donald (01/24/83)
Concerning H. Reza Taheri's experiences with the salesman while buying his Canon A-1: it just goes to show that many camera salesmen are gorns, of either the unscrupulous or ignorant variety. One must remember that camera salesmen are really no different than stereo or used-car salesman, i.e. all their statements should be taken with a grain (or lump) of salt. It is common for a salesman to present highly biased assessments of various brands, depending on what his store wants to push, or what his personal prejudices are. The only solution to this is to do careful re- search on the stuff you're thinking of buying and alternatives, and then go to the store and smile and nod while the salesman blathers during your examination of the equipment. Never alter your decision on the bare word of a salesman. As for the quality of the Canon A-1, don't worry. The use of plastic parts in select locations is certainly not detrimental to ruggedness. Unless you intend to haul your camera up Mt. Everest with you, in which case you ought to go for a Canon F-1 or Nikon F3. I've owned a Canon AE-1 for 6 years and the only problem I had with it was a shutter readjustment which had nothing to do with the presence of plastic. By the way, the lower line Nikons do use plastic parts, in particular the Nikon Series E lenses. Like you said, the Nikons in the price range of the A-1, though they are excellent cameras, don't have nearly as many features as the A-1. The only gripes I have about the Canon A series are the finicky depth-of- field preview, and the lack of non-battery dependent shutter speeds. Don Chan
eager (01/25/83)
San Jose Camera (recently moved to Hamillton Ave., Campbell, CA, 95008) stocks Canon A-1, has near-best price on A-1, and it is in stock. Got mine there; salesmen knew their stuff, too.