Photo retailers in California?

[BradS]

Now that the big east coast stores collect California sales tax, I see no reason to buy from them. I'm looking to buy a...ahem, film scanner (thinking Plustek Opticfilm 8200i). Please recommend retailers on the west coast...

I'll note that I have bought film and darkroom supplies from Freestyle for many years...but they don't carry this thing.

 

[Bormental]

Plustek web site lists only 3 resellers: B&H, Adorama and Amazon.

 

[BradS]

Hmmm...well, Samy's carry it (and offer it at exactly the same price as the two in big New York stores) but do not have it in stock. So, maybe I'll call them and see what the deal is.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Place a special order with Samy's. Maybe have it drop shipped directly to you.

 

[BradS]

Place a special order with Samy's. Maybe have it drop shipped directly to you.

good idea...thanks.

 

[Louis Nargi]

If you get the B+H pay boo credit card they pay the tax

 

[rorye]

http://www.glasskeyphoto.com/#film Great guys...

 

[BradS]

http://www.glasskeyphoto.com/#film Great guys...

Yes. They are. I buy fixer and paper there....ever since K&S in palo alto closed. Haven't been back since I moved away from the Bay area though....someday.

 

[darinwc]

Sacramento is pretty active for digital and film photography.
Photo source
Mike's cameras
Action camera

There are also swap meets and cameras and coffee events regularly

 

[Zathras]

Yes. They are. I buy fixer and paper there....ever since K&S in palo alto closed. Haven't been back since I moved away from the Bay area though....someday.

Losing K&S was a tragedy. I loved that store!

 

[bjorke]

Yelp recently clued me in to Simple Photography Services in the North Bay, easily within casual cycling range for me -- stockists of Fomapan, Arista, various chemistries... wedged into about the most obscure retail location possible, behind the local hardware shop.

 

[blee1996]

Camera West, Seawood, Kaufmann's? Those are the shops I know in SF Bay area.

 

[Adam W]

Also Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley.

 

[SodaAnt]

Yelp recently clued me in to Simple Photography Services in the North Bay, easily within casual cycling range for me -- stockists of Fomapan, Arista, various chemistries... wedged into about the most obscure retail location possible, behind the local hardware shop.

Very limited hours, though (closed Saturday and Sunday).

 

[Sirius Glass]

I tried Paul's Camera but they changed from one hour service to three hour service at and extra $10 a roll plus from where I live it takes over an hour one way. So back to two trips to Samy's Camera.

 

[AnselMortensen]

Kaufmann's Camera in San Bruno has closed.
Warren Kaufmann is retiring.

 

[blee1996]

Kaufmann's Camera in San Bruno has closed.
Warren Kaufmann is retiring.

Too bad Warren was not able to sell the shop to keep it going.

 

[Zathras]

Kaufmann's Camera in San Bruno has closed.
Warren Kaufmann is retiring.

That's sad. Kauffman's had been around forever. When I was a kid, my parents bought my first enlarger, a Bogen T-35, from them when they had their big store on Broadway in Burlingame. They will be missed.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Brad, B&H ships free for orders over $49 with any credit card. They do add in sales tax for the state it's shipped to unless you use their credit card payboo. Then they pick up the sales tax as well.

 

[MattKing]

Brad, B&H ships free for orders over $49 with any credit card. They do add in sales tax for the state it's shipped to unless you use their credit card payboo. Then they pick up the sales tax as well.

If Brad is still waiting for an answer - it has been nearly 4 years now - he is a lot more patient than most.
As much as I appreciate the internet order sources, their prevalence has been highly destructive to the retail part of the industry as a whole.
I used to like dealing with a variety of brick and mortar sources - now mostly gone.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

If Brad is still waiting for an answer - it has been nearly 4 years now - he is a lot more patient than most.
As much as I appreciate the internet order sources, their prevalence has been highly destructive to the retail part of the industry as a whole.
I used to like dealing with a variety of brick and mortar sources - now mostly gone.

Gee, I hope he's well.