Miracle on 34th Street

After reading Thomas Hawk’s account of his bad shopping experience at PriceRitePhoto and good experience with B&H Photo, I wanted to pipe an endorsement for the B&H folks.

My family visited long-time friends in Fredericksburg, Va., on Friday. My good friend told me that she had ordered a combo camera/camcorder for her husband for Christmas. She called B&H, which didn’t have the device in stock. After she expressed disappointment, the sales clerk suggested calling Adorma, where she eventually purchased the camera. In an experience straight out of “Miracle on 34th Street,” she praised B&H for recommending a competitor and pledged to shop there again. 

I occasionally go to New York, as my employer is located there. I typically stay at the New Yorker Hotel, in part because it is conveniently located about a block from Penn Station (I train it there) and another block from B&H Photo (it’s on 9th Avenue and 34th street). Unfortunately, my last trip coincided with a Jewish Holiday, and the store was closed.

Few weeks back, my friend asked for a digital SLR recommendation; I made several. She eventually picked the Nikon D50, which suited her needs and budget. On my recent visit, I lugged along my Canon 20D. She snapped the above picture of her husband, using the 20D with attached EF 24-70mm f2.8L lens. The picture is posted as taken, with no retouching or cropping.

Photo Credit: Mimi Dempsey