Jim McClain
Veteran
- Location
- Teh REAL Northern California
For some reason, my credit card company raised my credit limit a whole bunch recently, so I decided to go lens shopping online today. I have a D810 and a D5600 and Tamron's version of the Holy Trinity of zoom lenses, 15-30mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm, all f/2.8. But they are all the first generation of those lenses. The second generation (G2) came on the market in 2017. My usual go-to camera equipment online store is B&H Photo and I saved this lens to my Wish List last year and was looking at it again a few days ago.
Because of cookie tracking, I saw an ad on a website for this same lens at a much better price than B&H - about 300 bucks better. Walmart isn't known for photo equipment, at least not known to me, but the ad linked to Walmart, where I have an account mainly to get household items and the oil and filters I use for my Jeep. Turned out, the lens was being sold and shipped by TriState Camera through some kind of affiliate deal with Walmart. The price was $868, 331.00 cheaper than B&H. It also said only one was available. I just saw the same lens on ebay from the same seller for the same price: Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Nikon F (AFA032N-700) 4960371006420 | eBay (that one also says it's the last one).
I'm always suspicious of great deals like that. It said it was a new item, came with everything Tamron puts in the box (caps, hood, bag) and even had free shipping. I hesitated for about an hour, then went ahead and bought it. Now I am going to worry until it arrives and I have a chance to use it because I think somehow I'm getting screwed. Maybe it will be seconds or damaged or some part missing - something that was the reason it was so damn much cheaper than a company that normally has prices as low as they get.
Have things changed with B&H? Is TriState Camera actually a scam? Or am I gonna receive a great new lens at a remarkably good price that I will enjoy for years to come?
Because of cookie tracking, I saw an ad on a website for this same lens at a much better price than B&H - about 300 bucks better. Walmart isn't known for photo equipment, at least not known to me, but the ad linked to Walmart, where I have an account mainly to get household items and the oil and filters I use for my Jeep. Turned out, the lens was being sold and shipped by TriState Camera through some kind of affiliate deal with Walmart. The price was $868, 331.00 cheaper than B&H. It also said only one was available. I just saw the same lens on ebay from the same seller for the same price: Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Nikon F (AFA032N-700) 4960371006420 | eBay (that one also says it's the last one).
I'm always suspicious of great deals like that. It said it was a new item, came with everything Tamron puts in the box (caps, hood, bag) and even had free shipping. I hesitated for about an hour, then went ahead and bought it. Now I am going to worry until it arrives and I have a chance to use it because I think somehow I'm getting screwed. Maybe it will be seconds or damaged or some part missing - something that was the reason it was so damn much cheaper than a company that normally has prices as low as they get.
Have things changed with B&H? Is TriState Camera actually a scam? Or am I gonna receive a great new lens at a remarkably good price that I will enjoy for years to come?