Frustrated by how difficult it is to take even passable handheld indoor pictures with the kit lens that comes with the Canon Rebel XTi (an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6), tonight, on my way out from work, I decided to get Canon's 50mm f/1.8 EF lens. I didn't exactly splurge, at 120$ CAD, nevertheless I'm extremely impressed so far.
This captures a heckuva lot more light than the kit lens; I don't know why they don't package something like this with the camera, and sell you a cheap zoom lens later on if you need it...
What really gets my blood boiling though is the mysterious "Canadian Tax": the premium we pay for seemingly every imported product (even counting prices before any sales tax has been applied). It's all the more frustrating because no satisfying explanations have been offered: every time a retailer attempts to put forward a justification, it does so in condescending corporate-speak or advances arguments that are rapidly demolished by others in the know.
A few examples, starting with the very lens I bought tonight after shopping online and complaining about the local prices:
| Here in snowy Ontario | United States | |
| EF 50mm f/1.8 lens | 120 CAD at Henry's | 74.09 USD at Amazon.com (73.79 CAD) |
| 13" Macbook | 1249 CAD | 1099 USD (1094.60 CAD) |
| The excellent Code Complete book by Steve McConnell | 34.64 CAD at Amazon.ca | 29.99 USD at Amazon.com (29.87 CAD) |
Although, to be fair...
| Doctor's visit | 0 | Ha ha ha haa haa |
1 comment:
Well said.
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