Film is one of the best buys from online and mail-order sources.

Buying camera equipment through mail order or online stores can be an easy way to get some of the best deals on the market if you do a little research and stay on your toes.

 

Easy as 1,2,3

• Step 1. Go through the ads in photography magazines and find the mail-order prices for the equipment or supplies you need. Visit the Web sites of various suppliers, and see what specials they are offering.
• Step 2. Decide what you need. Sometimes I go to my local camera store to see and handle a piece of equipment, even if I am going to buy online or through mail order. I talk to salespeople and find the best local price. I ask what comes with the camera or lens — batteries, a case, strap, lens cap, lens hood, etc. — and compare prices with other suppliers. I’ll even negotiate prices with my local camera store if I find a supplier offering the same equipment for a lower price. You’d be amazed at how flexible prices can be.
• Step. 3. Write down the names of the three stores with the lowest prices. Most stores have toll-free numbers you can call to ask questions. (Even if you call the store, check the store’s Web site for online-only promotions.) Keep in mind, list price in the photo world is like sticker price in the car industry — no one pays it. Generally, small camera stores can easily discount a lens 10 to 20 percent, while in the competitive New York market, markdowns may hit 50 percent off the list price. There is such a discrepancy between the list price and the actual retail price (the “street price”) that photography magazines reviewing products will often print the list price and the street price.

Learn to talk the talk

MAIL ORDER BEST BUYS

One of the best buys you can get through mail order or online photo dealers is film. Because of the huge quantities of film many suppliers sell, they have some of the best prices anywhere. At my local camera store, a 36-exposure roll of Kodak slide film has a list price of $7.99, which they discount and sell for 10 percent off — or about $7.20. I have to pay sales tax, which adds about 50 cents (our sales tax is 7 percent). So the price of the film locally is about $7.70 per roll. At several of the large mail-order houses, the same film sells for $5.75 for a U.S.-made roll, and $4.99 for the imported, i.e., gray market variety. The mail-order store ships their film FedEx Express Saver, so I have to add about $7 shipping (about 35 cents a roll) when I order 20 rolls of film. My final cost through New York or Los Angeles is $5.35 a roll for a savings of $2.35 per roll of film — a figure that adds up quickly considering I use 30 to 40 rolls of film a month. If you are shooting your own slides and need to do some experimenting, this can save you money. Gray market film is manufactured outside of the country. Imported Fuji or Kodak film is actually cheaper than the same Fuji or Kodak film made in the United States. Same film, same manufacturer, same quality control — different price. Also check mail-order Web sites for monthly specials; film is often overstocked then discounted to get rid of it. In addition, film rolls have an expiration date listed on the box. When a dealer discovers film nearing the expiration date, they will cut prices to move the film. When film has been stored properly (refrigerated at 55 degrees or below) -— which the large dealers do — it will be perfectly fine to use even when it is near or just past its expiration date.

There’s a skill to ordering supplies or equipment over the telephone. You need to know exactly what you want to buy and what it costs at other stores. For example, a few years ago I was looking for a lens. The list price was $800, and the street price was between $500 and $600. The best local price I could find was $635 plus $50 tax. With numbers in hand, I called a big East Coast mail-order house. They had listed the price of the lens as $525 in their magazine ad … however, the salesman said the price was $575. When I questioned this discrepancy, he said the price was for the whole lens kit. That meant that the advertised price of $525 was for the lens without front and rear lens can, and the case it was supposed to come with. This is one of the problems with ordering by phone. Sometimes the item is listed at an amazingly low price because it doesn’t include other essential gear.

The salesman then told me that the lens was gray market. This means a distributor other than the “official” one brought it into this country. The equipment is the same, and it is legal, but there is no United States warranty. If something goes wrong, even in the first year you have it, it might cost you to get it repaired. For this reason, I wouldn’t buy an inexpensive point-and-shoot this way — they are more prone to repair problems. But, for well-made quality cameras, lenses and film (see sidebar), gray market products are fine.

If the price is right, ask your salesman about the return policy. Even a brand-name camera can be a lemon. Most large stores have a 10-day, no questions asked return policy and at least a 30-day store warranty on the equipment they sell. Ask if there is a re-shelving fee if you return the item after a certain time. Some stores charge 10 to 15 percent for a return after several weeks.

After asking these questions, I bought the lens by phone and saved about $30. I have never had any problems with it. Most camera stores, particularly the larger ones, are honest and know that good service and fairness mean return business in a highly competitive marketplace.

Comparison shopping
When comparing prices between big-city stores and your own neighborhood camera shop, be sure to factor in costs like state and local sales tax and shipping costs. For example, it makes no sense for me to buy 8-foot rolls of background paper through the mail because shipping costs as much as the paper! But for cameras, lenses and large quantities of film, shopping both online and by phone can save you money.