Questions: DSLR newbie

[nicekit]

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 !

oo that
i definetely have that BBB VIRUS/....
even not about photography HAHAHAHA

 

[nicekit]

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

shoot more and enjoy?

i like this tag line HAHAHAHAHAH

 

[nicekit]

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!

thanks leh... very knowledgable ler u

will keep these in mind .. hopefully

 

[dr34mc4st3r]

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

hi, for me, i want to save money, so i use a dry box + those $20 bucks reuseable electric dehumidifier (u can buy in places like challenger). when the dehumidifier becomes wet, just plug to power socket for 1/2 a day and it's ready to use again. easily keeps my box humidity at around 40-50%. not to mention much easier than using silica gel.

 

[nicekit]

hi, for me, i want to save money, so i use a dry box + those $20 bucks reuseable electric dehumidifier (u can buy in places like challenger). when the dehumidifier becomes wet, just plug to power socket for 1/2 a day and it's ready to use again. easily keeps my box humidity at around 40-50%. not to mention much easier than using silica gel.

got electric dehumidifier?!?!
i didnt know about this... very interesting

any picture how it looks like?

btw how much is the digicab 30L dry cabinet ah?

 

[ExplorerZ]

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

normally it grows on to the lens, you might get a patch of blur on ur photos taken by those camera. the same applies to dslr lens

 

[Taurean]

You can check out this site for dry cabi.

Think a 30L will cost below $100. Check this promo out.

 

[ExplorerZ]

got electric dehumidifier?!?!
i didnt know about this... very interesting

any picture how it looks like?

btw how much is the digicab 30L dry cabinet ah?

i would recommand dry box... 30L cost 89 now at carrefore. you save the trouble of even "recharging" the dehumidifer pack :thumbsup:
further more the power consumption is very low to be even concerned

 

[zoossh]

which is the CHEAPEST first hand entry level DSLR camera in the market?
is it Nikon D50?

each brand has an entry level DSLR roughly at 1K region. nikon D50 is the cheapest for nikon, but not necessarily for all brands.

what in ur opinion is the best entry level DSLR?
and how much?

if i'm not wrong, D50 is rated best entry level DSLR in 2005, but different models have different awards, some in asia, some in the world, some for certain categories, so just take it with a pinch of salt. the better known ones are nikon D50, canon 350D

where can i learn more about DSLR? magazine? book? or just trial and error?

books are hard to keep up to date. magazine and ask around in forum

when u got ur hands on ur first DSLR or SLR.. what did u buy next?
cuz the package usually have the body + 1 lens kit..

1. protective UV filter
2. extra battery and memory cards
3. gd tripod body and tripod head
4. dry box & cleaning kit

where to seek for approx market price without going into a store...
cuz i dun like to touch and ask and dun buy LOL!!!!!!!

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=205119

equotes from contacts from shop listed in the 1st link in above thread

with budget of 1.4K can buy?
or better save up more...

1. protective UV filter - B+W MRC UV abt $50-80
2. extra battery and memory cards - original bat for nikon $60-80, 1-2GB card $50-150
3. gd tripod body and tripod head - $150-$500
4. dry box & cleaning kit - $100-200

camera body + kit lens abt 1K
buy second hand can buy separate body and other lens - may be cheaper but consider warranty cover

 

[zoossh]

how do i know if it is working fine since i never use DSLR b4
what to check.. yada yada
is it worth it to buy a second hand?

search for solarii's thread or pm him. he's selling an online guide for $5 on buying used equipment.

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

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

think you need a book on that.

you can go to adelphi's basement floor riceball photography bookshop and ask the boss to recommend you some books. he is from shanghai but speak english well.

get 1 book on understanding exposure & photography basic,
e.g. understanding exposure by bryan peterson

get 1 book on equipments & photography basic,
e.g. one of the hwz book - i can't rem the title, or other books recommended by the boss, those A-Z guidebooks

magazines wise - i like
1. popular photography
2. practical photography (UK)
3. digital camera world

 

[nicekit]

each brand has an entry level DSLR roughly at 1K region. nikon D50 is the cheapest for nikon, but not necessarily for all brands.

if i'm not wrong, D50 is rated best entry level DSLR in 2005, but different models have different awards, some in asia, some in the world, some for certain categories, so just take it with a pinch of salt. the better known ones are nikon D50, canon 350D

books are hard to keep up to date. magazine and ask around in forum

1. protective UV filter
2. extra battery and memory cards
3. gd tripod body and tripod head
4. dry box & cleaning kit

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=205119

equotes from contacts from shop listed in the 1st link in above thread

1. protective UV filter - B+W MRC UV abt $50-80
2. extra battery and memory cards - original bat for nikon $60-80, 1-2GB card $50-150
3. gd tripod body and tripod head - $150-$500
4. dry box & cleaning kit - $100-200

camera body + kit lens abt 1K
buy second hand can buy separate body and other lens - may be cheaper but consider warranty cover

what is the protective UV filter is for?

 

[nicekit]

think you need a book on that.

you can go to adelphi's basement floor riceball photography bookshop and ask the boss to recommend you some books. he is from shanghai but speak english well.

get 1 book on understanding exposure & photography basic,
e.g. understanding exposure by bryan peterson

get 1 book on equipments & photography basic,
e.g. one of the hwz book - i can't rem the title, or other books recommended by the boss, those A-Z guidebooks

magazines wise - i like
1. popular photography
2. practical photography (UK)
3. digital camera world

ohh adelphi basement.. k

seems like practical photography is well recommended

will try my hands on it ...
merci

 

[westwest1]

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

new one....:thumbsup:

if just play play only...then second hand...

If for serious work...D200...

 

[zcwnfx]

new one....:thumbsup:

if just play play only...then second hand...

If for serious work...D200...

IMHO, no need new one lah... of cos not too old also if u really serious about it....

save up the money... 2nd hand ones are also value for money mine has no prob till now.. my fren bought the even older D70 also no prob till now....

 

[zcwnfx]

what is the protective UV filter is for?

should to protect against UV lah... but then i remember reading somewhere that it only blocks out when reach a certain level, which isnt that applicable in SG. I think most ppl here use it as a cheap solution to protect the len's front element.

for me, its really for protection, as i remove the front cap, put on the hood and jus put inside the cam bag, so i need the protection

 

[zoossh]

ohh adelphi basement.. k

seems like practical photography is well recommended

will try my hands on it ...
merci

well, those mag are mainly used to entice your appetite. you still need vast reading from the basic to understand SLR, exposure, diaphragm, aperture size, f-stop, shutter duration and speed, levels, tonal range, highlight, shadow, details, contrast, depth of field, focal length, focal point, bokeh..... and these require fundamentals. you need a book and all the above can't be summarised easily. alternative, read pages and pages on the net, those are free but less comfortable on the net.

although i started off practical photography, i prefer popular photography.

personal experience as a one year newbie. never underestimate the perpetual problem of weight unless you are a fit young man 6 feet tall with powerful muscles and a big hand. i'm using the 560g nikon D50 + battery will be 640g. that is without external flash and other stuff. and still i find it heavy to bring around (although i did). if i'm to upgrade to D200, i will be lumbering around with a 800g plus body, excluding the lens. i can't imagine that but luckily i'm quite broke now, so it is still some time away from upgrading.

my personal dislike about D50 is
1. it has a AEL-AFL button too medial and central and my hands can't wrap around to hold the shutter release while holding it. as a result, i usually do not do separate exposure lock and focus.
2. the top LCD screen does not light up in darkness. i can't see at nite unless i shine a LED light on it. that is troublesome
3. it has no depth of field preview button
4. some of the command is only available on the menu (back LCD) whereas these are available on the camera body on D200.

dun understand what i'm saying?

then dun bother too much about which is the best to buy cos u probably can't decide after hearing too much from so many ppl. go with your gut feeling and either get a canon 350D, a nikon D50, or a olympus/pentax (i think it is olympus E330/E500 and pentax ist that is their entry level, or minolta dynax 5D, i'm not sure) with your budget of 1.4k. choose D70s if you have more cash.

but seriously equipment is just one thing, provided you know it in and out. which you can;t now unless later you start using it for at least a few months. the camera will not stop you from learning and will not stop you from getting gd pictures. some makes it easier for you. some gives you the ability to get better pictures, but there are many factors that is on the photographer and on the subject itself (many ppl say it is all about the photographer, but i dun agree, i think the subject itself, the timing, the lighting is just as important, if not more.), so just go with your gut feeling and pick one. dun be eager to upgrade. i intend to use my D50 for at least 2 years before i start looking for upgrades of the camera body.

if you still seriously can't decide. best is to do what i did for some purchase. pick a magazine who compares and rates the entry level camera for you. read thru those articles and go with what you think is best suited for you. for a matter of fact, i got nikon D50 cos i saw an advertisement and a short review that it is good as an entry level and it uses SD card which i can upgrade from compact, plus "nikon" sounds good and nice, so i got it. i dun know much about canon being the next big player, did not do comparison and just got nikon D50. that is just how i started.

 

[zoossh]

what is the protective UV filter is for?

the best thing for the sensor is to have the best quality light to enter with the least abberation. so the lens is one layer. the other one is a filter. a filter is put in front of the lens to provide the kind of effect desired via alteration of the light, with as much as possible the most minimal reduction of quality of light. desired effect is another big thing to read into, but the other use of the filter is to protect your lens front element from getting dirty, scratches or from condensation of water vapor, i.e. physical protection. if only protection is desired without other effects, a clean clear filter without color hue, without dirt and scratches, without grey density, is the best - and that would be a neutral color filter, a UV filter or a skylight filter.

a UV filter is a filter that filters off UV. it basically means slightly better visualisation thru haze (from the books, but i never can see the difference) and nothing else. exactly becos it does nothing else, it dun really alter the light much and serves best as protection.

 

[nicekit]

should to protect against UV lah... but then i remember reading somewhere that it only blocks out when reach a certain level, which isnt that applicable in SG. I think most ppl here use it as a cheap solution to protect the len's front element.

for me, its really for protection, as i remove the front cap, put on the hood and jus put inside the cam bag, so i need the protection

so in sg it is more like a contact lens protecting the lens lar

btw what will the UV do to the lens?

 

[nicekit]

well, those mag are mainly used to entice your appetite. you still need vast reading from the basic to understand SLR, exposure, diaphragm, aperture size, f-stop, shutter duration and speed, levels, tonal range, highlight, shadow, details, contrast, depth of field, focal length, focal point, bokeh..... and these require fundamentals. you need a book and all the above can't be summarised easily. alternative, read pages and pages on the net, those are free but less comfortable on the net.

although i started off practical photography, i prefer popular photography.

personal experience as a one year newbie. never underestimate the perpetual problem of weight unless you are a fit young man 6 feet tall with powerful muscles and a big hand. i'm using the 560g nikon D50 + battery will be 640g. that is without external flash and other stuff. and still i find it heavy to bring around (although i did). if i'm to upgrade to D200, i will be lumbering around with a 800g plus body, excluding the lens. i can't imagine that but luckily i'm quite broke now, so it is still some time away from upgrading.

my personal dislike about D50 is
1. it has a AEL-AFL button too medial and central and my hands can't wrap around to hold the shutter release while holding it. as a result, i usually do not do separate exposure lock and focus.
2. the top LCD screen does not light up in darkness. i can't see at nite unless i shine a LED light on it. that is troublesome
3. it has no depth of field preview button
4. some of the command is only available on the menu (back LCD) whereas these are available on the camera body on D200.

dun understand what i'm saying?

then dun bother too much about which is the best to buy cos u probably can't decide after hearing too much from so many ppl. go with your gut feeling and either get a canon 350D, a nikon D50, or a olympus/pentax (i think it is olympus E330/E500 and pentax ist that is their entry level, or minolta dynax 5D, i'm not sure) with your budget of 1.4k. choose D70s if you have more cash.

but seriously equipment is just one thing, provided you know it in and out. which you can;t now unless later you start using it for at least a few months. the camera will not stop you from learning and will not stop you from getting gd pictures. some makes it easier for you. some gives you the ability to get better pictures, but there are many factors that is on the photographer and on the subject itself (many ppl say it is all about the photographer, but i dun agree, i think the subject itself, the timing, the lighting is just as important, if not more.), so just go with your gut feeling and pick one. dun be eager to upgrade. i intend to use my D50 for at least 2 years before i start looking for upgrades of the camera body.

if you still seriously can't decide. best is to do what i did for some purchase. pick a magazine who compares and rates the entry level camera for you. read thru those articles and go with what you think is best suited for you. for a matter of fact, i got nikon D50 cos i saw an advertisement and a short review that it is good as an entry level and it uses SD card which i can upgrade from compact, plus "nikon" sounds good and nice, so i got it. i dun know much about canon being the next big player, did not do comparison and just got nikon D50. that is just how i started.

WOW..

really WOW
it is like a ray of Light HIT me on the head.. Right at the spot...

true... i don't understand any of the above..
and thanks for the enlightment...
i will get a book about fundamental about photography when i got myself a camera

still trying to struggle with my financials.. to squeeze as much as possible out for the nikon D70 or D70s ..

wish me luck and thanks for the advice

 

[nicekit]

the best thing for the sensor is to have the best quality light to enter with the least abberation. so the lens is one layer. the other one is a filter. a filter is put in front of the lens to provide the kind of effect desired via alteration of the light, with as much as possible the most minimal reduction of quality of light. desired effect is another big thing to read into, but the other use of the filter is to protect your lens front element from getting dirty, scratches or from condensation of water vapor, i.e. physical protection. if only protection is desired without other effects, a clean clear filter without color hue, without dirt and scratches, without grey density, is the best - and that would be a neutral color filter, a UV filter or a skylight filter.

a UV filter is a filter that filters off UV. it basically means slightly better visualisation thru haze (from the books, but i never can see the difference) and nothing else. exactly becos it does nothing else, it dun really alter the light much and serves best as protection.

ohhh at first i thought the UV will kill off the coating of the lens or something

it is actually just to 'alter' the light on how it will enter the camera into the sensor

i see



another question.. these filter... is a piece of plastic? thin paper or what?