[JLS]

Originally Posted by it_inspector

Filters are a necessary evil. One can spend hours or days in photoshop and its still not possible to create effects created by filters. Some examples are:-

- Nd filters
- Half Nd or Gnd filters
- Polarizer filter

Also no one bumps/drops/hits their lens intentionally. Accidents happen. And the thing is with filters like Hoya Pro1 D protector filter, its designed with someone dropping the lens in mind and when dropped it acts like a cars crunch zone and takes all the energy protecting the lens.

I have personally seen few broken lens because the owner skimped on a $50 protector filter, dropped the lens and lost $2000.

If these are not worth it then Nikon/Canon will stop adding protective glass in front of expensive super tele lenses.

Also hood stops only and only lights from different angles, which will bounce inside the lens and give flare, it serves no other purpose.

Cheers

I agree with you on other filters(ND, polarizer), but in my opinion cheap UV filter really degrades the quality of photograph and high quality filters are not cheap. So on a 500$ lens, I do not want to spend 100$ for good quality UV filter.
The UV filters from Canon are probably 20$ and of cheap quality.
Each brand ( Hoya, Tiffin, etc) have cheap(starting from 20$) and good quality(up to 100-150$) UV filters, and these prices go up very quickly as lens dia increases.

So, its debate bet's spending good amount on top of lens price for (really good)UV filter as insurance or buy a cheaper UV filter and have average images from otherwise good sharp lens

Regards,

JLS



want to

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by clevermax

Autofocus: Perfect
Zoom: Perfect
Infinity focussing: Still to test
Picture sharpness: As before
Lens's structural integrity: As before

I wanted to test the sharpness of my lens again after the surgery. Took some sample pics indoors. No PP done except some color correction. Looks alright.

Original frame:


100% crop:


Slightly cropped frame:


100% Crop:


Hope the lens is still good, your thoughts....

[SunnyBoi]

The Sigma 150-500 is a very good lens, if you dont consider the slow aperture. However the lens itself weighs close to 2KGs, 450g more than the 100-400.

[it_inspector]

Originally Posted by JLS

I agree with you on other filters(ND, polarizer), but in my opinion cheap UV filter really degrades the quality of photograph and high quality filters are not cheap. So on a 500$ lens, I do not want to spend 100$ for good quality UV filter.
The UV filters from Canon are probably 20$ and of cheap quality.
Each brand ( Hoya, Tiffin, etc) have cheap(starting from 20$) and good quality(up to 100-150$) UV filters, and these prices go up very quickly as lens dia increases.

So, its debate bet's spending good amount on top of lens price for (really good)UV filter as insurance or buy a cheaper UV filter and have average images from otherwise good sharp lens

Regards,

JLS



want to

Well its more a personal choice than debate.

Hoya is nowhere cheap and even the green filters are very good.

Like i said in the end its your choice. Its more like an accidental protection/insurance. One might want it, other will not.

That being said, effects on image quality. Well so far i have not seen a single example where UV/Protector filters increased or degraded IQ. I am talking about Hoya and the kind, not cheap knockoffs and $2 junk from ebay and dealextreme.

Cheers

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by it_inspector

Hoya is nowhere cheap and even the green filters are very good.

I have a Hoya UV Filter and a 62mm Hoya CPL. But I seldom use these. In fact, the UV filter is not used at all. I use CPL rarely when I am taking some car shots or when I want to cut out some light.

IMO, using a UV filter (no matter cheap or expensive) is not serving you any purpose at all apart from protecting the front glass surface. You don't need a UV filter to prevent UV from falling on the DSLR sensor.

Again, for protection, I use the lens's long hood. That gives protection and does not degrade the output in anyway, in fact it improves the picture contrasts sometimes by preventing sunlight to fall directly on the glass.

[JLS]

Originally Posted by SunnyBoi

The Sigma 150-500 is a very good lens, if you dont consider the slow aperture. However the lens itself weighs close to 2KGs, 450g more than the 100-400.

+1 to that.
Weight is very important consideration, which we miss many times while choosing a lens - I personally would not carry 2 KG lens along with whole bag of other stuff unless just on a photo tour.

Regards,

JLS

[iamswift]

Originally Posted by clevermax

Again, for protection, I use the lens's long hood. That gives protection and does not degrade the output in anyway, in fact it improves the picture contrasts sometimes by preventing sunlight to fall directly on the glass.

I agree uv filters offer no feature other than protecting the lens.
I assume atleast 75% of people buy it for protection of lens.
I also feel that hood alone would not complete the job of protecting the lens. Its always dusty out there and I strongly feel uv filters would come in handy for those situations.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

Though this might be OT, but I found the Cam/Lense bags of this guys really amazing, he had no backpack, and had both hands free with cam tucked in
Attachment 210692

See the 3rd pic from the bottom in this link http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/152974-post15.html
Its Sam's BIL and he is using the same kind of lens bags. Now you know whom to contact to get more info.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

See the 3rd pic from the bottom in this link http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/152974-post15.html
Its Sam's BIL and he is using the same kind of lens bags. Now you know whom to contact to get more info.

Sam's BIL has a Lowepro kit of bags I think. the bag you are talking about is a lens bag only and only carries the big 100-400 lens.
Lowepro - Lens Cases
if you see the last photo you will see another bag which carries the body and smaller lens.
Lowepro - Beltpacks
Lowepro - Outback 300

however if you want a back-pack that still gives you access to the camera without putting the bag on the ground you can consider this
Lowepro - Fastpack 350
Tamrac also makes something similar
Tamrac - Model 3385 - Aero Speed Pack 85 Photo/Laptop Backpack
I use Kata 3N1-30 (today the 3N1-33 would make more sense)
Video bags camera bags Kata - Manufacturer of camera bags

kata & tamrac also make belt packs. here are kata's versions.
http://www.kata-bags.com/product.asp...&Version=Photo
http://www.kata-bags.com/product.asp...&Version=Photo

[sachinj12]

Guys, need some help. Please suggest which camera to go for. To start with, I own a canon powershot series A710IS. Though I love photography, I haven't attended any workshops and my experience with photography is almost nil. Except for the rare occasion like a trip or family function/get together I haven't got a chance to use my camera. To be honest, I hardly know what my camera is capable of,hoping to attend a workshop whenever time permits. Cut to present, I am on the look out for a good DSLR camera. The camera will be bought from US by a family friend who returns in three months time. I need something which is few notches higher than an entry level. I would also be getting a zoom lens along with it. Keeping these in mind, please suggest a camera and a suitable zoom lens and the brand to opt for( I am personally more inclined towards Nikon) and an approx estimate of the cost? I know without a fixed budget its hard to suggest as the price varies from a few thousands to a few lakhs. Correct me if I am wrong, I believe prices in US are less compared to our country. So what is available for INR 60-75k here would cost INR 40-45k there. So the budget maybe assumed around INR 50-55k

[JackSparrow]

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Guys, need some help. Please suggest which camera to go for. To start with, I own a canon powershot series A710IS. Though I love photography, I haven't attended any workshops and my experience with photography is almost nil. Except for the rare occasion like a trip or family function/get together I haven't got a chance to use my camera. To be honest, I hardly know what my camera is capable of,hoping to attend a workshop whenever time permits. Cut to present, I am on the look out for a good DSLR camera. The camera will be bought from US by a family friend who returns in three months time. I need something which is few notches higher than an entry level. I would also be getting a zoom lens along with it. Keeping these in mind, please suggest a camera and a suitable zoom lens and the brand to opt for( I am personally more inclined towards Nikon) and an approx estimate of the cost? I know without a fixed budget its hard to suggest as the price varies from a few thousands to a few lakhs. Correct me if I am wrong, I believe prices in US are less compared to our country. So what is available for INR 60-75k here would cost INR 40-45k there. So the budget maybe assumed around INR 50-55k

I am no expert in DSLR cameras but as far as my knowledge and research goes, go for Nikon D90(since you wanted a Nikon). It's within your budget and is a pretty good camera. Check out this link:
Nikon D90 Guide

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by navin

Sam's BIL has a Lowepro kit of bags I think. the bag you are talking about is a lens bag only and only carries the big 100-400 lens.
Lowepro - Lens Cases
if you see the last photo you will see another bag which carries the body and smaller lens.
Lowepro - Beltpacks
Lowepro - Outback 300

however if you want a back-pack that still gives you access to the camera without putting the bag on the ground you can consider this
Lowepro - Fastpack 350
Tamrac also makes something similar
Tamrac - Model 3385 - Aero Speed Pack 85 Photo/Laptop Backpack
I use Kata 3N1-30 (today the 3N1-33 would make more sense)
Video bags camera bags Kata - Manufacturer of camera bags

kata & tamrac also make belt packs. here are kata's versions.
Video bags camera bags Kata - Manufacturer of camera bags
Video bags camera bags Kata - Manufacturer of camera bags

Thanks for the links Navin, but which of these are available in India? I know Jayesh in Bangalore sells camera bags but not sure which brands and whether he'll have the model I want.

[robimahanta]

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Guys, need some help. Please suggest which camera to go for.....I would also be getting a zoom lens along with it. Keeping these in mind, please suggest a camera and a suitable zoom lens and the brand to opt for( I am personally more inclined towards Nikon) and an approx estimate of the cost?....so the budget maybe assumed around INR 50-55k

You can get the Nikon D90 with the NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR kit lens for around 1100 USD from reliable sites like adorama.com. It fits your budget perfectly and is probably the best Nikon Dslr in that price range.

Alternatively you may also get the D90 with Tamron 28-80mm and 70-300mm lenses for the same amount of money.

But in my opinion buying the 18-105mm would be a better option.

If you decide on Canon..you can buy the 50D with the EF S 17-85 f/4-5.6 IS USM for around 1300 USD

But if this is gonna be your first Dslr then getting the 500D body for 600 USD (u'll get Hd video as well) with some better glass as per your shooting requirement would make more sense.

or getting the 500D with 18-55mm and 55-250mm all for 1000 USD (best bet for beginners)

[ph03n!x]

..and if you (@sachinj12) dont mind refurbished, check my post a couple of pages back!

[navin]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Thanks for the links Navin, but which of these are available in India? I know Jayesh in Bangalore sells camera bags but not sure which brands and whether he'll have the model I want.

I know Kata is. I dont know about the others. I only have Kata bags.