From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!npois!alice!rabbit!jss Newsgroups: net.rec.photo Title: Re: reply on novice camera request Article-I.D.: rabbit.586 Posted: Sun Jul 4 11:20:48 1982 Received: Tue Jul 6 00:43:11 1982 I beg to differ with don chan's article. While I agree that my blanket comments on battery dependency were too strong, please allow me to mildly rephrase. What I should have said is that most of the popular cameras of each of these companies is battery dependent - mostly because all those featrues that the novice who hasn't seriously considered things thinks he wants require a battery. I fully agree that there are some fine cameras out there by each of those companies, and I would therefore like to retract the original phrasing of the article, with apologies to all concerned. As far as my comments on Konica reliability are concerned, they are based, contrary to Mr. Chan's assertions, entirely on my personal experience and on the experienc of others I know. Granted, there will be some good camera's in any companies lines. That does not necessarily imply that ALL of their cameras are good. (The converse is, of course, also true.) I agree that much of what I said was based on hearsay, but that is a funny word. What I heard being said came from the following types of people: 1: Photo professionals - I.E. people who make their livings in this game and who therefore probably know something about it. 2: Photo course instructors, who are also oftentimes professionals. Unfortunately, when someone in this group has been shooting for magazines and other sources of income for most of his adult life, I am somewhat inclined to trust his opinion in such matters. Vivitar flashes are great, but the sunpack equivalents are cheaper and just as good. When I bought my 422D, having shopped around to get the best price, I found that if I wanted the vivitar, I would have to pay $40.00 above and beyond the already obscene prices of most camera equipment. It just isn't worth $40.00 in my opinion, to be able to say you own a vivitar. With due respect, let us attempt to keep our responses in all of this civil. This is not a war we are fighting. Looking forward to hearing from all of you. --Jon Shapiro