Pete Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I have been wanting a Canon 40D for awhile and bought the lowest priced body only for around $609. That is a very fair price- it is around $1000 most other places. I also placed an order for Canon EF 17-40mm F4L lens for $629- another fair price(it goes for $700 on Amazon). Well I was in the middle of doing a few things and the dealer called and said the phone didn't come with a charger or memory card or battery- all of which were pretty expensive. He tried to sell me a $3000 package deal. I said no- I planned on spending $1500. He kept hard selling. He then tried to sell me this lens- http://www.lensesnmore.com/products.asp?de...roduct_id=12232 which he says is far superior to the L lens, and it is listed at $1400. He said I was getting the Canon 40D, a $1400 digital lens, filters, a 5 year warranty, a 8 hour memory card, and a charger for $2000. That seemed like a fair price to me and I said go ahead charge it. Then I googled that lens- and I can find it for $400! I think I just got scammed big time. Is that $1400 price tag bull sh--? Is he full of sh-- that that lens is a better then the 17-40mm F4L? Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Should have gone to Abe's of Maine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 Should have gone to Abe's of Maine. sounds like Abes does the same bull sh--- http://onemansblog.com/2007/04/12/abes-of-...t-sale-tactics/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 sounds like Abes does the same bull sh---http://onemansblog.com/2007/04/12/abes-of-...t-sale-tactics/ The hard sell of additional products is a bit different than a hard sell of integral products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Kc1U http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Lenses_N_More Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thanks, beware scam artists like this. I called and spoke with the sales guy and asked him to cancel. He told me it was going to be $185 cancellation fee and gave me attitude, told me it was already on the pallets and he was going to charge me an additional restocking fee, then hung up. I called and asked to speak with a manager and he cancelled my whole order- and did not charge me. So I want a Canon 40 D. Any suggestions? I will check out Abes. Thanks Poojer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V5P90...CFQopIgodTmK0lg one of the better prices I found for the base unit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList....=40d&Page=1 newegg had some good deals too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buford T. Justice Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 In short, yes, they tried to scam you. This is very common amoung online camera dealers. They offer a rock bottom price, and call you with a hard upsell before they ship and many times won't ship unless you buy vastly overpriced extras. Always research stores before buying, especially these camera stores. I recommend http://www.bhphotovideo.com/. They get all of my business. They are priced middle of the road, sometimes you can find great deals but their customer service is top notch. As for the lens, while I have a couple Sigma's and they are good lenses, I've never owned a Sigma lens that is better than a Cannon lens. They may exist, I just haven't used one. f/2.8 is better then f4 for shooting low light and getting a faster shutter speed or creating a shallower DOF, but as you found out, the price for that lens is outragous. This is a reasonable price. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4634..._2_8_EX_DC.html You can get THIS, which I would consider a superior lens for cheaper than theya re trying to sell the Sigma on that site.\ Can I ask why you have your heart set on the 40D? Do you have a lot of photography experience? You may be better off getting the 30D as you get much more value and you can buy better lenses with the savings. The lenses make the photo, not the body. A experienced photographer can get better shots with a Rebel XT and first rate lens then a weekend warrior can get with a EOS-1Ds Mark III and budget lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Others have talked about the scam, so I won't get into that. B&H is top notch -- plus once you buy from them, they send you a really nice full-color catalog once or twice a year. I like it. Keep in mind that you can call and negotiate with them as well. When I bought my 3CCD camcorder years ago, I got them to knock a couple hundred off the price which was cool. Amazon is also awesome - as always Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 In short, yes, they tried to scam you. This is very common amoung online camera dealers. They offer a rock bottom price, and call you with a hard upsell before they ship and many times won't ship unless you buy vastly overpriced extras. Always research stores before buying, especially these camera stores. I recommend http://www.bhphotovideo.com/. They get all of my business. They are priced middle of the road, sometimes you can find great deals but their customer service is top notch. As for the lens, while I have a couple Sigma's and they are good lenses, I've never owned a Sigma lens that is better than a Cannon lens. They may exist, I just haven't used one. f/2.8 is better then f4 for shooting low light and getting a faster shutter speed or creating a shallower DOF, but as you found out, the price for that lens is outragous. This is a reasonable price. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4634..._2_8_EX_DC.html You can get THIS, which I would consider a superior lens for cheaper than theya re trying to sell the Sigma on that site.\ Can I ask why you have your heart set on the 40D? Do you have a lot of photography experience? You may be better off getting the 30D as you get much more value and you can buy better lenses with the savings. The lenses make the photo, not the body. A experienced photographer can get better shots with a Rebel XT and first rate lens then a weekend warrior can get with a EOS-1Ds Mark III and budget lens. Thanks for your advice. I love photography and it is one of my favorite hobbies. Food and photography go great with my favorite passion - travel! I have the Canon G7 and love it- although I have outgrown it in some aspects. I agree with you the lens is the most important part. Astronomy is another hobby of mine and the 40D hooks up to a scope nice. I figure the 40D will be my camera the next 15 years. Do you think the 17/55 is that much better then the 17-40? I appreciate all your advice and will most definitely consider it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Thanks for your advice. I love photography and it is one of my favorite hobbies. Food and photography go great with my favorite passion - travel! I have the Canon G7 and love it- although I have outgrown it in some aspects. I agree with you the lens is the most important part. Astronomy is another hobby of mine and the 40D hooks up to a scope nice. I figure the 40D will be my camera the next 15 years. Do you think the 17/55 is that much better then the 17-40? I appreciate all your advice and will most definitely consider it If you like to travel, you might be interested in this lens: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-70-300mm-4-5-5...0678&sr=8-1 It's a little expensive, but it's awesome having a 300mm walkaround lens that you can use without a tripod. Here's some pics I took at the San Diego zoo: http://www.fezam.com/gallery/view_album.ph...ame=SanDiegoZoo As for the other lens you were looking at -- I'd say that the 17-55 is a better lens than the 17-40; it's much faster and has a longer reach. I hvae no experience with either of them, but the 17-55 is on my wish list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buford T. Justice Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Thanks for your advice. I love photography and it is one of my favorite hobbies. Food and photography go great with my favorite passion - travel! I have the Canon G7 and love it- although I have outgrown it in some aspects. I agree with you the lens is the most important part. Astronomy is another hobby of mine and the 40D hooks up to a scope nice. I figure the 40D will be my camera the next 15 years. Do you think the 17/55 is that much better then the 17-40? I appreciate all your advice and will most definitely consider it I really can't say, I've never used either one of those specific lenses. Even though I don't think they are generally as good, I am a big fan of Sigma. I think they make quality lenses for the price and if that is all your budget allows right now then I wouldn't hesitate to give it a shot. Go read user and pro reviews of those lenses if you can find them, there is generally a lot of good online feedback for lenses. The 70-300 that Fez linked to would be a great lens to have in such a short length. I have a 70-300 I mainly use for sports but it has a longer body and can be a pain to use as a walk-around lens so I generally leave it at home but find myself missing great shots because of that. If you own a 17-55mm and 70-300mm, you'll have the right lens for pretty much any shot you'll want to take. I also own a fixed 50mm which really taught me to use myself to frame the shot and not the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I also own a fixed 50mm which really taught me own to use myself to frame the shot and not the lens. Excellent point! If you own a Canon, you should own this lens: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camer...2453&sr=8-1 (and if you want to go higher end -- the quality of this lens is fantastic - http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Standard-Mediu...2453&sr=8-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I have been wanting a Canon 40D for awhile and bought the lowest priced body only for around $609. That is a very fair price- it is around $1000 most other places. Well, that is the problem right there. It isn't a fair price at all and there is a reason why nobody else sells it at that price. Also, while the Canon 40D has its merits - it is not unreasonable to consider the new Rebel Xsi. It is a "lower" model, but it is newer and has some features not found in the 40D. I have the Canon 17-55 IS and I am happy with it. It isn't sealed, so if you plan to go to the beach a lot - you might want to look elsewhere. You can read until you are blue in the face about lens quality, but that is like reading about audio equipment. Most people are full of sh-- and a lot of great shots can be taken with a lot of different setups. The best thing to do w/ any lens is to download some sample images and ask yourself if you would be happy with that shot. Most of the times you would say yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Got an XSi, boss? I'm thinking about one, although I'll (hopefully) be spending most of my time writing, not shooting. Almost got the XTi last year -- in fact, I think it's still on my Amazon wish list. The XSi sounds like a significant upgrade, and our staff photog is considering the same rig. (Think she has an older 20D now? I could be wrong about that, though.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I bought the XTi last November, here's some shots I took the very first week I had it at the Bills vs. Pats* game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I bought the XTi last November, here's some shots I took the very first week I had it at the Bills vs. Pats* game. Some nice shots there. Damn, that was a chilly night. (Thanks again for letting me use your other ticket -- I owe you one.) My brother told me he was talking to Canon tech support, and they told him that the XTi doesn't have Live View? Not sure I could dig that, since the viewfinder is smaller than the 35mm SLRs we have ... Think I need to look at them side-by-side before I make a decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Bills fan Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Photography equipment is very expensive down here in the land of the Kiwi. That being said... I do ALL of my purchasing through B&H photo out of NYC. They have great deals and exceptional customer service. Also... be wary of anyone claiming that there are better lenses than "L-series" lenses. There are nice lenses out there, but for the most part, L lenses are the way to go. The build quality is bombproof. Buy the best lenses that you can afford. They can last you a lifetime. Also... do your research. There's heaps of different photography websites with many many people who are very passionate about this stuff very willing to share their advice. My stuff... Canon 30d Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L with Image Stabilization Canon 1.4x extender Canon 580ex II Speedlite and way too much other crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 My brother told me he was talking to Canon tech support, and they told him that the XTi doesn't have Live View? Not sure I could dig that, since the viewfinder is smaller than the 35mm SLRs we have ... That is correct, there is no live view on the XTi. I prefer using a viewfinder anyways, on any camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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