 Alison F. Carlino |
Reputable Online Sites for Digital SLR I done extensive homework and have decided on the Nikon D100. I know of sites such as Ritz, etc to purchase from, but am curious to know others that you guys think are reputable and trustworthy. I am open to either option of buying it online or in person from a store. Your thoughts?
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Tim Devick |
Alison, I have purchased a number of photography-related items over the internet without problem (so far, anyway). Some of the places on the internet are reputable, and some are not. One thing I learned doing some research is that if you see a fantastic price on a camera on-line, there is a pretty good chance that the camera is grey-market - these are legitimate cameras that are imported from other countries but don't have a US warranty. Be sure to ask if you order on-line if the product has a US warranty and make sure it isn't "grey". I have had excellent service from B&H Photo (www.bhphoto.com). I have purchased camera accessories, lenses, film etc. form B&H over the years and have never had any problems with them. I recently ordered an Olympus digital camera from Abe's of Maine (www.abesofmaine.com) and got it in about a week. Abe's of Maine told me the camera was "in stock" even though it was not, but they did get it to me in a week anyway and shipped it 2nd day air at no extra charge. I have ordered memory cards from Amazon.com, as well as books and music, and they are 100% reputable. I have also used Adorama (www.adorama.com), and although I had no problems getting the product I ordered, the salesman on the phone was extremely rude to me so I swore I would never shop with them again. Beware that some places will have really cheap prices for a camera, but then want $50-$100 in shipping and handling charges to deliver the camera. One way to tell whether a company is any good or not is to go to www.bizrate.com and search for the camera you want. It will come up with a list of prices and ratings for every store where it as found. The ratings reflect real users experiences, and you can read individual ratings to see what people are saying about these places. I think if you stick with B&H Photo and Amazon.com you'll have no problems. Other places may be very good, but check their ratings first.
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John A. Lind |
Alison, Three firms I do business with without any worry: I won't say much about Abe's of Maine, except a strong recommendation to read the feedback about them here (listings are in alphabetical order): In using this resource, look for the weight of positive vs. negative and think about who might be posting the comment(s), plus and minus. No buisness has ever pleased everyone. If you read magazines such as Pop Photo, you'll see some major advertisers listed, and perhaps some surprises about what past customers think about them (in some cases an enormous number). I agree in part with Tim; Adorama has been brusqe with me on the phone. I assign the cause to being in the mid-west and dealing with typical NYC brusqeness in business dealings. Even so, they run #2 behind B&H in their internet ordering, phone ordering and customer service. For used equipment, KEH enjoys one of the finest reputations. In all the business dealings I've had with these three firms, each has made some errors; mostly with sending the wrong item. However, it's their basic honesty up front, rareness of occurrence in making mistakes, and handling of the error afterward that keeps me a repeat customer. -- John
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Nicole Daniel |
Alison, Here are some other sites that I found off the internet that were rated in the top ten places for photograph equipment: Photoalley.com Not to mention that this very site sells equipment if you haven't looked here already. Good luck.
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Alison F. Carlino |
You guys rock! Thanks for the great advice. Hope I can help you out one day.
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Gregg Vieregge |
Go to www.tallyns.com These guys are great and will answer all your questions. Consider the Fuji S2 vs the Nikon.
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Patricia A. Cale |
I have ordered from B&H Photo with excellent results. Another good photo retailer is Calumet Photographic -- www.calumetphoto.com. They cater to professional photographers, but have excellent deals. Their prices are competitive with B&H Photo. They do not sell any grey market items. You can sign up to receive e-mails regarding sale items.
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Mary E. Hamel |
I would strongly urge anyone not familiar with a camera store to look them up on photo.net and get to the Community - Member Recommendations - Camera Shops, just to see if they are listed. I have had mostly good experiences with B&H Photo and Adorama and those experiences that were not good were resolved -- I'd still shop there. You may be very happy that you did before you buy from places like TriState or CCI, which will rip you off in a New York minute! Good Luck!
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doug Nelson |
I have had it with the rudeness and indifference of the NY-based stores, EXCEPT for B&H. The best I've found is KEH in Atlanta. They are knowledgeable, patient, courteous, AND they have a no-hassle refund policy that you probably won't have to use. Buy any item graded Bargain with confidence.
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