Buying local – the advantages
Thought for the day….”It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.”
“A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.”
There was a time in my younger days when I would spend hours looking for the cheapest price. Getting something for the cheapest price was the target, and an important one. But gradually I have come around to looking at VALUE, rather than price. I have just had delivery of my new camera. I know that I could have ordered it online cheaper, but because my local photo shop (Photo & Video International, Christchurch, New Zealand) has given me such great service, then it was an automatic and easy decision to order from them. True, I may have paid more for the camera, but when I need help or advice, the dealer will be there, and will be only too happy to help, even if there is no direct profit in it for him. Not only that, but it makes trading much more friendly. And it is good to know that when I need some extra bits, that he will supply them, even if there is little or no profit in it for the shop. Previously I would have gone for the cheapest, but the value of personal customer service from a shop cannot be measured in money terms. The best part is that at the end of the transaction, that both the buyer and the seller come away feeling satisfied and happy. Too many negative experiences with online ‘shops’ located in far off places, who once they have sold you something, do not want to hear from you again. Long live the friendly local shop !!!
And a couple more photos from the old camera…….
and another photo from the archives….the Finnish capital of Helsinki
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RESPECT, CONSIDERATION, FAIRNESS
Oslo city centre – not pleasant
Thought for the day…”Postive anything is better than negative nothing”
“If your ship does not come in, then swim out to it”.
The Norwegian capital, Oslo, becomes even more unpleasant to walk around. It seems that in the very centre of the city, that drug dealers can openly sell drugs, and drug users can wait around, apparently without the police doing anything. As soon as you come out of the main train or bus stations then you see it. The newspapers were reporting that the Norwegian police said that they had lost control of one area (Gronland), and the situation seems to be getting worse. Go for a walk early morning and you may see used syringes on the ground. Walk around after dark (not recommended) and you will see drug dealers openly selling. It is very clear who the drug users are, but they seem to be immune to action. Add to that the large number of begging gypsies in the city and Oslo has become an unpleasant and dirty place. But why are the police not doing anything?? Surely the use of hard drugs must be illegal in Norway, but these people apparently get away with it, and openly too. And all the begging gypsies apparently do not have any legal right to stay in Norway, so why are they allowed to remain? What are the police doing about it? I wonder.
Today’s photo comes from north Norway, and from the fishing village of Honningsvag.
and another photo from the archives….the same photo as in the previous post, but this time converted to black & white.
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Buying decisions….to buy or not to buy, that is the question
Thought for the day…”A goal without a plan is just a wish”
“Success with a negative attitude is called Luck. Success with a positive attitude is called Achievement”.
To buy, or not to buy. That is the question. Having recently upgraded the camera to the newer Fuji X-T10 (great camera, and highly recommended), the finger is now poised over the ‘BUY’ button. This time it is the new Fuji XF 100-400mm lens. All the reviews have been great, and the people that have posted their comments praise the lens, so it is undoubtedly a wonderful lens. I gave the lens a try in the camera shop, and it felt very good, and the extra zoom would be very welcome BUT here is the problem….the lens costs about 3 times as much as the camera did, and with the teleconverter, will cost around 2000 euros. So the finger is hesitating on the ‘BUY’ button. Quality always costs more, and the Fuji products are great, but the thought of almost 2000 euros on a lens is difficult to accept. To buy, or not to buy, that is the question…..
A couple of photos from the north of Norway, taken with the standard 18-55mm Fuji lens on the X-T10. The first photo is from the small town of Vardo, at the top of Norway.
and another photo from north Norway…Hammerfest
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com