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Deleted member 21335
Guest
Now then, first of all, hopefully the majority of you who 'know' me from on the line will know I am not one to post things like this often. I don't rant or slag people off, it's just not in my nature. People's ignorance to things isn't always their own fault, they simply may not know about whatever it is. However, when you work in one of the last major camera retail chains on the high street, I do expect you to know your onions a little bit. This it seems, is not the case. Today, me and a photographer friend of mine were in Manchester centre having a mooch about, eating food and such like, when I decided to pop into Jessops to see if the X100t was in store yet, although I believe it isn't released until the 28th. Had a brief chat to the chap about said camera when he noticed the Hasselblad 500c/m that I was holding (no strap, more often than not I just carry it).
Here is where the conversation got interesting...
Man who works in camera shop : "what's that?"
Man with camera (me) : "It's a Hasselblad 500c/m"
Man who works in camera shop : "Is it a camera?"
Man with camera (me) : "yes"
At this point, I hand it over so he can have a play. I take off the film back so he can wind it on and fire off a few frames if he wants to. I show him the viewfinder and explain how to advance the film and shoot.....
Man who works in camera shop : "Oh so it's film then?"
Man with camera (me) : "yes, the film is stored here in this bit" (shows him the film back)
Man who works in camera shop : "Is this display digital then?" (as he looks through the viewfinder)
The guy simply cannot understand how the image is being projected onto the ground glass. My friend is practically wide eyed in disbelief at this point. I go on to explain how it's an SLR and works with a mirror, exactly the same way the digital SLRs that he is there to sell work. At some point during the conversation I mentioned about black and white film and how I develop my own, to which he then thought that this camera shot black and white (I guess perhaps like a Leica M), to which I had to explain that I could choose which film, B&W or colour I wanted to use. I realised at some point in the last few minutes that I am in a camera shop, explaining to an employee how a camera works.
And this, is why the 'specialist' shops on the high street are often on their arse. To be completely fair to this store, the guy who works upstairs in the film lab seems very knowledgeable and I sometimes have C-41 processed there.
Here is where the conversation got interesting...
Man who works in camera shop : "what's that?"
Man with camera (me) : "It's a Hasselblad 500c/m"
Man who works in camera shop : "Is it a camera?"
Man with camera (me) : "yes"
At this point, I hand it over so he can have a play. I take off the film back so he can wind it on and fire off a few frames if he wants to. I show him the viewfinder and explain how to advance the film and shoot.....
Man who works in camera shop : "Oh so it's film then?"
Man with camera (me) : "yes, the film is stored here in this bit" (shows him the film back)
Man who works in camera shop : "Is this display digital then?" (as he looks through the viewfinder)
The guy simply cannot understand how the image is being projected onto the ground glass. My friend is practically wide eyed in disbelief at this point. I go on to explain how it's an SLR and works with a mirror, exactly the same way the digital SLRs that he is there to sell work. At some point during the conversation I mentioned about black and white film and how I develop my own, to which he then thought that this camera shot black and white (I guess perhaps like a Leica M), to which I had to explain that I could choose which film, B&W or colour I wanted to use. I realised at some point in the last few minutes that I am in a camera shop, explaining to an employee how a camera works.
And this, is why the 'specialist' shops on the high street are often on their arse. To be completely fair to this store, the guy who works upstairs in the film lab seems very knowledgeable and I sometimes have C-41 processed there.