[THAN THE SWORD]

I have done the research and have made my decision. I am ready to buy the K10D.

Now the question is where do I buy it and what do I buy?

Locally there are only two camera shops that I would feel good about buying from. But they both have the K10D backordered and I don't know when they would be able to get one for me. And now that I am ready I want it NOW!

If I go online what or who should I look out for?

I have checked out B&H and they seem good.

Broadway Photo seemed almost too good to be true. They listed the body only for $777. Just rechecked and the body is the same price. Although the grip is now listing for $200, last night it was priced to move at an even $0.00. Has anyone used or bought from them?

cametaauctions on EBay has some great kit combinations that don't include lenses. The one that seems perfect for me is the body, the grip and an extra baterry for $1044.95. I think I might go for a lens or two outside the kits offered.

My deadline is Mid February to have the camera in hand. We are going to Europe in Mid March and I want/need some time to get used to using it and some of the features.

Everyone here seems knowlegdable and helpful. Thanks for any words of wisdom or experiance you can share.

[Adam]

Sorry for interrupting, but I'll be moving this to the appropriate forum section.

This forum is only for issues with the website itself

[tranq78]

Where are you located? If you explain your predicament to your dealer, they may be able to get one into your hands faster.

I don't care where I buy lenses, but I try to buy bodies locally if possible.

Camera bodies have lots of moving parts and are more likely to have a problem than lenses. If I buy from a reputable local dealer, I can take it back to have it exchanged, fixed or refunded without hassle or bearing the cost of shipping. Sometimes the shop will price match or knock off a bit from their asking price if they know you are a repeat customer.

[-=JoN=-]

body wise..i'd buy from either local, or a well known place such as b and h...
might cost extra..but that little bit of extra might go a long way if stuff goes bad in between...

[slip]

body wise..i'd buy from either local, or a well known place such as b and h...
might cost extra..but that little bit of extra might go a long way if stuff goes bad in between...

I totally agree with JoN

for the money you might save online, it might be all gone after the camera has to be sent back for any reason.
I good local store that has good knowledgeable sales people can that help AFTER the sale goes a long way towards your long term enjoyment of your equipment.

not to say online is bad, it is just to much of a gamble for me

cheers

randy

[NaClH2O]

I've gotten all my bodies (the camera ones anyway ) from Adorama. However this IS my local shop as I live in NYC. I've always liked Adorama better than B&H, the brick and mortar store is much more focused on things photographic. They sell other stuff but no where near the amount that B&H does. And the sales people seem nicer.
If you do buy online, besides B&H and Adorama, I'd check out prices at Beach Camera, Zip Zoom Fly, and One Call. All are reputable sites and all carry the K10D AFAIK.

NaCl(of the above, Adorama is my favorite)H2O

[Kitanis]

Broadway Photo (aka: A&M Photo World, Regal Camera, Prestige Camera, Preferred Photo, more..] Customer Ratings, Reviews and Prices at ResellerRatings

Broadway Photo dose not rate very high on the reseller.com list at all and from the comments I see listed, use variations of a bait and switch scheme on most cameras.

I would stick to B&H Photo, Adorama, or Calumet for a major purchase on the camea. The rest of the stuff can be bought however you wish.

[user440]

I bought mine from Abes of Maine. I actually called in the order (to get a little comfort with the outfit) and the rep was very responsive and helpful.

[xfraser]

I've had bad experiences from Broadway Photo, my recommendation is to stay away from them. I've had good luck with B&H, Adorama, 17th Street Photo (they don't seem to carry the Pentax DSLRs), and Dell (some people don't like Dell).

[MnR]

Hi,

Cameta Camera is also a Brick and Mortar store. I have bought a lot of equipment from them and go to them before I bought anything from B&H.

Rudy

[-=JoN=-]

I've gotten all my bodies (the camera ones anyway ) from Adorama. However this IS my local shop as I live in NYC. I've always liked Adorama better than B&H, the brick and mortar store is much more focused on things photographic. They sell other stuff but no where near the amount that B&H does. And the sales people seem nicer.
If you do buy online, besides B&H and Adorama, I'd check out prices at Beach Camera, Zip Zoom Fly, and One Call. All are reputable sites and all carry the K10D AFAIK.

NaCl(of the above, Adorama is my favorite)H2O

I hate going there..(also my local store)...hell,i hate going to any photo store....I always seem to end up leaving w/ something new...LoL

adorama is great, but their pentax stock is even next to none..(b and h has maybe 1 or 2 more than adorama, meaning they have 1 or 2 in stock)....

I have had a positive experience w/ both stores.....(thats why I keep spending money on them..LoL)

hey NaCI...if you see some tall asian dude in the slr section @ adorama between the hours of 12-2 (usually between 1-2) on a weekday..that would be me....

went there again to ask about something missing w/ my bag...ended buying a new focus screen.... (wasnt even spose to buy the bag, but thats another story)

yeah..if your gonna spend a lot of money on gear...get it from a well known place.....or do some major research and post up here....

[SpecialK]

[QUOTE]I have done the research and have made my decision. I am ready to buy the K10D.

Now the question is where do I buy it and what do I buy?

[QUOTE]

My feeling is the manufacturer provides a warranty and I do not expect a retailer to provide any warranty service. If the seller is agreeable and has a liberal return policy, then by all means shop locally. Being in the CS business, I know for a fact that many "problems" are not warranty problems, if even a problem at all.

As far as "what to buy", if you want to stay with Pentax then I would recommend passing on the 18-55 (a marginal lens on a nice body). I'd get the the 16-45 and 50-200 at least. Have not used the 16-45 but it has good reviews, and gets down to a useful wide angle. I like the compact 50-200 and for $167 after rebate it can't be beat. I like really wide angle (particularly fisheye), so I'd recommend the 10-17 as well if you are leaning that way. The 12-24 has a bit too much overlap with the 16-45. Or perhaps the macro instead if you are interested in that sort of thing.

[RussellW]

I would like to buy the k10d, here in Sydney AUS, the price ranges from aud1150 to aud1400 for the body only. I off to Hawaii on Monday to attend a conference and maybe purchase the K10d there..... does anyone know of a camera store in Waikiki near the Royal Hawaiian.
thanks

[SpecialK]

Just look in the Yellow Pages phone book under "cameras". The hotel probably has one in each room. If not, ask for one at the lobby.

[WMBP]

Just look in the Yellow Pages phone book under "cameras". The hotel probably has one in each room. If not, ask for one at the lobby.

Yeah, I'm sure that you will have much less trouble finding a photo shop in Honolulu than you would here in Dallas. :-)

Will