Where to buy cameras & lenses
Monday August 18th 2008, 6:55 pm
Filed under: Books, Gifts/Shopping, Techniques/Gear

If you’re shopping for a camera, lens, camcorder or other photo gear, I recommend these vendors:

B&H Photo

B&H has almost everything in stock. Their web site is well organized and an excellent source of technical information. Some products also have informative customer reviews. Prices are good and returns are no problem within the return period. B&H ships very promptly and shipping charges are reasonable, at least within the USA. In the NYC area, even the cheapest UPS Ground shipping option results in very speedy delivery. 

Adorama

Another reliable vendor with good prices (sometimes a little better than B&H’s).  Their web site is very comprehensive and easily searchable.  Almost everything is in stock. Shipping is speedy and reasonably priced.

Amazon.com

Amazon too has almost everything in stock. Their web site is excellent and the numerous customer reviews provide helpful “real world” feedback about products. Prices are almost always competitive. Shipping usually takes a little longer unless you pay extra for the fast shipping option. Returns are no problem within the return period. My only peeve with Amazon is that they don’t make it easy to find their customer service phone number. For the USA and Canada, Amazon’s customer service phone number is 800-201-7575, and from outside the USA and Canada it’s 206-346-2992 or 206-266-2992.

If you’re in northern New Jersey and want to speak with a knowledgeable salesperson, I recommend that you go in person to Bergen County Camera in Westwood, New Jersey.

Some online vendors advertise extremely low prices, but have a terrible reputation for not delivering products at the low prices they advertise. If you see a great price online, be sure to check out the vendor at Resellerratings.com. The vendors with the lowest prices often have near-zero ratings (on a scale from 0 to 10), with dozens of “Very Dissatisfied” customer reviews on Resellerratings.com.

I am an affiliate of B&H Photo, Adorama and Amazon, so if you make a purchase after clicking through their links above, I’ll earn a small commission. Thank you!



Finding gift books for photographers
Wednesday March 26th 2008, 12:15 am
Filed under: Books, Gifts/Shopping

When a photographer in your family has a birthday coming up, or when you’re looking for a holiday gift for a photographer, Amazon.com has a search feature that makes it very easy to find wonderful photography books, from how-to books to classics of photography. Use these links to find a great gift book very quickly:



Master’s Guide to Wedding Photography
Friday March 07th 2008, 10:44 pm
Filed under: Books, Photographers, Techniques/Gear

One of the best books I’ve found about wedding photography is Marcus Bell’s Master’s Guide to Wedding Photography:  Capturing Unforgettable Moments and Lasting Impressions.  Bell is one of the world’s great wedding photographers, and he offers some excellent lessons in this book.  Very highly recommended!



Martin Schoeller at work
Wednesday March 05th 2008, 5:13 pm
Filed under: Books, Photographers

It’s always fun to see a well-known photographer at work. In this link, documentary filmmaker Mike Pulcinella shares some video of Martin Schoeller photographing a bodybuilder. Schoeller has a very distinctive portrait style sometimes called “Big Heads”. Schoeller’s book “Close Up” features many of these portraits.