DX camera recommendation

[renol]

Go for the kit lens first, unless you know what you already want. Plus don't looked down on the kit lenses, they are great and value for money. Get the kit lens, play with it for a while, know what you want, sell off the kit lens and upgrade lens.

As long as your knowledge is limited you wouldn't know what is better for you. Better specs on paper do not automatically equal to any substantial advantage for you.
Get the kit lens. Learn from there.

1. What is the difference between Sirui N series and Sirui S-N series apart from N series is able to reach extremely low positions? Which series is more convenient for travel?

2. Is there any difference using ball or tilt head when shooting portrait or landscape?

Thanks.

 

[SkyStrike]

1. What is the difference between Sirui N series and Sirui S-N series apart from N series is able to reach extremely low positions? Which series is more convenient for travel?

2. Is there any difference using ball or tilt head when shooting portrait or landscape?

Thanks.

1) If I'm not mistaken, S-N series is easier to pack in the check in luggage as it can be "flattened" to a block of rectangle while the normal ones will collapse to a "triangular" state.

2) To my understanding, tilt head is more for monopods? and it only goes 2 direction (tilt up or down) while a ballhead is variable angle, left, right up down, combination etc.

 

[Octarine]

2. Is there any difference using ball or tilt head when shooting portrait or landscape?

Well, the landscape itself won't mind either one of them...
The main difference comes from the way how these heads work:
A ball head is flexible to all directions. The camera can be moved across all three axis at the same time.
A pan head allows movements only in one direction once the respective screw is loosened.
Personally I prefer a pan head: I can adjust one axis while the other ones are kept fixed. But it may take more time to achieve final settings since you need to loosen / tighten different screws. A ball head is faster here, but once it is loose the camera can move in all directions. Since landscapes are usually not fast moving objects I have the time to mess around with the screws on my pan head. But that's me.

 

[Jliow]

Thanks for the recommendations but I doubt I will get those lenses first till I have deeper pocket. Thanks all for your advices. If I am going for D7100 Kit with AF-S 18-105mm VR DX Lens, the lens is sufficient for a start? I am right that only Nikkon lenses are covered with international warranty but not the Body?

As your progress in photography skills you will realize the 18-105 kit lens is grossly inadequate

I got my 50 F1.8D to supplement my initial learning with primes and fast lens. It's was a pleasure to use and image quality far superior. I got it new for less than $180

The thing is that u need to feel what you will need. Totally understandable its a blur initially, just get something decent and affordable go out and shoot. In time to come u will be able to define or redefine what u really wanted

 

[Octarine]

As your progress in photography skills you will realize the 18-105 kit lens is grossly inadequate

Inadequate for what? Without reference, such statements are just sweeping ones ...

 

[Jliow]

Inadequate for what? Without reference, such statements are just sweeping ones ...

I guess it's good to clarify by asking politely for reference but the way it was put across its something I prefer not to further engage in.

Hah talking about inadequacy...hummm...

 

[lewissac]

Sometimes it's good to bang on the wall rather than getting on a perfect start. You don't learn anything if you keep asking for details hoping you would have a comprehensive gear for a start.

Learn the hard way, bang those walls and you will appreciate those experience you encountered.

Cheers!

 

[rhino123]

Different people have different type of progress. Taking myself as an example. When I started out my photography journey, I was equipped with a 1000D and kit lens (18-55mm). Did have lots of fun. Then I got myself a 55-250mm to shoot faraway objects... however I came to know the 50mm f1.8 and got it because it is cheap and everyone was telling me that I needed it - I couldn't be more wrong. The lens although fast and having great image quality (I wouldn't say that it is far superior as compared to my kit lens though) was lying useless in my dry cabinet and finally, I sold it off at quite a significant loss.

So my point is... to some... the kit lens is going to be inadequate as skills advance further... to others, it is still a valuable asset to their photography needs. It all depend on the person, really.

And that is why, we have advise TS to get the kit lens first because it covered most of the most useful focal length for most people. He/ she can played with all these focal lengths and it is cheaper to get.

Finally, only by playing with all these, that he/she actually know what they wanted. For example, shootintg awhile with the 18-105mm, TS realise that he wanted to shoot macro, he can then jump into getting a macro lens. If he realise that 18mm is not wide enough for his landscape shots, so he can jump into getting a wider lens (say... Tokina 11-16mm). Or if he realise that he need faster lenses or only shoot at certain focal length, then TS can get the prime lenses of that focal length easily.

It is pretty irresponsible for any of us now (without knowing what TS is really geared for) to recommend specific lenses for him, he might end up buying all the stuff, spending all those money for something that will lie in his dry cabinet unused.

And it can be a sweeping statement to state that the kit lens is grossly inadequate because to many photographers (some of them are pretty good photographers) are actually still using their kit lens even after their skills have advanced beyond what they used to have when they started off.

 

[catchlights]

Just Keep it Simple.

you need a camera to shoot photos.

to take good photos, be a better photographer is far more important and having good camera gears.

so just get a camera and start learning, when you grow in photography, you gears will grow along with you.

 

[renol]

1) If I'm not mistaken, S-N series is easier to pack in the check in luggage as it can be "flattened" to a block of rectangle while the normal ones will collapse to a "triangular" state.

2) To my understanding, tilt head is more for monopods? and it only goes 2 direction (tilt up or down) while a ballhead is variable angle, left, right up down, combination etc.

Well, the landscape itself won't mind either one of them...
The main difference comes from the way how these heads work:
A ball head is flexible to all directions. The camera can be moved across all three axis at the same time.
A pan head allows movements only in one direction once the respective screw is loosened.
Personally I prefer a pan head: I can adjust one axis while the other ones are kept fixed. But it may take more time to achieve final settings since you need to loosen / tighten different screws. A ball head is faster here, but once it is loose the camera can move in all directions. Since landscapes are usually not fast moving objects I have the time to mess around with the screws on my pan head. But that's me.

Thanks for the information on the ball and tilt/pan heads.

 

[renol]

Inadequate for what? Without reference, such statements are just sweeping ones ...

I guess it's good to clarify by asking politely for reference but the way it was put across its something I prefer not to further engage in.

Hah talking about inadequacy...hummm...

Sometimes it's good to bang on the wall rather than getting on a perfect start. You don't learn anything if you keep asking for details hoping you would have a comprehensive gear for a start.

Learn the hard way, bang those walls and you will appreciate those experience you encountered.

Cheers!

Different people have different type of progress. Taking myself as an example. When I started out my photography journey, I was equipped with a 1000D and kit lens (18-55mm). Did have lots of fun. Then I got myself a 55-250mm to shoot faraway objects... however I came to know the 50mm f1.8 and got it because it is cheap and everyone was telling me that I needed it - I couldn't be more wrong. The lens although fast and having great image quality (I wouldn't say that it is far superior as compared to my kit lens though) was lying useless in my dry cabinet and finally, I sold it off at quite a significant loss.

So my point is... to some... the kit lens is going to be inadequate as skills advance further... to others, it is still a valuable asset to their photography needs. It all depend on the person, really.

And that is why, we have advise TS to get the kit lens first because it covered most of the most useful focal length for most people. He/ she can played with all these focal lengths and it is cheaper to get.

Finally, only by playing with all these, that he/she actually know what they wanted. For example, shootintg awhile with the 18-105mm, TS realise that he wanted to shoot macro, he can then jump into getting a macro lens. If he realise that 18mm is not wide enough for his landscape shots, so he can jump into getting a wider lens (say... Tokina 11-16mm). Or if he realise that he need faster lenses or only shoot at certain focal length, then TS can get the prime lenses of that focal length easily.

It is pretty irresponsible for any of us now (without knowing what TS is really geared for) to recommend specific lenses for him, he might end up buying all the stuff, spending all those money for something that will lie in his dry cabinet unused.

And it can be a sweeping statement to state that the kit lens is grossly inadequate because to many photographers (some of them are pretty good photographers) are actually still using their kit lens even after their skills have advanced beyond what they used to have when they started off.

Just Keep it Simple.

you need a camera to shoot photos.

to take good photos, be a better photographer is far more important and having good camera gears.

so just get a camera and start learning, when you grow in photography, you gears will grow along with you.

Thanks all for the valuable advice.

I will start off with the kit lens before I go for any prime lenses as I progress.

 

[Nikonzen]

I started off with a D5000 and a set of old manual focus lenses (a couple from HK BTW). With this rig I forced myself to learn the fundamentals and manual focus. This is a difficult path but if one can persevere then one becomes a much more competent photographer IMO. It took me about three years or so to get to where I thought I was fairly competent with a camera.

 

[renol]

Correct me if I am wrong on the following equipment for a start:

1. Nikon DSLR Cammera with kit lens
2. OP/TECH or BlackRapid Neck strap
3. Tripod with a ball/tilt head
4. Dry cabinet

 

[SilentSeth]

Correct me if I am wrong on the following equipment for a start:

1. Nikon DSLR Cammera with kit lens
2. OP/TECH or BlackRapid Neck strap
3. Tripod with a ball/tilt head
4. Dry cabinet

In short, yes

 

[rhino123]

Correct me if I am wrong on the following equipment for a start:

1. Nikon DSLR Cammera with kit lens
2. OP/TECH or BlackRapid Neck strap
3. Tripod with a ball/tilt head
4. Dry cabinet

1. Nikon DSLR Cammera with kit lens Yes
2. OP/TECH or BlackRapid Neck strap Depend on oneself. I would just use the given neck strap by Nikon, but whatever floats your boat.
3. Tripod with a ball/tilt head To be more accurate, tilt head are normally for monopod. Just get a ballhead and be done with it. I would also recommend a panhead if you take lots of landscape - but that is me.
4. Dry cabinet Good. This is a must in humid country like Singapore.

Basically you have it there. This combination should give you quite a long time of fun with photography. Oh... do looked into getting a wired or wireless remote control. Some of them don't go past twenty dollars (the very basic one which you can get and if your camera supported it, goes as low as a couple of dollars from ebay.) they are very useful for long exposure shots.

 

[kyo86sg]

I believe if you were to start off with the right DX body and right DX lens, you wouldn't go wrong. Recommended is D7100/D300S otherwise the D7000/D300, lens will be strictly the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 (non VC or VC will be your call) unless you got funds for the Nikon 17-55 f2.8.

Use 1 lens until you mastered it, then move on... don't so fast built your "holy trinity" so soon. =)

 

[renol]

1. Nikon DSLR Cammera with kit lens Yes
2. OP/TECH or BlackRapid Neck strap Depend on oneself. I would just use the given neck strap by Nikon, but whatever floats your boat.
3. Tripod with a ball/tilt head To be more accurate, tilt head are normally for monopod. Just get a ballhead and be done with it. I would also recommend a panhead if you take lots of landscape - but that is me.
4. Dry cabinet Good. This is a must in humid country like Singapore.

Basically you have it there. This combination should give you quite a long time of fun with photography. Oh... do looked into getting a wired or wireless remote control. Some of them don't go past twenty dollars (the very basic one which you can get and if your camera supported it, goes as low as a couple of dollars from ebay.) they are very useful for long exposure shots.

Sorry if I mistaken tilt head as panhead as I could not find panhead under Sirui.

Am I right that I should go for either Sirui S-N series or T-X series if my first priority is ease of travel for tripod?

What is the difference between Sirui G Series and KX Series ball head?

Thanks.

Updated list:
1. Nikon D7100 Kit with AF-S 18-105mm VR DX Lens
2. Matin Neoprene Joint Strap
3. Sirui tripod with a ball head
4. Digi-Cabi 50L or Apio 38L dry cabinet

A side question, how is four-thirds or mirrorless camera in terms of fast capturing speed?

 

[rhino123]

Sorry if I mistaken tilt head as panhead as I could not find panhead under Sirui.

Am I right that I should go for either Sirui S-N series or T-X series if my first priority is ease of travel for tripod?

What is the difference between Sirui G Series and KX Series ball head?

Thanks.

Updated list:
1. Nikon D7100 Kit with AF-S 18-105mm VR DX Lens
2. Matin Neoprene Joint Strap
3. Sirui tripod with a ball head
4. Digi-Cabi 50L or Apio 38L dry cabinet

A side question, how is four-thirds or mirrorless camera in terms of fast capturing speed?

If you have done your research on DSLR, I would suggest that you forget about micro four-thirds and other formats, it will only further confuse you.

As for the difference in the ballhead, read this,

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=876337

As for the difference in the tripod departments, it would depend on what you want... really. The S-N tripod's main benefit is that it 'flatten' out and you can pack it easier into your luggage. I have a R-series tripod and have no issue bringing it overseas.

One of the biggest thing you need to check for a travel tripod though is weigh. So if you want to travel light, consider carbon fibre tripod, if not go for a metallic one.

 

[renol]

If you have done your research on DSLR, I would suggest that you forget about micro four-thirds and other formats, it will only further confuse you.

As for the difference in the ballhead, read this,

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=876337

As for the difference in the tripod departments, it would depend on what you want... really. The S-N tripod's main benefit is that it 'flatten' out and you can pack it easier into your luggage. I have a R-series tripod and have no issue bringing it overseas.

One of the biggest thing you need to check for a travel tripod though is weigh. So if you want to travel light, consider carbon fibre tripod, if not go for a metallic one.

Thanks for the informative thread.

I am consider the carbon fibre tripod with 4 sections.

My question was whether micro four-thirds is able to match up with DSLR in terms of capturing speed.

 

[renol]

I read that the current fastest continuous speed for mirrorless is Fujifilm X-T1 but still unable to compare with DSLR.

If my camera usage is 90% scenery + low light shooting and 10% on sports, will a m4/3 still capable of doing the job?

Thanks.