Camera Suggestions

[BAC]

I be wary of Best Buy only because of their return/warranty policy. 

There are a number of on-line retailer that you can find a sale, or package, price most any week.  Even a pro-A/V place like B&H photo has good deals sometimes.

Which is why I suggested doing your homework first.  Everything Best Buy sells is warrantied by the manufacturer.  B&H and Adorama can be great places to get good deals (or to just visit), but be wary of what you buy.  Lots of what they sell does not have a manufacturer's warranty.  Which leads me back to my point about (when possible) buying from a local camera shop.  If we don't they will disappear.

[Timothy]

Which is why I suggested doing your homework first.  Everything Best Buy sells is warrantied by the manufacturer.  B&H and Adorama can be great places to get good deals (or to just visit), but be wary of what you buy.  Lots of what they sell does not have a manufacturer's warranty.  Which leads me back to my point about (when possible) buying from a local camera shop.  If we don't they will disappear.

Amen! 

No longer a camera guy, once upon a time I was.....

[fightingquaker13]

Let me give an extra amen to this. One of the most embarrasing moments of my life was when I brought a friend to a local fly shop. I bought my rigs from them. It was a bit pricier than from a big box, but I was paying for the CS, the fishing advice, the free casting lessons, and the"here's the fly that's working on this river today" type info. Then there was the  the atmosphere; a fly shop with a coffee pot going, a geriatric bird dog, a full time fly tier working in the back, and a lot of fishermen hanging out and telling lies,. It was more than a fair trade. My friend had bought his gear from Cabela's (same stuff they were selling) and saved about fifty bucks over the Austin Angler's prices. He needed it put toghther. They did it for $5. I was cringing the whole time. If everyone bought mail order, that shop would be gone. The expertise and CS would go out the window. It was a credit to those guys they didn't bum rush him out the door.
The thing is that if you buy local, the exra few bucks you pay (assuming a good shop) are money well spent. I learned that lesson from my Great Granddad and I still buy my suits and dress shoes from a local shop thats been there since 1919. (J.C. Harris on Clematis Street in WPB, Fl., and there is still a Mr. Harris behind the counter). Yeah, I could save money shopping at the mall, or online, but what do I lose by doing so? Dedicated specialty shops are a treasure, and you need to factor in the knowledge and help you get versus the money you "save" by ordering online or going with a big box store. Just my .02.
FQ13

[Pathfinder]

So do you believe in everything you are told at the fishing shop? How about the local Mom and Pop gun shop?

Case in point. On another forum, a question was raised about whether .308 and 7.62x51 NATO are the same round, By the time I saw the thread, there were a few responses, including one from one of the mods. She went off about how there was a huge difference, higher pressures in the .308, and the .308 was 1/10" longer than the 7.62. Whaaaa? I responded that they were generally considered similar, and that what the mod described was true for .223 and 5.56, and then went on to quote from the Hogdon reloading site. Well, we went around with others chiming in, so I advised the guy to find a local reloader and get their help, and not to believe anything they read on the internet. I then quoted from the Barnes specs (and Wiki!!!!) as to what the case length spec for the .308 and 7.62 were, and how there was no more than 1/100" variance allowed.

To which the mod replied - OK, I don't reload but I work at a gun shop and this is what I was told.       

Immortal words!