The Agony and Ecstasy of Price Drops

 Because I follow industry news daily, I have a pretty good eye for deals.

I've had scores such as the Canon S110 for $199 and the Samsung NX3000 with power zoom lens for $289. Those purchases feel great, especially after the price escalates again when the special offer expires.

But I've had my share of misses too. And those hurt. For example, In April, Olympus was offering the premium kit version of its OM-D E-M10 for $875. It included the body with a special leather texture, a $300 power zoom lens, leather neck strap, and commemorative lens cap.

Considering that the standard body alone was selling for $699, and the premium kit had been $1,250, I considered this a deal and bought it. I absolutely love the camera and have already taken many beautiful shots with it.

My enthusiasm was dampened a bit last weekend when Olympus dropped the price $200 on the very same kit that I had just purchased. It is now available for $675 (which is a steal, BTW). The reduced price for the E-M10 was also available at many online retailers.

At first, I said to myself, "That's the way it goes sometimes." Purchasing technology is always a dicey affair. I know people ask me frequently, "Should I buy now, or wait for the next model." The real answer is, nobody knows for sure. My general rule of thumb is, do your research and purchase when you need the item. Beyond that, it's mostly luck.

But for some reason, this price drop bothered me. $200 is a lot of money, and just a few weeks after my purchase. One of our other virtual camera club members, John, had a similar dilemma with his purchase from B&H. He wrote me:

"Great B&H story for you. I was so impressed by the E-M10 body you showed me in SF that I ordered one from B&H (linked from TDS!) - just 3 days before a 25% price drop. I figured that if you don't ask you won't get, and shot off a note to customer service. Within an hour a refund was in process for the difference between the $599 and $449. B&H has a customer for life."

And you know, he's right. It can't hurt to ask. So in the same spirit, I sent off a note to Olympus customer service asking if there was anything they could do for me. They replied right away asking for my order number so they could look in to it. I'll post a comment on the outcome as soon as I hear back. Regardless of what happens, I feel better for asking about it.

My bottom line here is this: On the whole, smart shoppers who do their research will save many dollars over those who impulse buy. But if you do experience a price drop just a few weeks after a purchase, write a polite note asking if anything can be done.

You never know. They may surprise you.

-Derrick

I Know Why We Sometimes Hate Computers

I remember this poster from the 1990s that read something like this, "If you want a job screwed up, give it to a person. If you want it really screwed up, do it on a computer."

I think most of us can relate, even today. The fact of the matter is that computers haven't really made us happier. Yes, they're faster, sleeker, and more powerful. But friendly... not really.

I'm really good with technology. It's been part of my living for decades. And I have weeks where it feels like the silicon chips are conspiring against me. (Or is it something more sinister?)

Where it's particularly annoying is when something that was working just fine, suddenly decides to go haywire. I could see if I was tinkering with it then broke it. But more often than not, this isn't the case. 

Everything is so darn connected that a worker bee changes a setting on a server thousands of miles away, and suddenly you don't have access to your website anymore. A not nice person, someone you don't even know, decides to attack you. Or for some unknown reason, your Internet doesn't work anymore because of a system upgrade by your provider.

More often than not, the reason why we hate computers is because they're not reliable. They mess up our schedules, productivity, and frame of mind.

The problem is, people do too. In fact, they're often behind the technology problem. And there's where the expectation breaks down. We thought that computers might save us from human shortcomings.

And the reality is,

it's still people messing things up.

-Derrick

Greetings Earth from a Digital Photographer

I posted a story today on TDS about a free set of film profiles from VSCO. They allow Lightroom users to apply the look of TRI-X and Kodak Gold 100 emulsions to their digital images.

Just minutes after going live, a tweet came my way stating, "Why not just shoot the real thing if you want the look of film? Lots of us still do!"

OK, fair enough. But I actually have my reasons.

In my own twisted, making obscure connections way of thinking, I thought this was a perfect topic for Earth Day. Because one of my greatest concerns as a film shooter was dealing with those nasty chemicals that eventually found their way into our sewer systems, or even worse, our ground water.

Even as a teenager working on the school newspaper, I had concerns about those chemicals - which was interesting, because I rarely cared about much outside of my own sphere in those days. Of course I know there's proper handling guidelines for photographic chemicals. But I also realize that not everyone follows them.

Yes, I love film. But I like digital even more. It's faster, cleaner, and more versatile. My computer is a laptop that manages energy quite efficiently. And the gear that I'm not using, I sell to others so it doesn't go to waste - and that includes me buying used equipment too.

I know I'm not the greenest person on the planet - far from it. But I do try to conserve water, fuel, and electricity. And I don't like careless pollution. And even though I love the look of film, I make no apologies for using lines of code to produce my images instead of celluloid, D-76, and rapid fixer.

So, hello planet earth from this digital photographer. I'm thrilled you survived another year, despite our callous efforts. And I promise...

I'll try to do even better moving forward.

-Derrick

The New Lightroom Tempts Aperture Users

Adobe released Lightroom CC today with performance improvements and a few slick new tools. They have steadily refined their photo management app for enthusiasts and pros, and to be honest, it's still the best option for those looking to migrate away from Aperture.

The problem of course, is getting there. 

There's no magic button you can push, or single lever you can pull, to move your thousands of images from one application to the other. Adobe's migration tool is clunky at best, and 3rd party options aren't much better. It's not really their fault, however.

It's truly trying to change an apple into an orange. The two systems for handling your files are different, especially the image editing engines, and there's no real getting around it

I like Lightroom CC. It may even become my new go-to app for handling photography. But I'm not going to try to convert years of Aperture work into Adobe's system. I'm going to leave that exactly where it is: in Aperture.

If I decide to make the jump, then I will start using Lightroom fresh and go from there. It's not convenient by any means. But this is the hand we've been dealt. 

And if there is a silver lining, it's that Lightroom continues to get better with each release.

-Derrick 

I Feel Like I Can Shoot Anywhere

After Saturday's wonderful adventure at Oracle Arena for Game 1 of the NBA playoffs, I'm more convinced than ever that nimble photography is the best approach for events - at least for me. It's just so darn painless.

I entered Oracle Arena the standard way through security. I was carrying my Walking Man Shoulder Bag that contained the Olympus E-M10 with a Panasonic 20mm pancake mounted and ready for action. The guard opened my messenger bag, looked at the petite camera, and waved me through... as he should have. It's well within Oracle regulations.

I also packed the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 prime, again legal for NBA action and shot with it during the game using the 2X digital zoom function (giving me an effective 180mm f/1.8 prime lens). That's all I had: one camera, two lenses.

As I explored Oracle before the game shooting candids of the fans, people were not bothered in the least by my photography. I kept the camera around chest level using the LCD screen for composition. So I wasn't pointing it directly in anyone's face, causing that uncomfortable feeling that results from someone lining you up in their sights.

I was just another fan (which I am) in a Warrior's T-Shirt taking photos before a big game. Just like everyone else shooting with their Samsungs and iPhones. The difference being, I had a quality sensor, great glass, and a much more artistic look to my images.

Afterwards, I was reminded again at just how fun nimble photography is. I travel light, capture great shots, and am not a nuisance to others. Does it get any better for a street shooter?

This coming weekend I'm leading the San Francisco Street Shooting Workshop. Not everyone there will embrace my extreme nimbleosity. But that's OK. Those who do, will enjoy a stimulating, picture-filled weekend without tired shoulders and aching back. They will feel great.

I've never enjoyed photography more than I do now. And for a seasoned veteran such as myself, that's saying something.

-Derrick