Robert White & Badger

[jose angel]

I agree with your opinions about Robert White. In my country we find good prices also in some products, BUT NEVER the atention (Robert and Matt), fast service and security provided by RW's. I learned about packaging when I received -at home- a very big/heavy enlarger, also cheaper and waiting only five days. I never bought in the USA via internet, because the high air freights, but I'm grateful with Fred of darkroom inovations and Louis in photo Gizzmo for their good service and help. I would like to say about bad experiences with our local LF dealers, especially Schneider, but....

[Manuel Gomes Teixeira]

Robert White service and support is impeccable . They always reply to your mails in a friendly and efficient way. We have used their services for more or less 5 years without any problem. Congratulations Robert and Matt.

Manuel Gomes Teixeira

Punctum Studios Ltd PORTUGAL

[Jim Chinn]

I would say if you want to list bad apples, go to the opinions forum on the community page at photonet.com. Under camera shops you will find hundreds of comments and reviews of retailers/dealers/suppliers.

Before you EVER think of buying mail order go to this site and do a search of that dealer. Also beware, that some dealers will from time to time change their name after so much heat is placed on them by disgruntled customers. As you will see there are a thousand sad stories in the naked city- don't become another one.

[Jonathan Brewer]

Quite a while back I purchased a camera out of New York that was advertised as Mint, what I got shipped to me looked like someone had tried to dribble like a basketball, when it wasn't underwater.

Getting a refund from these folks was like pulling teeth, check 'em out before you buy.

[jose angel]

James, if I'm not wrong, you want to say photo.net

[Jim Chinn]

Thanks for correcting me Jose, to many photo sites running around in my head.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Since we're discussing dealers in this item, rather than starting another item, I just wanted to put in the good word for Louis Shu at Photo Gizzmo in New York on Christopher St. I was down there today to have a couple of lenses mounted, and I was really amazed at his current stock of classic lenses. LOTS of Goerz lenses in working shutters at very fair prices, including some of the less common shorter focal lengths. He had a 30cm Heliar on the shelf, quite a few modern lenses, and maybe around 25 large format cameras out on display, including a Canham, which I don't think is being shown elsewhere in the city.

Their website (www.photogizzmo.com) is not terribly useful, but Louis is very friendly and knowledgable and is definitely worth a call if you're shopping for LF equipment.

[Richard Fenner]

The website is completely useless! Because the LF community is so small, many of us are willing to contact stores in different countries to get what we're after. I find the only useful way of doing this to be to use their website, otherwise I'd be telephoning over a dozen major LF stores in the UK and US whenever I want a particular product. It's more useful to me to be able to browse their current stock.

If stores don't date their stock page, I don't read it - it gets tiring to find I'm re-reading the same items as were listed several months ago. Equally, if they don't update their stock list at least once a month, I don't return to their site. A basic stock list isn't particularly intensive to maintain - I'd be happy to receive a regular email listing of their stock if they find a site too time and cost intensive to maintain. From their perspective, they might also get sales they woundn't get if I simply telephoned and indicated what I was after - it's not unusual for me to be looking for something particular and to find something completely different takes my fancy! I know a lot of Americans use Robert White - I wonder whether he'd be as popular if he didn't maintain a website?