The Portland Metro Photographic News

A commentary by Tom Hubbard

I have been following the responses to a photographer's question on one of the popular Internet forums.  The question was, "I'm ready to buy a Canon DSLR.  Where should I buy it?"  When I last looked, 43 people had submitted their suggestions to the question.

I'm even more interested when I hear the same question at local seminars, events and camera club meetings:  "Where should I buy my camera?"

The answer is almost always the same, "Buy it on-line."  I have found that the most often recommended websites for buying cameras online are B&H Photo, Amazon.com and Adorama. 

About that forum discussion I was following, not one person -- let me repeat -- not one of the 43 responses suggested buying the camera from a local camera shop.  One post even went so far as to say, "Go to your local retail camera shop.  Look at all the options.  Get a 'feel for all the cameras'.  Get the opinions of the local staff.  Then go online, and purchase the camera from the lowest priced company." 

What are these people thinking?  Buying online makes perfect sense to me when:

1. The customer doesn't live or work in an area that has a full service camera shop.
2. The local camera shop pricing is way out of line.
3. The local camera shop doesn't offer the product I need.
4. The local camera shop doesn't have the trained staff or expertise to advise me satisfactorily.
5. The local camera shop cannot provide the product within the timeframe I require.

Having owned a camera shop, been a marketing rep to camera stores and been a working photographer during my 40 years in photography, I have seen this situation from both sides of the counter.  I have spent hours demonstrating photographic equipment only to find out that the customer eventually bought the product online.  Then, when the photographer has a problem or needs help getting started, I will find him, once again, standing in front of me at the local camera shop.  Talk about undermining employee morale. 

What is this customer thinking?  Does the photographer think B&H Photo is sending me a commission for the sale?

I've come to know most of the area camera store personnel, and have found them to be extremely knowledgeable.  Many are graduate photographers with years of professional shooting and post processing experience -- traditional and digital. Their training is constantly being updated through store sponsored educational programs and directly from the manufacturers.  I've had no problem finding someone in local camera shops with the expertise to help me.  I've always found local customer service to be much better and more personal than online.  They are our neighbors after all, and can't afford to make enemies of the customers who pay their salaries. 

Then it isn't the lack of retail photographic expertise in our area that causes people to recommend buying online.  Our local folks are sharp, well trained and eager to serve.  So what is it?

Unreasonable pricing seems to be the most often cited reason for avoiding your local camera shop and buying online.  Any local camera shop understands that they are competing with online companies, and that if they want to stay in business they have to be as competitive as possible.  To test this hypothesis, I compared the September 29, 2009 prices of some of today's most popular DSLR cameras from B&H Photo, Amazon.com and Adorama with the prices of one of our own local camera shops -- Pro Photo Supply.  Here are the results:

• Nikon D90 (body only)
  B&H $869.95, Amazon $809.88, Adorama $869.95, Pro Photo Supply $879.99
• Nikon D300s (body only)
  B&H $1,799.95, Amazon $1,799.84, Adorama $1,639, Pro Photo Supply $1,799.99
• Canon EOS 50D (body only)
  B&H $1,054.95, Amazon $1,051.89, Adorama $1,069.95, Pro Photo Supply $1,149.99
• Canon 5D Mark II w/24-105mm lens
  B&H $3,499.95, Amazon $3,499, Adorama $3,499, Pro Photo Supply $3,499.99

There are differences in pricing between all of these companies.  Pro Photo Supply prices are equal to or slightly higher than the popular online merchants.  But the price differences are far from unreasonable. This small premium seems especially fair when you consider the time local camera store staff spends with its customers before AND after the sale.

By the way, depending on the availability of the product from the manufacturer and the selling season of the year, prices that camera shops pay for merchandise can change on an almost daily basis.  Profit margins on cameras are minimal.  (From my camera shop days, I felt I was having a good day when I realized an 8% profit.)

(I do understand that price is a very sensitive subject for some camera buyers.  I experience the same financial pains.  I would rather see someone buy a camera online than to completely miss out on the rewards and satisfaction photography can bring to their lives.  But, I would ask you to consider your local camera shop as often as possible for your accessory purchases.)

Obviously, local customers can't resort to the "avoid sales tax" argument for buying on-line since there is no sales tax in Oregon.  Don't forget, our local camera shops are not so lucky.  They must pay taxes -- Federal, State and Local.  Those taxes, by the way, are used to support little community luxuries like schools, roads, health services, police, fire department, libraries, etc.

Then what about those times when a photographer needs urgent help with a camera problem and it needs to be handled in person?  A round-trip ticket to New York on American Airlines will cost you $588, an outlandish hotel bill and two days of your life to visit B&H or Adorama.  (By the way, there's no such personal service option at Amazon.com.)  Or the photographer could spend a couple of bucks on gas, an hour away from work, and drive to the local camera shop.

Of course, this example is presented with tongue-in-cheek.  When this situation does arise, it's typically the one time that customers will seek out the help of a local camera shop -- and expect to be helped at no charge.  ("Let's see.  You bought your camera from an online store, and you want me to solve your problem for free?  Just when am I allowed to make some money?")

The fact that camera shops like Pro Photo Supply, Advance Camera, Blue Moon Camera, Citizens Photo and Knight Camera in Vancouver remain in business means that many area amateur and professional photographers are loyal customers.  That's a testimonial to the community spirit of these customers.  They are to be applauded.  The economic downturn has been just as hard on camera shops as it has on every business.  And continued customer loyalty during these times is critical to their financial survival.

These loyal customers understand that the dollars they spend in our camera shops stay in our community to retain employees, pay salaries and taxes that are returned to us in the local purchases of these employees and in the form of public services that the store's taxes support.

Do I buy from B&H and Adorama?  I used to.  When I worked in Manhattan, and they were my local camera stores.

Are B&H and Adorama great camera stores?  Definitely.  But, they are not within reaching distance of my Vancouver home and are no better than the local camera shops I now patronize.