p.8 #1 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
T-O Shooter wrote:
... you'll have to do more than have good prices and a return policy that's great for someone who wants to "borrow" your merchandise on a 30 day return period, but ends up on the downside in returns possibly being sold as new, unless I'm not to believe every fellow that makes such claims.
Buying from, and returning to B&H is functionally the same as your local dealer pulling the new item out and letting you try it on your camera while you remain in proximity to the store. It goes back in the box after the customer is done looking at it, and is not a used item. To believe that one is going to get...or even deserves... a hermetically sealed sample with Japanese air still in the box is pathetic.
Feb 15, 2018 at 09:37 PM
T-O Shooter Offline • • [X]
p.8 #2 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
CGrindahl wrote:
Couldn't agree more. With 73 posts on FM he is hardly a person who deserves attention. I guess being obnoxious is one way of getting some. Actually, Henry has been a good friend on this forum. Yes, he is protecting B&H's reputation but he is also solving problems for members who are experiencing difficulty. Personally, B&H has gotten my business because they are so good at what they do.
Henry pulls his comments that would certainly go against his position as "reputation manager" and I'm "vile"
Maybe I don't kiss butt as well as some of y'all according to your words above.
And while some of you think DPR is beneath you, there are certainly photographers there as capable as those here.
And while we are on the topic of DPR, some of y'all seem to have the same mentality. Any position is good, as long as it's the same as yours, you're somehow superior because you been here since 1902 and have 3,000,000 posts. Sorry, but that crap doesn't work on me.
Feb 15, 2018 at 09:41 PM
T-O Shooter Offline • • [X]
p.8 #3 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
Keith B. wrote:
Buying from, and returning to B&H is functionally the same as your local dealer pulling the new item out and letting you try it on your camera while you remain in proximity to the store. It goes back in the box after the customer is done looking at it, and is not a used item. To believe that one is going to get...or even deserves... a hermetically sealed sample with Japanese air still in the box is pathetic.
Sorry, but too many threads on DPR of fellows receiving returned, used items as new for it to be all fabricated. FYI, Nikon does not seal it's boxes.
But you've taken the expected route. Double down on the issue, make it sound so ridiculous, sweep it under the rug. Hispanics - what Hispanics?? Right??
p.8 #4 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
Can I be involved in at least one thread that doesn’t end up in disaster?
B&H Photo has the patience of the Biblical character of Job with their customers. This is going to be a little embarrassing for me, but I’m going to tell the story anyway to prove it.
About 6 months ago I decided to spend around $15-20K on a camera system. But I’m what you’d call a person with extremely bad luck (at least until this Nikon 13mm!). If there is a defective electronic device out there, it will come to me. I’m a vortex that sucks in everything defective around it. I burned through over $60K worth of merchandise — some of it defective, some of it I changed my mind on. B&H at that point told me, “Dude, no way this was all defective, and it’s costing us too much in shipping. If you want to keep ordering and get something defective, you’ll have to send it back to the manufacturer.”
After that phone call I felt about two feet tall, but they were right. But I keep ordering from them out of loyalty. They always tell me things straight and never screw me around. I ended up with a GFX system and a Leica Q, and a Canon 100-400 II and 11-14, so I did land on something eventually.
Even with this 13mm order, the overnight shipping didn’t happen right — they refunded shipping IN FULL. They sold me an $8500 lens worth $30K and didn’t try to stop the sale, ask for it back, or otherwise say anything negative about it.
I’m not sure what more a customer could ask of a merchant. B&H will always be my go-to for camera equipment — for as long as they can endure me.
And for the record: every goddamn item I returned I saw show up in their used inventory as “open box”. Every. Single. One.
p.8 #6 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
Here we go, moving from writing about the glorious 13mm Nikkor, and wind up being nasty to Henry of B&H. Without the risk of being obsequious, I’ve generally had nothing but good luck with B&H over the years. And I’ve watched Henry intercede at times to straighten out problems.
Let’s let the B&H bashing take a rest. They’re one of last great retailers in America. They are the model for other online camera equipment sellers to emulate. I’ll continue to shop at B&H but can only dream of a deal on a lifetime like what happened here!!
p.8 #7 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
One more thing. The original cases suffer from simple aging. Nikon chose some inexpensive vinyl so they out-gas and ultimately go bad. Try getting some Aerospace Protectant 303 and test it on the bottom first, and then ultimately on the entire outside of the case. It won’t do any harm, but it may keep the case from failing as they all ultimately do.
p.8 #8 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
Edgy01 wrote:
One more thing. The original cases suffer from simple aging. Nikon chose some inexpensive vinyl so they out-gas and ultimately go bad. Try getting some Aerospace Protectant 303 and test it on the bottom first, and then ultimately on the entire outside of the case. It won’t do any harm, but it may keep the case from failing as they all ultimately do.
Dan
Caution: 303 is a preservative intended for car door [and other synthetic]rubber and contains silicones. That makes it slimy and means that it migrates to your hands and then on to your equipment and everything else you touch afterwards.
p.8 #9 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
Aerospace 303:
“Rinse-free formula leaves a non-greasy, dry matte finish with no odor and is non toxic and water based. 100% free of grease-producing silicone oils and petroleum distillates.”
p.8 #10 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
Edgy01 wrote:
Here we go, moving from writing about the glorious 13mm Nikkor, and wind up being nasty to Henry of B&H. Without the risk of being obsequious, I’ve generally had nothing but good luck with B&H over the years. And I’ve watched Henry intercede at times to straighten out problems.
Let’s let the B&H bashing take a rest. They’re one of last great retailers in America. They are the model for other online camera equipment sellers to emulate. I’ll continue to shop at B&H but can only dream of a deal on a lifetime like what happened here!!
Thank you. It is gracious of you to say so and gratifying to read.
p.8 #13 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
I wanted to report back that the lens is being sold to Westlicht Photographic Auction for a fair price. Hopefully they will be able to sell it at auction for close to what their last one sold for and turn a nice profit for themselves. As much as I wanted to try it out on a camera, it simply wasn't worth risking the condition of the lens. I feel fortunate to have seen and held one, much less owned one. Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing in the excitement with me along the way
p.8 #14 · Nikon 13mm f/5.6 AI-S "Holy Grail". Did I get a good deal?
So you're flipping it?
It's unfortunate that we didn't even get to see a single shot taken with this lens. But that's cool, at least you got to own one of the legendary Nikkors! One of these days I will own one, and I promise.. I will mount it on my Df and shoot it all over the world until it falls apart. I will post the pics at the MFNG thread.
