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Isnt BHP a one stop shop on the info expressway? We have a thread for everything :D

Long story short, ive experimented a lot with my compact digicam (ISO, etc.) & learnt a few post processing techniques. Want to now go in for an upgrade (limit - approx. 35k) as im tired of the loss of clarity & blurred details from the compact.

Have done a bit of research & found the following models to be popular in most reviews:
1 - Sony NEX 5
2 - Panasonic Lumix G2
3 - Canon Ixus 300 HS
4 - Canon 550D
(Not in that particular order)
Any others i should be considering?

Most importantly, every camera user has a different preference & requirement (just like any car buyer :)).
Mine are:
1 - User friendliness (Ease of use & quick access to settings)
2 - Picture Quality (Clarity, Color Reproduction & Low Light Performance)
3 - Features (Panorama Mode, 3D, HD Movie Recording, etc.)
4 - Form Factor & Aesthetics (Prefer smaller, lighter & more compact cameras - here the NEX5 scores most & aesthetically it looks amazing)

The importance of the above requirements are in that order. Also, in case of user friendliness, my current compact cam (Canon Ixus 100 IS) is very simple to use & gives me access to all settings very easily, intuitively & quickly, not to mention its slim & small form factor.

Lastly, i am leaning very heavily towards the Sony NEX 5. Please do let me know if it scores well in picture quality & user friendliness. Keeping in mind, its not for professional purposes, rather more of a hobby, hence picture quality must not reign supreme over all other factors while at the same time, it must not disappoint either.
Appreciate the help.

EDIT: Thought id attach a few pictures for some perspective. Youll realise what i mean by loss of clarity & also fuzziness that creeps into them, specially on long range shots & the finer details are lost.

I don't know about micro four thirds, I will let others comment on it. Your budget allows you to opt for a DSLR, why not get the 550D? Agreed, graduating from a PnS, the DSLR world it pretty intimidating. But, once you get a hang of it, its a whole new world altogether:)

Xehaust

I am tilting towards Micro 4-3rds. The ability to take a camera as light as a P&S yet get a DSLR which has good IQ if not excellent IQ as in 5D or a D700 is something mouth watering for me.

In fact i am slowly reducing my gears to move to a 4/3 system just for the size. I may stick with a Olympus or a Sony for they come with Inbody IS which means i dont need to get expensive OS/IS lenses.

Another plus is where your normal Olympus or CZ lenses can be mounted with an adaptor and as the camera is already a Micro 4/3 the degradation using an adaptor is minimal if not nil.

I am for micro 4/3 and i will definitely venture into one in the coming year.

DSLR just gets heavy each day.

Is the NEX C3 and PL3 available in stores? Both fit your requirement quite well.

Panasonic has a G3 as well.

I will wait for the next generation as this market is getting heated up. PL3 is yet to reach online stores. I will wait for the next set of upgrades these cameras will see in the coming years and jump.

Waiting to collect some good glasses in the mean time including some super fast CZ prime.

Guys,
whats the best price to buy the EOS 550D with standard kit lens (18-55mm) in Bangalore?
LB retails it for 34k with 4gb card and camera pouch. FK for 38 with some othjer stuffs (tripod etc)

can I get a better deal from retail shops like Foto flash (KR circle)/ GK vale?

thanks a lot in advance.

I normally buy my stuff from RK Photoguide (Naresh Raheja) which is near National Market. Normally his prices are much better than GK Vale or such other famous retail shop. There are other sellers like PhotoCircle (Jayesh Mehta, near AnandRao Circle) who also gives you better deal. But I'm personally more comfortable dealing at RK Photoguide, may be because I'm buying photography equipment from him for a long time and never ever being sold any low-quality stuff. And if I have any technical issues with items I bought from him then he would gladly take it back. Flipkart also gives you a better deal these day and I'm sure that the prices at GK Vale will be more than that of flipkart.

Disclaimer: I'm not related to either RK or Photo Circle except for the fact that I buy my stuff also from them(mostly RK nowadays)

I think Letsbuy is quoting 33,495/- for 550D with bag and 4Gb card.
Apply ICICILB coupon code and you will get 1200/- off. So effectively your price would be 32,295/-
Evaluate if it's a good price for you and compare with the Flipkart deal(including free stuffs) and buy accordingly.
IMO the retail shops can't match online prices.
I have myself bought from Letsbuy.

This article is hilarious and a new viral hit.

You and your DSLR
When Manmohan Singh opened up the economy, little did he know the ramifications of it. Yes, we have great plasma TVs, IT jobs and foreign cheerleaders in our tournaments and calendars. But it has brought in some side effects as well. As I browse through my Facebook feed through various tinted photographs of poor people and a crow eating from a bowl of rice, it only compounds my irritation.
Apparently anyone can now own a DSLR without knowing what it expands to. The moment you get one, you update your Facebook status with technical specifications of your camera that serves as a harbinger to us. Then you have two passive Facebook users(Their role in online social life ends with the like button) to like it. I think they are like assassins. You can hire them and get them to like stuff on a temporary basis. An innocent girl falls for the bait and comments “Wow”. A hound of wolves go and like her comment, which tallies to a higher rational number than the likes for your original post, thereby embarrassing you. I mean, why this hoopla? Aren’t bloggers like me shamelessly publicizing blogposts on Facebook enough for humanity?
When you get your DSLR, do you start looking at everything as a prospective photograph. Poor people are now the target of your black and white pics. Suddenly old senile men clad in loin cloth are of value to you. A wrecked car becomes an object of art. I mean, how suddenly?
You categorize stuff into different senseless albums. Stray dogs come under the category of wildlife. Why man, why?Do they live in the forest? Are they endangered? I really don’t think so. They chase me all around the housing colony, as I ride my bike with my legs near the handle bar out of fear, when I return home after 11 pm. Your cycle bell is shot in high resolution and uploaded into “random pics”.”Random pics”, the worst ever name, not just for for an album. If you hate your child, you should name him “random pics”.
Doors, windows, bullet enfields and light switches go under the category of classic pictures. Who certified it as classic dear? The Academy awards jury? Sigh, self-proclamation. And yes, find new names. “What I see”, “Brilliant shots from my eye” and “Shots through my lens” are trite names for an album. Just like fatuous names like “Virtualjunk” for a blog.
You know what I dread the most? When you go for a photowalk. Apparently it is exactly like your normal walk, expect for the fact that you annoy other people with your camera during your walk, thereby intruding their privacy. You shoot pictures of mango sellers, beach, shops, and everything you find. Then you post process it and make it look pretentious. And then you put your logo and copyright. Yeah, because P.C.Sreeram is looking to sneak away your photos and plagiarize it in his next movie. Some of you even put “Rights reserved” at the footer of the image. I wonder what rights you have reserved for yourself. I will plagiarize it and see how you effectively sue me in Mumbai high court. It is tiring to see “Ram photography” , “Shyam photography” or “Soorpanaka photography” as image footers.
You don’t stop with that, do you? You have to bestow your photography tips on us. When we common men click photos with our “point and shoot” cameras, you go all over our pictures and say “This should have been shot in Macro mode” , “That should have been shot at this exposure”. Ok, I know you understand the nuances of photography. However all I want is just to click a button and get a picture. From now on, your shooting tips will be met with shooting, from a gun.
End of rant.
P.S: Not intended to be derisive. Just an ironical perspective on photographer idiosyncrasies. No need to outrage.

http://sarcasan.tumblr.com/post/8251...-and-your-dslr

Already posted here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/11582-dslr-thread-549.html:)

Hi,

I had been to GK Vale(Indiranagar) a week back. They quoted me 38K with 18-55mm kit lens + 4GB Card + Canon EOS bag.

I am also planning to buy DSLR soon. I am Confused between Canon 550D and Nikon D5100. Some people say Canon lens quality is low but they have very good service in India where as Nikon produces good quality lens but take lot of time to settle claims can anybody in this forum confirm pls.

I have seen the professional photographers using Nikon more often rather then Canon whereas, I can see canon used by young upcoming photographers.

Can anybody in this forum guide me to select DSLR please:

I am looking out for DSLR with Adequate IQ + 1080p Video Capability.

Even i have been trying to get EOS 550D.GK Vale & Foto Circle offered Rs.38,795/-with standard warranty and package & RK Photoguide quoted 37,500/-, however at Foto Circle i was offered Rs 7,700 worth of Goodies. I am planning to do some more market study before buying.Let me know if you are getting any better deals.

Nikon guys will always say Canon has poor quality and vice versa, dont bother about the brand wars. Second part of your post is a myth. There is no truth in it as I have seen more Canon PROs throughout the sports/fashion fields 5 D MII almost leading everywhere. Take the price part as a good excuse for that phenomenon as Nikon's 12 MP D700 and Canon's 21MP 5D MII bodies come in the same price range, Nikon excelling in high ISO and Canon having the video edge & higher megapixel.

So what I mean to say is 'finalizing a brand and model is purely a personal choice'. Answer few questions to yourself and it will be clear very easily:

1) What do you shoot ? Image & Video ?
2) How big you print ? (Megapixel matters here, nowhere else)
3) How long you will keep the same body (body loses but lenses retain value)
4) Shooting environment (plastic body Vs magnesium alloy/weather coated)
5) Will you remain as a hobbyist or upgrade to serious levels ? (first part will require a new body whereas second part is better off with a used body)

If you are a hobbyist and use images mostly for web or occasionally print 4x6 to 11x14 sizes, a Canon 1100D or Nikon D3100 will serve you a long time. Photo quality and beauty of an image has nothing to do with a cam, its all about the brain that controls it.

And finally, DSLR is a money pit, there is always a never-ending wishlist that can go along with it. It will be all the more aggravated when you are part of group walks or meets of DSLR die-hards.

A decent point & shoot is all whats required for a casual hobbyist. Its a one time cost and can last over 10 years. As Chase Jarvis said, the camera that's always with you is the best camera in the world. No point owning a heavy DSLR when you can not carry it around whenever you need it. :thumbs up

Note: Things posted are open to correction if anyone finds it misleading. I have written it from conviction that is derived through my learning phases. May be owning 5 cameras, 9 lenses and portion of a room full of accessories in this phase has made me write this. Hope it helps.

1) The camera is as good as the photographer:). Don't go by Nikon-professional, Canon-amateur/hobbyist. Going by your criteria, I am a pro user. Ha ha..

2) The best person to choose a DSLR for you is YOU. Go to a shop and try out the models you have shortlisted and pick the one that suits you.

You couldn't have put it better,mate:thumbs up.

Let's start one here, like this one,:uncontrol who's game?


Sorry, couldn't stop myself from posting that.


Jokes apart, @Gurudatta Nayak, if someone gives you such kind of advice (be it for Canon or Nikon), stay away from those guys, as most of these guys are there for just gathering gadgets, not for photography.