Estimated cost of getting a DSLR system


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I've done a rough calculation on the cost of getting a DSLR system but i still need help in some accessories. Please let me know the cheapest price and where i can get it from, Thank you! =)

1) Canon 300D Kit + Extra Batt(dunno what brand) + 75-300mm Lens
Quoted $1.8k from MS Colour
2) 500Mb CF card (Preferbaly scandisk)
Where can i get at a cheaper price and how much?
3) Dry cabinent
How many litres do i need if let's say i have only 2-3 lens to keep and how much will it cost me?
4) A fairly sturdy tripod
Pls advise me on model no, and the shop where i can get at a cheaper price
 

a sandisk normal speed 512mb will set u back $150-$160.. look at the buy/sell section, sometimes u can get 2nd hand one, would be cheaper somemore.

u can get olympus/digicabi 30L one for about $75/$85 i believe vamptress is selling, shld be sufficient for ur needs. many ppl here are using this one and i thnk its good n value for money.

for tripods, try slik able 300dx, slik sprint GM or manfrotto 190. I only knw these 3 :bsmilie:

nothing is cheaper than getting 2nd hand from the fellow members here :thumbsup:
 

Hey dude,

I think MS gave you quite a good deal but don't get everything one shot. Slowly. Buy the kit first, do a few shoots, then you will know what you need. Get a bag that can fit about 2-3 lens will do.

I almost made this mistake. When I first started, I bought a Sigma 12-24mm, 24-70mm and Canon 75-300mm. End up selling 75-300mm away because seldom shoot at that distance. And my 12-24mm, althought I didn't sell it, its sitting in my drybox all the time. Also I bought a lowepro bag that can fit like 4 lens plus alot of pockets. Very big! But after a few outdoor shoots, I realise I don't need of bring all my thing from my drybox. Now I just carry my 28-70+camera in my little crumpler tweenie bag.

I found out that I like to shoot at certain range, so in the end, my upgraded 28-70L is on my camera most of the time.

Just my little experience and advice.

PS: I still don't have a tripod. :)
 

2) 512 Sandisk Ultra II. EastGear's price is pretty competitive.
3) Digital Point in Suntec or Carrefour. Go for a bigger one eg. 45L or bigger just in case you get bitten by the lens-buying-spree bug.
4) Manfrotto 190 or 055 legs. Shd cost betw 150-200. Ballhead 486RC2 is good enough for a light setup.

and don't forget to add filters, camera bags, external flash, batteries etc into your budget..
 

hmm..will come to about 3.5k max
 

clive said:
hmm..will come to about 3.5k max

unfortunately it will never end.. initially thot $2.5k enough already..

to date i've spent close to $4.5k liao!.. :confused: :what: :(
 

i recommend the slik 700 (or is it 7000)DX. $200, sturdy like hell, only problem will be the total weight of the whole thing is 3.2 kg. i'm okay with the weight, not sure about what you think. can support everything i have, a whole telephoto system weighing in 3kg is still rock steady on the tripod.

but like i said - 3.2kg. you either love it or you hate it.
 

ordinaryless said:
I've done a rough calculation on the cost of getting a DSLR system but i still need help in some accessories. Please let me know the cheapest price and where i can get it from, Thank you! =)

1) Canon 300D Kit + Extra Batt(dunno what brand) + 75-300mm Lens
Quoted $1.8k from MS Colour
2) 500Mb CF card (Preferbaly scandisk)
Where can i get at a cheaper price and how much?
3) Dry cabinent
How many litres do i need if let's say i have only 2-3 lens to keep and how much will it cost me?
4) A fairly sturdy tripod
Pls advise me on model no, and the shop where i can get at a cheaper price

Planning to sell my dry box and 2 electric silica gel box. Cheap cheap one. Can help you save some $$$. PM you already. Please check.
 

ordinaryless, what you have listed is just for a start. you may be adding more items later on, e.g. external flash (550EX costs $600+), a better telephoto zoom (e.g. Canon 70-200 F4L@$1280, Sigma 70-200 F2.8@$1200+), padded camera bag (Lowepro and Crumpler are popular), battery grip (~$190 for BG-E1), more batteries etc.
 

mpenza said:
ordinaryless, what you have listed is just for a start. you may be adding more items later on, e.g. external flash (550EX costs $600+), a better telephoto zoom (e.g. Canon 70-200 F4L@$1280, Sigma 70-200 F2.8@$1200+), padded camera bag (Lowepro and Crumpler are popular), battery grip (~$190 for BG-E1), more batteries etc.
Yup! The buying never stops... and the shooting will never too!
 

Don't ever buy "L" lens.. once you get addicted.. thats it.. :p

Anyway buy the lens for the range that you believe you will use the most..
If possible.. buy the best and don't change it again.. otherwise, you will suffer losses from selling the lens and buying another. ;p

Tripod can consider Manfrotto 190 Series or 055 Series (055 series is higher).. cost below $200 for tripod alone but including a ball head can go over $200.
 

Hello everyone,

thank you so much for the information, i'm overwhelmed to see so many replies. I hope this thread would be useful to those who are thinking of getting a DSLR too..

Btw, i just came back from the PC show. Wanted to try out the camera but was served by promoter who know nothing abt the camera.

Their 300D Kit + 75-300mm Lens + Scan Disk CF 256Mb(Normal) is going for $1999.

Their range of scandisks CF cards is also on promotion. A 512Mb is going for $188 and the price of 512Mb Ultra II is around $250 to $260(cant rem the exact price).

Here's a question:

Is the diffference in speed between the normal and Ultra II CF card really that impt? Is the speed of the normal CF card acceptable if u were to cover events like wedding?

Cheers..
 

maxkcyeo said:
Hey dude,

I think MS gave you quite a good deal but don't get everything one shot. Slowly. Buy the kit first, do a few shoots, then you will know what you need. Get a bag that can fit about 2-3 lens will do.

I almost made this mistake. When I first started, I bought a Sigma 12-24mm, 24-70mm and Canon 75-300mm. End up selling 75-300mm away because seldom shoot at that distance. And my 12-24mm, althought I didn't sell it, its sitting in my drybox all the time. Also I bought a lowepro bag that can fit like 4 lens plus alot of pockets. Very big! But after a few outdoor shoots, I realise I don't need of bring all my thing from my drybox. Now I just carry my 28-70+camera in my little crumpler tweenie bag.

I found out that I like to shoot at certain range, so in the end, my upgraded 28-70L is on my camera most of the time.

Just my little experience and advice.

PS: I still don't have a tripod. :)

Haha, thanks for ya valuable advice max. The things i listed above is the bare minimum i guess and even if i have the urge to buy more, haha, i wont have the financial means to do so. Haha. The above listed items plus a camera bag should drain every single cents in my bank account. Haha..
 

sequitur said:
i recommend the slik 700 (or is it 7000)DX. $200, sturdy like hell, only problem will be the total weight of the whole thing is 3.2 kg. i'm okay with the weight, not sure about what you think. can support everything i have, a whole telephoto system weighing in 3kg is still rock steady on the tripod.

but like i said - 3.2kg. you either love it or you hate it.

Hi seq,

i'm confident in the stablilty of the tripod u reccomend but the price and weight is too much for me to bear. Haha.. 3.2Kg just for tripod? Ooh man, doesnt it feels like carrying a M16? I decide to set aside only around $100, certainly not more than $150 for the tripod.Anyway how heavy is a fairly sturdy tripod, the normal ones, not the excellent ones.
 

mpenza said:
ordinaryless, what you have listed is just for a start. you may be adding more items later on, e.g. external flash (550EX costs $600+), a better telephoto zoom (e.g. Canon 70-200 F4L@$1280, Sigma 70-200 F2.8@$1200+), padded camera bag (Lowepro and Crumpler are popular), battery grip (~$190 for BG-E1), more batteries etc.


hi mpenza,

thanks for highlighting to me. As mentioned earlier, i know the items i listed is only the bare minimum, Flash is also in my consideration but i guess i shld get familar with the functions of my camera before i land my hand on that expensive torchlight.

Cheers! :)
 

I think you should get the set from MS Colour and just start off with a normal CF card... I use a normal Sandisk 512MB CF card and it works fine on my 300D. The set should start you off very well... UNTIL YOU TOUCH THE REALLY EXPENSIVE STUFF... Don't make the same mistake as I did... U touch the L glass once and it sucks u in like a vacuum cleaner... U get stuck with it forever... I do advise on spending some more on a good tripod because I currently use a normal tripod here and with the setup its not very good, and when i tried the Manfrotto tripods i could feel the difference in its sturdiness...

All in all, choose what you really need and choose the things that you can afford. And as for right now, DON'T TOUCH THE L GLASS!!! Well, at least until your pockets have filled up with cash again! hehe...

Cheers!
 

nickmak said:
I think you should get the set from MS Colour and just start off with a normal CF card... I use a normal Sandisk 512MB CF card and it works fine on my 300D. The set should start you off very well... UNTIL YOU TOUCH THE REALLY EXPENSIVE STUFF... Don't make the same mistake as I did... U touch the L glass once and it sucks u in like a vacuum cleaner... U get stuck with it forever... I do advise on spending some more on a good tripod because I currently use a normal tripod here and with the setup its not very good, and when i tried the Manfrotto tripods i could feel the difference in its sturdiness...

All in all, choose what you really need and choose the things that you can afford. And as for right now, DON'T TOUCH THE L GLASS!!! Well, at least until your pockets have filled up with cash again! hehe...

Cheers!

Haha..U made it sound like drugs or something. Now i learn L lens is a taboo for poor people like me. Haha, thanks for ya advice. Just curious, when you do simple editng using photoshop, is a 256 RAM computer accpetable if let's say u capture the shots in RAW or best form of JPEG?
 

ordinaryless said:
Haha..U made it sound like drugs or something. Now i learn L lens is a taboo for poor people like me. Haha, thanks for ya advice. Just curious, when you do simple editng using photoshop, is a 256 RAM computer accpetable if let's say u capture the shots in RAW or best form of JPEG?
I am STILL a PC user and I know this definitely: If you are running WinXP, 256MB RAM will be the minimum amount needed because WinXP has a lot more of these things called 'Services'. You can look that up when u type in 'msconfig' in the 'Run' section. I'd advise u to get minimum 512MB for photoediting... This will ensure that photoshop will not hang your computer... If you use a 300D, the pictures are very big so if you can get as much RAM as possible the better. If you cannot then 256MB can still get you by with editing but watch out if the computer will hang...

Yup, an L lens is like a drug... I'm addicted... Someone told me 'better go cold turkey!' hehe...

Cheers!
 

nickmak said:
I am STILL a PC user and I know this definitely: If you are running WinXP, 256MB RAM will be the minimum amount needed because WinXP has a lot more of these things called 'Services'. You can look that up when u type in 'msconfig' in the 'Run' section. I'd advise u to get minimum 512MB for photoediting... This will ensure that photoshop will not hang your computer... If you use a 300D, the pictures are very big so if you can get as much RAM as possible the better. If you cannot then 256MB can still get you by with editing but watch out if the computer will hang...

Yup, an L lens is like a drug... I'm addicted... Someone told me 'better go cold turkey!' hehe...

Cheers!

Hi addict,

Thanks for the info. I guess i'll just need to buy an extra RAM when the need arise.. Happy getting addicted with L. :)
 

ok, last reply for tonight.. hope u get your camera soon and hope it'll be of great value to you for the years to come... Don't wanna make it sound like Chinese New Year but yeah... buy more RAM for your computer...

Am addicted to L because of these following lenses:

1) 17-40mm f4L
2) 70-200mm f4L
3) 300mm f4L

Good luck!
 

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