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!

I have a new online proofing system! For events after March 1, 2008, client proofs will appear on the new system. It’s hosted on my site and created by PickPic. My previous system is very good (and still working), but I believe this one creates an even better viewing and shopping experience for clients, their families and friends. It will be accessible via the proofs link on my web site. As before, checkout is secured by SSL encryption.

Among the products and services we’ll be adding for online purchase, are beautiful press-printed greeting cards. The cover will feature a photo that clients select from their wedding or portrait session. We’ll offer both folded (shown) and flat versions, and clients can specify text for the inside (or the back for the flat version). Also new: gift certificates and portrait sessions can now be purchased via a public products page that doesn’t require logging in to any specific gallery.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the new system.

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:

• Hot New Releases
• Most Gifted Photography Books
• Most Wished For Photography Books
• Digital Photography
• How To
• Nature & Wildlife
• Photo Essays
• Photojournalism
• Portraits
• Professional