The good thing about trade tables at the Photo Live 2016 Expo is that we get to trade - you trade your time and money for our time and expertise. It is a mutual benefit.
The staff of Camera Electronic man and woman the tables with their own knowledge of the equipment on show, and can help you to find the special parts of the cameras, lenses, and accessories that you want to see. We know the equipment. But what is more important - you know you.
Each visitor to a trade exhibition carries with them their own needs. Admit it or not, every photographer has some sort of primary interest and a wide-ranging event like Photo Live 2016 is an ideal place to indulge that interest. There will be equipment form a vast range of manufacturers on display, and visitors can be sure of finding something in their own division to play with.
I use the term play deliberately. You can look at the internet all you want, (and you can read this weblog column every working day, bless you...) but you can't really tell whether a piece of equipment is going to work for you until you actually feel it in your hands - until you look through the screen or viewfinder and make it work. You all have eyes and brains, but you need to exercise your hands and fingers as well.
This is where the shop staff come in. We can set you right as you explore the gear. We can prevent any misconceptions from sending you off on the wrong pathway. Sometimes we can even help you untangle your thoughts if you have been screwing your brain into a tizzy on internet forums. Now, we've got our own tizzies and misconceptions to deal with, but fortunately we don't all have the same ones at the same time so amongst the Camera Electronic workers there will be someone who sees clearly.
Don't be afraid to ask-we won't be afraid to tell. We won't be afraid to say we don't know, either, because sometimes we just don't - particularly if the question involves the arrival time of something you have just seen pop up on the internet. But we'll try to find an answer.
Note: Every staff member has a photo interest speciality. Ask Carlos about food. Ask Sam about bands. Ask Ricky about Sony cameras.
Ask me about Fujifilm and tabletop photography. Prepare to be dragged into the vortex...
Uncle Dick
Photo Live Expo on Sunday 24th July
10am - 5pm
Perth Novotel Langley
www.photoliveexpo.com.au
