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That new camera smell
October 04, 2006There is a particular scent when you get into a new car. Nobody really knows what it is.
Could be the new leather seats, the plastic dashboard cover, or the cellophane covering the floorboard mats.
Whatever it is, it's called that "new car" smell.
I think that's the same smell I've noticed over the last couple of days with the new camera equipment around the photography office.
We finally got some of the latest Nikon equipment to replace our D1h cameras. The bubble-gum and bailing wire holding them together was on its last leg.
Okay, that may be a bit of an overstatement, but the old cameras had been used very heavily over the last four years and the repair costs were starting to come more frequently.
Repair costs for a $3,000 camera body aren't cheap. You can't get the parts at the Home Depot or Radio Shack. We're talking about $750 a pop most of the time. I'd have just found a new job if I owned the cameras myself, I can't afford that kind of repair on a whim.
Well, the boss man Gary put in the request for a lot of money to buy new stuff with about 2 years ago, and it finally all came through.
And not a moment too soon. All four photographers were dealing with spotty equipment some days. I had a camera that wouldn't stay turned on. The battery compartment was loose or cracked or something. And it literally would not stay on. Sometimes when I would shoot, it would turn off right in the middle of writing the photo to the card.
My other camera was already broken. A blown shutter. That is at least a $750 repair, so we just shelved that one and I borrowed one of the other old cameras.
That one wouldn't turn off.
Even in the off position, I could still take photos with it. Handy I guess if I had to switch cameras quickly and wasn't sure if that camera was turned on.
All of those are now problems of the past. We have new stuff, which means we'll be able to do our jobs more effectively, not worrying whether or not our cameras will cease to function.
That new camera smell....it sure is nice.
Of course...Nikon will introduce their newest line of pro cameras next week.....that's how it goes in the digital photography world.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
