...how can I if I simply can't buy what I need here?

I don't even mind if I'm paying over the odds. Hell, make it twice the price of neighbouring countries, I don't mind, just as long as I can buy what I need.

All I needed was a diopter +3 diameter 62mm, an auto extension tube, and a 10 stop ND filter. Ok this is photographic stuff that a little bit out the ordinary, but not excessively so. But not one of the so called specialist photo shops in Zurich had any of the items in stock, and in true swiss style the only shop that I would have had the best chance to get this stuff is closed on a Saturday, yes, you read that right, a shop that is closed on a Saturday.

The most helpful shop apologised that they didn't have the items in stock, and offered to order the items for me. So I said "ok, I'll pick them up next Saturday then", to which he said "ah, sorry, orders generally take between 3 to 4 weeks to come through". I bit my lip, and simply said "That'll be too late I'm afraid. It looks like I'll have to order online from Germany", which appeared to upset the poor fellow a little bit.

I don't often complain about Switzerland, and I do like it here very much, but it does annoy me when you can go out and buy some useless piece of expensive tat quite easily, but try getting something that actually has a function, but is slightly out of the ordinary and it's next to impossible.

Sorry for your troubles.


Pic unrelated:

These fashion accessoires would look great in the bahnhofstrasse but i can it is again something you can't buy here

Bring this guy, they will find everything you need.....and fast!

This must be Sutter's neighbour!

For food and groceries, I support Swiss business.
For hobbies and electronics, I go online, Swiss or outside.

The world has changed. We have to change too.
Swiss has to change as well.
Many of them also go online.....

Ebay is your friend, 10 stop or ND 3.00 is impressive indeed, however on many digital cameras you will get a huge ampont of IR poloution, very obvious if skintones are involved. IRND's recomensded for 4 stops ND1.2 or greater.

No skin tones involved, just for long daylight exposures where I can get that really milky dreamy landscape/waterscape, and especially to get that deserted effect when photographing city streets.

IR pollution is not really a problem with this, especially as pretty much everything I'm likely to do with it is already envisioned in black and white.

English Forum -- please post in English.

Fanks.

I know what you mean. I needed to buy a new lock for a bird cage. The pet stores in Germany have this in stock, here I have to special order it.

So you saw the post about electricity from a couple of weeks ago, copy/paste & think nobody will notice! The OP who my answer was aimed at undestood exactly what I was talking about!

Why do they call them Giant Pandas? They don't look that giant to me.

I am flattered that I have an audience of 1 who takes note of the tripe that I post.

(You do realise that my post was entirely in jest, right?)

Hey Slaphead. I have a set of 3 ND filters (2,3 and 4 stop) that can be stacked. They are 77mm but I also have a 77mm to 67mm step down converter. I've had all 4 of these stacked on my old 70-200 f4 lens and they results were surprisingly good. You are welcome to borrow it all if you can get hold of a 67mm-62mm step down ring or even a 77-62 step down which would probably be better. If you can't get the big stopper before you actually need it then let me know and you can borrow my kit. If you had a real camera you could use my extension tubes too but alas thay are for EOS EF mount.

Thank you Mr Hefferlump. The diopter and extension tube would have been handy today, but I'm in no rush for the ND filter - that's an as and when thing. Actually thinking about it, I may well try two polarisers stacked - that in theory should give me an infinitely adjustable "not so" ND filter. That said I'm sure FMF will be along soon to tell me that's probably a bad idea

Yeah! And why is that guy called Richard Littlejohn? He's huge!

How you know that? Got a special treatment?

Opinions are like butt-holes, everybody has one. I just wish most people would just sit on theirs more. Their opinions that is.

Well if Nikon had a high ISO capable (non stupid megapixel) camera I would so be going to the "dark side" right now. I'm still very disappointed with the fact that Canon's only cameras that can expose for the active focus point is the $6.5k D1 X, yet Nikon do it on their $900 D7000. It just doesn't make any sens now.

Anywho. We should get together for another walk about or a sunset cruise sometime soon.

Ciao!

Also have you seen this and this. The seller is in my "city" so if you want I can go check them out for you if you want?

Just to put a couple of things in context for you to hopefully make you feel a bit less frustrated:

Firstly, The 10 stop filter or Big Stoppers are in huge demand & the production of them is having trouble keeping up, this was compounded in autumn last year when Cokin went into administration. I heard that Lee Filters took over some of their business, but didn't yet have the production capacity to fullfill back orders very quickly - also the other major maker of 10 stop filters is HiTech & they were caught on the hop by the Cokin thing as well.

I needed a 10 stop for an advertising job i had coming up in October last year & very luckily I was going via London to it & was able to grab one from Teamwork, but even they only had 1 left after the one I got & no-one else in London had any coming until Jan/Feb 2012.
I probably don't need to tell you how far behind London, Zurich usually is on the supply chain

Secondly, on the shops that were shut on Saturdays: which were they - the pro ones?
ProFot, Graphic Art & Lite & Byte are all profesional suppliers & kit rental outfits & as such they only run Mon - Fri business hours. They are 1st & formost a business to business supplier - It's a bit like you needing a a bit of metal cut for a DIY project & being suprised that the Metalwork factory is closed on a Saturday.

Hope that explains a bit