The DSLR Thread

amitk26 · 24th December 2009, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima

Anyone here that has been questioned or charged duty for a camera or some small electronic item in the baggage?

Actually the rule is up to 25000 Rs worth articles are duty free, And 6000 Rs from China, Pakistan , Myanmar , Bangladesh and Nepal.
Till 7-8 years back they use to question for laptops and cameras and it was harassment for tourists and frequent flyers ,Customs can not always ascertain real value so they simplified the operational procedure to be 1 laptop+ 1 Camera + 1 mobile per person assuming that cost is less then 25000 or they are for personal use.

In case you have 2 laptops or 2 DSLR the total value may be less then 25000/- but they will still question.

anshurao · 24th December 2009, 13:54

Hi Guys,

How do you keep out fungus from attacking your camera and lens? I live in Goa and it gets really humid here during the monsoons. Currently I store my gear in my camera bag with some silica gel packs. My worry is I store my bag in the wardrobe.
Any pointers on storage? This may come in handy to others as well.

Cheers,
Anshu

it_inspector · 24th December 2009, 14:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by anshurao

Hi Guys,

How do you keep out fungus from attacking your camera and lens? I live in Goa and it gets really humid here during the monsoons. Currently I store my gear in my camera bag with some silica gel packs. My worry is I store my bag in the wardrobe.
Any pointers on storage? This may come in handy to others as well.

Cheers,
Anshu

Dry boxes were discussed few pages back

Jaguar · 24th December 2009, 15:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitk26

Actually the rule is up to 25000 Rs worth articles are duty free, And 6000 Rs from China, Pakistan , Myanmar , Bangladesh and Nepal.
Till 7-8 years back they use to question for laptops and cameras and it was harassment for tourists and frequent flyers ,Customs can not always ascertain real value so they simplified the operational procedure to be 1 laptop+ 1 Camera + 1 mobile per person assuming that cost is less then 25000 or they are for personal use.

In case you have 2 laptops or 2 DSLR the total value may be less then 25000/- but they will still question.

My friend was questioned while bringing a Canon D7 (bought for 83k) from Thailand a couple of days ago. He ended up bribing the customs guy with 1000 Rs to escape 24% or so duty.

janitha · 24th December 2009, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaguar

My friend was questioned while bringing a Canon D7 (bought for 83k) from Thailand a couple of days ago. He ended up bribing the customs guy with 1000 Rs to escape 24% or so duty.

Duty reduced to 1.204%!

Sankar · 24th December 2009, 20:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by janitha

Duty reduced to 1.204%!

Really? Is it true?
Sounds too good to be true. But if yes then this one big christmas present to all planning to import cams.

janitha · 24th December 2009, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sankar

Really? Is it true?
Sounds too good to be true. But if yes then this one big christmas present to all planning to import cams.

Please see my smiley. Jaguar's friend managed to pay just 1K in place of 24% duty, which in effect translates to 1.204%. Sorry if I caused any confusion.

Jaguar · 25th December 2009, 00:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaguar

My friend was questioned while bringing a Canon D7 (bought for 83k) from Thailand a couple of days ago. He ended up bribing the customs guy with 1000 Rs to escape 24% or so duty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sankar

Really? Is it true?
Sounds too good to be true. But if yes then this one big christmas present to all planning to import cams.

Quote:

Originally Posted by janitha

Please see my smiley. Jaguar's friend managed to pay just 1K in place of 24% duty, which in effect translates to 1.204%. Sorry if I caused any confusion.

Shankar, the duty is indeed 24%

My friend was just able to talk his way out and also paid 1k under the table to clear customs. Not everyone might be lucky though.

Sankar · 25th December 2009, 08:21

Yep, lowered duty was too good to be true! But why do they charge Duty for Cameras? We don't have any local camera manufacturing industry to protect right?

We have fullframes which adhere to the 35mm film standard. And we have APS-C size DSLR which stick to the shortlived APS film standard. So where does the APS-H standard come from? Is Canon the only manufacturer with an APS-H sized camera?

clevermax · 25th December 2009, 22:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by anshurao

Hi Guys,

How do you keep out fungus from attacking your camera and lens? I live in Goa and it gets really humid here during the monsoons. Currently I store my gear in my camera bag with some silica gel packs. My worry is I store my bag in the wardrobe.
Any pointers on storage? This may come in handy to others as well.

Cheers,
Anshu

Storing it in wardrobe with some silica gels in the camera bag is not enough in a humid place like yours and mine. Use dry boxes.

Look what the humid weather in Kerala has done to my sensor! Discovered yesterday only.

Sankar · 25th December 2009, 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by clevermax

Attachment 251419

Look what the humid weather in Kerala has done to my sensor! Discovered yesterday only.

Damn that looks ugly! How do u plan to clean it? You have the sensor cleaning swabs and solution?

clevermax · 25th December 2009, 22:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sankar

Damn that looks ugly! How do u plan to clean it? You have the sensor cleaning swabs and solution?

Yes it look ugly, but it will affect a very small portion of the image as of now, that too for pics taken in narrower apertures. What you see is almost a 100% crop of a picture.

I don't have any sensor cleaning stuff now, though I have equipments to clean lens. I am don't want to use that to clean my sensor.

Anyway, after opening up the lens and cleaning it for fungus, this doesn't scare me at all, because it is in a well accessible area than inner glass elements of a lens.

Here's one shot taken today, can you spot the fungus?

Sankar · 26th December 2009, 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by clevermax

Here's one shot taken today, can you spot the fungus?

I give up, tell us

it_inspector · 28th December 2009, 13:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by clevermax

Storing it in wardrobe with some silica gels in the camera bag is not enough in a humid place like yours and mine. Use dry boxes.

Attachment 251419

Look what the humid weather in Kerala has done to my sensor! Discovered yesterday only.

The longer it stays the worse it will be. Also the filter in front of the sensor is more sensitive to chemicals than a glass lens. Reason being sensor is less exposed to weather than a lens.

If you leave it for few months, chances are it will leave permanent engraving on the sensor (not actually the sensor, IR cut off filter or the bayer filter, rather the plastic filter on front).

Cheers

livyodream · 29th December 2009, 15:14

Guys, check out this link. Its amazing piece of work . Its a 26 gigapixel picture BTW !!!!:

Gigapixel-Dresden.de - Large Size Panoramas

24th December 2009, 13:54	#2597
anshurao BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Panaji, Goa Posts: 284 Thanked: 85 Times View My Garage	Equipment Care Hi Guys, How do you keep out fungus from attacking your camera and lens? I live in Goa and it gets really humid here during the monsoons. Currently I store my gear in my camera bag with some silica gel packs. My worry is I store my bag in the wardrobe. Any pointers on storage? This may come in handy to others as well. Cheers, Anshu
	() Thanks

25th December 2009, 08:21	#2604
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,784 Thanked: 9,253 Times	Yep, lowered duty was too good to be true! But why do they charge Duty for Cameras? We don't have any local camera manufacturing industry to protect right? We have fullframes which adhere to the 35mm film standard. And we have APS-C size DSLR which stick to the shortlived APS film standard. So where does the APS-H standard come from? Is Canon the only manufacturer with an APS-H sized camera?
	() Thanks

29th December 2009, 15:14	#2610
livyodream BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: blr-manipal Posts: 597 Thanked: 245 Times	Guys, check out this link. Its amazing piece of work . Its a 26 gigapixel picture BTW !!!!: Gigapixel-Dresden.de - Large Size Panoramas
	() Thanks