Ordering E1 from Cameta USA

[Michael68]

Hi,
I have checked with vpost who reverted that purchases made from ebay and paid via paypal can be sent to Singapore. I have sent an email confirming if seller does not wish to ship to Singapore, does it still make the transaction valid.
Just wondering if anyone has made purchases via vpost? Would fragile items such as cameras come in good condition? Thanks.

 

[drakon09]

Hi,
I have checked with vpost who reverted that purchases made from ebay and paid via paypal can be sent to Singapore. I have sent an email confirming if seller does not wish to ship to Singapore, does it still make the transaction valid.
Just wondering if anyone has made purchases via vpost? Would fragile items such as cameras come in good condition? Thanks.

In the case of Cameta, they will ship to the VPOST USA address, from there VPOST USA will ship to you (this would incur you 3rd party shipping charges of course).

This part is easy, the difficult one would be payment since in Cameta's case they don't accept credit cards issued from Singapore.

Not sure about the other ebay sellers though...

Side note: DO NOT buy anything from China through ebay, it's scam galore... :thumbsd:

 

[igpenguin]

i have made purchases once via vpost. essentially the packaging is what it is from the original shipper (the online vendor you bought the stuff from).

ie no more additional packaging from vpost. so if the original packing is not good to begin with, what more with an additional round of handling and freight?

that said, my experiences buying photographic supplies and one single camera from States-based vendors and ebayers have been positive. they use lots of foam peanuts, inflated "cushions", crushed newspapers etc

 

[igpenguin]

anyway Michael68, you have got me interested in ordering from Cameta as well, somehow!

https://www.vpost.com.sg/vConcierge05/vcon_index.htm
I think Vconcierge might be a way to go to order stuff from Cameta. At $10 + 2% of invoice for the service fee.

Not too sure about money orders made in US$ funds, if I read Citibank's website correctly it's $10 for the cashier's order - if that's for a USD$ CO - or min $30.
Link

 

[drakon09]

anyway Michael68, you have got me interested in ordering from Cameta as well, somehow!

https://www.vpost.com.sg/vConcierge05/vcon_index.htm
I think Vconcierge might be a way to go to order stuff from Cameta. At $10 + 2% of invoice for the service fee.

Not too sure about money orders made in US$ funds, if I read Citibank's website correctly it's $10 for the cashier's order - if that's for a USD$ CO - or min $30.
Link

The current exchange rate stands at SGD 1.63 to the USD

 

[major_tom]

I guess the only alternative is to use vCONCIERGE for purchases made from Cameta.

Else, you can try http://www.henrys.com/webapp/wcs/stores/henrys/index.jsp but a little for ex.

 

[Michael68]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Just called Oly Singapore and was informed as long as there is international warranty, they will honor it.

Payment on eBay is via paypal, so once payment is made, it should be received by the seller.

Hope to be able to make a smooth purchase.

And will need you all to recommend some lenses for the E1. I like to take pics in natural light as well as IR. Hope E1 will be a good choice.

 

[drakon09]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Just called Oly Singapore and was informed as long as there is international warranty, they will honor it.

Payment on eBay is via paypal, so once payment is made, it should be received by the seller.

Hope to be able to make a smooth purchase.

And will need you all to recommend some lenses for the E1. I like to take pics in natural light as well as IR. Hope E1 will be a good choice.

Good lenses huh :devil: , I suppose you're going to be in for one hell of a ride...

Assuming budget is not an issue...
11-22mm approx SGD 1,000
14-54mm approx SGD 750
50-200mm approx SGD 1,600

That'll cover you from (35mm equivalent) 22-400mm. All these lenses are as weatherproofed as the E-1 body.

 

[Michael68]

Wow! Brother! I have a wife and 2 kids to feed....so budget is tight......:cry:
Assuming I am not too particular abt quality, so generally 4R to 8R pics of the kids , would you recommend other lenses than the kit lens? Eg Tokina, Sigma, Tamron etc (Lenses I used to get in the good old days in the 80s for my Nikon..... ).

But I must admit the kit lens are pretty good! Saw some pics taken by the E300 at John 3:16 shop and must admit they are very sharp....likewise your pics as well!

 

[digitalbuff]

Wow! Brother! I have a wife and 2 kids to feed....so budget is tight......:cry:
Assuming I am not too particular abt quality, so generally 4R to 8R pics of the kids , would you recommend other lenses than the kit lens? Eg Tokina, Sigma, Tamron etc (Lenses I used to get in the good old days in the 80s for my Nikon..... ).

But I must admit the kit lens are pretty good! Saw some pics taken by the E300 at John 3:16 shop and must admit they are very sharp....likewise your pics as well!

Hi Michael, same as u, i have wife and 2 kids soon to feed. I use the 14-45mm kit and the 50mm macro ... here are some pics of my kid
http://www.pbase.com/myfourthirds/ning

If u get the 14-54mm lens, I think it will serve your primay needs of shooting kids without any other investment on lenses. When I bought my E1, it came with the 14-45 and not the 14-54 :cry:

 

[drakon09]

Wow! Brother! I have a wife and 2 kids to feed....so budget is tight......:cry:
Assuming I am not too particular abt quality, so generally 4R to 8R pics of the kids , would you recommend other lenses than the kit lens? Eg Tokina, Sigma, Tamron etc (Lenses I used to get in the good old days in the 80s for my Nikon..... ).

But I must admit the kit lens are pretty good! Saw some pics taken by the E300 at John 3:16 shop and must admit they are very sharp....likewise your pics as well!

I second digitalbuff, a one-lens solution would be the 14-54mm. If I'm not wrong, the E-1 body, SHLD-2 grip and the 14-54mm lens package is priced at USD 999.

But IMHO, it would be cheaper to get the E-1 body and SHLD-2 grip at USD 599 and later purchase the 14-54mm locally, especially 2nd hand.

8R you say? The 5.5MP from the E-1 prints A2 size very well, for A1 upwards slight pixellation may occur, but not enough to be noticed at normal viewing distance.

 

[Michael68]

Hi Drakon09,
Thanks for the tip and I am actually eyeing the US$ 599 package with the grip. How much does a brand new kit lens cost?

Digitalbuff, thanks for sharing the pics. Exactly what I was looking for....natual lighting captures the mood of kids at play....

Vpost has replied and cleared my request. But they caveat by saying we should not use their service for fragile items.....wonder if E1 can withstand the bumps.....

 

[drakon09]

A brand new 14-54mm would set you back SGD 750.

On the other hand, cookiez is selling her E-1 and 14-54 for SGD 1,600...
http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=216551

Quick fix, no need to wait, no worries about VPOST bumping your stuff around.

 

[Michael68]

Thanks, maybe will try my luck and get the US$ 599 as you have mentioned. Actually, is the lens for 14-45mm much different from the 14-54mm?
I guess for this fine camera, it would be a pity to pair it up with Sigma, Tamron, Tokina.....

 

[drakon09]

You'll gain speed for one (f3.5-5.6 vs f2.8-3.5), less barrel distortion in the 14-54mm and importantly, the 14-54mm is weatherproofed.

That being said, under bright conditions the 14-45mm does produce nice photos as well, I'll post some of my old pictures taken with the E-300/14-45mm when I get home from work.

Another option is to stick to the 14-45mm for now, and wait for new lenses to be announced at Photokina. It is rumoured that there's going to be a 14-100mm/f3.5-5.6 to be released. Nice zoom range; hopefully it would turn out better than the rumoured specs!

 

[Michael68]

Thanks, just wondering if you E300, at ISO 1600, is comparable to the E-1? My only wish for this was to have a flip up flash which is very handy for fill-ins. Thanks!

 

[drakon09]

Actually, I just did an ISO test of the E-1 against the E-300, check it out here:
http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=213045

 

[CIO]

My only wish for this was to have a flip up flash which is very handy for fill-ins. Thanks!

Then why don't you consider the E500. A dual lenses kit (cover ranges from 18mm to 150mm) is only selling at S$1600 new. The E500 has the flip up flash and it is 8m pixels. You don't have to wait and can shot immediately.

 

[laang]

I have purchased a Nikon battery grip from Cameta via ebay and ship via vpost.

Here is what I did.

1. Use your vpost address for shipping and credit card payment
2. call or email your credit card company and tell them you about your purchase and ask them to approve it.

Note:
I think it is better to use citibank credit card.
Not advisable to purchase battery or item that the word "battery" written as part of description as you may encounter some problems with vpost.

 

[Michael68]

Then why don't you consider the E500. A dual lenses kit (cover ranges from 18mm to 150mm) is only selling at S$1600 new. The E500 has the flip up flash and it is 8m pixels. You don't have to wait and can shot immediately.

Yes, agree. Must give the E500 a strong consideration too....