How to Buy a Point and Shoot Digital Camera: Where Should I Buy the Camera and Accessories?
This is the fourth installment in the series, “How to Buy a Point and Shoot Digital Camera.”
With the help of this series, you’ve now picked out a camera and decided which accessories you’re going to need. You’re ready to put down the dough, but where should you buy the camera?
The first choice to make is whether you want to buy online or at a typical brick and mortar store (such as RitzCamera or Best Buy). Typically, prices online are cheaper, but you aren’t able to pick it up immediately, and you’ll have to pay shipping charges. The rest of this post is about online retailers, but if you decide to go to an actual store, that’s fine too!
In my experience, B&H is one of the top places to buy cameras and related accessories. They have consistently low prices, quick shipping, and great service. If you look at their rating on ResellerRatings, they have a 9.3 lifetime average. I buy just about all my photo equipment from them.
There may, however, be better deals out there than B&H. I recommend using a tool such as PriceGrabber.com to search for the best deals on what you’re looking for. If you find a site with a great deal, make sure they’re a reputable store. If you’ve never heard of the site, check at ResellerRatings to see what others think. A few sites that also may have good deals are Newegg, Adorama, and, of course, Amazon.com.
If you’re someone who uses eBay a lot, I would caution you against buying from any users there. You are paying a good amount of money, and is it really worth the risk to save a few dollars? A lot of times deals are better other places anyways, so make sure you check around. If you absolutely have to use eBay, make sure the seller has a high feedback rating, and I would also recommend that you only buy new cameras, not previously-used models.
So, take a look around at different sellers, and when you find someone that fits your criteria, go ahead and order. (or go to the store and pick it up, if you’re buying offline) You’re camera should be arriving soon, so start planning all the fun things you’re going to do with it!
Make sure to read the final installment of the series, entitled “How to Buy a Point and Shoot Digital Camera: I’ve got the camera, now what?”