For some reason the world of mid- to high-end photography equipment retail seems afflicted by fraudsters and fly-by-night operations that have burned a lot of people. A couple of years ago there was a huge jump in the number of these outfits, probably because a few of them finally discovered the internet, and likely due to the explosion in the number of amateur DSLR photographers looking for deals online.

Photography equipment tends to be expensive, and people need to be careful where and who they buy it from.

This is a list of online photog retailers that I have used in the past to purchase camera bodies, lenses and accessories. I do not particularly endorse any of them, other than to say they are legit and I've been satisfied with their service:

• Amazon.com
• Beach Camera
• 47th Street Photo
  
• Adorama
  

As with any other type of consumer products, you need to do your homework and shop around. All these sites will typically have the same equipment at different prices, so comparisons are always recommended. Even Amazon will have the same product from three different retailers at different prices sometimes!

If you're just starting out, I recommend sticking with these four as much as possible.

A couple of common-sense tips:

• Always buy with a credit card. I use my American Express card to buy all my photo equipment online, no exceptions.
• Beware of inflated shipping costs. Amazon tends to do that sometimes.
• Make sure you examine the return policy of the retailer you're using. 15% "restocking fee" and other nonsense should be avoided.
  
• Inspect the box(es) as soon as you get them, and make sure everything is OK. If not, get on the phone or email the retailer to ask for return instructions.
  

One of the good things about buying photo equipment is that there are lots of places where people review and rate cameras, lenses and other stuff - including retailers. It's easy to find out quickly if the lens you're thinking of buying is actually worth the money. The Amazon review system is especially useful for this, regardless of whether or not you end up buying from them.

Refurbished equipment

Retailers sell refurbished lenses and cameras, just like big-name computer manufacturers sell refurbished laptops. Whether or not to buy this type of equipment is a personal decision. In most cases if the refurb has been done by the manufacturer and the warranty is still valid, then there should be no problem. On the other hand with lenses sometimes the difference between a refurb and new is ~$50 so it doesn't make much sense unless you're counting pennies like crazy (say on a lens in the $1,000 range). Refurb lenses can usually be found in Adorama and Amazon.

Gray Market

In photo retail the term "gray market" refers to equipment that has been imported from other countries into the U.S., and does not carry a valid U.S. warranty. Adorama typically sells gray market lenses. I don't recommend buying these unless the difference is price is large enough to take the chance to forgo the warranty, and it rarely is. Actually, if you see "gray market" equipment at a deep discount from normal retail, you need to walk away from it regardless of the grayness involved.

To eBay or not to eBay

Buying photo equipment on eBay can be chancy at best. Unless you have a lot of experience buying there and can spot a con, stay away from it. On the other hand it's the best place to buy used equipment, if you want to save money. I've happily purchased a few used lenses there, but again, if you don't have experience with the site, I suggest using a normal retailer.