I just noticed that a few of you have pre-ordered cameras (and one Kindle DX) through the Amazon affiliate links on this site. First, I just want to say, thank you! Ordering from those links doesn't change your price and the bit of money that comes from Amazon helps me fund gear tests and other projects like the Camera Work Forums. The main reason for this post, however, is to share a bit about pre-ordering from Amazon since I have plenty of experience in this area.

Amazon says that they fulfill pre-orders in the order they are received, and this is generally the case. When you pre-order, your order goes into a queue, and Amazon adheres to the sequence of the orders. What is important to know, however, is that any change in your order will move you to the end of the queue. For example, let's say that you pre-order a Panasonic GH1 kit (includes 14-150mm lens) today and choose the "Free Super Saver Shipping" option. Then in two weeks you change your mind and decide overnight shipping would be better. If at that point you call Amazon, the customer service representative will tell you that you can change shipping methods without going to the end of the queue. I know they say this because I've asked them. It isn't correct. Every order placed prior to your change of shipping method will be filled before yours.

With relatively low volume items like GH1, I have had best results pre-ordering early and avoiding any changes to the order. That way one has the best chance of shipping with the first batch received at Amazon.

If you have pre-ordered the DP1 on Amazon and at the same time pre-ordered accessories such as the hood, your order is likely to not ship until May-June. This is because some accessories such as the hood will not be available until that time, and Amazon by default ships the whole order as one package. The solution is to specify to Amazon that they ship the items separately, at which point the estimated ship date for the DP1 will magically change from May-June to March 25 (unless you have chosen free "Super Saver Shipping," in which case they estimate March 31).

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.