William Robb wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Godfrey DiGiorgi" > Subject: Re: Pentax SMC 15mm f/3.5 on digital > > > >> I review specs, test reports, and ask/read people's opinions before I >> buy things too. I don't judge the items in question until I've >> actually used them. > > This is the conundrum of the modern photographer. > Back when people were willing to support their local camera store, it was > easy. You decided what you wanted, you went in to buy it. > If they had to special order it, then there was a delay, but ultimately, you > got to handle and try out the actual item you were going to purchase. > Now, no one wants to buy from a local shop, since they have the temerity to > charge a premium price for the pleasure of serving their customers. > So, we are stuck with online reviews of questionable merit, and buy products > based on the opinions of people who may or may not be photographers, and who > may, or may not (mostly not from the web reviews I have seen), have a clue > about how to run an equipment test. > And, we are increasingly being stuck with having to buy equipment sight > unseen from faceless big box vendors who don't care if we are happy with > what they are flogging or not, since there are a thousand other suckers that > day trying to buy other pieces of sight unseen junk based on reviews of > questionable merit. > > William Robb > >
I gladly support my local store where I can. And they do well by me on larger items. But when B&H's price on film is 1/2 to 1/4 what they charge it gets hard to buy local on the small-ticket items rather than just put an aggregate order in to B&H. -Adam -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
