I found 42nd Street through a photography website and it was the lowest price for the product I wanted. I was able to get the camera itself (with lens, not just the body), with accessory kit, AND a 3 year warranty (upgraded to 5 years gratis with promo), for the same price just the camera + shipping was elsewhere. It wasn't til I found their Yelp page that I began to wonder if the deal was too good to be true. Luckily, I didn't get the bait-and-switch Marcin did, but my order took over a week to process and ship. They wouldn't mail my order til they were able to make contact with me (by email) to call them to "finalize"- which is code for pushing various upsells on the lenses, accessories, and warranty. I'm not a fan of that practice and irritated that the delay caused my product to arrive later than expected, AFTER my vacation. Bonus points for free shipping with tracking and signature on delivery, for security. Product itself is as expected, no issues so far. Will be activating warranty and will update here if I have to use it. I'll keep this business in mind for price checking future purchases (not everything is a steal of a deal), but the service leaves something to be desired. read more

378 5th Photo Corp - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - New York, New York

42photo.com is their current name and website. DON'T BUY ANTHING FROM THEM ONLINE. They're still doing the old bait and switch. I tried to buy a Canon EF 24-70mm II f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens (82mm) for $1599, which was $75 lower than any other price I could find on legitimate websites. I knew it was gray market but it didn't bother me - almost all my Canon gear is gray market and I've never had a single problem. I'd paid them using Paypal and waited for them to ship it. They started calling me immediately to run their scam on me but I refused to talk to them. I told them to email me with any questions they had. They never did, but kept called me instead. After a number of days had passed, I told them they had to ship the product to me by the following day or I would cancel the order. They cancelled the order and never responded. I learned my lesson. read more

I'm a former New Yorker, and although there are many things I miss about the city - the Strand bookstore, the East Village, a good knish - there are a few things I definitely don't miss, too: Cockroaches, subway rats, and bait-and-switch electronics dealers in midtown. I haven't yet found a way to get the knishes I like shipped, but unfortunately, I did discover the online version of the bait-and-switch, and they will happily bring their deceptive hustle right to your home, wherever it may be. For those of you who don't have time to read, I'll channel another former New Yorker and cut to the chase: "Scammers. Sad!" I was searching for a Canon L-Series 24-105 lens with Image Stabilization. The going price is around $1100 for the lens, unless you are willing to risk grey market merchandise, which will save you about $300. I'm not. I like warranties. After some searching, I discovered the lens on the 42nd Street Photo website (apparently they've changed their name, which tells you a lot by itself), for $749, with no indication it was grey market, so I ordered it, along with a top-quality protective filter from B&W, a well-known brand. I placed the order on a Saturday, and on Monday morning, got a call. Was I aware it had no warranty because it was the international version? The website can be confusing, says the guy. I request the warrantied version, which is still at a modest savings. Then he informs me the filter I ordered "won't work" on the lens, and after some song and dance, I agree to $350 of filters that he insists are "top of the line." My $800 purchase is now $1350, and it takes me less that five minutes to discover that the filters he is selling me are nothing more than Chinese plastic. No thank you. I call back, but he doesn't pick up his direct line. I leave a message, call back several times, no answer, call the front desk, am transferred to other people, no one else can access the sales order except him, etc, etc. The order ships out that evening, with no return phone call at any time. Also no signature on delivery, which I had specifically requested. Also, it arrived the Monday after the weekend I specifically said I needed it, after being promised it would arrive by Friday. When the package showed up, I called 42nd Street Photo, was able to connect with the salesperson, and was told that my reason for wanting to return it (I tried to cancel before it shipped, I had changed my mind) "wasn't good enough" and refused to provide me a return authorization - in spite of their 10-day no-restock-fee policy for internet orders - and I could only return it by paying the restock fee, a hefty 20% of the sales price. I stated I was working through my credit card to dispute the charge, and would be returning the merchandise regardless, and was then informed they would refuse the package if I attempted to do so. Then again, he also said he would no longer deal with me since I was requesting to be refunded through my credit card, and called me back three times. I can imagine how frustrated he was at not being able to reach me. I seem to recall a similar experience I had recently. Fortunately for me, the customer service at Chase, my bank, is superior, and they were happy to initiate a chargeback on my behalf. Every story has a moral, and this one has several: 1) If it seems too good to be true, it is. 2) Only shop online using a credit card backed by great customer service. 3) Buy local, where you can. Unless you live in midtown Manhattan, and need a Canon L-series lens. read more

No problems here! 42nd Street Photo had the best internet price for a flash unit that I wanted. I placed the order on-line and two days later received a call to "confirm" the order. I felt that was a little odd - so I checked out the online reviews. To be honest, I kind of freaked out when I saw all these tales of high-pressure sales and tactics (and 425 filtered reviews??). My confirmation rep "Adam" and I played phone tag for about a day - but when we finally spoke he just confirmed the shipping address and asked if I had batteries (I knew it took AAs so I said yes). Much to my relief - no up sell or hard sell. Got the flash about a week later - brand new, Canon USA. Absolutely no complaints. read more

Rented a long zoom lens. The process was seamless, it arrived on time and came with a return label. Price was good and it could not have been simpler. read more

Friday October 26, 2018 Purchased: Fujifilm Instax 210 Instant Film Camera 1 : $89.99 Phone representative confirmed the product was not in stores & would ship on Monday. Monday October 29, 2018 Received this email: "Thank you for placing your order with 42Photo.com, order _ _ _ _ _ _. We are sorry to inform you that the item you have ordered has been oversold. We are in the process of purchasing more of this item from our vendor and this may take up to 4-6 weeks to be fulfilled. Monday February 4, 2019 No follow-up, No Update, No returned emails. Called their toll free number: 1-888-810-4242 The number rings continuously for 10minutes before a rude customer service representative answers the phone. "I have no idea when/if they plan on re-ordering this product." "A manager will call you back within a half-hour." I am now waiting to hear back from a manager. 10:12am. 4:26PM UPDATE: At the same time of the phone call I had also submitted a complaint to their website. Which prompted an email, and led to a call-back from a sales representative. Jonathan from sales was polite and courteous, offering to purchase an eBay equivalent to ensure customer satisfaction. I declined to accept their apology, and the offer to purchase the camera from Ebay. I raised my review from 1 to 2, because this sales representative did all that, someone in their position could offer. Acknowledged fault, researched a suitable replacement, and offered to right a wrong. Unfortunately, it is far too little and far too late. read more

******************************** UPDATE ********************************************** Well, I did NOT receive a replacement lens or a refund from 42photo. ended up having to create a dispute through PayPal resolution center. Once I made the dispute I got a call from 42photo and they said they would like to resolve this issue and send me a replacement lens. the catch is that I would have had to close the dispute with PayPal first because their "system wouldnt allow them to ship a product if its in a dispute". I called up PayPal to find out my options and they told me that I should have never been asked to close a dispute until I had a refund or the item in my hands. I then called 42 photo again and let them know I didnt feel comfortable closing the claim to which they replied there is nothing they can do. My best guess is that I would have never seen a replacement if I had closed the dispute. and I would be SOL. Luckily I did go through PayPal and they were able to give me a full refund. Thank You PayPal! ********************************************************************************************************************* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUYER BEWARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ordered a Tamron 24-70 f2.8 usd from this place. Worst decision I have ever made! Crooks and Scammers! Do not buy from 42nd street photo unless you want to be ripped of and sent defective equipment. I paid for next day shipping and didnt receive my lens till days later ( because like many others reviewing this place) they had to call and up sale me. I should have just cancelled my order at that time especially when he said that the ND filter "I Needed" for this "Focus Lens" was for indoor shooting. but unfortunately after refusing the filters, I till went ahead with the purchase. when I finally did receive the lens it was a whole 5 min before I noticed that the front element had fungus underneath it on the inside of the lens. I immediately called them and got no answer. I left a voicemail and also went online to their site to send an email of the issue including a photo of issue. I had no response from them so I called back late the next day and finally got ahold of the salesman who had tried to up sale me a few days prior. (Robert, who turns out to be a manager) After explaining the issue to him, his response was " well thats never happened before, hold on let me check" after a few minutes on hold he comes back on the line and tells me that "the shipping department said that it might be because its cold in NY and hot in CA". Really??!! First of all, fungus takes a while to form on a lens, more then the shipping time to get to me. Second of all I really dont care if its happened before or not. Its happening now, and I just wanted to know where I needed to ship it to get it exchanged as some businesses have a separate returns department. I finally got the info, I shipped it back. A few days after the tracking number verified the delivery of my return and still not hearing back about the replacement I was supposed to be getting, I called them to find out what was going on. I ended up getting (Robert) again who was still as rude as ever and very combatant telling me that his technician looked at the lens and there was nothing wrong with it. ( basically called me a liar) but couldnt tell me what else it could be and kept telling me " I asked you if you could just wipe it off" kinda hard to wipe off the inside of a lens there turbo. Plus if I could just wipe off whatever it was, why would I waste my own time and send back a perfectly good lens?.... I got nothing better to do then waste my own time and money on this BS? I have photo evidence that there is in fact fungus under the lens and included it in the box with the return. yet he still insisted there was nothing else and they had shipped the replacement already but he could not give me a tracking number. I told him I was through dealing with the BS and asked him to cancel the shipment and give me a full refund. at this time he said " The lens has been shipped and it would be there late next week, I dont know why we are still on the phone" GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE ROBERT!!! ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME??!! I asked to speak directly with the owner and he said he was not there, so I asked for a number to reach him at and he said he didnt have that info and I can try using the website to get the number. well I am hoping that the Owner sees this and deals with Robert accordingly, though judging by the other reviews I seriously doubt it. so now I guess I play the waiting game and see if they will actually send me the replacement lens. I will update as necessary with any other contact I receive from 42photo BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!! And for those of you who say that some people just want to complain, imagine yourself spending nearly $1000 on a lens and going through all this. read more

378 5th Photo Corp - fungus infested lens sent to me by 42nd street photo. which they are still denying that this is fungus. you be the judge - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - New York, New York

Thanks Ralph amazing customer service and extremely knowledgeable. I am from Philly however I live in Arizona now. I first started my search looking for used Canon 1dx Mark ii and was out of of luck until I stumbled on this site. It was around 3am so I called on the morning. Ralph was extremely polite and nice to me when answering the phone. He explained to they didn't have any used however they had the international version and USA version. He said it would be $4000 for international and $5,350. I was shocked because everywhere else was 6k and $5,500. I asked him was the camera brand new and he said yea brand new in the box nothing is wrong we just sell our cameras at that price. I later said that I would call back in 2 days to pay. He said ok sir. Still polite. I called back and he was still polite and I made the payment for my new camera. He said he would ups it fast for me and that I would get it on the following Wednesday. I then said thanks and still could not believe how low the price is. I then went on to the yelp page and saw all these bad reviews and was scared and shocked because the treatment others received and wrote on yelp was not my experience. I tried to cLl him back but received no answer. I was worried I then called back 30 mins later and once on the phone I received an email that UPS package will be delivered by Wednesday. I'm going to assume Ralph being a good business man that he went to UPS to send the camera. I'm writing this review in hopes that people wrote good reviews when they have good expenses write bad reviews for bad experiences and take both sides arguments and make your own. I then called him because I was worried about maybe getting a second hand camera or bad service or maybe I got scammed. He assured me that everything was legit still respectful and nice. Thanks again Ralph appreciate your business and I should have got a CFast card. read more

See all

I bought a camera through their website. The price was much cheaper than others, the camera is great, and it was shipped very quickly. The salesman called to recommend I purchase another memory card after my purchase. I found that a little irritating, but it wouldn't stop me from buying from them again as long as they had a great price. read more

First and foremost, do not buy anything from this piece of crap store. I only went here because it was the weekend and both B&H and adorama were closed. Save yourself the time and headache and just purchase from adorama/B&H when they are open. I was initially attracted by the cheap prices online for a NEW Canon EOS 6d and thought that if I can go to the store, I would get it for that cheap price. The condition for the 6d was characterized as new and comes with original packaging, etc. I go to the store with the intention to purchase the canon 6d for $1050, the guy brings out a OPEN BOX canon EOS 6d with kit lens set with no lens just the body. He told me that the advertisement that I saw online for 1050 was just for a display model that it doesn't come with batteries, chargers, etc. He told me that he can not do 1050 while he brought out his raggedy receipt pad and wrote down 1399-100=1299. He said he will give me a 100 dollar discount if I bought the camera on the spot. This store is a complete scam, they keep saying that "we are trusted for 50 years" while they talk down on you for not knowing about cameras and not knowing a deal when you see one. I just walked out of the store after my annoyance with the douche bag of a dealer. Seriously, I hate this store with a passion. Look at the front of the store, it looks like a tourist gift shop trap DO NOT BUY FROM HERE, I honestly believe that most of the 5 star ratings are made by them read more

378 5th Photo Corp - THIS DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A CAMERA STORE WHAT SO EVER. - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - New York, New York

I recently purchased a new camera from 42nd Street photo, and I will say - they are 100% committed to service and customer satisfaction. To be transparent, my initial experience was a little less than ideal.... I felt an on-line promotion/price was a bit misleading and confusing, and I ended up paying more than I thought I should have, (It was still a good deal, but just not as good as what I had expected). I wasn't pleased, and my wife wrote about our dissatisfaction on YELP. That's where this story goes 100% in the RIGHT direction. I received a call from their general manager, Gary H. Not only was he pleasant to speak with, he acknowledged that the on-line promotion was confusing and had been corrected. (How about that? A business admitting to an error on their part????). He then took time to learn about my photography equipment, and is sending me something to thank me for my business, and my understanding. Well done... I was pleased enough with our conversation, but he truly went "above and beyond" with this gesture. Here's the thing: I believe every business will make mistakes now and then. No one/no business is perfect. But, how a business handles a mistakesays a lot about the business and its people - whether or not they truly care about their customers. In this instance, 42nd Street photo really impressed me with their concern for me as a customer - enough to motivate me to write this review. And, they have definitely earned future business from me. read more

They reached out to me with the expectation of a positive review. Wow they did not offer me monetary compensation directory, they suggested that I should write a positive review and forward that to them in exchange for SD drives. They followed up via email and phone as well to facilitate the process. They did not directly suggest what I need to write, but rather what I should write. Their email is at the end of the review. I was not happy with my purchase of a camera there becuase of the bait and switch strategy they are known for. The added stuff they suggested I buy - batteries and tripod - are useless. The covers were crappy. The lens cleaning supplies were overpriced and useless. But, the price of the camera, Fuji Xpro 1, I bought was competitive. I was not entirely happy with my original order, but their persistence to publish a positive review was disturbing, off-putting, and beyond annoying.... they probably called me ten times: morning, afternoon and night. I blocked their number..... I would recommend that you avoid this store. Pay more and get what you need,and not want they want to push on you, from B&H or Adorama. read more

378 5th Photo Corp - Verification - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Online Scam Tried to buy the D850 for a "too good to be true" price... it was. Got a phone call, they do not have the body only in stock, BUT if I wanted to buy a bundle with the D850 they would be happy to take more of my money. Feels like a scam. A few hours after the call I checked the web site and it still says (body only) "In Stock Ships Within 24-48 Hrs." read more

Purchased a canon power supply for my DSLR @ $139.99. A day later I received a call they didn't have the canon in stock but they had an authorized canon replacement do I want that? I said sure. What I got was a cheap chinese knockoff. I looked up the model and found out that at most they sell for $30.00 and I was charged $139.99. I sent an email requesting a rebate of $100 since I paid full price for a canon power supply and not a knockoff. I received a call and was told they would give me a $15.00 store credit. I told the gentleman on the phone that what they sold me was not worth full price. He said that's the best he could do! I told him I would return it then at that moment he said let me talk to the manager and see if he can get me a better deal. I told him I don't want store credit I want the money refunded to my credit card. He put me on hold to "speak to the manager". He came back with another offer of $40.00 refunded to my card. If you buy something from this company and they call you and say its not in stock but they have an authorized replacement, cancel the order!! read more

378 5th Photo Corp - Cheap Chinese knock off. I was charged full price for this non Canon authorized charger! Can you say bait and switch! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - New York, New York

Nasty little company. Go anywhere but here. Sold me a defective product, were of no help. Told me to contact the manufacturer. Here's the dig, the product they sold may actually be counterfeit. When I couldn't get it working, I looked at it more closely, it has no brand name. RUN! Buy from somewhere else! read more

I came in here looking for a lens for my Nikon 5100. The store looks a bit dated and can use some touch ups, but I am not looking for aesthetics in a camera shop. I asked about a couple of lenses and the salesman was very helpful and seemed knowledgeable about photography. The price was right and bought the lens (85 18).All in all, my experience was really good. read more

378 5th Photo Corp - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - New York, New York

I've been a avid amateur photographer for many years. When it was time to buy my sigma 50mm-500mm lens for my canon camera I turned to 42nd street photo. Not only do they have great prices but excellent customer service. I was able to call and get questions about my purchase answered. My lens was shipped quickly and have been shooting incredible shots of the moon and our National Parks ever since. THANKS read more

378 5th Photo Corp - Abe Lincoln up close at Mt. Rushmore - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - New York, New York

When you find a good deal online from 42nd St. Photo, they will call you on the phone one or two days after you complete their web checkout. In my case, the Sony camera on the website was steeply discounted without a hint of what they told me on the phone. They told me that this was a European model and that (1) the charging system would not work in the USA, (2) the video system would not work in the USA, and (3) the GPS system would not work in the USA. I don't really believe that a European version of the camera does not function exactly the same as the USA version, but who wants to deal with somebody that bases their business model on a bait and switch philosophy? I canceled my order. read more

Terrible experience with this less than reputable retailer. Ordered a Tamron 18-400mm lens on 3/31/22. Advertised price was $599, and that was the only lens choice available for that make and model on their site. Shortly thereafter received a telephone call from a store rep who used bait and switch technique to increase the price. Said that I had ordered "International" version of this lens and that it had plastic mount (which is untrue) and that it had NO warranty (which is also untrue since they all carry 6 year limited warranty for new lens). Since I had no time to research I reluctantly agreed to what appears to be out and out lies regarding their product and price. They added an in-store extended warranty to the product and increased the price to $699! Also indicated they would send revised customer order prior to shipping, which was never received. Plus, they asked if I would desire customer signature required for UPS delivery, which I did, but that was never on the shipping order and the lens was left on the front porch. I tried several times to reach them via email with no response, attempting to cancel order prior to shipping. They went ahead and shipped anyway and I received the lens on 4/3/22. Box has NOT been opened since it is a birthday gift for household member, so unsure of condition of lens or what was included in box. Reached back out after receipt to request return and was provided a return authorization but that carried a 20% restocking fee which would ultimately negate any original savings. Due to the poor customer service and less than transparent sales tactic I was just seeking to have the extended warranty charge removed and let the matter go, even though I will never purchase from them again and strongly recommend others heed this warning! They have not responded to my requests. read more

42nd. Street Photo, who have changed their name, bought a lens from me over 3 years ago and I never received any money! The lens was $509.00, the filter was $64.95 and I also sold them a light ring that cost me $25.00. I WAS offered a payment through paypal but I refused because I was hacked by paypal. I have called and have been put on hold or hung up on and I have written two letters, one July 2020 the other July 2021. I have heard NOTHING from them. They owe me close to $300.00! Don't sell anything to them, and I wouldn't even buy from them now because of poor business practice. This is not the way you keep customers. Stay away from this store/company!! read more

**Taken Advantage of as a Tourist** ***Grey Market Camera Purchased Here*** I bought a Fujifilm X100T here while in the area and come to find out upon calling Fujifilm directly, the warranty is only valid for Australia. Authentic camera from Fujifilm, no warranty in the states. My fiancee also purchased a memory card with the camera here and we later found out it was for over $100 USD for a "no-name" memory card. After several attempts to call them to see about a return, I have yet to talk to a real person. Upon looking in the bag, we also never received a receipt for the camera so I can't even purchase a Squaretrade warranty. Shameful business practices. read more

This place is not legit at all. Do not spend money with them. Was looking into buying a grey market Canon 1D-C from them. Before I sent them $11K I went by the shop to see if they are legit. The best camera I could see in the store was a opened Canon 7D! They Could not produce a Canon 1D-C to show me they had them. Not even in the box. At one point he said it was, "Around the corner in the warehouse." When I asked to see one, even in the box he just said, you have to buy it online. Hmmm... I was completely polite the entire conversation and for some reason he got angry and asked me to leave. So basically what I said above plus, DONT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH 42ND STREET PHOTO RIPOFF. They did not where name tags but the man I spoke to was in his 40's, caucasian and had complete white hair. .................... IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNERS COMMENT BELOW: Going out of my way and spending time on my short visit to NYC from San Diego to visit your storefront to see if you had the Canon 1D-C was not all a plan to write you a bad review. Blows my mind a representative from your company would even write this. Wow. People, take note of that to they people you might deal with if you choose to buy something with 42nd Street Photo. I wrote this bad review due to the bad service I received in person. Not to mention on the phone as well. Also, I absolutely did not raise my voice and your claim that I did stands a testament to your history of bad reviews from customer service. What you sales staff tried to explain twice was that they wouldn't open a 1D-C when I never asked them to open one and said twice, "You don't need to open one I just want to see that you have one even in the box." I know as a fact that a store has to be a Canon Video sales member to sell or get Cinema EOS gear in there store. From the looks of there store I do not believe they are as a said above the best Canon camera I could see was a 7D. No Cinema EOS products in sight whatsoever. .................... IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNERS COMMENT THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO MY RESPONSE (HA) BELOW: In your companies case. With your track record, and the shape of that store front, how your sales person treated me, and your own response here, I don't think thats a strange question. You do not sell any Canon Cinema EOS Cameras. If you did, why would it have been a issue to show me one. Don't even give me that it's down in our internet sales warehouse business. FIN read more

You're kidding, right? I called the 888 number to get information. I asked if this store was one of those with the guys on 5th Ave that pull you in and try to get you to buy--like a tourist place. The guy who answered the phone said "no" and then asked, "What can I do for you?" I told him I wanted to buy an Olympus digital camera and I was debating between 42nd Photo and Willoughby's. He said, "Have a good day" and HUNG UP ON ME! Wow! Willoughby's here I come! read more

I've bought from 42nd Street in the past via the web. Unfortunately, this year I made a phone order and got jacked into buying a warranty by a shady salesperson. The salesperson (Jack) specifically told me the camera only came with a 30 day warranty. He absolutely pressed me to buy an extra warranty. In fact, I had made the purchase and they called me back and pressed me into the warranty. When I received the camera yesterday, I called Cannon and they told me they offer a 1-year warranty on every camera they sell int he US. When I called 42nd Street photo to get a refund on the unnecessary warranty, Jack not only told me he had done me a great favor, he had the nerve to tell me I should be thanking him. I spoke to his manager, who was only slightly better - and told me I could return the entire kit to get, less 20% restocking, to get the refund on the warranty. In the end, he waived the restocking fee and I decided to return the camera rather than exchange because I don't them to have any of my money. These people are crooks. Avoid, avoid. I'm happily buying local now, and even though I'm paying a little more for the camera, I'm not getting railroaded into buying something I don't need - or being told I should thank them for ripping me off. read more

Received a call regarding my online order for a Camcorder stating that I "needed" an extra charger because a battery charger wasnt included--an outright lie. In my early morning fog I accepted the extra charge and then thought it would be abnormal for the manufacturer to not include any method of charging for such a device. I researched the actual product (I ordered originally for one of my users who simply sent me a direct link to order) and found no indication that it was missing a charger. I called a 2nd time and spoke to a Robert to make sure this was actually needed. He stated that the battery shouldnt be charged in the camcorder. I hung up again, confused, and researched a bit more Called again to have it removed and it was already "on the belt". It seems like they hold online orders just to do this phone pitch and then immediately place the actual order. This whole 3 call ordeal took under 10 minutes and my order is suddenly processed after this extra charger was added to the order. I just pray that the "10 day" return policy is painless. If I fail to get a satisfactory resolution (i.e. full refund) I will unleashing a fusillade on them since this is a company order. Gah, i should have checked out the yelp reviews. What a world we live in that we need to thoroughly vet storefronts. Update Feb 26: Looks like they were able to get it "off the belt" and cancelled my order as requested. I was more than prepared to preemptively refuse the shipment, get a chargeback if needed, and had already notified our book keeper about the problem. read more

DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING FROM THIS COMPANY ON LINE! I tried to order a $251 camera from them. Six days after I placed my order, I received an e-mail telling me that I needed to call them to give them additional information. When I called them, the guy on the phone tried to get me to buy a battery for $69 and a memory card for $70 (neither of which I wanted or asked for). They really do this "sleazy saleman" number on you. Anyway, I told him to just cancel my entire order, and I bought my camera somewhere else. This company totally tries to upsell you things you do not need. It's a shady operation to say the least. read more

**** ZERO STARS FOR THAT PLACE **** **** NEVER GO THERE **** except if you like to be insulted by the guy at the counter, never even think about buying there. what an experience : we went to that place because, well, it's saturday, B&H is close. We want to see a $1500 camera which we were told is in stock, and we can't have a look at unless we buy it. So I expressed my disappointment, and in less than a minute total, the guy at the counter just INSULTED me. I hope that business will just crash, it's such not a way to receive clients. PS: I'm editing the review again tonight because it does not appear on their page and with that awful experience there is no way I'll let it go. read more

Absolutely horrible experience here. Do NOT believe the Reseller Ratings website, those reviews are apparently bogus. (It says they have 9/10 points... then why is there Yelp 2-3 stars?) The experience I had here was that they sent me GREY market cameras, without US Warranty, and they would not accept any returns. Some of the cameras were missing parts, warranty cards, etc and they didn't care at all. Do NOT be tempted by their supposed low prices. You will regret your decision of doing business with these crooks. Just read the reviews here. This was the worst online transaction of my entire life. read more

Ordered a FujiFilm X-E2 camera for $899.95 yesterday via Internet. 42nd Street Photo website said manufacturer's U.S. warranty was included. The whole point was to save on a camera others were selling for $999.95 with U.S. warranty. Today, I received a call from 42nd Street Photo about my order. The entire purpose was an upsell - I was told they'd run out of cameras with the 1 year US warranty for $899.95, and all they had left were cameras with a 30-day store warranty. When I asked when the US-warrantied cameras would be in stock, I was told it would be 3-4 weeks. The caller offered me an-additional cost 'international warranty' (one year) for $99.99, and three years for $149.95. When I balked and said I wanted to cancel the order, he offered me the 3-year warranty for $99.99. It didn't smell right, so I ended up canceling the order anyway. ** Avoid these guys completely. They'll hook you with a teaser price, then bait-and-switch it higher to make money. ** If you must buy through a New York photo house, use B&H Photo or Adorama. I should have known better, since I've dealt with both of those reputable firms over many years. read more

Do yourself a favor and stick to the bigger electronic stores like B&H Photo, JandR and Adorama. I should have went with my gut when I first stepped into the store. My first impression was "buyer beware" but they were the only ones in NYC that had a particular lens I wanted in stock and I was leaving for a weekend vacation the next day. In short, I bought a $1k Canon lens from them that was supposedly US Market, but I honestly believe I got a grey market lens instead. For those who are unfamiliar with this term, it means I got a lens that isn't backed up by a Canon warranty. Other than that, they are the same identical lens. Usually grey market lenses are cheaper for that reason, but I paid the same price as I would for a US Canon lens. I was told that they only sold US market lenses. If that was so, why didn't my lens come with a warranty? The explanation they gave me was that the lens came from a kit and thus, no warranty. I find out later from other forums that what they said isn't true. They also tried to make me pay $1300 in cash, even though they take credit card and I insisted on putting it on my card. After convincing them that I could get a refurbished lens at a competitor store, they agreed to take my card to make the sale. Read other reviews on google and you'll see that they use scam tactics. I wish I had done that prior to my purchase. While I'm happy with my lens, I can't help from feeling that I've been had with the warranty issue and the price I paid for a lens that is clearly grey market. read more

This place is unethical. I ordered a Canon 70D and a 100mm Canon macro because their prices were $899 and $549 respectively on the internet. Order was placed, was approved and they sent a confirmation with the confirming order number. The next morning, they called me three times. I don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize but it was 42nd St. They called AGAIN three more times the next day. The order did NOT ship nor did I receive any email (which is written, of course, and not verbal) telling me why the order did not ship. I emailed them towards the end of the second day after they accepted my order. The email reply from Jonathan was my card was declined. I reluctantly called and Jonathan told me a similar story. I told them there was NO attempt to charge my card (verified with card company). He then changed his story to "they must have put a fraud hold on it." No, they had NOT even processed the charge. Jonathan told me to re-order it which I did. I then IMMEDIATELY called to verify since the order was once again accepted and then confirmed with a second order number. The man who answered said, "The order was cancelled because both the camera AND the lens were on major backorder." Their pricing was an enticement for you to place the order then it would appear they wanted to replace the items you ordered with something that cost more. Later, Jonathan emailed me stating, "The products are NOT on backorder but we will cancel your order," totally conflicting with the explanation that was given to me a few minutes later. Remember, neither order was charged to the card company. You figure it out. Never again. read more

42nd Steet Photo...Wow. Welcome to scumbag central. This place and others like it are the nucleus of all the prejudicial fears that rest of the country harbors toward New York vendors. If bait-and-switch tactics were illegal, this place would be given 100 life sentences. I am absolutely sure 90+% of the positive Yelp reviews are plants. I would literally feel safer buying a camera out of some dude's trunk. Here's exactly what you can expect from 42nd Street Photo: 1st: So you do your hours of due diligence online and find the best price on that new camera you want. 42nd Street Photo has that camera you want for 25% less than the next best price online. 2nd: You place the order. And then you expect some type of confirmation etc. via email. Nothing. You finally get an email two days later advising they "need more information to complete your order". 3rd: Then, you get a call from a scumbag asking nonsensical questions like "Do you want a signature confirmation?" "Do you want to buy a warranty?" Evidently their grey market garbage cameras only come with a 30-day warranty. You have to pay extra to get a legit warranty. Then they try to push every accessory on the planet down your throat. 4th: You then realize this is a bait-and-switch operation and you can obtain the same camera from a reputable vendor for the same cost as they want for the "warranty". 5th: You subsequently cancel the order and buy the camera from a legitimate vendor who has it at your door in two days, hassle free. 6th: You realize you just lost two days of your life dealing with this nonsense and are compelled to tell someone about so they won't have to deal with the same frustrations. Yelp is an adequate venting post. 42nd Street Photo is a bait-and-switch operation in its purest form. Thankfully, operations like this are becoming less and less prevalent thanks to Yelp and other public review systems. I ended up purchasing my camera from B&H photo which is a reputable operation with great prices. Adorama is great as well. Incidentally, both of these legitimate vendors are based in New York and they're working hard to dispel the scammer reputation brought on vendors such as 42nd Street Photo. Update: Despite canceling the order, they shipped the damn camera anyway. I tried calling the appropriate department to obtain an RMA number. Out of the four departments, the only one that picked up the phone was sales. Go figure. That rep couldn't issue an RMA number. He advised the original salesperson must issue the RMA. So he transferred me to that salesman's voicemail. I left a message. A day later I received an email with an RMA number saying I had 10 days to get it back to New York. I paid to have it returned with tracking to NYC. They refunded the money upon receipt and I ate the shipping cost. So this whole trip down scumbag lane cost me approximately 10.00 shipping. Do yourself a favor and don't take a trip down scumbag lane. 42nd Photo is a despicable operation. If you're still considering buying anything from 42nd, I would advise you to smash your head into a wall 42 times instead. It will be quicker and less painful than dealing with these clowns. read more

Completely agree with all the negative reviews. This company provided the worst customer service experience I've ever encountered. Bought a camera for a Christmas gift. Went with this place because the price was low. No email to say my order was processing. I got a call saying they needed to confirm my order several days later. The man explained that I had purchased an Asian model camera so it would not include English language, a manual, or a warranty. Asked if I wanted to get the us model. I said, "it sounds like I need it." There was an additional charge needed, bringing the camera up to the cost on other sites. I called back no more than 10 minutes later to cancel and was told it couldn't be cancelled. When I pressed the operator, I was told he would have to go to the dock to pull it and he wasn't going to do that. He then offered a free camera case and battery to "keep my business." I declined and that's when it got ugly. I asked where on the site it said the camera I ordered was a non us model. He told me it didn't say it anywhere but that I "should have done my research before purchasing the camera." He told me to try the camera and see if I liked it and call back if not for a return package. I called back and asked to speak with a manager. I was transferred to someone who never called me back. I called again later to try someone else and was placed on hold for 20 minutes before I hung up. I called back and got the original salesman who told me to stop calling (!!!!!) and that I had better not try to get out of paying by canceling the charge because it wouldn't work. I asked for the name of his manager. "I am the manager." Then I asked for a person above him. "There's no one above me." I asked if he owned the company. "No, but you aren't talking to anyone else about this so stop trying." The only positive? I immediately shipped the camera back for a full refund. Abysmal experience. I ended up getting the camera from a truly reputable company. I don't care how long this place has been in business. They need to try a bit of honesty and quality customer service. read more

This review is for my online purchase: This place had the best price for the Lumix FZ200 and for $11 extra, I got it shipped in 2 days...BUT.. when I called back to confirm my order, the guy on the other end try to upsell me on some UNCESSARY items, such as - extended battery..he said mine would only last 30min and that i would need a bigger battery to last longer..NO THANKS..what does 30min mean? on full running video? anyways...i charged the OEM battery that came with it and it shot over 100 photos even before to dropped from 3 to 2 bars. Also..he tried to scam me on paying $75 for a "high speed SD card"...he said my existing card on an older camera wouldn't work and that I would need THIS card and normally it's $90 but he'll sell it for $75 with my purchase..NO THANKS...all you need is a C10 or "class 10" card that wil run you $15-$20 at the most (ideally 16MB~32MB if you want to shoot videos). I rate the prices at least 4-5* which may be based on bait-n-switch when I read other reviews, but sneaky backend expensive UNECESSARY upgrades with false stories gives them a 2* so i'll meet in the middle and rate them 2.5*. That being said..my new Lumix FZ200 takes the BEST photos in any light above any other point-n-shoot camera...used it this past weekend in NYC/NJ for the superbowl..great low light / night shots w F2.8 aperature priority! read more

Bait and switch tactics leave you with a disgusted feeling. I searched online for a Canon 70-300 L series and got a quoted price of $1,099 instead of Amazon's $1,349. I ordered through their website and agreed to a $32 charge for 3-day shipping. The order was accepted online. The next day, a representative called me to tell me that the lens was a "European model with no Canon guarantee," and would I want to pay additional $200 for an American model. This information was NOT clear on the lens description page and I thought I was buying a standard factory lens. I told them that I would rather cancel the order. They claimed that they had already shipped the order. I do not believe this was true, as they could not provide a routing number at this time. I was told that they could "get it back" but they would charge an additional $42 to cancel the order, or I could pay the additional $200 and they would send me the American lens. Once I agreed to the additional $200, they provided a routing number. Note that when I searched for this lens on their website, there was only one option for the lens and it was not possible to choose between the lesser expensive "European" model or the $200 more "American" model. Under their "Why Buy From Us?" tab on the lens that I was looking at, it states: "Why pay more when you can get the same for less? Due to our large sales volume, we are able to pass our quantity buying prices on to you. When you purchase from us, you can rest assured that you are getting factory fresh merchandise with A Warranty at the lowest legitimate price." This is deceptive if the price quoted is actually for a gray market or European lens without a USA warranty. UPDATE: I posted this one-star review, and the store manager, Dave, called me up and wanted me to change my rating to 5 stars. He offered to bribe me with a "free $400 filter kit" if I would change the rating to 5 stars. Next day I receive the lens which has the normal Canon package, but after I called Canon I learned that it is actually a gray market lens. This is the lens that I paid $200 extra for it to be covered as an "American" lens. Dave called an additional two times in one day, again asking for me to change my rating to 5-stars. When I said I wasn't interested in the filter kit, he threatened to refer my Yelp review to their legal department. I checked with Canon corporate. 42nd street photo is NOT an authorized Canon dealer, and the lens they shipped to me (the $200 extra "American" one) does not carry the standard warranty card. I wish I had read other Yelp reviews that describe others who encountered similar practices. I will never buy from this company again and in my opinion they deserve this 1-star review. read more

I should have checked here on Yelp first. I should have wondered why their price was so much lower than everyone else's. I should have read anything at all on the internet about 42nd St. Photo's reputation. I should have asked my reputable friends...I should have taken five extra minutes to do my homework. Just as so many other reviewers say, they will place your order, call you to "verify shipping," try to upsell you (in my case, to an actual US-mount Canon lens like I thought I had ordered, because their web site doesn't mention the foreign/non-compatible nature of the lens mount), and then upon sufficient frustration on my part, reluctantly cancel the order. I immediately ordered the same item from B&H because I've worked with them in the past and know them to be reputable, and not a known seller of grey-market goods. Not recommended - it's a hassle to deal with 42nd St Photo and jump through their shady hoops. Lesson learned! When you type "42nd St Photo" into Google and the auto-complete feature adds the word "scams" at the end of that search phrase, you know you've probably found a problem! I don't like being hustled, and this outfit reeks of hustle and upsell and suspicious activity. Buy grey-market goods at your own risk! read more

Just found out that camera that they sold me over the Internet last Friday is a goddamned grey market unit, with NOTHING on their website indicating this whatosever. I found out because they called us yesterday, leaving a message at our home saying we need to 'call to confirm order details', and then when we did, not only had it not yet shipped, but they used that call as an obvious excuse to go on a sales fishing trip and upsell me on a warranty AND they'd already charged us on the day we ordered it without having shipped it. "What do you mean, it doesn't come with one?!?!?!? Is this a grey market unit?" "Yes, it's grey market" "But nothing on your website indicates that it is. Not one word." "Yeah, I know." I will NEVER by from these crooks again. Absolute bottom-feeder sideshow barkers. Scum I am a long time member of many online photography boards, from mu-43.com to Fred Miranda and Luminous Landscapes, and I'm making sure everyone there does zero business with them. read more

I was interested in purchasing a high-end Canon DSLR and 42nd St Photo had advertised a price that was about 10% below market so I placed my order online. Like Grampa used to say, too good to be true usually isn't. Two days later I got a voice mail that I must first "confirm" the order. I knew at that moment I had made a mistake. Does Amazon or BH Photo make you speak with a salesman before they place your online order? (Never!) When they called back it was a high pressure up-sell and after arguing with the sales rep for several minutes it became evident they were not going to sell me the camera at their advertised price so I cancelled (also to much argument). They told me that the camera I had ordered came with no warranty and was not eligible for firmware updates (even though the ad stated that it was new with US warranty). It was evident that this business could not be trusted. There are two kinds of business out there, those that try to build a relationship with their customers by establishing that most critical factor, trust, and those that prey on the unsuspecting with what they know will be a one-time hit. 42nd Street Photo is definitely of the latter ilk. My advice is to avoid this outfit as it is very likely you will not be pleased with the outcome. read more

This is the kind of place that makes tourists hate New York. My elderly grandfather bought a camera here, and the sales associate upsold him a $250 32gb SD card (yes, you read correctly) and didn't list it on the itemized receipt. So I get it, my grandpa made a mistake -- but these folks refuse to exchange it for anything else in the store. When my grandfather came in, Jake the sales rep told him that he got such a great deal on the camera that Jake wouldn't exchange the card for anything. I came in this Saturday afternoon and the other sales associated refused to help me out because the purchase was done with Jake. Told me to come back another day, and refused to let me talk to a manager. Worst part? The camera was on sale at B&H and we could've gotten a better deal on an American-market camera than on this grey-marked camera. Long story short: a really scammy store, receipts not itemized to show all items purchased, take advantage of older folks. I wish I had more recourse at this place than writing a bad review on Yelp. (Just kidding, I already have -- I walked past a well-heeled couple on their way in and told them to avoid wasting their time and money here. Glad they listened to me.) Edit: I suggest you scroll all the way to the bottom and read the filtered reviews. There are so many more of those and the preponderance of them are negative. Do yourself a favor! read more

Wow!! 42nd Street Photo has done it again. The lowest price for a new Nikon camera. Cheaper than Amazon, and I purchased from a real camera store and not some big box impersonal 1,000,000 square foot warehouse where no one knows your name. I would like to thank the shipping staff and customer service staff, they went above and beyond in getting my package on time to my home in Virginia. They are extremely knowledgeable in all aspects. Thank you 42nd Street Photo in making my year. Happy Holidays. read more