FAQ

Augenblicke? Who are we?

Augenblicke eingefangen, our online shop

Augenblicke eingefangen is an online shop specialized in photo accessories. We carry products from the manufacturers Really Right Stuff, Kirk, LensCoat, Wimberley, Acratech, PromediaGear, Flexshooter and from other manufacturers.

Quality & Product selection

It is important to us that the products are of high quality, have a long service life and optimally fulfill their purpose in use, thus making photography enjoyable. Many of the products are usually tested in advance by Christian, so that we really only carry products that make sense and have proven themselves in practice.

What you will find with us

In our shop you will find specific camera plates and L-brackets that are built only for your camera and fit like a glove. You will also find accessories for lenses in our shop, as well as tripods, tripod heads, everything for camouflage, weather and rain protection, screws, tools and much more.

Special applications

We also have suitable items in our portfolio for special applications such as macro photography, panoramic photography, telephoto photography, shooting from the car or ground-level shots.

Location & shipping history

We run our online shop in Rostock, directly on the Warnow river. Sometimes the kingfisher calls, then Christian gets all fidgety, but that’s another story ;-).

Since 2007 we have been shipping the products we have selected within Germany, Europe and sometimes even beyond. Most of our customers are satisfied, order again and tell other photo enthusiasts about us.

Payment methods

In our shop we offer various payment methods: advance payment, PayPal Plus, purchase on account via PayPal Plus and credit card payment. These payment methods are secure – so you take no risk when you shop with us and make a payment (even in advance).

Transparency & reviews

For more transparency, we have been listed with Shopauskunft, an independent online shop review portal, since the end of 2019. The experiences of our customers are intended to give new website visitors more confidence that we are trustworthy and that they can shop with us without hesitation. In addition, the customer feedback also encourages us in what we do, from product selection to honest, individual expert advice, which is probably our greatest strength.

Our online shop

What do we offer?

Above we have already briefly introduced what you can find in our shop. For general orientation among our 3000 products, we recommend getting an overview via the categories.

Alternatively, you can use the shop’s internal search.

If you do not find what you are looking for or are not sure that you have found the right item, then call us, use the live chat or write us an email. We know that the “what fits what and for what?” can be confusing, we deal with it every day and are happy to help you.

The products we offer in the shop are mostly developed and manufactured in the USA. We primarily sell manufactory items, not mass-produced goods. So it can sometimes happen that products are not in stock with us and sometimes even with the manufacturer, and we also have to wait for them. Fortunately, your waiting and patience pay off, because you receive a high-quality item that not everyone has. Of course, you are welcome to reveal your source :-)

How do I find the special accessories for my camera?

Please use the path via the category → camera accessories.

Here you will either immediately discover your camera model or click on camera L-brackets or camera plates, depending on what you need. If, for example, you are in the L-bracket category, select the camera manufacturer, e.g. Nikon, Sony, Canon, Olympus and then, from the selection that appears, your camera model (please pay attention to whether it is the camera model with or without battery grip).

If you cannot find your camera model, there is no special accessory for it. This sometimes happens, especially with older camera models, for which nothing is produced anymore. Alternatively, there will certainly be a universal plate or an L-bracket for it.

If you are unsure which one you need, we are here for you! Please just contact us at +49 (0) 381 2038 9994, via live chat or email.

How do I find the special accessories for my lens?

Please use the path via the category → lens accessories.

Here you will either immediately discover your lens model or click on lens plates or replacement lens feet, lens collars or lens protection, depending on what you need. If, for example, you are in the lens plates category, select the lens manufacturer, e.g. Nikon, Sony, Canon, Olympus and then, from the selection that appears, your lens model.

If you cannot find your lens model, there will be no special accessories for it, but there will certainly be alternatives.

If you are unsure which equipment you need, we are here for you. Please just contact us at +49 (0) 381 2038 9994, via live chat or email.

Better to register as a customer or shop as a guest?

Since 2019 we have been using the Shopware shop system (Made in Germany). Here it is possible to order as a guest (without an account) or as a registered customer.

Your own customer account offers you the following advantages:

• Faster shopping
• Track the status of your current order
• Manage customer data yourself – view previous order history
• Store different addresses (shipping to friends or relatives is also possible)
• Create a wish list/notepad

I already have a customer account and cannot log in!

It rarely happens that you cannot log in as usual. In such a case, please have a new password sent to you and try again with it. You can then change the password again at any time. If the login still does not work, contact us by email, chat or phone.

We love technology, and the devil is sometimes in the details!

The ordering process

How do I shop with you?

It’s very simple! Put the desired item or items into the shopping cart and proceed to checkout. Now you must either log into your account or register. After you have entered your address(es) correctly and provided all the required information, and you have landed back at the shopping cart and are “at the checkout” with us, you can still choose your preferred payment and shipping method.

Finally, check the order:

• Are the items and quantities correct?
• Are the billing and delivery addresses correct?

If everything is ok, please tick the box for terms and conditions and right of withdrawal and then click on “order with an obligation to pay”. Depending on the payment method, you will now be redirected to the corresponding page of the payment service provider. After completing the order, you should in any case immediately receive an order confirmation email. Please also check your spam folder; sometimes our emails end up there.

If you have not received an order confirmation email, please contact us. Sometimes a typo sneaks into the email address during the order process. It’s rare, but it happens.

Shipping

I have ordered in the shop – what happens now?

If your order and payment are received by us by 1 p.m. and all items are in stock, we will ship the same day (Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays) via DHL. Our DHL pickup takes place Monday–Friday at 1:50 p.m.

If you didn’t manage to place your order by 1 p.m., don’t panic! Until 3 p.m. (Monday–Friday) you have time to place an order with the DHL EXPRESS shipping option (within Germany). The prerequisite for express shipping is, of course, that payment is received on time and the item is available.

As soon as we have shipped, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with the tracking number so that you can track your order.

After a few days you will receive an email from Shop-Auskunft asking you to rate your purchase with us. You gave your consent to this when completing the order. These reviews on an independent portal are helpful for customers who do not know us so well yet, and we are also happy about every bit of feedback.

Not all items in my order are immediately available

As a rule, we ship the order complete in one delivery, i.e. when all items are in stock.

If you urgently need an item from the order, please contact us.

Can I have something reserved?

No. To have an item reserved, you must place an order. If you would like to view the item on site with us, please leave a comment in your order. We will then hold your order and not ship it.

I’m currently near you, can I drop by?

Of course! You are welcome to visit us during business hours (Mon–Thu 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.) and you’ll also get a coffee or tea. A quick call to +49 (0) 381 2038 9994 beforehand is enough!

Items that are not in stock – how long do I have to wait?

As mentioned above, we do not sell mass-produced goods. The items we offer are special. Therefore, it can happen that we do not have your desired product in stock and cannot ship it immediately.

The manufacturers Really Right Stuff, Wimberley, Acratech, Kirk, LensCoat and ProMediaGear are based in the USA and also produce there. Since these items are fine manufactory products and are not made in large quantities, it can, in exceptional cases, take a few weeks before we can ship your desired item.

However, we order from the above-mentioned manufacturers regularly, at least once a month.

Photo equipment from Really Right Stuff is very popular with us and we therefore place orders with this manufacturer at shorter intervals.

For LensCoat items, in the worst case it can take up to 24 days until your ordered product is available. For current lens models we usually have the covers in the camouflage patterns preferred by our customers in stock. Preferred camouflage patterns are Realtree Max4, Forest Green Camo and, for some time now, Realtree Max5. For older lens models or accessories in other camouflage colors – Digital Camo, Snow or Black – the items are sometimes made to order in the USA. As a rule, we receive a LensCoat delivery twice a month.

We also order regularly from the manufacturers Wimberley, Kirk, Acratech and ProMediaGear, so you rarely have to wait longer than 14 days for your item.

Basically, we are always dependent on the manufacturers and their availability.

Photo accessories for newly released cameras and lenses generally have a longer delivery time. Here the models are measured by the manufacturer in order to then produce the specially adapted equipment. This takes time and sometimes the manufacturers have to come up with something new for the optimal fit. Patience is required here. On average, manufacturers need about 12–16 weeks after the camera or lens is released to develop new accessories. By the way: You can have yourself notified for any item that is not in stock as soon as it is available with us again.

If my DHL shipment is on the way longer than usual, what should I do?

DHL is our shipping service provider. Saturday delivery as well as delivery to Packstations are included and possible with DHL. DHL is reliable. Within Germany, delivery takes place within 1–3 working days. As a rule. Should there ever be problems or hiccups with delivery, please let us know immediately! We do not have all parcels in view. After your call for help, we will contact DHL promptly and try to get your shipment back on the right track as quickly as possible.

Refund of German VAT

In advance: Retailers are not obliged to refund VAT.

If you are resident abroad (outside the EU) and wish to export goods ordered from us yourself, we will refund the German VAT if the following conditions are met:

1. The billing address must match the place of residence*.
   Please check this when completing the order; subsequent changes are not possible!
2. The total value of the delivery including VAT exceeds 50 euros
3. For the refund, the statutory deadline must be observed. The export must demonstrably have taken place before the end of the third calendar month following the month of delivery
4. The original invoice must be stamped by customs and sent back by post to:

   Augenblicke eingefangen GbR
   Schonenfahrerstr. 7
   18057 Rostock
   Germany
   For the refund.

   For the refund of German VAT we use the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction.

   For the refund of VAT we charge a processing fee of €3.50, which is deducted from the refund of German VAT.

   *For the purposes of this regulation, the place of residence is the place entered in the passport or other border crossing documents.

Determining the shipping costs

You can easily determine the shipping costs for your order even before completing the order:

1. Put the desired items into the shopping cart.
2. Click on "View shopping cart"
3. Under "Shipping details" select the desired country in the drop-down menu under "Delivery country"
4. The shipping costs as well as the VAT (depending on the delivery country) will be updated and displayed on the right-hand side.

Delivery to other countries

We ship to the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands (ES), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Refund of German VAT

Ahead of time: Traders are not obliged to refund VAT.

If you are resident abroad (non-EU) and wish to export goods ordered from us yourself, we will refund the German VAT if the following conditions are met:

1. Invoice address must be the same as the place of residence^*.
   Please check this when completing your order - a subsequent change is not possible!
2. The total value of the delivery including VAT exceeds 50 €.
3. The legal deadline must be observed for the refund. The export must be proven to have taken place before the end of the third calendar month following the month of the delivery
4. The original invoice must be stamped with the customs stamp and sent by post to:

   Augenblicke eingefangen GbR
   Schonenfahrerstr. 7
   18057 Rostock
   Germany
   to be returned.

   For the refund of German VAT, we use the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction.

   For the refund of VAT, we charge a processing fee of 3.50 €, which is deducted from the refund of German VAT.

   ^*The place of residence in this sense is the place entered in the passport or other border crossing papers.

Service for customers from Switzerland, MeinEinkauf.ch

Of course, we also deliver directly to Switzerland, with DHL and without VAT. VAT and any customs duties incurred are borne by you.

Alternatively, you can also make your purchase via MeinEinkauf.ch. This is supposed to be very convenient and is used by many of our customers.

You can find more about processing via MeinEinkauf.ch here:

https://meineinkauf.ch/

I would like to return something ...

This is straightforward with us and regulated by law. You can find information on this here:

Right of withdrawal

How returns are handled by us can be found here:

Returns

The item doesn’t fit, can I exchange it?

Unfortunately, exchanges are not possible; returns are handled according to the legally regulated right of withdrawal. You can place a new order for the desired item. Orders are handled separately; offsetting payments would only confuse our accounting.

Returns / exchanges outside the withdrawal period

Please understand that we cannot take back or exchange items outside the withdrawal period.

We recommend selling used camera or lens accessories together with the camera or lens, or offering them in various forums:

• https://www.dslr-forum.de
• https://www.fotoforum.de/community/forum/marktplatz/verkaufe
• https://www.systemkamera-forum.de/
• https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/

I’ve seen a great product, but unfortunately not in your shop

We are open to new products, so bring on your recommendations! The easiest way is to write us an email with a link to the interesting product.

Brands in our portfolio

Really Right Stuff

Yeah, since 2011 we have been an OFFICIAL REALLY RIGHT STUFF DEALER and are allowed to call ourselves that! We know Joe and Joan Johnson (owners of RRS) personally; they have even visited us in Rostock. So we have a direct line to RRS. RRS is a manufactory based in Utah that produces fine items for cameras and lenses. RRS is also known for its high-quality tripods, which are very light compared to other tripods. And of course RRS makes the classic: the BH-55! Also popular in our range are the lever clamps.

Kirk, Acratech & Wimberley

With our other manufacturers in the USA such as Kirk, Acratech and Wimberley, we have equally long-standing, trusting relationships – in some cases since 2007.

LensCoat

We have often supported the founder of LensCoat – Scott Elowitz – as German-speaking support at Photokina and thus know him personally as well.

ProMediaGear

ProMediaGear – the three owners (three brothers) from Illinois are engineers and partly photographers themselves. They also think outside the box and have developed innovative flash equipment (such as the Boomerang) and sturdy carbon tripods. They have given the classic gimbal a fresh look and called it Katana.

FlexShooter

We also have a good personal connection with Csaba Karai, the owner of FlexShooter. He is the developer of the FlexShooter, a unique cross lever clamp, and also offers various other accessories. We are always very excited to see what new ideas he comes up with in his Hungarian ideas workshop!

Tragopan & Camshield

No longer an insider tip: Tragopan, with its camouflage tent portfolio, and Camshield, manufacturer of a new type of lens protection (not made of neoprene!) and other useful photo accessories. The owner is the Frenchman Jonathan Martinez, whom we of course also know personally. Jonathan is a photographer (and ornithologist) and knows what matters when sitting in a hide. Accordingly, his tents are uniquely equipped. With the Camoshield Cover, Jonathan has developed a new type of lens camouflage, soon available for selected Canon and Sony lenses.

Mr.JanGear

Mr.JanGear – manufacturer of the floating hide, beanbags, backpacks and other useful accessories. Mr. Jan develops his products in the Czech Republic and has them manufactured in Slovakia. Of course, we also know Mr. Jan personally.

Berlebach / Novoflex / Eckla / König Photobags

The best for last: with Berlebach / Novoflex / Eckla / König Photobags – all MADE IN GERMANY – we have maintained close business relationships for many years and meet regularly at various photo festivals and photo markets. You can see that our business policy includes not only a good relationship with our customers, but also with our manufacturers. The products are largely manufactured in the USA and here in Europe.

Leofoto

Products from Leofoto are manufactured in China, but have convinced us with their equally high quality, price-performance ratio and innovative products.