so...would you buy from an ebay seller with over 135000 positive (over 99%) feedback? get the body, two sigma lenses, case and more.


or. would you get the body, 2 nikkor lenses, a case, high speed memory card, etc plus 18 FREE photography classes of varied types from a local photo shop chain (wolf/ritz), plus other stuff too??

the difference is that the former (ebay) is several hundred less. however it is a salesman's sample (so some use, maybe some minor wear but guaranteed in excellent working condition) and having to deal with someone in NYC (home of the grey market in electronics...i.e. questionable USA warranties.)

the second (Wolf/Ritz) is extremely reputable, is local to me, would be a 100% new everything, free classes, $50 in store credit for whatever (prints?) and offers assistance in dealing with NIKON if i need it, but is 1/3 more money. and the nikkor lenses are slightly not as good as the sigma. just slightly.


the budget minded me wants to bid on ebay. i got my last 35mm SLR (canon) on there and love it. no problems at all. the feedback is stellar.

however a wee small voice is telling me to get it at wolf and get over the money.

he's not found a new job yet but we've given ourselves permission to have a bit of mad money bf we buckle down, given the difficulties we've had the last several months.

i've been an SLR enthusiast since i was 16/17 (i am 32 later this year) and am probably what would be considered advanced beginner, including darkroom experience. i'm new to digital SLR though...just to give an idea, this is a camera purchase we've been considering for me for YEARS and YEARS, is something i'm looking at as an investment and is something i could recoup the cost of in under a year locally if i networked well (not that i have to, but if i needed it i could.)

this is the ebay seller (not the actual auction...i'd bid on one with sigma's that back up to each other, the two in this listing present a 20mm gap.)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D50-Digital-SLR-Camera-2-Zoom-Lens-Case-Kit_W0QQitemZ7614373881QQcategoryZ122616QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem


ETA that we're vascilating on the when, i may wait a couple more weeks anyways...not sure.

wolf 100%...no question about it.

yeah, the practical me is going that way too. it's just that dang cheapskate part of me.

but that wee voice is telling me no, go to wolf. i spent an hour and a half today at the one in cumming, going over everything. i'd looked at the camera in the past at BB & CC but this was the first time i got to really play with it, different lenses, put it in various bags, just really really play with it. they let me do all sorts of stuff in the store with it :lol: i used to buy all my stuff there in college, papers and chemicals, filters and film. i really love their customer service. i was VERY impressed.

i'm sure i was quite the nerd, particularly with two of my three kids on the floor from boredom:rolleyes:

get the extended warranty wherever you go...i told you about all my extended warranty replacements right? we got ours at best buy and got a bunch of reward certificates for free stuff!

i was very pleased with wolf. got it there today and have no regrets. i had some weird feelings over ebay so i opted to get over the difference in price. well, try to anyways.

:smooch:

good good! fun!