I'm going to be traveling internationally pretty soon. Should I buy my camera in my home town before I leave or wait to get it at the duty free stores? Duty free shops usually high-prices, very small selections and you find them at airports because people need a place to get rid of their keft over local currency. What they don't have is a knowledgeable sales staff, anyone who can demonstrate an item or anyone you will be able to telephone when you get home and find you have a problem.
Buy from a reputable photo specialty dealer, preferably local to you so can get guidance and assistance. If you near the NYC area look up www.nypc.org a great computer club which can render assistance with purchase recommendations, help learning to use it and the computer too Getting it in a duty free store will not save you any money. All "duty free" means is that you don't have to pay the local sales tax.
You are much better off getting a camera in the States. Just make sure you keep your receipt with you when you return to the US, just in case the Customs guy thinks you bought the camera overseas. Get it locally. Duty free stores are generally not cheaper because the sales tax benefit is often negated by a higher profit margin. They also usually have a pretty limited selection, so they might not carry the model you want. And then there's the service warranty - if something does go wrong with your camera, getting it serviced can be a pain. | 