KameraStore in Finland - experiences buying ?

Hassasin · Mar 8, 2023

To those who have bought from that Finnish outfit KameraStore - any feedback on your experience, including rating scores vs. actual?

To be more specific am looking to buy a lens. Photos are there, mechanical and optical rating is listed as 4 out of 5, so sounds pretty good. But no particular description to follow. Any idea what one can expect in the lens rated 4/5 optically and/or mechanically?

Nitroplait · Mar 8, 2023

They are legit. I have ordered from them more than 10 times in the past 2 years. If they see scratches or haze, they disclose it. A 4/5 would likely be very good.

Hassasin · Mar 8, 2023

@Nitroplait thanks, I have placed order as lens was not a lot for what it is, looks good in photos. Will see how that goes. Am not expecting any mechanical issues nor optical for that matter with that rating. I believe they do full check ups, including collimation, on every lens they sell (and I also hear they buy used gear real cheap from people, some suggest way below aquisition market, but I think that is their business model).

mcfitz · Mar 8, 2023

Exceptional in my experience, for products and all customer service.

Once, I had a problem with a camera from them. It had to go back for a problem of light leak. They organised the return with the courrier, fixed the problem, camera came back fine.

Only drawback is their excellent choice of cameras, lenses and accessories compared to my bank account. My problem, not theirs.

Sirius Glass · Mar 8, 2023

KameraStore has a Nikon bayonet rear yellow Y48 filter that they are selling for more than twice Camera Traders in BC Canada and KEH, and the only shipping option almost doubles the price [yes, it has to cross an ocean]. For a while Camera Traders has not had the particular filter in stock so I am waiting. I did contact KameraStore about one of these filters which was listed at 65 Euros while others of the same type at their store were $32US. KameraStore promply agreed that it was miss labeled and offered the filter for $29US at the time. Since the filter would be a spare, I can wait for the $29CAN filter rather than pay 56 EUR with shipping. So for that one item, the price is higher than KEH or Camera Traders by a lot and the shipping option [only one offered] is high. One should not make any conclusions based on this one item, but would be wise to shop carefully and with their eyes open.

halfaman · Mar 8, 2023

Hassasin said:
@Nitroplait (and I also hear they buy used gear real cheap from people, some suggest way below aquisition market, but I think that is their business model).

It is not exactly a secret.

Sell or Trade Your Used Camera Equipment

Here at Kamerastore we have been buying and selling cameras for over 10 years. Our customers sell and trade with us because of trust and ease. If you have one item or even thousands, we’ll gladly make you an offer on your used film or digital camera gear.

kamerastore.com

The pay well bellow their selling price like any company in the second-hand business, no surprise here. Could be cash in your account or spent directly in the store (they give you more money for the latter option).

All listed items are checked previously by a real technician and description should be accurate, if they detect something wrong or broken they can repair the issue as far it really pays the effort and they have some certified technicians (in Leica for example). This is their strongest selling point and major difference with other stores. Their inventory is huge, you see in the website just a fraction of what they have.

tom williams · Mar 8, 2023

Hassasin said:
To those who have bought from that Finnish outfit KameraStore - any feedback on your experience, including rating scores vs. actual?

To be more specific am looking to buy a lens. Photos are there, mechanical and optical rating is listed as 4 out of 5, so sounds pretty good. But no particular description to follow. Any idea what one can expect in the lens rated 4/5 optically and/or mechanically?

I've bought push-on filters from them twice in the last year, all in somewhat better condition than expected from their rating. Shipping surprisingly low, considering, and delivery was very fast. They're responsive to questions about stock items (email). Seems like a resource.

Hassasin · Mar 9, 2023

Just had a reply regarding their rating: 4/5 is highest they give to used gear. The lens I ordered is said to be perfect in every way (I did notice some tiny dings in coating in one of th epics, so not that perfect, but I was not expecting it either.

5/5 is only given to new or old/new stock with no signs of use.

Brad Deputy · Mar 10, 2023

I bought some film and a bobinquick bulk loader (for 95 euros, ebay wants several hundred ?!?). Shipping was fast, got exactly what I expected, and they sent a couple candies along for the ride

Huss · Mar 11, 2023

Brad Deputy said:
I bought some film and a bobinquick bulk loader (for 95 euros, ebay wants several hundred ?!?). Shipping was fast, got exactly what I expected, and they sent a couple candies along for the ride

Candies? That’s silly and cute. A nice touch.

Nitroplait · Mar 12, 2023

On a negative note, to my eyes they seem to be partly responsible for driving the hyped prices of certain cameras. It was on their site I first saw a Olympus Trip 35 for €200, A Yashica T4 above €500 and a Olympus Mju II for €600
But as I said above, they are a great resource for what I need and I know what I get is OK.

Hassasin · Mar 14, 2023

I have received my lens from KameraStore.

The 4/5 rating for optical looks similar to mint. Matches what they told me over a beer: 5/5 is only given to new/old new stock.

Mechanically rated 4/5 and that also means solid, no issues anywhere.

That leaves cosmetics out, and these are not rated. I assume photos are to do the part. And seems like they showed all the scuffs there were.

After this experience I have to conclude this was as good as I wanted it to be.

Boomlight · Mar 16, 2023

While I have not bought gear from them, I did order a 100' roll of Santacolor 100, and the experience was excellent. Easy to order and the film arrived in about 3 days (From Finland to US).

KameraStore in Finland - experiences buying ?

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