Jessops at it again!!

While we're reminiscing, do you recall Dixons selling second-hand stuff? I remember they had a separate window for used equipment in their Oxford St branch. Having said that, their customer service was pretty poor, even in the 60s. Nothing changes. Wallace Heaton was the place to go. Until Dixons took it over

No not now John, I totally agree.

Dont remember Dixons doing used stuff (maybe I'm to young)but as I recall they sold the brand names Chinnon and Miranda, and another that I cant remember.

Yes I miss the Jessops of old, even the Jessops of 7 years ago was better than today's version!

When I was looking for my first digital camera (Optio 550, superb!)it was the Forster Square branch of Jessops in Bradford that let me play with one they got for me to try.
I compared it with Nikons and Canons, the Optio won out hands down!

The manager moved from there to a Leeds store when the council in Bradford decided to demolish the area and turn it into a waste land (still not regenorated after 4 years!!! :cry
She was a sad lose for all photographers in Bradford, as was Forster Square.

I miss talking to somebody who isn't trying to sell me the highest return camera,
I miss talking to somebody who knows what I mean.
I miss the good old fashioned Jessops!

Did I really admit that?

Prinz was one of theirs. These included (literally) rebadged Russian Zenit SLRs. The 'Prinz' badge was stuck over the 'Zenit' logo!

Now we have the internet. Much more information, and from many more sources. I can find out all I need to know without stirring from my comfortable armchair. Then a quick phone call, and next day the kit arrives.

Miss the exercise, though.

G

Yes but the fingers and thumb on the mouse hand are well developed!

Sooner have a good root through a decent camera shop, If I can find one

As for exercise George, all you need is a dog, lead, camera backpack, job sorted. oh and a hip flask helps

I'll have to stick up for my local Jessops - i think its like most stores of its ilk in that some are better than others. I actually did purchase my K200D from them as not only did they offer the best deal not only against different brands, but also (at the time) pretty much equalled or better'd any national deal. Anyway, what really secured it were the guys behind the counter who not only let me take all 3 of my choices out into the street for 10minutes!!!, but gave excellent & impartial advice concerning each of my selections. Just gave me lots of useful info about which one suited which 'style' etc - not just rattled off the 'specs' from the manuals. Frankly, they were superb. My own research swayed me down the Pentax path anyway, but the final decision was made after spending some time instore - crucially, on a quiet midweek day.
I continue to buy my 120 B&W film from there too & always get a bit of chat from the guys & girls..... i know the OnLine side can be hugely frustrating with them ("Sorry sir, lens out of stock" after waiting 30days - only to question my local store who had one all along!) but from my own experience, my local is brilliant & it'd be a sad day if it was lost to be fair.

Cheers
Lee

Sadly the good local Jessops are getting fewer, for them to turn the firm around they need to get rid of the dross, employ a CEO who knows about ALL cameras and advertise the fact.

Then they may start getting customers to return, not just buy one camera and then use the internet.

Jessops don't seem to even be able to put the correct info on their website about cameras, for instance if you do a compassion of dslrs pentax k20d is listed as having no anti dust features which is false. I sent them an email so hopefully they'll fix it.

www.edstonephotography.com

I've had mixed opinions of Jessops.

I've been to a few where there have been friendly and knowledgeable staff, others I've been to look at me with such disgust, as though I've just smashed the shop up, when I ask about Pentax lenses.

I did have to search through 6 stores to find one who even knew that the K20D existed, but said there was a "3 week wait" for a model to be pre-ordered (at my expense) so I could have it in my hands to play with.

Or rather carpal tunnel syndrome and pain in the back

I have had very mixed experiences with Jessops. Extremely helpful chap in the film section downstairs at the New Oxford Street branch but someone who didn't know a damn thing in the lens section upstairs... Best service I ever had was from a shop in Southampton (not Jessops) who spent a good hour going through boxes of second hand stuff to find what I wanted. I came out of there that day with an MX, a M F1.7 lens, a bag, extension tubes, film and a cable release. Mind you that was 1992...

Best wishes, Kris.

Sounds about right, old duffer who doesn't want to kow about digital gets relegated to 'film developing', meanwhile young sprog with more GCSE's than common sense tries selling lenses to the unwary.

When old duffer retires the store will be lost for exprtise in ALL fields, what then.... oh sorry I forgot canikony will keep them afloat, until the Sony centre down the road starts selling cameras cheaper.

Does anybody who works for Jessops read these posts?
Have we any Jessops employees on the forum?
It seems not, nobody seems able to put me, or anybody else, down for slagging of the current staff or sales policies!

Well Sue was an Assistant Manager for Jessops at the Trafford Centre, so you might know her, but then they made all the AM's redundant and lost a lot of expertise. She didn't feel like re-applying for a job at a lower rate, and who could blame her.

However, what I can tell you is that at the time the team at Jessops had a lot of very good people on board, full of knowledge and very enthusiastic because they were photographers. There were those who did weddings, even a fully fledged cameraman unable to get TV work.

Unfortunately it doesn't take long to take the heart out of a good team, to the detriment of those who go and indeed those who stay.

But I do have a lot of time for the good people at Jessops, so we shouldn't tar them all with the same dismal brush.