Bryan Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 It being a miserable wet day I agreed to go to the town to do some shopping. I had the thought of taking a look at the Sony A7 to see whether or not I would enjoy handling the camera. It's really beyond my photographic earning capacity, but I am borderline persuadable. So to the the city of Newcastle, which no longer boasts a dedicated camera shop, but there is a Sony store and it had cameras. In I went and, not seeing an A7 on display, asked the assistant if he had one. He looked blank. I explained that it was a compact system camera with a full frame sensor. Even more blank looks. However he rather reluctantly consulted his computer and then tried to persuade me that it didn't exist, clearly a figment of my imagination. I guess that this shop makes its money selling TVs and other Sony products, but it really doesn't help Sony's cause when their staff don't know the products and maybe consider photography a second string activity, or even, in this guy's case, a bit of a nuisance. I progressed to Fenwicks department store which does sell cameras including those made by Sony. The lad there was much more helpful, he looked interested and immediately knew what I was taking about, but he said that the only place he knew in the north east with the camera was Jessops in the out of town Metro Centre. I don't do out of town shopping centres....... Sony, you need to get your act together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Sounds frustrating, Bryan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inchiquin Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 There don't seem to be very many high street camera stores left these days. Partly thanks to the likes of Sony and others, I guess, because recently I went looking for a NEX6 and my local dealer said that Sony won't deal with small independents unless they have a huge budget to spend on stock. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Jordan Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I didn't know we had a Jessops in the Metro Centre! So I do have a camera shop within 50 miles after all.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Thanks for the video Ed, interesting! Peter, isn't Charles Eagles your closest store, with branches in Durham and Sunderland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 It's not just Newcastle, Bryan, the Sony stores here in Vancouver are dreadful. The people who work in them usually know next to nothing about the cameras they are selling. All they are there for is to try to up-sell you. When I'm in the market for anything Sony, I do my own research online beforehand and then look around for the best price. Sony stores are basically useless for photographers, unless of course they have a good sale going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Watkins Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 I didn't know we had a Jessops in the Metro Centre! So I do have a camera shop within 50 miles after all.... Depends where you are in Cleveland but is York within your 50 mile radius? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Watkins Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Back on topic, Sony cameras are great; it's just a pity that it's Sony that makes them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 I pretend they're Minoltas. Which I never owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Back on topic, Sony cameras are great; it's just a pity that it's Sony that makes them. Ain't that the truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Gaul Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 The guy in Fenwick was right about the Metro Centre Jessops having one, John Lewis also has a half decent camera department in Newcastle for a department store. I had a look at the A7 while looking for the A6000, which they didn't have, and the handling did not suit me possibly due to being used to Canon cameras. Strangely Jessops did not have any Sigma lenses, am thinking of complementing the compact kit lens of the A6000 with Sigma 19 and 30 and possibly a metabones adaptor to use existing lenses, only Tamron. If you could go an extra couple of miles there is a decent dedicated camera shop beside the County pub at Gosforth whose name currently escapes me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 . Strangely Jessops did not have any Sigma lenses, am thinking of complementing the compact kit lens of the A6000 with Sigma 19 and 30 and possibly a metabones adaptor to use existing lenses, only Tamron. If you could go an extra couple of miles there is a decent dedicated camera shop beside the County pub at Gosforth whose name currently escapes me. Yes there is a little shop in Gosforth, I popped in there last year looking for a lens cap. Not sure if he sells Sony though. I have bought cheapo adapters from Ebay and they work fine with Pentax, Olympus, Canon FD and M42 lenses, although only the Pentax adapter gives correct correspondence with the distance scale. Maybe you are thinking of using Canon auto focus? I did consider mounting my Canon 24-105 F4 on the Nex 6, but it defeats the purpose of having such a small light camera. Charles Eagles in Sunderland stocks Sigma, you might try there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Gaul Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Thanks for that Bryan. I drove past the Gosforth shop today, D & P Photographic, but did not have time to stop.Have bought a Sigma lens there a couple of years ago. If I have time will check out the Sony status later in the week. Apparently the metabones adaptors work well fitting other brands lenses to Sonys, the only drawback apart from price being slow autofocus. I will still have Canons for anything concerning action but could often do with a greater native file size for other things and if the A6000 could be used as dual purpose, large file size when required and pocketable quality, it may fullfill my needs. Good luck with the A7 search, you could also try Currys Digital, will let you know if D&P stock them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I was gripping about NYC a while ago, but now I'm thinking that we have both B&H Photo and Adorama here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I was gripping about NYC a while ago, but now I'm thinking that we have both B&H Photo and Adorama here. Yes, you're lucky. I've always been pleased with B&H. Good prices and good service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Morgan Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I was gripping about NYC a while ago, but now I'm thinking that we have both B&H Photo and Adorama here. My son is in New York today and B&H is number one on his list. Jill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 I was gripping about NYC a while ago, but now I'm thinking that we have both B&H Photo and Adorama here. My son is in New York today and B&H is number one on his list. Jill Coincidentally our elder son is moving to New York later in the year, so I might just get a chance to see these famed emporia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Gaul Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Just an update on the Gosforth shop Bryan; unfortunately devoid of Sony. Fuji and Nikon are well catered for but not Canon, Sony or Sigma. If I venture south will hunt out the Sunderland shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan_Andison Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 It was a few weeks back but Jessop's in the Metrocentre had the Sony A7 on display. I was having a bit play around with it. They're really helpful lads in that store and I'm lucky they are only five minutes drive away from where I live. In fact, apart from the X-T1, every camera I have bought has been from the metrocentre branch. I also like their system of ordering online and having it delivered to the shop, if it isn't already there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dyn Llun Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 I was gripping about NYC a while ago, but now I'm thinking that we have both B&H Photo and Adorama here. My son is in New York today and B&H is number one on his list. Jill Coincidentally our elder son is moving to New York later in the year, so I might just get a chance to see these famed emporia B&H always fantastic. Every time I go I'm recognised and get a "how's things in Wales?" Maybe I spend too much! Sadly the Cheyenne Diner opposite has gone. I used to recover in there after spending too much in B&H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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