Photography: Resources
It's all about research, reviews, and purchasing advice before you take the leap.
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Da Guy's Favorite Place to Shop |
You could spend a lifetime surfing. Here's a few places to start.
Ansel Adams. THE Photographer. The Sierra and Yosemite. Black and white. The man that turned photography into art. A terrific site to help with that difficult decision as to what to store your gear in. Pictures and reviews of bags in use by real people with real equipment. See what Da Guy is using over on his Gear Accessories page. Free online learning for the Canon EOS Digital Photographer The Cleaning Digital Cameras site is a useful place to start your exploration of a potentially scary DSLR topic that we all have to deal with some day DPR is one of the top resources on the Net for everything digital Canon is the specialty, with reviews, how-to's, practical recommendations and equipment comparisons Canon Enjoy! Digital SLR Cameras This fun, flash-based Canon site is for those new to DSLR, or perhaps those Point-and-Shoot enthusiasts that want to know a little more about what those "other cameras" are all about, and how it's done FredMiranda.com is the place a lot of digital photographers hang out. You may want to as well. Choosing and using digital cameras Scott Kelby -- One of Da Guy's favorite authors on digital photography and Photoshop. Check out his publications on Amazon.com , as well as NAPP below (he's the Prez and a big contributor).
A fabulous non-commercial how-to site run by Michael H. Reichmann Some free stuff here related to the Photoshop world, but for those that join NAPP - National Association of Photoshop Professionals you get a subscription to Photoshop User Magazine, as well as hundreds of training videos, hints, tips, forums, special events, podcasts, discounts and more. Northlight Images The reviews in this outstanding UK site are some of the best related to digital imaging color management products, i.e. which products do you use to ensure the color you see on your PC or that comes off your printer is realistic and life-like. Photography on the Net: Canon Digital Photography Forums, hosted by Pekka Saarinen. An active community! Andrew Hudson's site has some great info on where to take those shots An outstanding site run by an amateur photographer allowing you to get beyond the specs and reviews to see actual photos taken with different cameras, lenses, and settings. Specs are interesting. Reviews are valuable. Seeing is convincing. The place to go for Compact Flash and SD card performance ratings before you add to your digital storage. The site seems to have halted updates to the performance database in late 2008, but it still has valuable info for those not familiar with what CD/SD speed really means to your photo experience. Galen Rowell -- Surely one of the best landscape photographers of our time, with a life that ended all too soon. Check out his legacy at the Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, California or through many of his large format books on Amazon.com. Rick Sammon -- One of Da Guy's favorite authors on digital photography and Photoshop. Check out his publications on Amazon.com. Focused (pardon the pun) on lens selection and independent reviews A super BLOG about flash photography Tips from the Top Floor is Da Guy's favorite photography Podcast. Chris is informative and always amusing.
Da Guy is a big research and self-help hound. No wonder he and Amazon.com have such a thing going. Here's some of his favorites on this subject.
Check out and support your local photo store if you have one, especially if they've been helpful and have real product on-hand for the touchie-feely we'd all like to have before we lay down our hard-earned cash (or is that plastic?). You'd be remiss though, not to search for prices and availability on the Net in this highly competitive market when you already know what you're after. Be sure you understand warranty implications if you buy on the "Gray Market -- it's just not for Da Guy, even at the lower prices it some time entails. Use comparison sites such as BizRate, PriceGrabber and ResellerRatings.com to find yourself a reputable online dealer with loads of positive consumer feedback like the ones below. Be sure you add any shipping and handling fees to the price of your products before making your final decision. THAT can make the difference.
These are the places who have received nearly all of Da Guy's business for photographic gear. Give them a shot. Click on the merchant logo to check them out, and Da Guy says "Mahalo" in advance if you come back through here to place your order via Amazon or Adorama!.
You never know without trying, but Da Guy finds "best buys" and hard to find items at Amazon.com more often than you'd think. It's generally where his search begins.
While it's not always the case, Da Guy typically finds better pricing on combined electronic and photographic accessories such as CF and SD cards here compared to the other places; Sometimes better pricing on cameras ($200 savings on his D40); and sometimes better availability of brand new gear (like his SD3500IS that was available from Amazon several weeks before the other guys, and it included free 2-day shipping the day it became available since he's an Amazon Prime member.)
B&H has a wide selection of in-stock items. Prices typically are comparable with Adorama, and between the two competitors, should be able to provide you with nearly anything your heart desires and pocketbook can afford. Note: If you are a NAPP member, check out the NAPP discounts page for any promos in place with B&H (like free 3-day shipping, that can be a "total price" tie breaker in this cut-throat competitive world). Adorama is one of the two places Da Guy winds up when he wants something found in reviews or articles, as well as when he just can't seem to find it anywhere else. Da Guy's online experience with Adorama has been great with same-day shipping on in-stock items and fast shipment on backorder or special-order items. They have a huge in-stock selection including B+W filters, lens hoods, Crumpler and Lowepro bags, Photographic Solutions products, and more. Almost always, Beach Camera has the best prices on big ticket items including some electronics things such as cordless phones, but a photographic stock selection that's more limited than Adorama and B&H. Fast, generally same or next day service. Several of Da Guy's major purchases have come from here. Da Guy had a great experience with a returned telephone product where Da Guy was treated far better than expected -- terrific customer service. Note: As with most mail-order houses, pay attention to the additional FedEx shipping fees that compound quickly if you just can't wait for the free "within 10 business days" slow-as-molassas UPS shipping.
