A huge national chain store (who will remain annonymous) constantly runs advertisements on the local radio using the above slogan to draw people in. What they neglect to mention is that the old saying is correct: you get what you pay for. Often, I have found that the "free" expertise they offer is worse than offering no information at all. For someone looking for a point and shoot camera, their salesman can do a reasonable job of helping customers find a decent camera. After all, most point and shoots are pretty much the same, and it's just a difference between the zoom lens, a few features, and the relative reliability of certain models compared to others. However, when it comes to anyone looking for more than a point and shoot, these stores don't offer anything to the customer.

     So how does this apply to mere mortals looking for an SLR camera? First, if you're an advanced photographer, you already know FAR more than any salesman at a chain store, and talking to them will only waste your time. Second, if you're a relatively new camera buyer, you need to understand that the chain store salesmen ARE NOT WELL TRAINED! They really don't know much about photography and cameras, and can tell you only what they are told about the cameras. Thus they really aren't very qualified to help you choose the right camera, particularly if you're looking for a more expensive camera such as an SLR. The salesman simply lack the basic knowledge and experience in photography to be of any real use. Hence the tremendous number of Rebels and other not-very-good entry-level cameras being sold by the chain stores.

     Think I'm kidding? Follow this link to read two true stories about chain stores - one from my personal experience, and one told to me by the retail manager at one of the chain stores. Needless to say, if you read these you'll get a very good impression of how chain stores fail to train their staff in some of the basics of photography.

     And now the important question - if you can't get good service at the chain stores, where can you go to find knowledgeable camera salesmen who will help you make the best decision? In general, the best stores are those smaller photo shops that have been in business for 20+ years. The problem? These smaller stores often charge higher prices than the chain stores. So here's the Catch-22; everybody wants the best price, which is at the chain store (or mail order). But to get the best service, you need to go to the smaller specialty photo shops that charge higher prices. So what's the solution?

     First and foremost, don't think that you can go to the specialty photo shop for advice, and then turn around and either mail order or buy from the chain store. It's just plain rude - you're robbing the salesman of his commission, and the next time you go through the store they probably won't be very helpful (you'll have marked yourself as someone who just wastes their time - they won't be rude, but don't expect them to spend a lot of time talking to you or answering your questions). Also, don't buy from mail order and expect to be able to talk to a local store if you run into problems or if something breaks. ANY local store, be it a chain store or a local specialy shop, will NOT be very helpful - again, you bought from a mail order outfit, and the local store isn't in business to help mail order customers. So here's what to do:

• If you buy based on price, then buy from the mail order catalogs or the chain store. You'll have to give up on service, but this is the price you pay for buying everything at the lowest cost. If you're a knowledgeable photographer (serious amateur or professional), buying things by mail order or at a chain store probably isn't a problem as you know what you're buying and you don't need to talk to the salesman (he's just there to ring it all up). But for someone looking to get into photography on an amateur level, the lack of service can be a big problem, especially if you've never owned a good camera before or you don't have very much experience in photography.
• If you want service, go to the smaller specialty store and and pay the extra 10-15%. Yes, you pay a little more, but you get two important things in return - first, you get better advice in finding the right camera. Second, if you ever have any questions or problems, the salesman will go much farther to help you out than any chain store will. They'll even go as far as give you advice on how to take photos - something the chain store won't do without you paying $50 for their "Photo School" course (which, by the way, is 90% useless). For the beginning photographer (even those using simple point and clicks), it is often better to spend a little extra $$$ and get the service provided by the smaller specialty store.
• Finally, if you are looking to buy a point and shoot camera, it doesn't really matter where you buy. Chain stores, Best Buy, Walmart, and most of the specialty camera stores generally carry the same products, and there isn't much service involved with a point and shoot - P&S cameras tend to be very simple to operate, and the lack of advanced options means you don't really need to bug the salesman to learn how or when to use a certain feature. The specialty stores can be a little more helpful if you run into problems or if you're looking for high-end brands (such as Rollei and Leica), but that's about it. Overall, P&S buyers can buy based on price, and not worry too much about where they buy.