Iteration the Fourth

Arrrrrgh! Which camera should I buy? Posted: 28-Aug-2008 13:57		Reply
(Reposted from our website) Did you know that if you took one of each type of digital camera currently on the market and stacked them one on top of the other, you would be arrested for not having planning permission? They would make quite a stack. So, how on Earth do you decide which to buy? The one thing that seems certain is that, in this world of computers so powerful that they can calculate huge numbers (the number of times that Gordon Brown has assured us that the economy is sound, say) and tiny numbers (the collective IQ of callers to a football phone-in, perhaps), no-one knows just how many different models of digital camera there are. This would be fine if all of them did different things, but of course they don't. As with cars, televisions or telephones, there is an awful lot of duplication going on here. What they all have in common is this: you can get a decent picture out of any camera. Even the cheapest on the market, such as the one I recently bought for under £60 (new) can give you a good result. Which begs an obvious question: why pay more than £60? In many cases, there is no reason at all to pay more. If all you use a camera for is the odd picture from your holiday, then fine; get the cheapest you can find. It will probably come with some sort of manufacturer's warranty - they nearly all do now - and will in any case have to comply with (deep breath) the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA), the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002 (SSGCR), the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (SGSA) and the Distance Selling Regulations 2000 (DSR). (And if anyone wants to know what being in Europe has done for us, you could start by pointing out that many of our indigenous consumer laws stem from European law). In essence, even the cheapest of goods, be they cameras or curtains, must "be of merchantable quality" and "suitable for the purpose for which they were intended." That last bit is important. It's up to you to make sure that whoever you're buying from knows what the thing, whatever it is, is for. You would, for instance, tell the sales person what size window the curtains are for. If you don't and they turn out too small, that's your fault, not theirs. For basic snapshots in undemanding conditions, a cheap camera will do the trick, especially if you take some time to read the manual (see previous blog for how to get one if your camera came without). If you want to photograph birds on the wing or pictures that can be blown up to the size of bed sheets, the cheapy can't be expected to hack it. What camera to buy is a big subject, so we'll come back to it, but not for a couple of weeks. I'm off to see what Dr Who and Jean-Luc Picard are doing to Hamlet! As ever, if you have any questions or comments, leave them below. Jon Ryan