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AA batteries - another prospective customer lost

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Genes Pentax said:
In my particular travel through Europe for 30 days, I had to pack
everything in my backpack. So, space was premium. If I were to
travel through Asia, e.g., Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, etc., with
AAs, packing decision would be simpler because I know that AAs are
available everywhere. With a proprietary battery, I'd have to worry
about carrying not only the charger, but also adapters for the
electrical outlets.

Also, consider this. Even in some of those countries where
electricity supply is a bit spotty, you'll have a good chance of
finding AA batteries.
Click to expand...
Happened to me in Argentina. I was doing mostly backpacking and hiking and there was one occasion where I was on my last battery (of 3) for my Panasonic FZ30, and there was no place to charge them. I wished it used AA's that day.
--
Thiago Silva - http://www.flickr.com/photos/thiagosilva/
Victoria - BC - Canada

'If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.' (Lewis Hine)

 
I just spent 3 weeks on holiday and they drove me NUTS. So heavy to carry and a right pain to change on the fly.

I'd kill for Lion anyday. Yeah, yeah i know you can use AA if you forget but i am not an idiot, I just charge the battery and carry a spare.
--
***********************************************
Please visit my gallery at http://www.pbase.com/alfisti
Pentax Lens examples at http://www.pbase.com/alfisti/images_by_lens
Updated August '08
 
Rupert60 said:
But there is something not right here, and it isn't about batteries.
Click to expand...
Well, Rupert, we all know and agree that Brett should have got his niece a squirrel.
But you know how kids are these days. They want a fancy camera.
Maybe even a small one. #brrrr#

So, don't be too hard with him or her or Sony or AA batteries or Festus for not sending his minions downunder!

;)
Jens

--

'Well, 'Zooming with your feet' is usually a stupid thing as zoom rings are designed for hands.' (Me, 2006)
My Homepage: http://www.JensRoesner.de
 
thiago_silva said:
Brett St Pierre said:
So with the seed of doubt in her mind about AAs, she goes ahead and
buys the Sony A200. Another customer lost to Pentax. She already
Click to expand...
The saddest thing is that she ended up buying the worst option among
the entry level dSLRs. You shouldn't have let her go alone!
--
Thiago Silva - http://www.flickr.com/photos/thiagosilva/
Victoria - BC - Canada
Click to expand...
Instead I bought a K100D Super and Sigma 16-50mmF2.8 for my daughter. She is only an occasional shooter and has hardly touched the lens that I have loaned her - an FA100mmF2.8 macro.
In this case for occasional shooter, AA batt definitely win

--
Daniel, Toronto
http://www.pbase.com/danieltong

 
Exactly....I was careful not to say what it is that is not right, that is the mystery. Could be a number of things, but I doubt seriously that it is the batteries? Sometimes I send my wife to the store for bread and milk....and she comes back with new shoes and a dress......another mystery.
--
'This is more serious than I thought.....but it is still fun!
http://www.pbase.com/rupertdog Take a look- It's Free!
 
awaldram said:
AA batteries are for the average Joe a poor choice for a camera ,
they will generally buy high Ah Nimh and then be disappointed when
they pick the camera up after 2 months non use to find it flat.

Unless you regularly use your camera AA's are a pain your camera
becomes a High maintenance tool requiring constant attention prior to
use.
Click to expand...
That might have been true in a world before the introduction of the Eneloop, but I don't see how one can claim this today.

Of course, I can't imagine going two months without shooting. But perhaps if I was forced to use an A200...

--
Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcsabatella/
 
A shame that the salesperson didn’t try to line it up neutral, like you had done. To almost every option there will be pro and cons.

I guess I do prefer the extra juice that my K10 battery has, over the AA’s. But when I lost my charger on an island in Malaysia, with several days left of the vacation; I had to cut down on my photography as I couldn’t charge the battery.

AA’s are good, but Pentax should also recommend buying high quality batteries. Or state that the ones they supply are just to check that camera is functional. We get a lot of complaint on the forum, from people using cheap batteries that doesn’t hold much of their strength when they deplete. Hence people will feel that it is a poor camera, because it doesn’t respond particularly fast any more.

I often enter the store together with the person I know who has to buy equipment; if I know about the product, (too many store clercks give poor service).
But then Copenhagen and Denmark is not as big like Australia :-)
JensR said:
JensR wrote:
I used four sets of AA batteries for this shot. I "love" that my
flashes and cameras use one (ubiquitous) form factor.

Click to expand...
Super shot, and great vision

Good post by richardday too, and interesting OT discussion.
JensR said:
JensR said:
I used to be an AA advocate until I learned the error of my ways.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I know about that one, in general :-} . Well, we live and we learn.

--
kind regards
Sune



“The new 14.6 MP Samsung/Pentax sensor is for real. Noise is admirably low'
K20D AnandTech Review
 
I have the same 2 cameras. What I find is I don't miss the AA batteries much.

Both cameras with vertical grips I find if I throw one camera case or the other in the back of my car that after a week if I pull one out the K10d with the lithiums will still have the power while the *ist D with the AA will need a recharge.

I also find that NiMH batteries don't like most of the flash units I use, including Pentax, Sigma, and Promaster. In fact if I remember correctly Pentax does not recommend using NiMH batteries in their flash units, or anything that is not 1.5v per battery. I find I agree.
Kent Gittings
 
Using proprietary type batteries has nothing really to do with profits themselves. Using a uniquely shaped battery might fit that bill. However Pentax chose the same battery used by Minolta at the time so that is really not "proprietary" as you have choices.

The main reason for using dedicated lithium batteries has to do with the power requirements of the camera system. Ever wonder why Nikon pro cameras used from 8-16 AA batteries in their vertical grips? Needed the power for the AF drive motors and the 8 fps body power. Ever wonder why the Canons use proprietery lithiums but include a 6-AA cradle for emergencies? One reason is you need 6 AAs to give you the power of a good 7.2v lithium. Pentax will never do anymore cameras with vertical grips with AAs in my opinion but it would be nice if they made a cradle to use them for emergencies. But I won't use them for anything but emergencies. My Canon always has the lithiums mounted inside but I keep the cradle with a set of alkalines in the bag just in case.
Kent Gittings
 
Sometimes my wife sends me to the store for bread and milk. And I come back with electronic stuff. No mystery to me.
Kent Gittings
 
Brett St Pierre said:
JensR said:
And please don't read too much into that question, but are you
angry/sad because your niece trusts a sales person more than she
trusts you?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Brett St Pierre said:
Brett St Pierre said:
Brett St Pierre wrote:
Click to expand...
Hi Jens, very good question. I didn't think that way. I was just
annoyed at the opportunity lost. I don't think she got the best
camera AAs or otherwise and the Sony 18-70 really is ordinary. I
think just when confronted by a confident salesperson pushing an
argument, she is just a young girl who couldn't come to her own
decision so followed what seemed a compelling argument.
Dead shame..
Click to expand...
OK . . . I got this far (2/3 down the first page) in this topic and had to stop biting my tongue . . .

First of all . . . what a bunch of whiners!

Obviously the neice didn't like the advice she got from her uncle . . .

Does the OP really know about all of the DSLR's out there?

Or just pushing his brand on someone (which is what he is blaming the salesperson of doing)?

If the OP really cared so much . . . why didn't he go to the store with her?

And, maybe she didn't really tell her uncle the real story . . .

Perhaps she really does like the Sony better and doesn't really care for the Pentax and used this excuse to tell him about it . . . who knows!

Perhaps the salesman pushed her into it . . . perhaps he didn't . . . again, who knows?

But please don't say all salespeople are pushy . . . because they are NOT! (I know because I am one, and I'm not pushy).

And the way you guys are ragging on the Sony A100 makes you all sound like those guys over in the Canon and Nikon forums!

Which makes you no better than them . . .

Shame on you!

The A100, while different, is every bit as good of a camera as the K200D!

One other thing that needs to be straightened out here . . .

Sony DOES have wireless TTL flash . . . Pentax ain't the only one.

And before you jump down my throat . . . take a look in my profile for my camera list.

--
J. D.
Colorful Colorado



Remember . . . always keep your receipt, the box, and everything that came in it!
 
To those who said earlier in this topic that customers want 'AA' batteries and it is the salesmen pushing people away from them . . .

WRONG!

I sell cameras for a living, and believe me, I've lost many Pentax DSLR sales to another brand because of the 'AA' batteries, no matter how hard I try to convince them that 'AA' batteries are a good thing.

Most are dismayed by the low number of shots they get in their P&S digitals that use 'AA' batteries, and a scared away from a DSLR that uses them.

--
J. D.
Colorful Colorado

Remember . . . always keep your receipt, the box, and everything that came in it!
 
sinus007 said:
Also, I don't have A200 but from what I remember from its review -
k200d is a better camera (for aprox. the same price), especially
considering available lenses.
Click to expand...
The K200D is not really better than the A100 . . . just different.

And it costs $200 more than the A100!

--
J. D.
Colorful Colorado

Remember . . . always keep your receipt, the box, and everything that came in it!
 
I keep thinking I'm done responding, but with each posting, more BS is spewed!

Again, I submit that this Pentax forum is starting to become the Nikon and Canon forum, judging by the whole tone in this topic!

You guys used to be much better than this.
Dreticus said:
Brett,

I think this has nothing to do with AA's. The salesman might just as
easily have played the "Pentax is dead" theme to your niece. She
would have been even more scared.

I know from personal experience that some salesmen get money, a
bonus, ... whatever for pushing people to certain gear.
Click to expand...
And you don't think that Pentax pays any money?

Lets all get real here . . .

It is pretty obvious that none of you understand anything about the camera retail business.

But you all are trying to make it sound like you do.

One day Canon pays the most . . . the next day, it might be Nikon . . . the following day, perhaps its Olympus, or Sony, or Pentax!

They ALL pay sales people to sell their products . . .

By the way . . . how many of you go to your day job and work for free?

--
J. D.
Colorful Colorado

Remember . . . always keep your receipt, the box, and everything that came in it!
 
Hi J.D.,

it seems that you misunderstood my post, but I don't know in which way.
MusicDoctorDJ said:
Again, I submit that this Pentax forum is starting to become the
Nikon and Canon forum, judging by the whole tone in this topic!

You guys used to be much better than this.
Dreticus said:
Brett,

I think this has nothing to do with AA's. The salesman might just as
easily have played the "Pentax is dead" theme to your niece. She
would have been even more scared.

I know from personal experience that some salesmen get money, a
bonus, ... whatever for pushing people to certain gear.
Click to expand...
And you don't think that Pentax pays any money?

Lets all get real here . . .

It is pretty obvious that none of you understand anything about the
camera retail business.

But you all are trying to make it sound like you do.

One day Canon pays the most . . . the next day, it might be Nikon . .
. the following day, perhaps its Olympus, or Sony, or Pentax!

They ALL pay sales people to sell their products . . .

By the way . . . how many of you go to your day job and work for free?

--
J. D.
Colorful Colorado

Remember . . . always keep your receipt, the box, and everything that
came in it!
Click to expand...
--
Andreas
 
thiago_silva said:
Brett St Pierre said:
So with the seed of doubt in her mind about AAs, she goes ahead and
buys the Sony A200. Another customer lost to Pentax. She already
Click to expand...
The saddest thing is that she ended up buying the worst option among
the entry level dSLRs. You shouldn't have let her go alone!
Click to expand...
I don't know about that. I'd certainly pick the A200 over the D60, at least. In-body stabilization for all Minolta AF lenses (and there are quite a number of hidden gems for under a hundred bucks, much like Pentax), and the resulting images aren't all that horrible. It's even a marked improvement over the A100.

That, and all A-mount AF lenses do AF on the A200, as opposed to Nikon's reluctance to add an AF motor in their entry-level cameras.
 
KL Matt said:
I think Pentax isn't as competitive in the "kickback" arena...
Click to expand...
Depressing, isn't it? But as more and more sales move to the internet, Pentax may have another disadvantage: P is late in the alphabet! My last name starts with V, so I know from my school days what a disadvantage a "late name" can be.

Just look at the B&H site, you won't see anything after Nikon in the alphabet unless you expand the "View all" link...
KL Matt said:
And yes, I do know how to spell salesperson, but the stupid forum
filter wouldn't allow correct spelling.
Click to expand...
Yes, sometimes that filtering is really irritating. AFAIR you have to write ISO with small letter in the subject, because otherwise it's considered shouting.
--
Espen
 
Marc Sabatella said:
awaldram said:
AA batteries are for the average Joe a poor choice for a camera ,
they will generally buy high Ah Nimh and then be disappointed when
they pick the camera up after 2 months non use to find it flat.

Unless you regularly use your camera AA's are a pain your camera
becomes a High maintenance tool requiring constant attention prior to
use.
Click to expand...
That might have been true in a world before the introduction of the
Eneloop, but I don't see how one can claim this today.

Of course, I can't imagine going two months without shooting. But
perhaps if I was forced to use an A200...

--
Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcsabatella/
Click to expand...
OK go into your local supermarket aproach the first person you see and ask do you know what enloops are.??

Or better still say 'I want you to buy the best rechargable batteries you can' and see what they buy.

Hence my qualifier 'for the average joe'
 
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