Team-BHP - The DSLR Thread

Well so much of knowledge on this thread giving me complex and forced me to postpone my impulsive purchase plan earlier.

Gents can some one comment on Pentax/Samsung K/G 10/20 or K7 is it worth investing in Indian conditions or sticking to Nikon/Canon is best bet for an average joe who is not too deep in to photography but want to buy DSLR to discover all the Jazz .

Actually I searched on ebay and I am finding used zoom lenses lot cheaper for Pentax mounts rather then Canon or Nikon mounts. Can this be a deciding factor ? How popular is Pentax in our country.

Just want to know opinions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen (Post 1597950)

Holding a camera and feeling it is important. But how much of that is deciding camera purchase is a question.

If one doesn't feel comfortable holding the camera they won`t take it with them everywhere and miss a lot of opportunities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by navin (Post 1597955)

...now only if I could find a cure for my senility!

Scotch???

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 1598074)

Thanks TG, that takes care of Nikon. Now let's hear from somebody who has used Canon dSLR with anti-dust feature in really dusty condition.

I agree with TG and i use both nikon and canon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitk26 (Post 1598197)

Gents can some one comment on Pentax/Samsung K/G 10/20 or K7 is it worth investing in Indian conditions or sticking to Nikon/Canon is best bet for an average joe who is not too deep in to photography but want to buy DSLR to discover all the Jazz .

Actually I searched on ebay and I am finding used zoom lenses lot cheaper for Pentax mounts rather then Canon or Nikon mounts. Can this be a deciding factor ? How popular is Pentax in our country.

Just want to know opinions.

Pentax was one of the best during film times. LTD lenses are still amazing. Problem is pentax has small market share and until it releases Full Frame DSLR`s its going to stay the same. K7 has managed to keep older pentax users from jumping the boat, but for how long, only time will tell.

Samsung is rebranded pentax with firmware tweaks.

K7 is really good but i cannot comment on the availability of lenses and accessories in INDIA. If you want to know more about pentax, you should visit pentax forums.

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by it_inspector (Post 1598312)

Well above information is pretty obvious , My question was specifically about Pentax user base and promise of cheap accessories in India and If there are any obvious flaws in this line of Camera (analogues to absence of prism in Olympus PEN ) which makes Nikon / Canon more desirable.

What has kindled my Interest in this is not Pentax but upcoming Samsung GX30 specs which will be out in 1Q10 as per internal info I have. If suppose cheap Pentex lenses are a reality this makes it killer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitk26 (Post 1598375)

Well Olympus PEN is not a DSLR its more like a P&S with capabilities of DSLR.

Samsung GX30, well its not clear whether it will be K7 or a new system, if its K7 then it will be running samsung's firmware rather than Pentax.

I think it has been mentioned few pages back that Pentax doesn't have support available in INDIA. I could be wrong though.

If you are keen on Pentax or other than Nikon/Canon why not go Sony alternative?

Quote:

Originally Posted by it_inspector (Post 1598430)

Well Sony has nothing extra and I do not think Minolta mount adds any value in India.
Samsung and Pentax is joint development and next one from Samsung ( weather branded GX30 or not) will have build in GPS and WiFi among host of other things. So if it is optically sound ( weakest link in Samsung chain before tie up with Schneider and Pentax ) then that makes it good buy provided support is there.
The firmware changes mentioned by you are only in terms of JPG encoder and UI improvement and from the domain I work in ( mobiles) Samsung is very fussy about it and Samsung will be any day better then Pentax in this department.

I saw some demos in Korea and kind of liked the features though not sure when and if at all they will ever make it to market.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitk26 (Post 1598463)

Why buy Pentax/Samsung if you have so many doubts. If its just to be different then I can understand, otherwise Canon/Nikon is a no brainer. if the price difference for an equally equipped Nik/Can is far too prohibitive only then should you consider Pentax or if you have a lot of Legacy pentax lenses to shoot with. If investing in a new system canon/Nikon make a lot of sense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitk26 (Post 1598463)

Well the way it looks, sony might just trump Pentax soon. Sony has the capacity to do it and are preparing to do it. Sony already produces and supplies Sensors to Pentax/canon/Nikon/Samsung/olympus and sony has made it clear about their intentions in DSLR world.

To be honest, i don't have much faith in Samsung, so far Samsung has not been able to churn out any P&S that stands away from the crowd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen (Post 1598415)

I would love to know how many of us here carry their camera regularly with them? :p

Anyway let's go back to the topic.

I do, whats the point of a lowepro trekker if i cannot take basic kit everywhere.

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by it_inspector (Post 1597719)

Its called Fotosnaiper (or Photosniper). Basically a gun stock + butt with camera and lens mounted on the top. This gave the ergonomics, steadiness, accuracy and ease of movement like a gun with heavy lenses, It was made by Zenit. It was a radical product but sold and marketed for the wrong reasons.

Photosniper was not a hit but now its a rare item and is valued a lot by bird shooters. Since it works best in extreme conditions. Panning is very easy with photosniper.

You can find long reviews of photosniper on google and pictures are available on flickr. Few people have tried to mimic it and get a DIY solution but have not been that successful.

Its not available anymore, but i believe Bushhawk Shoulder Mount is closest you can get. Just remember not to goto an airport with one ;) specially if you keep silicon gels pieces to absorb moisture in your kit.

Cheers

hmm. so u can click using the trigger is it ???:Shockked:. how is that connected ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen (Post 1598415)

I would love to know how many of us here carry their camera regularly with them? :p

Anyway let's go back to the topic.

Haha, I sure do! all the time! You can never catch me without my camera, its funny actually..since even now, technically i do not have a camera, but my friend happily gave me his D700 to use till i get the other cam, so that its not rusted away, he is of the not so regular kind :D

Coming back to the topic,yeah i think how a camera feels in the hand is quite important...i hate plasticy feel..i prefer a sli9ghtly heavy and solid feel when i hold a camera.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitk26 (Post 1598197)

is it worth investing in Indian conditions or sticking to Nikon/Canon

Service to me is critical. Canon/Nikon have more service centers than most everyone else. When I bought my camera Canon had many more service centers than Nikon, I am told that Nikon has closed the gap though atleast in most of the major metros.

Samurai has an Olympus kit. So far he seems to have managed well. I dont know much about Pentax or it's service network in India.

Quote:

Originally Posted by it_inspector (Post 1598312)

If one doesn't feel comfortable holding the camera they won`t take it with them everywhere and miss a lot of opportunities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by it_inspector (Post 1598591)

I do, whats the point of a lowepro trekker if i cannot take basic kit everywhere.

You mean to say you take your DSLR kit everywhere? Wow! You must have a huge collection of fantastic photos (your camera kit is impressive too). Do you have a website (pbase, flicker, etc..)?

I usually carry a small P&S to the office but usually the best camera I have with me is my mobile phone. A DSLR is just too cumbersome. It is great for family functions or even travel but to carry everywhere? why? I'd be considered a nut if I did. :D Actually I am considered a nut in any case if I constantly carried a DLSR kit with me they'd lock me up and throw away the key!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen (Post 1598622)

I find lowepro trekker cumbersome to lug around everyday. I take it for my long trips outside city. For everyday use I carry lowepro Stealth Reporter. Find it much more compact to move around.

I have a small Kata holster for day trips and a Kata 3N1-30 (wish I had waited for the 3N1-33) for the longer trips even then I carry my DSLR only if I plan to take pics. Ofcourse I do miss many an opportunity but then I dont intend to capture my life on film. I would rather enjoy the moment than be looking for my camera and worrying about apature and exposure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPARKled (Post 1598545)

Yes you are right , I just asked to do a small dipstick survey in this community of photo gurus and no responses indicate Pentax will not find much support in India. So now Olympus and Pentax are ruled out due to pretty much same reasons and I am back to Nikon / Canon.

As I want entry level stuff ( price point wise) new D90 and 50D are out of the consideration.

So coming back to popular question with no obvious answers Canon 500D or Nikon D5000 or Canon 1000D / Nikon D3000.

People on forum suggest used 40D or D60 but I do not know any reliable source from whom I can buy used ones at reasonable price.

Can e-bay sellers be trusted in India ? There seems to be no listing from individuals but regular grey-market operators on e-bay.

Is there any used DSLR buyers guide / checklist ?

Sorry for asking too many questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman (Post 1597517)

Sankar,

I lusted over the Nikons before economics beat ergonomics and I got myself the 500D+twin lens in 42k from Japan. Other than that, the rest is frankly "mine is better than yours" syndrome!

Sure yes, economy is what hurts the most than ergonomy :)
But I'm a sucker for build quality, fit & finish and ergonomics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaushik_s (Post 1597675)

I've used a camera without auto sensor cleaning facility for 3 long years. Didn't find much issue with dust. Dust was there but with a nice blow of air from a blower with the camera in sensor cleaning mode took care of the dust most of the time.
Do B&H still sells refurbished cameras? If so I think that'll be quite safe to get from them. I remember another TBHPian told me about another place called KEH who sells such stuff and reliable too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by it_inspector (Post 1597719)

As said above. It isn't a big thing. Even the best dust shake off facility isn't that good. They remove dry particles of dust but more stubborn ones stay stuck. Blower is second best method and is the easiest method to remove dust. Best method is Cooperhill Wet/Dry kit. I am not sure if its available in INDIA but should be relatively easy to order over the Internet.

B&H and KEH are decent stores. I personally havn`t bought anything from them but few friends have bought rare lenses/cameras when they were available as second hand items.

Quote:

Originally Posted by navin (Post 1597955)

In the film days I got a N65 and some refurbished Nikkor prime lenses from KEH. I had no trouble with any of the stuff they sent. My N80 and zooms were bought from Adorama and they were very helpful and helped me choose the right combo of lenses to get me started. I can recommend both. I have visited the big B&H store (it gets bigger every few years) on 9th Av and 42nd street (a block west of Penn. St.) for various things like light meters, camera cases, etc.. and found them pretty rushed and they tend to serve the big ticket spenders better than us ordinary folk but they stuiff they have is good and genuine.

Thanks for your valuable input guys!
Finally done the deed! I bought a refurbished 40D (body only) from Adorama. It comes with a 1 year store warranty but that's useless here anyways. I went with 40D instead of 30D since Canon is already into Digic 4 series of processors and didn't want to be two generations behind the latest.