Hallo all,
This is my first post.
Decided to re-enter back to 35mm film (i wasn't very good when i was a student) after seeing a couple of B&W pictures that inspired me one weekend (and also partly becos a fren informed me that film cameras have gotten affordable!) and am now in the process of building up the accoutrements that come with re-starting a hobby with my recently-acquired Nikon F3.... so thought i'd share with you my "research" on....
~ DRY CABINETS ~
in the event you are, like me, also shopping for one but are boggled by the vast selection out there and the number of repetitve threads in the forums.
Good news is, there isn't a huge selection to choose from. I surfed the intraweb a bit and read about the opinions of some the brands available here in SG. Subsequently, I went down to the Peninsular area to have a feel of them similar to how parents will sniff, shake and even hear a durian before purchase.
Here are my candid impressions, please do not take offence(if there's offence to be taken of cos). Let's get down to it:
1. BUILD-WISE they are all not so different.
-That's my way of saying as long it's not made of jelly, they are good to go. And I don't need it to survive a nuclear holocaust. The cabinet is going to park its caboose there in the corner and very much stay there. So i'll not even bother to get into nit-picking details like: wall-thickness (unless you are planning to carry it around your shoots) or material (all steel, all sturdy) or paint (all are coated with expoxy paint to prevent rusting, if you are wondering; one or two coats would only matter if you are thinking of leaving it in your garden or balcony). And if you are pondering whether if you could sit on them as a demonstration of its build quality or a mandatory requirement for it to double up as an extra chair, i leave it entirely up to you. :hung:
2.1 AESTHETICS. Why people buy iPods even though Creative's pods have better functions at a better price.
-This is the spot of your home where your guests will be woo-ing and wow-ing when they see all your manly gear (toys) showcased in your (toy) cabinet and will in awe of your artistic genius (without having looked at your work yet) whether you are or like it, or not. Grey is the old-skool color. I have seen a couple of them around. They come across as safes. Hunks of boring metal. So unless you are into the whole retro look, you may want to give it a miss. But you know what, i hate to tell others what's cool or what's old and fugly...so don't let me tell you how to lead your life. Other than that, Black seems to be, by default, the safest color (if you can call it a color) for both potential purchaser and purchasee. Do note, as I have, that some brands may have one color externally and another inside. It won't bother most people but I kinda like mine uniform in-and-out if you know what i mean. The odd color is WHITE which AIPO is carrying. How very Apple.
2.2 GLASS DOOR.
-I won't settle for anything other than TEMPERED glass. You may get clumsy, your pet might (get stupid) and bump into it head-on. Unlikely, but i insist that it MUST be tempered since i'm spending >$100 on a "cabinet". All cabinets come with locks with 2 sets of keys (put aside one immediately). All cabinets (except AIPO) come with handles above the lock. The handle will prevent smudges and finger prints on the nice shiny tempered glass; functional, but makes it look cheap, but that is just my opinion.
2.3 TRAYS.
-Some brands have plastic rolling trays which provide the extra "covenience" but at the cost of being flimsy. Heavy metal lenses on a flimsy plastic tray, not sure if i like that. Some come with rigid metal trays. Most cabinets allow you to change the configuration of the trays. I have yet to figure how for mine. Trust me, I have tried. (OK im an idiot.) Some will provide a thin sheet of "electronic" sponge. If anyone knows where I could buy a thicker one with the "eggholder-like grooves", please let me know.
3. TECHNOLOGY.
-This is important. Most cabinets are employing an analogue (AD series) hygrometer system with an analogue or digital (need batteries) display. AIPO and Digi-Cabi both have a digital (DHC series) range as well. The TE cooling controller system will allow you specify an exact %RH and will shut itself off when the desired RH is reached. Analogue systems will give you a range to select (eg. 40-50%RH) but it runs 24/7 and will not shut off. I have read that analogue cabinets need a couple of days to calibrate it to the desired range (40-50%RH). My Aipo-digital takes a couple of hours to drop from 77% to 44%. ALL brands come with a 5-year warranty. If anyone knows which brand is offering a LIFETIME warranty, please let us know too. :lovegrin: ALL, except VALUE (Rodex guy tells me 4W), suck 5W of juice.∞♠
4. SIZE does matter despite whatever you have heard.
-You need to sit down and carefully consider what you really need. Now once you have that figure, you need to then add in 10-litres of realism. And that is the actual pragmatic size you will probably need. 'Cos you and I and everybody knows that your collection of lenses and filters will never contract or remain the same. I also don't see the point of having a cabinet anything <30-litres. If you are able to convince yourself that all you ever will have is 1 body + 2 lenses, then more power to you. For the rest of us who know ourselves a bit too well, let's just be practical and let good common sense guide our purchase. If cost is of concern, my advice is eat less McBurgers and save up a little longer. Regret will punish the impatient. (wow i just made that one up) If you find yourself a cabinet bigger than you need, you can throw in your collection of antiques, stamps, ancient objects and high polymer (according to the brochure). I have never met a person who lives in a GCB (good class bungalow) complaining he has TOO MUCH space.
5. PRICING. You'll get what you pay for. Or pay peanuts, you'll get... peanutbutter?
- El Cheapo! --->>>> Reasonably-priced!! ---->>>> Le Coffret de Luxe!!!
DigiCabi (AD series) --->>>> DigiCabi (DHC series) --->>>> Value --->>>> Akarui (AD series only) --->>>> Aipo (DHC series) --->>>> Toyo Living ♦
**Other Observations/Notes:**
This is my first post.
Decided to re-enter back to 35mm film (i wasn't very good when i was a student) after seeing a couple of B&W pictures that inspired me one weekend (and also partly becos a fren informed me that film cameras have gotten affordable!) and am now in the process of building up the accoutrements that come with re-starting a hobby with my recently-acquired Nikon F3.... so thought i'd share with you my "research" on....
~ DRY CABINETS ~
in the event you are, like me, also shopping for one but are boggled by the vast selection out there and the number of repetitve threads in the forums.
Good news is, there isn't a huge selection to choose from. I surfed the intraweb a bit and read about the opinions of some the brands available here in SG. Subsequently, I went down to the Peninsular area to have a feel of them similar to how parents will sniff, shake and even hear a durian before purchase.
Here are my candid impressions, please do not take offence(if there's offence to be taken of cos). Let's get down to it:
1. BUILD-WISE they are all not so different.
-That's my way of saying as long it's not made of jelly, they are good to go. And I don't need it to survive a nuclear holocaust. The cabinet is going to park its caboose there in the corner and very much stay there. So i'll not even bother to get into nit-picking details like: wall-thickness (unless you are planning to carry it around your shoots) or material (all steel, all sturdy) or paint (all are coated with expoxy paint to prevent rusting, if you are wondering; one or two coats would only matter if you are thinking of leaving it in your garden or balcony). And if you are pondering whether if you could sit on them as a demonstration of its build quality or a mandatory requirement for it to double up as an extra chair, i leave it entirely up to you. :hung:
2.1 AESTHETICS. Why people buy iPods even though Creative's pods have better functions at a better price.
-This is the spot of your home where your guests will be woo-ing and wow-ing when they see all your manly gear (toys) showcased in your (toy) cabinet and will in awe of your artistic genius (without having looked at your work yet) whether you are or like it, or not. Grey is the old-skool color. I have seen a couple of them around. They come across as safes. Hunks of boring metal. So unless you are into the whole retro look, you may want to give it a miss. But you know what, i hate to tell others what's cool or what's old and fugly...so don't let me tell you how to lead your life. Other than that, Black seems to be, by default, the safest color (if you can call it a color) for both potential purchaser and purchasee. Do note, as I have, that some brands may have one color externally and another inside. It won't bother most people but I kinda like mine uniform in-and-out if you know what i mean. The odd color is WHITE which AIPO is carrying. How very Apple.
2.2 GLASS DOOR.
-I won't settle for anything other than TEMPERED glass. You may get clumsy, your pet might (get stupid) and bump into it head-on. Unlikely, but i insist that it MUST be tempered since i'm spending >$100 on a "cabinet". All cabinets come with locks with 2 sets of keys (put aside one immediately). All cabinets (except AIPO) come with handles above the lock. The handle will prevent smudges and finger prints on the nice shiny tempered glass; functional, but makes it look cheap, but that is just my opinion.
2.3 TRAYS.
-Some brands have plastic rolling trays which provide the extra "covenience" but at the cost of being flimsy. Heavy metal lenses on a flimsy plastic tray, not sure if i like that. Some come with rigid metal trays. Most cabinets allow you to change the configuration of the trays. I have yet to figure how for mine. Trust me, I have tried. (OK im an idiot.) Some will provide a thin sheet of "electronic" sponge. If anyone knows where I could buy a thicker one with the "eggholder-like grooves", please let me know.
3. TECHNOLOGY.
-This is important. Most cabinets are employing an analogue (AD series) hygrometer system with an analogue or digital (need batteries) display. AIPO and Digi-Cabi both have a digital (DHC series) range as well. The TE cooling controller system will allow you specify an exact %RH and will shut itself off when the desired RH is reached. Analogue systems will give you a range to select (eg. 40-50%RH) but it runs 24/7 and will not shut off. I have read that analogue cabinets need a couple of days to calibrate it to the desired range (40-50%RH). My Aipo-digital takes a couple of hours to drop from 77% to 44%. ALL brands come with a 5-year warranty. If anyone knows which brand is offering a LIFETIME warranty, please let us know too. :lovegrin: ALL, except VALUE (Rodex guy tells me 4W), suck 5W of juice.∞♠
4. SIZE does matter despite whatever you have heard.
-You need to sit down and carefully consider what you really need. Now once you have that figure, you need to then add in 10-litres of realism. And that is the actual pragmatic size you will probably need. 'Cos you and I and everybody knows that your collection of lenses and filters will never contract or remain the same. I also don't see the point of having a cabinet anything <30-litres. If you are able to convince yourself that all you ever will have is 1 body + 2 lenses, then more power to you. For the rest of us who know ourselves a bit too well, let's just be practical and let good common sense guide our purchase. If cost is of concern, my advice is eat less McBurgers and save up a little longer. Regret will punish the impatient. (wow i just made that one up) If you find yourself a cabinet bigger than you need, you can throw in your collection of antiques, stamps, ancient objects and high polymer (according to the brochure). I have never met a person who lives in a GCB (good class bungalow) complaining he has TOO MUCH space.
5. PRICING. You'll get what you pay for. Or pay peanuts, you'll get... peanutbutter?
- El Cheapo! --->>>> Reasonably-priced!! ---->>>> Le Coffret de Luxe!!!
DigiCabi (AD series) --->>>> DigiCabi (DHC series) --->>>> Value --->>>> Akarui (AD series only) --->>>> Aipo (DHC series) --->>>> Toyo Living ♦
**Other Observations/Notes:**
- - Most may be "Designed in Singapore" but are actually Made in Taiwan except TOYO LIVING (Land of Godzilla).
- - Digi-Cabi seems to be predominantly the most popular choice. And understandbly so. Price-wise, it offers the most litres for the buck.
- - Digi-Cabi seems to garner the most number of problems and repeated servicing issues as well. Some buyers complained about the inferior build quality.
- - AKARUI's black hygrometer is the most attractive looking analogue meter.
- - Some people have commented that their "Rodex" have lasted for many many years. But Rodex is just the name of the marketing company. They were distributing EUREKA-branded cabinets a few years back and are pushing VALUE cabinets now. So i suppose if not for a name change, they are refering to EUREKA instead of VALUE.
- - TOYOLIVING is way ahead of the scale. SGD$488 for a 60-litre??!!! Is it made of sapphire glass?
- - bratz has noted that the Digi-Cabi's controller is outside while Aipo's is under the glass, manipulation-proof! {#5}
- - I admit, I like the way Aipo looks.
- - ∞ High Cost of running a dry cabinet? Let's take a objective look before making an informed decision, shall we? In SG, 1kW/hr = 22¢. Assuming you are running a 5W cabinet 24hrs a day for 31days, your cost = 5W x 24 hrs x 31 days / 1000W x 22¢ = $0.82 per month. Myth-Busted! Will you spend 82¢ a month to protect your expensive toys?
- - Never put any leather into your cabinet. Not even if it's nice-smelling. And certainly not unless you want fungus to fester and mingle around with your expensive toys.
- - It's OK to store filters and light meters in the dry cabinets.
- - I think the best way to treat a fungus-infected lens is to quarantine it in an isolatd dry box with siliica. Any views on this?
- - Most will deliver to you if you are purchasing the "correct" size. Their cheapest-smallest model can be taxi-ed back so no worries.
- - You WILL NEED some form of humidifier here in SG (75%+RH!); whether its either a dry cabinet or silica in dry box. Thirsty Hippos suck up the lake a little too much hovering ard 25%RH.
- - Don't put a Thirsty Hippo in your cabinet for whatever reason. No sense putting silica in cabinet too.
- - Apparently certain fungi thrive in <30%RH too.
- - Go below 35%RH if you want to kill rubber or plastic or glue joints.
- - Optimum range is 40-45%RH while keeping in mind you need to factor in ±10%RH of your analogue system range.
- - to be continued below....
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