On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:19:28 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:



They all take good pictures in ideal conditions.

Well I've seen some pretty dire results from what looked like it
should be a good camera but that wasn't recently.

IMO the ability to slip
it in your pocket is the main thing, and that is very different to
slipping it in your handbag.

Agreed.

I don't like small, chunky cameras but
rather flat (pocket shaped) ones.

Understood. I think one of the restrictions to this though might be
the ability to get a good / reliable zoom in such a thin package. Make
it a few mm thicker and this becomes easier but at the risk of
becoming 'chunky'.

EBay is great for this stuff because most of the cameras have been used
a couple of times and then kept in a drawer.

Or used a couple of times before they reaslised it wasn't any good?

Buying new is a mug's game
in this field.

I'm not so sure. Of all the things I might buy 'cameras' are one of
the things I'd like ..

... to know the history of .. (has it been dropped or got wet or
repaired)

... the ability to return it if it fails ...

... the ability to get some 'support' on should I need ..

I find eBay (for example) getting more and more expensive, many things
often going for a similar price I (or 'one') might be able to get them
for brand new, or at least with sufficiently low differential not to
make it worth the risk (to me anyway).

Of course there are bargains to be had out there but if you don't have
a lot of disposable cash you have to up the odds in yer favour?

I bought a cable router from eBay and found it fails to respond
correctly to DHCP requests *sometimes* and am stuck with it. I bought
a new router from PCW that dropped the link every so often so took it
back for and got a full refund.

I could have afforded to have carried the cost on either but it was
nice to have the choice. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. I would (and have) bought loads of stuff off mates (after they
have upgraded etc) but I often get the 'try before you buy' option.