I bought a new lens

[Plant Woman]

A lens that I bought last year is not working properly. So I had to send it back to Canon for repairs. They won't be done for six weeks. So I'm looking at some other lenses as I need one for tomorrow's catalog shoot and I buy a 17-70 macro Sigma lens.

Blech, I dislike photographer geeks and their obsession with their equipment. The salesman had to show me his big honking lens. Even after I tell him I need a macro for some closeup photos of some flowers, he insists on showing it off. I wonder what that lens was an extension of?

Another guy tells me he is a wedding photographer and the other guy the salesman insists on showing me his little league shots and how he will now be their official photog. I joke around with them for a little while about wedding photography and we swap horror stories.

Then the other guy starts talking about how he photographs women in lingerie and how he has to be careful because he is a teacher. Didn't think anything about it until he starts telling me about how the other this woman client came to have her pictures done and how her friend couldn't make it. Then he tells me his helper wasn't there that day. I said, "you better be careful doing that, you could find yourself being accused of a number of things." So he says, oh he's not worried he has security cameras all over the place filming what is happening while he photographs the whole time.

I flash back to 20 years ago when another professional photographer (male) was arrested for filming women he was photographing boudoir style shots. I wonder if this guy could get in the same trouble? I really was creeped out by this guy and wondered why he was telling me all this. Is this guy an idiot, or has times changed enough that he would be perfectly fine filming this stuff for security purposes. Yeah right, security purposes?

[freemonkey]

First of all, congrats on the new lens.

I wonder if he notifies them they are being filmed and makes them sign a waiver. That might cover him. I wouldn't discount the "creepy" vibe, though.

[Plant Woman]

The whole experience was creepy, I left that store feeling slimed. I took some photos of the snow this morning with the new lens. I handheld it so not sure if the images will be sharp, but at least it focuses sharply.

Oh that was the other thing. The sales guy took some photos with my camera lens and kept telling me the images were sharp and he showed them to me on his computer and I'm telling him no they aren't sharp, that I need them to be tack sharp for my work. Then he finally says, well they aren't sharp because he wasn't on a tripod. So why the heck did he try to convince me they were sharp?

[Plant Woman]

Sorry for the vent, I dislike going into that store, I always feel that way when I leave it.

[ITSOZAZ]

i have that same lens. it takes nice shots. i think i posted about it before when i was putting up pictures, especially a really crisp close-up of a spider. perhaps i subconsciously influenced your decision? hehe...right. anyhow, that's why it's good to share tips about your craft or passion...at least i think so. if i didn't already have that lens, i might be inspired to check it out.

i hope you enjoy your lens as much as i do mine. :)

[Petra]

I've heard a couple of photography and photoshop podcasts mention this online store (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/category/989/Digital_Photography.html) as where they get their gear from. Apparently the prices are good, and you wouldn't have to deal with those creepy blokes again!

I also have that lens, and often have to use a bit of sharpening in post-processing. It is quite a soft lens.

Also, I would've given that creepy guy the one raised eyebrow, sideways look of disdain that never fails to make people feel uncomfortable, and I would've told the guy who was saying "it's sharp, it's sharp, it's not sharp 'cos no tripod" that if it was not sharp because he didn't have a tripod then why was he insisted beforehand that it was sharp, and that I need to buy equipment from people I can trust, and that he just destroyed that trust.

They'd both have hated me, but what the hey - you can't please all the people all the time. :D


And then I'd go on to pepper my posts with :D just for livius and ES. :D

[Ari]

Yay for new lens.

Sometimes I think there is an agency that pools creepy photographers and then sprinkles them out in even spacing so everyone can experience the joy of creepy photographer.

Photo sales people are mostly annoying I try to talk to them as little as possible and get as much stuff through B&H as I can. The amount of BS and self importance (impotence) I've heard from some trying to sell the amateur customer some expensive overpriced equipment that they don't need is amazing.

[Plant Woman]

ISOZ, I've owned Sigma lenses probably before you were born. I was in desperate need of a lens for this shoot today and it was the best one they had for the money. Not to say that you can't pass along a tip, but my buying this lens had nothing to do with you.

Petra and Ari,
I try to buy locally when I can, but sometimes you can't get things locally or in this case you have to deal with slimeballs. But yeah B&H is one of the best to deal with for mail order. Building up the digital camera equipment has forced me into dealing with these people. In this case the shoot dictated a lens I probably would have put off for a while. Yeah I'd like the honkin' lens for shooting wildlife, but it would be on a tripod in most cases and probably still be sharper than that yahoo's idea of sharp. :laugh:

Anyone want to buy a medium format Mamiya 645 and all the accessories? It's going up on Craig's list soon.

[ITSOZAZ]

yeah, i didn't think so...i was being funny. amusing myself. :)

i'm sorry you're that old :(

have fun with your lens!

[freemonkey]

Where's this shop, PW?

[Plant Woman]

At the mall, Freemonkey.

[freemonkey]

I hate that place. But fear not, I have wasted their time, and probably will again. :twisted: