I should say first off that I'm very much a beginner. I've been researching cameras for the past couple of months, and I've narrowed it down to the Canon 40D. This will be my first SLR camera, and now that I know what I want, I just need to figure out where to buy it from. I'm finding this decision to be more difficult than it should be. I'm finding the price is ranging from $449 to $1299 on the internet for the body only. The local camera shop has it at $1299 as well. Why is that? This price range is crazy. How can some dealers sale this camera for $1299 when there's so many other dealers selling it for so much less. It would seem as though the $449 is a no brainer, but with such a broad price discrepancy, I can't help but wonder, what's wrong with these cameras? How is the $449 camera different from the $1299? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
B&H!!! Don't look any further (there is a link at the top right of this page) B&H! A lot of those low price cameras are imported, unsupported (warranted) cameras and some are just black market brokers. Go for the reputable companies. If you're close to NYC, stop in B&H but bring a towel for the drool you produce. ppssttt... b&h.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ http://www.adorama.com/ These two dealers are the most reputable on the internet. You will never get ripped off from either of them. I recommend B&H slightly better than Adorama in my experience though. If you must deal with someone else, check www.resellerratings.com first
There's a lot of bait/switch websites out there that are more than willing to take your cash and some that are just outright fraud fly-by-night. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
The 40D is NOT a $450 camera! If you see it for this than either you've found a retailer who is willing to actually make a huge loss, or it's a scam. And it's probably a scam. In th UK you can't get a 40D for less than £750 - £700 with Canon's cashback offer. With exchange rates that is $1446. BH is $1300 so that looks pretty good to me...
wow.. we get a lot of these posts... almost daily. Just imagine how many people these crooks scam each day!!!
The legitimate dealers will all be close in price. The rip offs and scams will cheat you. B&H for me because I have an account with them but many people like Andorama. Don't go to the scam sites.
nothing against B&H or any of the other internet offerings BUT......... I would HIGHLY advise you to buy from your local pro shop. They will help you when you need it. THey will BS with you about how to do this or that with your new camera when you drop by and ask. They will give you a loaner if, something goes wrong and your camera needs service. I GLADLY pay $100 or so premium at my local WOLF Camera store for all the reasons above, and then some.