P3D Re: Mint vs. bargain, part II

[roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (John W Roberts)]

>Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 04:43:06 -0600
>From: "Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: P3D Mint vs. bargain, part II

>"Most people don't like to drive a beater"... Are they driving it 
>to show off or to enjoy the ride?  Are they using the camera to take
>pictures or to impress their friends?  Is the pleasure coming from 
>looking at good pictures or from walking around with the camera?  

Well, for the people who hunt around for the most conspicuous place to
make a cell phone call, even if it happens to be near a regular public
phone, and who shop in pen stores for weeks to find just the right
pen to write with, and who own >$100 non-prescription sunglasses, there
might be just a little vanity involved, and reluctance to be seen in
public using a camera held together with baling wire and electrical tape.
(Of course my homemade camera *is* held together with electrical tape among
other items, and has wires sticking out everywhere, but I'm not a good
example of a yuppie showcase.)

But who are we to say that those folks are wrong? And would raising the
demand for stereo cameras with cosmetic defects (and therefore driving up
the price) really be a service to the stereo community? I'd rather think
of those appearance-challenged cameras as waiting for someone who's really
interested in stereo but can't afford any better, rather than have them
all snapped up by affluent people who suddenly want them to go with their
pre-faded blue jeans. :-)

John R


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