Hello everybody! Camera choice help please?

[pinholecam]

believe me, unless you are going to be a professional sports photographer, you don't need the top end models of canon or nikon.

anyways, for vibrance issue, i don't really see much of a difference between any brands. vibrant pictures are to do with light, technique, understanding; not the tool you use. you can look at my gallery, these are taken with pentax cameras, namely k100d and k20d, not top end. other than lomography gallery, of course.

http://www.pbase.com/night86mare

To TS, I think nightmare's pictures speak louder than words
K100D was Pentax's entry level model (3 models ago).

I find that all brands gives good colors/contrasts. Anyway, these can (and often are) tweaked during post processing. Pentax colors (right off the camera) is one of its strength, btw.

 

[Keenblade]

Heya, welcome to the club!

Usually there are a combination of factors that will cause a decision to be made:

Decision on budget: Cost of body, lens and accessories. Not just starter kit, but long run.
Future capabilities: Are you looking to expand your lens range and upgrade further?
Service and support: Sure that camera is cheap, but when you need to mail it overseas for servicing...
Community: Throw a stone and you'll hit a Canon or Nikon user. Nothing wrong with the rest, but lower chance of finding friendly "brothers in arms" =)
Long term goal: Your aspiration as a photographer? Landscapes/ Sports/ Macro/ PhotoJournalist and stuff. Entry packages give you a foot into the product line, like 1000D lets you use any L lens, so you can focus on non EF-S while you upgrade and eventually get a 5D etc. (Or nikon where any lens will fit any body I think.)

Mull over these choices and think about it. There are minor points like vibrancy and representation as well as bonus functions and whistles. Fujifilm produces amazing colors for landscapes by default, Sony alpha series has a whole lot of functions even in their entry range.

I personally chose Canon due to community and service/support. 1000D ain't much, but PostProcessing fixes most problems with my camera setting. Camera is just a tool, in the end you are the artist. This is one of my early shots, this is the same shot after a friend did some color tweaks.

Also... I used an Ixus 30 for 8 stalwart years... another reason I trust Canon.

Cheers =)

 

[android17]

Ok one plus point for canikon camps.

If u hv relatives who has canon or Nikon dslr and u r sure they don mind lending their lenses to u, u can consider buying their brands. However if u know they're not going to lend u, then any brand will do.

 

[sebianos]

To TS, I think nightmare's pictures speak louder than words
K100D was Pentax's entry level model (3 models ago).

I find that all brands gives good colors/contrasts. Anyway, these can (and often are) tweaked during post processing. Pentax colors (right off the camera) is one of its strength, btw.

I think Nightmare bro is a fantastic photographer lah... give him a disposable cam and he can come up with good shots. Having checked out the Pentax K-X, i'm seriously tempted to be a Pentaxian. White DSLR is so clean. Hahahaha

 

[lichtleiter]

Hello everyone! I am new here and i just want to say hello!

May i start off with a question?

I am about to buy a DSLR. I have been researching for about two months, and i narrowed down the ones that realistically suit my needs as well as level of expertise. I have a 1k budget, and i am choosing the Nikon D40, Nikon D3000, or the Canon 1000D.

Can you give me any person comments/opinions on the three? No need to include links to comparisons like dpreview, thank you, for i have seen and compared them =)

Feel free to draw my attention to other brands too! I am open to ideas.

Really appreciate your help!

As a side question, can we still buy new D40s in singapore?

For a 1K budget, i would suggest the Pentax K-x 18-55 kit

 

[tootboink]

thanks guys.. now i have learnt to look beyond the canon and nikon range. The value of the pentax is simply too good to be ignored. I think i have been turned over to the pentax side by you guys lol! esp. after i saw the pentax kx pics. the browns and whites are very alluring lol!

sigh.. D3000 or KX......

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

hahhaah glad to have "opened your eyes"
just go with your own judgment. I would say that you can't really go wrong with either choice.
Specs-wise there's definitely a difference, so you have to make a decision based on what you value most.

 

[tootboink]

specs-wise, the difference is great! i shall go to one of the shops to get a feel of the K-x. if i like it, i will get it already:bsmilie:

the only issue nagging at me now is how the K-x can cost so much lower than mid-range nikons, with it's relatively powerful specifications?

it's either a case of Nikon and Canon horribly overpricing, Pentax using cheaper materials?

(forgive me if my question offends you, Pentax users.. for i do not mean to. i am a fan of neither, being a newbie, and it's a logical question i would ask given the mouth-watering specs of the K-x at it's price)

 

[night86mare]

the only issue nagging at me now is how the K-x can cost so much lower than mid-range nikons, with it's relatively powerful specifications?

it's either a case of Nikon and Canon horribly overpricing, Pentax using cheaper materials?

(forgive me if my question offends you, Pentax users.. for i do not mean to. i am a fan of neither, being a newbie, and it's a logical question i would ask given the mouth-watering specs of the K-x at it's price)

a simple explanation, will be advertising.

how many advertisements do you see for nikon? i fly sq to london, i flip open the flight magazine, advertising's there. for the nikon d90. i flip open photography magazines, canon has a full page spread. pentax usually has one simple one page spread, and not in every magazine at that.

canon has buses running all over singapore. so does nikon.

once in a while, i see one pentax advertisement. i'm fine with that, it just means that they're spending the money wisely. one could also argue that it's because they don't have the money. but definitely, aggressive advertising is going to need money, and that money doesn't come from thin air, it is passed on to consumers, directly or indirectly.

i have used pentax cameras for 3 years now. my k20d is working as fine as ever, i have never had any malfunction on any of the 3 pentax dslrs i have laid my hands on - 1 k20d, 1 k100d i started off with, and a modified one that i purchased from china.

i don't think you need to worry about it being substandard or cheap. a tool is a tool is a tool. i think pentax has its disadvantages, and no pentax user in clubsnap at least, will fail to present to you an objective view and tell you "oh it's the best brand in the world", myself included.

so look beyond the value for money, there are problems as well, like

1) marginally weaker high iso noise control

2) cited low light af problems

3) cited moving thing af problems

4) limited user market in singapore dictates that you will have a limited second hand market to select from; even first hand will be hard to get certain lenses because shops do not find it lucrative to carry pentax

5) some occasional jokers will tell that "viewfinder very dim ar! i cannot see the numbers"; to be honest you can ignore these

but if you're looking for something that does the job, and you're on a limited tight budget and you don't actually mind being different and meeting people who tell you "huh? what brand is this?" then consider pentax as a brand.

as long as the company continues in its current direction, i will stick to it.

 

[sebianos]

it's either a case of Nikon and Canon horribly overpricing, Pentax using cheaper materials?

It's probably a mix of both, Nikon and Canon spends a lot on branding an advertising - just look around you. Everywhere you'll see Nikon or Canon ads, buses, mags, tv and these are costs that will be passed on to the consumers. Whereas, I hardly see any Pentax ads.

That plus the effective use of resource labor, materials from the Pentax camp could explain this price difference. This is beginning to sound like an economics post.

If not for the friendly Pentaxians in this forum, I'd never have taken a 2nd look at Pentax... My bad.

 

[night86mare]

for k-x, the most commonly cited reason to not adopt it is the lack of visible selection of focus point.

i.e. you will not get a red dot, i think.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/73985-k10d-k-x-why-not.html

here is a discussion in pentaxforums about it. other reasons cited there are lack of weatherproofing. this isn't really a problem if you are not used to it. it's just that most pentax users have been spoilt with weatherproofing on most cameras (i.e. k10d, k200d, k20d, k7). there is also complaint about only having one control wheel. that's really personal choice. i prefer one, actually. i still am trying to get used to the two control wheel in the k20d after one year.

 

[tootboink]

thanks nightmare for your long long explanation .. that makes a lot of sense. on top of that, you being a 3-year happy pentax user no doubt lends credibility to your words!

yes sebianos your case is the same as mine.. if not for the pentaxians here, i would almost certainly have went with the D3000! This shows how advertising really works on the unknowing masses.. like myself. :sweat:

nightmare what is the "lack of visible selection of focus point", and "weatherproofing" that you mentioned? can you explain it to me the difference, or is there somewhere you can point me to to read up on it?

 

[nysheng]

if u want to test out cameras but feel shy about going into those camera shops and try out the cameras but in the end don't buy, u can consider going to places like courts where they display the cameras for customers to try out. unfortunately it's probably only restricted to like nikon/canon

 

[daredevil123]

How I wish I am starting all over again.

But Nikon was the cheapest direction for me, with all those Nikkor lenses my dad owns. :embrass:

 

[tootboink]

if u want to test out cameras but feel shy about going into those camera shops and try out the cameras but in the end don't buy, u can consider going to places like courts where they display the cameras for customers to try out. unfortunately it's probably only restricted to like nikon/canon

actually, i might need to do that quite a few times. i want to try, and maybe take a few pictures with my own mem cards and bring back to see on my moniter. how are our shops' tolerance to such practices? for me to like go in, ask what is price package they can give me, test cameras, yet not come to a decision? is it okay for me to do that? is there a shop where i will be happily allowed to do so?

 

[pinholecam]

actually, i might need to do that quite a few times. i want to try, and maybe take a few pictures with my own mem cards and bring back to see on my moniter. how are our shops' tolerance to such practices? for me to like go in, ask what is price package they can give me, test cameras, yet not come to a decision? is it okay for me to do that? is there a shop where i will be happily allowed to do so?

You can try
MS Color at AMK
OP at Sim Lim Square

 

[night86mare]

nightmare what is the "lack of visible selection of focus point", and "weatherproofing" that you mentioned? can you explain it to me the difference, or is there somewhere you can point me to to read up on it?

now, please note that this is based on what i read, not real life experience. it is better if you ask the k-x users if this is true.

in most modern dslr camera, when you look into the viewfinder, you can see a red dot when selecting af point, or letting camera select it for you. this is absent in the k-x apparently.

weatherproofing is simply, extra seals all over the camera to render it RESISTANT to rain, dust, sand, etc. to be honest, it's not that important, but it's a good to have.

 

[nysheng]

actually, i might need to do that quite a few times. i want to try, and maybe take a few pictures with my own mem cards and bring back to see on my moniter. how are our shops' tolerance to such practices? for me to like go in, ask what is price package they can give me, test cameras, yet not come to a decision? is it okay for me to do that? is there a shop where i will be happily allowed to do so?

from what i hear...the new shop at funan probably would. it's opp john. SLR revolution.. there's a thread on it somewhere hear i think... under 'shop opp john 316' or sth like that

 

[tootboink]

thanks nightmare for answering all of my many questions

is the upcoming IT fair a good place to buy cameras, from you guys' experience? or typically, buying it from a reputable shop is better?

i am just curious to know because i am itching to get down to the shopts the very moment my exams end 3 weeks from now :bsmilie:

 

[pinholecam]

thanks nightmare for answering all of my many questions

is the upcoming IT fair a good place to buy cameras, from you guys' experience? or typically, buying it from a reputable shop is better?

i am just curious to know because i am itching to get down to the shopts the very moment my exams end 3 weeks from now :bsmilie:

Usually IT Fair is not a good place to buy, they are usually recommended retail prices (RRP). They give away mostly useless freebies. If you are starting out fresh w/o anything, maybe the freebies can be useful (eg. memory card, screen protector, bag). I'd rather try to get a discount from a good camera shop or get some freebie like screen prot, cheapo filter and decide on the type of bag/tripod/etc myself.