My wife and I were in San Clemente for something else, and happened upon this quaint camera shop as we walked by. Being a camera enthusiast, we went in. Nice, helpful owner asked us if he could help. I've been researching tripods, so I asked him if they had one that would be light, compact and able to support a DSLR with 300mm lens. He pointed to one that looked nice. Then he said it was on sale. I asked him for how long it would be on sale, and he then stated that if we were willing to buy it right there, he'd give us more off. It seemed like a good deal, so we agreed and bought it. Upon getting home, buyer's remorse set in. I noticed a couple issues with the tripod. Then I put my camera on it with a smaller (18-200mm lens). The head that came on the tripod sagged right away. No way would this hold a camera with 300mm head. I called him back and he said to come in and he'd see what options there were. I did some more research and found out that, besides getting what could only be called an "OK" deal, the head was not the standard head that this tripod normally comes with. My primary complaint is that I was explicit about what the tripod needed to be able to do, and was sold something that couldn?t do it. We did get him to (very) reluctantly replace the head in the end, which I?m glad about, but I learned after the sale that he has a no-refunds policy. Ultimately, I must say that I cannot support Arcade anymore. My idea of an ?old-fashioned? shop is that they know what they?re doing, and they provide amazing service. Also, I must say that I?m disappointed in myself for falling for what was really a pressure-selling tactic. I should have just walked away (Amazon has the same tripod for 15% less than what I paid, and they charge no tax ? or shipping).
Pros: Old fashioned camera shop
Cons: "No Refunds" when there is a problem
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