Three More Days To Click

The Click To Bid on-line auction that the West Australian newspaper is running is on for three more days - it closes off at 9:00 PM on the 17th of August.

We made up a big list ( I made up a big list...) of good items for this auction - all sorts of price ranges,too. We carefully put them aside ready for delivery if someone wins the bidding, and we are anticipating the flow of buyers after the sale closes.

Lots of other shops and businesses did too - so there will be a lot of people bidding and then looking at the figures as the time draws to a close. It's kind of like the eBay bidding system on the net...but with one big difference.

The goods are real. The sellers are real. The West Australian is real. They are all here. The items are all covered by correct Australian warranties. You are not depending upon the vagaries of the postal system or a seller who is a pseudonym and a number in Nome, Alaska. The seller in Nome may be as honest as the day is long, but I've been in Alaska in the winter and I know how long the days really are...

click2bid.com.au

Note: The newspaper mentions that they also send part of the auction proceeds to Telethon.

Shoppers Urged To Put Jobs First

An interesting article in today's West paper from the Australian National Retailers Association about buying products online. Murray Gibbs from Cannington Camera House had an interesting insight to this.

  
"The retail sector has launched a national campaign to remind Christmas shoppers how important it is to the jobs market, as shops battle a patchy economy and stiff online competition.

In its $5 million national radio campaign, the Australian National Retailers Association highlights the sector's 1.2 million jobs through 140,000 outlets.

It comes ahead of expectations of a relatively lacklustre Christmas sales period.

Chief executive Margy Osmond called on the Federal Government to help local retailers by taxing online items priced at more than $100, in a bid to even out the competition with the imports, which do not attract a GST.

Ms Osmond said most other Western countries already had an online tax and usually on values well below $100.

Murray Gibbs, who runs the family-owned Gerry Gibbs Camera House in Cannington, refuses to serve customers who use him to help them buy online.

"If people are prepared to give me the time of day as a retailer, and not stand there in the shop surfing their iPhone for the same product I've just discussed with them, then I'm prepared to give them all the customer service they require," he said.

"If they're going to ask me questions so they know what to buy through some grey market online provider, then I'm not interested."

Mr Gibbs said most Australian retailers could not compete with some foreign retailers on price because of higher wages, rents and advertising costs.

But they could provide secure warranties, after-care service and a guarantee it met Australian safety and power standards.

"I have 11 people and their families who rely on me to make a living," he said.
"I have cut prices as much as I can, but I can't sell cheaper than some online providers or we will all be out of a job.""

Article taken from The West website which you can visit at the following link: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/11930685/shoppers-urged-to-put-jobs-first/

River's A Pretty Picture

The superzoom lens helps to make Freshwater Bay look even more beautiful. 
Picture: Steve Scourfield

"In many ways, the day fits the camera and the Swan River itself. 

For it begins in the crisp, early-morning light and high-contrast sunshine coming in flat angles at Peppermint Grove. The river is wide and estuarine here and the Leica V-Lux 2 with the camera’s superzoom lens gives it the equivalent to  25mm and catches the wide expanse of it.

Late in the afternoon, I am further up in the narrower reaches of the Swan River, feeling like I am right in the barrel of the other end of the camera’s built-in 24x zoom — the equivalent to 600mm. 

The same spot with the lens zoomed at 600mm.

The lens is, of course, the most-talked-about feature of the Leica V-Lux 2 and the reason it is particularly good for travellers. It can do pretty much anything —  and do it well. 

With 14.1 megapixels and a CMOS sensor, it is a camera that most people will take on their trips, and come back with good photographs. It’s light, easy to use. It has automatic, program, aperture and shutter speed priority settings and scene modes that include the rather self-explanatory  soft skin, panorama assist, beach and snow — and, unusually, food, party, baby, pet and others. 

Following the Swan River for the day gives it a good workout and, while it could use a better sensor,  the camera proves a versatile do-anything friend. 

I particularly like the tilting screen — it folds out  and in many directions, and I find this useful in markets and other places where a photographer wants  to be less obvious. 

For the more technically serious, it shoots both RAW and JPEG and full 1080p  AVCHD video recording. It shoots 11 frames a second continuous at full resolution with a maximum shutter speed 1/2000 second.

And that brings me to the subject of price. 

I borrowed the Leica from Camera Electronic, in Stirling Street, Perth. It sells it for $899 — a price that can’t be matched on the  internet and considerably less than Leica’s RRP of $1049. 

Saul Frank, who with brother Howard runs  the shop their father Ronald started 40 years ago, says: “There’s old-fashioned service, of course, and people want to  see and touch certain items.” 

But shop retailers have to compete on price, too, and the brothers go to great efforts in working with suppliers to match internet pricing. Or, in this case, to beat it. 

The Leica, of  course, bears more than a passing resemblance to the Panasonic DMC-FZ100 but comes with a two-year warranty, Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements 8. And, of course, the Leica badge. 

Details: Camera Electronic is at 230 Stirling Street, Perth. Visit cameraelectronic.com.au or call 9328 4405."

Camera Electronic would like to thank Steve for his travel section write up. You can see more informative articles from Steve at The West via their website http://www.thewest.com.au/travel

How to Take Travel Photos - Gavin Carvahlo

One of our staff Gavin Carvahlo has been asked to write about travel photography for The West Newspaper. Below is his first article that was published on 14 November 2011. The article was taken from The West website which you can visit at http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/travel/a/-/travel/11658383/how-to-take-travel-photos/

Photography is intrinsic to travel, and I'll explore the world of photography with you - through a respectable mix of gadget guides, tips and tricks, lessons and, hopefully, interesting perspectives.

Travel writing and photography advice:
MORE PHOTO TIPS AND TRICKS
HOW TO BE A TRAVEL WRITER
BE HEARD IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

First, a little bit about myself.
I work full-time in a camera store in Perth that has a 40-year history. Outside that, you might find me out and about using cameras and possibly achieving some measure of pseudo-decent photography.

I like discovering the technical side of cameras but still have passion and a deep respect for the art embodied in photography.

Photography means a lot to me. On the surface, it is sometimes seen as a simple hobby or just taking basic snaps. Go deeper and there is the technical side - camera equipment, technology, lenses, megapixels, sensors.

Our world is saturated with photography. Practically every facet of life is touched by it. From print media and advertising to fashion and glamour, from sports and wildlife photography to photojournalism and travel, from experimental art to simply capturing memories, photography appeals to all.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
It is similar to music in that you can enjoy your own style but it is a universal language that can cross the borders of culture and time.
And photography is more than ever an accessible way of producing our own "cave paintings", our own way of storytelling. It's these stories, memories and emotions locked away in pictures that make them so valuable to us. People will try to save photos from a burning building because at its truest level, it is an extension of ourselves. Think about that the next time you go out to take a picture.

And this column is based on us going out into the world to take pictures.

QUICK TIPS
Most people take more shots when they are travelling than at any other time. Holidaying and photography very much go hand in hand, especially now that cameras are a lot easier to use. Here are a few quick tips when going on your next journey:

• Try to minimise the size and weight of your equipment whenever possible. You might be better off not taking your 1200mm lens unless you specifically need to use it.
You'll be able to move around more freely and you'll be able to pack more souvenirs. Consider taking a smaller set-up such as a compact camera or using an all-in-one zoom lens. You might not get the absolute best image quality but you'll probably end up getting more photo opportunities and you'll enjoy your holiday more.

• If you accidentally erase photos from your memory card, you might be able to recover them. Don't take any more photos on that card - instead, take it out and use a different card, and take your erased card to a service store for data recovery.

• Always take spare batteries and spare memory cards (or film). You will regret it if you get caught short. Also make sure your battery chargers can work with overseas voltages. Most modern ones are fine.

• Shoot in RAW if your camera has the ability to. You'll be better able to fix mistakes and squeeze out a better image when you get it back to your computer.
Keep in mind that RAW files take up more memory space than JPEGs and will require processing before you can print them or publish them online.

• Be careful when travelling with expensive camera equipment. By all means take your Leica M9-P, just don't make yourself a target for thieves and camera nerds (hint: get the black version). Showing off a big camera around your neck in some places advertises you as a tourist and potential target.

• Be aware and respectful of places where photography is not allowed and always be respectful of your subject, whatever or whoever it may be.

Photographing places:
MOSCOW CAN BE CAMERA SHY
PICTURE PERFECT PARIS

There are plenty more things to consider when going shooting and travelling but we'll save that for another time.

That's all for now, keep an eye out next time when I reveal what the best camera in the world is. Place your bets...

Gavin Carvalho can be contacted at Camera Electronic, 230 Stirling Street, Perth. Call 9328 4405 or email gavin@cameraelectronic.com.au

Congratulations to Gavin on his first published article. We look forward to more articles in The West Travel section.