Camera Stores ?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by bigdog

Planing to buy a 600MM Telephoto lens for my wife

Looking for a local camera store in the Lakes Region, one that has knowledgable staff and know phtography, not just Wal-Mart type sales people.

Closest one I know of. is in Manchester ' Hunts Camera' on S. Willow St.
Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bigdog

As much as I support buying from local businesses, this isn't a case where you want to go exactly that route.

A 600mm lens is the sort of thing that can either be a really solid piece of gear, or a total piece of junk. Any local/independent place is very likely going to try and sell you on whatever they carry, even if it's not what you really want.

For this purchase you should be doing your research online, and THEN find a local shop that carries, or can order, the specific lens you want.

As a bit of a guideline, there are very few quality lenses that hit 600mm, and I'm not aware of any worth owning under $2000 (though I haven't kept up with photography as much in the last few years). A quality 600mm lens is also going to be heavy, and it's not something you can hold-hold and get a good shot from, so look into getting her a nice carbon-fiber monopod or something to go with it.

The good news is your research should be fairly easy. The only lenses worth investing in are going to be from the 4 major players: Canon, Nikon, Tamron, Sigma. *Maybe* Pentax, but not many people shoot Pentax anymore and the big Pentax lenses are pretty rare.