Hi Friends,

I don't know if other LF photographers have the same problems, I am trying to start out on LF, but I have great difficulty getting the manufacturers and/or mail order houses to send me their catalogs. I have problems with:

1. B&H. They even refused to answer my emails, even after giving them my VISA number for the Professional Source Book, although they have a price for non-US shipping for this book. 2. Arca Swiss. No reply from their email, despite several requests. 3. Sinar. No response, despite several attempts. 4. Linhof. No response, despite several attempts.

I have, however, gotton excellent responses from:

1. Really Right Stuff. But if Arca Swiss don't send me their catalog, how am I going to get the B1 for the RRS? 2. Horseman. Excellent response from Horseman USA.

Would appreciate if non-US friends could share their experiences. Thank you.

-- Peter Chong (pchong@softhome.net), March 06, 1999

Answers

You apparently are trying to get information the hard way. Why?

If you live in the U.S. and want Linhof literature you contact us and we send it to you from NJ.

Why would you want to wait for international mail? In fact most of the European companies eventually forward the literature requests and questions for answering and mailing.

If you need Linhof, Rodenstock, Heliopan or any other literature from companies that we represent you can call and request them at 973 808-9010 (fastest way) or contact our web site at hpmarketingcorp.com (with links to our factories) or e mail me directlly (slowest way as I travel a lot) or contact the factories (guaranteed to be the slowest w

-- bob salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), March 06, 1999.

Dear Bob,

why do you say I am trying the hard way?

I don't live in the US, hence the title. It seems nobody, even manufacturers included...I can understand geographically bound distributors won't want to send stuff to other geographies, but for e.g. Linhof the manufacturer, will benefit, wherever I buy Linhof from...whether it is a dealer in the US or in India, or in Singapore, where I live.

Many of these manufacturers are not represented, or their representatives aren't interested in sending catalogs.

Thank you, Bob, for the swift response.

-- Peter Chong (pchong@softhome.net), March 06, 1999.

Dear Mister Chong

We have checked our database, and we are glad to inform you that ARCA-SWISS did ship you a complete set of all available catalogues. Note: Due to the high Postage charges (in your case Singapore) we do usually not use the fast Priority service. (catalogues are heavy!) Please be patient, you should receive the documentation very soon.

Kind regards

ARCA-SWISS Customer Service

-- Customer Service (arca-swiss@swissonline.ch), March 06, 1999.

Peter,

Sorry but since you began by listing B&H and did not include your location the assumption is that you are in the U.S. The Hong Kong Linhof distributor was (is?) Shiro (H.K.) Ltd 2nd floor Hutchison House 10 Harcourt Rd. 5/245 03 1 fax = 5/810 65 86 My listing for them is from 1994 so it may have changed since the change in government there. Have you tried them?

You can also get info at our web s

-- bob salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), March 06, 1999.

Dear Arca-Swiss:

I appreciate that you have shipped the catalogs. But nobody in Arca Swiss took the trouble to tell me that you have...and I have been making enquiries by email since late January/early Feb. Please tell me when you shipped the catalogs.

For the time being, allow us to continue with private email. I will make a short post as to the outcome when this saga concludes.

Also, I would urge other LF photographers living outside of the US, to share your experiences. Thank you.

-- Peter Chong (pchong@softhome.net), March 06, 1999.

Well...its March 29...and still no sign of Arca-Swiss' "numerous" catalog mailouts.

Does it really take more than 3 weeks for a package from Switzerland to Singapore?

-- Peter Chong (pchong@softhome.net), March 29, 1999.

Shouldn't you be asking the postal service in Singapore?

-- Ellis Vener (evphoto@insync.net), March 30, 1999.

Ellis, I would ask Singapore Post or Swiss Post or the appropriate mail people, if Arca gave me a tracking number for their supposedly 3 packages...I wonder if it really left Switzerland?

-- Peter Chong (pchong@softhome.net), March 30, 1999.

Dear Mr. Chong

As mentioned above, we did not send it by Priority Mail. Therefore no tracking number is available we regret.

Kind regards

ARCA-SWISS Customer Service /Martin

-- Martin (arca-swiss@swissonline.ch), March 30, 1999.

Dear Arca-Swiss...Its almost 5 months, and I have received nothing! Zip, Nada, nothing!

I think you got to pull your act together. March 6 to August 4, is a looooonnnnngggg time for mail to be in transit. In the meantime, I have had parcels of both catalogs, and equipment ordered arrive from Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, the US, Canada and Japan.

I am begining to seriously doubt you ever sent out those materials.

BTW, B&H came through...their mail finally came in...oh, it was sometime in April...I forget to update...thanks B&H.

-- Peter Chong (pchong@softhome.net), August 03, 1999.

Dear Mister Chong

As mentioned in our previous mails, ARCA-SWISS has sent you three catalogue sets to Singapore since March. Therefore we have spent quiet a bit of money to send you catalogues without success and we are not going to do this mistake again. If everything works fine, we should have a PDF-file in the next days. (check your e-mail for a quiet large file)

Kind regards

ARCA-SWISS International Customer Service

-- Customer Service (arca-swiss@swissonline.ch), August 05, 1999.