Review of Focus Camera on Amazon

Last Updated on May 9, 2023 by cameraconsumer

Focus Camera LLC is a camera and electronics store on Amazon. With over 6,000 items in stock and a loyal following, they are one of the leading photography stores on Amazon.

And their prices are actually pretty competitive. So, make sure to check out their markdowns and sale items.

 

Focus Camera is a family-run operation and has been in business since 1966.

But does longevity in business necessarily mean that you should purchase from them? Let’s analyze this store, and its selling practices to find the answer. 

I  generally don’t trust reviews online, because it’s one person’s experience – usually after one purchase. A good transaction will result in a positive review and a negative one into a bad review.

And for most stores, that’s fine. I’m ok with that. But if you’re planning on an expensive purchase, like a DSLR camera, or a zoom lens, I think we need to take a deeper dive.

Let’s begin.

 

General Feedback Overview

Currently, Focus Camera has earned about 87,000 positive feedback ratings, with a 98% overall satisfaction rate (96% over the past 12 months). On Amazon, I like to see a 95% rating or higher. This indicates not only an honestly run business, but one that offers a good level of customer service as well.

This is a snapshot taken from their Amazon profile:

 

Post edit: This post is from March, and the feedback percentage above might not be current when you read this. This is their feedback page with current stats.

So far, on the surface, Focus Camera does look like a legitimate business. 

 

Store Offerings

Focus Camera sells the usual photography and imaging gear like cameras, camera lenses, flashes, tripods, etc. But they also sell consumer electronics like headphones, computer accessories, video game consoles, etc.

Items like a Canon EOS Rebel SL2 DSLR Camera, a Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Lens with Auto Focus, or Tiffen 58MM Circular Polarizer Glass Filters.

With over 6,000 items in stock, you’ll find the usual camera and photo brands like Canon, Nikon, Tokina, Tiffen, Sony, GoPro, Olympus, Kodak, etc. 

If you’re interested in camera bundles, click on the “Focus Camera” brand in their store page. You’ll find all of their bundles listed on that page.

One positive thing to note: With most camera bundles that you find, they are full of generic no-name accessories. You find yourself wondering about the quality of these components, and if the bundle overall is worth it. 

With the bundles from Focus Camera, there is a much higher ratio of branded products to generic ones.

 

Returns and Warranty Information

Focus Camera offers a 30-day refund policy. Items returned due to buyer’s remorse are subject to a 20% restocking fee.

All items ship within 1-2 business days.

All products come with the original manufacturer’s warranty. 

 

Company Profile

Focus Camera is in Brooklyn, NY. They have been in business since 1966, with retail locations in the New York area, as well as e-commerce since 1995.

If you need to contact them, their phone number is 1-800-221-0828.

Focus Camera does have a file with the Better Business Bureau. And the BBB is a good place to check when doing research. While customers can leave feedback on Amazon, their own websites usually don’t have that feature.

Which means they can rip you off with no repercussions. If you do it one too many times, however, complaints will start to show up with the BBB. 

So if you want to know how a business behaves outside of Amazon, check their BBB file. It will be a good indication of an honestly run business or a scam.

At the moment, Focus Camera does have an A+ rating. So far so good.

 

Feedback in Detail

With the bird’s-eye view out of the way, let’s dive deep and see if Focus Camera deserves your business, or if you should take a pass.

Their feedback looks good. And likewise, they guarantee their products are 100% authentic. They have longevity –  but what do their actual customers have to say?

Most shoppers on Amazon don’t really bother to leave feedback. It’s not a widely utilized site feature like it is on Amazon. You’ll find product reviews. You’ll see Questions and Answers. But you generally don’t check a seller’s feedback on Amazon, and you generally don’t leave it either.

Except when it comes to expensive items – like a DSLR camera, or a macro lens for example. 

With these kinds of items, buyers take slights – perceived or real – very seriously. Feedback is naturally the outlet of their frustration.

That said, currently, over the past 12 months, Focus Camera has earned 11,818 positive feedback, with only a 3% negative rate. Anything under 5% is quite positive – especially when you consider that Amazon buyers mainly use the feedback feature when they are upset.

Here is a snapshot of their entire feedback history as of today. You can also read their current feedback stats here.

So their feedback history looks good. But numbers only tell half the story. Let’s see what their customers have said. Every store or seller receives their share of negative feedback. What really matters is what type of negative comments they have received.

 

Negatives That You Can Ignore

Assuming they haven’t received a countless amount, you can generally ignore comments which mention:

• Slow shipping
• Item price
• Out of stock
• Unsatisfied with the actual product
• Wrong item received

Everyone makes mistakes – so does every business. They don’t necessarily translate into malicious intent.

The types of comments above all indicate that a mistake was made. Some people are just too sensitive. Maybe they’ve had a bad day, maybe they don’t have much going on in their life, or maybe they’re extremely picky.

Whatever the case is, negative feedback comments that mention a mistake say a lot more about the buyer than the seller – ignore them.

So, what should you NOT ignore?

Comments that mention items not being received at all, comments that indicate counterfeit products being shipped, and numerous complaints about used cameras being sent when a new one was ordered.

One or two of these types of comments is generally not a big deal, but they are definitely red flags. If you see more than a handful, for instance, stay away!

Let’s take a look.

 

Recent Feedback Examples

Scanning through their recent feedback, you mostly see positive ratings. Comments that mention “great seller” or “product arrive on time”, for example.

Like this:

Now let’s check their negative comments. Let’s see if they make mistakes, or if they are involved in shady business practices:

Three of these comments are about not being satisfied with the actual product – which is a reflection of the manufacturer, not the seller. And the fourth is about receiving an incorrect item. 

So, their negative feedback definitely indicates mistakes being made, not purposeful actions.

Everything looks good up to this point; Focus Camera does appear to be legit. Let’s just confirm one more important factor. If their feedback didn’t reveal a scam, this next category definitely will:

 

Authorized Dealer (or not)

We spend a lot of time debating about which camera to buy, which features we prefer, etc.

But without a doubt, the best camera purchases come from an authorized dealer. Focus Camera claims to be an authorized dealer for all of the brands that they sell.

Let’s see about that.

If you’re wondering why it’s important to purchase from an authorized dealer…

An authorized dealer is a seller who purchases their inventory directly from the manufacturer or main distributor. It’s one way to ensure that you are receiving authentic merchandise, and it’s the ONLY way to receive the original and full manufacturer’s warranty.

So, with that said, let’s verify their claims.

 

Canon

Canon is a universally recognized photography brand. In my experience, If you aren’t authorized to sell Canon products, you probably aren’t authorized to sell anything else. 

So, is Focus Camera an authorized Canon dealer?

They are, in fact, an authorized dealer for Canon.

 

Nikon

So how about Nikon?

Nikon is the other titan of the photography world. Any legitimate camera shop should be an authorized Nikon dealer.

Likewise, they are authorized to sell the Nikon brand of products as well.

Maybe you’re not interested in a new camera. Perhaps you’d like to buy an accessory like a lens, a tripod, etc. How about accessory manufacturers? 

 

Tokina

Let’s check with Tokina – they sell camera lenses and lens accessories.

Confirmed, they are an authorized Tokina dealer.

Let’s check one more just to be safe. 

 

Manfrotto

Focus Camera has a large offering of Manfrotto products. They carry Manfrotto tripods, camera bags, and other photography accessories. Let’s confirm with them as well:

And yes, we can also confirm that Focus Camera is authorized to sell Manfrotto products.

 

Conclusion

So, having analyzed their feedback history and customer comments, and confirmed their status as an authorized dealer for the major camera and photography brands, I would say that this is an honestly run business.

Focus Camera is legit! Likewise, you can buy from them with confidence.