Visit to B&H in New York
 

Hi,

Inspired by the previous thread on B&H, I will be visiting New York in a month or so and I was planning on visiting B&H. Does anyone have any recommendations on any gizmos worth buying to help video production, beyond the normal accessories. You know, the kind of things that you wouldn't necessarily think about buying but have proved invaluable and you wouldn't live without. For instance, I intend to buy a hoodman for the lcd screen to help visibility outdoors.

Also, are there any other stores worth visiting in New York?

One Sunday morning 2 months ago, I was carried in on a wave of 60 anxious buyers. It's a fabulous place, allow an hour just to look around.

I bought a Travel Smart all voltage world power adaptor with surge protector very cheap, some Hearos earplugs for airtravel and their next to last 50 Panasonic AYMQ83 minute DV tapes. They're now discontinued.

Suggest you visit their website and make a list so you don't waste time and cash. ^ ^

Check their opening times too. Adorama is about a 15 minute walk from BnH.
Cheers.

I like to print the online shopping cart and bring it to the store. It helps them find specific items more easily (and it helps me from getting sidetracked). I can't remember how many times I've had to go back because I bought something else instead of the item I needed.

How about a table top mic stand, or a clip on mic holder? And I always seem to run out of velcro cable fasteners. Tape/head cleaner. Earphones. A pack of LCD protectors. Shoe mount for shockmounts. Onboard light. Clapper/slate. Lens cap keeper (so you don't lose it). Also if you buy tapes in bulk, they come in small retail boxes, nice for keeping tapes organized while travelling -- and regular tape holders/organizers.

I don't think B&H sells them, but a portable labeler is a life saver!


And I hope you realize the BIG CATCH 22. It can be cheaper to pay shipping than to pay NY sales tax in the store.

Hi Mark. I had to chuckle just a bit when I read your post. Believe me, within a few minutes of walking in the door you will find all kinds of cool things you never even realized you needed. In fact, I think you will need the opposite mindset - you'll have to convince yourself that you don't need all the gizzmos you find :-)

As far as other stores, I don't think any of them come close to the selection you'll find at B&H. Wandering around town you will stumble across some of the other places which regularly place big ads in the video magazines. Prepare to be "underwhelmed"...

Have a great trip, and try not to exceed the limit on your credit card!

Damn! now I'll have to go back.

Mark, stay well away from those Brooklyn camera stores. Don't even walk past one carrying a camera. Have a great trip.

Cheers for the comments guys. I can't wait to go to B&H. My expectations are so high now I just hope I won't be disappointed.

The only disappointment you might experience is that depending on the day of week and / or time of day, B&H can be very busy and quite crowded, making it difficult to move around and see everything. The sales staff there is very helpful, but keep in mind that there are other visitors too who will have questions for them, so try not to monopolize the attention of a staff person too much. You'll have a great time at B&H just taking in the place. Be sure to give us a trip report,

Also be sure to check their hours of operation before planning a visit: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/Hel...fOperation.jsp

Does that mean that B & H brochure price for a lens does not include NYC sales tax? What rate is NYC sales tax? If I ask B&H to send it to a business address in NY do I avoid that tax (&pay shipping instead)?

I know in my case it was cheaper to have it shipped than to pay NY taxes.

The prices listed by B&H do not include sales tax. You pay sales tax if you purchase an item in the store, or have it shipped to a NY address. Purchases outside of NY State are not taxed.

You will find more info on sales tax on B&H's site: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/Hel...r/SalesTax.jsp

Lots of other questions can be answered right here as well: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/Hel...helpcenter.jsp

FWIW, it is standard practice in the US to quote prices before sales tax, so prices you see in other catalogs or websites will also be pre-tax. Each state and municipality has the ability to set their own tax rates so don't expect any consistency between different geographic locations. Some states (like Delaware) don't have any sales tax. There is no national sales tax in the US (yet).

Also, if you're a US resident just about every state which has a sales tax expects you to pay them directly at their rate for purchases made out of state. These are called "use taxes"... whether or not you choose to pay and whether you will get caught it is another matter.

We look forward to your visit, but as was noted elsewhere in this thread, PLEASE be mindful of our regular weekly schedule and of our holiday closings. We will be closed on several days during Sept & Oct which are not considered "holidays" in standard secular calendars.

Thanks for the reply Henry. I've checked your calendar dates on your website and although some of the dates fall on holidays, I was planning to visit on a Sunday which I believe shouldn't be a problem. I can't wait. The store is a legend.

Take some pics of the store inside and out. I'm kinda curious to what it looks like.