If you are not familiar with photography equipment, model and price, I would recommend you to read this article. This there are dangerous wolves hunting in this highly competitive industry! If you have ever walked around the famous photography street in Taipei, I believe you must be impressed by the staff who deal like “killing for death”. Although there are still a lot of honest shopkeepers in the photography street, not everybody is a reassuring honest shopkeeper in this competitive industry of photographic equipment exhibitions, so the understanding of how to maximize the protection to your wallets, purchasing your requirement of camera equipment is absolutely necessary skills you must learn. So today I’m using the same listing way to explain the things you need to pay attention to when you purchase the camera. In addition, these precautions can be applied not only to the photographic equipment exhibition but also to purchase a camera in your normal days.
Precautions 1: Find out what kind of camera you want to buy, DSLR-like, MILC or DSLR?
Under the competition of various camera manufacturers, the “name” of the camera has changed dramatically. In the past, there were only digital cameras, DSLR cameras, etc., but nowadays just the “exchangeable-lens cameras” is consist of DSLR and MILC. Consumer cameras have a lot of names like “DSRL-like” and so on. If you want to distinguish by different manufacture, it might be so troublesome that won’t be able to do in three days. For camera amateur, it is already a case to study for what kind of camera to buy, or even what kind of lens to buy. But if beginners just want to take good pictures, then knowing which camera nouns represent what kind of camera in advance and, which kind of camera you should buy is important things that must be made clear before entering the venue. If you don’t know what kind of camera you should buy, please refer to the previous article: Know before buying a camera: Teaching you to know what is SLR, MILC( Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera ) and SLR-Like?
Precautions 2: Making sure the model you want to get and do not change your mind by the staff “recommendation”
It is said that consumption is about willingness to purchase of goods and services, therefore the option gave by the dealer may not be regarded as “deception,” but because of profit and inventory considerations, it is strongly recommended that consumers buy “specific brand” and “specific model” from a store. About my personal experience, I wanted to buy a Sony A7R and I was in a shop in Taipei Photography Street. I came across a store with the “Sony A7R is in stock and one thousand cheaper than other stores.” I was dragged by this phase and waited in the shop for an hour, and was constantly brainwashed and the staff promoted a series of M4/3 retro cameras from a well-known brand. The staff continued to mention that “frame size is not everything,” “photography skill is the point,” and “full frame is just a gimmick.”, and even “magnifying 100% of the photos is just a bad habit during photography” this kind of swear words. This was entirely an attempt to let me change my mind about the Sony A7R, which is a MILC with full frame film. Although I personally would certainly not going to let him change my mind (if I have been brainwashed, then this photography workshop should also be closed), but I believe there must be a lot of consumers who don’t know much about photography will change their mind under such offensives. Therefore,
after you have assessed your photography needs and decided on the model you want to buy, stick to your original intentions and don’t get brainwash to buy the unsuitable products.
Precautions 3: The same brand under the sign may not be the same manufacturer, please compare around before purchasing
Not only for camera, but also for all computing, technology exhibitions. There all have a “branding section” in these exhibitions where gathers all product of the same brand under it, but in fact the product selling under it might not from be the same dealer. If you look closely at the staff who are promoting hardly, you will find that they have a “little” difference. These differences may be reflected in the sales of product models, promotional items, gift categories, etc. In simple: It is better to ask before lose. In any case, the entire exhibition venue is so massive. You are not a rich like getting hundreds of thousands of dollars per second. Ask a few more and decide whether to start buying.
Precautions 4: Find out the model you want, and don’t buy “off-season models”!
It is a nightmare for every manufacturer that the newer generation has yet to launch without finishing selling the “previous generation” product. But for dealers, those who “do not do homework” are often the ultimate antidote that dealers use to solve this nightmare. The figure below shows the price comparison found in a well-known online shopping mall (a centralized mall operated by various dealers). It can be seen from the figure that the price of the previous generation Nikon DX body D7000 is only about two thousand cheaper than the new generation D7100. If you compare with other stores, you will find that the difference will not be too big too. Maybe you will ask: Can I not recognise the model? Am I easily fooled? In fact, as far as I am concerned, my answer is “You are so easy to be fooled.” On previous I have already shared with you what method will the store use to sell what you did not want to buy (please refer to Precautions 2), here we are going to talk about how the store will promote their old products!
The sales usually use the phrase of “this generation of the camera is not made in Japan (such as the new generation of Nikon D810 made in Thailand, Nikon D800E made in Japan)”, “the current technology is costed down, the quality is not as the previous generation of models (cost reduction, but the camera’s body is also cheaper bro!)”, “You see how heavy is the previous generation where else the new one is so much lighter (Is light-weight technology wrong?)”. These phrase making you to lose confidence to the latest model, and next he might use “you see this older generation is better than the new generation, and the price is cheaper”, “If you buy this I will gift you a 32GB memory card (which cost less than 1000NTD!)”, “You have to wait for the latest model but the older model is ready stock” and so on, so that you might directly fall into the trap of buying the older generation camera at a price that is not much cheaper. If you really can’t get a new product because of price, then it is advisable to buy second-hand cameras from the second-hand sales section such as the PTT DC-Sale discussion forum. Instead of spending a lot of money getting the older technology home. In terms of the above two cameras, whether the pixel, the image processor, the available ISO, or the focusing performance are all based on the new model, the prices of the two are not much different. Therefore be careful about falling into the trap of purchasing older version at high prices!
Precautions 5: Make clear of the camera specification you need, don’t waste money on something you don’t need
Whatever the reason, I would suggest that you should first figure out your needs and then go for shopping, so as to avoid unnecessary purchases because of various pitfalls that are obvious to me
(please refer to the text above). However, the camera specifications and figures, these things are not able to explain in few words, please refer to the article link below to understand what you want to shoot and the needs of equipment and modify a shopping list!
Know before buying a camera: teaching you to know what is the sensor size, focal length, aperture?
Above figure: In fact, it is not difficult to take a picture with a shallow depth of field. A large aperture can do it. Do not believe that “only this camera able to shoot” this kind of marketing phrase.
Precautions 6: It may not be relatively cheap in the exhibition. Please pay attention to the total value of the gifts. Do not buy the more expensive product “combination” because of the amount of gifts.
Many people intend to buy a camera during the photography exhibition having reasons such as “cheaper” and “more free gifts”. But is it really cheaper to buy at this time? In fact, in my many years of experience walking around major Taipei-related exhibitions, it is not always the case that the exhibition special price is not “ very shocking special price”. Even the so-called “special prices” are sometimes even more expensive than those at Photography Street and Guanghua Mall. . Here I will not mention which product is always “in an exhibition is more expensive”. In short, it is to be said that: first check the price and then go out and purchase it. During the time of purchasing, do make sure to take more from a different shop. Remind you some wise word: Ask more before purchasing.
Besides, about “more free gifts”, which is also must be take care of when purchasing a camera. Many dealers use “super packs” to make customers feel like they are getting a great deal of money. But in fact, these packages are often filled with products that are cheap and you don’t really use them. Although not necessarily saying that the goodie bag must be used to trick you, remember that “calculate the price of the contents of the gift bag into the total price”. First, add the total value of the gifts and then go to the store with no gifts. Compare prices so that you can get which is cheaper! For example, some shopkeepers may sell for more one or two thousand dollar, and emphasize that “we will give 32GB memory cards and clean blowing balls and tripods as gifts”. But nowadays 32GB memory cards are usually cost less than 500NTD, and the blowers and tripod stand given by the store are often only a hundred or two cheap stuff, and all the gifts don’t add up to a thousand, and you use more than a thousand dollars to buy a more expensive camera… Should I say that you are too naive?
Precautions 7: DSRL, MILC ’s kit set it really more expensive which the store doesn’t lie to you! The only thing is the lens from the kit is generally poorer in quality
There are a lot if interchangeable lens cameras (DSLR, MILC) introduce a so-called “Kit” combination, which is a combination of a camera body and a lens. This kind of combination is usually cheaper than if you purchased the camera body separately from the camera. Some spreads may even be as high as 10,000NTD or more, which is good for those who hasn’t bought any cameras or is camera entry players. If you don’t have any DSLR lens or camera body, it is recommended that you purchase a set of kit directly. This is not only cheaper, and you won’t lose too much if you want to upgrade your camera in the future (because of the Kit group, it’s already cheaper, and the depreciation of that the lens can be calculated with a new lens). So if the store recommends that you buy a cheap Kit group, the staff is not lying to you! Kit set is really a cheap and affordable option. However, limited by the price, usually, the lens of the Kit group are poor in
quality. They are very different from the triad lens of the same brand. If you want to have a great picture quality, it is recommended that you skip the Kit group directly and purchase the lens you need directly!
PS: Not all the kit comes with a low-end lens, for example, the latest Nikon D750 kit’s set comes with a “24-120 f4” small triad lens, which is nearly 10,000NTD spreads from separate purchases. But these are few opportunities, and it is recommended that you first collect enough information online before purchasing.
Precautions 8: Parallel import is really cheaper a lot, but take note on the warranty problem
Taiwan’s agents’ profit structure and tariffs have caused the prices of cameras and lenses for Taiwan’s companies to be much higher than parallel imports. However, due to the fact that the company’s goods are relative “not to be orphaned due to the collapse of agents”, the company’s goods are relatively expensive and it is not such a thing that needs to be ignored. However, compared to the higher prices of corporate goods, the so-called “parallel input” parallel imports are relatively low-cost alternatives.
There are no longer cameras have not had the problem of “different countries have different specifications”. Usually, they only have “different prices in different countries”. Therefore, buying parallel imports does not need to worry about different specifications. The only thing that needs attention is the “repairing service” problem. Usually, the parallel good’s warranty is needed to take the camera back to the original store. Therefore, when buying parallel imports, please pay attention to whether the store belongs to a professional parallel importer who is not easy to close down. Otherwise, parallel imports might more or less been orphaned due to the closure of the shop! However, even if the store is closed down, there is no need to worry too much, because the company’s cargo agents usually provide “intimate” services that “pay protection fee and change to company’s goods” service. However, this fee is usually the difference between parallel and company goods, so whether it is because of the will to place a bet on the spread factors of cost. It all depends on your purchasing budget!
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