D90 kit package worthwhile ?

[misteel]

We are getting a D90 kit, but got confuse on the many offering from different shops.

MS color offer is about 16xx with 18-105 lens , 4Gb card, bag.
Harvey Norm is about 19xx with 18-105 lens, 8Gb card, dry cabin, bag, tripod.
Think audio house offer on the papers seems similar with Harvey norm, but with additional $200 voucher + harddisk.

But scrolling throu. many threads on D90 purchase, nobody mentioned about audio house.

Is the audio house offer not good ?

Harvey norm package worthwhile for beginners ? (since i don have a dry cabin to start with or a tripod)
Or is it the dry cabin/tripod not suitable ?

I don see filters in the packages, should we get filters since day 1 ?

 

[localhost]

We are getting a D90 kit, but got confuse on the many offering from different shops.

MS color offer is about 16xx with 18-105 lens , 4Gb card, bag.
Harvey Norm is about 19xx with 18-105 lens, 8Gb card, dry cabin, bag, tripod.
Think audio house offer on the papers seems similar with Harvey norm, but with additional $200 voucher + harddisk.

But scrolling throu. many threads on D90 purchase, nobody mentioned about audio house.

Is the audio house offer not good ?

Harvey norm package worthwhile for beginners ? (since i don have a dry cabin to start with or a tripod)
Or is it the dry cabin/tripod not suitable ?

I don see filters in the packages, should we get filters since day 1 ?

the dry cabinet only cost $118 (if they giving u the dry-cabi 30L). the tripod could be a cheapo one (less then $100). and you are paying about $300+ more?

maybe u want to go find out those extra 'freebies' actual pricing and do some maths and see for yourself if its worth.

 

[HHenrYY]

take the xx = 99 .
MS color offer is about 1699 with 18-105 lens , 4Gb card, bag.
Harvey Norm is about 1999 with 18-105 lens, 8Gb card, dry cabin, bag, tripod.

price diff = S$300

if we take...
4gb card = S$15.90
8gb card = S$27.90
bag = S$ 30?
Tripod = S$ 50?
Dry Cabi (30L?) = S$118.

if u take the HN deal, like not worth. cause u'll "lose" out ~ $100 ?

but in the end, its still up to you.
cauuse HN provides extended warranty
but others dun haf.

i bought my D90 in MARCH it show, $1988. the freebies not good one (tripod, 8gb card, bag, cleaning kit + request for a uv filter).
in the end i need to spend more on other like dry cabi etc.

like i said, its personal choice.

 

[wadever]

the dry cabinet only cost $118 (if they giving u the dry-cabi 30L). the tripod could be a cheapo one (less then $100). and you are paying about $300+ more?

maybe u want to go find out those extra 'freebies' actual pricing and do some maths and see for yourself if its worth.

that's right. the freebies are mostly useless. my advice is to get your d90 kit from photography shops like ms color, cathay or john 3:16.

standard prices from these shops are around SGD16XX. get the kit plus some additional (but equally important) accessories like dry cab (around $120), lenspen + blower ($15 + $15 = $30) and a uv filter (about $15). Camera bags you can get from the BNS section (brand new or second hand), they're slightly cheaper here than in stores.

 

[miaoteh]

i just got my D90 with 18-105 kit lens from Harvey Norman @ Funan 2 weeks ago, and i only paying sgd1669 cash, the freebies are 8gb sd card, tripod (cheapo one) and camera bag (also cheapo one), u just have to do more research and go down personally to all the diff shops to get the best price, and diff shops, or even diff branch, will offer u slightly diff price/freebies, u just have to judge urself whether the freebies are useful to u, or u wan to save the extra cash to buy some extra things u need.

but i think the price of d90 with 18-105 kit lens shld be 1650-1750 now for diff camera shops (alan photo, ms color, cathay, harvey norman etc etc), go down and bargain for the best price. :bsmilie:

 

[misteel]

Many thanks guys.

Cos the HN sales kept telling us the tripod + bag are from nikon and we cannot view unless it is a confirm sales. He show us the dry cabin (seems cheapo, but has a price tag of 118):bigeyes:

Think it is better to buy the individual components, at least we know what we are getting.

Think i will get a D90 kit with 18-105 lens (no need the freebies)

extra stuff that i might be getting on its own
a) uv filter
b) dry cabinet
c) tripod (maybe)?
d) 8gb card (maybe)
e) lowepro backpack (maybe?)

 

[miaoteh]

Many thanks guys.

Cos the HN sales kept telling us the tripod + bag are from nikon and we cannot view unless it is a confirm sales. He show us the dry cabin (seems cheapo, but has a price tag of 118):bigeyes:

Think it is better to buy the individual components, at least we know what we are getting.

Think i will get a D90 kit with 18-105 lens (no need the freebies)

extra stuff that i might be getting on its own
a) uv filter
b) dry cabinet
c) tripod (maybe)?
d) 8gb card (maybe)
e) lowepro backpack (maybe?)

ya its always better to buy the individual components, provided that you know exactly which brand and which model u wan, for a newbie like me, those free tripod and camera bag are just good enough for my level now, and i gonna use them for a while until i realli feel the need to get a good one, and by then i'll know what kind of camera bag and tripod will suit me best.

also, even if the salesman show you what are the freebies going to be like, they can change it afterward when you collect your camera a few days/weeks later, and tell you "oh sorry ah, those tripod/camera bag/ etc etc no stock liao, i change to this one for you".. etc etc, and you can't do anything abt that, all the freebies are "while stock last" only.

for my case, i went down to AP, CP and all the diff camera shops and asked for the price, the best offer i got was sgd1650 with 4gb card only, while HN @ Funan offered me sgd1669 with 8gb card, tripod, and camera bag, i decided to go for HN deal becoz i think those freebies are good enough for me and since there was only sgd 19 diff.

anyway, just get your camera ASAP and enjoy shooting! :bsmilie::bsmilie:

 

[misteel]

interested in this offer.

gurus, pls help to see if there is anything wrong ;-)

from AP funan,

D90 kit, 18-105mm , 4g , tripod, bag = 1699
extra battery original = 85
+v<something> backpack camera bag = 129 (will update later once i found the name)

so total damage = 1913

fair deal ?

 

[ericp]

I'd suggest you spend as little as you can. The bag is a highly personal choice, and you may find something that suits you better later, so why pay $129 for it now ? Battery-wise, shoot first, see if your shooting pattern requires you to have another battery before you have a chance to recharge the first one. It may be better to buy the second battery in a year's time, when the primary battery is older.

Spend your money on a dry cabinet (a must in our climate), an NC filter for your lens, and when you figure out what you want, a camera bag that suits your shooting style.

 

[misteel]

preparing for a trip, so getting a backpack ;-)

then the extra battery is more or less required for the trip, so hoping getting everything in one go for more discounts ( i hope)

now doing some reading on dry cabinet... still deciding btw dry cabinet and dry box at the moment ;-)

 

[misteel]

Many Thanks for the advise ;-)

got my camera yesterday. total damage = 1755.
1.D90 with 18-105mm
2.freebies :- bag(cheapo), tripod(cheapo) , cleanining kit, 8gb card
3.UV filter
4.dry box

 

[deepanshus]

congrats on your buy...looking a similar set myself for D90. How much did you pay for DryBox and why a box and not a DryCabinet?

maybe yoru exp will help me decide too...

-DeepS

 

[Bfrost]

i bought mine from Harvey Norman... 18-105mm kit lens,
freebies: 8gb card + bag (just nice for kit lens + body) + tripod.
damage $1699 (using credit card). (if cash, its 1669)

but I bought at harvey norman because I can topup $285 for 4 years of extended warranty. gives me a safety net for 5 years over my investment

I bought my dry cabinet seperately at carrefour as I have another P&S camera to keep, and will be looking to add a couple more lenses and flash to the collection

 

[misteel]

Dry box - $20 , Silica Gel -$4

After settling the camera into the dry box, i suppose you can skip the silica Gel for a while.

The dry box comes with its silica Gel and manages to keep the reading below 60%
(i suppose that is acceptable)

For us, main thing was we wanted to keep the initial purchase as small as possible. And luckily for us, the dry box seems great to keep one camera body and one lens. So far, i think the UV filter is a must for beginners and i think best to skip the 4gb card and just jump to the 8gb.

we just registered for those $20 basic lessons to learn about the camera.

Now waiting for the IT show to get a couple of memory cards (if there is a good price)

Side-track, anybody used the tripod before ? seems too light and not stable to hold the camera (but i have not tried yet)

 

[ericp]

Despite what many pros say, my personal experience is that even an el-cheapo tripod is better than no tripod in some situations. And a corollary to that is having a light, cheap tripod that you bring with you on a trip is better than a well-built, heavy, professional tripod that you leave at home.

How to make your light tripod stable ? Simple ... just bring a plastic bag along, and when you set your tripod down, load the bag with something heavy that you pick up nearby (like rocks), and hang the bag under the tripod, that will stabilize it. Do not, of course, hang your camera bag on the tripod, because it's too easy for someone to grab and run away with it.

You've just made your light tripod behave like a heavier model, that will not vibrate as much or topple in strong wind

 

[nyfkenny]

Will like to share my experience with those who are interest to get the D90. A 8GB memory card can take est 1.2k photo in jpeg format for your information. Those freebie are mostly cheapo thing which u will not use in the long run. Thing that you might consider for start are list below of cause base on what you like to snap. (Thanks to the help of fellow clubsnapian)

Tripod (Landscape and night shot)
Flash (Portrait and events)
Dry cabin (If you do not shoot regularly)
Camera Bag (If you got a lot of lens and accessories)
Backup Battery (If you snap alot while outside)

Have a advise if you are getting camera bag please buy a bigger size then your current setup don't like me think buy a slightly bigger bag lowpro flipslide 200 thinking it enough. As for battery maybe you can give MS Color a call and check with them on their battery price as i brought it recently at only $6x. Last but not list welcome aboard to DSLR world

 

[misteel]

Just a qn, after putting in more silica gel in the dry box, the RH values drops to 25% to 30%.

Is there any values that we should avoid or stay within ?

 

[ericp]

25-30% is a bit on the low side though ok (normal recommendations are 30-40%), some say that a too-dry environment will deteriorate the seals, but what about people who live in dry climates, e.g. desert ?

So don't get too hung up on the numbers, your hygrometer may not be that accurate anyway. Just ensure that it's below 60-70% and you'll be fine.

Ultimately, as you get more gear, buy an electronic drybox.

 

[ju4n]

i bought mine from Harvey Norman... 18-105mm kit lens,
freebies: 8gb card + bag (just nice for kit lens + body) + tripod.
damage $1699 (using credit card). (if cash, its 1669)

but I bought at harvey norman because I can topup $285 for 4 years of extended warranty. gives me a safety net for 5 years over my investment

I bought my dry cabinet seperately at carrefour as I have another P&S camera to keep, and will be looking to add a couple more lenses and flash to the collection

Hi Bfrost,

May I know which HN and which salesman? You can PM me if it is inconvenient to post in the forum. TIA.

Hi all,

I went down to HN Funan today and the best price is $1699 cash/nets for similar package to Bfrost. There will be surcharge for CC (Full payment) but i didn't ask how much. And if via CC installment it will be $1788.

Hence CC (Full payment) is somewhere between $1699-1788.

 

[misteel]

MS color also quoted me 2% extra for CC.
but no extra charges for NETs.