If it sounds too good to be true...

... it most likely is. I am talking about the deals you see on the Internet or in the photo magazines advertising camera gear at ridiculously low prices. I recently read a question on Sportsshooter.com asking about Broadway Photo selling the yet-to-be-released Nikon D300 for $1,399. The poster asks if this is too good to be true and the answer is YES!

B&H Photo has the camera listed at $1,799.95, and that is most likely the lowest price you are going to find it. Now I am not trying to shill for B&H, and you may find it a little cheaper at one of the many reputable dealers out there. My point is do your homework when making a camera gear purchase. I don't just mean find the cheapest price. Do some research on the dealers. Check resellerratings.com. Ask fellow shooters from whom they get their gear.

I hate to make generalizations, but if the dealer is located in Brooklyn, NY, be wary. Many of these stores are famous for selling an item like the D300 for a low price, but if you wanted the battery, instruction book, software or other accessories that should come with it, it will cost you an arm and a leg extra. They may also pressure you into buying some other overpriced accessory that could be had cheaper at a reliable store, like a $100.00 UV filter.

And forget about trying to return it if you have a problem. How do I know all this? Well, from reading the many horror stories about cheap prices gone wrong and from personal experience. About 10 years ago, I scratched my trusty Canon 24-mm 2.8, my favorite lens in the full framed, film days. I wanted to replace it but they were more than I could spend at the time, being a newly hired, under paid, staff shooter at a weekly paper. I decided to get a Sigma instead of the Canon and I would get it at one of the Brooklyn stores advertised in Shutterbug.

When I got the lens, it was of less quality than I was expecting. This was Sigma's fault, not the stores. When I tried to return it, it was a nightmare. They eventually took it back; I think I paid some ridiculous restocking fee, but I learned my lesson.

Just for kicks, a photographer named Don Wiss went around Brooklyn taking pictures of all the mailing addresses listed for the various photo stores there. It is pretty funny and kind of scary looking at some of the locations and it should be more than enough warning to shop at a well established retail photo dealer. Here is the link http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/

Some of the most reliable stores are B&H Photo, Samy's Camera, Robert's. To tell the truth it is hard for anyone to beat B&H's prices. If you ever get a chance to go to the NY store it is awesome. Every time I go in there, I'm like a kid going into a candy store.

That being said, it is very impersonal and there is something to be said for personal service. If you have a good photo retailer in you area that provides personal service, paying a little more for that service may be worth it.

P.S. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, the blog is back and I hope to update it more than I have the past few months. I do have lots of things to post about and will try and find the time to get them up here. That is if my lovely wife Jennifer will continue to edit it and make me look good.