Anyone into photography?

[BarryH]

I decided to treat myself to a new Nikon DSLR camera, the D3000.

Funny thing when I got the camera home I was surprised to find there was no memory cards with the kit. All the other cameras I've had, even the top of the range Fuji S9500 had some form of card with it.

The annoying thing is why couldn't the "assistant" in the shop where I bought the camera have mentioned something. I finished up buying one from the many internat based camera shops. It worked out cheaper than going into town where I have to pay at least £3 for parking.

Cheers
Barry

[dave robinson]

How annoying is that Barry? The problem is that many of our modern day shop assistants know sod all about the products they are selling, it's how it is.

[Nick Allan]

Nice camera that ! Trouble is, there are so many buttons on it, it is almost impossible to pick it up without pressing one of them !!

I know what you mean about the memory card - they never tell you.

Regards, Nick.

[ScouserJoe]

Hi Barry,

I have some sympathy for camera shop assistants these days; the speed and regularity with which the major manufacturers are bringing out new models is just ridiculous and I am not surprised that people cannot keep up with the specifications, the controls and the contents of the packages. I have used Canon DSLRs for many years now and have usually only ever changed a model to obtain its upgraded equivalent. I use the camera most days of the week, but even so there are a huge number of buttons and options that I just never go anywhere near. It's getting like some computer applications - too many options that people will never use.

The plain fact is that by releasing upgrades and new cameras year upon year, Camera manufacturers can keep selling the new models. There was a limit with what film cameras were capable of, but that's not the case with digital. The manufacturers have 'drip-fed' us with ever larger capacity memory over the last 5 to 7 years when they could have taken the leap in one step. It's a racket. The average amateur doesn't need more than 10M pixel to produce a half decent A3 print, and simple cameras with this capability were available 5 years ago.

As for your complaint about memory cards .. well I agree that when you are paying a lot of money for a camera it seems penny-pinching not to supply a kit complete ready to use, and in that respect a memory card is essential. However, it seems that Nikon, and I believe Olympus are guilty of this practice on a regular basis. The market is so competitive and margins so tight, that they see this as an extra way to make money.

One piece of advice to you regarding memory cards ... don't buy one single high capacity card. Buy several smaller ones. This may seem a more expensive option, but if a single card fails and ALL your valuable photos are on that one card .. the you're lost. Always take multiple copies of important photos on duplicate cards. Believe me, I've been there and got the T shirt.

Good luck with the Nikon - nice camera.

[metalmickey]

hi peops,
i use a canon eos 450 d and my sons is a nikon d60 and neither came with a card and no the assistant didnt say so either.
better buying off internet anyway half the price.
mike evans.

[ecca]

I got a camera.

[Bojan]

I got a camera!

[alanbakewell]

I too have the Canon 450D. It's an excellent piece of kit. Regarding the memory cards, well, like buying anything that has multiple bits, badger the mothers until they give you what you want. You're surely not going tell me that you've bought a guitar from a shop and not asked for a set of strings / strap / lead / book / whatever?My advice with buying anything. If possible use an independant. They will have a person there who is prepared to make that unknown thing.......A DECISION.
The larger the store the less likely you are to get anything. Regarding the person behind the counter, not only does he / she not know a great deal, he / she doesn't give give a flyer whether you buy the thing or not. All they want is 5.00 p.m. to arrive.

There are exceptions mind you. For example my local camera shop is part of a chain but has a good manager who knows that he will make a sale if the deal is right.
Whenever his sentence starts, "I shouldn't really do this", you know you're making progress.

Regarding buying several smaller cards, excellent advice. Lord Patrick Lichfield said some time ago, take 100 photographs 10 of them will be good ones and the odd one will be the one you want to keep forever. The cost of taking photographs nowadays, ( after buying your camera ), is next to nothing. It's never been cheaper.

For the record, the last time I saw Lord Lichfield, Mrs. B. and I were walking through the grounds of Shugborough with our dogs some nine years ago. Lord Lichfield was driving a ride on mower......................And I didn't have my camera with me.

Cheers, Alan.

[BarryH]

It's good to see so many photographers on here.

Cheers
Barry

[tonykiek]

I like nude photography. Trouble is, no one wants to see me in the nude.

(P.S. even my wife !!)