What Kind of Camera Do You Have?

I periodically have people ask me what type of camera I have. And I’m never sure how to answer.

Do I go for matter-of-fact? I have a Rebel T1i. But that’s meaningless to people who aren’t camera buffs. (And Canon enthusiasts at that.)

So today, my conversation with the cashier with the Apple Store went something like this:

“You said you like iPhoto? What type of camera do you have?”
“Well, it’s for my mom… I just got her a nice point-and-shoot camera. I use iPhoto with my digital SLR.”
“What brand SLR?”
“I’ve got a Canon.”
“Oh, me too. What kind?”
“The T1i.”

One on hand, it seems terribly roundabout if you compare it to, say, cars:
“What kind of car do you have?”
“I drive an SUV.”
“Oh, cool, what brand SUV?”
“It’s a Toyota.”
“Which model Toyota?”
“It’s a Highlander.”

On the other hand, if you think of it as more of a computer, I couldn’t care less what exact model you have. Even people who follow computers will probably have no idea what your HP Pavilion H123P is like. Is it a 12-year-old laptop or a brand-new 16-core server?

I really can’t answer this question unless I already know what type of camera you have. If you’re holding a Canon SLR, I’ll get specific. If you’re not, I assume you don’t care about exact models, and I’m going to be really vague. But half the time, people were actually interested in specifics, in which case, the conversation is irritatingly roundabout. I can’t get over how often I find myself in this situation, though. Maybe I should just play dumb. “I’m not really sure. It’s black.”

3 thoughts on “What Kind of Camera Do You Have?

  1. I got a Panasonic DMC-GF1 for Christmas. Came with a really nifty kit lens; 20mm F1.7 pancake. 🙂

    Its first real test will be taking pictures for my FitBit review!

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