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COMET


I ENTERED the store and was greeted by a young lad behind the counter. After telling him what I was after he pointed out a small camera display cabinet. “I know we have one camera that is waterproof, but I can’t remember which,” was his initial advice. He proceeded to read every ticket before finding none were either shock proof or waterproof. Determined to find a suitable camera he reviewed the computer system reading each cameras specs one-by-one. Ten minutes passed and with no match, he said he’d better go and ask someone for help. Another staff member approached and told me that if I wanted a proper waterproof camera it would set me back around £700 and I would also need to think about ISO ratings as the snow can cause poor photos due to the bright light. “I’d recommend this Panasonic (DMC-FS9EB-K) and it is just under your budget at £239.99. Then you can just buy a disposable underwater camera and you’ll save a lot of money.” The recommendation did not have any of the


features which I requested – apart from being Mac and PC compatible. It was not shock or even splash resistant, never mind waterproof. It looked like a nice enough camera, but not one that was going to stand up to the potential punishment I would inflict on it due to my lack of balance. I was a bit disappointed that Comet could not help me with what I specifically asked for. It felt as though I was not listened to and the second staff member had just recommended a camera that the store had in stock to try and make a sale towards the top end of my budget. The younger lad had at least tried his best to find something suitable, even though it was to no avail.


SCORE 2/10 www.pcr–online.biz


PC WORLD


HEADING OVER to the camera section the saleswoman began to read all of the ticket information hoping to find a suitable camera. She picked up the Canon PowerShot SX210 IS and said: “I’ve been trained on this camera and it is excellent.” I asked whether it was shock and waterproof and was told it wasn’t. I again explained my requirements to her and she continued to read each individual ticket. Having already looked through all of the cameras I knew that there was only one camera suitable for my needs and it just happened to be the last camera in the whole bay. The staff member apologised after ten minutes of searching: “I’m sorry, the camera specialist is not working today and I don’t know about all the different types we have available.” She finally reached the Olympus Mju Tough 3000


(£129.99) and said: “Ah, here we go – this camera is water resistant up to three metres and is also 1.5m shockproof and freeze proof down to -10 C. There is actually £80 off so it is well within your budget.” I was handed the camera to view whilst the saleswoman printed off the spec sheet: “Here you go, this should answer all your questions. I’m sorry I can’t tell you anymore.” I thanked her and then left the store. Overall, the visit did not match up to my


expectations. With a PC related store I had hoped to get more in-depth knowledge about not only the product but also downloading photos and video onto a computer. With a wealth of photography software and accessories available in store to enhance imagery, the add- on sale opportunities were endless, but unfortunately never touched upon by the sales staff member.


SCORE 6/10 January PCR 37


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