So I was at Frys on Black Friday...

**Rondec** · 11-28-2010, 02:32 PM

No one can guarantee that any company is going to be around forever. Look at General motors and Chrysler. Still, Pentax seems pretty stable. They continue to release excellent niche products and have the best forum of any camera company out there (here, of course). What more could you ask for?

Sifu · 11-28-2010, 04:29 PM

Well I love my Pentax but hate Fry's. A few years ago I was getting back into photography. I had taken a break and changed careers just before the digital revolution hit. I was going to raft the grand canyon with some friends so I went to buy a digital slr, I was thinking about a mid range Nikon but the pro at the store I had used for many years talked me into a K100D, Great camera for far less money. Out of 14 people on the trip I came back with photos that were far better than the others, not all of that had to do with experience, the camera just out performed the others. I did however destroy the camera and a zoom lenz on the trip so I bought a K20D and another lenz. I have enjoyed this camera. Frys on the other hand is a rip off store. I bought a vcr a while ago, it did not work so I took it back, the next five did not work when I got them home and the last one had a different vcr in the box than the box lable. They were repackaging returned equipment. I havent set foot in a Fry's in years now.

chadci · 11-28-2010, 04:49 PM

Originally posted by Sifu

They were repackaging returned equipment. I havent set foot in a Fry's in years now.

Not even repackaging. I was returning a flash that wasn't firing as a fill flash as I needed it to. It was cheap so I wasn't too mad but it was worth a try. Anyway, I had everything in the package as it was when I bought it, took it to the counter and the lady didn't even open the box. She printed off an open box / reduced priced sticker and tossed it in the bin. It could have been a 2x4 block of wood in there

I don't have much need to go there and the store is a good 40 minutes from home.

Cannikin · 11-28-2010, 05:12 PM

I go to Fry's whenever I need components, small parts and batteries for my computer and other stuff. They have a huge selection of parts and tools that most retail stores don't have, and at much better prices (get a decent set of cables for $4 that "Best" Buy charges $30-40 for). Half my computer is assembled from parts I got there. Their software prices are usually pretty good too.

Don't go to them for fully assembled consumer electronics (laptops, cameras, etc.), though. Their prices tend to be just as high as any other rip-off retailer... well, maybe not as bad as Best (Worst) Buy...

They get another +1 from me for being the only place I've seen actively displaying Pentax cameras, even if their salesreps are often annoying and clueless (aren't all salesreps like that?). I fell in love with the K-7's body after holding one at Fry's.

geauxpez · 11-28-2010, 06:39 PM

Too funny. I went to a Fry's last weekend because it's the only place in the state that might carry a Pentax. I wanted to handle the K-7 to get an idea of what the K-5 would be like ergonomically. Sure enough, they had the K-7 and K-x. No lenses on them, fingerprints on the mirrors and heavy anti-theft plates bolted to the bottom with steel cables attached. The guy who talked to me was really funny -- when I mentioned the dead battery he said, "yeah, we gotta work on that." They didn't have any of the newly released models for any manufacturer. He was actually racking his brain trying to think of an indie store in town that might carry Pentax to refer me to for a K-5 or to really test-drive a camera. Cool guy -- crappy store.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I did "have" to go to Best Buy" to pick up a new cordless phone and of course (just for giggles) breeze through the camera section to see what they had on hand. They had a D7000 in a case, so I asked if I could see it. The battery was dead as well, but at least it had a lens and wasn't weighted down. After I held it for 1/2 second, she held out her hand. "We can't leave cameras out on a busy day." REALLY? How do they make sales???

It's almost worth the flight to go to B&H and walk up to a counter where you can handle and shoot a camera, ask questions and get INTELLIGENT answers. Shocker.

rawr · 11-28-2010, 09:04 PM

Originally posted by geauxpez

No lenses on them, fingerprints on the mirrors

Ned, you need to send your guys over to Fry's post-haste. This is appalling.

Cannikin · 11-28-2010, 09:13 PM

That's terrible. At my local Fry's, the K-7 has the 50-200 WR on it. The K-x has the kit lens. Batteries dead, of course; same with all the other cameras, except a few of the mirrorless.

KungPOW · 11-28-2010, 09:33 PM

Originally posted by ManuH

That's and old salesman trick. The good answer is to say "I talked to my Pentax representative and they said that Frys was going out of business". Funnily it did happen for Ritz camera, one of their salesman was pulling that same old trick on Pentax.

I miss the "the Ritz sales guy said Pentax in going under" stories.

They were so common, that you knew everything was right with the world. For a while, there would be a "is Pentax dead?" posting about once a week. It was like a UFO story on the front of a supermarket tabloid.

Looks like Frys is becoming the new Ritz as a source for Pentax related disinformation.

Too bad you didn't ask the Sony rep when the A700 replacement would hit the shelves.

**ChaseTheLight** · 11-28-2010, 10:13 PM

Don't know what part of the country you're inn, but my Sony rep shoots with a K20 and Takumar lenses.

HawaiianOnline · 11-29-2010, 12:22 AM

Meh. Is it any surprise? They're in the business of making money for their brand.

Jasvox · 11-29-2010, 04:12 AM

That's funny, I heard Fry's was going out of business...

Jason

m8o · 11-29-2010, 09:18 PM

Pentax is D O O M E D! A sad Sony marketing rep doing time @ Frys on Black Friday says so, so it must be true.

**NaClH2O** · 11-30-2010, 09:48 AM

Originally posted by m8o

Pentax is D O O M E D! A sad Sony marketing rep doing time @ Frys on Black Friday says so, so it must be true.

But Steve! He's in such good company! Tom Hogan, Ken Rockwell, and a myriad of internet pundits have also been saying this for the last 15 years. And they are right of course.

NaCl(as long as "going out of business" = "found a thriving niche market" )H2O

Rory · 11-30-2010, 10:15 AM

Fry's is a smarmy company. The, much like ANTOnline, and all those debacles, list items online and pull them down. Just check out the thread on Slickdeals about the issues people had with the 32" LG LCD for $197 during black friday. It appears Fry's decided they didn't want to sell it for that afterall. Oh, well.

Pentax is in better shape than Sony, IMO. Sony has expanded over the years to such an extent that they don't specialize in anything, and thus, don't dominate any market any longer. Last I'd heard (a year or so ago), Playstation was the only thing keeping them afloat.

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11-28-2010, 02:32 PM	#16
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	No one can guarantee that any company is going to be around forever. Look at General motors and Chrysler. Still, Pentax seems pretty stable. They continue to release excellent niche products and have the best forum of any camera company out there (here, of course). What more could you ask for?

11-28-2010, 04:29 PM	#17
Sifu Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 28	Well I love my Pentax but hate Fry's. A few years ago I was getting back into photography. I had taken a break and changed careers just before the digital revolution hit. I was going to raft the grand canyon with some friends so I went to buy a digital slr, I was thinking about a mid range Nikon but the pro at the store I had used for many years talked me into a K100D, Great camera for far less money. Out of 14 people on the trip I came back with photos that were far better than the others, not all of that had to do with experience, the camera just out performed the others. I did however destroy the camera and a zoom lenz on the trip so I bought a K20D and another lenz. I have enjoyed this camera. Frys on the other hand is a rip off store. I bought a vcr a while ago, it did not work so I took it back, the next five did not work when I got them home and the last one had a different vcr in the box than the box lable. They were repackaging returned equipment. I havent set foot in a Fry's in years now.

11-28-2010, 04:49 PM	#18
chadci Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: 46107 Posts: 54 Original Poster	Originally posted by Sifu They were repackaging returned equipment. I havent set foot in a Fry's in years now. Not even repackaging. I was returning a flash that wasn't firing as a fill flash as I needed it to. It was cheap so I wasn't too mad but it was worth a try. Anyway, I had everything in the package as it was when I bought it, took it to the counter and the lady didn't even open the box. She printed off an open box / reduced priced sticker and tossed it in the bin. It could have been a 2x4 block of wood in there I don't have much need to go there and the store is a good 40 minutes from home.

11-28-2010, 05:12 PM	#19
Cannikin Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: SW Washington Posts: 833	I go to Fry's whenever I need components, small parts and batteries for my computer and other stuff. They have a huge selection of parts and tools that most retail stores don't have, and at much better prices (get a decent set of cables for $4 that "Best" Buy charges $30-40 for). Half my computer is assembled from parts I got there. Their software prices are usually pretty good too. Don't go to them for fully assembled consumer electronics (laptops, cameras, etc.), though. Their prices tend to be just as high as any other rip-off retailer... well, maybe not as bad as Best (Worst) Buy... They get another +1 from me for being the only place I've seen actively displaying Pentax cameras, even if their salesreps are often annoying and clueless (aren't all salesreps like that?). I fell in love with the K-7's body after holding one at Fry's.

11-28-2010, 06:39 PM	#20
geauxpez Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Atlanta Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,196	Too funny. I went to a Fry's last weekend because it's the only place in the state that might carry a Pentax. I wanted to handle the K-7 to get an idea of what the K-5 would be like ergonomically. Sure enough, they had the K-7 and K-x. No lenses on them, fingerprints on the mirrors and heavy anti-theft plates bolted to the bottom with steel cables attached. The guy who talked to me was really funny -- when I mentioned the dead battery he said, "yeah, we gotta work on that." They didn't have any of the newly released models for any manufacturer. He was actually racking his brain trying to think of an indie store in town that might carry Pentax to refer me to for a K-5 or to really test-drive a camera. Cool guy -- crappy store. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I did "have" to go to Best Buy" to pick up a new cordless phone and of course (just for giggles) breeze through the camera section to see what they had on hand. They had a D7000 in a case, so I asked if I could see it. The battery was dead as well, but at least it had a lens and wasn't weighted down. After I held it for 1/2 second, she held out her hand. "We can't leave cameras out on a busy day." REALLY? How do they make sales??? It's almost worth the flight to go to B&H and walk up to a counter where you can handle and shoot a camera, ask questions and get INTELLIGENT answers. Shocker.

11-28-2010, 09:04 PM	#21
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by geauxpez No lenses on them, fingerprints on the mirrors Ned, you need to send your guys over to Fry's post-haste. This is appalling.

11-28-2010, 09:13 PM	#22
Cannikin Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: SW Washington Posts: 833	That's terrible. At my local Fry's, the K-7 has the 50-200 WR on it. The K-x has the kit lens. Batteries dead, of course; same with all the other cameras, except a few of the mirrorless.

11-28-2010, 09:33 PM	#23
KungPOW Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,699	Originally posted by ManuH That's and old salesman trick. The good answer is to say "I talked to my Pentax representative and they said that Frys was going out of business". Funnily it did happen for Ritz camera, one of their salesman was pulling that same old trick on Pentax. I miss the "the Ritz sales guy said Pentax in going under" stories. They were so common, that you knew everything was right with the world. For a while, there would be a "is Pentax dead?" posting about once a week. It was like a UFO story on the front of a supermarket tabloid. Looks like Frys is becoming the new Ritz as a source for Pentax related disinformation. Too bad you didn't ask the Sony rep when the A700 replacement would hit the shelves.

11-28-2010, 10:13 PM	#24
ChaseTheLight Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Longview WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 42	Don't know what part of the country you're inn, but my Sony rep shoots with a K20 and Takumar lenses.

11-29-2010, 12:22 AM	#25
HawaiianOnline Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hawaii Posts: 613	Meh. Is it any surprise? They're in the business of making money for their brand.

11-29-2010, 04:12 AM	#26
Jasvox Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 3,107	That's funny, I heard Fry's was going out of business... Jason

11-29-2010, 09:18 PM	#27
m8o Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: 40°-55'-44" N / 73°-24'-07" W [on LI] Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,092	Pentax is *D O O M E D*! A sad Sony marketing rep doing time @ Frys on Black Friday says so, so it must be true.

11-30-2010, 09:48 AM	#28
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631	Originally posted by m8o Pentax is *D O O M E D! A sad Sony marketing rep doing time @ Frys on Black Friday says so, so it must be true. But Steve! He's in such good company! Tom Hogan, Ken Rockwell, and a myriad of internet pundits have also been saying this for the last 15 years. And they* are right of course. NaCl(as long as "going out of business" = "found a thriving niche market" )H2O

11-30-2010, 10:15 AM	#29
Rory Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chicago Photos: Gallery Posts: 672	Fry's is a smarmy company. The, much like ANTOnline, and all those debacles, list items online and pull them down. Just check out the thread on Slickdeals about the issues people had with the 32" LG LCD for $197 during black friday. It appears Fry's decided they didn't want to sell it for that afterall. Oh, well. Pentax is in better shape than Sony, IMO. Sony has expanded over the years to such an extent that they don't specialize in anything, and thus, don't dominate any market any longer. Last I'd heard (a year or so ago), Playstation was the only thing keeping them afloat.