I don't blame the camera shop for trying to charge for the service, but at the same time they need to realize that they have to at least be somewhat competitive with online retailers if they intend to stay in business. It is awfully hard to "get the feel" of equipment by looking at a website, and when you need something right away, nothing beats a local source. In my case, the last two cameras I purchased I researched online, then handled them at the only two real camera stores remaining in my state. When I was ready to make the purchase, I gave them the opportunity to get my business if they would drop their prices to be close to what I could buy the identical units for from B&H or Adorama. In both cases, one store matched the price on the 7D and the other store matched the price on the 5D2. I've done the same on lenses and accessories, with pretty good results.