Team-BHP - The DSLR Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by yajaman99 (Post 2292902)

Guys in Bangalore looking to pick a DSLR rush to the nearest Reliance Digital Outlet. They are selling some gear at flat 50% of their price. I just picked up a D90 with 18-105 kit lets for rs 28K :). These are demo units but come with warranty. An EOS1000D was there for 11K.

Congrats! It's a great deal. Any other DSLR was out there?

BTW Which Reliance Digital Outlet did you buy ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by aburagohain (Post 2291581)

New full frame version of Tokina 116, priced slightly higher but initial reviews are only pouring in slowly.

Tokina

I would be very interested in seeing the 116 on a full frame, to be used at the 16mm end as if a prime, anyone having the facility to test? Seen the Ken Rockwell article already, looking for other images than that.

I have the 116 but on the Minolta alpha mount, finding a Sony FF is difficult in India and as such I am stuck on a decision, this lens is that good to me.

Search the Canon forum on 'photography-on-the.net' or FredMiranda. Few days back I came across a thread discussing Tokina 116 on FF. Apparently it works perfectly fine towards 15-16mm. No/minmal vignetting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajb3125 (Post 2289782)

That is only on the website. Walk in store and the prices change. Then comes the fact, if you need serious advice or rare items, you cannot go past Vanbar.

If I remember correctly, Vanbar is the only store that was able to organise Lens-a-thon successfully. Lens-a-thon is a small 2-3day fair kinda thing but with literally every single lens manufacturer (image related) present with full offerings and one just needs to bring there body and go nuts. There were models and other stuff to shoot. Idea being, try the lens you may buy in future. I tried Nikon 200 f2 for the first time that day and to this day cannot shake it off.

Thanks for the info. Will check their outlet here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPARKled (Post 2292856)

OK I should have mentioned, wildlife and bird photography.
Whats needed by wildlife and bird photographers is superb AF (the more cross type sensors the better), reach(very important), fast FPS and good ISO performance. So Only D3s would make the cut among your mentioned cameras for the above mentioned applications unless someone is a landscape photographer. So the best wildlife and birding cameras IMHO are the D300s, 7D, 1D and not the 1Ds and only one FF camera i.e. the D3s simply due to the awesome AF and ISO performance.

Just FYI, the D3S shares the same 51 point CAM3500FX autofocus module with the D3, D3x, D700 and D300s. All these cameras have very fast autofocus, sufficient for wildlife or birding.

As for ISO performance D3s is on tops followed by the D700. The D3s licks the D700 (and D3x) on frame rates..9 FPS versus 5 on the D700, useful with wildlife or birding. The D700 goes to 8 FPS with the optional battery pack.

Cheers!

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2 (Post 2293027)

Yes I agree with all this but if I am a pro shooting birds and wildlife I will take a D3 or a D3s along with a D300 and not a D700 or a D3X. If I shot with canon then a 1D2 or a 1D3 or a 1D4 or a 7D but surely not a 5D or a 1Ds body. We have to accept that FF is just not for everyone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPARKled (Post 2293037)

Honestly the combination of camera bodies is pretty much an individual's choice.

A confession - I didnt jump into photography in the recent past. My first experience with a good quality film SLR was the Canon AE-1 (my Dad's) back in 1977 whilst in school.

In the 90s and into the early 2000s I used various pro and semi pro Nikon film SLRs, including the classic F5 and have retained my Nikon F100 till today should I ever choose to shoot film. I held out on going digital because I believed that my lenses (albeit now sold, and building a new more contemporary FX collection is work-in-progress) were made for the 35mm frame and not the DX sensor.

I survived with a very decent Sony 4MP PNS from 2001 and another Sony in 2007. Once FX was introduced in '08 my interest in DSLRs revived and I went in for the D700 last year. The D3 series were out of budget for me, after all it is better to spend on quality lenses. All the lenses work equally well with my DSLR and film SLR. No silly crop factors to take care of. :) A big advantage for someone with 'old' roots in photography.

Technical reasons aside, I think DX or FX doesnt really matter. Its the person behind the camera and his/her creativity that does. If you are a pro go with FX, if you are a advanced amateur or amateur you have a choice if FX or DX. I choose the former.

How rightly said. Instead of equipment why does one not harp on creativity? You know when you take a picture? It is only after you have composed & visualised in your mind that you pick the equipment and press the button.

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2 (Post 2293056)

Its the person behind the camera and his/her creativity that does.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPARKled (Post 2292856)

....the best wildlife and birding cameras IMHO are the D300s, 7D, 1D and not the 1Ds and only one FF camera i.e. the D3s simply due to the awesome AF and ISO performance.

To be frank, there are more Canon shooters in the field of wildlife and birding. Not limited there, whenever I have gone for a group photo walk, Nikon guys were less than 10% all the time. I always console myself with the thought 'Nikon owners are busy guys' !!

Quote:

Originally Posted by yajaman99 (Post 2292902)

Guys in Bangalore looking to pick a DSLR rush to the nearest Reliance Digital Outlet. They are selling some gear at flat 50% of their price.

Did you see or hear from them if D700 or 5D MII are part of this deal ? I am ready to run once you reply :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2 (Post 2293056)

.....and I went in for the D700 last year. The D3 series were out of budget for me, after all it is better to spend on quality lenses...... Its the person behind the camera and his/her creativity that does.

Good, got someone to ask doubts when I move to the world of FX. What you said last is an underestimated truth in this field. If one can not make good pictures with a point and shoot, he may not be anything better with an FX body with PRO glasses on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by C300 (Post 2293004)

Thank you, I will have to check those forums. This is a nice lens and as such I am reluctant to let go to the point that I would not mind cropping out the bad vignettes if need be, already enough field of view :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2 (Post 2293056)

Honestly the combination of camera bodies is pretty much an individual's choice.

Technical reasons aside, I think DX or FX doesnt really matter. Its the person behind the camera and his/her creativity that does. If you are a pro go with FX, if you are a advanced amateur or amateur you have a choice if FX or DX. I choose the former.

Very true totally agree with you here. My only argument here was that DX is not a step child of the pros especially those who shoot longer focal lengths regularly and who need better subject isolation where DX IMHO is better especially over longer focal lengths. I mainly shoot wildlife and birds and so reach is everything for me and many times I have rued over the fact that I don't have enough reach reach on field even with my telephoto and TC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shajufx (Post 2293112)

Yes thats true as canon has had their IS big guns a lot longer than Nikon who have released their VR big guns only a few years back. Also Nikon long lenses have been significantly more expensive than their Canon counterparts inspite of not having any stabalization in most markets such as the USofA. The D3 along with the new VR lenses have promised to change that and Nikon is now seen at a lot more sporting events and also with a lot more nature photographers than ever before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shajufx (Post 2293112)

.... whenever I have gone for a group photo walk, Nikon guys were less than 10% all the time. I always console myself with the thought 'Nikon owners are busy guys' !!

That's why i don't even go for photo-walks. I shoot Olympus!
:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by shajufx (Post 2293112)

Did you see or hear from them if D700 or 5D MII are part of this deal ? I am ready to run once you reply :D

On seeing the ad about upto 25K discount on D700, i called up Whizz only to realize that the discount is NOT on body price....but the accessories.

:(

-- Torqy