Samy's Camera — Local services in Santa Ana

Too bad I can't give this place 1/2 a star... If you're curious about a certain product come test it out here but don't waste your money here. I was in there a week ago on a Saturday and was helped by a lady in the back by the film area. She was so helpful and and showed me a few different options regarding the item I needed. I was told I wasn't able to return cloth backgrounds so I went ahead and got two huge rolls of seamless paper ( 9 feet long ) they came in boxes and one of the staff members was nice enough to help me put them in the car. I only ended up using one so I drove back to return the unopened one about 4-5 days later. When I tried returning the unopened item I was "helped" by the most unenthusiastic, unhelpful, arrogant woman ever! most places would respond with, " no problem, Im sorry you felt the need to return the item but let me take care of that for you ...can I help you find anything else while you're here?" but no, I was told that I couldn't return seamless paper... I was told by the older woman who i bought the two rolls from that I could. They were boxed.... I did see some rolls that were not boxed and understood how those could be damaged which is why they wouldn't accept my return. she said , "the box is damaged, we can't sell it like that" I told them to open it and look inside , if there were indentations it was from the item ( which one of their employees helped load without telling me that I was risking damaging the inside ) resting on my car seat and my rear window. They told me that they are not allowed to open the item to check the inside to check that the item was ok. Even the manufacturer (Savage) accepts them as returns...they just don't accept returns of the seamless paper swatch. The woman who had sold them to me returned from lunch and I was glad to see her until I realized she had changed the part were she had said I could return the item if i didn't end up using it. The reason Im only giving one star is because she turned into a totally different person when I was trying to return the item. She was being so rude and was acting just as annoyed as the other female in the back. I don't know if she had a bad day or something but one thing became clear to me VERY QUICKLY...these people get paid commission on their sales. If you return what you buy from them they lose out on some money. The customer service at the los angeles location is just as bad but at least the store out there is nicer than the santa ana one . Don't waste your time here. Aside from having to wait in line to be helped ( I waited 20 mins for the lady to come back from lunch and the other salesperson knew this - she still went ahead and helped people before me as i just stood there )

Never again will I shop here. If you see good reviews about this place its probably because they bought something ( they make commission off of you) but if you go back to return one of the items you will get the surprise of your life and leave the place wondering if they're all as bipolar as the person who had just helped you. Management: Do you not read the reviews? your lack of attention regarding customer service issues is costing you customers/ sales . You could be making so much more money if your staff was more inviting...

So, I've accumulated a few vintage and not-so-vintage cameras over the years. It's been a while since I used them, so I figure why not check to see if there's any value behind them? Clear the clutter! Maybe they can be recycled for parts or even find new homes.

I do some research online and I'm pleased to find that some of these models are going for $100-$200. I know for a fact that a few of my fully manual film cameras are great affordable options for students, like my Minolta SRT. Not a huge chunk of change, but enough to motivate me to stop by Samy's.

I am greeted by a gentleman leaning on the counter, stating blankly at me and my girlfriend as we enter the storefront. No smile, no greeting, just an awkward, blank stare. He maintains this stare until I approach the counter, flash a smile, and gently ask, "hello, are you open?" He mumbles something like "yah I am." Continues to stare. I explain what I'm there for, and he directs me to a man in a beige shirt. Cool.

I am again stared at, blankly by the beige-clad gentleman. I am trying my best to beam a sweet disposition but I guess it was a tough crowd tonight. I felt like a massive bother to this dude. He did not smile, say hello, or ask me how he could help me. I explain to the man what I am here for. He says OK and stares down his nose at me with arms folded as I open my camera bag and unload every thing I brought with me.

"Nothing you bought here is something we would buy. In terms of vintage cameras only Canon and Nikon are of any value, and digital have to be VERY recent to be worth anything at all." Coulda saved us both the time and trouble by mentioning that beforehand. I packed my bag back up and felt foolish.

But hmm, let's think about that. I've been dealing with all sorts of cameras since my days at a fine-arts centered high school. Never heard anything like that before. I recall selling my then 5-year-old Nikon d300 and a different Minolta a few years back at the Used Camera Store on Rochester Street (now closed) without a hitch. Back when I lived in NYC, it was quite easy to both repair & unload my old Pentax as well.

(These guys must not realize that they can salvage parts and expand the scope of their camera repair business 🤔 I DIGRESS.)

You don't want to buy my cameras, I get it! There's no need to be rude, standoffish, or snobbish about it.

I imagine this is the kind of camera store that is only kind to the customers who walk in with lots of money to burn. I for sure will never shop here because of the rudeness I encountered. This is the kind of place which zaps the enthusiasm out of hobbyists and students. Wonder why people buy their cameras online? Look no further than...

I too was concerned by many of the reviews here and on other sites. However, Samy’s looks to be the most convenient camera shop in Orange County for size, location and hours of operation, so I went anyway. It was Sunday afternoon and not busy at all, but no one greeted us coming in, though we passed several associates and were clearly aimlessly wandering (hence the 4 stars). To my luck, the first associate to greet me (who had just finished with another customer) was Bill (he has received good reviews from others here, so I was excited). Bill was awesome. I told him exactly what I was looking for and what my plans are (Novice photographer looking to go pro, need a good starter DSLR to learn from and am backpacking around the world indefinitely). I originally had my sights set on the Sony Nex-5. Bill pulled out the Nex-5 and thoroughly discussed the good and the bad as it related to my needs, then he said if it was him and from his 23 years of professional experience as a photographer, he’d recommend the Canon G12. He went over all the reasons why the G12 was a better starter DSLR (it’s really a digi pro but has all the dials of a DSLR and can shoot in RAW format). It does not have interchangeable lenses, but for what I am doing, I’ve realized it really is better for convenience, theft, damage etc…dealing with lenses are just not something I am ready for yet. I need to learn how to use the manual controls first. He also gave me 15 days to try the camera out, but was confident I would keep it. Bill was right. Even after my extensive research to prove him wrong and using the camera in several settings I have decided this is the one for me. It was $499, $300 cheaper than what I would have paid for the Sony bundle, and I got a 3 year protection plan to cover spills and drops, redeemable at any authorized Canon dealer for only $60. I also price checked and $499.00 is the going rate, their memory cards are in line with prices I found on Amazon as well. I highly recommend Samy’s, if you’re very nervous than call ahead and see if...