What makes someone buy a camera like the Nikon D70? And what drove me to I buy it? In this paper/project, I examined many of the qualities possessed by the D70 in order to find some possible answers to these questions. I considered its color for example, and argued that black is often associated with technology, quality, luxury, and masculinity. The shape, size, weight, materials used, come together to paint a picture of the typical buyer of such a product: one who is more likely male than not ; one who is interested in quality; one who is interested in technology; one who considers himself a serious photographer; and most importantly, one who wants others to see him as such. But it is also someone who accepts the fact that thanks to rapid developments in digital technology, such a product—unlike its film predecessors—will quickly become obsolete. Digital technology has also made cameras far more complicated than they once were, which requires the operator to know more, and simultaneously increases the chance that something on the camera might fail and need costly repair. Such a purchase therefore can not be made without a tinge of regret—should I have waited? Do I really need a digital camera? How long will it actually last?
