If only shop assistants could be more helpful. Especially when discussing photography….
"Hello Sir, can I help you?”
"Yes, I would like a lens for my camera”
"What sort of lens would you like, Sir?”
"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me”
"I see Sir. Well, what type of photographer are you?”
"What types are there?”
"Well, are you a portrait photographer perhaps or a landscape photographer? How about close-ups or architecture?”
"Which one is best?”
"Well, Sir, it all depends on your interests. I'm not sure I can tell you. Let's try a different approach, Sir. What aperture were you looking for?”
"The biggest”
"We have a lovely Acme 70 - 200 f2.8 here Sir”
"That looks nice. How much?”
"Three thousand dollars”
"Haven't you got one like that for under a hundred dollars?”
"No, Sir”
"What about that one” (points to lens)
"That's a lovely model Sir. Good value and nice results. Fits any Nikon”<
"No Canon fits?”
"No”
"That's no good”
"Sir, am I right in thinking that you have no idea which lens you want but it needs to be large aperture, Canon fit, low in price and presumably image stabilised, one-touch, lightweight, quick focus, titanium lacquered, diamond-encrusted and currently in stock?”
"Yes, that's just about it”
"You're in luck, Sir. I understand they have some in stock on the other side of town………….”
Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com