Any opinions on Backscatter or Reef Photo stores?

[danvolker]

I'm looking to buy some underwater photo equipment. Anyone have any experiences with either place? Which one has better customer service?

Sandra and I have purchased quite a bit from Reef Photo over the years, as well as backscatter. Reef would be the preferred of the two, because of better service and a very real concern they exhibit toward your objectives.

A third option I'd recomend is AB Sea Photo, Welcome to A B Sea Photo. Home of the worlds largest selection of underwater camera rentals and the smallest underwater camera housings by Oceanhaus. We have been serving underwater photographers in both the professional and recreationa .... They have a very large inventory, enormous history in the photography business, AND they also do a very large rental business with top end gear.....I actually rented an Aquatica housing and 16 to 35 mm lens from them --for my Canon 5d mark II, prior to buying one...I liked it a lot, Allan of Ab Sea Photo gave me such a good deal on the rental, and so much assistance and real education on what I needed to know of the housing and camera, that I would only consider him for the purchase of the Aquatica housing....

The only gripe I have about Reef, was that they were going to push me into a Canon 7 D, because they did not carry a housing for the 5 D any longer ( they had sold Sandra a Sea & Sea housing for her 5 D a year earlier, but Sea & Sea stopped making that housing. Aquatica had a great housing, but Reef was not an Aquatica dealer. There were several considerations for me, making the 5D a better choice, and I like to feel that the advice I get is for me, and not specific to the gear a given shop sells.....On the other hand, when I made it clear that I really wanted the 5D, and needed to find a housing that was good for it, Reef was even helpful at suggesting places to look....so in reality, these guys really are first class.

 

[MarineResearch]

Ugh, my wife hates both of them, well, except that she loves her underwater camera setup. They are like crack dealers feeding the habits of addicts. They carry a large inventory of quality items and are extremely efficient in getting you exactly what you need. I have had nothing but good experiences with both Reef Photo and Backscatter. They have been very helpful and efficient in helping me blow right past those pesky baggage weight limits and getting some very personal TSA screenings.

 

[Doug Charney]

I have dealt with both and they are both good stores, but I actually prefer Helix Photo in Chicago.

In fact, just last week, Dennis from Helix managed to save me a lot of money compared to what Reef was suggesting. He took into account the equipment that I already had and built around it instead of saying I needed all new equipment. I am VERY pleased with the results.

 

[PatW]

I have dealt with Backscatter and they did fine.

 

[Tug]

I actually just left Reef 10 minutes ago. After dealing with Backscatter East primerally and now Reef, I have to say that they are both great shops and I wouldn't hesitate to deal with either again.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

I only have done business with ReefPhoto, but my repeated experiences with them have me look no further. With ReefPhoto, I have experienced some of the best customer service I have ever seen in my life.