Jason Ganz

Review of Adorama

If I could write a zero star review I would. I st...

If I could write a zero star review I would. I stopped going to Adorama about 5 years ago after overhearing one employee threatening to stab another employee in the hand with a pencil. This past weekend, I was at an event in Union Square and had finished up a roll of 120 film and 35mm film and sought to get the film developed. Adorama was in close proximity to Union Square North, so I decided to walk there instead of giving my business to B&H. BIG... MISTAKE.

While Adorama looked to be renovated and more "modern" than I had remembered it, the service was still the same. I walked in at approximately 3:30pm and asked a gentleman if Adorama did film development. He looked at me as though I was nuts and dismissed my inquiry with "of course not!" I walked away and took a quick peek at the used section. I find the used section to be closer to a "Camera Junkyard" in terms of what I see, but I saw a black Contarex Super with a 40-120mm lens on it. I put my own Contarex Super (see attached pic) down on the glass-top to look at the black one, and a very pushy young man asked if I'd like to see their Contarex. I stated that the Contarex Super I carried was NOT up for trade / sale / bargaining in any way, but I obliged, in large part due to the 40-120mm lens that was mounted to the camera.

The young man took out the black Contarex Super that was on display in the used section and proceeded to tell me how rare it is, how it was in "great shape" and so forth. I took a cursory glance at it, and noticed the top meter switch was missing, the meter itself did not work, the viewfinder was out of whack, and the 40-120mm lens' focus BARELY worked (and I mean I had to throw my arm into it, a sign the lens is on the verge of friction welding and becoming destroyed). I informed him of this and he replied that "only one person repairs them" (this is true, my contarex is on that waiting list for maintenance, but the meter works, all the parts are present, and it takes pictures). Such a camera and lens offered by the young man was NOT in great shape, and I informed him that I was aware of this.

At this point, he proceeded to go on about how my camera was "museum quality" and started to make moves towards my camera. Remember, I had initially stated that the camera I owned was NOT up for discussion in any way. I walked in with my contarex, I was going to walk OUT with my contarex. The young man attempted to take hold of my contarex while it was on the glass top, to which I pulled my camera back and slung it back over my shoulder. At that point, it was obvious that he was trying to do a trade where a fully working Contarex (mine) would be "magically traded" for a parts camera that happened to have a very rare - but barely functional - zoom lens (a 40-120 Vario-Sonnar). Were I to have not been so watchful of my camera, I could have been left with a bucket of parts and an approximately $2,500 bill in repairs.

Allow me to contrast this to my experience at B&H. I walked in, and the gentleman behind the counter saw the Contarex, and as I rested it on the counter, he did not touch the camera, he admitted that B&H does not buy them, and he asked me if he could take a look at the camera as a person who was a fan of Contarexes (and without me even mentioning any desire - or lack thereof - to trade / talk money). This is called RESPECT. It is NOT a bait-and-switch tactic to get better cameras, and it does not put the camera's owner on edge about whether he / she is going to be quick-traded into a bucket of parts. If I had stated to the gentleman at B&H "I would like an offer" and I was told "no, we do not buy them" or "yes, we do, but I need to evaluate the condition", then fine I am consenting to the camera being examined in the circumstance of the latter answer. Instead, your used camera employee at Adorama took steps to "upgrade" Adorama's used camera inventory at the possible expense of someone who wanted to see unusual cameras (and had one of his own.)

I'm disgusted... and I have more, but Google limits my characters. AVOID.