Questions: DSLR newbie

[raptor84]

Like what was said before try to tihnk about what you wish to shoot first. I'd stick with the kit lens until you are sure you know what you like to shoot then zoom in on the lenses that you think you might need rather than buying first and regreting later.

You must budget initally for a dry cabient(buy as large as you THINK you wil need) and some cleaning equipment(blower, lens solution micro fibre cloth, lens tissue...) Extra memory cards are optional but photo editing software would bea big plus. If you are ona toght budget you can either try GIMP a free photoshop like software or go for Adobe photoshop elements first.

Only after you feel that an external flash is useful do you actualyl buy one. I only got mine after 4 months to help me with my low-light and indoor portraits. And yes you have to budget for rechargables and a charger.

 

[glay78]

Question Time again:

Ok.. after careful consideration...
i think i will go for D70 or D70s cuz technically both not much different...

i was thinking

Should i get a brand new D70s Kit? or

Get a second hand D70s body or kit or D70 body or kit....
and if i get a second hand.

U calculate and see if its worth or not. D70 or D70s body in B&S ranges from $800-$1000
D70 or D70s kit ranges from $1000-$1300
Most of them are out of warranty

Pay $1600-$1788 Depends on where u buy...u get 1 year warranty..if Harvey Norman $1788 ask for extended warranty..they will give you free total of 3years warranty.

Up to you to go for...I choose a new set bcos difference about $400-$500

which book that u guys recommend that i should look into .. at the moment
any good magazine?

I recommend Pratical Photography. Good magazine from England with tips and reviews of lens. :thumbsup:

questions like...
where do i learn which flash to buy for example..
how i know what lens to buy..
what lens is for what purpose.. yada yada

Read up from net or books from library.. they are easily available. Clubsnap also have posting from lots of people and experts. I learnt alot thru here too...and still learning

 

[nicekit]

Like what was said before try to tihnk about what you wish to shoot first. I'd stick with the kit lens until you are sure you know what you like to shoot then zoom in on the lenses that you think you might need rather than buying first and regreting later.

You must budget initally for a dry cabient(buy as large as you THINK you wil need) and some cleaning equipment(blower, lens solution micro fibre cloth, lens tissue...) Extra memory cards are optional but photo editing software would bea big plus. If you are ona toght budget you can either try GIMP a free photoshop like software or go for Adobe photoshop elements first.

Only after you feel that an external flash is useful do you actualyl buy one. I only got mine after 4 months to help me with my low-light and indoor portraits. And yes you have to budget for rechargables and a charger.

what i wish to shoot... hmmm

1. vacation picture
2. random picture of daily life
3. human portraits...

i guess i dun need zoom lens but external flash is necessary.

about books and magazine that will teach me basic of photography with DSLR
any recommendation?

 

[nicekit]

U calculate and see if its worth or not. D70 or D70s body in B&S ranges from $800-$1000
D70 or D70s kit ranges from $1000-$1300
Most of them are out of warranty
Pay $1600-$1788 Depends on where u buy...u get 1 year warranty..if Harvey Norman $1788 ask for extended warranty..they will give you free total of 3years warranty.
Up to you to go for...I choose a new set bcos difference about $400-$500

DSLR as i know.. needs servicing every now and then
is the servicing free of charge when it is out of warranty?
is it just a professional cleaning ? or they do more than that

I recommend Pratical Photography. Good magazine from England with tips and reviews of lens. :thumbsup:

where can i get it? sim lim square mag stand?
perhaps borders?

Read up from net or books from library.. they are easily available. Clubsnap also have posting from lots of people and experts. I learnt alot thru here too...and still learning

any name of the books that come into mind?

 

[user111]

with budget of 1.4K can buy?

Thanks for any opinion

for 1.4k or less u have to consider all used items
for example canon 300d+efs 18-55mm : $900
add in ef 70-300mm/f4-5.6: $250

total : $900+250=1150.

 

[glay78]

DSLR as i know.. needs servicing every now and then
is the servicing free of charge when it is out of warranty?
is it just a professional cleaning ? or they do more than that

If out of warranty u need to pay to clean the sensor.

where can i get it? sim lim square mag stand?
perhaps borders?

Do a search on magazine and read on...there are posting of it b4. The only place I know is the magazine corner inside a supermarket at basement of Jurong Point

any name of the books that come into mind?

National Geographic Photography Field Guide is one of them. No harm reading others..I normally go library to browse them then borrow those I find useful.

 

[dr34mc4st3r]

as some of the forumers here have feedbacked, remember to get a dry cabinet or at very least (like me) get a dry box with silica gel or some other equivalent alternative. you dun wan to let fungus grow on your camera !

 

[zcwnfx]

dont bother with dry box with silica gel.... very soon you will want to get a dry cabinet instead.

as for servicing.... wat i can think of is maybe when ur sensor gets giant dust specks that cannot be blown away with a blower, or when ur shutter goes KO after maybe.... 20K counts?

so.....

for me, i am on a D70s system. I spent about 2K now i think. besides the body, i got the kit lens, a 70-300mm G, a 28-200mm ED, a SB600, a dry cabinet, 1 bag, and a few filters. also blower, micro cloth and 1 2GB CF card....

i think its quite sufficient. right? haa haa.... oh yeah, i share a 55mm micro with my fren...

so effectively, me and my fren can shoot from micro to tele.... haa haa... thats the advantage of having a good fren that is in the same system.

but anyway, about knowing how to know whether the cam is ok.... hmmm.... get someone who know? or check things like the menu, the dials, DOP button, shutter, etc etc etc... remember to have a lens to go try also. if u haven have one, ask for 1 to be brought along.

 

[nicekit]

for 1.4k or less u have to consider all used items
for example canon 300d+efs 18-55mm : $900
add in ef 70-300mm/f4-5.6: $250

total : $900+250=1150.

but the review of the Rebel VS the D50 and the D70s..
i think i prefer nikon leh :O

tell me if i am wrong..
not meant to start a flamewar hor..

 

[nicekit]

as some of the forumers here have feedbacked, remember to get a dry cabinet or at very least (like me) get a dry box with silica gel or some other equivalent alternative. you dun wan to let fungus grow on your camera !

Question time:

how much is a dry cabinet? *for 1 DSLR and maybe 2 lens in the future *

i heard u can DIY ur own cabinet by buying plastic box from carrefour and buy silica gel
how does this compare to the dry cabinet?
how often do u need to change ur gel?

and the last thing is
why DSLR can grow fungus?!?! :O
normal camera don't?? :O

 

[ExplorerZ]

what i wish to shoot... hmmm

1. vacation picture
2. random picture of daily life
3. human portraits...

i guess i dun need zoom lens but external flash is necessary.

about books and magazine that will teach me basic of photography with DSLR
any recommendation?

d50 kit at 1.1k + sb600 at $350 should do it ;p
best of all the price is new, for 2hand set it will be cheaper by 200-300

 

[nicekit]

dont bother with dry box with silica gel.... very soon you will want to get a dry cabinet instead.

as for servicing.... wat i can think of is maybe when ur sensor gets giant dust specks that cannot be blown away with a blower, or when ur shutter goes KO after maybe.... 20K counts?

like that ah.... k will take note not to buy dry box with silica gel

so.....

for me, i am on a D70s system. I spent about 2K now i think. besides the body, i got the kit lens, a 70-300mm G, a 28-200mm ED, a SB600, a dry cabinet, 1 bag, and a few filters. also blower, micro cloth and 1 2GB CF card....

i think its quite sufficient. right? haa haa.... oh yeah, i share a 55mm micro with my fren...

about ur lens hor
how do u know what lens is what lens
like what the different between G ED yada yada
where do i learn about this..
what's the different? except the mm?

so effectively, me and my fren can shoot from micro to tele.... haa haa... thats the advantage of having a good fren that is in the same system.

i see so far no fren to share with yet.. most are canon user ;o

but anyway, about knowing how to know whether the cam is ok.... hmmm.... get someone who know? or check things like the menu, the dials, DOP button, shutter, etc etc etc... remember to have a lens to go try also. if u haven have one, ask for 1 to be brought along.

the problem is..
i dunno how to check ahahhahahahahaha

 

[glay78]

but the review of the Rebel VS the D50 and the D70s..
i think i prefer nikon leh :O

tell me if i am wrong..
not meant to start a flamewar hor..

I was also dilema like you before...I wanted an entry level DSLR but not really will go for the cheapest. From what I've done researching....like 2-3days of reading from net. D50 < 350D < D70s. So finally I calculated and get the D70s. However you can see Canon and Nikon has got more market..means better resale and more accessories. You can also get more resale items of Canon and Nikon from B&S here.

 

[ExplorerZ]

Question time:

how much is a dry cabinet? *for 1 DSLR and maybe 2 lens in the future *

i heard u can DIY ur own cabinet by buying plastic box from carrefour and buy silica gel
how does this compare to the dry cabinet?
how often do u need to change ur gel?

and the last thing is
why DSLR can grow fungus?!?! :O
normal camera don't?? :O

dslr not that much... mainly its thr lens that grow fungus.
for normal camera, it does grow fungus in lens as well, just that most normal camera price ain't that worth it to buy a drycab to keep it.

real dry cabinet is recommanded as you don have to keep changing silica gel. normally after 2-3 opening, the silica gel need to be replaced and its very troublesome, in the ong run dry cab is more worthwhile

 

[zcwnfx]

like that ah.... k will take note not to buy dry box with silica gel
yup yup, dont bother with it... anyway, a digicab of 30L is now $89 at carrefour! $10 cheaper then the time i bought it!!! it can put 3 shelves so for me i can fit : 2 bodies on upper shelf, my flash, filters, batts on the middle, and about 5-6 lens depending on size for the lower. so i think 30L is a good size. next time expand, jus get another 30L lor


about ur lens hor
how do u know what lens is what lens
like what the different between G ED yada yada
where do i learn about this..
what's the different? except the mm?
maybe u can try : http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm
surf the other parts of the site. I learnt alot from this site also. things like G, ED are different make of the lens. The site I gave you will have reviews for most of the lens, if not all. Very soon you will know the diff btw G, ED, VR etc etc etc


i see so far no fren to share with yet.. most are canon user ;o
haa haa, nvm lah. I also share a few with frens only. he bought more stuff, so its like i using his more! start with a kit and a tele would let u shoot anything. if u are into indoor more, than maybe a flash as well. then can liao. no need to BBB... you can never have enuff lens!


the problem is..
i dunno how to check ahahhahahahahaha
erhm.... hard to explain here... haa haa... things like is the shutter working, wats the count, are the buttons dropping out, the buttons working or not... have warranty or not, etc etc etc..... maybe u can pm me, we can discuss more?


have fun getting a camera!

 

[user111]

but the review of the Rebel VS the D50 and the D70s..
i think i prefer nikon leh :O

tell me if i am wrong..
not meant to start a flamewar hor..

nono its just an example of how much u have to pay for a used camera and two entry level lens.

 

[grimicer]

bbb virus = buy buy buy !

you can get the canon eos 350d off oracle (check mass order) for abt 1350. it's a decent buy !

 

[eow]

but the review of the Rebel VS the D50 and the D70s..
i think i prefer nikon leh :O

tell me if i am wrong..
not meant to start a flamewar hor..

dun worry we're a friendly bunch here
judging the trends at how people change /switch and the past experiences of my friends ....choose the one which u like best...
lenses wise...practically most brands got the same coverage...hence that rule out what lenses u should get.
In time to come should u feel like switching system....just go for it...life is short...shoot more and enjoy

 

[nicekit]

I was also dilema like you before...I wanted an entry level DSLR but not really will go for the cheapest. From what I've done researching....like 2-3days of reading from net. D50 < 350D < D70s. So finally I calculated and get the D70s. However you can see Canon and Nikon has got more market..means better resale and more accessories. You can also get more resale items of Canon and Nikon from B&S here.

that's what i was thinking also

so i decided on getting D70s
but the thing is
should i save for new one or get a second hand one

 

[nicekit]

dslr not that much... mainly its thr lens that grow fungus.
for normal camera, it does grow fungus in lens as well, just that most normal camera price ain't that worth it to buy a drycab to keep it.

real dry cabinet is recommanded as you don have to keep changing silica gel. normally after 2-3 opening, the silica gel need to be replaced and its very troublesome, in the ong run dry cab is more worthwhile

what will happen if a camera grew fungus
and u said normal camera do grow fungus...
how do i know if my camera have fungus or not? hahaha