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11-02-2017, 10:44 AM   #46
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
I did. The last time I checked, Mississauga was part of Greater Toronto, with a population of close to 6 million. Would you please stop deliberately misinterpreting my posts.
And St.Catherines isn't, I gave examples outside the GTA. I'm not looking up the population of St. Catherines for you sorry. Everyone has google.

My Cavalcade Store in Huntsville, population 18,000 has a K-1 on it's shelf. What ever your large population point was forget it. It ain't true. Other factors come into play.

In my sample of two, in small towns Photo Stores must do at least a good portion of their income from printing services, and film developing services. They have to provide some service as well as selling cameras. cavalcade has a print room set up for people who want to come in and use their expertise to create excellent prints, sells frames, sells the owners photographs and sells cameras and accessories. If they can do this in Huntsville, anyone with decent people skills and photographic knowledge can do it anywhere. 18,000 is tiny compared to the GTA.


Last edited by normhead; 11-02-2017 at 11:01 AM.
11-02-2017, 11:05 AM - 2 Likes   #47
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
Sure, it's just business, but it is an example of how capitalism hurts us all. The logical conclusion of capitalism is one giant megacorp, something that is ultimately very bad for consumers. Unfortunately, consumers are too blinkered to figure this out. A lot of the posts I read on this website are testament to that willful shortsightedness.
I'd say capitalism has helped a lot more than it's hurt in the camera business.

Today the total range of products is better and the prices are lower than in the clubby days when camera makers and retailers conspired to hold prices to high MSRP levels. Today one can get anything anywhere without wasting time driving someplace and hoping they have something in stock. The wait for a webpage is milliseconds compared to standing around in a B&M shop waiting for the sales people to finish with prior customers. Online reviews by real consumers beat biased sales staff any day of the week both for honest information and breadth of experience.

No doubt some people do miss the service of a B&M store. Monochrome's example proves that smaller retailers can make it and Apple's astoundingly successful store prove that big companies can do it, too. Personally, I never liked the "service" at B&M stores and have not shopped in a camera store in years. I'll gladly shop online where the upsides of capitalism out weigh the downsides of the old retail model.
11-02-2017, 11:31 AM   #48
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This just showed up on my Instagram feed. I bought my K-1 and 28-~105 over-the-counter at this Dealer.

BUT - No Pentax instructors - 2 days of classes, Nikon, Oly and Panny, plus Delkin and Savage and store staff. The Insta image is stretched to fit and the commenters are hammering Ricoh Imaging.

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Last edited by monochrome; 11-02-2017 at 12:07 PM.
11-03-2017, 08:23 AM - 1 Like   #49
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QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
But that would be political. Like talking about the Canadian health care system.

Let's not encourage people to break forum rules.

I'm not falling for that little trap.
QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
Hmmm. I remember having a seat in the corner after discussing that.
We have a couple of seats free just now...

11-03-2017, 08:56 AM - 2 Likes   #50
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
We have a couple of seats free just now...
Thank you, no. I like my little slice of free speech space on the interwebs.

<|:-)
11-03-2017, 09:07 AM - 1 Like   #51
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QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
It does, beg the question though, if a mod challenges you to put forward a political opinion, is it still against the rules?
...

So, folks, how 'bout them dyin' camera stores?
11-03-2017, 09:08 AM - 1 Like   #52
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
...

So, folks, how 'bout them dyin' camera stores?
Good answer.

11-03-2017, 09:56 AM - 1 Like   #53
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We have numerous b&m camera stores in Vancouver and all carry Pentax. There is also the drug store chain "London Drugs" that carries Pentax, they are across Western Canada.

Leo's Camera (one store downtown)
Kerrisdale Cameras (many across metro Vancouver & Victoria)
Broadway Camera (Vancouver/Richmond)
Lens & Shutter (Vancouver, Victoria & Kelowna)
Gastown Photo (one store downtown)

Beau Photo is a b&m store that has studio equipment, high end medium format gear, film and darkroom supplies. As well as a huge used/consignment section. They don't carry new Pentax/Ricoh as far as I know,

Phil.
11-03-2017, 10:38 AM   #54
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QuoteOriginally posted by Blue Quote
I'd like to see you explain how communism (democratic socialism if you prefer) helped the camera business.
It certainly didn't help the populations of those countries, but I think it did actually ultimately benefit Pentax in the 1960s - 1970s because East Block countries were large scale suppliers of very low cost M42/"Pentax"-mount SLRs (I must have bought around half a dozen over the years) which were then bought by people who often wanted to buy Pentax (as I did) but could simply not afford one at that time - but that got many of us "thinking and wanting", and ultimately later buying, Pentax "for real".

Things have changed quite dramatically since then as there now are no alternative suppliers of low-cost Pentax KA mount system-compatible DSLRs (from the Eastern Bloc, Far East or elsewhere) to bring in new buyers who might well later start buying Pentax "for real".

PS: I don't consider the above to be a "political" post but simply a statement of how things were "then" and how they are "now"

Last edited by jeallen01; 11-03-2017 at 10:45 AM.
11-03-2017, 10:59 AM   #55
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QuoteOriginally posted by DeadJohn Quote
I think it's also against the rules to discuss mod actions. Sort of like the first rule of fight club.
ah yes, I learned that " lesson " the hard way

Last edited by Ash; 11-03-2017 at 12:49 PM. Reason: discussing mod actions
11-03-2017, 11:13 AM   #56
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Folks, could we return to the thread topic, please? Thanks

Last edited by BigMackCam; 11-03-2017 at 12:56 PM.
11-03-2017, 03:23 PM - 1 Like   #57
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I think it is worth noting that no one has presented examples of new camera stores opening up. Essentially, this is a discussion about the timeline for the extinction of brick and mortar camera stores. Until a new player enters the marketplace, the second law of business thermodynamics applies and this species of retailer will disappear. I'm old enough to have witnessed the extinction of parking lot photo-developing stations and photo-developing stores in malls that sold film, photo albums, cameras and accessories as sidelines to keep their margins up. It's fine to sell high volume products like cigarettes, milk and fuel for very low margins in order to sell more profitable junk food and soft drinks, but there is nothing left to bring foot traffic into photographic equipment stores.

My guess is that we will eventually see providers of photographic services getting into the business of selling photographic equipment as affiliates. The owner/operator who does wedding photography will let you demo equipment and gets a cut when you order your new camera body and lenses through her business. But that's just a guess.
11-03-2017, 05:01 PM   #58
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QuoteOriginally posted by RGlasel Quote
I think it is worth noting that no one has presented examples of new camera stores opening up. Essentially, this is a discussion about the timeline for the extinction of brick and mortar camera stores. Until a new player enters the marketplace, the second law of business thermodynamics applies and this species of retailer will disappear. I'm old enough to have witnessed the extinction of parking lot photo-developing stations and photo-developing stores in malls that sold film, photo albums, cameras and accessories as sidelines to keep their margins up. It's fine to sell high volume products like cigarettes, milk and fuel for very low margins in order to sell more profitable junk food and soft drinks, but there is nothing left to bring foot traffic into photographic equipment stores.

My guess is that we will eventually see providers of photographic services getting into the business of selling photographic equipment as affiliates. The owner/operator who does wedding photography will let you demo equipment and gets a cut when you order your new camera body and lenses through her business. But that's just a guess.
Excellent points both about the new store openings and the potential for working photogs to become affiliates.

There's at least one company that is opening new camera stores. Leica seems to be slowly building a retail network. I just saw one in Boston that seems to have opened in Fall 2016 and a bit of Googling shows a smattering of similar newly opened Leica stores in high-profile cities in recent years. The Boston store is of decent size and has a sparse Apple store design ethos with an added photographic art gallery. I've no idea how much sales their stores are attracting. Unlike the average crowded Apple store, the Leica store had no customers were in there the few times I passed by but then it was a bit late in the day and the weather was not that good. (Also, given Leica's prices I bet they turn a profit if they only make a few of sales per day.)
11-03-2017, 06:31 PM - 1 Like   #59
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QuoteOriginally posted by RGlasel Quote
I think it is worth noting that no one has presented examples of new camera stores opening up.
I provided the example of the new Henry's store in Mississauga. See above,.
11-03-2017, 08:01 PM - 1 Like   #60
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This reminds me... I need to stop in to my local shop tomorrow....
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