Tell me where I should buy from, please!

[Kim&Chris]

Can you recommend a company to buy a camera from? I know there are several online places to buy, but I thought you guys would be able to give some advice regarding the most reputable sellers.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

my SIL goes to NewYork camera. I prefer Dans Camera city it is in Allentown just off of rt 22.

 

[AndrewWG]

Several are very reputable. My favorites are:

Amazon.com
B&H Photo
BeachCamera.com
Adorama.com

If you have any questions about whether a deal is too good to be true or just want to check up on a company, www.resellerratings.com is a great place to research them.

Edit: Are you just asking for walk in stores? If so, then I guess I don't know much about them other than Ritz and it is too expensive.

 

[YEKCIM]

BUYDIG, a division of Beach, is also a reputable online retailer.

~Y

 

[WillCAD]

B & H Photo is the single most reputable photo gear seller in the US, and with good reason - they're the best. Some places will have lower prices, but mostly that's because they also have crappy service, or because they are a simple internet retailer with no customer support. B & H will work with you if you have a problem.

I have also bought stuff from Amazon, NewEgg, Adorama, and a couple of other big vendors, when I have wanted the cheaper price but didn't mind the lower level of support.

 

[scottie]

I went around and around (and around again) when I was trying to decide who to buy my D40 kit from. I ended up going with B&H and was pleased with the prompt arrival of my camera kit!

 

[Groucho]

B & H Photo is the single most reputable photo gear seller in the US, and with good reason - they're the best. Some places will have lower prices, but mostly that's because they also have crappy service, or because they are a simple internet retailer with no customer support. B & H will work with you if you have a problem.

I have also bought stuff from Amazon, NewEgg, Adorama, and a couple of other big vendors, when I have wanted the cheaper price but didn't mind the lower level of support.

You picked some pretty impressive stores for your "lower level of support" there! NewEgg is rated higher than B&H at Reseller Ratings, for example (and maybe elsewhere, that was just the first place I checked.) And NewEgg doesn't close for a week at a time. B&H's web site is also not example a model of clarity, and it still annoys me that they insist on separating the "film" lenses from the "digital" lenses - I usually end up browsing at Adorama if I just want reference information for that reason alone.

FWIW, I generally buy from Beach Camera when possible, for the low prices, free (and extremely fast) shipping, and no tax (since I'm in NYS, that means tax from B&H and Adorama).

 

[The Grays]

You guys are killing me. I am an independant photo shop owner. To said that B&H is the most reputable photo dealer just kills me. If you said on the web that would make it a little better. At this rate within the next 5 years you will not have small camera shops like me to go to in emergencies and want to do the touchie feely and then buy from New York.

Go to you local dealer and support them. I understand that price is an issue, but check them out first. I am normaly with in $10.00 of the NY prices and a few times I was cheaper that B&H.

Dan

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

just have to say, I see you are in s.jersey/Phila area. You are only about 1 hr to Dans Camera City. They really know their stuff there. THe service is awesome. They offer classes to teach you how to work your new camera. It is not a chain store. I can not say enough good things about them. I agree with PP, support your local camera shop.

 

[The Grays]

just have to say, I see you are in s.jersey/Phila area. You are only about 1 hr to Dans Camera City. They really know their stuff there. THe service is awesome. They offer classes to teach you how to work your new camera. It is not a chain store. I can not say enough good things about them. I agree with PP, support your local camera shop.

I agree, I have known the people at Dan's for a number of years and would highly recommend them. They have a good and knowlegable staff.

Dan

 

[Master Mason]

You guys are killing me. I am an independant photo shop owner. To said that B&H is the most reputable photo dealer just kills me. If you said on the web that would make it a little better. At this rate within the next 5 years you will not have small camera shops like me to go to in emergencies and want to do the touchie feely and then buy from New York.

Go to you local dealer and support them. I understand that price is an issue, but check them out first. I am normaly with in $10.00 of the NY prices and a few times I was cheaper that B&H.

Dan

If I had a decent camera shop around here I would be happy to. Calumets is very good, but your paying full boat retail on everything, if I can get it significantly cheaper somewhere else then I have to do so. I even asked them if they would match prices and they said no way. Other than that I have Ritz, again full boat retail in most cases, and they closed the only one around here that had any type of decent selection.

 

[Geoff_M]

You guys are killing me. I am an independant photo shop owner. To said that B&H is the most reputable photo dealer just kills me. If you said on the web that would make it a little better. At this rate within the next 5 years you will not have small camera shops like me to go to in emergencies and want to do the touchie feely and then buy from New York.

Go to you local dealer and support them. I understand that price is an issue, but check them out first. I am normaly with in $10.00 of the NY prices and a few times I was cheaper that B&H.

Dan

I'll back what you say 100%. We have a nice local dealer here (Norman Camera) and they are often in the same league than the NYC Big Boys and are a whole lot easier to deal with. As long as the price locally is "close", I'll buy it from Norman. It's in my best interest for me to try and keep them around when I need something at the last minute.

Oh, and good luck getting B&H to sponsor your kid's little league team or buy an ad in your kid's high school yearbook.

 

[WillCAD]

You guys are killing me. I am an independant photo shop owner. To said that B&H is the most reputable photo dealer just kills me. If you said on the web that would make it a little better. At this rate within the next 5 years you will not have small camera shops like me to go to in emergencies and want to do the touchie feely and then buy from New York.

Go to you local dealer and support them. I understand that price is an issue, but check them out first. I am normaly with in $10.00 of the NY prices and a few times I was cheaper that B&H.

Dan

Okay, "On the web." But also in the magazines, labs, and in photographic circles around the country. That doesn't mean I think you suck, but I've heard of B&H even though they are 500 miles from me, and if you mentioned your shop's name, odds are I've neer heard of it unless it's here in Baltimore - and even then I might not have heard of it. Which means that B&H has a better reputation than you. Doesn't mean you have a bad reputation - in fact, if very few people have heard of you, then by definition you have little or no reputation at all.

Reputable:
1 : enjoying good repute : held in esteem
2 : employed widely or sanctioned by good writers

I'd say that B&H, being the biggest, most well-known, widely patronized, and maybe most popular photo dealer in the United States, could accurately be described as being the most reuputable dealer. It doesn't mean "everybody else sucks," it just means that they have the best and most widely-known reputation.

If you were near me and within $10 of the NYC prices (factoring in the difference between shipping or local sales tax, which in MD is 6%), I'd buy from you every time - if your customer service and support are also acceptable to me.

I do buy from my local dealer when they are close to the mail-order prices, and I have great respect for the people who work there. But I buy where I can get the best price/support combo for a particular item, and if that means going to one of the big mail-order dealers instead of the local place, so be it.

 

[AndrewWG]

You guys are killing me. I am an independant photo shop owner. To said that B&H is the most reputable photo dealer just kills me. If you said on the web that would make it a little better. At this rate within the next 5 years you will not have small camera shops like me to go to in emergencies and want to do the touchie feely and then buy from New York.

Go to you local dealer and support them. I understand that price is an issue, but check them out first. I am normaly with in $10.00 of the NY prices and a few times I was cheaper that B&H.

Dan

Setting aside the fact that all of the small local shops around me have been closed due to Ritz, etc., I would have to say that if I can get a camera or lens for $50 cheaper or sometimes even more by ordering it from a big store online, then, well, that is what I am going to do. Do I like it? No, not really. I used to enjoy the days before the internet that I could go into a store and browse AND buy from them. Now, I generally browse, get scared at the prices (talking Ritz prices) and leave. Even at Best Buy, the prices are rediculous most of the time. Again, that isn't a small shop, but it is all we have here. In order to visit a small shop anywhere near here, I would most likely be burning $20 or so in gas, so this offsets any shipping costs of online dealers. I had a favorite small shop when I was using my film SLR and they were forced to go out of business due to Ritz coming into the town that they were in. They got ALL of my business before that.

I would also add that although B&H is a big online and physical store, they are only one store, right? What if your store got that big? Would you complain then? They aren't a chain store. There is a big difference.

For the record, I hate Ritz. Hate them. Really do hate them. The employees they have around here know nothing and are quite rude.

 

[The Grays]

B & H Photo is the single most reputable photo gear seller in the US, and with good reason - they're the best. Some places will have lower prices, but mostly that's because they also have crappy service, or because they are a simple internet retailer with no customer support. B & H will work with you if you have a problem.

I have also bought stuff from Amazon, NewEgg, Adorama, and a couple of other big vendors, when I have wanted the cheaper price but didn't mind the lower level of support.

I was not saying that B&H was not reptuable. I was saying that people should try their local dealer first. YesB&H is the largest single dealer in the country and possibly the world. But to say they are "the single most reputable photo dealer in the US", well that makes me feel there is no other dealer to stand up to them as being reputable. They get the camera companies to fund much of their advertising. They even have camera company employees selling in there store. Many people buying in their store dont know that the person selling them the camera may not be a B&H employee.

Dan

 

[The Grays]

Setting aside the fact that all of the small local shops around me have been closed due to Ritz, etc., I would have to say that if I can get a camera or lens for $50 cheaper or sometimes even more by ordering it from a big store online, then, well, that is what I am going to do. Do I like it? No, not really. I used to enjoy the days before the internet that I could go into a store and browse AND buy from them. Now, I generally browse, get scared at the prices (talking Ritz prices) and leave. Even at Best Buy, the prices are rediculous most of the time. Again, that isn't a small shop, but it is all we have here. In order to visit a small shop anywhere near here, I would most likely be burning $20 or so in gas, so this offsets any shipping costs of online dealers. I had a favorite small shop when I was using my film SLR and they were forced to go out of business due to Ritz coming into the town that they were in. They got ALL of my business before that.

I would also add that although B&H is a big online and physical store, they are only one store, right? What if your store got that big? Would you complain then? They aren't a chain store. There is a big difference.

For the record, I hate Ritz. Hate them. Really do hate them. The employees they have around here know nothing and are quite rude.

Well I agree with you on the Ritz, they have grown and eaten up many other chaines and do not have the quality help working in them.
True B&H is not a chain store, which i did not say anything, I was say those that have local dealers around them to give them a try. And I would hope I would never get tha big like B&H, I like knowing that I can take care and support my customers like I would liek to be taken care of. Being there to answer all the questions, that he online and mail order stores can not.
If thre are no local dealers around then the iternet and mail order is the best place to go, put i do not put everyone int he same position. There have been a ton of little camera stores that hve gone out and many will follow.

Dan

 

[bnorm27]

While some local camera stores will try and come close to the on-line prices, many in fact can not. I purchased my Rebel XTi kit on line for $699. No shipping, no tax. Before I did however, I took the on line price to a local camera shop. When I asked him if he could match it or come close, he laughed. His advertised price was almost $200 higher, PLUS tax.

Unfortunately, B&H and Ritz and the other big stores are doing to camera shops what Home Depot and Lowes have done to hardware stores.

 

[The Grays]

While some local camera stores will try and come close to the on-line prices, many in fact can not. I purchased my Rebel XTi kit on line for $699. No shipping, no tax. Before I did however, I took the on line price to a local camera shop. When I asked him if he could match it or come close, he laughed. His advertised price was almost $200 higher, PLUS tax.

Unfortunately, B&H and Ritz and the other big stores are doing to camera shops what Home Depot and Lowes have done to hardware stores.

You are exactly right. That is what is happening to us. The independant stores will be few and far between. Thanks for checking you local first. I get people doing that and if I can not match or come close, i tell them to get from that place they are showing me, unless I know that they are bad and will warn them of it.

Dan

 

[Geoff_M]

While some local camera stores will try and come close to the on-line prices, many in fact can not. I purchased my Rebel XTi kit on line for $699. No shipping, no tax. Before I did however, I took the on line price to a local camera shop. When I asked him if he could match it or come close, he laughed. His advertised price was almost $200 higher, PLUS tax.

Unfortunately, B&H and Ritz and the other big stores are doing to camera shops what Home Depot and Lowes have done to hardware stores.

Actually, it doesn't have to be that way. Look at this place:

Do they look like a place that can give B&H a run for their money? They do!

How about this place?:

Ditto....

As big as they are, I can assure you that B&H isn't getting their products at 25% cheaper than other dealers. If these two locally owned "mom & pop" operations can stay afloat, then others can too. One of the ways they do it is through superior customer service as well as competitive pricing.