Buying A Dslr In Sri Lanka

[Pericles]

Its a hobby that me and my wife enjoy.. we're both into nature/wildlife photography and we take turns using the camera. Even though, she sometimes does way better with a canon p&s (she has the eye and I know the tech )

The point is, you don't necessarily get better pics with a DSLR but there are some pics that I couldn't have taken without the DSLR.

Sure. Check my flickr stream and you can see which are taken with a P&S and which with a DSLR. Some of my faves are still stuff taken with the P&S.

This was last weekend

http://www.flickr.com/photos/preveen/2998740634/

Took just the P&S on this trip coz of the weight and got this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/preveen/2712227343/

And this surprised me http://www.flickr.com/photos/preveen/2501595829/

My first trip out with my S2 IS got me this http://www.flickr.com/photos/preveen/2498675698/

Ideal conditions and a P&S got this http://www.flickr.com/photos/preveen/2366968166/

And my crowning achievement of photographer over gear http://www.flickr.com/photos/preveen/2291023287/ which turned out better than a output of a 40D AND a D70s, both of which were handled by a couple of very experienced and serious photogs. My concept too. One of those few time I actually set up the whole shoot with positioning, lighting, etc.

Then again, I would have never gotten this with the P&S

http://www.flickr.com/photos/preveen/2777946376/

[Pericles]

O/T didn't they come to SL on a holiday or something? and shop at ODEL or whatnot..

Angelina did. No Brad. But that might have been pre-Brad, not sure. She bought Maddox along.

[dhp]

Sure. Check my flickr stream and you can see which are taken with a P&S and which with a DSLR.

nice pics man! can i get more info on the photography group and their events? maybe I can tag along next time I am in SL

I just made the brad/angelina comment cos they're the most paying pics for paparazzi

[Saturn]

Sure. Check my flickr stream

wow.. I knew you were into photography but I had no idea you were quite good at it

Edited November 4, 2008 by Saturn

[nira74]

the D40 is 2 generations old, so for one it'll be a bit harder to find one (but in Sri lanka there's bound to be some unsold specimens on some dusty shelves somewhere)

Nikon's new entry level is the D60. and SGD870 for a kit sounds about right... but just because you get a tripod doesnt mean all places will give the same good quality tripod.. to put thinks in to perspective there are tripods for SGD40 and SGD240 both with identical physical specifications. but why is one 6 times the price of the other? the 40 one would be made of cheaper plastic and might not be as steady as a more expensive one (hence beating the purpose of buying one).. like Nira74 said if the tripod is Nikon it should be a good one though!

Actually its a Nikon Kit so all the accessories are Nikon - even the SDHC card is the Nikon recommended brand...

[Pericles]

nice pics man! can i get more info on the photography group and their events? maybe I can tag along next time I am in SL

I just made the brad/angelina comment cos they're the most paying pics for paparazzi

wow.. I knew you were into photography but I had no idea you were quite good at it

Thanks. You guys just made my morning

[Nilantha]

Hi guys

I'm considering upgrading to a decent DSLR

does anyone know good local shops with reasonable prices (less than 300% markup )

Also, has anyone tried to import one successfully? How much duty/taxes/etc did you pay?

Please help... thanks!!

don't u like OLYMPUS SP-55O UZ. but i know can't match with Nikon

Edited November 5, 2008 by Nilantha

[Saturn]

Thanks. You guys just made my morning

Today's an awesome day.. what with Obama's epic win.. Hopefully there will be positive results for the whole world, not just US

[Pericles]

don't u like OLYMPUS SP-55O UZ. but i know can't match with Nikon

Are you trying to sell one, by any chance? It can't match with anything. It is generations out of date, and it doesn't compete with any level of DSLR. And it never has, even brand new. Why it occurred to you to mention it to an SLR shopper is .... obscure at best.

Checking up on DPReview, it doesn't even get a "Recommended" grade. And that was when it came out almost two years ago!

[Saturn]

spoke to metropolitan who have EOS1000d for 100k.. and EOS450d for 115k I think..

photo technica say they have the D60 for 89,500 (and that's all they have)

Must check out nastars and the other shop.. anyone know their phone nos?

@pericles.. in your opinion.. is an agent warranty any good? The US/street price of the D60 seems around $250 less than here

how good is a warrany from the shops at MC?

add $100 for dhl and $100 est for tax and (it seems) that the agent price isn't too bad.. what are your thoughts?

The EOS1000d is a nice camera too.. they requested 100K, if I remember right, that's also worth considering

Edited November 5, 2008 by Saturn

[Pericles]

spoke to metropolitan who have EOS1000d for 100k.. and EOS450d for 115k I think..

photo technica say they have the D60 for 89,500 (and that's all they have)

Must check out nastars and the other shop.. anyone know their phone nos?

@pericles.. in your opinion.. is an agent warranty any good? The US/street price of the D60 seems around $250 less than here

how good is a warrany from the shops at MC?

add $100 for dhl and $100 est for tax and (it seems) that the agent price isn't too bad.. what are your thoughts?

The EOS1000d is a nice camera too.. they requested 100K, if I remember right, that's also worth considering

Thats nice. They quoted 140k for the 450D as it came to the Market in April-May. And since I got it for just under 100k back then from Amazon, I'm still ahead of the game here!

IMO, the agent warrenty should be good. Pls note that is IMO, not my experience, since I haven't had any experience with agent warranty. However, the 450D is still cheaper off amazon than even buying the D60 here. Even considering you estimated add ons, which I think might be far over actuality. Well, the shipping, anyway. I've checked some online shops in the US that will ship camera packages for around $50 upto SL. The agent markup is a BIG rip off, ($400 on the XS and $500 on the XSi) but that peace of mind on warranty is a big factor. I had to send mine back to US and still haven't got it back. However, thats not generally an issue since this level of camera tends to be made pretty well, and in general should last out the warranty period without giving any trouble. That was my thinking when I committed to buy off Amazon anyway.

Yes, the 1000D is also pretty worth considering. The extra features on the 450D are definitely worth the extra cost IF you can afford it, but if not, the 1000D is pretty respectable. It should match up decently against the D60, and the difference is only 10k here.

MC, no idea. I think most of them have to send the goods back to Singapore, so not really sure about that. Have to find someone with experience dealing with them.

BTW, The prices for body only? If not, whats the Lens being offered?

[Saturn]

BTW, The prices for body only? If not, whats the Lens being offered?

Both quoted kit lens.. 18-55VR for the nikon, and 18-55is for the canon I think.

Photo technica 'generously' offered a 1gb card also I think

Ah well, now all I gotta do is find 100K

ps: thanks for answering my many questions!

Has anyone here imported a DSLR thru customs? e.g. DHL, UPS.. whatever?

I checked pricing on newegg, I can easily get an entry level canon/nikon for $500 or less.. add 100 for DHL and thats around $600. If customs duty isnt much

then it may be better that way?

I did import a P&S once, was charged around 1000 or so...

Edited November 5, 2008 by Saturn

[madmax]

I checked pricing on newegg, I can easily get an entry level canon/nikon for $500 or less.. add 100 for DHL and thats around $600. If customs duty isnt much

then it may be better that way?

Most of the US online shops do not ship electronics outside of the US - for example Amazon.

[Saturn]

Most of the US online shops do not ship electronics outside of the US - for example Amazon.

Thats OK I have a newegg account and I can ask my family to send it.. problem is over here (customs)?

[Overdrive]

Bit of a dilemma guys..If given an option of buying a Canon EOS 450D 18-55mm IS Kit Digital SLR Camera

+ Sandisk SD0008 SD Memory Card+ Lowepro UK Altus 160 Camcorder Case and Holdalls+ Canon 430EX II flash unit + Tamron 70-300mm SLR Lense+ GIOTTOS UV FILTER Camera Accessories+ Hama Star 61 TripodTotal price £813.00

or

just an EOS 40D which would be the better choice?? Is there such a huge difference in the two models to justify the price difference.

[madmax]

Bit of a dilemma guys..If given an option of buying a Canon EOS 450D 18-55mm IS Kit Digital SLR Camera

+ Sandisk SD0008 SD Memory Card+ Lowepro UK Altus 160 Camcorder Case and Holdalls+ Canon 430EX II flash unit + Tamron 70-300mm SLR Lense+ GIOTTOS UV FILTER Camera Accessories+ Hama Star 61 TripodTotal price £813.00

or

just an EOS 40D which would be the better choice?? Is there such a huge difference in the two models to justify the price difference.

How much would the 40D be in sterlings? Anyway that's a lot of stuff you just mentioned ... what's the US$ value of all that - US$1600?

[Overdrive]

How much would the 40D be in sterlings? Anyway that's a lot of stuff you just mentioned ... what's the US$ value of all that - US$1600?

The 40D is about £809. yeah about £1600

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_...mp;page=Product

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_...&sku=483732

[madmax]

The 40D is about £809. yeah about £1600

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_...mp;page=Product

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_...&sku=483732

If you're upgrading from a basic DSLR then I would advice on the 40D and probably pick up some goodies for the rest of the cash. But if this is your first DSLR then 450D is a good camera. Build quality wise the 450D is very toyish compared to the 40D but also keep in mind that gives the 40d some added weight too.

Edited November 17, 2008 by madmax

[Pericles]

Personally, I think this joint looks like its ripping you off. Try amazon.co.uk and see if you can come up with a better combo. I'm not too sure about the Tamron 70-300mm, no use on the normal SD card, might as well get SDHC and I'm not sure that tripod is £60 material.

Or, if your new to SLRs, you might try for a basic 1000D kit first, try it for some time, and once you figure out where like to focus, then sell it and upgrade how you want.

[vitz]

Guys, good to see this thread. I am also aiming to buy a DSLR,

got two options

1. NIKON D40 BLACK 18-55 MM for 399 euro

2. CANON EOS 1000D + 18/55 for 469 euro

Is it worty to spend 70 euro more for EOS as far as the photo quality and options considered.

Advice of you guys is highly appreciated.

[madmax]

Guys, good to see this thread. I am also aiming to buy a DSLR,

got two options

1. NIKON D40 BLACK 18-55 MM for 399 euro

2. CANON EOS 1000D + 18/55 for 469 euro

Is it worty to spend 70 euro more for EOS as far as the photo quality and options considered.

Advice of you guys is highly appreciated.

Nikon vs Canon is similar to the Evo vs Scooby debate! It's very hard to say one is better over the other and lot of the time it just narrows down to personal taste.

Nikon's of the D40 generation are known to produce softer images as opposed to Canons. But the Nikons are very user friendly offering dedicated buttons for a lot of functions whereas in the entry level Canons you have to navigate to the menu to access those functions.

Edited November 17, 2008 by madmax

[Watchman]

Guys, good to see this thread. I am also aiming to buy a DSLR,

got two options

1. NIKON D40 BLACK 18-55 MM for 399 euro

2. CANON EOS 1000D + 18/55 for 469 euro

Is it worty to spend 70 euro more for EOS as far as the photo quality and options considered.

Advice of you guys is highly appreciated.

the D40 is a much older model compared to the 1000D. The thing is Nikon doesn't have a direct competitor for the 1000D.. but considering the gain in advantage of the sensor size and the lesser complication of the AF/AF-S mount the Canon is the better choice.

But photo/colour quality wise, I prefer Nikon. But thats something totally upto the user. and as you see in this thread, there are a number of Canon users here who are bound to disagree with me.

PS: didnt see max's comment when typing the above. He's probably right.. I dont have any experience with the D40 but the D40x and D60 give pretty good images. They probably fixed the problem with their newer bigger sensor for the D80/D40x.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Dilesh

[xXx]

Overdrive, I’m no camera expert and I have never bought one other than the disposable ones (yes I’m still living in the stone ages lol) but I do know how to hunt for bargains and to save a buck or two (as Tesco says every little helps) I find goods in these high street retail electronic stores to be more expensive compared to an online deal. Since I have never bought a camera online I won’t be able to pin point you to a website that’s specialized in cameras but try your luck with some of the major electronic websites i.e. ebuyer, misco, dabs

[Overdrive]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have decided to buy the 450d + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. I'm getting a tripod free so that's cool. Next is i need a couple of good lenses. I was told by some pro's not to go for the Tamron lenses as the motor starts making a noise after a while when foucusing. And that the sigma one's are quite good.

By the looks of it this lense, The Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro DG (Canon AF) combines telephoto and macro options. is this right? if so this will be brilliant.

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/catego...29861/Show.html

''Macro shooting with maximum magnification 1:2 High optical performance is demonstrated throughout the entire zoom range. It also has a switch that converts the lens to macro photography at focal lengths between 200mm and 300mm with a minimum focusing distance of 95cm. In normal mode the minimum focusing distance is 150cm at all zoom settings. Maximum magnification between 200mm and 300mm is 1:2.9 to 1:2.''

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/catego...29861/Show.html

my other question is the 450d lense fitting is said to be Canon EF, Canon EF-S, so can a lense with a Canon AF interface fit to this (like the sigma above) . I'm a bit confused as they sell these as bundled items.

[vitz]

Many thanks for Max and Dilesh for the mativation for my decision for 1000D.

I have always been a fan of Canon (I am not offending Nikon, it is a very good brand). My first P and S (canon A70) brought me thousends of photos during last 5 years. It only troubled me once needing a complete replacement of CCD sensor (company replaced it for free since it was a production failiure).

the D40 is a much older model compared to the 1000D. The thing is Nikon doesn't have a direct competitor for the 1000D.. but considering the gain in advantage of the sensor size and the lesser complication of the AF/AF-S mount the Canon is the better choice.

But photo/colour quality wise, I prefer Nikon. But thats something totally upto the user. and as you see in this thread, there are a number of Canon users here who are bound to disagree with me.

PS: didnt see max's comment when typing the above. He's probably right.. I dont have any experience with the D40 but the D40x and D60 give pretty good images. They probably fixed the problem with their newer bigger sensor for the D80/D40x.