around $1.6k dslr with at least 1 lens

[dimashp]

As for 70-200mm...Canon F4, i think new set around 1Kplus (not sure after price hike). Second hand is around 850.

Nikon, 70-200. Trinity you mean ? Cost heaven...Probably try to look at the older 80-200mm...Second hand (not sure if they continue this line) is around 1000.

Don't really bother with dust for body preference, if you know how to keep your gears properly and especially during changing of lens. It can be minimize.

You mention that you likes to take portrait but then why do you need to take it at high ISO ? If I am taking a candid portrait i usually stay at around 400. If it is more serious, i drop it into 100. That's my 2 cents =)

 

[Stupidcowz]

Seems,

the responses are fairly common. Just my 2 cents worth. Well, considering the fact that you alrdy have a 4/3 system, I would strongly advise you to stick with it. Which is well get Olym or (omg) Panasonic. ISO performance for aps-c DSLRs is jus around that standard that you get with ur current cam. So if ISO is a big problem for you then the only option is the go FF which is as mention D700/5D MkII. Otherwise, it's pointless to change systems. Wat i would recommend you to stick with Olym like go for the E-30. Otherwise, don't chnge body. Instead use the money on LENSES well, after all lenses are like the glasses of a short-sighted person(body). If yoo get a good lens, means ur picture is better. If you want the 12-60 SWD is a good lens you could consider purchasing or mayb the 14-54 Mk II.

Cowz.

 

[redtealongan]

I'm using an olympus right now, but i won't talk you into continuing with the brand because you've more or less set your mind to get nikon or canon anyway. It's a fact that Oly is noisier than the competition when we end up on the higher ISOs.

Maybe you can look at the new canon 500D, seems pretty awesome ^^ Another feasible alternative could be the Pentax K20D cuz like someone has metioned, getting K20D is a steal right now at its current price and semi-pro features with in-body shake reduction.

 

[xylestesins]

I have just one question.

What's wrong with Olympus? :dunno:

I think you should really stick to Oly. You don't want an FF, yet Olympus can't cut it for you. Rokkor glass is pretty good, and sensor IQ wise you'd have to be a test-shot shooter to see images that discern from the other brands from a quick glance.

No offence bro, but the more i look at your original posts and some of the ones that come after, the more i feel like you're just following the hype. Have you really understood your camera and it's system?

 

[animeonegai]

As for 70-200mm...Canon F4, i think new set around 1Kplus (not sure after price hike). Second hand is around 850.

Nikon, 70-200. Trinity you mean ? Cost heaven...Probably try to look at the older 80-200mm...Second hand (not sure if they continue this line) is around 1000.

Don't really bother with dust for body preference, if you know how to keep your gears properly and especially during changing of lens. It can be minimize.

You mention that you likes to take portrait but then why do you need to take it at high ISO ? If I am taking a candid portrait i usually stay at around 400. If it is more serious, i drop it into 100. That's my 2 cents =)

because, 60% of the time I'll be indoor, and some indoor events e.g anime festival or WCG or what, its kind of hard to shoot at just 800 ISO with my shaky hands esp..

Don't really like using flash too, I wonder why... When I use my E510 (not with flash guns), the flash is very powerful and damaging to the eyes. I won't want my targets to have blindness for any certain time. (they will close their eyes or don't look natural) (I wonder how to make it so that it won't have blur photos due to my shaky hands aka playing around with flash...)

I have just one question.

What's wrong with Olympus? :dunno:

I think you should really stick to Oly. You don't want an FF, yet Olympus can't cut it for you. Rokkor glass is pretty good, and sensor IQ wise you'd have to be a test-shot shooter to see images that discern from the other brands from a quick glance.

No offence bro, but the more i look at your original posts and some of the ones that come after, the more i feel like you're just following the hype. Have you really understood your camera and it's system?

That's why, I'm still a newb.. Though I do play with the controls around to set the best possible result..

Olympus in a way is very cheap (body + kit lens), but it does have a noisier ISO. (Alot of times, I need around ISO 800 for indoor shoots, but to me its alittle noisy and any ISO higher than that, its consider noisy, esp olym. E510, max is 1200 ISO iirc)

However, nikkon and canon has a better ISO control/performance than Olym (proven fact) but its lens is $$$$$$ (excluding D40 or D40x + 2 lens $988 somewhere?? forgot)

(its) a dilemma, maybe I should go play around with the 3 brands with the budget I have.

But it'll be better if there's people around here who has play with at least 2 of the brands mentioned..

its.. confusing mind. :dunno:

 

[dorts]

Tell you the truth. There is hardly much advantage if you go to Canon/Nikon, unless FULL-FRAME cameras like D700/D3/D3x/5D etc.

You want better low-light shooting, get better lenses. Please don't think ISO can compensate for a good lens. Get a f/2 or f/1.4 prime. Even f/2.8 is good. You are probably using the 14-42mm f/4-5.6 lens. A f/2.8 will give you 2 stop advantage.

Which means, a 1/15s on a f/5.6 lens will give you a 1/60s on a f/2.8 lens. Better than increasing ISO 2 stops higher.

 

[redtealongan]

Don't really like using flash too, I wonder why... When I use my E510 (not with flash guns), the flash is very powerful and damaging to the eyes. I won't want my targets to have blindness for any certain time. (they will close their eyes or don't look natural) (I wonder how to make it so that it won't have blur photos due to my shaky hands aka playing around with flash...)

Oh this can be turned off. Check your manual on how to turn off AF Illuminator and read this for more info.

With a combination of good camera-holding techniques, enabling IS, and firing adequate amounts of flash by adjusting the flash EV, i've learned how to shoot comfortably at ISO400 in most indoor situations and only move up to ISO800 if in really low light or if i need the shutter speed. I'm using the 14-42 and 40-150 kit lenses. Perhaps you could try it out first. Cheers!

 

[animeonegai]

Tell you the truth. There is hardly much advantage if you go to Canon/Nikon, unless FULL-FRAME cameras like D700/D3/D3x/5D etc.

You want better low-light shooting, get better lenses. Please don't think ISO can compensate for a good lens. Get a f/2 or f/1.4 prime. Even f/2.8 is good. You are probably using the 14-42mm f/4-5.6 lens. A f/2.8 will give you 2 stop advantage.

Which means, a 1/15s on a f/5.6 lens will give you a 1/60s on a f/2.8 lens. Better than increasing ISO 2 stops higher.

Ic, so your suggestion is to get Olympus or which ever is more value for money and then get the lenses that comes with low f point ? Isn't it costly? its kinda not possible to reach that low especially when the target is far (e.g center of the stage)...

T_T

Oh this can be turned off. Check your manual on how to turn off AF Illuminator and read this for more info.

With a combination of good camera-holding techniques, enabling IS, and firing adequate amounts of flash by adjusting the flash EV, i've learned how to shoot comfortably at ISO400 in most indoor situations and only move up to ISO800 if in really low light or if i need the shutter speed. I'm using the 14-42 and 40-150 kit lenses. Perhaps you could try it out first. Cheers!

I would like to make enquiry regarding that. cos I wan to make the flash as nature or close as the lightings esp indoors.. I tried but don't know how. Esp whenever I tried with my cam, it does a few flashes before the shooting and when it does take the photo, its too bright or the target is too far making the surroundings dark/too dark. (seems like there's a range limit).

any ways to resolve this?

Bty, which lower end dslrs (around 1.6k and below) is considered an all rounder performance?

 

[redtealongan]

Refer to my previous post for removing the "few flashes". On my E520 i can adjust the Flash EV (i.e. flash power) by holding down the EV button and Flash button at the same time, then turning the thumb knob. You can dial it to around -2EV for flashing close (~1m away) subjects to avoid blowing them into white figures. You can also increase the power to maximum if the subject is relatively far away. But of course it depends on the situation. Again, this is in your manual.

Yes of course the built-in flash has a limit, it is so small! If you have already dialled the Flash EV to maximum power and yet it's still not strong enough to reach subjects far away on stage, you simply need to buy an external flash. Just buying another DSLR will not solve the problem if you are intending to use its built-in flash.

 

[Titan10k]

Try this in a small room: pop up the built in flash on your e-510, then use a small hand mirror to block it (the pop-up flash), so that the flash fire will be re-directed to somewhere else, either the room wall or ceiling. Snap a few shots, then snap a few more again without the hand mirror in front of your flash. Compare the results.

That's the very basic of bouncing flash. Learn to use flash, learn to work around your limit. If you don't, I doubt even the D90 would help.

Also, don't forget that Canon and Nikon camp don't have any IS lens with aperture larger than 2.8. Going fast lens on C/N camp will lose you the IS, thus return your problem of hand shaking.

 

[Stupidcowz]

Try this in a small room: pop up the built in flash on your e-510, then use a small hand mirror to block it (the pop-up flash), so that the flash fire will be re-directed to somewhere else, either the room wall or ceiling. Snap a few shots, then snap a few more again without the hand mirror in front of your flash. Compare the results.

That's the very basic of bouncing flash. Learn to use flash, learn to work around your limit. If you don't, I doubt even the D90 would help.

Also, don't forget that Canon and Nikon camp don't have any IS lens with aperture larger than 2.8. Going fast lens on C/N camp will lose you the IS, thus return your problem of hand shaking.

Hmm,

agreed .. so the most logical way, is to stick with ur system and don't chnge system. No point fixing a problem with another problem rite? TS should really spend the money on lenses instead of bodies .. more worth the money spent. Honestly.

Cowz.

 

[animeonegai]

seems like each camera has its own problems..

and its like c/n camps does not have OIS for their cams..

okay, somehow or another i will wait for the time being, have sold my cam to my friend already, now i'm just waiting for my money to come so i can buy whatever dslr i want esp around that budget...

thx for the advise

 

[koolcat]

what i would suggest maybe out of the ordinary...
for S$1.6k

sigma sd14 + lens or lenses...

 

[surrephoto]

Tell you the truth. There is hardly much advantage if you go to Canon/Nikon, unless FULL-FRAME cameras like D700/D3/D3x/5D etc.

You want better low-light shooting, get better lenses. Please don't think ISO can compensate for a good lens. Get a f/2 or f/1.4 prime. Even f/2.8 is good. You are probably using the 14-42mm f/4-5.6 lens. A f/2.8 will give you 2 stop advantage.

Which means, a 1/15s on a f/5.6 lens will give you a 1/60s on a f/2.8 lens. Better than increasing ISO 2 stops higher.

Erm... If animeonegai is shooting mostly anime and cosplay subjects who are moving around or mainly group shots of various manga groups etc. etc. I think it would be absolutely disastrous to shoot at f/1.4 - f/2.0 considering the tight Depth-of-field. (However i will not pass this sweeping statement as i know the the apparent DOF on any lens for olympus would be somewhat wider than on a APS-C or full-frame due to crop factor 2x)

Sometimes you really need the ISO to pump up shutter for to fit a smaller f-stop eg. shooting a group of 4 people with f/2.8 would already be a seriously headache.

what i would suggest maybe out of the ordinary...
for S$1.6k

sigma sd14 + lens or lenses...

:bsmilie: This suggestion is really out of the world.

But however i think it doesn't suit the need of high ISO performance? But i've seen the colours of SD14, really out of the world though.

I think now the price of SD14 is slightly more than S$1000? If you buy online from US can find brand new ones at only S$600!

 

[surrephoto]

seems like each camera has its own problems..

and its like c/n camps does not have OIS for their cams..

okay, somehow or another i will wait for the time being, have sold my cam to my friend already, now i'm just waiting for my money to come so i can buy whatever dslr i want esp around that budget...

thx for the advise

What i feel about OIS/VR/IS is that Canon/Nikon doesn't put IS on lenses that actually don't need IS.

For example Canon has not put a 24-70L f/2.8 IS up onto the market yet unlike the 70-200L f/2.8 IS as the need for IS at that focal length range is quite redundant.

However, on the other hand, EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS exist for the non full-frame market exist because they know that casual users who are not as professional may find Image-stabiliser useful even at that focal length range.

 

[harrotty]

U should juz stick with olympus. since u are already familiar with the system.

 

[Stupidcowz]

U should juz stick with olympus. since u are already familiar with the system.

Hmm,

Olympus has quite a easy user interface over the other systems i would say, but shldn't be difficult to toggle btwn systems, it's jus getting used to it.

After all, if TS really has a reason for chnging systems i'm sure familiararity with user interface shldn't be a factor for him.

Cowz.

 

[animeonegai]

yep, have a fren who is using nikon dslr..

and a canon.. they are poisoning me as i use their cams...

 

[ProMushr00m]

Previously I was using E510..

Its quite a value for money dslr.

But recently, I've been thinking of upgrading to another newer dslr.. either nikon or canon or olympus...

From what I know

Olympus has the best dust cleaning body system but its at bottom on ISO performance

Nikon in the middle for cleaning system, but is good at ISO performance

Canon at bottom for cleaning system, but is best at ISO performance (from what I know)

Pls advise on which model I should keep a look out for.

Btw, most of the time I'm shooting human portraits (some times will need to shoot from far to close up in performance stage...) and some times landscape also

Hmm you got some knowledge with photography alr rite??
IMHO, Get a 40D with 17-85mm? good for portraits also.. that 85mm good enuff liao.. Landscape, 17mm wide enuff? lol.. i using 50D with 28-135mm shooting stage.. close up very nice.. i was at the steps of the stage.. maybe the 85mm reach enuff liao.. 40D prosumer body liao.. maybe you should read up the reviews on 40D?