deputyflash

K&R photographic in Kentucky and Midwest Photo Exchange in Columbus, Ohio are great people to work with and very reputable.

dbjazz Loc: Long Island, NY

Stay far away from this shady bait-and-switch operation. Just walking into the store feels slimy.

SENSORLOUPE

RKL349 Loc: Connecticut

Based on feedback and review sites, probably not a good choice. You have already heard about B&H and Adorama, both excellent, large NYC operations with excellent customer service. But there are others, such as Cameta Camera on Long Island, Beach Camera in New Jersey, Best Buy (certain locations have excellent selections, others not so much,) and I have heard Hunt’s in New England, Robert’s in Indianapolis, are frequently mentioned. In Connecticut we have Camera Bar in Hartford, which is excellent, and Milford Photo in Milford, CT. There used to be a tax advantage to buying from out of state distributors, but that has mostly gone away. Checking a camera manufacturer’s web site will usually reveal who their authorized distributors are and that should give you comfort that they deal primarily in USA market packaged products, which could effect warranty issues should you ever need the warranty for repair in the USA.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Or Roberts. Their B&Ms are in my area and they are fabulous.

alby Loc: very eastern pa.

Dan's Camera City.... great place, real good people to deal with. lots of services. brick and mortar. eastern pa.

newvy

Nelson photo in San Diego. They’ve been around forever. They match pricing and have an incredible inventory. Two locations. They have a lot of former pros working there that can give real world expert advice. ( Best Buy ) is good, not always expert advice.

Jim70 Loc: Delaware

While I agree Adorama and B&H are good dealers, I prefer to support my local store, Cameras Etc. in Newark, DE. Prices are the same as B&H with no shipping charges and (usually) immediate delivery. Plus the staff is knowledgeable (most are commercial photographers during their "off" time).

As noted, no sales tax in DE and parking is free. If you're in the area, check 'em out. Haven't tried Best Buy but there is one near me, so I might go there & see what they'd got.

kdogg Loc: Gallipolis Ferry WV

I have dealt with Robert's and Hunt's for years. Both good companies.

foxfirerodandgun Loc: Stony Creek, VA

For my part, I have no issues dealing with local, or other online camera shops. Sadly there is only one that I'm aware of within a 50 mile radius of my home and it does not stock a wide selection of cameras and associated gear.

With that said, I feel that B&H, Adorama, and several more NY area camera shops are recommended so often is due to their large inventory offerings. This is especially true where B&H is concerned. They seem to have cameras, accoutrements, electronics, etc. covered from top to bottom with a huge selection of each. Their customer service, as well as Adorama's, is excellent and the product knowledge of their sales staff is very comprehensive.

Generally speaking the sales staff at stores like Best Buy, WalMart, etc. have extremely limited product knowledge of what they are selling. This in itself is a big turn off for me. I realize that there are many other online camera shops throughout the country who have a good reputation, however, they more than likely are unknown to many who use the ones so often recommended. Just my 2¢.

PhotoNat Loc: Santa Maria, CA

Hi. I have never bought anything from TriState Photo because when they had something I wanted recently, at a "very good" price,(probably too good a price) I googled their reviews, and the reviews were consistently bad, so I won't order from them, the replies here are just a confirmation to me to stay away. Hope that helps.
PhotoNat

fetzler Loc: North West PA

You really can't beat B&H and Adorama. They have excellent service and a large inventory. Amazon can be OK but B&H and Adorama still will have better service especially if things go wrong. Years ago I bought a light meter from B&H that was DOA. They sent a new one immediately without waiting for my return. I think there is also a large camera store in California but I have no experience. I visited Bozeman Camera in Montana in December. Lots of Nikon, Cannon, and Panasonic gear including used gear. If I lived in Bozeman, I would certainly buy from them. I am sure there are other local shops.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Adorama. B&H. Cameta Camera. KEH. MPB. Roberts.

All those are reliable, ethical, fair, and trustworthy.

Avoid 42nd St Photo, Abe's of Maine, and Tri-State Camera.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I’m actually impressed that many hoggers recommend Adorama. My first, and only, experience with them was much less than satisfactory. A rep from the store, with whom I spoke, had no idea what a pc connection was and did not know what I meant by a flash slave. Also, when I returned the malfunctionnng item I had purchased, in it’s original shipping package, I was accused of returning it in inappropriate shipping packaging. To say I was not impressed is an understatement.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

To this point, I have not ordered from Adorama. I have done recent business with B&H and KEH, and my experience with both was excellent. I know King Grant at KEH personally from the time that he had a store in Dallas for a few years, and can speak highly of him both personally and professionally.

That said...I have at least three excellent local stores...Garland Camera and Repair, Arlington Camera, and Competitive Camera. All have wide in-store inventory, including items that are in short supply elsewhere, and all have fair prices. I will go to them first. Here's why:

I bought a D850 in the late summer. Turned out to have a minor problem with one of the viewfinder masks. The sales and repair person that always helps me took quite a bit of time to help diagnose the problem and see if it was a setup oversight or could otherwise be easily fixed. (Turned out it couldn't.) It wasn't a critical issue, so I lived with it through the Christmas season, then worked with Nikon's folks to verify what we had done and finally to arrange for a repair. Took it back to the store, where they packed the camera up and shipped it for me, at their expense. I offered that the shipping cost should be my responsibility. They said no. Since I had bought it from them (at the same price as B&H or anywhere else, by the way) that they would be happy to do it as a store courtesy. It will also come back to them, so I won't have to worry about it potentially sitting on my front porch all afternoon when it is returned.