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General discussion

this is a question about an online retailer

Jun 8, 2005 5:09AM PDT

Hello. I'm buying a Panasonic Lumix FZ5 and would prefer to get it below $400, shipping included, but am a little skeptical about online retailers.

I've looked at a few (hundred!) retailing sites: Butterfly Photo, BuyDigital (buydig.com), BeachCamera, Electric Sam, Digital Megastore etc. all of which retail the camera below $400

any warnings or suggestions/recommendations in general or about a particular site

I'd appreciate the help! Any help. heh

Discussion is locked

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camera stores
Jun 8, 2005 5:14AM PDT

The only two I am familiar with are Beach Camera and Butterfly Photo. I don't know much about Butterfly Photo, but Beach Camera is great. It had great prices, and is located in New Jersey. They will never rip you off and they don't have any scams. I would recommend Beach Camera.

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Always check Epinions.
Jun 8, 2005 5:29AM PDT
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Which Online Retailer?
Jun 8, 2005 9:44AM PDT

Do yourself a favor and avoid all of them. Online camera dealers are the lowest life form on Earth. Walk in to a reputable retail shop and buy it when there's a sale. I would rather have paid more and avoided the nightmares. Good luck.

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Some online vendors are excellent
Jun 27, 2005 9:26AM PDT

I would have to take exception to the previous post. Not all online camera vendors are notoriously bad; some are; some are not. Before purchasing your camera online, always check www.resellerratings.com. This site is a very reliable indicator of the quality of service you will receive from online vendors of all kinds. For example, you want to avoid digitaliquidators.com, bestchoicedigital.com, wawadigital.com, etc. You can read the horror stories about each of them and others too. But others are very reliable and sell the least expensive cameras anywhere. I recently purchased a Fujifilm F10 from buydig.com and the service and quality were outstanding. I also purchased an Olympus C-7070 from beachcamera.com and again, they were super. In each case, I received an email confirmation almost immediately; and then notice of shipping with a FedEx tracking number. The Oly 7070 shipped the same day I purchased it! So shop around, be prudent, do your homework, and you can definitely cut a deal online. Prices are certainly cheaper there than in any camera store. I saved b/t $100 - $300 shopping online for the same cameras sold in stores for double the amount. All the best.