looking for local Bessa dealer

[JoeFriday]

I'm seriously considering buying a Bessa R3A in the very near future... but I've never actually held a Bessa, and I think I should do so before committing to a $560 purchase

the Voigtlander website isn't working for me, and I'm not having any luck finding a list of local dealers (Wisconsin, or even Chicago).. can someone point me in the right direction?

 

[peter_n]

Unless one of the bigger camera shops in Chicago sells them, AFAIK the only dealers are Cameraquest in CA and Photo Village in NY. 🙁

 

[Huck Finn]

Joe, I don't know your area, but both B&H & Adorama have very customer friendly return policies. I've never had a problem with a return to either - no questions asked. You may have to pay a small restocking fee, but that information is on their website or can be obtained by a phone call to their 800 number or via e-mail.

I also think that it would be worth a similar inquiry to both Stephen Gandy at CameraQuest & to Rich Pinto at Photo Village. Both are are highly respected & reputable dealers. Yours can't be an unusual situation, so they have certainly had the question before & one would think that they have a user friendly policy on this matter - particularly since they are official distributors & Cosina has little or no distribution network in the states.

I did notice a while ago that Stephen Gandy had a notice posted on his website, recruiting dealers. Perhaps he has been successful & now has one in the Midwest. Good luck.

 

[peter_n]

Oops, forgot about Adorama. But it's still in NYC and the bottom line for Joe is that he can't go into a store and handle the camera. I wouldn't buy a cam under those circumstances either.

 

[JoeFriday]

yeah, I just want to actually put my hands on one to see how it feels and how the viewfinder looks to me.. whether it was in a store or another RFF member's

 

[Huck Finn]

Buying & returning if you don't like it, Joe, would accomplish the same thing. Even considering the cost of shipping & a possible restocking fee, it's equivalent to the cost of a rental - maybe less.

 

[JoeFriday]

true.. I'll see what Steve Gandy has to say.. I'm also wondering how soon he is shipping units

 

[MCTuomey]

Joe, if you get to the Detroit area for any reason, you're welcome to test drive my R2A. Let me know. I'll be in the Chicago area the weekend of April 23rd, if that's a better opportunity to hook up.