What a Surprise

*Sailor* · 01-10-2009, 04:23 PM

Today, while shopping for a bike rack at Sun and Ski in Baybrook Mall in the SE Houston area, I stepped into an adjacent Wolf Camera to pick up a filter. On display were a K20D, K200D and several Pentax lenses, including the DA 10-17 FE, DA* 16-50 and 50-135. I had no idea there was any store in the Houston area where you could walk in and buy stuff like this. First time I've set eyes on the DA* lenses - big suckers!

Jer

robgo2 · 01-10-2009, 05:44 PM

You must have passed through a wrinkle in the space-time continuum. Glad you made it back.

Rob

NaClH2O · 01-10-2009, 05:54 PM

Jer, At a Wolf Camera Store? Is the same store still there today? Maybe it was some sort of "Candid Camera" stunt?

NaCl(I thought "Pentax" and "Wolf Camera" were mutually exclusive terms)H2O

dws1117 · 01-10-2009, 09:08 PM

The Ritz Camera (same company as Wolf) on the opposite side of Houston (The Woodlands Mall) carries most of the Pentax bodies and feveral lenses such as the DA* 16-50 and 50-135. Heck they even have all three flash units. Now they won't promote them, but I've never heard them discourage anyone that wanted to look at them.

*Blue* · 01-10-2009, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by NaClH2O

Jer, At a Wolf Camera Store? Is the same store still there today? Maybe it was some sort of "Candid Camera" stunt?

NaCl(I thought "Pentax" and "Wolf Camera" were mutually exclusive terms)H2O

Wolf/Ritz/CamerWorld carry Pentax gear on their net stores. It actually surprises me in the number of their stores that don't have them.

dws1117 · 01-10-2009, 09:20 PM

I would add that while I'm thrilled at any store carrying our brand, it would be nice if they would bring thier prices on them out odf the stratosphere. Dang near full MSRP or higher.

nixcamic · 01-10-2009, 10:00 PM

Despite what everyone here seems to think about wolf camera, when I went one when I was up in the states (denver area, colorado), they had a k120d and a k10d on display, along with some consumer telephoto zoom. This was before I had bought a slr, and I asked the salesman about the different brands, and tried out a few different cameras, and they actually said "pentax is as good a brand as any other".

*Jonson PL* · 01-11-2009, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by Sailor

Today, while shopping for a bike rack at Sun and Ski in Baybrook Mall in the SE Houston area, I stepped into an adjacent Wolf Camera to pick up a filter. On display were a K20D, K200D and several Pentax lenses, including the DA 10-17 FE, DA* 16-50 and 50-135. I had no idea there was any store in the Houston area where you could walk in and buy stuff like this. First time I've set eyes on the DA* lenses - big suckers!

Jer

Sounds good

**roentarre** · 01-11-2009, 02:58 AM

Addictive, isn't it?

At least you are doing good to the economy

*Sailor* · 01-11-2009, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by dws1117

The Ritz Camera (same company as Wolf) on the opposite side of Houston (The Woodlands Mall) carries most of the Pentax bodies and feveral lenses such as the DA* 16-50 and 50-135. Heck they even have all three flash units. Now they won't promote them, but I've never heard them discourage anyone that wanted to look at them.

Thanks, Wayne - it's been a few years since I was in the Woodlands mall.

Some time back, I searched Pentax's website for Houston-area DSLR dealers and only Wal-Mart popped up. Thus my surprise yesterday. As far as I could tell the Pentax offerings at the Wolf store were about as extensive as those for the other brands.

Jer

Light_Horseman · 01-11-2009, 02:49 PM

Funny you should mentiion this. I just got home from downtown Denver and walked into the Wolf Camera to find a half decent Pentax selection.

I tried the DA14, FA31 Limited and DA*50-135 on my K200 which I happened to have on me. Luckily I know that Wolf's prices are far from competative otherwise I could well have succumbed to some massive LBA.

ftpaddict · 01-11-2009, 03:49 PM

Well isn't that a pleasant surprise.

There's only one shop I know of in Romania that sells Pentax gear; except for the online retailers.

Kunzite · 01-11-2009, 04:02 PM

No kidding?

In Bucharest there is Focus94 (our Pentax distributor) and Fotohobby (more like gray market, and higher prices). And Focus94 is also selling through other shops - online shops and supermarkets, mostly.
In order for other people to understand the scale of things, besides those two shops we have - in Bucharest - only one other "big" photo shop: F64Studio. But they're not selling Pentax (no new stuff, anyway).
Regardless, Pentax is well represented here.

ftpaddict · 01-12-2009, 12:34 AM

Well you learn something new every day.

Jasvox · 01-12-2009, 04:46 AM

I was in a Wolf Camera just outside of Atlanta a few weeks ago and saw a Pentax K100D...it was the only Pentax body on display, for full retail.

In my opinion, Wolf/Ritz is the last place I would shop for any gear whatsoever. After having shopped there a few times during November and December, I found their prices to be very VERY high and the service, at least from the locations I visited, to be horrible. As far as I am concerned, they will be ignored by me in the future for any service whatsoever.

Jason