Anyone ever shop from KevinCamera(.com)?

[Pindy]

Wondering if they are reputable.

[colyn]

Way over-priced...........and rude............

[kshapero]

Way way over priced.

[raid]

I needed a Leica front lens cover. He had it.

[Frontman]

I ordered a Leica hood from them a couple of years ago, it was described as being in very good condition, but when I received the hood I found it to be quite damaged. They allowed me to return it, but they were rather rude and unprofessional. I won't deal with them again.

[plummerl]

I've picked up several items from Kevin Camera and never had an issue with him. This was on Oly OM gear. The items were as advertised or better.

[Rob-F]

Is this the same as "gokevin?" I've seen that one on eBay.

[Pioneer]

I like old Zeiss Ikon equipment and I have ordered a couple items from Kevin Cameras and been happy with them. He seems a little overpriced for some of the things I have been shopping for but I have found the goods I have bought, which were a bit difficult to find in the first place, to be fairly presented and a good value. I would buy from him again.

[Phil_F_NM]

I've shopped with him since 2005. Not regularly but if there is some hard to find item, he often has one. He used to have a retail office location in downtown LA, which is where I first met him and purchased my first 10.5cm Nikkor in LTM mount.
I think he was quite courteous and professional then and has been in the years since. Goodness knows he doesn't make much money off me since I've always bought some of his least expensive items and in spite of that, I've always had a good experience dealing with him.

Phil Forrest

[ricnak]

I used him recently. The price and communication was good. Postage was super speedy. Four days to Australia.

[Doug]

Yes, he's pricy. Yes, he's got the goods. And the detailed photos so you can see for yourself and choose. I've bought several items from him over some years, and always got fine service and have been pleased with the goods.

[George Bonanno]

I've had two perfect transactions with Kevin Camera.

What's going on here ? Someone looking for something... for nothing ?

[maitani]

bought twice,imo a very good dealer, with some of the getting rare/or 'impossible to find' stuff, the top-stuff is rather expensive that's true, but then, nowdays on the film cameras you pay for the condition (sometimse rarity..) not really the camera itself.
some bargains can be found sometimes in between, also ratings are very accurate, rather conservative.

[peter_n]

As others have said, he's good for out-of-the-way stuff and the service is excellent. I've made two purchases and have been pleased with both of them.

[I Love Film]

I needed a hood for a Rolleiwide.

I tried to negotiate a lower price, but he would not go a penny lower.

He was the only one who had one so I paid and received it.

It was exactly as described, well packed, and I got it fast.

He knows what he had and he knows the market. Nobody is forcing you buy from him.

Kevin has various aliases and has purchased rare items from me during my long eBay career.

[colyn]

Originally Posted by George Bonanno

What's going on here ? Someone looking for something... for nothing ?

Actually no. People want something for a reasonable average cost for the item.

I don't call $1395.00 for a Minolta XK body without meter and with a dead shutter that he quoted me a couple of years ago reasonable or $695.00 for a Minolta 200mm f/3.5 Rokkor-QF lens..

His eBay prices are way beyond reasonable........

[Nokton48]

I've purchased two or three extremely rare items from him, he was the only one who had them. So I bit the bullet and did the deal. He has a number of buyers that work for him, I've sold him at least a few items in the past, I'm absolutely sure of that.

At the time I was happy to get the items. It worked out AOK.

[semrich]

I've done 3 or 4 transactions with him, and would deal with him again. He had gear I wanted that no one else had, so I paid the price. It always was as shown in his numerous photos, never any problems. Without question i would deal with him again.

[roundg]

I have done several deal with them. No problem and always smooth.

Obvious they set price on high end and pls check the pic carefully as they rate their items optimically. But they don't cheat or hide defection on pictures.

[enasniearth]

Quite a few years ago , he purchased many Nikon and Leica rangefinder items from me on eBay . Since he bid the item went higher in price .
He has the rarer items in stock .
He probably paid more than you might think for many items he has .
A lot were bought before the crash here .
Still his prices are higher than you might find the item for elsewhere , but
It will involve a long search and bid process to locate it .

I have not purchased from him.

[Nando]

I've purchased a number of items from Kevin over the years. The asking prices may seem high but Kevin will haggle. I don't think I've ever paid his full asking price except for one particularly rare item, which nobody else had. I've never had a problem and never found him to be rude. With Kevin, you know exactly what you are getting.

[clicker]

I bought one items from him some years back and had a smooth transaction.He is expensive so you may want to shop around before you purchase from him.

[Paul T.]

I've dealt with him over one item - although ultimately it turned out what he had wasn't quite what I was looking for, he was helpful, efficient, courteous and professional.

[jcrutcher]

they have all the odd ball stuff including regular items. Very expensive, the few things I bought they were last resort but product was very good.

[retnull]

Did one transaction with Kevin. He had a popular lens, but in uncommonly good condition. The asking price was, yes, very high. He accepted my offer, which was for a reasonable price. No problems with the transaction, in any way.

[t.s.k.]

I've bought from him after all other options were exhausted...but paid out of my ear for it.
For uber-rare items that you need NOW, what else can you do?
He's a smart fellow and knows the market well.

[raid]

This brings to mind a local grocery store here. He offers 150 types of cheese, among other food items. He is expensive, he is most likely selling items at a higher price level than a regular grocery store, but when people with special food wishes want such items, and when tney have the money, then tnis grocery store is the one to buy from.

Stay away from it if you want to pay average.

[Benjamin Marks]

I have bought a couple of things from him and they have always been as described. As fo his prices, they are high, but that's where he has placed himself: at the top of the market for this esoterica. If you need something that is a little out of the ordinary, say a Konica AR 57/1.2 [or insert your own exotica here], Kevin often has one in great condition for a price. In my limited world of "where do I find it" he defines the tippity-top of the market. I don't buy from him often, but when I do I am glad that there was someone with a good track-record to purchase from. I'd much rather do that than trust to an e-bay transaction for an unusual item. There is so much less certainty in that forum and no way to ensure when you are bidding that you will get the item question when you need it.

So go in with your eyes open, but if you really need whatever it is and KEH isn't stocking that flavor this month, be glad that there is a source for this exotica.

Ben

[Gumby]

His goods are often in exceptionally good condition. That costs because that has value. But in general I have never had a desire to spend that much money since I'm a user not a collector.

[dogberryjr]

Originally Posted by t.s.k.

I've bought from him after all other options were exhausted...but paid out of my ear for it.
For uber-rare items that you need NOW, what else can you do?
He's a smart fellow and knows the market well.

This.

Plus, you can go to his site and fantasize about how much your own gear is "worth."

[Pindy]

Thanks to everybody for weighing in. I wasn't getting emails that you'd replied—apologies for not responding in a timely manner.

[m4malious]

Rude.....and suspect: have to wonder about a guy who has an ebay account in the name of "Richard T. Eng" based in the USA, but is actually from Hong Kong.....

[Vince Lupo]

I had the occasion to buy something directly from him when he was based in Los Angeles and I happened to be there on business. I think it was an early black 85mm Contax RF lens, and I went to his tiny, cluttered space in an office building downtown to pick it up. Very nice guy to deal with (at least to me in person), and the lens was great. As people have mentioned here, he’s not the cheapest, but if you’re looking for that elusive camera/lens/accessory, he’ll likely have it.

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Never purchased from him, but then, I am allergic to mint, and everything he sells seems to be contaminated with it...

[View Range]

Kevin is the only seller I know of that posts enough pictures so that the buyer knows exactly what he is getting. Kevin speaks English only poorly, so he may come across differently to what we are used too. He serves the collector market where condition is critical. He splits his time between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. I have never had a problem with Kevin.

[rbsinto]

I've never purchased anything from him, based mainly on his outrageous pricing and the fact that nothing he sells is ever rated as less than "excellent" despite what the photos or descriptions show or describe.

[aizan]

Would people care to say how much they’ve haggled prices down? Asking for 3x the going rate is strange, and the condition ratings are meaningless.

[Steve M.]

As mentioned, he can be rude, and his prices are often ridiculously over priced.

[Timmyjoe]

Been dealing with Kevin's Cameras since 2006. His prices are a bit steep, but, as mentioned previously, he has many very rare items, he has lots of pictures showing the items condition, I always found him pleasant and professional to deal with, and there are times when he's the only source for camera related items from a long time ago.

Best,
-Tim

[Sumarongi]

Mr. Kevin Li has items that have never surfaced in Europe, so if you want something really really special that even Leicashop Vienna doesn't have, Kevin might have it. Obviously he likes Europeans: the prices that I have paid were O.K., communication was extremely polite, delivery very fast.