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08/15/2004 11:32:14 AM · #1 |
Why are there no decent photography shops in the UK?
Lets just not even mention D****s!
Jessops... they seem to staff their shops predominently with spotty teenagers who seem to know nothing about photography, and even if you do find one with a braincell then he/she is too busy to dedicate the required amount of time with the customer...
Am I missing something or is there now where that a photographer can go for help, advice and some hands-on access to the equipment.
All I wanted was some tri-pod advice....
Help!
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08/15/2004 03:04:56 PM · #2 |
Try London Camera Exchange, they are pretty useful and have some good deals.
I'm not dealing with any UK shops now, gonna get my new Canon from the States when my neighbour goes over in November. Can get camera, lenses, tripod, flash, etc for the price of the camera body over here.
What sort of tripod do you want and what budget? |
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08/15/2004 03:19:18 PM · #3 |
Jessops in Edinburgh's West End is a really good shop. Never go in there if you are in a hurry because the staff are always busy!!
They spend so much time with the customer it's really good to see!! All of the staff that I have ever dealt with have known everything I could have asked about the equipment.
If I don't mind waiting for a few days I normally get my camera equipment from Warehouse Express. The staff there are good if you ever have to contact them, delivery is always very reliable and their prices are always better than Jessops in my experience! |
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08/15/2004 05:42:46 PM · #4 |
I'm going through the same stage at the moment, its so damn frustrating.
It seems that if you're not looking for something completely mainstream, and that includes advice, then you will have to go to a hell of a lot of effort to find it. Small privately owned non-chain specialist shops are becoming rarer and rarer, presumably with most of their business being taken away by the chains.
Jessops can be hit and miss for me. Without fail, every time I'm in Jessops in Glasgow, staff are engrossed in conversations with customers which tend to go a bit like:
S: "How can I help you?"
C: "I want a camera."
S: "Which features would you like?"
C: "I want a good one, which makes people look big."
S: "Right. Our still cameras are in this cabinet here.."
C: "I want one which takes photos, not stills!"
When the average customer has these kind of requirements, no wonder they can get away with hiring spotty adolescents to deal with things.
I've tried the Edinburgh West End branch, but everyone was busy. After about ten minutes I got bored flicking through the catalogue and left. I might try again soon in the hope that the staff are better educated than the chimps in Glasgow .
I've been attempting to find at least one place in central Scotland which has a good range of filters and equipment in stock, but so far have come up with nothing. Please let me know if you find anything!
David
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08/15/2004 05:50:16 PM · #5 |
There are a few but to be honest, I'm not sure how any of us can expect them to stay in business.
Put your hand up if you can honestly tell me that after getting all that good advice on just which expensive camera to buy you wouldn't take a look around to see if you could better the price and buy from the cheapest reputable vendor.
Whilst people are happy enough to buy their peripherals from such stores (since the differences in price are much smaller) most will not pay more than they have to for larger purchases.
Which is fair enough but... if you want experienced and knowledgable staff you have to pay for them... they are going to cost the business more than said spotty and ignorant teenagers.
That said I have found that the smaller Jessops stores often have at least one (if not more) member of staff who is a genuine camera buff and can give some advice.
We also have a lovely shop nearby called RK Photographic but they are really film camera specialists. That's where we bought all our darkroom papers and chemicals from even though it might have been cheaper via the net etc. They give us good service.
PS I'm not putting myself forward as a shining example - I often go by price too. I just know that the lack of expert retailers in many areas (butchers, bookstores, etc) is driven by our own overemphasis on price above all else.
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08/17/2004 03:50:54 AM · #6 |
I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds this frustrating...
I agree with the comment though that a lot of people, once they do get the advice they need will go an purchase on-line.
I am in the market for a 'decent' tri-pod, maybe Manfrotto. I will pay for the right model but I feel that I really need some hands on. i.e. whether I would prefer pan and tilt heads or ball and socket. I also need to check the weight comparisons to decide whether carbon is worth considering.
I will try LCE as I have one near my office...
Thanks for the replies. |
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08/17/2004 03:58:06 AM · #7 |
I always do some research on what I want first.There is plenty of advice on sites like this and you can get reviews on almost any item on the net.
Then shop around and get the best price.
The thing I hate is, as you say, a spotty faced assistant saying " can I help you sir " when all along he has no idea :)
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08/17/2004 04:08:17 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by downward_spiral:
I've tried the Edinburgh West End branch, but everyone was busy. After about ten minutes I got bored flicking through the catalogue and left. I might try again soon in the hope that the staff are better educated than the chimps in Glasgow. |
That's the problem with the Edinburgh branch, they are just so busy.
The guys there really know their stuff! They will help the complete beginner go through each option without using too much jargon, and they also help the more experienced user discussing the more technical aspects of the camera.
Give yourself at least an hour if you are going in to the shop though...
As Kavey said though, it does pay to look around. So, if you know Jessops has your equipment in stock, go home and look for it cheaper on the internet. As long as the company is based in the UK and has the item in stock, Jessops will price match.
I used uk.pricerunner.com to check prices, then if it's an expensive things I get it from Jessops if they have it in stock. |
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