I'm glad I listen to my own advice! After purchasing Pentax's final high-end film SLR just a few weeks prior to a big trip to Asia, I was again reminded of how crucial this is.
The Pentax MZ-S is no longer available for purchase as new. Buying 'used' meant confirming that an "in fully working condition' camera was just that. So I asked again to confirm. Again I was assured it's 'fully working' and that it had originally been owned by a professional photographer. This still wasn't enough for me of course. So then came the test.
On connecting my lenses I realised there was something 'not right'. After many anxious hours researching and diagnosing, an expensive trip down to an excellent local camera repairer - It was obvious that it was indeed NOT in 'fully working order'. In fact, damage to this crucial bit of internal mechanics meant it was essentially 'fully not working'. I received the SLR back from repairs just one week prior to departure. It basically allowed one afternoon to go out and "re-test", to experiment with every function and customisation I will use, and to get a general feel for the SLR's usability.
Now at the highlight of our China trip, I am thoroughly glad and utterly relieved that I had taken the time to test my equipment. It's hard enough to find your way to good film in a foreign land, let alone a new camera system. The testing saved me thousands of dollars and much heartache. Don't let someone else tell you it's working well - get it professionally checked and then test it yourself. Get familiar with it to make sure every bit of it that you need - is indeed working well. And again for emphasis, "Test Your Equipment!"
Return to page 1 © David Curelea
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