Newbie here

[xmysticalzx]

hi butties, good day to everyone out there.

im kinda new to photography and currently now researching and reading up on photography as well as the cameras.
i have been borrowing books from the library as well as getting magazines from stores.

would like to get a camera and kits within this 1-3 months.

budget wise, i have not really set a budget for the camera and kits

Actually i have been eyeing canon eos 7D because of its superior specs as compared to the entry level ones

- 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- 8 frames per second continuous shooting
- 1080p HD video recording with manual controls
- 3.0 inch Clear View II LCD screen with 920,000 dots
- 19-point AF system (all cross-type)

but i understand the cost of eos 7D is like around 2.7k as quoted from SLR-R with kit lenses, thats not all, gotta include dry cabinet/dry box, extra batteries, filters, cleaning kit, camera bag, battery grips. what else did i miss out??
the cost is like around 3k - 3.2k? i understand that the price is quite steep for a beginner like me who has budget constraints.

At the same time, im looking at other models like canon eos 550D and nikon D90 which is at a cheaper cost around 1.4k - 1.6k with kit lens.

any other recommendations for camera as in which models shd i be looking into also?
currently looking into canon or nikon.

battery grips - do u guys get battery grips? for the convenience of vertical shoot and storage of batteries. im looking at those 3rd party grips which can be found at the mass sales. ( do u guys get your grips from there too?? is it reliable/trustworthy?)

dry cabinet - im looking from the mass sales too (reddotphoto) ( where do u guys get your dry cab from? stores like carefour? camera stores? forum? )

camera bag - not sure if i need to invest in one now as this camera im getting would be my first dslr though and the items i have would be just the camera and the kit lens. however, will be targeting at other lens in time to come and might be on vacation at the end of this year.

advices and recommendations would be greatly appreciated by the seniors here.
i still have much much more to learn here.
cheers.

 

[daredevil123]

.... i understand that the price is quite steep for a beginner like me who has budget constraints.

At the same time, im looking at other models like canon eos 550D and nikon D90 which is at a cheaper cost around 1.4k - 1.6k with kit lens.

any other recommendations for camera as in which models shd i be looking into also?
currently looking into canon or nikon.

If you only want to consider Nikon or Canon, the two you mentioned are pretty much it. Unless you want to consider the 50D.

battery grips - do u guys get battery grips? for the convenience of vertical shoot and storage of batteries. im looking at those 3rd party grips which can be found at the mass sales. ( do u guys get your grips from there too?? is it reliable/trustworthy?)

One battery can last you a full day of non-stop shooting. Are the stuff you are shooting so hurried that you cannot change a battery from your pocket/bag? Takes me around 5 seconds to do a battery swap. And I find chickenwing is ok for me, since I do not shoot portraits all day long. And btw, if you haven't found out, battery grips with batteries loaded, are heavy! But then again, it is you that need to answer this questions. Me? I never bother with grips. And if I do get one, I will go original. For the money for a grip, I rather use that money and get a better tripod, but that is just me.

dry cabinet - im looking from the mass sales too (reddotphoto) ( where do u guys get your dry cab from? stores like carefour? camera stores? forum? )

Dry cab get from anywhere is pretty much same. Price same, product same, quality same.

camera bag - not sure if i need to invest in one now as this camera im getting would be my first dslr though and the items i have would be just the camera and the kit lens. however, will be targeting at other lens in time to come and might be on vacation at the end of this year.

No bag? So how to carry? just sling the camera across your shoulder all the time? If you bring the camera outdoors to take pic, what if it rains, what if mud splashes. What if you are handling other things and the camera slip off your shoulder and crash to the ground? Bags are not expensive and they last a long time. Most people sell their bags way before they get damaged and unusable.

 

[xmysticalzx]

No bag? So how to carry? just sling the camera across your shoulder all the time? If you bring the camera outdoors to take pic, what if it rains, what if mud splashes. What if you are handling other things and the camera slip off your shoulder and crash to the ground? Bags are not expensive and they last a long time. Most people sell their bags way before they get damaged and unusable.

what kinda bag shd i get?? for future uses right? in case i get more lens. which bag is good? any recommendations? sling bag would be quite stressing for the shoulder right?

 

[cleonbus]

what kinda bag shd i get?? for future uses right? in case i get more lens. which bag is good? any recommendations? sling bag would be quite stressing for the shoulder right?

Welcome to CS

For bags,you might wanna go down to CP/TK and OP to take a look

 

[daredevil123]

what kinda bag shd i get?? for future uses right? in case i get more lens. which bag is good? any recommendations? sling bag would be quite stressing for the shoulder right?

Different people has different needs, and have different preferences. Best is if you go down to TK foto or CP and look at the ranges available.

 

[pokiemon]

welcome to cs. i wouldn't worry too much about accessories at this point of time i.e. dry cabinets, tripod, professional bags etc.

would invest my time to read up on the technicals and improve skills.

 

[dleugene]

welcome to cs. i wouldn't worry too much about accessories at this point of time i.e. dry cabinets, tripod, professional bags etc.

would invest my time to read up on the technicals and improve skills.

I agreed that TS should read up to improve.:think:

But he should also look for a dry cabinet to protect his investment.
As for camera bag, i think Canon & Nikon are giving it as a free gift for new purchases.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

I agreed that TS should read up to improve.:think:

But he should also look for a dry cabinet to protect his investment.
As for camera bag, i think Canon & Nikon are giving it as a free gift for new purchases.

Depends where the camera is bought from
For me, if there's a store selling cheaper but w/o "free" bag, I'd go for that. Then I can use the $ to buy a bag I really need.


TS, some of your questions are very personal, and hence it would be impossible for us to give you a wholehearted suggestion.
With bags, it's partly fashion as well. You might not want a black bag. You might want something retro. Something funky. The choices are bewildering. What you're asking is akin to asking for suggestion on what type of underwear to get
check out lowepro, think-tank, domke, billingham, kata for ideas.

Work out your budget first then plan accordingly.

 

[xmysticalzx]

welcome to cs. i wouldn't worry too much about accessories at this point of time i.e. dry cabinets, tripod, professional bags etc.

would invest my time to read up on the technicals and improve skills.

yup!! well, im currently reading up on the technical fundamentals as well as improving of skills. hmmm... do u have other recommendations?? maybe book or whatsoever?
i would welcome any

I agreed that TS should read up to improve.:think:

But he should also look for a dry cabinet to protect his investment.
As for camera bag, i think Canon & Nikon are giving it as a free gift for new purchases.

hmmm.... yeah!! a dry cabinet. u guys dun like dry box right?? as in dry cab would protect your camera and lens in terms of the humidity and long term as well.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

yup!! well, im currently reading up on the technical fundamentals as well as improving of skills. hmmm... do u have other recommendations?? maybe book or whatsoever?
i would welcome any



hmmm.... yeah!! a dry cabinet. u guys dun like dry box right?? as in dry cab would protect your camera and lens in terms of the humidity and long term as well.

actually I still think the fastest way to learn is just to cover the basics, then get down to actually using the camera and capturing images, but always with a self-critical mind.

So in that sense the most cost-effective way to get started would be to get a cheap entry-level model, or a 2nd-hand mid-range one.
That way if you either:
1) give up the hobby
2) outgrow the camera
you can sell your initial purchase for reduced loss.
It's very very hard to pick the "right" camera straight off... unless maybe you've had extensive use of one on loan (company, friend, relative).


dry cabinet is more spacious, and the humidity is regulated. With a dry box it's just more troublesome in the long run, that's all. But both achieve the same goal

 

[xmysticalzx]

so do u guys read up books or magazines on photography??

any books to recommend for a beginner for me??

i understand that bryan peterson's books on photography is good.

 

[junliang78]

so do u guys read up books or magazines on photography??

any books to recommend for a beginner for me??

i understand that bryan peterson's books on photography is good.

Just read what and where you can . If you feel Bryan Peterson books is good ,read them . Read not flip , a book can last you a month + ? The more you read the more you will find out what you need to know or do not need to know

 

[daredevil123]

so do u guys read up books or magazines on photography??

any books to recommend for a beginner for me??

i understand that bryan peterson's books on photography is good.

Have you tried the libraries? Many books on photography that you can borrow for free. Save some cash for other stuff.

 

[allenleonhart]

welcome!

 

[xmysticalzx]

Just read what and where you can . If you feel Bryan Peterson books is good ,read them . Read not flip , a book can last you a month + ? The more you read the more you will find out what you need to know or do not need to know

yup. i managed to get his book. i love his books and is currently reading em. enjoys bryan peterson's books

There are many books and web site that teach you about photography.

But the best one are the one that include photos with camera setting like f2.8,exposure 1/4 sec, ISO 100 :thumbsup:.

You can learn from the camera setting and know what setting to use when you encounter the similiar situations.

i have gotten a few books. any good webbie to introduce??

Have you tried the libraries? Many books on photography that you can borrow for free. Save some cash for other stuff.

yeah. the library is definitely a good place to borrow books for free but some or most of em have been loaned out. gotta try your luck though.

welcome!

thank u.

 

[xmysticalzx]

btw apart from nikon d90 and canon eos 550d, any other camera which i shd be looking at??

 

[Octarine]

btw apart from nikon d90 and canon eos 550d, any other camera which i shd be looking at??

There is Sony, Olympus, Pentax ...

 

[xmysticalzx]

welcome u here

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