I'm initiating this thread with the hopes of accumulating a list of outstanding camera stores throughout the country. We are all aware of the great camera stores in New York, but there are still those hangers-on throughout the country that will let you test lenses right out of the box as well as rent lenses. In the Dallas area it's Arlington Camera in Arlington, TX....almost under the shadows of Jerry Jones Stadium and the Ranger Ballfield as well. I'll post the link to their website. If you have a camera store you'd like to post, please do so. Perhaps when they've all been posted a new thread could be compiled with a state by state listing.

Texas, Arlington

http://www.arlingtoncamera.com/shop/

After shopping online for years (BH, Adorama, etc) I discovered one of the last real camera stores in the Maryland-PA-Virginia area, Service Photo in Baltimore. Now I give them the majority of my business. To begin with, the prices on my favorite brands - Nikon and Fuji - are all pretty much controlled by the manufacturers, so the only "premium" I pay is state sales tax. But I've decided it's worth it for all the personal service I get. I can touch and feel everything before I buy it, and the sales staff are all photographers who actually use the gear that they sell. The owner is often seen on the sales floor, especially during special events, and he keeps in touch with his customer base with timely e-mails. For example, right after the Fuji XT-2 was announced, I got an e-mail asking if I wanted to be on the pre-order list. When the first shipment arrived I was away. But when I returned the next month I sent him and e-mail, and he set aside a unit until I got there in a couple of days. One of his salesman is a real Fuji nut, so I enjoy talking with him and getting advice. I'm also a Nikon shooter, and the store often has Nikon reps available for tech help and sensor cleaning. Take a look at the attached Sales Flyer for this weekend. Reps from Nikon, Canon, Sony and Fuji will be there along with special offers. I'll be there to pick up a new Fuji lens and to have my D750's sensor cleaned. And I'll be in the company of fellow photographers, all enjoying the excitement of a great sale and lots of great tech talk. You can't get that online.