Kevin
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 1122
Location: Eugene, Oregon
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 Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 10:27 am Post subject: Saying thank you for a great camera store attitude |
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Right in the middle of an intense photo safari, up and down the California coast in windy, rainy April, bracketing an invited presentation at a cool digital communities conference in Santa Barbara, I ran into the dreaded "dirt on the sensor" situation with my Digital Rebel XT SLR for the first time. Probably had something to do with changing back and forth so much among all those great new lenses, in field conditions. Of course it didn't show up until I was downloading a few gigs of accumulated RAWs to the traveling notebook hard disk, from locations left many miles and several hours behind.
Hotel Maramonte on the beachfront in Santa Barbara, where my traveling companion and I were nearly stranded
Under the circumstances, I went to the conference, which was great, and also intense, then rested (at least for a few minutes), psyched up, and read the camera instructions carefully. I was duly intimidated about the necessary delicacy of cleaning operations. The part about sending the camera in to Canon seemed especially interesting - though I wouldn't _mind_ being 'stuck' in Santa Barbara for a couple of weeks, the cost of the (dog-friendly) beachfront hotel would be more than just picking up a duplicate camera body - which wasn't exactly in the trip budget, either.
Conference dinner at the UCSB Faculty Club by MLTW
Following the application of external motivation courtesy of a downtown Starbucks, I called our unfailing Artifice staff back home - who had already helped with great Web skills in finding diagnostic tips online - for the address of a high-end camera store that might be able to help. Turned out, Samy's Camera in Santa Barbara at 614 Chapala Street was just 1/4 block around the corner from where I'd parked for coffee. A most fortunate coincidence, as I discovered.
Sleepy morning Starbucks in downtown Santa Barbara
Once inside Samy's techy stylishness, I offered my sheepish inquiry to the counter staff, who replied with assuring confidence that I wanted Kevin, and pointed me toward the rental and service department. "Oh, you want Kevin," said the next person, as I wandered across the store.
And ultimately, it is Kevin Delahay at Samy's Camera, Santa Barbara, who I thank with this tale of camera support success, and simple generosity. Presenting my problem, I was not treated as an interruption, nor as a sales opportunity, but simply as someone to help. Kevin was calm, clear, friendly, and informative, patiently answering my queries in their multiple overlapping succession, until the cleaning process had been fully defanged and demystified, without ignoring its important caveats. He offered to help as much as needed.
I was allowed to spread out, take my time, and get comfortably organized on the rental/repair counter while I focused to do the appropriate battery change, open the camera, prepare the officially-forbidden canned air to a carefully safe status, and finally, put the camera in its vulnerable cleaning mode. The offending speck was obviously visible on the sensor! And then, with one good, safe puff of air, the problem delightfully disappeared.
Life imitates art, up the road a way at the Oakland Museum by Roche-Dinkeloo.
Minutes later, with the address of my next photo location punched in to the hard-working GPS system of my trusty '06 Prius, Goldilocks and I were back on the road, smiling. |
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