I've rarely bought camera gear from traditional walk-in stores. What I really hate is that most of these stores don't put price tags on their items. This practice essentially eliminates the point of browsing, purposely makes comparison shopping harder, and actually forces me to look at competitors online. As a result, I only go to a local store if:
  1. I know exactly what I want and I need it immediately
  2. I need to try an item before I buy it
  3. I want to look at an item before I go online and buy it for less
  4. the item is cheap and is not worth bargain hunting for it.



Clearly, price is not the sole criterion by which I judge which retailer I purchase from. But the walk-in stores have not really made themselves attractive to me as a consumer. Their single biggest advantage is the immediacy and tangibility of the shopping process--I can take in a large number of items at once, get a sense of their scale and compatibility, and ask questions if I need to. If I want it I can walk out the door with it right then. I don't have to wait for shipping or deal with damaged goods. So it's a big deal that in the face of such a huge advantage, I still go online for important purchases, such as bodies and lenses, the bread-and-butter stuff. That's because I don't need someone to show me how to use an EF 100/2.8L macro IS, or tell me that I need it. I don't need someone to stand behind a counter and show off the 7D for me. Bodies and lenses don't satisfy any of the above criteria I mentioned, except possibly for (2), in which case rental is the smarter way to go, because then I can put the gear through its paces and actually *use* it.


Why buy online? It's not just price, though that is certainly a big factor. It's also the fact that I don't get upsold, or have to get someone's attention to do it. I can comparison shop FAR more easily and efficiently, and prices are clearly stated upfront. Walk-in store employees can be annoying and rude. I am often ignored, perhaps because I don't look like a middle-aged guy with deep pockets and no understanding of cameras. I look like the opposite--an art student (i.e., poor yet savvy) even though I'm not a student. I've walked into Samy's and the guy behind the counter will spend 30 minutes talking to some rich dude about the "necessity" of buying spare batteries, UV filters for his kit lens, and various accessories totaling several hundred dollars for his 50D when all he wants to do is take green box snapshots of his wife and kids; but the same employee won't (or can't) even give me a simple 10-second answer to a specific question I have about the availability of a quick release plate. WTF.


So yeah, I don't have much sympathy for the walk-in stores. They have a lot going for them, so if they can't compete, it's nobody's fault but their own.