Is Midwest Photo Exchange Still in Business?

[Sam Crater]

Jim knows his stuff, ships what he advertises, and has a really impressive inventory of used large format stuff at competitive prices. How about saving the outrage for the liars and cheats? I really don't get why this thread is necessary.

[Glenn Kroeger]

Got email from Jim yesterday, and bought two lenses from him last week, so I guess they are in business!

[Brian Ellis]

I just logged onto the MidWest web site, it looks and works fine here. Maybe the problem is at your end. I haven't tried calling since they're closed now but I've called many times in the past and always gotten an answer. Is it possible you called after hours (your message here was posted almost two hours after their closing time). B&H does have a great web site but they wouldn't accept a return of a $1,000 defective scanner they sold me so I don't buy anything from them any more.

[Glenn Kroeger]

Web site works in both IE and Firefox for me. Granted, I liked the old web site better, but they are making progress on the new one. Equipment is updated in real time, sold lenses disappear and new lenses appear.

[Scott Fleming]

Dave,

That was before Schneideritis showed up. ;-) I still don't have much patience for sloppy marketing. As much as I am attracted to Arca Swiss I may yet not choose them because there is just no excuse for not having a website. None. It speaks ill of any company. Schneider's website is so good it makes me feel guilty to buy a Rodenstock lens. Although more and more I begin to think Rodenstock put their money in quality over marketing. They seem to be doing a bit better than Schneider lately.

As for using the phone ... that's all well and good but I like to spend time on websites getting to know a company before I use them and I don't like calling people up asking a lot of questions. I call up when I'm ready to order. I'm actually wanting to find someone I can trust enough to get an entire kit from rather than shop around here and there never really building a relationship with anybody.

I'll tell you something else that bugs me while I'm at it. Being over charged. Or somebody trying to soak me. Anyone trying to sell lenses at two to six hundred dollars over B&H prices doesn't deserve to be in business. I won't mention any names.

Yes I quit LF and it was a mistake. I sold my kit and now I'm about to buy it all back. I don't plan to shoot much sheet film however.

[Ted Harris]

Website works with Safari, Firefox, IE, Camino, Opera and Omni .... probably with every other browser known to man as well nut those are what I have loaded on the laptop I am working with right this second.

Scott, if you have specific suggestions then send them to Jim ..... jim@mpex.com

By the way, I can tell you as a webmaster that it can easily take waaaaaaay more than a few weeks to get a site finely tuned. I can also tell you that Midwest is working very hard to make their site as useful as possible to their customers .... as someone else said if you don't want to be a customer that's fine, more good stuff for others. Oh yeah, like everyone else here,my only financial interest in Midwest is the money I spend there every year.

[Scott Fleming]

OK now it's working for me. Wierd. I waited three weeks without going there hoping they would get it together. Tonight when it wouldn't let me past the first page it really ticked me off. After hearing you all say it was working I went back and still ... nada. Now, an hour later, it's working for me. Maybe the webmaster kicked in the backup generator or something.

[Scott Rosenberg]

scott...

i'm glad you got your connectivity issues, with mpex at least, resolved. it's quite simple - if you do not care for their website, and that's how your asses a company, don't do business with them. as you mentioned, there are plenty of other options.

although i don't really follow your logic on that point - jim is not selling website authoring services, he's selling camera gear, and IMHO, he's running the best damn operation doing so today. if dealing with MPEX is getting you ticked off, feel free to spend your money elsewhere, as that will be one fewer person in front of me in the phone queue.

it's like my grandma used to say... "never eat in an empty restaurant"

[Henry Ambrose]

I've been writing back and forth with Jim and the web developer since they changed the site. Jim, MPEX and the developer really do want it to work. So when you have trouble email Jim or whoever you deal with there and let them know the problem.

At first it was unavailable on a Mac and they've fixed most of it. But still not for all browsers. I'm on OSX and Safari or iCab still does not work right but Firefox works very well. Since Firefox is free I suggest you try it. Most folks on windows machines have no problens with the MPEX site.

And of course you can always call them when you need something. In a retail world where personal contact is often a dissappointing experience MPEX is an outstanding operation. I value them for being the way they are - they really do want to do it right.

I am generally opposed to any site that breaks standards so that it only works with certain browsers. I know it does not have to be that way and that it is a resposibility of website developers to maintain the spirit of the internet by keeping availablity and function open to all. Apparently this is a fairly complex programming issue (I suspect made more so by Microsoft's desire to have the internet be their very own proprietary world.)

While I'm on my soapbox - many thanks to Tom Westbrook and everyone else involved with this site for making it great.

[Gem Singer]

Scott Fleming,

Please do not purchase anything from Midwest Photo Exchange. Although I have never met Jim Andrecki face-to-face, I consider him to be a trusted friend and advisor. He has always given me the best deal and service on equipment, and believe me, I have purchased, sold, and traded a lot of equipment, both new and previously owned, with Jim. Since I am buying sight unseen, Jim has always made it right if I was not happy with the item he sent,

I usually recommend everyone to Jim. But, I like Jim so much that I don't want him to be aggravated by you. He has enough stress in his life. He doesn't need more. However, Rod Klukas at Photomark, is another story. Deal with him. You and Klukas deserve one another. My advice to you, Scott Fleming, is to purchase your LF equipment from Rod and leave my friend Jim alone!

Oh yes, if anyone else wants to contact Jim, Midwest answers their phone from 10AM to 6PM on weekdays and from 10AM to 2PM on Saturdays (Eastern time). Jim takes Thursdays off, but he responds to his E-Mail 24-7 (jim@mpex.com).