"View Camera Store" ... ? ...

[Rainer]

I´ve read several times about a "View Camera Store".

www.viewcamerastore.com is nothing but a DEMO installation of the oscommerce project. It´s not a real shop.

So what are people talking about, when they say the "View Camera Store" ??? Where do I find it?

[Barry Wilkinson]

Works here...


http://viewcamerastore.com/ (http://viewcamerastore.com/)

Barry

[Rainer]

That´s what I mean. This is NOT a real store.

Read this written on the site:

"Dies ist die Standardinstallation des osCommerce Projektes. Alle dargestellten Produkte dienen zur Demonstration der Funktionsweise. Wenn Sie Produkte bestellen, so werden diese weder ausgeliefert, noch in Rechnung gestellt."

means (with my poor english):

"this is a standard installation of the oscommerce project. all products are only for demonstration purposes. if you order products, they will NOT be shipped, nor will they be charged"

So ...

[Rainer]

Ah, now set the language to english in the "store" and voilá:

It seems to be a real working store in the US (but it´s obviously not for European users or for german speaking customers at least ...)

You US guys know, that you are living in LF paradise?

[Philippe Bedfert]

Rainer,
I do not understand what you mean. I have bought several items at View Camera store during the last 2 years and I have received the order in France without any problem.

[Jim Rhoades]

Here in the USofA The View Camera Store is in Fountain Hills, Az. Tel: 480-767-7105.
It's run by Fred Newman L/F & ULF. A honest man to deal with.

[Gem Singer]

The View Camera Store is not a shop with a store front, sales people, etc. It is a mail order business being run out of Fred Newman's home. E-commerce websites on the internet can create the illusion of almost anything.

Fred sells items, such as the "Beyond the Zone System" products, which cannot be obtained anywhere else. He is a direct K.B.Canham dealer. Since he is located very close to Canham's new factory, he can obtain their products very quickly. He is friendly and helpful on the phone.

[Rainer]

Eugene,

I know of course it´s "only" a mailorder business and I understand now that it is a real existing business in the US.

But if you log on in Austria (likely also in Germany) you will see the german version of this site with the text mentioned above ("this is a standard installation of the oscommerce project. all products are only for demonstration purposes. if you order products, they will NOT be shipped, nor will they be charged").

[Sal Santamaura]

That's likely a consequence of Fred Newman using off-the-shelf software and not understanding all the ramifications. Makes me glad we've got this forum with dedicated, straightforward design!

[Darin Boville]

"this is a standard installation of the oscommerce project. all products are only for demonstration purposes. if you order products, they will NOT be shipped, nor will they be charged" is, I believe, standard text with the oscommerce software--he just didn't change it for the German version.

See their online demo at http://www.oscommerce.com/osCommerce22ms2/ (http://www.oscommerce.com/osCommerce22ms2/) which has similiar language.

--Darin

www.darinboville.com

[Mike H.]

It may not be a store in the normal sense of the word, but you CAN visit them (Fred and asst., Dennis). Just call and set up an appointment. By the way, their "non store" would make everyone envious: separate from regular house, probably 1,500 to 2,000 sf. with office space, display area for goods for sale, dry work areas in the entry work area and a HUGE darkroom area - the whole area stocked with tons of computers and printers and equipment for making really big prints.

[Michael Jones]

Here we go again. Fred Newman has been running his large format photo operation for more than a decade, long before "e-commerce" was another made up word and people assumed their connection errors meant someone was trying to rip them off.

And as thoughtful as Eugene is, Mike is correct. I'd kill to have Fred's separate operation, including teaching darkroom and computer/printing facilities. You are hard pressed to find anyone more helpful and giving of their time and money to large format that Fred, Dennis and of course, Phil Davis.

It only take a moment in an ill thought out and poorly monitored thread like this to destroy what these people have invested years of their lives and untold amounts of money to build. Just because you can post instantly doesn't mean you can stop thinking about the ramifications of what you are saying. Unlike the spoken word, posts do not evaporate on the breeze.


http://viewcamerastore.com/ (http://viewcamerastore.com/) is the URL in my address bar.

Mike

[Paul Kierstead]

I think quite a few people here mis-understand the problem. The View Camera Store, *WHEN VIEWED IN OTHER LANGUAGES* says *ITSELF* that it is a demo site. Go to the store and click on on of the alternate languages. Even I can figure out what the spanish one says, but you can use babelfish if you like.

Try


http://www.viewcamerastore.com/default.php?language=es (http://www.viewcamerastore.com/default.php?language=es)

and a google translation:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.viewcamerastore.com/default.php%3Flanguage%3Des&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.viewcamerastore.com/default.php%253Flanguage%253Des%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.viewcamerastore.com/default.php%3Flanguage%3Des&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.viewcamerastore.com/default.php%253Flanguage%253Des%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D)

or http://tinyurl.com/4zsn4 (http://tinyurl.com/4zsn4)

[Glenn Kroeger]

Paul:

Those of us who actually read the posts understand! Fred obviously customized the english version of the stock software and did not update or disable the foreign language support.

[Rainer]

"Fred obviously customized the english version of the stock software and did not update or disable the foreign language support."

That´s obviously the problem and that´s what made me think it is a demo-site of oscommerce, because i have allways seen the german version, never the english one.

Pfuuuh - quite a lot of confusion.

Thanks, all!

[Norm_5106]

I second the kind remarks about how well Fred and Dennis treat customers, send items etc. Several years ago living in WNY State I ordered camera, lens and other needed items, They arrived so fast it was amazing. The helpfulness on the phone was superior to what I have received in what some refer to stores with many employee's.

Ilness has kept me from using the lf lately but I know I can count on them. I needed a lens mounted, sent it to them and it was back in no time.

If many of the big dealers had the atttitude torwards customers they have it would be a pleasure.

[Rainer]

Oh, and Michael:

I have no "connection problems" and I did not assume someone is trying to rip off somebody!

So your pleadings are a bit embarassing and last but not least unnecessary...

[Dennis Kibbe]

I want to thank Rainer for pointing this out to us. The View Camera Store, as most of you know, is a REAL BUSINNESS and has been so for 11 years. Our online store uses the excellent Open Source osCommerce (http://www.oscommerce.com) e-commerce package and while we've added extra security to protect credit card numbers, which are never stored on the server, we left alot of the graphics, etc. stock.



So what Rainer is seeing is the default boilerplate text for the German language option which we never thought to change. I'm sure that the Spanish language option says the same thing! Rainer is quite correct in assuming that we are only a DEMO even though we are REAL. Funny that we've filled dozens of orders from Germany with no one else mentioning it!

Thanks Rainer!

Dennis Kibbe
The View Camera Store

[bobwysiwyg]

My search resurrected this fairly old post, but it seems like the right place. I'm fairly new to LF and needed to order a few things and chose Fred Newman's site, The View Camera Store.

I couldn't have asked for better service. Fred will not retire on what I've ordered, or likely to order, but the service is first rate. Even after completion of transactions, I had something of a general question for Fred and he graciously answered very quickly, provided pictures for clarification and then went on to point out something I should look out for. You just can't beat that kind of personal service! Highly recommended.

[AJ Edmondson]

I couldn't agree more... I have purchased several items from Fred over the course of the last few years and always found him to be first-class in every respect! Wish I could say the same of ALL of the dealers.

[Tom Schaefer]

With personal experience Fred and Dennis are great people to deal with, these are people who need the community's support. There are less of them around for all our benefit.
Tom

[Don7x17]

I want to thank Rainer for pointing this out to us. The View Camera Store, as most of you know, is a REAL BUSINNESS and has been so for 11 years. Our online store uses the excellent Open Source osCommerce (http://www.oscommerce.com) e-commerce package and while we've added extra security to protect credit card numbers, which are never stored on the server, we left alot of the graphics, etc. stock.



So what Rainer is seeing is the default boilerplate text for the German language option which we never thought to change. I'm sure that the Spanish language option says the same thing! Rainer is quite correct in assuming that we are only a DEMO even though we are REAL. Funny that we've filled dozens of orders from Germany with no one else mentioning it!

Thanks Rainer!

Dennis Kibbe
The View Camera Store

Dennis - you guys have been in business a lot longer than 11 years -- I used to visit you up in Cave Creek for 3-4 years before I moved away from Phoenix, and that was in July, 1997 (12.5 years ago I moved away). An excellent store then, and I am sure equally good since you've moved to Fountain Hills. Fred and Dennis have always been helpful and filled every order promptly that I've given them
Best regards
Don Nelson

[kev curry]

Another vote for the ''View Camera Store''. Fred does great film tests and the BTZS tubes make film developing a pleasure. Highly recommended.

[Brian Ellis]

Another vote for the ''View Camera Store''. Fred does great film tests and the BTZS tubes make film developing a pleasure. Highly recommended.

Agreed on both counts. Except as a learning technique I don't know why anyone does their own film testing when TVCS will do it for you for about $30 and give you more and better information than you can get on your own. When I used to do the testing myself it wasn't unusual to go through a box of film so $30 may be about what you'd pay doing it yourself.

[John Bowen]

Dennis - you guys have been in business a lot longer than 11 years -- I used to visit you up in Cave Creek for 3-4 years before I moved away from Phoenix, and that was in July, 1997 (12.5 years ago I moved away). An excellent store then, and I am sure equally good since you've moved to Fountain Hills. Fred and Dennis have always been helpful and filled every order promptly that I've given them
Best regards
Don Nelson

Don,

Look closely and you'll see Dennis' post is from 2005 :eek: So add 5 years to the 11 mentioned way back when.

Best,

[Roger Thoms]

Been a customer since 2000, and have always been very happy.
Roger

[PenGun]

I couldn't agree more... I have purchased several items from Fred over the course of the last few years and always found him to be first-class in every respect! Wish I could say the same of ALL of the dealers.

Indeed a very helpful guy and prompt shipping too.

[Michael Graves]

I haven't bought as much from View Camera Store as I would like, but what I have purchased arrived quickly, extremely well packed and precisely as ordered. I cannot recommend his operation hightly enough. And you guys can say all you want about your Blackjacket focusing cloths. I ain't tradin' the BTZS one I got from VCS for anything.

[john biskupski]

I'm in England, but I bought some small LF accessories from the View Camera online store last october for shipment to Richard Ritter's Vermont address where I was due to attend a LF workshop. I recall Fred being extremely helpful in organising this, the sales service was second to none. And that was just from the online store!

[jeroldharter]

The View Camera Store is a quality business. As stated, their film testing and support of BTZS is excellent also.

[Bruce A Cahn]

Bruce's (my) Field Camera Store is at http://stores.ebay.com/brucesfieldcamerastore. We used to carry a full line of Schneider & Rodenstock lenses and numerous brands of cameras, as well as holders, tripods, film. The recession has slowed us down a bit. Right now we are primarily importers for Lotus and Ebony cameras, and special order other things. We do have a large stock of Fidelity holders.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Bruce,

I am happy to see you are importing Lotus, they are beautiful cameras. I have always wanted a 5X7 Lotus but it is just a TAD out of reach at this time. I have use one and it was the smoothest camera I have ever had the pleasure to try.

[Don Dudenbostel]

I just purchased a new 8x10 canham traditional . Service was five star and the price was excellent. Fred could have made an extra five hundred dollars off me but encouraged me to try my new camera first before buying the wide angle bellows. I found I really didn't need itxand saved nearly five hundred dollars. I've purchased a couple of other expensive items and needed service on one. I couldn't have asked for more or better service than I received from Fred and his crew. I plan to purchase future equipment from them and can not say enough good about them.

[jeroldharter]

Agreed on both counts. Except as a learning technique I don't know why anyone does their own film testing when TVCS will do it for you for about $30 and give you more and better information than you can get on your own. When I used to do the testing myself it wasn't unusual to go through a box of film so $30 may be about what you'd pay doing it yourself.

If you do much testing, you can pick up a densitometer for ~$100 used and buy the film plotter software from The View Camera Store and do as many film and paper tests as you like. I did a couple test from TVCS then started on my own. I can do a film/developer test easily now and feel comfortable with it.