Some enquries on DSLR

[wkteoh]

Nothing beats hands-on experience... my advise is to borrow a friend's camera (lower tier ones should not be a problem - I did that) and/or buy a camera 2nd hand here (with a friend to help you verify if you are feeling insecure) and you can start off with less than $1k. If you decide to upgrade/abandon photography, you can easily sell them the same way you got them... it's actually quite straightforward

 

[saDdyJ86]

Taking a good picture is not just by buying a good camera and pointing and then clicking the button.

You need to know the basics of photography, understand how light affects your picture and how to compose your picture. It is not to discourage you, but you need the right fundamentals before getting any results in your pictures.

If you need resources for basic photography, can either get it in books, read online, attend courses, or attend outings (but do inform the organizers on your level of competency, so the organizer can give you special attention, on top of other attendants to the outing).

Cheers!

thanks bro, hmm... yup once i got a DSLR i would attend the outing for newbie. but then, i would like to ask, if those digital camera user, could they attend the outing too? lolx. cus somehow i find the outing is meant for those DSLR camera user. correct me if i'm wrong.

Just read the links I posted a few posts back. Start reading and you will start to understand what is photography and what it takes to take a good photo. Then you will understand if this is what you want to do, or if this is all over your head.

A beginner entry level cam should be good enough...doesn't matter which brand, A budget of less than 1 k should be good enough..

Some of the things i heard is
Canon - Colour more vibrant
Nikon - Colour More Warm
Sony - Colour More crisp, sharp
pls note that this is not a brand war .. it all depends on individuals. Any slr is better than pns.. it is like taking what u see with your eye...

Nevertheless, what important is technique .. practise, practise and practise ..That all i have to say..

And TS, if you are aiming for the D3000, you might want to hold off a couple of weeks before the replacement model D3100 is released.

The D3100 is leaked to have the following specs:

14 MP CMOS Sensor (23.2 x 15.5 mm)
Live View
3 inch Display
100 – 12800 ISO
ISO setting manual or automatic
11 AF points
full HD Video (1920 x 1080)
new EXPEED2 processor
improved objects recognition for the AF control
improved in-camera menu
user can save picture profiles

thanks bro for your wonderful helps. i will look into those links and tips that your provided to me. many thanks to your.

Nothing beats hands-on experience... my advise is to borrow a friend's camera (lower tier ones should not be a problem - I did that) and/or buy a camera 2nd hand here (with a friend to help you verify if you are feeling insecure) and you can start off with less than $1k. If you decide to upgrade/abandon photography, you can easily sell them the same way you got them... it's actually quite straightforward

hmm... i intend to get a new set of DSLR cus i'm scare of getting a 2nd hand camera as i'm totally a nut head. lolx. maybe as daredevil bro mention, i may hold for a couple of week and see the price of the new nikon 3100. hope it fall within my budget. lolx. if not, i got 2 model in mind currently, as mention by those bro, either nikon d3000 or canon 1000d.

 

[enzeru21]

yup i think the seniors are giving great advice.. maybe if you want you can research more and wait lor, no rush can wait..

 

[nic67]

While I applaud your dedication to provide a lot of advice to our seeker here, I strongly disagree with you in the comments you made (highlight in red).

Pentax Kx has excellent high ISO performance, matching (and in some cases surpassing) D5000, D90, D300, 550D, 50D and 7D.

Pentax Kx is using the same 12MP sensor found in Nikon D5000/D90/D300s and Sony A500.

So entry level and cheap doesn't mean it cannot perform well in high ISO shooting. Please try to get accurate information yourself before sharing. If not, you might mislead our seeker here.

Sorry , mate.

My intention is not to mislead, my comments are on a general basis, meaning, on basic kits like the Canon 1000D, ISO is only available in full steps 100 to 1600, Nikon D3000 only has ISO 100 to 1600, with extension to 3200. These are not exactly the best performing bodies for hand-held night shoot.

So, generally, lower priced bodies are not as versatile in the ISO capabilities, perhaps Pentax is an exception, even if I did misunderstood Pentax's body, I hereby apologize.

But again like I said, I provide info that I deemed to be of help, I do not represent any photo equipment company, nor am I an employee, I'm just a regular guy hoping to cut short the learning curve for newbies, if you are unhappy with my comments on the Pentax, so be it. The only reason I mentioned Pentax is that from what I have read, I think the Pentax K-X deserves a mention as a perfectly viable option for new DSLR users.

I treat DSLR as tools , you may say that I have little or no brand royalty to any equipment I use, that's just me, in the end it's the photos that matters to the photographer, no one would know from a photo that it was shot with a Pentax, Nikon or Canon without any side by side comparison. Therefore, if you think I did make a mistake, simply correct it by all means, so that all would learn from it.

However, I appreciate that you do not provide any innuendo that I'm out to mislead. Thank you.:devil:

 

[saDdyJ86]

sorry, pardon for my noob knowledge, is pentax a model of a camera or a brand, cus i somehow don't seem familiar with this brand beside sony, canon, nikon, samsung and fujifilm. enlighten me if i'm wrong. thanks.

 

[nic67]

sorry, pardon for my noob knowledge, is pentax a model of a camera or a brand, cus i somehow don't seem familiar with this brand beside sony, canon, nikon, samsung and fujifilm. enlighten me if i'm wrong. thanks.

Pentax K-X, Pentax is the camera brand, K-X is the current entry model in the Pentax DSLR series, where there's only 2 models, K-X and the K-7.

Pentax has a long history in the SLR camera, going back to the early 80's film SLR era if I remember correctly. Despite being a smaller camera company, it has its own loyal base of fans, these users swear by the Pentax SLRs. Currently, it's part of the 'Hoya' group of companies, consisting of companies like Tokina DSLR lenses, Hoya filters, etc.. They had worked with Samsung to develop the latest APS-C sensor for their use, it's 14.6 Mega-pixel sensor I think.

Pentax is known for providing innovative products like K-7 like the K10D and K-20D before it, were weather sealed for the price range. Their lenses design is almost in-line with whatever Tokina is offering, most are designed around the APS-C format, despite looking a smaller collection of lenses, the range does cover almost any style of photography.

Main advantage of Pentax is that vibration compensation is built into the body, any lens attached benefits from it.

That's about all I could tell you from here.:think:

You can find out more from here: http://www.pentax.jp/english/

 

[Baracus]

Pentax has a long history in the SLR camera, going back to the early 80's film SLR era if I remember correctly. Despite being a smaller camera company, it has its own loyal base of fans, these users swear by the Pentax SLRs. Currently, it's part of the 'Hoya' group of companies, consisting of companies like Tokina DSLR lenses, Hoya filters, etc.. They had worked with Samsung to develop the latest APS-C sensor for their use, it's 14.6 Mega-pixel sensor I think.

1980s? How about 1952?

Tis a sad day when pioneers are forgotten. Kodak sends their regards. ;p

 

[nic67]

1980s? How about 1952?

Tis a sad day when pioneers are forgotten. Kodak sends their regards. ;p

Wow, cos I can only remember the Pentax ads of the African sunsets I've seen back in the 80's as a kid. 1952 it is!:bsmilie:

 

[saDdyJ86]

ic. great information there. thanks bro. megatex coming this weekend at singapore expo. might be going down to recee for some DSLR camera.

 

[Rashkae]

ic. great information there. thanks bro. megatex coming this weekend at singapore expo. might be going down to recee for some DSLR camera.

That's the worst place possible to look for a DSLR camera.

 

[saDdyJ86]

That's the worst place possible to look for a DSLR camera.

y bro? care to enlighten me? thanks.

 

[iczazache]

Well...usually at this type of events they sell at the RRP...which is higher than what usual shops may offer...the only benefit is they toss in freebies which is not neccessary worth the additional price

 

[saDdyJ86]

Well...usually at this type of events they sell at the RRP...which is higher than what usual shops may offer...the only benefit is they toss in freebies which is not neccessary worth the additional price

really? i thought their price would be discounted? cus i purchase my digital camera at a discounted price at comex fair last year.

 

[wkteoh]

I guess it's safer to buy new if you don't have a friend to help you out on purchasing a second-hand one.

On the subject of COMEX, or some larger (non-camera-specific) electronics retail shop, they like to bundle up the camera with some cheapo accessories (aka 'freebies'). You can get similar price or cheaper at (reputable) camera stores without having to purchase the cheapo accessories as well.

 

[daredevil123]

Sorry , mate.

My intention is not to mislead, my comments are on a general basis, meaning, on basic kits like the Canon 1000D, ISO is only available in full steps 100 to 1600, Nikon D3000 only has ISO 100 to 1600, with extension to 3200. These are not exactly the best performing bodies for hand-held night shoot.

So, generally, lower priced bodies are not as versatile in the ISO capabilities, perhaps Pentax is an exception, even if I did misunderstood Pentax's body, I hereby apologize.

But again like I said, I provide info that I deemed to be of help, I do not represent any photo equipment company, nor am I an employee, I'm just a regular guy hoping to cut short the learning curve for newbies, if you are unhappy with my comments on the Pentax, so be it. The only reason I mentioned Pentax is that from what I have read, I think the Pentax K-X deserves a mention as a perfectly viable option for new DSLR users.

I treat DSLR as tools , you may say that I have little or no brand royalty to any equipment I use, that's just me, in the end it's the photos that matters to the photographer, no one would know from a photo that it was shot with a Pentax, Nikon or Canon without any side by side comparison. Therefore, if you think I did make a mistake, simply correct it by all means, so that all would learn from it.

However, I appreciate that you do not provide any innuendo that I'm out to mislead. Thank you.:devil:

I did not say you are out to mislead. But if you provide information that is inaccurate, you are misleading people unknowningly. Everyone knows you have nothing to gain here by doing it on purpose. To say that I am accusing you of intentional misinformation is simply ridiculous, and I do not see how you can misread my post to come to such an incomprehensible conclusion. :dunno::dunno::think:

your point that lower priced bodies are not as versatile in the ISO capabilities is a thing of the past. Pentax Kx is as versatile in ISO as D90/D300/A500 simply because it uses the same sensor made by Sony. It has an image processer that is more advanced (because it is newer) and thus the High ISO noise performance edges out the abovementioned models. It is lower priced simply because of market strategy, where Pentax is trying to gain market share. There is nothing to say that a certain company cannot sell a lower priced entry level camera with as good ISO capabilities as other mid priced models.

BTW. I have no brand loyalty too. I also see cameras as tools. I am a Nikon DSLR user, not Pentax. And I have other systems in my dry cab, apart from Nikon, but none from Pentax. I am also not a camera sales man, nor do I have any stake in any business related to photographic equipment sales. My whole point is that, you need give right information when giving advice. If you are not sure, the internet is right by your fingertips. You could have just done a very quick search before posting any information you present. It is called due diligence. And when you do present information, be prepared to be called on it if it is inaccurate. I have been corrected on many occasions and I am happy people do that. We all learn through this exercises.

And about you saying "Therefore, if you think I did make a mistake, simply correct it by all means, so that all would learn from it.". So what do you think I am doing? in this and last reply to you? If I do not think others(including you) would benefit from my reply, I would not bother to. You really think I like to correct people's mistakes just for fun?

And I hoped you already saw the news leak about the new D3100, which is going to replace D3000 as the new low price entry level camera body. It is still unofficial at this point, but we shall see...

The D3100 is leaked to have the following specs:

14 MP CMOS Sensor (23.2 x 15.5 mm)
Live View
3 inch Display
100 – 12800 ISO

 

[pinholecam]

TS, a Pentax Kx is well featured and good performing for its price ($790 with 18-55mm kit lens).

The camera does come with great high iso JPEG quality that in fact slightly better that a D90 (even with the same sensor)
Sample picts @ISO3200
Kx - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...XINBI03200.HTM
D90 - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...90INBI3200.HTM
500D - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...IINBI03200.HTM

Shake Reduction is on the camera body, so all lenses mounted on it will benefit. There is no need to buy specific VR lenses.
The camera is backward compatible to all older K-mount lenses, so no confusion to older (ie. cheaper while as good) lenses not being usable.


As Baracus has pointed out above, this is the 1st Japanese company to produce a SLR and has had many innovations in the history of SLR manufacture.

If you are interested in looking at one, try Manly in Chinatown; DSLR Revolution in Funan; MSColor in AMK and OP in SLS.
Pentax does not participate in PC Shows.

 

[saDdyJ86]

I guess it's safer to buy new if you don't have a friend to help you out on purchasing a second-hand one.

On the subject of COMEX, or some larger (non-camera-specific) electronics retail shop, they like to bundle up the camera with some cheapo accessories (aka 'freebies'). You can get similar price or cheaper at (reputable) camera stores without having to purchase the cheapo accessories as well.

ic. could you recommend some reputable camera store? thanks. and by the way bro, correct me if i'm wrong. if at camera store u purchase for this price is the same as you purchase at comex or other event sale but with free gift, would you rather purchase it at the comex then?

I did not say you are out to mislead. But if you provide information that is inaccurate, you are misleading people unknowningly. Everyone knows you have nothing to gain here by doing it on purpose. To say that I am accusing you of intentional misinformation is simply ridiculous, and I do not see how you can misread my post to come to such an incomprehensible conclusion. :dunno::dunno::think:

your point that lower priced bodies are not as versatile in the ISO capabilities is a thing of the past. Pentax Kx is as versatile in ISO as D90/D300/A500 simply because it uses the same sensor made by Sony. It has an image processer that is more advanced (because it is newer) and thus the High ISO noise performance edges out the abovementioned models. It is lower priced simply because of market strategy, where Pentax is trying to gain market share. There is nothing to say that a certain company cannot sell a lower priced entry level camera with as good ISO capabilities as other mid priced models.

BTW. I have no brand loyalty too. I also see cameras as tools. I am a Nikon DSLR user, not Pentax. And I have other systems in my dry cab, apart from Nikon, but none from Pentax. I am also not a camera sales man, nor do I have any stake in any business related to photographic equipment sales. My whole point is that, you need give right information when giving advice. If you are not sure, the internet is right by your fingertips. You could have just done a very quick search before posting any information you present. It is called due diligence. And when you do present information, be prepared to be called on it if it is inaccurate. I have been corrected on many occasions and I am happy people do that. We all learn through this exercises.

And about you saying "Therefore, if you think I did make a mistake, simply correct it by all means, so that all would learn from it.". So what do you think I am doing? in this and last reply to you? If I do not think others(including you) would benefit from my reply, I would not bother to. You really think I like to correct people's mistakes just for fun?

And I hoped you already saw the news leak about the new D3100, which is going to replace D3000 as the new low price entry level camera body. It is still unofficial at this point, but we shall see...

icic. hmm. guess i waiting for d3100 to release. any idea when it releasing bro?

TS, a Pentax Kx is well featured and good performing for its price ($790 with 18-55mm kit lens).

The camera does come with great high iso JPEG quality that in fact slightly better that a D90 (even with the same sensor)
Sample picts @ISO3200
Kx - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...XINBI03200.HTM
D90 - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...90INBI3200.HTM
500D - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...IINBI03200.HTM

Shake Reduction is on the camera body, so all lenses mounted on it will benefit. There is no need to buy specific VR lenses.
The camera is backward compatible to all older K-mount lenses, so no confusion to older (ie. cheaper while as good) lenses not being usable.


As Baracus has pointed out above, this is the 1st Japanese company to produce a SLR and has had many innovations in the history of SLR manufacture.

If you are interested in looking at one, try Manly in Chinatown; DSLR Revolution in Funan; MSColor in AMK and OP in SLS.
Pentax does not participate in PC Shows.

thanks bro, but correct me if i'm wrong, i seldom see people carry pentax. hahax.

 

[enzeru21]

thanks bro, but correct me if i'm wrong, i seldom see people carry pentax. hahax.

nothing wrong with Pentax i guess, just everyone has their own preferred brand.. before i was converted to a Canon user, i was quite fond of Panasonic.. in fact i still like their range.. but for DSLR i stuck with Canon..

and most people will stick with the two big brands for reasons they have..

 

[daredevil123]

ic. could you recommend some reputable camera store? thanks. and by the way bro, correct me if i'm wrong. if at camera store u purchase for this price is the same as you purchase at comex or other event sale but with free gift, would you rather purchase it at the comex then?

Comex prices really sucks. Just get the camera during Comex but at the normal stores. For list of stores look at price guide section. You can get pricing and store info there.

icic. hmm. guess i waiting for d3100 to release. any idea when it releasing bro?

Many people saying it will be announced within this month. Once announced, you will see it on the store shelves as soon as 2 to 4 weeks.

thanks bro, but correct me if i'm wrong, i seldom see people carry pentax. hahax.

Funny. I see many people carrying Pentax esp Kx nowadays. What you don't know you don't see?

 

[Octarine]

ic. could you recommend some reputable camera store? thanks. and by the way bro, correct me if i'm wrong. if at camera store u purchase for this price is the same as you purchase at comex or other event sale but with free gift, would you rather purchase it at the comex then?

In Consumers Corner (Marketplace): http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=340845
Price Guides (Marketplace): http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=124
Unlikely that you will find similar prices at shops and Comex. These IT fairs always sell RRP and include some freebies (read: things that are cheap and look somewhat helpful, but aren't). Shops start the other way around: Camera set only, lowest price, then including useful things. Up to you to say "no" and only take the basic kit. Get only what you know, never trust a sales person telling you what you should get.