Cotty wrote: > This is one of the reasons that I have never bought a camera > from a camera shop - certainly not over the counter.
I used to 20 years plus ago, but camera shop employees knew their stuff then. Unless you live or work close to the likes of Bill Robb and Peter Blake, you're pretty much stuffed. You need to do your own research or rely on opinions here (excellent) from people who use the equipment and understand it. A big name is no guarantee; three examples: 1. Drugs; I am a chronic asthmatic who requires a fair bit of medication. I was not allowed a repeat prescription, until I spoke to the pharmacist at a hospital. I waited more than an hour for her to discover I knew far more about the drug than she did. 2. Ferrari dealers. I was very fortunate at one time to have access to a number of very, very fast cars as the boss of the company bought such cars for clients in South Africa selling them on after they were x months old and second hand, thereby avoiding vast new car tax there. I picked up a 288 GTO (yellow, to die for!) which had been given it's first service. I checked everything before I drove off (or didn't in this case) as the oil had been renewed and filled way beyond the max mark, to the very top! My boss refused to pay the quite substantial invoice. I have had a number of arguments with Ferrari dealers, most of whom assume you are rich and thick and if you ask them *anything* technical, they haven't got a clue. 3. I/R film. I bought my first I/R film from a local shop and got the owner to load it for me in a darkroom. I bought the camera back to him to remove and develop. His assistant couldn't understand the need for the darkroom and removed the film on the shop counter. I called the manager who didn't see a problem. The owner, who came in moments later, did the Homer Simpson 'D'Oh!' Malcolm
