(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Dateline: November 9, Manhattan. I'm inside B&H Photo, carrying a Nikon D70 SLR camera my dad was kind enough to pass down to me. It doesn't have a lens, or a memory card, or a case. Those are my responsibilities. This is why I'm spending close to an hour staring at various lenses ranging from 18-55 all the way up to 18-200mm, all the while knowing nearly nothing about SLR technology.
November 10: 11 a.m. After a long shower this morning and a fretful commute to work, I'm carrying my D70 with the Tamron 18-200mm lens I bought, and wondering, did I do the right thing? Did I make the right purchase?
I'm an editor at CNET, but I review laptops, not cameras. And still, post-purchase, I'm racked with regret. Consumer second-guessing--should I have gotten a cheaper Nikon kits lens?--is combined with frantic forum-reading, friend-calling, colleague-consulting. I'm told on four separate occasions that, yes, I made a good purchase. Moreover, the Tamron lens only cost $229 after rebate.
The source of my anxiety.
(Credit: CNET)But I feel like I've bought a Ferrari. I feel slightly ill. And the funny part about the experience is that I'm reading more about the various Nikon SLR lenses after my purchase than before.
Does this happen to you? I've always had a theory (and so does another co-worker) that it's post-purchase when we want to read the most about our laptop, our game, our new accessory. We want extra confirmation of our good judgment, our wise decision. We want positive reinforcement. We want a pat on the back.
I've found solace from our own camera team and their reviews, and from user opinions. How about you? Are all your purchases tinged with a feeling of potential regret, of fear that you chose poorly? One of the few purchases I've ever made with no regrets was my iPhone, but even then I felt bad about spending so much money in the first place. It's not easy, especially with so many options and so many Web sites and threads that endlessly bat around every minute detail.
Plus, there's always the feeling with any consumer electronics purchase that the cheaper route is somehow a compromised route, and the more you learn the more that lingers in the back of your mind (or, at least, mine) like a grinning devil. Spend a little more...just a little more...or, conversely, why didn't you save a few more bucks?
Meanwhile, I'm learning about SLR cameras as I take photos of my ever-more-mobile child, all the while trying to calm pangs of what my friends like to call "Consumer Stein Remorse."
On Sale Now: $219.99 - $299.99
View the latest prices for Tamron AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro for Nikon
You slackers haven't even begun your shopping for the holidays this year, right? Well, we're already busy gathering info on gadgets you're gonna want next year. That's right, Best of CES for 2007. So if you build gear, get your boss to enter your company's greatest awaited gizmo.
The Zen Vision:M shown here was Best of Show at CES in 2006 and drew hundreds of comments. The biggest complaint? Not enough advertising for the product.
Here's the entire winner list from Best of CES 2006 in Las Vegas, as well as videos. Among them, the AVIC-Z1 is still extremely popular among people into after-market car stereos. Other popular items include the Denon AVR-2807, Samsung HL-S5679W HDTV and, of course, the Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology.
Watch this space and we'll let you know how many entries we get for Best of CES. And even if you're in Vegas, we'll leave you more time for off-line gambling, which is still legal.
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