Ktixx put together a great resource in the DC Resource forums, "Where/Where Not to Purchase Your Camera." He compiled the merchant ratings from BizRate.com, Shopping.com, and ResellerRatings.com to stratify sellers as "Exceptional," "Good," "Okay," or "Bad." Definitely worth a read if you are still unsure where to buy your photography-related equipment and supplies.

I advertise Amazon products on this page because they pay me via an affiliate system, but I can honestly say that they are my first choice right for photography gear these days. I buy at Amazon because of their prices, customer service, and return policy. However, if you look Amazon up on the merchant ratings sites, it doesn't rate very well. I'm pretty sure that the reason for this is that people don't make a distinction between products sold by Amazon and products sold by other merchants on Amazon. I can only recommend Amazon for the products with "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com" listed under "Availability."

The other store which has given me outstanding customer service is Norman Camera, located in Kalamazoo, MI. I personally trust Norman Camera more than I trust any of the New York stores. However, I can also recommend B&H, one of the largest New York stores.

For Ricoh and Leica gear, I recommend PopFlash Photo. Great service.

The main thing to keep in mind is the old adage, if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Any Google search for photography equipment will bring up some "too good to be true" ads. Virtually all of these deals are scams.