hey , my brother (living aboard) ask me to find him a Nicon D300 + all the Gagets for it. Do you have any idea where can I get the best deal for it.
The D300 is still pretty new so the retail price will be $1800 where ever you go. BeachCamera has it for a whopping $20 less and they include free shipping: http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=NKD300
That's about the best deal you'll find.
The other places (B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com , Calumet, and Adorama) are also excellent, and you can include Amazon (yes, they have camera equipment, too) when you compare prices for the rest of the gear.
You can just pass those sites on to your brother and let him do the research. Anticipation is half the fun. Besides, if he's a camera nut, those will become some of his favorite bookmarks.
Some other odds & ends:
* If you find an amazing deal at some unknown place, ignore it - it's probably a scam. Or if you're feeling inquisitive, do a 5 minute background check here
http://www.resellerratings.com
and here
http://search.bbb.org
Don't trust a store unless they get a thumbs up from both of those sites.
* if you know anything about camera gear yourself, give the new equipment a quick test within the return period.
* the warranty on anything you buy will only be valid in the USA.
* some stores offer two versions of the same item: a USA version and a slightly cheaper import version / grey market version. The difference is that the import version has no factory warranty at all. Which also explains the discount.
* when you or you brother take the gear abroad, don't bring the original boxes - if you get checked at the airport abroad your brother will have to pay an import tax. The same is true if you send the camera by mail. I live in Holland myself, and I know plenty of people who've been taxed on cameras and laptops. To avoid this, it has to look as though you're bringing your own camera with you on vacation, or that he's returning with a camera that he purchased before the trip.
* the D300 is a heck of a nice camera. I use the previous model myself (the D200). You can your brother we're all jealous 
If your brother needs help deciding on the rest of his gear, here are some great sites:
Lens reviews: http://www.naturfotograf.com
General info and forums: http://www.nikonians.org
Nikon dSLR guru: http://www.bythom.com
More forums: http://www.dpreview.com
Biased reviews of Nikon gear: http://www.kenrockwell.com (Ken Rockwell has a ton of info on his site but take it all with a grain of salt.)
And of course, he can always post questions here.
Amazon. B & H, Adorama and Calumet are some good places to look.
References :
buy from reputable company like B & H
References :
The D300 is still pretty new so the retail price will be $1800 where ever you go. BeachCamera has it for a whopping $20 less and they include free shipping: http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=NKD300
That’s about the best deal you’ll find.
The other places (B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com , Calumet, and Adorama) are also excellent, and you can include Amazon (yes, they have camera equipment, too) when you compare prices for the rest of the gear.
You can just pass those sites on to your brother and let him do the research. Anticipation is half the fun. Besides, if he’s a camera nut, those will become some of his favorite bookmarks.
Some other odds & ends:
* If you find an amazing deal at some unknown place, ignore it – it’s probably a scam. Or if you’re feeling inquisitive, do a 5 minute background check here
http://www.resellerratings.com
and here
http://search.bbb.org
Don’t trust a store unless they get a thumbs up from both of those sites.
* if you know anything about camera gear yourself, give the new equipment a quick test within the return period.
* the warranty on anything you buy will only be valid in the USA.
* some stores offer two versions of the same item: a USA version and a slightly cheaper import version / grey market version. The difference is that the import version has no factory warranty at all. Which also explains the discount.
* when you or you brother take the gear abroad, don’t bring the original boxes – if you get checked at the airport abroad your brother will have to pay an import tax. The same is true if you send the camera by mail. I live in Holland myself, and I know plenty of people who’ve been taxed on cameras and laptops. To avoid this, it has to look as though you’re bringing your own camera with you on vacation, or that he’s returning with a camera that he purchased before the trip.
* the D300 is a heck of a nice camera. I use the previous model myself (the D200). You can your brother we’re all jealous
If your brother needs help deciding on the rest of his gear, here are some great sites:
Lens reviews: http://www.naturfotograf.com
General info and forums: http://www.nikonians.org
Nikon dSLR guru: http://www.bythom.com
More forums: http://www.dpreview.com
Biased reviews of Nikon gear: http://www.kenrockwell.com (Ken Rockwell has a ton of info on his site but take it all with a grain of salt.)
And of course, he can always post questions here.
References :