We have decided to carry out a simple “straw poll” and compare the prices of several models of digital camera on both eBay and Amazon. We want to make clear right from the start that this is not some sophisticated statistical method, but just a sample of the kinds of prices the average online shopper might come across, perhaps while using one of the online shopping comparison services that are out there.

We took 5 popular models of digital camera completely at random and looked for the best price we could find on both eBay and Amazon within a few minutes of browsing. We made sure the cameras on offer were comparable, i.e. were the exact same model and did not offer any bundled extras. Also, in the case of eBay, we made sure that they were brand new cameras, which usually means they are sold by professional eBay sellers, rather than individuals, and were not second-hand (that would be a different story altogether). Prices vary on eBay, so we tried to simulate the browsing that a typical customer might employ when looking for a digital camera and settling for what looked subjectively like a good deal. We also checked into the cost of shipping (though did not include tax as that would depend on the customer’s location), which was mostly free to mainland US.

So here are the models of digital camera that we looked at, and the prices we found:

Canon SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera
eBay price: $199.99 (shipping free)
Amazon price: $171.30 (shipping free)

Sony Cyber-shot DSCT300 digital camera
eBay price: $265.30 (shipping free)
Amazon price: $271.63 (shipping free)

Canon EOS 40D SLR camera
eBay price: $1149.00 (shipping free)
Amazon price: $1069.95 (shipping free)

Olympus SP-570 UZ
eBay price: $330.00 (shipping free)
Amazon price: $351.62 + $9 shipping = $360.62

Nikon Coolpix S60
eBay price: $346.00 (shipping free)
Amazon price: $295.00 (shipping free)

Remember, these prices are not supposed to be quotes of any kind – they may well be out of date by the time you read this! But that’s not the point, we want to see by this rough survey which online shop is cheaper for digital cameras when taking a general average. So what have we found?

If you had bought all five of these cameras through eBay, you would have paid a total of $2,290.29.

If you had bought them from Amazon, you would have paid a total of… wait for it… $2,168.50!

So that would be a saving of $121.79 if you bought these five digital cameras through Amazon! Doesn’t sound like much? Well, it’s more than 5%! And equal to the price of a budget digital camera!

Maybe some would say that an extra 5% extra discount is not worth comparison shopping for, but there are plenty of us, especially in these troubled economic times, who would go that extra mile to find a 5% discount on a camera purchase.

Again, we must emphasize that this is not a mega-scientific approach, nor do we guarantee that you will find everything cheaper on Amazon than on eBay! But hopefully it will serve to dispel the common myth that “everything is cheaper on eBay” and to persuade you that while great bargains can certainly be found on eBay, Amazon is certainly not to be ignored when you are making your next digital camera purchase!