Buying a camera like buying a car?

[molested_cow]

What if you can buy a camera like buying a car?

Except for the US and Canada, I believe the rest of the world don't just walk into a dealership and pick a car from the lot. We choose the car we want, then custom order its equipment. Engine type, transmission, leather, stereo, spoilers, bling rims etc. We then wait for a few weeks and then receive THE one.

What if, let's say Nikon comes out with 4 platforms. Pro, semi-pro, consumer and entry-level. For the Semi-Pro, perhaps you get to choose between cropped or full frame sensor, built-in or no flash. For the rest, perhaps you get to choose the different features. Some may not want built-in HDR or swivel screen. Some may want touch screen. Some don't want to pay the extra for physical features since he/she just leave it on auto. Some wants everything to be physical although he's buying a entry-level body. Many wants video while many others don't.

For the camera factory, it will be a production nightmare, but that's not the point.

Currently there are tons of accessories to satisfy different needs, but there are always the "wants" that can't be fulfilled because it's integral to the body design. So if these features can be customized and you pay accordingly, will this be desirable?

It will be funny to have "empty" buttons on the camera cus "I got a base model".

 

[rexbobcat]

It would be neat. Infeasible, but neat.

 

[molested_cow]

Well, there are small car companies that cater for special deep wallet needs.

How about the likes of Ruf or Hennessey?

 

[rexbobcat]

Maybe. I think the main problem would be the sheer demand. I don't ever hear about a car dealership or manufacturer having back-ordered Volkswagens or something lol

But cameras on the other hand...omg everybody have an aneurism.

Amazon got a new shipment of 1DX's the other day and they were gone within hours. People eat it up.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Nikon's at Hasselblad and Phase prices

 

[rexbobcat]

Nikon's at Hasselblad and Phase prices

Megapixels: OVER 9000! D:<

 

[molested_cow]

You know what? Forget about hardware. Let's talk about SERVICE!!!

How about camera caddy? You pay for a membership, reserve your caddy at the destination of your choice and he will carry your stuff for you! Not only that, he can take you to the best photo spots that only locals know!
I'd so pay for it! No more hiking with my overweight bag and tripod, plus actually some one to talk to and willing to wait while doing star trails in the middle of no where!

 

[molested_cow]

Even a donkey will be good. Yes you can talk to a donkey.

 

[domu221]

Forget about hardware.

Forget Hardware?? The only reason why I play Angry Birds with my Nikon Coolpix S800c is because it has a GPU! lolwut

 

[nmoody]

I think the feature to buy a camera like a car would be lost on the average consumer (at least in the US). Most dont know the first thing about photography and all those "words" flying at them would just confuse them. Now I think an a la carte for professional camera would be very popular but that that point your client base would be so much smaller it would cost too much to manufacture.

Also if they are ever start offering differences based only on software consistently, there would be third party firmware updates up the next day flashing everything under the sun to cheaper camera.

 

[KmH]

Maybe. I think the main problem would be the sheer demand. I don't ever hear about a car dealership or manufacturer having back-ordered Volkswagens or something lol

I made a butt-load of money as a car salesman back when Honda couldn't produce cars fast enough to meet demand. Talk about back-ordered. For some models the wait was 6 months.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

What you're implying is customized cameras to suite one's specific needs. An automobile works a bit differently. You're limited as to what options you get as exclusives on particular vehicles.

In other words, I couldn't buy a Honda Civic with air conditioned seats, or a back massager integrated. However, most Lexus and Mercedes models come standard with Air conditioned seats, and a Bentley Continental GT has a back massager integrated in the driver and passenger seats.

Cameras would work a bit differently. Since the majority of all DX bodies are the same in size, you could pretty much get whatever you wanted installed in a DX body, as long as the tech is built for a DX. By the logic of this post, I could buy a D3100 body and have Nikon install a D7000 sensor inside. Like cars, Nikon currently offers several diverse models of their cameras for different price ranges. You even get the option for upsale for things such as extended batteries, more batteries, different neck straps, bags, lenses, & other accessories.

So, in a sense, the business model of a car dealership already exists for camera sales. Pick the camera you want, and the accessories refine it.

 

[unpopular]

This is kind of how modern Alpas works.

And yeah. They cost about as much as a Volkswagen.

 

[table1349]

They are going to get real pissed when you kick the grip.

 

[snowbear]

You know what? Forget about hardware. Let's talk about SERVICE!!!

How about camera caddy? You pay for a membership, reserve your caddy at the destination of your choice and he will carry your stuff for you! Not only that, he can take you to the best photo spots that only locals know!
I'd so pay for it! No more hiking with my overweight bag and tripod, plus actually some one to talk to and willing to wait while doing star trails in the middle of no where!

Isn't this why we have kids?