Where are the 2nd hand lens shops in SG?

[chensin]

I am looking for a OM Zuiko 50mm f1.4. Actually I am searching at ebay and local shops simultaneously. I went to Penneshula Plaze recently and found only two shops have the lens. However, all of them are louzy in quality and expensive in price.

anybody can tell me where the 2nd hand camera lens shops are in SG? Thanks a lot.

[cjtune]

Originally Posted by chensin I am looking for a OM Zuiko 50mm f1.4. Actually I am searching at ebay and local shops simultaneously. I went to Penneshula Plaze recently and found only two shops have the lens. However, all of them are louzy in quality and expensive in price. anybody can tell me where the 2nd hand camera lens shops are in SG? Thanks a lot.

I think there are two more 2nd-hand camera shops at Adelphi Mall (next to courthouse and Funan). Once inquired about the price of a seriously old (maybe 3rd-4th hand?) 2nd hand Sunpak flash and I was quoted S$200! I eventually bought a brand new, later model Sunpak from bhphoto.com for about S$150.

[sleepysoul]

Just wonder where can I get the 14-54mm len (made in japan) at the lowest price? I find my e300 focus way too slow, and has been hearing how good 14-54mm glass is, interms of its excellent optical quality and faster len.

Btw, I have tried to take pics in a restaurant (lited with bulbs). The shots turn out to be very yellowish despite changing the WB from auto to bulb1 or bulb2. Is it normal?

[Blu-By-U]

Shoot RAW then adjust the WB.

[cjtune]

Originally Posted by Blu-By-U Shoot RAW then adjust the WB.

You can still do this with JPEGs.
But it will mean having a dedicated photo-touchup program like the Paint Shop Pro I'm using.

Not sure about the original RAW viewers that came along with the camera kit. Are they able to change the WB setting too, or do you have to upgrade to the pro version first?

[sleepysoul]

Given a choice, I would prefer to shoot in jpeg, find post processing quite a hassle. My fren using a Canon took a shot (WB is auto) in the same restaurant and color came out ok (not yellowish at all). Wonder will e500 have the warm tone too when take indoor which under blub lights condition?

[cjtune]

Originally Posted by sleepysoul Given a choice, I would prefer to shoot in jpeg, find post processing quite a hassle. My fren using a Canon took a shot (WB is auto) in the same restaurant and color came out ok (not yellowish at all). Wonder will e500 have the warm tone too when take indoor which under blub lights condition?

It's the weakness of the Oly AutoWB when shooting at low lights, even if your have a 'fast'/'bright' lens like the 14-54mm (I use that on my E-330). Alternatively, you can preset your WB but don't forget to change it back to Auto or something else when going to somewhere else to shoot!

[cjtune]

Originally Posted by sleepysoul Just wonder where can I get the 14-54mm len (made in japan) at the lowest price? I find my e300 focus way too slow, and has been hearing how good 14-54mm glass is, interms of its excellent optical quality and faster len. Btw, I have tried to take pics in a restaurant (lited with bulbs). The shots turn out to be very yellowish despite changing the WB from auto to bulb1 or bulb2. Is it normal?

Optical quality-wise, the 14-54mm is only somewhat better than the 14-45mm, but caveat emptor - there's been reports of the optical quality of different sets of 14-54's differing quite noticeably. The auto focus is faster than the 14-45 in good light but is still poor in low-light (eg. dimly lit dinner banquet halls or exhibition halls).

US Prices are usually very competitive for the 14-54 (eg. through www.pricegrabber.com or Ebay) but with shipping costs added, and the risk from shipping and transactions run afoul, I decided to save myself the hassle and just bought from Cathay Photo at S$756 (incl. 5% GST). But the 1-2 stops of extra aperture opening offered to me from the 14-54 suddenly makes handheld shooting (albeit still at ISO800+) possible at shutter speeds of 1/50 or faster (my own handshake threshold handheld shutter speed).

[sleepysoul]

Originally Posted by cjtune It's the weakness of the Oly AutoWB when shooting at low lights, even if your have a 'fast'/'bright' lens like the 14-54mm (I use that on my E-330). Alternatively, you can preset your WB but don't forget to change it back to Auto or something else when going to somewhere else to shoot!

How sad.. that the Oly AutoWB can easily go haywire at low lights. No wonder I encounter warmer tone for some of my evening shots when not suppose to be. In that case, even if I upgrade to E500, it won't solve my WB prob... unless i post processed in RAW.

Btw, tks for advise! Have cleared my doubts.

[drakon09]

Auto WB very much depends on the availability of white objects in the particular exposure.

If you're using anything other than an E-1, it would be good to do a one-touch WB first in difficult lighting conditions (i.e. orange tungsten, blue neon).

[cherps]

sorry that this thread has gone quite OT. u can try the camera hospital.. i believe they have a repeating ad on the front page of classifieds everyday. it's somewhere near bugis, sunshine plaza. friends say its reputable for vintage stuff.

about auto wb: my tip is go MANUAL! it's daunting at first.. (wah so ma fan, so hard to guage etc.) but it is the most accurate sort of WB. and after a while, when u figure out how warm is warm, how cool is cool, u'll be able to judge WB the moment you enter a room. once you reach that level, WB is no longer a problem. wanna try?

[OlyFlyer]

Originally Posted by sleepysoul Given a choice, I would prefer to shoot in jpeg, find post processing quite a hassle. My fren using a Canon took a shot (WB is auto) in the same restaurant and color came out ok (not yellowish at all). Wonder will e500 have the warm tone too when take indoor which under blub lights condition?

Canon has its pro AND cons also. No idea which Canon your friend has, but as I hear, some C owners envy Oly image quality in many situations. Of course, not all will admit...

I don't know much about the E-300 but the E-500 is very good in almost any light conditions. Yes, auto ISO is not as some would expect, but actually in a restaurant colors look different than in sunlight. The problem is that our eyes (actually brains) adjust the colors to what they supposed to look like based on our knowledge. White is white for us even in the yellowish light, but it is actually yellow, which is just what the E-500 shows. When I want correct WB, I set it manually or use the one touch WB feature, quick and easy. I think Canon (and E-1 for that matter) can not do that (some may say they don't need to but I believe they are wrong). I don't know what choises you have on the E-300, I believe WB is one area where the E-500 has been improved. I also think it is wrong to just draw some conclusions from one occasion where Canon is better. Maybe it is better as a P&S style, straigt out of camera, everything in auto mode, but I think even with Canon it is important to learn all the "how to.." otherwise you'll be unhappy with that in other situations.

Edit: I just realized we hijacked chensin's thread. He is looking for second hand lens shops in SG. I can not help on that. Maybe I shouldn't have stepped in here. Sorry.

[sleepysoul]

Oops.. should have start another thread to discuss on my WB doubt. Let it be the last one here..

Tks for the reply. No no, I won't think Canon is better than Olympus (except in the area of noise level..) . After the shots, I'm just puzzle why my autoWB turn out to be so different. Since i'm still very new to DSLR, I want to know... is it due to my setting or just my model..

I still find oly color stand out better.. just my WB do spoil my pic at times. Guess I will swtich to RAW to work my way round! Thanks once again.

[radi9red]

you might want to upgrade your firmware. I've an old e-300 too.. the auto wb is mostly overly warm.. i use an expo-disc and a white card for more accurate wb setting

[harmony]

Anyone has experience dealing with these 2nd hand shops?

I am thinking of offloading my camera/lens.

[cire07]

Originally Posted by harmony Anyone has experience dealing with these 2nd hand shops? I am thinking of offloading my camera/lens.

Pray tell...

What camera and lens are u considering off-loading?

Maybe can sell them in here?

[harmony]

Originally Posted by cire07 Pray tell... What camera and lens are u considering off-loading? Maybe can sell them in here?

I have already listed in the Buy and Sell section. But I am also keeping the option of looking out for other avenue to sell.