42nd Street Photo  Reviews 470

The worst camera store.
they advertised a price with no mention of gray market,then switched to USA model and charged extra.Did not deliver on date promised plus charged extra Did not confirm delivery by date needed when I tried to return wanted to charge $900 restocking fee

BAIT & SWITCH!!! I ordered a Canon import lens. I received a telephone call from “Anthony” wanting to make sure I wanted the import model. He said the import model has a plastic mount and USA model has a metal mount. He convinced me to pay $500 more for the USA lens, which is the regular price for this lens. When the lens arrived, it was the import lens. It came with no warranty card, and no manual written in English. I called the company back and they insisted it was the USA model, which is a total lie. They were extremely rude on the telephone and hung up on me and wouldn’t take any of my further calls. These people are scam artists. STAY FAR AWAY FROM WILLOUGHBY CAMERA AND 42ND CAMERA. They will rip you off!!!

RIP OFF COMPANY, DO NOT TRUST. BEWARE !!!!

I purchased a $1600.00 camera, it did not work properly and it was very hard to get them to agree to exchange it. The second camera stopped working after one use, I put it away and just could not deal with it. I asked for the receipt so I could insure it before I decided what to do next. They refused to send the receipt. I do not want to mail it or take it outside with out insuring it. I finally sent it to Sony thinking it was under the one year warranty, they said yes, would take care of it. they led me to believe it was under warranty. Sony wants now wants $718.00. It has taken 30 pictures maybe. And it will not turn on with out constant reset like a new camera, so if you see a picture forget it. It wants to know what country, time, etc. Never purchase from 42nd street. There is a reason you don't get a receipt, I doubt the cameras are factory but most likely international versions with bad chips. I tried for an entire year to get a receipt sent to email for the camera I exchanged for, now the second camera does not function or turn on basically and there is no receipt to insure it. I got transferred to an answering machine every time. How hard would it be for the store to send a copy of the receipt. No return phone calls and no response. I have been calling off and on for a 10 months. I paid for an extended warranty on the first camera which should have transferred. So that's over $2000.00 and no return calls.

Pretty crap company. upsell you on things you don’t need then give you the run around and not let you return any items. Once they get their money, emails go unanswered, phone calls go to nowhere and they stop caring about you.

Super Excellent Service!!
I bought this Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 lens, at a price that was almost too good to be true, and they topped off my deal with UV filters and a cleaning kit worth around $210. Ordered Thursday afternoon arrived Friday morning. I chatted with one of their staff to clarify a few issues and he was courteously professional. Up to no, I'm happy with my purchase. Well done and will ship with you again.

Ordered a new Nikon D850 camera-only Sunday night. It was listed as an import version for $1,929.00. The next morning, a 42nd Street Photo rep calls to ask me why I bought an import version rather than a domestic version for $500.00 more. He further stated it was a "European" version and would not work in the USA. Then he asks me why I didn't want to pay extra for the domestic (USA) version. I mentioned to him he was attempting a bait-and-switch. He became angry and then I told him twice to cancel the order. He then hung up on me. Why would they purposely list a camera as an import version knowing it wouldn't work here in the USA? My Nikon D750 is an import version and works perfectly fine.

I needed a camera for my 14yr old granddaughter as a gift this Christmas, they recommended a Polaroid ie 6035 point & shoot. Was amazed by their quick shipping, accessories well packed with camera and wrapped in a special gift bag as requested. I'm glad for their personalized advice, excellent customer service and smooth comms.
Great experience all round!

I just wanted to support a family run independent business but found their customer service disappointing. The member of staff who served us was quite trenchant, abrupt and sanctimonious. He charged us $500 for restocking fee. I'm sorry but I cannot allow these businesses to nickel and dime me to death with their surreptitious fees. In the end I lost more than $500 in the transaction. John was the reason I gave 3 stars because he added a lens to my kit.

Great company the lens delivered after I called the company is compatible with my camera. Easy online purchase. It arrived the next day. Now good to go

As Advertised
I had contemplated buying the CB gimbal primarily because of the graduations. However, as CB weren't supplying (at the time) to 42nd Street Photo, AND, as I had a $296 42nd Street Photo Gift card from my purchase of a Canon 500mm f/4, I chose the Wimberly. I have been very satisfied with my Wimberly WH-200. This is a professional quality product that is built to last and I am extremely pleased with it. Best buy on the market in my opinion. No regrets whatsoever. 42nd Street Photo is also fantastic!42nd Street Photo shipped it out pronto and it arrived sooner than I expected.

Had a great experience purchasing my last camera at 42nd Street PHOTO! I was interested in an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark iii and after looking at a few other cameras, that's what I decided on. Everybody was polite, and they didn't act like ''salesmen''. They let me look at my own pace, handle a few other cameras/lenses, and made my decision. The price I paid for my E-M5 MK iii was unbeatable! Better than trying to find one online, pay shipping...etc. Also included was a Watson charger and ProGrade 128GB. Hot deals also caught my eye while I was there. I'd definetely recommend!

I had a similar issue with these guys - their website clearly says one price (as well as indexed by Google) and then I got called that the camera ordered was an international version. No where on the site does it say anything close to this info. The agent claimed that the language of "new fresh import" buried on the description tab was very clear that this was an international only version. He then proceeded to tell me that the price of the US version was ~$700 more. This was crazy. He said he could sell me a display counter version for only $400 more than the price that their website lists. Be careful purchasing from this company.

Professional Camera Cleaning Experts for DSLR Cameras
On a trip past NY in January, we noticed heavy dirt on our cameras. With a tight schedule in the neck, we had to find someone who could do professional camera cleaning within 2 hours. At 42nd Street Photo
in New York, we received information on the availability by phone and received an excellent camera cleaning in less than an hour. Thank you for the quick service!

My experience was similar to another review I read below, which reaffirms my belief that this place is run by a con artist. If you don’t know better you might unknowingly end up a victim. I ordered a Sony FX3. The advertised price was $200 less than anywhere else, which is why I decided to order from them instead of Amazon. The next day I received a telephone call from this guy who used, as someone else stated below, a bait and switch technique to increase the price. He asked if I wanted the U.S. version of this camera. Claiming that Amazon’s and anyone else’s was the “European” version, which makes no sense. He said that they had to be the European versions because they were selling less than MSRP and that “Sony doesn’t allow anyone to sell their products for less.” He claimed that the language wouldn’t be in English and that’s why it’s cheaper. Somehow, I started to believe it. He said he could sell me the “last U.S. version” for $4,400 ($500 above the Amazon price). He said to help me he’d give me an extended warranty valued at $499; they all carry the warranty he was claiming to give. Since I had no time to research I agreed. Luckily for me, my credit card company would not approve the transaction because of the high cost of the camera; fraud protection became suspicious. Even after I spoke with them it still got declined; he said he needed to speak with his supervisor. I told the guy to just hold off and said I’d just call back if I decide to buy from them.

I didn’t want to hassle with long wait times with customer service so I decided to go ahead and make the purchase through Amazon, with no credit card issues. The next day I got a call from the guy and I told him I was no longer interested and didn’t want to try and run the card again; he didn’t need to know that I made the purchase already. The following day I started getting charges in the amount of $900 to $990 from 42nd Photo. WITHOUT MY PERMISSION…he took it upon himself to start charging my card. When I called to ask why, he essentially tried cussing me out and saying he was going to charge me a “cancellation fee.” I said, “Cancellation fee for what? We never ordered it because the card didn’t work.” He then tried saying “Fine, I’ll match the Amazon price.” Didn’t he say Sony wouldn’t allow that? I asked to speak to a supervisor and he said he was the supervisor; yet another blatant lie and tactic to get an extra $500 off of an unsuspecting customer. After yelling and cursing he got mad and hung up on me.

I spoke to Sony and learned that what he said about the U.S. versus European versions was a complete fabrication made up to cheat me. I also spoke to my credit card company and had them block his business. If he tries again it’ll be considered a fraudulent charge.

If you’re reading this, DO NOT fall for this con artist. I can only imagine how many people have fallen for this and have no idea. He did this to me and to someone else who has a review below; there has to be more. As a business owner myself, I refuse to deal with a company that’s dishonest. It makes me sick to think of how many have already been taken advantage of by this con artist. Be careful and do your research.

Excellent Service
I ordered the latest Sigma 150-600 Sport Lens for L-mount by trading an older Canon EF-mount Contemporary that accompanied the Sigma MC-21 adapter. Very pleased with the service, very quick delivery, and a safe package. And the lens is a winning combination with a Lumix S1, even though it's pretty bulky setup!

I had to choose between 42nd street photo and another camera store, the price for the EOS R5 camera was the same but the difference was that 42nd street was offering the accessory kit and a reliable warranty coverage. The ordering process was easy and straightforward. The camera shipped very quickly and it takes some very good pictures out of the box. I love that I can connect it with my phone and use the viewfinder, focus, edit settings and take pictures.
42nd street photo was wonderful to order from, have had great experiences with them.

Great customer service
This is more of a review of 42nd Photo than the product. I ordered the Nikon D7500 (body only ) when a notification came across my phone of a great Black Friday deal. Later in the week, I noticed that the camera body plus accessories kit was selling for the same price. So I called 42nd Photo to find out if I could get the accessories, because who doesn't need an extra memory card and camera bag. They looked into it and shipped the accessories that day. Great customer service! As for the camera, I have had a couple opportunities to use it and am very happy, so far. Pretty significant upgrade from my D7100. Now I just need some additional glass to really push my boundaries.

42nd Photo is A Rare New York's Hidden Gem
By far the best way to purchase photography products. I run a food blog in my free time and I'm a manager of a digital studio for wedding videography, so I use this company for both commercial and consumer goods. Their selection is vast, free shipping for over $99, and real time chat with professionals in their field of expertise leaves me no room for concerns. I know what I'm buying every time is fit for purpose, and any disenchantment is resolved promptly with their Grade A customer service.

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.