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Just how elite are we at DPreview anyway??

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bronson99817

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I've been to camera stores in the past and asked about upcoming product which I read here first. More often than not I get a blank stare -- they haven't heard of it. Even talking to the DS "expert" in the Sony Store I once had the same response.

But what really threw me was at a the Photographic and Digital Imaging Show in Toronto, I went to a well equiped Sigma booth and started talking to a rep. about the revolutionary new Foveon and the SD-9. After an uncomfortable silence he said, "Oh, you mean the S A 9."

He soon realized I meant the digital camera (but not convinced he knew about Foveon) and with an awkward smile said he couldn't wait to get his hands on one too.

Every now and then I am reminded just how much I learn at this site and often before the "experts" find out!!
 
Yep, I'm certainly elite, but have doubts about most of the rest of the guys here, especially that Ulysses person. In my book he laughs far too much to be an elite person. Elite persons should be quite serious, even somewhat majestic in their manner. 'Course, he does use the "King" of cameras, the Sony DSC-707, so I guess he might qualify as a lady-in-waiting or something like that, but elite, no, I think not.

Phil might qualify as elite. Someone wanted to start a religion based on him a while back, so that might make him an elite person. Don't think that proposal got off the gorund though, so he might or might not be elite.

Besides you and me, I'm really not sure who else might make the grade, and to tell the truth, I'm not entirely that certain about you.

Rodger
 
Actually, Roger, I thought you were one of the only ones here that was NOT elite. Thanks for clearing that up and welcome to the... uh-hum, cough... elite club. ;-)
Rodger Carter said:
Yep, I'm certainly elite, but have doubts about most of the rest of
the guys here, especially that Ulysses person. In my book he
laughs far too much to be an elite person. Elite persons should be
quite serious, even somewhat majestic in their manner. 'Course, he
does use the "King" of cameras, the Sony DSC-707, so I guess he
might qualify as a lady-in-waiting or something like that, but
elite, no, I think not.

Phil might qualify as elite. Someone wanted to start a religion
based on him a while back, so that might make him an elite person.
Don't think that proposal got off the gorund though, so he might or
might not be elite.

Besides you and me, I'm really not sure who else might make the
grade, and to tell the truth, I'm not entirely that certain about
you.

Rodger
Click to expand...
 
I agree that many salespeople are not up to date on the latest technology/news. It comes down to the fact that you are interested in the cutting edge of the technology, while their main interest is selling their current inventory at a profit. The best salespeople are the ones who can get you excited about what they have in stock the day you come into the store. The best consumer is one who does all of the research on sites like this one, before walking into the store.

Sean
 
SeanU said:
I agree that many salespeople are not up to date on the latest
technology/news. It comes down to the fact that you are interested
in the cutting edge of the technology, while their main interest is
selling their current inventory at a profit. The best salespeople
are the ones who can get you excited about what they have in stock
the day you come into the store. The best consumer is one who does
all of the research on sites like this one, before walking into the
store.

Sean
Click to expand...
 
bronson said:
I've been to camera stores in the past and asked about upcoming
product which I read here first. More often than not I get a blank
stare -- they haven't heard of it.
Click to expand...
I've noticed the same. I think the Internet has a great deal to do with the speed at which information is being diseminated. Before the Internet, we relied on these same people to inform us about the latest toys. The days of the photo store expert are going fast. Photo magazines showed us the cool photos and test results, usually months later. Now we have same day coverage of the release of the latest toys, along with test photos that we can download an print to see just how good or bad the toy really is. Of course, the same Internet provides us with all sorts of false and misleading information too, we just have to wade through it.

David Goerndt
 
Since when is a Sales person supposed to be an expert. Aren't the experts the engineers who design the things?
bronson said:
I've been to camera stores in the past and asked about upcoming
product which I read here first. More often than not I get a blank
stare -- they haven't heard of it. Even talking to the DS "expert"
in the Sony Store I once had the same response.
But what really threw me was at a the Photographic and Digital
Imaging Show in Toronto, I went to a well equiped Sigma booth and
started talking to a rep. about the revolutionary new Foveon and
the SD-9. After an uncomfortable silence he said, "Oh, you mean the
S A 9."
He soon realized I meant the digital camera (but not convinced he
knew about Foveon) and with an awkward smile said he couldn't wait
to get his hands on one too.
Every now and then I am reminded just how much I learn at this site
and often before the "experts" find out!!
Click to expand...
 
Indeed, the average person couldn't give a flying expletive about what's the best digital camera or what slide scanner with what film emulsion gives resolution better than a digital camera, or the exact day when film will "die", or all the other things everyone at dpreview cares about very much.

They are content to continue using the point and shoot, or the single use film camera, and don't care about this stuff at all. (That's why film isn't going to "die" so fast.)
 
Capital Man said:
Indeed, the average person couldn't give a flying expletive about
what's the best digital camera or what slide scanner with what film
emulsion gives resolution better than a digital camera, or the
exact day when film will "die", or all the other things everyone at
dpreview cares about very much.

They are content to continue using the point and shoot, or the
single use film camera, and don't care about this stuff at all.
(That's why film isn't going to "die" so fast.)
Click to expand...
The average person DOESN'T care about digital... and WHO CARES when and if film is going to die.
What's your point... other than we are nerds... true. ;-)
 
bronson said:
The average person DOESN'T care about digital... and WHO CARES when
and if film is going to die.
What's your point... other than we are nerds... true. ;-)
Click to expand...
Some people who frequent dpreview care a lot about when film is going to "die", because the topic always sparks passionate debate.

For some at dpreview, digital photography is a religion, and they want to convert the heathen film users. Only when no one uses film anymore will their immortal souls be at peace.
 
Wow, you couldn't have hit that one any closer to the mark.
beware the Jihad against film

Ciao,
MikeD
Capital Man said:
For some at dpreview, digital photography is a religion, and they
want to convert the heathen film users. Only when no one uses film
anymore will their immortal souls be at peace.
Click to expand...
 
Mike_D said:
Since when is a Sales person supposed to be an expert. Aren't the
experts the engineers who design the things?
Click to expand...
(Roger, I vote for you on the basis of wit alone. Wonderfully said.)

Actually, these posts are a gas, but they make me think that you guys/girls are a lot younger then me. It used to be that there were "real" camera stores, where most of the sales people were semi-pros, or at least semi-pro want-a-be's, many of whom knew enough about photography to run their own photo forums. They knew the techinical side, and they knew equipment, and it was their expertise and willingness to teach tht drew us to their stores. Many of them worked in camera stores to pay their bills while they tried to get started as photographers.

Who says they should be experts? Well, I do, for one. I paid them a lot of money, and I expected to get more in return than I could get from a camera vending machine. Unfortunately, these days, the customer seems to be the one educating the camera store people, who might as well be selling shoes or soda pop for all they know about photography and cameras.

Is it any wonder that local camera stores are going out of business left and right, and the State Streets and B&H's are taking over the world? I used to happily pay more at a local store because I got extra in return. Those days are gone, and it's a shame. They would be better served to fire the employees, sell their products in vending machines, and lower prices with their savings.

Interestingly, I am finding that I can now get a lot of information from my New York dealer, while they didn't used to want to talk to you except to enter your order and get your credit card number.

That's what I think! Mike, I figure, respectfully, that you are either under 30, new to photography or working in a camera store.

--
Bob
D60, CP5700, CP4500
 
Capital Man said:
For some at dpreview, digital photography is a religion, and they
want to convert the heathen film users. Only when no one uses film
anymore will their immortal souls be at peace.
Click to expand...
Hah! I would say that it more the filmers who have elevated halide to a religion and who consider it sacrilegious to say that digital is now better. The fact is, film has been dead for some time now and only remains erect due to the artificial support of its religiously fanatic followers. The flesh is rotting from the bones and smells to high heaven. Shortly, the flesh will be gone entirely and the bones will fall to the feet of those fanatics who no doubt will continue to contend that their idol of worship is still not only alive and well, but absolutely superior to its NFL lineman-like replacement!

If you wish to get technical about the actual onset of film’s fatal illness, you would have to go back many years to when scanners became available. Although film diehards never own up to it, a scanner is merely a digital camera adapted for two-dimensional photographs, and it is only through the use of that crutch that the frail and diseased body of film has continued to hobble along so far as it has.

Rodger
 
eastburg said:
Who says they should be experts? Well, I do, for one. I paid them a lot > of money, and I expected to get more in return than I could get from a > camera vending machine. Unfortunately, these days, the customer seems > to be the one educating the camera store people, who might as well be > selling shoes or soda pop for all they know about photography and > cameras....
Click to expand...
...
nochance said:
That's what I think! Mike, I figure, respectfully, that you are
either under 30, new to photography or working in a camera store.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, you made me think about this a little. I actually sought out a local non-chain camera shop that sold Sony(no easy task) when I bought my 707. Not Really so local I guess since it's about 18 miles up the road. I specifically went there because I didn't want to have the typical sales person that one would have at a Circuit City or a Best Buy or Sears for that matter. I personally wouldn't expect a Sony shop clerk to be all that knowledgeable in photography. In any event I think yo tried to infer things about me that weren't there to infer.

For the most part I expect sales people to be sales people, not experts and therefore I seldon trust anything they say. You never know if they are recommending a product because of how they feel about it or or if it's because they are getting a "spiff" for moving it on that day.

Interesting that we concurr with respect to the traditional camera shop

Ciao,
MikeD
 
eastburg said:
Actually, these posts are a gas, but they make me think that you
guys/girls are a lot younger then me. It used to be that there
were "real" camera stores, where most of the sales people were
semi-pros, or at least semi-pro want-a-be's, many of whom knew
enough about photography to run their own photo forums. They knew
the techinical side, and they knew equipment, and it was their
expertise and willingness to teach tht drew us to their stores.
Many of them worked in camera stores to pay their bills while they
tried to get started as photographers.
Click to expand...
We still have some "good" pro camera shops in Vancouver, Canada.

I went to the biggest and often considered to be the best one here. Mentioned I wanted to buy a camera from insurance. I was told to go to the insurance counter. Person there didn't know much about cameras. He offered me about 33% of the settlement I got going through another camera shop. I asked if I should go to the main counter to get information. He said that wasn't allowed.

Anyways I did sneak over to the main counter and got some good information, but nothing like the information I get here at DPReview. Every time I went in to the shop I talked to a different person and each one suggested a totally different camera all mostly based on their preferences.

I knew almost nothing about digital cameras after many visits to this camera shop, compared to what I do know having hung around the DPReview site for awhile now. And I still realize I know so little every time I log on.
 
Hi All

Talk about elites!

I don't know about the rest of you guys but single handily I introduced the revolutionay concept of the "Portable White Balance Dog."

This handsome four footed self propelled gadget is the ideal way to set your white balance. I claim full credit.

Specs:

Height: 30 inch at shoulder
Color: White
Fuel: Neighbors you don't like

This revolutionary concept can be had for the mere price of $5000 (payable in cash ONLY).

I realise that Phil doesn't like marketing on his site but this is an exception.

Dave
 
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