FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you ship to me in my country? Yes, I'm able to ship anywhere in the world.
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How long does it take to get my order? I try to mark the delivery times for each item at the bottom of the product description. Usually this is between 1 and 3 weeks, except for TLR cameras that typically have a bit of a back order.
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Who pays import taxes and duties? If you are in the US, I pay the import taxes and duties. If you are outside the US then you may be liable for import taxes or duties in your country. If you are in California, then you will be charged state tax.
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How do you set your pricing? My prices are set at the same list price as the factory would charge to make it the same wherever you buy. However, it turns out my prices are cheaper than buying direct from the factory because I pay the US customs taxes and duties, and I get much better rates on the Dollar to Euro conversion. If you bought a lens from DHW direct - you'd pay 4.9% paypal fees plus approx 3% in Dollar to Euro conversion fees or bank wire fees, plus then you'd pay about 7% import tax on its arrival to the US. My prices are often cheaper than B&H too, sometimes a lot cheaper.
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Why do your prices move up and down a little bit? Euro to dollar exchange rate fluctuations force me to adjust my prices a little bit every quarter or in extreme cases more often than that. DHW-Fototechnik may also have adjustments that necessitate a change here.
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I'm in the UK - Can I buy from you and have my order sent from Germany direct to avoid the VAT? No, unfortunately this isn't possible. Unless you have a VAT-Id, you will have to pay the VAT one way or the other, buying direct from Germany or on import if you buy from me in the US.
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What is your returns policy? Here is the page: http://rolleiflex.us/pages/return-and-refunds-policy
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Do you have a showroom? Not currently, but I am considering different locations in San Francisco - hopefully combined with a studio. In the mean time, I'm able to meet with people and show them the equipment where they are or at a friends camera shop - Glass Key Photo.
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Do you sell digital backs? No, not normally, but I will have from time to time used digital backs. I can recommend some good dealers that I have built relationships with however.
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Why did you want to be a Rolleiflex Dealer for DHW? Because they asked me too! But I never would have gotten there if I didn't love the cameras for their wonderful ergonomics, viewfinders and superb lenses.
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What is your favorite camera? Rollei Hy6 with AFi-ii 12 digital back, but I like to travel with the TLR's. I have a 2.8F, FT, FW and Baby TLR's.
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Where can I see sample images? I have started a flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/rolleiflex-usa/ where people can download full sized images, and most of my own images were taken with Rollei's. http://www.eh21.com/
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In your store, some items don't have photos - does that mean they are not available? If the item is available you will be able to put it in your cart. Some items, I have not had a chance to take a photo of yet, and haven't been sent product images from the factory.
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Do you have any informational videos? Coming soon!
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What flash units work with the different cameras? This is a bit of a complex and lengthy answer - but mainly the TLR cameras work with the Metz system using the sca 356 module and the SLR cameras with the 3562 flash modules. I'll answer this question in a blog post soon.
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Will Phase ever make a digital back for the Hy6? If enough people ask them, I'm sure they would consider it. There is no legal reasons to prevent them from doing so now. So please ask this question to your dealer or to post to the Phase One blog.
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Will DHW make the 35mm Flektagon lens? They have not ruled it out, but the cost to produce this lens is very high and DHW does not want to compromise on quality. Currently they are looking at DFM (design for manufacturability) - in other words ways to make this lens cheaper to manufacture.
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Is there a polaroid back for the Hy6? DHW has said the cost to build one to their standards would be very high, particularly for a short run. They do have stock of the 6000 polaroid backs. I'm thinking of ways that they can be modified to work with the Hy6.
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Do you still shoot film? Yes I do! And I have many customers who also do!
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How do you scan your negatives? I've written a blog post about this here: My film 'scanning' set up.
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Can I place an order over the phone? Yes you can! My phone is 415-513-7470 and hours 9am to 5pm Pacific Time.
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Do you take trade ins? Not normally, but you can always ask if you have something particularly nice or interesting.
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Do you buy used camera equipment? Once in a while, if its something that I think my customers might like and is in very nice condition.
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What is an Apogon lens? DHW-Fototechnik is no longer paying license fee's to Schneider and Zeiss to use their name on the lenses. Instead they are using Apogon.
- What are the custom leather choices for TLR's? Here they are on this page TLR Custom Leather and Coverings Choices