If you know exactly what you want, I just go to http://www.toppreise.ch/ and buy it from there. They are all Swiss online (sometimes physical) stores, mostly around the Zurich area. You have more choice and the prices are better. So many times I've wanted to buy something camera or computer related and could not even find a single store in Geneva that had that model in stock for me to look at so I just gave up on physical stores.

Thanks! I have done that in the past yes (toppreise) but just had in mind when you need something quickly and need to grab it in the store.

For sure for cheapest buys I´ll go online also in the future.

Yes, that's the really frustrating thing about Geneva/Switzerland. They never have what you are looking for and if they do, you'll have to pay top dollar (franc) for it if you want it right away. Not just camera gear but almost everything.

Although PRO camera gear + lenses are way cheaper then in Slovenia - EU where I come from... so that is one good thing.

Price is one thing, but also consider that :

- when you need advice to buy the right gear according your needs, a professional advice can be useful, and event prevent you to make a wrong choice that you may regret later

- each time you need some further information or need to use the warranty, you can just pop in the shop and talk directly with the people there

- it's normal to look for the best price, but it's also relavant to pay a bit more to support local shops who provide a good quality service

I buy my photo gear at the same shop in Geneva for 15 years, and I apreciate that they are always available to provide some useful advice, even if I don't buy something.

Recently, I've been developing video activities, and for video equipment I've chosen a shop where the salesman really knows what he's talking about.

I wanted to buy a microphone to film with my reflex camera, and I had checked the specifications on internet to make a choice. But the salesman informed me that for this specific camera, for technical reasons (impedance, phase, etc.), there were only a few microphones that would fit.

If I had made a choice by myself, I would have chosen an expensive and very good quality microphone, but not adapted to the situation.

Yeah, I am advocating for local shops...

What you are saying makes sense but usually I know exactly what I need and the debate was that the local shops are not carrying enough stuff.

There is a lot of camera and lenses around for sure but other specialised equipment (studio lights, adapters, stands, special filters, etc) is nowhere to be found.

Just the other day when looking for a lens the price in local shops is around 2450 CHF and online 1850 (microsport, melectronics,etc). That's some hefty charge for advice. Just as an example.
(service is no problem for me since I am a CPS member and get things fixed directly and instantly).

I am advocating for local shops also for sure since as a pro a lot of times I need to grab the stuff right away when I need it but in Geneva can not find a good one. All seems to carry the same stuff for general user. 

Totally agree; I've been stung badly when I've needed little things at the last second like a lens hood or a reflective umbrella and ended up paying more than double the online price at any of the shops in Geneva.  For IT equipment there are quite a few options in Geneva like 1000ordi in Carouge, steg in Meyrin, but for photo equipment basically nothing.  The best i have come up with is digitech that has a showroom in Lausanne and they have popular camera equipment; other than that all the heavyweights are around Zurich.  Bah. Humbug.

Sorry, digitec, not digitech