Do you buy online or at a camera shop?

[skywalkerbeth]

Hi everyone

Since I went digital, I mostly buy my stuff online (no need to go get my prints developed at my trusty camera shop anymore, so I don't go by as often).

Online seems to have more deals.. but a friend of mine who recently picked the hobby back up again has been going to her local Penn Camera (that was mine, but a different branch). At any rate, she seems to be getting the free class here and there and a few other things.

What do you usually do? I'm thinking I should scope out my old store again more often and actually meet people and go to some classes.

 

[Peanuts]

I shop at a local store for the personal touch. Any questions I can go and ask, any problems, I drive 5 minutes to see if it was just a stupid error. The majority if the time they are willing to match online prices anyways.

 

[That One Guy]

i look at the item locally (if available) and buy online for a better deal

 

[lifeafter2am]

I do both. It greatly depends on what the local shop is charging. On cameras and lenses the markup isn't much from B&H, and I will support them. Memory cards and such, well, they don't get my business for those..

 

[Peanuts]

Okay, going to be the bad guy in this discussion most probably - but from working in retail, the worst thing someone can do (other then bring a caravan of kids in to the stores washroom, use it, make a mess, then leave without buying anything, that is vexing! That or the time two ladies came in and dropped their kids off at the front counter and started shopping... uhh... last time I checked babysitting was extra) is to take up a salesman's time, causing them to possibly pass on real sales, then say they are going to 'think about it' and go buy online. It is very inconsiderate in my opinion. I am all for the laissez-faire/competition outlook but...

 

[CanadianMe]

I am looking to spend money in the next month or two, even if it saved me a few dollars I would still not buy online. When I put my money down I want the physical merchandise in my hand. I also want a brick and mortar store so if I do have issues I can deal with it person and not worry about phone and or emails. I always prefer to deal with people face to face, really dislike phone tag, being put on hold and not getting an immediate response from my inquiries. I live in a Urban center so it is easy for me and there is lots of competition. If I lived in a rural setting I not sure how I would buy. I order books and small items off line, but any large purchases I don't buy online.

 

[jstuedle]

Both, when we bought the D3 and D300 before Christmas, the price was the same local or B&H. We reserved them at the "local" Cord Camera. (local is 55 miles away) If I need something fast, add a pocket wizard or flash, tripod head or something like that for a specific need in the short term, I'll get it local. If it's a planned purchase that I can save a chunk on by going to B&H, that's what I do. So we spread it around, my favorite place is B&H though.

 

[Chibamonkey]

I'll play the hypocrite here, and say that anytime one can support their local economy it is a big plus. I will shop as local as I can, trying to keep my money within the local economy (in rural Kansas, we estimate that a dollar will circulate five times before it leaves for greener pastures....). Also, it is worth a little more to me to have demo units, or actual products in my hands to compare.

Now, for my hypocritical act of heresy: I bought all of my DSLR equipment (body and lenses) online. Our local photo shop could not get what I wanted, and I waited quite a while. I finally shopped around on the 'net, and got my body and both of the lenses that I wanted. Saved a little bit, and took my savings, plus a little more, and went to my local shop to buy a new bag (had to order), filters, and cards.

The owner understands as she just recently bought this very established shop, and knows how hard it is to get product out here in the middle of nowhere. She tries real hard to stock as much as she can, but inventory goes out the door as fast as she can stock it.

It is worth more to me, overall, to have someone w/ a pulse and a brain to talk to, and ask my questions. If another customer comes in, I always ask her to take care of them first. Those extra dollars are worth it, especially when you live out here where people think we still have stampeding buffalo and Indians on the warpath.

Shop local when you can, and use the 'net as a last resort.

By the way, she still hasn't got the camera in that I wanted.

 

[domromer]

Both, buy my film and TLR locally, bought my D80 from B&H.

 

[sabbath999]

Online.

I live 100 miles from a bad camera store, and 150 miles from the nearest good one.

Pretty easy decision for me.

 

[Stranger]

I shop online for most things, but some i go to the local shop.

I had an issue with them once when the guy attempted to rip me off.... Since then, i do not like to do business there... The other local shop does not carry nikon so i am out of luck with him. Although after shop A tried to rip me off, i went to Shop B (no nikon) and got it taken care of.


In case anyone was wondering - When i first bought my camera and tried to clean the sensor i touched the bulb blower to the sensor which left a smudge that showed up in all my photos. I brought it to shop A because I usually like them and i had to go to the zoo the following day. He told me he had no time to clean the sensor (store was empty, nowhere near closing time) and acted like it was a huge deal. He told me to spend extra time in photoshop on every shot to remove smudge and then he would keep my camera for a week to swab it down if he could get the chance... and said it would cost $50... Now the camera shop does not do this, this guy was going to do it "as a favor".. I went to shop B, told him my story and asked if he could help. He had me wait around for 10 minutes while he finished with all the customers and swabbed it out (in about 5 minutes altogether (other guy needed a week?)) and charged me $5 for the one swab i got because he was going to buy a box anyway. I ended up just buying the box of swabs for $30 ($20 cheaper than other guy wanted to use ONE) and a book from him. He now gets all my business and things like that. (by "like that" i mean non nikon specific stuff)

 

[patrickt]

My first, expensive, digital camera was bought at a good store--one of those where the people working there actually take pictures--and it was a good option. I was back in perhaps four times in the month I was in the U.S. with questions and looking for suggestions. I also had a problem that a man in the store quickly identified as an incompatibility with the brand of memory card.

Since then, I've bought expensive items from B&H because I know what I want, get a decent price, and avoid sales tax.

The last time I was in a camera store in the U.S. the roles were reversed and the clerks wanted to see and handle my camera, just out of curiosity. Hey, you don't see that many Pentax DSLRs in Utah.