Professional Help

surfingfireman · Dec 19, 2005

Not sure if this is in the right place, so please move it if required, thanks.

So today after hockey, a friend of mine asks if I will come with him to Staples to look at some compact digital cameras. He is thinking of buying one for his wife (and himself) for Christmas and he knew that I knew more then him about cameras.

So there are a couple different models he is looking at when a sales person comes over to offer some help. I forget which exact model it was, but it was a Canon (A520 maybe), and the sales guy says that you can attach SLR lenses to it. So my friend is happy because his wife has an old Konica all manual camera and she can use those lenses on this new camera. The sales guy is nodding an "of course you can" kind of response.

Meanwhile I am just shaking my head. I ask the guy point blank : "You are 100% sure you can put OLD slr lenses onto this little digital camera?'" He is positive. I ask: "The mount on that digital camera is WAY too small to fit an SLR lens onto." He says: "I think there is an adapter you need to get."

I had another guy I worth arguing with me that "YES, you can put slr lenses on this little digital camera, the guy at Staples told me!".

I guess this is what happens when you get some high school kid selling computers, desks, lamps, calculators, batteries, stationary, phones and CAMERAS.

Pretty pointless rant, but I feel better now.

hobbes28 · Dec 20, 2005

I really don't like that either. It makes me wonder how many people out there are getting bad information before making such a large purchase. I've almost completely blocked it from my memory now but we were at (insert camera shop name here) and the salesman was telling a customer a whole bunch of lies about the cameras and was completely brand biased. I do remember him badmouthing the D70 quite a bit and the look on his face when I pulled mine out of my bag looking for a lens, but it wasn't even worth telling him how wrong he was because it would've been an all day affair.

That's one of the great parts about being a part of this forum. I know that I can help get good information out there to people so they can make a more informed decision.

Rob · Dec 20, 2005

One that makes me mad is when someone goes into a shop wanting a DSLR and they bait and switch them to an even more expensive ZLR/prosumer on the grounds that it's got more megapixels. Growl.

photoboy15 · Dec 20, 2005

Go to an office supply store for office supplies and go to a camera store for cameras. If you don't know about cameras you might as well go to a auto mechanic for suggestions as compared to an office supply store. Support your local camera shop. Oh by the way the Canon A520 is not a bad little camera. I got the big brother A610 for my parents for Christmas. It has a lot of manual controls but still has a good auto function.

Rob · Dec 20, 2005

photoboy15 said:
Support your local camera shop.

We'd love to, but they've all gone bust.

uberben · Dec 20, 2005

Rob said:
We'd love to, but they've all gone bust.

No kidding, I have to drive a good couple hours to find a somewhat decent camera shop. I have instead become a regular BHphoto customer. I'll save my gas cash and buy more gear with it instead.

photoboy15 · Dec 20, 2005

Rob said:
We'd love to, but they've all gone bust.

Thats why we need to support the ones that are left.

DocFrankenstein · Dec 20, 2005

photoboy15 said:
Thats why we need to support the ones that are left.

What are you gonna do? make a donation?

My "local camera shop" charges premium of 50% on the lenses as compared to BH.

I'm not giving my money to them so that some dumbass who doesn't need a camera in the first place will be recommended a good one. :er: :grumpy:

photogoddess · Dec 20, 2005

I support my local camera shop with little purchase or things that are on sale at a ridiculously low price. Big purchases are made with B&H. :mrgreen:

Dave_D · Dec 20, 2005

Don't you love it when you go to your local camera guy and he says "Ill have to order that in" and then you see him in the back on B&H or some other dealers site looking it up with his calculator so he can give you the price with his mark up! I just assume drive the hour it takes to get to Calumet in Philly where it's in stock. Besides, it's like a petting zoo for pro photog's. Everything under the sun is there:mrgreen:

DocFrankenstein · Dec 20, 2005

photogoddess said:
I support my local camera shop with little purchase or things that are on sale at a ridiculously low price. Big purchases are made with B&H. :mrgreen:

Closeout sales are good too! :lmao: