So I am wondering what is the best place to purchase this camera, so far I am leaning toward Royalcamera.com does anyone have a personal experience with this web site store or know which would be the best place to buy this camera. Thanks for any help.

Nate

 

NO one has any advise???

 

The thread was in MINI talk. Now that it's in the Camera and Video forum you'll probably get more responses.

My recommendation would be B&H (NOTE: the normal price at B&H for the D70s with the 18-70 lens is $1,199, but in that link they have a 1 gig memory card listed as being included for that same price and then the memory card has a $20 rebate).

I usually shop B&H for my photo gear now.

 

I suggest you get it from a reputable camera shop. try ritz camera (or the camera shop or wolf camera depending on where you live - all the same company). They offer a protection plan that will replace your camera if anything at all happens (short of theft). be prepared to pay an extra $100 or so on it for 2 years coverage, but it's a good idea for a $800 investment. Also make sure you get the 18-55 lense that comes with the camera. The image sensor is not the same size as 35mm so you have to factor the numbers by 1.5 to be even with a 35mm lense. basically an 18-55 lense is like a 28-80 lense from film. this will be a very versatile lense to start off. They also sell an off brand called 'quantaray' which is actually a decent lense and you can probably get an 18-85 for less than the nikkor lense.

 

The last time I bought cameras, I bought from Family Photo and Video because they had the camera I wanted for the best price and seemed to have a good guarantee/reputaton/etc. I was happy with my purchase.

 

The D50 comes with the 18-55. The D70s comes with the 18-70.

Also, regarding the Ritz plan, it's basically covering breakage. If the camera acts up and needs warranty work (like my D70 did once), then even if you have the Ritz plan (which I did), you'll still have to wait for Nikon to take a crack at repairing it first. If they aren't able to repair it under the terms of the warranty, then the Ritz coverage kicks in. I purchased the coverage for 1 year only though, because I figured after the first year, if something went that wrong with the camera that it needed to be replaced out of warranty, I would just as soon have a new model camera. FWIW, i'm not sure if I'd get the Ritz coverage again. It's something you'd need to decide for yourself. It will cover anything, including dropping the camera and breaking the case.

 

I stand corrected. the 18-70 nikkor should be excellent for just about anything.

To be honest I don't know that I wouldn't just get the D50 at this point and save up for the D200 in about a year once the price starts to drop a bit. From what I've read the D50 has some features that the D70 doesn't and should be just fine. it also uses SD instead of CF, which may be either a good or bad thing depending on your intended uses.

As for the coverage, I guess it depends on how much you can afford to spend on a camera. if you can afford to replace your camera after a year or two, then don't bother... at the rate DSLR's are improving you will be able to get a better camera for the same money in two years. on the other hand, having the protection would make me more prone to actually carry the camera all the time. I know on my laptop I have similar coverage and without it I'd probably never take it anywhere unless absolutely necessary. instead I'll even take it to a restaurant that has wifi and a few times to a bar. Just something to consider.

 

Where ever you are planning on buying it make sure they are authorized resellers. Before buying the D20 I called Canon since they state that the warranty is only good if the camera is purchased from an authorized shop; I was surprised how many places listing the camera were not authorized resellers.

The one exception to the above is if you choose to get it from Costco; they are frequently not authorized but, to cover that fact and the invalid manufacturer warranty, they have the most liberal return/exchange policy out there.

 

I'll second the recommedation for B&H. There are lots of very crooked mailorder camera stores, particularly in New York, and I wasn't surprised to see that Royal Camera appears to be one of them.

Mark

 

Don't forget that it's still legal to buy things from local stores! If you have an independent camera shop in your city, I would recommend buying from them where you can actually talk to someone about the purchase and handle the camera before you buy it.

(Hypocrite note: I bought my Canon 10D on Ebay, and the lens and filters from B&H who I recommend to anyone. KEH.com is also reputable and you might be able to save a few bucks buying used equipment. Do as I say, not as I do!)

 

Another for B&H. There are cheaper (and more expensve too!) places to buy from, but I've dealt with them for a number of years now and they are extremely reliable. They have a reputation of serving the customer in disputes, although I've never had a problem so no firsthand experence wth this assertion. IMO, they're the best place to buy for a combination of price and peace of mind.

 

Thank you for all the input, I had a funny feeling about the super cheap online stores, and I dont think its worth the risk with a big purchase like this. Looks like I with ether go with B&H or local, but would be nice to save taxes online. Thanks for the input, it will make my desion much easier!!

 

I've also had great luck with B&H. Buying local is good too. Yes you pay taxes, but you also get their expertice if you need help & if your camera is defective they may just swap you a new one right then & there. I don't think a defective D70 would be a problem though.

Chuck