How to choose my first DSLR (Part 2)?

A continuation from Part 1 ...

Now for Group 2 users, things gets complicated.
Let's introduce the concept of the "System". Photography gear makes up a system. The system you choose ultimately determines the type of gear you will purchase. This point is often overlooked by new DSLR users because they are new! They do not know about the system at all!

Why is the system important? Why should I waste so much time researching / deciding on the system?

The answer is simple: You do not want to waste precious dollars and time in the future. A photographer usually sticks to one system as the lenses and accessories are interchangable / re-usable when (s)he upgrades the camera body in future. (S)he won't have to go thru this hassle of evaluating everything again. Being very familiar with the gear (s)he already possess, (s)he can work with the new camera easily. Depending on what (s)he has bought, the 'spare' camera can become the backup camera in any situation.

So, what makes up the "System"?
1) Camera body
2) Lenses
3) Accessories such as flash / remotes etc, including 3rd parties
4) Technical support after purchase

Note: The above does not denote the order of importance!

When choosing a DSLR, lenses and accessories forms part of your decision. You have to learn about the lenses and accessories available before you make a final decision on which body to get. A body may give you all the bells and whistles that you are looking for, but if the lenses / accessories are not easily available in your region, or if you are not able to get good support when technical issues arise, that's it. You will start to be frustrated by the system itself. Imagine the turnaround time just to get your lens or body repaired / serviced. This time is equivalent to the time you are not able to use your gear. Can you make do with say, a month without your gear?

To illustrate further, let's take my decision making process as an example.
Bear in mind that I was a newbie with DSLRs when I was going thru this process.
When I was about to purchase my first DSLR, I short listed the below cameras:
1) Canon 60D
2) Nikon D7000
3) Pentax K5

3 different brands, 3 different systems. The costs for the standard kits are generally similar.
I went to shops/IT shows to feel the cameras (didn't manage to try the Pentax though) on display. The Canon 60D didn't feel really right in my hands (the 550D felt way better). It just didn't fit my fingers and I found that holding it for a short while makes me uncomfortable.

So it was down to the D7000 and the K5. Reading reviews and all, the K5 is an outstanding camera! I really wanted to get my hands on it. BUT! the decision fell thru after I evaluated the other components of the Pentax system. Lens offering from the Pentax line is OK. The major concern is the support available. In Singapore, there is only 1 shop that is also the distributor and "service center" for Pentax. If you need any servicing, you send it back to the shop. Online feedback has shown that the shop/distributor is doing a great job servicing Pentax customers. But, being the one and only shop in Singapore is enough to make me take a step back and give it some serious thoughts.

The next thing that came into the picture was the flashgun. I wanted to get a flashgun together with the DSLR as I knew I won't invest a few hundred bucks for a flashgun anywhere in the near future, so I might just as well buy the whole system at once. This contributed to my decision to get the D7000 over the K5. When sourcing for the Pentax flashgun, I realized that there wasn't much to choose from. Comparing the flashguns available from the makers and 3rd parties, Nikon has way more choices. With the same budget, I can get a better flashgun for Nikon compared to the Pentax.

And lastly, before I finally took the plunge, I 'looked into the future'. I asked myself where I will be with the camera in 3 to 5 years time? What will I be doing with it? Does this particular system I have chosen satisfy my future needs (new lenses/accessories)? Will I be able to setup a shooting studio easily with this system? Will the system be useful for shooting events? (Nikon's Creative Lighting System "CLS" comes into mind.) These questions may seem "too professional" for a newbie, but hey, if you are serious about photography, this should form part of your decision/dream making!

If you have read all the way here, I thank you. I believe you will have a better understanding and clearer picture on how to make that decision now. I wish you success in the system that you will be choosing! =)

PS: My apologies to all who were waiting for this posting. I just didn't have the time to complete it. But thank you all who were patient and waited for it!

Dust Blower

Wow! Another month has passed since my last posting! Time really flies! I've been pre-occupied with family activities this past month. Hardly had anytime for myself. Work takes up my daytime and there's practically nothing much I can do after dinner with my family.

Anyways, I was passing by Cathay Photo (Marina Square) today and I saw the Giotto's Rocket-air blower in the store. I went in to take a look and bought it straight away. S$11.50 for a medium sized (AA1910). This is slightly longer (about 1 to 1.5cm at most) than the previous blower I got (see my earlier post for the cleaning kit).

Packaging Front

Packaging Back

Rocket Blower

Patented products are really different! The blower already feels different in my hands. When you squeeze them, the feeling is also different. The air is sucked in thru the hole at the bottom of the blower. Performance wise, I can't comment at the moment. Have really tried it on my equipment. But I kind of like the feeling of this blower. Build and feel already makes you confident that you have a quality product in your hands.

Appreciate that filter

Back from my trip! We had a wonderful time and I learnt a fair bit about the equipment I have!

1) my tripod's too heavy!
2) the 18-55mm lens is a bit too short for shooting video if you intend to record those performances you are watching.
3) I love my UV filter! Why? Cos it protected my lens from the elements, dust, stains and scratches!

I was cleaning one of my lens one morning and realized the amount of dust and stains on the filter. First thought that came to my mind: thank god it's on the filter! I can replace it easily since it costs me $16 only anyway. But after some rubbing here and there, the filter is as good as new! It pays to have a filter right in front of your lens. I finally understand and am appreciating them after this trip.

Appreciate that filter you have! And if you don't, it's time to consider putting one on!

Way overdue post

Sorry people! Haven't really got the energy to blog these days. Been busy at work and have to keep my daughter company after dinner.

Part 2 of the guide to choosing a DSLR is half written. I'll try to complete it as soon as I can.

My family is going for a short trip soon. Hopefully I can capture some really fantastic shots. I'll definitely post them up if I have them. Til then!

How to choose my first DSLR (Part 1)?

This is definitely the most asked question for anyone who has been using a compact camera and wants to upgrade to a DSLR. I'll try to answer this question here, based upon my experience and the knowledge I acquired from reading thru so many forums / reviews / blogs for the past few months.

I'll categorize the potential buyers into 2 groups:
Group 1) these people believe a DSLR will produce better pictures compared to a compact camera
And
Group 2) these people have an interest in photography, wants to upgrade their gear, skills and knowledge in photography and are willing to spend time to understand more before taking the plunge.

For group 1 users, the answer is very simple:
Just buy any DSLR within your budget, and that the camera feels good in your hands.
Some people may prefer brands than the feel. For users from this group, I say just buy whatever you want.
No offence, but from the interaction with users of this group, I've come to realize this: it doesn't matter what you tell them. They have already set their minds on a particular brand / model and they are also unwilling to learn more on the subject matter. They have the mindset that the DSLR is a point and shoot compact camera. And with this 'heavy investment', these cameras should behave the same as a compact, but deliver stunning results. This last statement is partially true, as DSLRs have a better and larger image sensor as compared to a compact. The image quality (IQ) produced will definitely be better. That is why, any DSLR will work for them.

(...to be continued in Part 2)

Microsoft Photosynth

Wow! I chanced upon this software while idling away on the iPhone app store. It was given pretty high ratings and most 'reviews' says to download it. I did that and I just tested it out a few minutes ago.

I AM AMAZED! I just did some random shooting in my living room to try out what it can do and let me tell you this: if you have an iOS device (iPhone / iPad2), you MUST have this software! It will only make your life so much more interesting! I can imagine myself doing panorama's everywhere I go! Just tap once on the screen and move your 'camera' about. The software itself will calculate the next image to capture. You can snap a lot of images for stitching. Once you are satisfied, just hit the 'Finish' button and the software will proceed to stitch the images together automatically. Just 2 clicks and you have a panorama picture! Where else can you get this? You simply have to try it!

The post processing isn't perfect --> if you are like me who was happily snapping away in all directions, you may end up with a distorted panorama picture. Still, the software itself is pretty well written and fast. If you are serious when you are taking the panorama, I believe you will love the ease of use from this tiny software.
Kudos to Microsoft! You have made one software that made my jaw drop!

A New Bag!

Hurray, I've got a new bag!!! This has been on my pending list for a while now and I've finally decided to buy it! Cost me S$49 from SLR-Revolution.

Nikon Bag

It's a beauty isn't it?
Gotcha! ;D

This is the Nikon bag used to carry the bag I bought. I wasn't given one of these when I bought my camera. It should come in handy to hold the toys and stuff for our picnics!

I actually bought the Lowepro Passport Sling. Yes, S$49 from SLR-Revolution.

Lowepro Passport Sling (Mica)

I chose the Mica colored one as I didn't really like the blue and the black (inner lining of the black actually). I carry a sling bag to work everyday, and it's mainly to hold my umbrella so I reckoned I could do with a replacement and bring my camera along.

I didn't notice this when I was browsing at the shop and this wasn't mentioned in any of the reviews / blogs that I have read before making the purchase: The padded camera box is not a full rectangle! If you look closely at the picture above, you can actually see that the box is a trapezium. The slimmer end goes into the edge of the bag (from the outside, this is the corner where the water bottle will sit). If I flip it the other way round, I lose the memory card compartment and the other edge where the slim end is now in will sort of 'collapse'.

In terms of ergonomics, the slim end is not that camera friendly. Since this is the end which is nearest to the edge, this is where your hand will be grabbing your camera from the bag. Because of the slim end, it may feel a bit tight for those with big hands. I'm Asian with a medium sized hand. Reaching into the bag and grabbing my camera was just 'OK' for me. And this is only for an empty bag with only the camera. I'm not sure how it will feel when I start to load other stuff into it.

The box itself will only be able to hold a camera with lens attached and a spare lens / flash unit. A camera with a grip mounted will definitely not fit into the box.

I can't wait to test it out! I have a BBQ tomorrow night with my colleagues, and my wife and child are coming along so I'll be bringing my camera. This bag will be used tomorrow. Let's hope it performs well!

Ask and you shall be given!

Armed with my D7000, I've been taking quite a lot of pictures for my wife and girl. And my wife was telling me the other day: "It's time to get an iPad or a digital photo frame, our girl will definitely love it!"

Ask and you shall be given!

I was going through the forums searching for iPhone accessories and chanced upon quite a few folks selling brand new digital photo frames! Happened that these people have just received the Sony DPF-A710 from the Standard Chartered Bank's credit card promotion and are trying to sell them off. I managed to get one of it at S$55, while the normal retail price is S$129. Lucky us!

Sony DPF-A710

The unit I got was brand new and the box had no signs of being opened. It was all factory fresh! It even came with 12+3 months warranty (online registration) by Sony! Nice buy I would say! ;D

The contents

The frame came with a remote control, manual, CD-Rom, power adapter and stand. It cannot be powered by battery, which is something I'm wasn't hoping for since it will be placed near my TV. The stand fits on the right bottom corner at the back and the frame can be placed in portrait or landscape orientation.

Frame in action!

You can see the frame in action in the picture above. We display our family portraits rather than these random shots I took. We love the frame 'cos we are able to have a single display that shows all our pictures but the frame does have it's pro's and con's.

Pro's:
- Nice size --> Doesn't occupy too much space
- Remote controlled
- Good variety --> The frame allows you to display a variety of information: single picture or slide show/clock/calendar/picture with calendar or clock/multiple pictures in a frame etc.
- LCD brightness can be adjusted (the above is set at brightness 2 out of 10)
- Auto on / off timer
- Auto rotate images
- Supports SD / MMC / Memory Stick

Con's:
- Not able to select folder to display. It just reads all images in the memory cards and displays them.
- Resolution: The display is not really high quality so you'll be able to see some pixelation in some photos.

Improvements I'll like to see:
- Ability to select folder to display. This will really allow a user to make full use of the frame. We can sort our pictures into Portrait or Landscape folders and display them in the correct orientation. This will definitely increase the user experience!
- More time choices in between pictures. Currently for slide shows, I'm displaying them at 7secs interval. The next lower allowable interval is 3 secs. I think this is too short. If we can custom set the time interval, it will really be nice!

Overall I give this frame a 7 out of 10. -2 points 'cos of the resolution, -1 'cos I cannot select folders to display. Imagine you put in a 2Gb card full of pictures from different events --> it will be really tedious trying to find the set of pictures you want to display! If the pictures are separated into folders and we can choose the folder to display, it definitely will make everyone happier!

I hope someone from Sony sees this post and work out something for this frame! I will really be thrilled if they tell me the frame's firmware can be upgraded! =D

Nikon EN-EL15 battery and ML-L3 remote

Finally, after 512 shots, 11 movies totaling 11mins 23secs, the battery ran flat.
It's pretty amazing how long this battery lasted (almost 4 weeks from the 1st charge). In between these shots and movies, I spent quite a lot of time messing around with the settings and playing back the recorded movies for my daughter (over and over and over again).

I also finally opened up the ML-L3 remote for testing. Quite nice to just press a button and make the camera take pictures. It's pretty responsive and I'm quite surprised at the range it could work in! The furthest I tested was about 6 meters away from the camera. It still sensed the signal and fired off like a piece of cake. I was too lazy to go beyond that range as I will have to reposition the camera somewhere else. And for my personal usage, I highly doubt I will be placing the camera further than 6m when I'm using the remote.

Nikon LF-1 rear lens cap

I went to Cathay Photo Marina Sq today (14th Apr 2011) to buy this. Of the 3 lenses I bought, only the 55-200mm came with this rear lens cap. The other two came with the cheapo white cap. The LF-1 is a really good cap to protect the lens! It turns into place and won't fall off, as compared to the cheapo white cap which slipped out quite easily.

Nikon LF-1 Rear Lens Cap in the original packing.

Cheapo white cap and the Nikon LF-1

Receipt for my purchase (S$6 only for the cap)

The cap cost my S$6 which I think is well worth it. I saw some OEM's going for S$4 but decided against it cos you never know the quality / build. Yes, it's only a piece of plastic that covers the rear but personally, I do not want to run the risk of damage to the threading! My 50mm f1.8D is happily protected by this cap now! =D

I also took the chance to have a look at the Lowepro Passport Sling which I'm considering to use as my everyday bag. It's retailing for S$58 at Cathay, slightly more expensive than the S$49 which SLR Revolution quoted. It can definitely hold my D7000 and a spare lens. But I think it won't be able to hold A4 documents. Really need to see if I have a need to be lugging documents around now.