When shopping for photography gear online, it’s important to be safe and secure. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

  1. Use a secure payment method. Many online retailers accept credit cards and other forms of payment, but it’s always best to use a secure method like PayPal. This way, you can be sure that your information is protected if something goes wrong with the transaction.
  2. Double check the seller’s reputation. Before making a purchase, do some research on the seller’s reputation online. Look for positive reviews from other customers, as well as any complaints about the seller that have been filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). If there are any negative reviews, be sure to read them carefully before making your purchase.
  3. Be aware of fake websites and emails. Be especially careful when dealing with websites or emails that seem too good to be true – they probably are! Always verify the website address or email address before clicking on anything – and never give out personal information like bank account numbers or Social Security numbers over email or in person! By following these tips, you can safely shop for photography gear online without worry of being scammed or stolen identity information. ..

How Common Is Counterfeit Camera Gear?

Counterfeit camera gear is, if not common, definitely out there. What way it’s counterfeit depends on what exactly it is.

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Similarly, Canon has had trouble with counterfeiters manufacturing knockoffs of their flash units, and there have been fake Nikon battery grips. These kind of accessories are a gold mine for fakers because the products work and most people won’t be able to tell the difference. If photos write to the memory card in your camera, why would you question its authenticity? It’s only when the cheap chip inside fails that you might realize you’ve been had.

For larger items like cameras and lenses, the problems are a little more subtle. Cameras are expensive and technically difficult to manufacture, so they’re much harder to clone. Instead, scammers will buy a cheaper camera and change the badges, so it looks like the more expensive model. For example, the Nikon D7100 is similar enough to the significantly more expensive D610 that scammers can cheaply change a body panel and flog the 7100 on for a tidy profit.

You also have to be careful with gray market imports. In the best cases, the seller buys the camera cheaper overseas, somewhat dubiously imports it, and then sells it for a profit at a price that’s still lower than the RRP. You won’t get a warranty, and the camera manufacturer may look at you askance if they need to fix it at any stage, but you will get a brand new camera at a knockdown rate.

In other cases, you’ll end up with a camera that’s been stolen. The sellers will normally change or cover up the serial number on the body so you can’t easily check and, until something goes wrong, you won’t notice.

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What to Watch Out For

There are lots of red flags that can tip you off to a fake or otherwise dodgy listing. Some of the major ones are:

Buy Local or From a Reputable Store

Check What You Buy

Even if you’re certain you bought from a reputable seller—and especially if you aren’t—it’s worth giving any camera gear you buy online a quick once over when it arrives. Google “how to spot a fake [whatever you bought]” and check that yours is genuine. For example, real SanDisk cards have a gray switch and a serial number on the back; some of the fake cards have a yellow switch and no serial number.

RELATED: How to Make Sure a Camera or Lens Works Properly Before You Buy

You should also check that any holograms are real and where they should be, that labels are secure, aligned, and properly printed, and that everything that should be in the box—like the manual and warranty card—is.

For cameras, it’s also worth checking the shutter count. It should be zero (or almost zero) for a brand new camera; if it’s higher, then something is up.

If you’re ever in doubt, contact the seller and the manufacturer.

The photography market is worth so much money that it’s an easy target for scammers. They only have to take the smallest fraction of the smallest fraction of 1% of the business to turn a serious profit. This means that you, the consumer, have to be extra vigilant.