----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter J. Alling"
Subject: Re: What make a camera a pro camera?
There are all kinds of ways to look at a camera as a "Pro" model. I think it's a Professional model if a Pro uses it. Any good camera is therefor Professional. That however invalidates a large part of advertising budgets so I doubt my view will be accepted any time soon, especially by Nikon and Canon.
It's not an either/or subject. All sorts of things must come together for a camera to be a "pro" camera.
It must be at the top of it's manufacturers line, or else it is second teir.
Ok for a back up, but not the real deal.
The Nikon second tier cameras are notable exceptions to this.
It must be well laid out, a clumsy interface won't go anywhere.
It must also be well built and reliable.
A camera that breaks a lot will not be accepted.
For a lot of photographers, it also has to be at the leading edge of whatever technology is rampant at the moment, whether they require it, or merely desire it.
It needs to be recognized, accepted, and desired by photographers in general as a pro camera.
It needs a cachet value, generally this is helped along by savvy marketing. Lots of AF points, metering segments and buttons helps with the cachet appeal to a significant number of people.
But also, it needs a camera company backing it with vigor.
It needs all these things to some degree, the more of each it has, the more likely it will garner the recognition in the marketplace as being a pro product.
William Robb
