Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by cameraconsumer
47th Street Photo is a camera store on Amazon. They claim that 98% of their customers turn into repeat customers. So does that mean that you should give them your business?
Let’s take an in-depth look at this store, and their history and find out.
With over 4,000 items for sale in their store, this is a fairly large camera shop. 47th Street Photo has actually been in business since 1965 – that’s over 50 years! So does their longevity mean that they are a credible business? Maybe.
They definitely have some tempting deals on bundles!
It’s hard to trust online reviews these days. On one hand, a good review is probably the result of a positive transaction. Likewise, a negative review is probably just vengeance over a bad experience.
But which one is truly a representation of the business?
If you’re purchasing something costly, like a full-frame DSLR camera, or a telephoto zoom lens – something in the $1,000’s, you’d like to know upfront if you can trust the seller or not. And you can’t get that with a review based off of one transaction.
We need to dive in and sort through all of the information available. So let’s start!
General Feedback Overview
Currently, 47th Street Photo has earned about 156,000 positive feedback ratings, with a 98% overall satisfaction rate (96% over the past 12 months).
For Amazon sellers, I generally prefer their feedback to be above 95%, for example. Anything lower is usually a sign of a store that either doesn’t offer a high level of customer support or makes a lot of mistakes (accidental or otherwise).
The image below is a quick snapshot from their selling page on Amazon, covering the past 12 months:
Post edit: This post was written in April, and the numbers above might not be current when you read this. This is their feedback page with current stats.
So far, on the surface, 47th Street Photo does look like an honestly run business.
What Does 47th Street Photo Sell?
47th Street Photo sells the usual photography and imaging gear like cameras, zoom lenses, prime lenses, flashes, lighting, etc. They sell new, and refurbished cameras.
Items like a Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM Lens for Canon, an Opteka E-TTL Auto-Focus Dedicated Flash Speedlite, or a refurbished Nikon D300s SLR Digital Camera.
With over 4,000 items in stock, you’ll find the usual camera and photo brands like Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sigma, Opteka, Fuji, Sony, Vivitar, Hoya, etc., etc.
If you’re interested in camera bundles, then click on the “47th Street Photo” category in the “Brand” section of their store. You’ll find all of their available bundles there.
With most sellers offering bundles, you’ll usually see camera and drone bundles available. 47th Street seems to specialize in lens bundles – both brand name, as well as generic.
Returns & Warranty Information
47th Street Photo has a standard 30-day refund policy. So you have 30 days to look your item over and return it for a full refund if you choose.
They do reserve the right to charge a 15% restocking fee (for buyer’s remorse returns).
All products come with the original manufacturer’s warranty.
Company Profile
47th Street Photo is located in Brooklyn, NY.
They have been in business since 1965. They have retail locations in the New York area, as well as a presence on different online platforms. If you need to contact them, their phone number is 1-(800) 998-2066.
47th Street Photo Feedback In Detail
With the general information stated, let’s dive in and analyze 47th Street Photo, and find out if they are worthy of your dollars. With 50 years of selling experience, there’s sure to be a lot of history to dig through.
They have the feedback, they have the longevity, and they guarantee that their products are 100% authentic. Which is great – but then how about their actual customers?
What is their input?
Shoppers on Amazon aren’t really in the habit of leaving feedback. About 10% of Amazon buyers actually leave feedback. So it’s just not something that is routinely done like it is on eBay.
Except when it comes to expensive items. And cameras can be quite expensive, of course!
With expensive items, like a DSLR camera, a lens, etc., buyers can and do offer a lot of scrutiny. If you mess up their order, or if you ship the wrong item, then they will leave you a negative feedback comment.
Which is not so great for the seller, but it’s good for us – the buyer. It can really highlight the good sellers and separate them from the shady ones.
That said, currently, over the past 12 months, 47th Street Photo has earned 1,801 positive feedback ratings, with only a 3% negative rate. Anything under 5% is quite positive – especially when you consider that Amazon buyers mainly use the feedback feature as retaliation.
Feedback Refresh
Below is a look at their feedback as of April 5th. You can read their current feedback stats here.
The data looks good – their feedback is highly positive in nature, for example. But numbers can lie. So what do customer comments indicate?
If you sell long enough, then you’ll earn your share of negative feedback. You just can’t avoid it.
As a buyer, you have to learn to recognize different types of negative feedback, and what they indicate about the seller.
I generally ignore comments which mention:
- Slow shipping time
- Inventory issues
- Not satisfied with the item
- Incorrect order
These kinds of comments just mean that a mistake was made. No one is perfect, of course. And everyone makes mistakes. It’s just a part of life.
You shouldn’t allow comments that indicate a mistake to sway your opinion. Ignore them.
What Should You Pay Attention To?
Comments that specifically mention:
- An item NOT being received
- Receiving a counterfeit product
- Receiving a used item
- Not receiving a refund
Keep in mind – One or two of these comments may be a fluke, and you can usually look past them. But then more than a handful indicates a trend. In which case it’s best to take a pass.
Let’s take a look:
Scanning through their recent feedback, you mostly see positive ratings. For example, “Item arrived on time” or “great service”, etc. Like these:
How about their negative feedback comments? Do they indicate simple mistakes or dishonest business practices? Let’s see…
Notice a trend?
None of these issues were actually caused by 47th Street Photo.
One mistake mentioned not being happy with the quality of the lens – which is the responsibility of the manufacturer, not the seller. The other four comments were the fault of Amazon’s distribution center – and they accepted blame for it.
Their negative comments definitely indicate mistakes being made, not malicious activity. So far so good; 47th Street Photo does appear to be legit.
Let’s just confirm one more thing. If 47th Street Photo is, in fact, worthy of your business, they should be able to pass this test:
Is 47th Street Photo An Authorized Dealer?
Without question, one of the main factors to consider is where they purchase their inventory from! 47th Street Photo claims to be an authorized dealer for all of the brands that they sell.
But can we confirm that?
You might be wondering why you should always purchase from an authorized dealer.
The truth is, with most consumer electronics, it really doesn’t matter. For small everyday purchases, especially for those under $100, I wouldn’t stress the importance of it. But for an expensive camera (or lens), you want to protect that investment as much as you possibly can. Purchasing from an authorized dealer is one of those ways.
An authorized dealer is a seller who purchases their inventory directly from the manufacturer. In some cases, especially with foreign companies – this is done through an authorized distributor.
Specifically, it’s the only way to ensure that you both receive an authentic product, but that you also receive the manufacturer’s warranty.
So, if you don’t purchase from an authorized dealer, you aren’t entitled to the original warranty – even if the seller claims so. With that said, let’s verify. Let’s start with the major brands. Any credible camera shop will definitely be an authorized dealer with the big brands.
Canon
How about Canon? It doesn’t get much bigger right? So Is 47th Street Photo an authorized Canon dealer?
Yes, they are an authorized dealer for Canon cameras, lenses, and other products.
Sigma
What about Sigma? They sell a lot of Sigma lens bundles. They should definitely be authorized with Sigma right?
Yes, they are authorized to sell Sigma products as well.
Tiffen
Let’s check with Tiffen. They sell good quality lens filters. They’re also well-known and trusted brand:
Yes, we can confirm with Tiffen as well.
Let’s check one more just to be safe.
Opteka
What about Opteka, for instance? They’re a lesser-known brand for camera lenses and photography gear. So let’s confirm with them as well just to get the entire spectrum:
And yes, we can also confirm that 47th Street Photo is authorized to sell Opteka products.
Conclusion
With their strong feedback score, the lack of red flags in their feedback history, and their confirmed relationships with the major camera and accessory manufacturers, we can definitely say that 47th Street Photo is an honest seller, worthy of your business.
So, if you are contemplating a purchase with them – go for it. They’re legit! You should be more than satisfied with your camera order.
