[mobike008]

Originally Posted by driverace

I tried out D5100 at my friend's place- and it fits fine in my hands - and feels good to use.
Can't wait to get mine!

Meanwhile a deal update (for others who maybe are looking too) -

On Zoomin - If you apply the Nikon D5100 coupon - NIKD5100
you get nice INR 3901 off

They ship it free - and net landing = INR 29,999

All those coupons etc, are usually farce.

Here is one at Ebay which is cheaper than the price you got :-

http://www.ebay.in/itm/NIKON-D5100-D...item2ec26c92e3

[rajshenoy]

Guys

Any feedback on the Canon 40mm STM lens(aka pancake) I liked the image quality. Do you recommend this over the cheap 50mm 1.8 prime lens ?

I am looking for a prime lens and confused if its worth stretching my budget to buy this 40mm lens(10K+) as compared to 50mm prime which comes to sub 7K

[rajshenoy]

Sorry i could not edit my old post, but wanted to append that i plan to use this pancake lens with 550d. So is it a good idea to go for this on a camera with a crop sensor ?

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by download2live

Please visit again and let us see the inside of this shop.
I am curious to see that overhead conveyer belt system where they hang the product you have chosen and the belt carries it to the billing desk. At least that is what I have heard. Might be wrong.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/trips/2009-08-nyc/bnh.htm

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Guys

Any feedback on the Canon 40mm STM lens(aka pancake) I liked the image quality. Do you recommend this over the cheap 50mm 1.8 prime lens ?

I am looking for a prime lens and confused if its worth stretching my budget to buy this 40mm lens(10K+) as compared to 50mm prime which comes to sub 7K

I don't have feedback on the Canon but I do have the Nikon equivalent - 45mm/2.8P
A couple of things about this design (I assume Canon is similar) -
#These are classic Tessar designs and in my opinion the image quality is different from the regular sharp brand-name primes. The image is mellower in a sense. Bokeh is fantastic.
#It has negligible weight

The disadvantages are that f2.8 isn't particularly fast and it will become a curio in a few years. In my case, I still have the 45/2.8 but I will probably sell it because I bought a 50/1.4 for speed and autofocus (the Nikon 45 does not autofocus.)

If lightness and image quality is paramount, buy the 40mm. If speed and resale is paramount, buy the 50/1.8.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by StarScream

If lightness and image quality is paramount, buy the 40mm. If speed and resale is paramount, buy the 50/1.8.

So are you saying that the 40mm image quality will be superior to that of 50/1.8 ? I am not even considering 50/1.4 because it is way beyond my budget.

After bit of googling i gathered following points

40mm pancake
+ under 200$
+ super thin, great travel lens
+ images are sharp

Any -ves ?
Is 2.8 very slow compared to 50/1.8 ?

50mm prime

+ People say its a must have
+ Dead cheap 100$ (though in india its not coming below 7K yet)
- Cheap built(i can handle it with care though)

50/1.8 sells for 7K and 40mm pancake sells for 12K in india.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

So are you saying that the 40mm image quality will be superior to that of 50/1.8 ? I am not even considering 50/1.4 because it is way beyond my budget.

After bit of googling i gathered following points

40mm pancake
+ under 200$
+ super thin, great travel lens
+ images are sharp

Any -ves ?
Is 2.8 very slow compared to 50/1.8 ?

50mm prime

+ People say its a must have
+ Dead cheap 100$ (though in india its not coming below 7K yet)
- Cheap built(i can handle it with care though)

50/1.8 sells for 7K and 40mm pancake sells for 12K in india.

I am saying that Nikon pancake has a different image quality from Nikon's 50mms. It is creamier and softer (that's not to say it isn't sharp.) I assume the Canon, being based on a similar Tessar design, may produce similar results.

As far as the slowness is concerned, it isn't a big issue with today's variable ISO settings but you need to consider that most lenses perform at their optimum when closed down a few stops. Hence with the pancake we are probably talking f4. With the 50/1.8, that means f2.8. There is a difference of a full stop of light. That can matter in low light situations.

Some of the reviews I've read don't mention a dramatic difference from the 50/1.8 in quality and some even mention autofocus issues. Considering you are debating the price, it is better in my opinion to go for the tried and tested (and arguably, more versatile) 50/1.8.

[driverace]

Originally Posted by mobike008

All those coupons etc, are usually farce.

Here is one at Ebay which is cheaper than the price you got :-

http://www.ebay.in/itm/NIKON-D5100-D...item2ec26c92e3

Well, the coupon seems to work- I have tested it till it deducts the INR 3901 from the payable-price.

They ship free ( all items ) - so, there's no catch.

The seller you mentioned - does have ~ 100+ sales - but no feedback (first hand about the seller)- only 1 piece sold- it shows.
So- I feel more comfortable with zoomin ( since we have a couple of people with positive feedback ). - for some reason..

But, then it's still a chance, I understand.

I am still searching for better place to buy lenses.

Thanks,

Ace.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by pow3r2dawh33ls

Consider a good quality wide angle for landscapes - the Sigma 10-20 and Tamron 10-24 are great value buys if you plan to stick to crop sensor bodies.

Which is a better lens? And, whats the rough price of these wide angles?

Originally Posted by Rachit.K.Dogra

My suggestion would be drop the Kit lense and take the 35mm prime with either 55-200 or 55-300 telephoto depending on your budget.

Nice suggestion but, i was wondering will the 35mm prime give the same range as the stock lens ( 18-55)?

Also, whats the advantage of prime lens over the general len ( 18-55)?

[quote=R2D2;2926708]If I were you I'd get rid of the entire kit, especially the camera and the Tamron, and rebuild from scratch. The 18-55 is a pretty decent lens if you plan to stick to DX format bodies, especially the new gen D3200. Not sure what price you'd get for your current kit.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Are you considering mirrorless? Do check the link to the article that I posted earlier.

I did give a quick glance but, didnt read it in whole. Appreciate if you can give a simple 2-3 lines explanation of what exactly is mirrorless and how its different from the current sensors?

Originally Posted by mobike008

Need some advice on a camera equipment that I am contemplating to buy in the next month or so. Budget is 30K and type of photography is landscape, close-up and general photography. What i am looking from the camera are rich and true colors, latest features ( dont know what they might be as i am little behind on latest camera information) and reasonable price.

Current Equipment which i bought 3+ years ago is as follows :-

Nikon D40x with 18mm-55mm stock lens. However, stock lens auto-focus has gone kaput due to camera getting drenched in rains once. So it now works only in manual focus which is a pain to use. Therefore, I stopped using the stock lens completely

Nikon D40x Body : Whenever I take some sky shots, there is some light patch at bottom right hand corner which is visible ONLY against light background. Will this problem go away if i get the body serviced?

Tamaron 70mm-300mm : This one is in good condition but, this lens is practically useless at night as it just cannot focus.

Need suggestion whether to buy another Nikon and use the Tamaron Telephoto lens OR sell the entire current equipment and build the equipment from the scratch?

If it's the latter, i dont mind buying the Camera first and build the lens in a few months down the line.

Also, what price can i expect if i am selling the entire equipment away?

I Paid 28K for the camera with lens and 7.5K for the Tamaron telephoto. So 35.5K some 3 years ago.

Back to same question gents. Appreciate to know what is the price to expect for above if put the entire thing in market?

Also, need to know which is better (Nikon or Canon) camera to buy next in 30K budget? I like the Nikon's body and feels comfortable in my hands but, i noticed lens for it is expensive whereas canon is more inexpensive and also the options are way more.

I have 2 items on buy list. DSLR and PS3 which I plan to buy during Diwali as there should be some offers during that timeframe.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Nice suggestion but, i was wondering will the 35mm prime give the same range as the stock lens ( 18-55)?

for same range on 35mm you can use your feet. for macro shots with the 35mm you can use extension tubes that are pretty inexpensive.

Also, whats the advantage of prime lens over the general len ( 18-55)?

Many! Biggest is its wider aperture which means it is more usable in low light (you dont need to drop ISO as much as you would with the 18-55 or else you would need external flash light. Also it is pretty inexpensive (about 12k only)
and has metal mount compared to the plastic one on 18-55 (so better build quality). 35mm on DX is eq to 50mm on a full frame which makes it a general purpose lens.

Also, need to know which is better (Nikon or Canon) camera to buy next in 30K budget? I like the Nikon's body and feels comfortable in my hands but, i noticed lens for it is expensive whereas canon is more inexpensive and also the options are way more.

I think its the opposite! Canon bodies are cheaper than Nikon but lenses are expensive. I couldnt find an equivalent to the 35mm f1.8 Nikon lens in the Canon range, at least not at that price point. (this observation is from crop sensor perspective. I dont know if it holds for full frame models also)

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I did give a quick glance but, didnt read it in whole. Appreciate if you can give a simple 2-3 lines explanation of what exactly is mirrorless and how its different from the current sensors?

Mirror less Interchangeable Lens cameras - They the breed of cameras which can have interchangeable lenses just like DSLRs but they lack a mirror based optical view finder. Instead, they will be having an electronic view finder - the LCD panel that is. They are the future!

[sameerpb]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Also, need to know which is better (Nikon or Canon) camera to buy next in 30K budget? I like the Nikon's body and feels comfortable in my hands but, i noticed lens for it is expensive whereas canon is more inexpensive and also the options are way more.

I have 2 items on buy list. DSLR and PS3 which I plan to buy during Diwali as there should be some offers during that timeframe.

I personally feel canon v/s nikon is a unresolvable issue, its like grass is more green other side, with the same comfort I went with Nikon.

I would suggest to check pricing on D90, as D90 is getting phased out the body prices have started coming down last I heard one of my friend bought it for 35k (only body). But I can guaranty you will be happy with the performance. Further u can also use DX lenses which are really good buy.

My current kit is D90 - 50mm 1.8D, 55-200mm and recently I bought 18-105mm

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by clevermax

Mirror less Interchangeable Lens cameras - They the breed of cameras which can have interchangeable lenses just like DSLRs but they lack a mirror based optical view finder. Instead, they will be having an electronic view finder - the LCD panel that is. They are the future!

Just to expand on what you said above - mirrorless cameras dont have just the main mirror but secondary mirror (for focussing), mirror balancer plus a pentaprism or pentamirror. Removing this adds up to a significant reduction in weight and dimensions

Originally Posted by mobike008

I did give a quick glance but, didnt read it in whole. Appreciate if you can give a simple 2-3 lines explanation of what exactly is mirrorless and how its different from the current sensors?

I think CM has put it succinctly. there's one correction - mirrorless refers to the lack of a mirror and other related parts in the mirror box of a DSLR. The sensor is another story - different sizes, sensitivity, performance and costs. And yes, they (ML) have quite a way to go in response and colour accuracy before they catch up with optical (mirror) viewfinders especially whilst shooting in the dark. But there is no doubt that ML is the future.

Here's some additional reading:

http://www.mirrorless-dslr-guide.com...rmal-dslr.html

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/034...meras-a-primer

My choice in ML today is the Olympus OM-D, followed very closely by the Sony NEX7. As for DSLRs - well, I think I have voiced my preferences earlier for both full and cropped frame cameras. I am not very familiar with the Canon range.

Also read that Sony will release a full frame NEX camera

http://photographylife.com/full-fram...x-in-the-works

[pow3r2dawh33ls]

[quote=mobike008;2929417]Which is a better lens? And, whats the rough price of these wide angles?

I have the Sigma and bought it second hand as it was going dirt cheap from someone who imported the lens but ordered the wrong mount. The Tamron 10-24 is noticeably sharper at the edges and has somewhat of a cult following.

The Sigma is wider than the Tammy at 10 mm if that matters to you. The Tammy is faster aperture although its use at faster aperture in wide angle is debatable (I use mine mostly at F9 and F11)

See below for reviews:
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...0-20_4-5p6_n15
http://www.bythom.com/sigma10to20.htm
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx

--------
I Paid 28K for the camera with lens and 7.5K for the Tamaron telephoto. So 35.5K some 3 years ago.

Back to same question gents. Appreciate to know what is the price to expect for above if put the entire thing in market?
--------
Try going through this forum - pretty much the defacto place to go through and has an active Buy & Sell marketplace: http://www.jjmehta.com/forum/index.php/board,8.0.html

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by R2D2

My choice in ML today is the Olympus OM-D, followed very closely by the Sony NEX7. As for DSLRs - well, I think I have voiced my preferences earlier for both full and cropped frame cameras. I am not very familiar with the Canon range.
Also read that Sony will release a full frame NEX camera

I am somewhat clueless on which one to go for, if I need to change to an MLIC camera today. Need to let some time go by, before I even think about it. Who knows, may be there will be a ML full frame with decent choice of lenses in the future! Not comfortable to buy into Nex series because e-mount lenses are very expensive!

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by clevermax

I am somewhat clueless on which one to go for, if I need to change to an MLIC camera today. Need to let some time go by, before I even think about it. Who knows, may be there will be a ML full frame with decent choice of lenses in the future! Not comfortable to buy into Nex series because e-mount lenses are very expensive!

Absolutely. As you shoot a Sony Alpha series (A77?) I'd stick to that for a while. Are you considering the A99?

Feeding 2 systems/formats, even if from the same company, is an expensive proposition.

My 'tuppence' in the previous post was only for someone who is looking to build a camera kit from scratch.