CANON G1X IS A RIPOFF (no printed manual)

[alund]

The new Canon G1X is a ripoff! If a camera is complicated enough to need a 250 page manual, it deserves
to have a manual included, or at the very least as an accessory. When I complained to Canon, I got the following reply:

"Unfortunately hard copy manuals are no longer being produced. Canon is committed to the world community and the belief that we are building a better world for future generations. In an effort to be a more green company, and better protect our enviornment, Canon no longer offers the small printed manuals with our Power Shot cameras. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."

You can also save the PDF files to your computer to view. You may also consider saving the file to a CD or thumb drive to have printed at your local print shop.

This policy is nuts. It's not green for them to print one, but they tell me to take the CD down to the local print shop and print one. The only thing "green" about printing it myself is the dollars that the printing will cost. What kind of marketing is this-- $800 for a compact camera and you can't even buy a manual.

[mpix345]

This rant is seriously played out. Find something real to whine about.

[j-dogg]

Most people who purchase the G1x already know how to use a camera and don't need a print manual in 27 different languages.

[Hivoltage]

Get used to it Dude.....don't be a crybaby. Canon is doing the right thing. Download the manual and read it on your computer!

[icopus]

Have you been living under a rock? We've not had a hard copy manual included with much of our electronic purchases for the past several years. The green thing is an obvious excuse. They're saving, oh.... $0.50 per unit without the manual.

But while we're ranting here - Do we still need manuals included with coffee pots??

[Hivoltage]

Originally Posted by icopus

Have you been living under a rock? We've not had a hard copy manual included with much of our electronic purchases for the past several years. The green thing is an obvious excuse. They're saving, oh.... $0.50 per unit without the manual.

But while we're ranting here - Do we still need manuals included with coffee pots??

How else will we know where to pour the water in?

[monk3y]

hahahahaa

[gjl711]

Though many of the responses are harsh, I have to agree. There is no need in this day and age to supply a printed manual with each and every camera. A website where the manual can be downloaded is sufficient.

[Anke]

You have to admit though it was always nice to get new gear and then sit down with a cup of tea and flip through the manual

Unless it was for the kettle to make the tea in which case you'd have to read the manual first.

[coldcuts113]

Originally Posted by Anke

You have to admit though it was always nice to get new gear and then sit down with a cup of tea and flip through the manual

Unless it was for the kettle to make the tea in which case you'd have to read the manual first.

Lmao!

[donbga]

Originally Posted by Anke

You have to admit though it was always nice to get new gear and then sit down with a cup of tea and flip through the manual

Unless it was for the kettle to make the tea in which case you'd have to read the manual first.

That's what e-Readers and tablets are for.

For pedestrian reading manuals it makes perfect sense and cents.

For coffee table books - not so much.

[pwdieter]

ripoff....hahahahahaha. news flash, words have meanings and pdf manual ≠ ripoff

are we going to have these threads every time a new model comes out? Next will be the thread that there's no place to put your thumb.

[I weston I]

There are about 5 easy reasons they wouldn't include a manual of that size with a compact camera.


a 250 page manual would cost roughly $10 to print, not a sizeable amount in itself, but if you sell 100,000+ units, it adds up.

Shipping costs with an added weight of a long novel will increase the cost to ship from $3-5 to upwards of $6

The G1X box will likely not hold 250 pages, so they would need to redesign the packaging to be more wasteful and large - leading to higher packaging costs and shipping costs, I'd estimate about $2/camera

From a pure cost standpoint, it adds up to the area of $15/camera. Let's say canon sells 200,000 units, that's $3,000,000 savings. They would not be very good at logistics and supply chain management if they wasted that much on each new camera.

Then there's the fact that the manual is posted online in searchable PDF format, much preferable to paper documentation.

Then there's the fact that not everyone will use the manual at all, and you have all the reasoning you would need to not include the dang thing. From a 'green' standpoint, it is more green to have you print one if you want to than the print one for everyone who buys the camera.

One pointless rant deserves another I guess, but I have been working with our logistics department lately to do similar things with reducing packaging and locate more documentation online, so this is right up my alley.

[Higgs Boson]

so as the title implies, the whole G1X camera is a ripoff because the manual is online and not in the box?

I don't think your issue is with the camera at all.....seems it is with canons desire to be efficient and responsible. and that, my friend, is weird.

[vipergts831]

I needed a laugh