[ampere]

Originally Posted by typeOnegative

Now I am stuck between the Canon EOS 550D and the Nikon D90. I was almost settled on the D90, but the more I read about it, the Canon does not look bad either. Would like your suggestions. I am very manufacturer neutral, and am looking at the long term because getting a DSLR and its system is like a marriage. Divorces are very expensive.

Hold them in your hand and see whose ergonomics you like better.

Its very difficult to explain which is better. I had the same issue, but I settled for 550D. Another one had the same problem and he settled for D90!

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by TheBeastFieast

I am looking for some extension tubes for my nikon 50 f1.8, looking for some pointers.

If you are cheapskate like me when it comes to Photographic equipments you will love these

Auto Focus Macro Extension Tube Set 12/20/36 L8E NIKON - eBay (item 270695622754 end time Jan-28-11 01:21:13 PST)

Else go and buy a kenko auto extension tube set or Novoflex , but I believe chinese tube air will not be inferior to Kenko air.


OT : Yesterday my manfratto clone @64$ tripod from dealextreme arrived after 2 weeks of ordering and I am loving it.
Thanks to Rudra Sen as he endorsed them on this thread looking at pictures and review link I provided.
Actually ordered the item couple of months after the receiving endorsement .

[joshguy]

Hi All,

There are two lenses available at a very cheap rate in smartshoppers which one will you people suggest? or wlll you aske to go for 55-250 Canon @ 11k ?

Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Autofocus Lens
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO Lens

Also i plan to purchase a 8/16GB SDHC card and there is some confusion.There are many cards and they are cheap and some with same capacity cost more,is this bec they have faster writing speed?

4GB 20Mbs is 900 and same 4GB 30mbs is 1500 (sandisk extreme) so whats the difference ?

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by condor

Guys, pls suggest a lens for a Canon EOS 350D.

Intended use mentioned is portraits, sometimes macro. Mid range zoom (does not need to be very high tele).

Thanks !

What lens do you have now?

josh: faster read/write speed means your cam is ready for next shot faster! Guess this works more when you take multiple shots. Lets see what gurus have to say though.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by joshguy

Hi All,

Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Autofocus Lens
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO Lens

Don't know about Tamron but this Sigma is non APO which is not good so avoid , If you are getting Sigma 70-300 APO DG then you can try.

About Canon 55-250 IS depends on what you want , If you want street photography with out frowns/wrath of people this is good as 55 -70 focal length range is what you would need for head-shots.

But when I tested I found Sigma 70-300 APO DG at 263mm sharper and better colors then Canon 55-250 IS at 250mm both hand held. Sigma goes this soft when fully extended at 300mm. For budget lenses in general I think they go soft at the full focal length.

Canon AF motor is quite silent whereas Sigma DC motor makes krr-krr sound while focussing but that should not bother you much.

About SD card difference you will notice once you shoot in burst mode , buy the highest write speed you can get in your budget.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by jkdas

What lens do you have now?

josh: faster read/write speed means your cam is ready for next shot faster! Guess this works more when you take multiple shots. Lets see what gurus have to say though.

It can be faster in burst mode only if the camera can write faster, and has data to support the speed. For example a 15MP frame would have 30MP data in 12/14/16 bit mode if uncompressed and 20 if compressed, so if your supports burst of 3fps, then you need 3 x 20 = 60 after the camera buffer fills up. So if the buffer is 10 frames, then beyond that you have to wait for the buffer to flush data to the card. If you want burst mode beyond the buffer then be prepared to use 60+ cards (if available!). The only way to know is to test both the cards in your camera in the burst mode. In case there is no difference you can go for the lower cost one.

I personally prefer multiple smaller cards rather than one large card, as long as the economics is in my favour, as that not only gives me lee way in case of card mishaps, but also can be used for multiple back up for critical shots.

One thing to note is that irrespective of the speed supported in your camera, faster cards will transfer data faster to the computer if you use a card reader. In case you transfer directly from camera to computer, then do not bother.

[phamilyman]

Buy the transcend card instead of the Sandisk extreme which is overpriced IMNSHO
Welcome to Transcend Online Store
High Speed SDHC Card - SanDisk Extreme® SDHC

both are class 10. Why pay SO much?

[joshguy]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Buy the transcend card instead of the Sandisk extreme which is overpriced IMNSHO
Welcome to Transcend Online Store
High Speed SDHC Card - SanDisk Extreme® SDHC

both are class 10. Why pay SO much?

Thank you for the wonderful link

Guess its half the price of sandisk so i will buy transcend

[kkr2k2]

I remember you married a Nikon!!!

Originally Posted by condor

Guys, pls suggest a lens for a Canon EOS 350D.

Originally Posted by condor

Intended use mentioned is portraits, sometimes macro. Mid range zoom (does not need to be very high tele).....

Originally Posted by amitk26

......
In case you are not inclined on zoom Canon 50 F1.8 with extension tube fills your requirements for portrait and macro.

I would also suggest the the nifty fifty but you wanted a mid range zoom!! Hence have a look at Tamron SP AF28-75/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro (phew!!! what a name!!)
Tamron SP AF28-75/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Review

You have not mentioned the budget, there is a Canon 24-70/2.8L USM around thrice the price of the tamron!!

Originally Posted by ashok_lat

I am newbie in vast camera world. I am using a normal Digital Camera. I want to upgrade to a better camera. So which will be better DSLR or EVIL. If its DSLR means what to buy?? if its EVIL means what will be suitable model. My Budget is 30000/- (+/- 5K)

If it is EVIL, have a look at Panasonic Lumix G1. Its available for 22k with 14-42mm kit lens and with 3 years manufacturer's warranty:
jjmehta.com eShop

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Buy the transcend card instead of the Sandisk extreme which is overpriced IMNSHO
Welcome to Transcend Online Store
High Speed SDHC Card - SanDisk Extreme® SDHC

both are class 10. Why pay SO much?

Transcend is a good choice however what Class 10 defines is minimum write speed of 10 Mbits /sec ( 80X ) where as Sandisk Extreme 3 claims write speed of 30Mbits /sec ( 200X) thus exceeding Class 10 requirement so the price difference.

However Class 10 is adequate for most DSLR usage unless you have need to shoot rapid-fire like machine gun

[Aiel]

i am looking at getting a spare battery for my Canon 400D (preparing for Aero India). I have seen brands other than canon (Yes, Digitek) available for about 1000Rs online. The original Canon batteries do not seem to be very common online.

Does any body have any experience with these 3rd party batteries or is it advisable to look for original Canon batteries.

I am not looking at a battery grip, as I have found the camera bulky and difficult to handle with the grip (just my experiences).

[ampere]

Folks,

Question on Carry Bags: Where to hunt for them in Bangalore?
If not in the city, what sites other than Amazon?

Also a primer on the bags would be very helpful. Qualaity/Types/Price range etc.

I just want a basic bagpack with space a lens or 2.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by ampere

Folks,

Question on Carry Bags: Where to hunt for them in Bangalore?
If not in the city, what sites other than Amazon?

Also a primer on the bags would be very helpful. Qualaity/Types/Price range etc.

I just want a basic bagpack with space a lens or 2.

www.smartshoppers.in - you can find decent backpacks here.

[TheBeastFieast]

Search lowepro on eBay, have a look to their website, basically they 3 kind of bags.

1.) Slingshot
2.) Fastpack
3.) Pro Runner

I have just bought Fastpack 250 in INR 5200/-, which can have 2-3 lenses and 15.4" laptop, and a separate medium size compartment to put cables, wires, chargers, adapters, even P&S camera with its carry bag.

Originally Posted by ampere

Folks,

Question on Carry Bags: Where to hunt for them in Bangalore?
If not in the city, what sites other than Amazon?

Also a primer on the bags would be very helpful. Qualaity/Types/Price range etc.

I just want a basic bagpack with space a lens or 2.

[ampere]

Thanks for the inputs guys. I was not looking for laptop bags included. But OK to pay a good price for the camera specific features in the bag. Currently I have a 550D and an 18-55 which is mostly on the body. May be one more lens I will buy. For the two lenses and this camera I was looking a back pack, which can also hold some more items (may not be a laptop, but stuffs like clothes etc)