the then-$300 P I got from KEH, described as "EXC wrnkl" or similar.
The KEH has very slight wrinkles as well, much less than usually depicted online, but more than the Cambridge.

My single experience with Cambridge was excellent. There was one hitch, which was that they didn't immediately ship due to loss of my telephone number: resulted in one- day-plus-weekend delay in shipment.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

This came up last week or so.

Cambridge Camera is so bad that Pop Photo quit running their advertisements because they ripped off so many readers. We are talking a 4~8 page spread every month.

 

[djon]

When did Pop Photo allegedly do that? What year?

 

[Scarpia]

They are currently operating out of a warehouse location near the former Brooklyn Navy Yard. Their most recent store on W. 17 St. (the former B&H location) was vacant for over a year and is currently occupied by an upscale furniture store. They are iffy at best.
Kurt M.

 

[shaaktiman]

Huh. I live very close to the navy yard. Do they have a showroom or are they strictly mail order?
I'll bet they're only mail order. If people are allowed to buy directly then they can't jack up the shipping. (Shipping is not contestable with your cc apparently.)

 

[Scarpia]

They are only mail order. I came up with their address several months ago by tracing their phone number.
Kurt M.

 

[ClayH]

Not worth it. Ever. I dealt with them once about ten years ago. Their mode of operation is to send you something close and charge exhorbitant shipping and restocking fees. My one experience was when I succumbed to their better-than-everyone else price on a chrome leica lens. I ordered a chrome leica UV filter at the same time. They sent a black lens and an uber-cheap UV filter with it. Phone call after phone call got me nowhere. I ended up chalking it up to experience. Do a google search on them. You'll see loads of commentary.
Heck, just do a text search for 'Cambridge' on this thread:

http://www.photo.net/equipment/where-to-buy


You gotta worry about a place that won't talk to you until you give them a credit card number!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Popular Photography "booted" them out sometime around 1999. I have the issue somewherein the basement, but the editor printed a letter to the reader essentially stating they did not abide by the "check Rated" policy and the magazine would no longer carry them.

 

[bmattock]

You might want to take a look at this:

http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,107855,pg,1,00.asp

Cambridge is one of the alleged scamsters in the article above.

"Even the authorities seem frustrated. For example, the New York Department of Consumer Affairs has received more than 100 complaints about Cambridge Camera, most of them citing failure to deliver goods or to refund money in a timely fashion, says Assistant General Counsel Nancy Brown. But Cambridge, which has been in business for decades, has resolved every grievance that has been reported to the DCA, says Brown."

I stay away from everyone except Adorama and B&H in NYC for mail-order camera equipment. I may be missing out on some great deals, but so be it.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/

 

[Sonnar Brian]

And just a random google on "Cambridge Camera Screwed"

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller2046-p2-s3-d1.html

Rating on a scale of 0 to 10 OF 0.31.

 

[Oldprof]

Back in the mid-1970s a less than camera savvy friend of mine bought a Canon FTb-QL camera and "kit" that included a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens from Cambridge. He was expecting the additional lenses to be Canon ones, but I think that was his own inexperience as the ad did not specify this. The lenses he received were no name preset lenses (i.e., they didn't even have automatic diaphragms as were standard at that time, even in second party lenses marketed by companies such as Tokina and even by low end Spiratone). Needless to say, he felt ripped off and he did not get any satisfaction from Cambridge.