Where do you get your equipment?

[mousehockey37]

I'm looking for good deals on equipment, be it new, used, refurbed... (not so much used, but you get the idea).

I got my equipment through Cameta Camera, but I'm looking for other places, whether in store or online that can give me some more options for price comparison. I know that the equipment is going to be generally the same price everywhere, but there are always places that have some lower prices than others...

So where do you get your stuff from?

 

[Allen C]

1. B&H
2. Adorama

 

[donsullivan]

1. B&H
2. Amazon
3. Adorama

As above, B&H is the gold standard in the photographic space but Adorama runs a close second behind them. If you know exactly what you're looking for from one of the major brands, Amazon is also a good choice. Be cautious with Amazon though and make sure the item you're buying is coming from Amazon and not another supplier. The third party suppliers can often (not always) have higher prices for in-demand items and their shipping is not as consistent as Amazon. Also, if you are pre-ordering something that has recently been announced, I would stay away from Amazon; they don't handle those situations nearly as well as B&H & Adorama.

 

[everestnut]

1. Adorama
2. Amazon
3. KEH - for used if the rating is high

 

[ddbowdoin]

1.) BH - my only complaint, "Beards and Hats"... the #1 employer of Hasidic Jews in the US so their website (and 1800 number) are frequently down for Sabbath and at times closed for more than a week at a time for religious holidays.
2.) eBay (from trusted sellers who have 100% ranking a high number of camera related sales, US sellers only)
3.) KEH (for used equipment, a little high on the price but comes with a standard 60 day warrantee) With KEH I have never bought a digital piece of equipment, I use them for accessories for any of my film cameras as people are usually just unloading for short bread.

 

[emcclay]

BH - Super fast shipping.

 

[NowInc]

B&H and Amazon...or if I can't wait on shipping (Which with amazon prime I would REALLY need to be rushed if I can't wait)...a local camera shop (NOT Wolf/Ritz/Best Buy). I refuse to go to a chain store mostly because not only do their employees seldom know what they are talking about, but they are also putting the smaller shops out of business..which is horrible. For those of you who have had the joy of walking into a CAMERA shop...being surrounded by gear and people who are informed on the products...you know what I'm talking about.

Heres a good perk of Amazon, btw...if you can find a price lower anywhere else (print or online), theres a link on each products page (on the bottom in the feedback box) that says "Tell us about a lower price". DO THAT...9 times out of 10 they will price match..usually within minutes of you telling them about it. Also..as said above..if possible..try to make sure you are getting it direct from amazon.

 

[ddbowdoin]

As much as I try and support my local shops (EP Levine in Waltham, MA - world class camera shop) they simply can't compete with B&H.

Everything I use frequently is double price. 15 bucks for Fuji FP100c when it's 7.99 online. 120 film is cheap on BH as well.

Plus, paying sales tax sucks

 

[thomas998]

Adorama for new stuff...

For used it depends, I have bought backup cameras from Ebay but wouldn't likely do that for my main camera... Sometimes I've used govliquidation to pick-up a lens, but you have to be patient and willing to take a risk... Once picked up a Nikon 50mm 1.2 for under $100 at a surplus site, only down side was it came in a lot that included several large dot matrix printers and old Kodak DCS cameras... I'm guessing I was lucky to live close enough that I could just pick it all up and dump the junk where other folks would have to pay someone to pick up what turned out to be a pickup load of boat anchors with one nice lens included.

 

[CP_alum08]

If you're looking for something pretty standard - midrange bodies and lenses - Best Buy usually has good prices, at least as good as B&H and there you have the benefit of getting it immediately. Of course you have to put up with obnoxious sales people but if you need something in a pinch it's not bad. Some of the bigger BB stores have a pretty good selection of bags and tripods too.

 

[ddbowdoin]

If you're looking for something pretty standard - midrange bodies and lenses - Best Buy usually has good prices, at least as good as B&H and there you have the benefit of getting it immediately. Of course you have to put up with obnoxious sales people but if you need something in a pinch it's not bad. Some of the bigger BB stores have a pretty good selection of bags and tripods too.

I purposefully go in there and ask questions I already know to see the answers I get... Wow hahah it's hilarious.

Apparently there's no difference between FX and DX, just a smal bit. When asked about medium format ... "I think we'll be carrying those in the spring man"

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm looking for good deals on equipment, be it new, used, refurbed... (not so much used, but you get the idea).

I got my equipment through Cameta Camera, but I'm looking for other places, whether in store or online that can give me some more options for price comparison. I know that the equipment is going to be generally the same price everywhere, but there are always places that have some lower prices than others...

So where do you get your stuff from?

KEH or Adorama. Used as much as possible.

 

[PhotoDave219]

If you're looking for something pretty standard - midrange bodies and lenses - Best Buy usually has good prices, at least as good as B&H and there you have the benefit of getting it immediately. Of course you have to put up with obnoxious sales people but if you need something in a pinch it's not bad. Some of the bigger BB stores have a pretty good selection of bags and tripods too.

I'm going to suggest everyone avoid best buy like the plague when it comes to camera equipment. Its not worth the hassles.

 

[CP_alum08]

I'm going to suggest everyone avoid best buy like the plague when it comes to camera equipment. Its not worth the hassles.

I guess I've never had a horrible experience at BB. To be fair though, I almost always go in knowing exactly what I want so there is no need to ask for information or advice from the sales people. I bought my D90 and my 35mm from BB. The hood on the 35mm was broke when I opened it, I returned it and had an entire new lens/hood within minutes. Plus if you have a BB credit card they usually offer 0% financing for x-amount of months. Again, not my first choice, but in a pinch I've had pretty good luck there,

 

[ddbowdoin]

I guess I've never had a horrible experience at BB. To be fair though, I almost always go in knowing exactly what I want so there is no need to ask for information or advice from the sales people. I bought my D90 and my 35mm from BB. The hood on the 35mm was broke when I opened it, I returned it and had an entire new lens/hood within minutes. Plus if you have a BB credit card they usually offer 0% financing for x-amount of months. Again, not my first choice, but in a pinch I've had pretty good luck there,

Doesn't matter where I shop if I know exactly what I want and what type. The problem with BB is the "so I'm looking for a new camera..."

 

[RonAnnArbor]

B&H first choice for sure. They have amazing customer service, offer the very lowest prices they can, and do exchanges and things no questions asked. (By the way, for Nikon equipment they aren't allowed to offer anything lower than what Nikon permits -- so if you are a Nikon buyer it doesn't much matter where you buy)

Adorama is also superb, On rare occasion also use JR in lower Manhattan.

Amazon for most things -- its just always cheaper and they deliver overnight if I need it. Their prices 99% of the time beat the competition for everything across the board.

Best Buy never -- their prices are always higher than even retail -- plus they carry almost nothing but the very basics.

For Sony equipment, I always order direct from Sony online.

KEH is also highly recommended if you know what you want and you find a highly rated resale item -- their equipment is actually usually even in BETTER shape than the grade they give, so they are conservative on their estimates and I trust their ratings.

 

[NowInc]

My first and last experience with buying camera equipment from a best buy went as follows:

There is a BB down here that actually carries a LOT of different lenses (I guess they have a camera department member who maybe knows a thing or two), and I was in a rush to get a 35mm 1.8 lens for a trip I was taking the next day. Upon getting there, it first took me 30 minutes to actually find someone who had access to the lens "cage", but then I am not quite sure he knew how to read..because it took him another 20 minutes to find the lens I was referring to (turns out they had 5 and he just somehow kept looking past them). Ok..so whatever..lens found..slow but easy....so he tells me he has to bring it to the front in order for me to pay...again..no big deal. HE THEN PROCEEDS TO THROW IT LIKE A FOOTBALL TO THE CASHIER! I flipped out and immediately asked him to get me a different NON thrown one, and he starts arguing with me that its fine (without opening the box) and that if there is something wrong with it, I can just exchange it. I told him that I have to be able to use it the following day so I'd rather just exchange it now, and he told me that I would have to go through a manager...keep in mind i STILL HAVE NOT PAID FOR IT.

End of the day..and another 30 minutes later, I finally got it swapped and paid...vowing to never ever buy anything (not limited to just camera equipment) from BB ever again.

 

[Mr Bill]

Amazon's usually my go-to place. There's also a nearby camera store I'll visit if I want/need something today and can't wait a few days for it to be shipped.

I'm finding less and less use for Best Buy for anything as time goes on. I'd use them as a last resort but the stores near me don't have a great selection. Odds are that if I can't find it somewhere else, Best Buy won't have it either. Plus all their "package deals" on cameras seem to be loaded with accessories that nobody in their right mind would ever purchase on their own.