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melekzek
Aug 17, 2006, 7:07 AM
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make a search on the seller. There are a lot of complaints [link] about them. Hint: their rating is at 0.38 vs bhphoto is at 9.55 out of 10.
There are a lot of scam companies.Thats how bait and switch works:
The idea is that they list items cheaper than everywhere else. After you place your order, they will call you and try to sell additional stuff (usually stuff which is included with the item everywhere else, such as batteries). Than they tell the item is from xxxxx and if you want you can get the US version for some more money and try to scare you about the warranty. Even if you do not agree to upgrade they say they are out of the original item and that you have to upgrade. If you want to cancel the order they charge outrageous restocking fees (a couple of hundred $) even though the item never left (or there is no item at all). You can cancel it through your credit company, but it might take a while that you get your money back.
if the price is too good to be true (in this case it is not THAT cheaper either) than there is definetely something fishy.
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aidasr
Aug 18, 2006, 3:22 PM
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Registered: Jun 23, 2006
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i say stay away from the digital rebels.
They are plastic, and will break...also i dont know if its a concern to you but they will be outdated very quickly..
For the low end dslrs, id recomed the Nikons d70, or d70s. From personal experience after using both the rebel xt and the d70s..the nikons feel more stable. Plus all the perks of reverse compatability with the lenses.
Personally I'd recommend checking out ebay for a Nikon D1X. Its way more durable, faster, stronger, weather resistant...just..better.
I picked one up for $1000cdn with 5 batteries and a charger.
at 5.1mp i've made 20x24 prints from raw files with no trouble. The metering is fast and accurate...its just a great camera, and theyre dropping in price extremely fast with Nikon introducing its new D2Xs and Hs.
If ebay's not your fancy..then check out ecnpa.com, or other photojournalism classifieds. Its likely you can find practically any piece of camera gear for way cheaper than you will anywhere else, plus the fact that everyone is very knowledgeable and honest about the equipment.
hope it helps.
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pico23
Aug 19, 2006, 8:40 PM
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In reply to: i say stay away from the digital rebels. They are plastic, and will break...also i dont know if its a concern to you but they will be outdated very quickly.. For the low end dslrs, id recomed the Nikons d70, or d70s. From personal experience after using both the rebel xt and the d70s..the nikons feel more stable. Plus all the perks of reverse compatability with the lenses. Personally I'd recommend checking out ebay for a Nikon D1X. Its way more durable, faster, stronger, weather resistant...just..better. I picked one up for $1000cdn with 5 batteries and a charger. at 5.1mp i've made 20x24 prints from raw files with no trouble. The metering is fast and accurate...its just a great camera, and theyre dropping in price extremely fast with Nikon introducing its new D2Xs and Hs. If ebay's not your fancy..then check out ecnpa.com, or other photojournalism classifieds. Its likely you can find practically any piece of camera gear for way cheaper than you will anywhere else, plus the fact that everyone is very knowledgeable and honest about the equipment. hope it helps.
Not sure a bulky pro body is the right move for someone looking at the XT.
Downsides of the D1X are crap battery time, heavy batteries. I'm doubtful the noise/resolving power is better.
The rebel is reasonably fast, although the AF on the Nikon probably gets an edge.
So really you are paying for a beefy body that you can hammer nails with.
I'd second your opinion for the D70s though which is a beefier camera then the XT and offers better lens selection plus i-ttl and wireless flash (as does the D1X)
One other thing to note. a person used to using pro size/weight bodies will find a camera as small as a REbel XT hard to handle while most other people will find it fine. The D70/s has a bigger body with a more pro-size like feel. For compactness the XT with added battery grip makes for a nice sized camera that is still a lot smaller and lighter then the Nikon D70/100/D1
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aidasr
Aug 19, 2006, 8:43 PM
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Registered: Jun 23, 2006
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also.
instead of the d1x, the d2h has dropped in prices crazily since the D2HS came out..you can pick one up for like $1100cdn with batteries and charger. But yeah, its a big camera.
If your looking for something thatcant stop bullets or shoot in a sandstorm/ in the rain then get on the d70s.
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zuegma
Aug 19, 2006, 10:18 PM
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Registered: May 9, 2006
Posts: 125
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i personally like the xt. i hike and climb a lot with it and it has served me well. it is very light and if taken care of..not being dropped thrown etc, the plastic shell is fina and wont break. i would just suggest that you buy a small padded bag to carry it in. also check out bhphotovideo.com for great camera gear and low prices.
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chollapete
Aug 20, 2006, 12:34 AM
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Registered: Jul 1, 2006
Posts: 47
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Here's another link to scam camera dealers. The scammers in the link, "PriceRitePhoto", were exposed but I've read that they are back in business under a new name. Thomas Hawk, btw, is a pretty well-known photographer living in San Francisco. http://thomashawk.com/...bait-and-switch.html
Bottom line, be careful and what he said: if it's too good to be true.....
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melekzek
Aug 20, 2006, 12:49 AM
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Registered: Nov 16, 2002
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does anybody has an idea why most of these scam companies operate in ny?
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pico23
Aug 20, 2006, 1:39 AM
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Registered: Mar 14, 2003
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funny thing while i haven't dealt wiith all the scam companies in person in a while, they even try the bait and switch in store.
why NY?
Simple, where were 90% of real US camera stores located till the internet?
Manhattan!!!!
These guys lost a lot of business with the internet and digital and probably still need to make a paycheck somehow.
Broadway Photo for instance still has a physical store but it has about 10 bogus dummy websites that all are part of Broadway.
Just for laughs call some of these places and see if they give you the bait and switch.
The only stores I trust are B&H and Adorama for mail order in NY.
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