Importing Dslr Camera Lenses (any Idea What The Tax/duty Etc Costs?)

[Pericles]

Yeah, well, nothing like that hand-carry method. Just got my 430 EXII and 16Gb SDHC. Woo Hoo! Point me to the nearest car show! (Or party with babes, I don't mind )

[Ripper]

Yeah, well, nothing like that hand-carry method. Just got my 430 EXII and 16Gb SDHC. Woo Hoo! Point me to the nearest car show! (Or party with babes, I don't mind )

ditto that!

thanks again MeenGreenZ :)

Speedlite eh! that would be the next acquisition for me also

First of all need to figure out a way to get out of trouble while shooting outdoors these days. Yesterday was shooting around near my place when some folks had called the cops on me

buggers try to scare me but managed to talk to them and not get arrested Not a very enjoyable experience

[shanX]

on that note...once i bought this used offshore trolling reel of ebay that cost a bit... the thing was dirty and the seller wanted to clean it before sending it to me but i told him not to

cos when it arrived at customs, the guy just didnt even want to touch it cos it looked like a rusted piece of junk

lil bit of brasso did the trick and yours truly was a happy camper.... rs100 tax only btw

at the same time once i was taxed rs.1200 for a fishing lure that was worth only about rs.1500 with shipping... I even had bills to prove the true cost since it was bought from an online tackle shop that sent in the original credit card receipt thingy with the package...

Hah hah yeah that's the best method you could get tax exemption lol. Like once an home electronic item and once a car electronic item, which were like worth around 15k here, their boxes were sort of like damaged, opened bla bla. Had to pay 250-350/= as tax

Its just random luck. And I do have 2 more a bit expensive items arriving tomorrow or next week, have to see how they'd go, already few people there know me well, coz I frequent there, hope they'd go well

[Pericles]

ditto that!

thanks again MeenGreenZ :)

Speedlite eh! that would be the next acquisition for me also

First of all need to figure out a way to get out of trouble while shooting outdoors these days. Yesterday was shooting around near my place when some folks had called the cops on me

buggers try to scare me but managed to talk to them and not get arrested Not a very enjoyable experience

you could point out that terrorists don't wander around with huge professional cameras that attract attention. And join a few flickr groups on photog rights. Not sure about the applicability under our emergency laws, but worth a try.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Pericles

[Devinda_Z]

Point me to the nearest car show! (Or party with babes, I don't mind )

in some other parts of the world the phrase "same difference" might well have applied!

[Saturn]

Yeah, well, nothing like that hand-carry method. Just got my 430 EXII and 16Gb SDHC. Woo Hoo! Point me to the nearest car show! (Or party with babes, I don't mind )

Thanks for your suggestions and advice! Please also let me know if there are any car shows coming up.. want to test my lenses Yes, considering the 70-200f4 or the 200 f2. Or both. Not too sure, I may go for the F4 and an 85f1.8 for low light. So many options, so much choice but so expensive

I considered the f2.8 but that thing is really heavy not to mention costing nearly 2 grand!

@ripper - congrats on the 50d. If you don't mind me asking, what lenses did you get?

btw.. check this out: it's an archive of JPG magazine, in PDF format:

http://jpgmag.com/downloads/archives.html

Some nice stuff there

ps: pericles, ripper, and everyone else here who uses DSLR's.. if you don't mind me asking, which lenses do you personally use? which are your favorites? I'm looking for tips to build a glass collection

btw for anyone who is looking for gear, metropolitan has got some new shipments (and are getting more) so hopefully they should have revised pricing. I visited their office at Magazine road, had stacks of boxes of cameras. best of they had a room full of lenses. Main guy there gave me decent prices and was very helpful and intelligent - also his prices were realistic not crazy like the shop prices.

Some of the prices he offered me were not too bad, just a little above US street prices, worth it for the warranty. It's only for higher end stuff (e.g. L lenses) that the prices were crazy, so I'd probably import those.

Edited January 3, 2009 by Saturn

[Pericles]

Thanks for your suggestions and advice! Please also let me know if there are any car shows coming up.. want to test my lenses Yes, considering the 70-200f4 or the 200 f2. Or both. Not too sure, I may go for the F4 and an 85f1.8 for low light. So many options, so much choice but so expensive

I considered the f2.8 but that thing is really heavy not to mention costing nearly 2 grand!

@ripper - congrats on the 50d. If you don't mind me asking, what lenses did you get?

btw.. check this out: it's an archive of JPG magazine, in PDF format:

http://jpgmag.com/downloads/archives.html

Some nice stuff there

ps: pericles, ripper, and everyone else here who uses DSLR's.. if you don't mind me asking, which lenses do you personally use? which are your favorites? I'm looking for tips to build a glass collection

btw for anyone who is looking for gear, metropolitan has got some new shipments (and are getting more) so hopefully they should have revised pricing. I visited their office at Magazine road, had stacks of boxes of cameras. best of they had a room full of lenses. Main guy there gave me decent prices and was very helpful and intelligent - also his prices were realistic not crazy like the shop prices.

Some of the prices he offered me were not too bad, just a little above US street prices, worth it for the warranty. It's only for higher end stuff (e.g. L lenses) that the prices were crazy, so I'd probably import those.

Heh, just starting, lens collection is pretty basic. EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS and EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS.

Good news on Metro, was planning on visiting them for a EF 50mm f1.8 , which isn't too far from the US prices, since its cheap. Other than that, haven't really thought about it. Since I do lots of long range, been thinking about an Opteka 500mm f8 manual, and a Kenko 400-800mm with 2X converter, which can be picked up real cheap. Otherwise, if I get interested in macro, maybe the EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro USM. Then if I still am crazy enough, maybe a long L lens. Maybe a EF 30mm f2 for indoor work. Many years down the line

[Saturn]

Heh, just starting, lens collection is pretty basic. EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS and EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS.

Good news on Metro, was planning on visiting them for a EF 50mm f1.8 , which isn't too far from the US prices, since its cheap. Other than that, haven't really thought about it. Since I do lots of long range, been thinking about an Opteka 500mm f8 manual, and a Kenko 400-800mm with 2X converter, which can be picked up real cheap. Otherwise, if I get interested in macro, maybe the EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro USM. Then if I still am crazy enough, maybe a long L lens. Maybe a EF 30mm f2 for indoor work. Many years down the line

Lens wise, with the 18-55 and 55-250 IS, your collection is perfect! Though a nice low light prime would be awesome indeed: consider the 50 1.4 - it's a bit more expensive (37k @metro), but has almost a stop more light gathering and better optics/bokeh, which should be awesome for evening gatherings, etc (imagine, all that low light performance!). That lens is so solid.. and gives beautiful photos. Metro don't have the 50 1.8 right now but should have it in a week or two.. or so they say. Fun fact: if you ask for the 1.8 they will say oh no, because I've been phoning them weekly for a month about this

At F4, the 1.8 and 1.4 should match (so I read) BUT the 1.8 has very violent choppy bokeh: particularly if theres any light in the background photos look crazy.

See this photo fromthe 1.8:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/makelessnoise/191473607/

no light in BG, so looks nice.

whereas this photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anjapepunkt/162528289/

light in background gives nasty blobs

Some people, even pro's, LIKE this look, but personally I prefer the soft smooth backgrounds from the f1.4. If you don't really care about the background then 1.8 will be fine.

Here are some examples of the 1.4's bokeh

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokeh_/discus...search=50mm+1.4

vs the 1.8

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokeh_/discus...=canon+50mm+1.8

Obviously you could use your 55-250 and get better stuff bokeh wise, but that wouldnt have the low light ability of the 50

Personally I'm hoping to buy the 50mm 1.8 from Metro, but I also want to save up for the 1.4 and hopefully buy it in a few months.. so if you or anyone wants a cheap 50mm 1.8 with warranty, give me 2 months

Mirror lenses are fascinating. I've never used one but I've seen the photos and they are definitely good, especially considering the huge cost and size difference!

I'm curious.. why did you decide on Opteka/Kenko? Also any idea what a 1.4 or 2x converter costs here? I didn't ask metropolitan as their prices would be astronomical I'm sure

Speaking of Opteka.. wow this is a bargain!

http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-500mm-Preset-...4560&sr=1-4

Edited January 4, 2009 by Saturn

[Overdrive]

I have a 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and the 60mm f/2.8 IS USM and i am thinking of buying the same 70-200mm f4 L as well. can't afford the 2.8! But those amazon prices are amazing!! in my wish list i also want a macro ring lite.. and maybe a 16-35mm f/2.8 L

Peri: I have to say the 60mm f/2.8 macro is fantastic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35605300@N00/3162263797/

They had done a group test in the feb 2009 issue of Digital Photo magazine, and it came up as the winner. btw how are the opteka lenses?

would the 70-200mm f4 L non IS be good for hand held use?

Ripper: What you said reminded me of what happened to me yesterday. Mate, that's better than being almost mugged in broad daylight!! yesterday two blokes were following me...they were after my gear.

[Pericles]

Lens wise, with the 18-55 and 55-250 IS, your collection is perfect! Though a nice low light prime would be awesome indeed: consider the 50 1.4 - it's a bit more expensive (37k @metro), but has almost a stop more light gathering and better optics/bokeh, which should be awesome for evening gatherings, etc (imagine, all that low light performance!). That lens is so solid.. and gives beautiful photos. Metro don't have the 50 1.8 right now but should have it in a week or two.. or so they say. Fun fact: if you ask for the 1.8 they will say oh no, because I've been phoning them weekly for a month about this

At F4, the 1.8 and 1.4 should match (so I read) BUT the 1.8 has very violent choppy bokeh: particularly if theres any light in the background photos look crazy.

See this photo fromthe 1.8:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/makelessnoise/191473607/

no light in BG, so looks nice.

whereas this photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anjapepunkt/162528289/

light in background gives nasty blobs

Some people, even pro's, LIKE this look, but personally I prefer the soft smooth backgrounds from the f1.4. If you don't really care about the background then 1.8 will be fine.

Here are some examples of the 1.4's bokeh

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokeh_/discus...search=50mm+1.4

vs the 1.8

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokeh_/discus...=canon+50mm+1.8

Obviously you could use your 55-250 and get better stuff bokeh wise, but that wouldnt have the low light ability of the 50

Personally I'm hoping to buy the 50mm 1.8 from Metro, but I also want to save up for the 1.4 and hopefully buy it in a few months.. so if you or anyone wants a cheap 50mm 1.8 with warranty, give me 2 months

Mirror lenses are fascinating. I've never used one but I've seen the photos and they are definitely good, especially considering the huge cost and size difference!

I'm curious.. why did you decide on Opteka/Kenko? Also any idea what a 1.4 or 2x converter costs here? I didn't ask metropolitan as their prices would be astronomical I'm sure

Speaking of Opteka.. wow this is a bargain!

http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-500mm-Preset-...4560&sr=1-4

True, but what primarily pointed me to the 50mm 1.8 is price. I prefer the flexibility of a zoom, but just wanted to have a cheap prime to play with and that can do real low light stuff without flash. (Tho my 430EX II is making me rethink that I'm in love It has replaced the 55-250 as my primary obsession )

I'm not sure about your blob analysis. The bokeh from the 1.8 is generally considered ugly coz you can make out the shape of the diaphragm, coz it uses 5 non rounded blades. Basically the bokeh looks like a pentagon. You can see it in the shot you put as an example. The 1.4, having more blades (8), and rounded blades, makes a more "pleasing" circular bokeh. On another note, I have got to get some of this info out of my head, coz there are more valuable things I need to remember, but don't.

I am not a mirror lens fan. I have never used one, but the reviews are not good. Even tho I have seen some good shots on flickr using mirror lens. However, I've also seen good shots using micro compacts and phone cams, and I don't like those either.

Opteka and Kenko, simply price. The Opteka 500mm is almost the same cost as a EF 50mm f1.8 II. The link you have posted, BTW. Thats the very lens I'm eyeing. Yes, its very limited (f8 starting, manual focus) but I want it pretty much only for motor sports, and by that I mean, just Katu. On a bright day (most of the time in SL) it shouldn't be an issue, and I'll have 500mm reach. Which on the 450D is equiv 800mm. The Kenko is $179, with converter 1600mm, on 450D = 2560mm. Build a platform on Cops Corner and cover the whole track like I'm next to the track. Sure they aren't that great optically, but I'm taking low qual jpgs, which are downsized even further for uploading to the web, so I should be ok. Might even get the odd wildlife shot.

Besides, foot long lens are sexy. I'll just stick it on a non-working film body and use it to get people out of my way at car shows. Anyone seeing me wandering around with that monster is gonna think I'm a pro-magazine photog. Possible fringe benefits there too

Also, the converters, not very sure. Canon ones are $250+ on amazon, so I'm not real hopeful of getting it under 50k here. Also, they are white, coz they are supposed to work with L lens. However, there are a few other brands on amazon. Oddly, just $2 difference between the 1.4 and 2.0 on amazon.

Anyhoo, my lens acquisitions are on hold, even the 50mm. Next target is definitely a Battery Grip and a couple of spare batteries. Lens comes after that.

I have a 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and the 60mm f/2.8 IS USM and i am thinking of buying the same 70-200mm f4 L as well. can't afford the 2.8! But those amazon prices are amazing!! in my wish list i also want a macro ring lite.. and maybe a 16-35mm f/2.8 L

Peri: I have to say the 60mm f/2.8 macro is fantastic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35605300@N00/3162263797/

They had done a group test in the feb 2009 issue of Digital Photo magazine, and it came up as the winner. btw how are the opteka lenses?

would the 70-200mm f4 L non IS be good for hand held use?

Ripper: What you said reminded me of what happened to me yesterday. Mate, that's better than being almost mugged in broad daylight!! yesterday two blokes were following me...they were after my gear.

Oh, thats your stream. Was wondering who added me as a contact I didn't know the 60mm had a f2.8 IS USM. That's different from the EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro? I wanted the EF-S coz its smaller and lighter, even if it won't work with full frame. Have no plans of going to full frame, so EF-S is not an issue. Can still use even with the XXD range.

16-35mm f/2.8 L? You want to go wide angle with wide aperture? If your just interested in the wide angle you could try the EF-S 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 Should be nice and fishy even on APS-C sensors Half the price. Tho your choice is definitely right for parties where you don't wanna use the flash much.

Opteka, I've mentioned earlier. They are a respectable glass maker of long standing tho. Not completely useless, but sorta cumbersome to work with, coz its not quite so automated. No AF, and doesn't report aperture to the cam, so using a flash becomes a manual task too. Little things. Doesn't bother pros so much since they generally prefer to do things manually anyway, but bothersome for the hobbyist.

70-200mm f4 L non IS handheld

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tharendra/3163252698/

Almost 6 pm. Compare to my 55-250mm IS

http://preveen.multiply.com/photos/photo/29/50

Couple of differences, he was using a 400D to my 450D, and a lower ISO (400 vs 1600). Quite steady for a 1/20 shot while mine was considerably faster at 1/50 or 1/60. But he could stay at f4 while I was at f5.6. And my image is processed a bit. Not sure about his. And mine are crops. The headshots are 100% crops.

My everlasting regret that I forgot to ask him to lend me the L for a while to try out. I was soo damn excited with my own 55-250mm which I had just got. That guy hand carried that and my XSi in for me

Edited January 4, 2009 by Pericles

[MSP0RT5]

EF-S are good value for money, if you're not going to go FF down the track. I was looking at the 16-35 f2.8 L as well recently and a photographer friend of mine recommended the EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS USM as an alternative. I got it for around $850 AUD (when the AUD was stronger) and it's proved to be an excellent walk around lens. According to the reviews, the construction and glass is UD (same as L series) and it basically misses out the L series designation due to the EF-S mount and the lack of dust sealing. If you can pick this lens up cheap it's a good buy - the RRP in aus has now gone to around $1699.00. Using it on a 40D.

My only prime is a 28mm f1.8 USM. I use this a fair bit indoors when taking pics of the kids etc. My next purchase would be a macro lens I think, and then save up for a 70-200 f2.8 L IS USM. I should've bought this when the dollar was better, as it's gone up by around $500 bucks now coz of the exchange rate

[Overdrive]

sorry machan, You are right. It's not IS. I keep refering to that macro lense as IS for some reason.

Tharendra's shot is pretty good, no lense blur what so ever. hmm interesting. The non IS one's are quite reasonabaly priced as well. you know your shot, have you tried using on Creative zone C.fn 1 II-2 high ISO noise reduction (on). Did you use any filters on the 55-250mm for those nature shots?

I'm thinking i should invest in the coking square filter system as i find it to be far more cost effective rather than buying screw in's for diff lense sizes. Ie. The filter effects like polorise/UV/ND cannot be obtained by PS in my experience.

Anyone with any experience with Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS? cheaper aswell.

[Saturn]

I'm not sure about your blob analysis. The bokeh from the 1.8 is generally considered ugly coz you can make out the shape of the diaphragm, coz it uses 5 non rounded blades. Basically the bokeh looks like a pentagon. You can see it in the shot you put as an example. The 1.4, having more blades (8), and rounded blades, makes a more "pleasing" circular bokeh. On another note, I have got to get some of this info out of my head, coz there are more valuable things I need to remember, but don't.

I'm not refering to the blob shape, but rather the quality and nature of the bokeh. The 1.8 gives harsh 'condom shaped' bokeh for lights, whereas the 1.4 gives a softer 'center-glow' type bokeh. It's a very subtle effect. (Also as you pointed out, the 8 blade aperture gives more rounder bokeh.

Still, I guess I am going to get the 1.8 and see how it goes, then switch to the 1.4

I am not a mirror lens fan. I have never used one, but the reviews are not good. Even tho I have seen some good shots on flickr using mirror lens. However, I've also seen good shots using micro compacts and phone cams, and I don't like those either.

Opteka and Kenko, simply price. The Opteka 500mm is almost the same cost as a EF 50mm f1.8 II. The link you have posted, BTW. Thats the very lens I'm eyeing. Yes, its very limited (f8 starting, manual focus) but I want it pretty much only for motor sports, and by that I mean, just Katu. On a bright day (most of the time in SL) it shouldn't be an issue, and I'll have 500mm reach. Which on the 450D is equiv 800mm. The Kenko is $179, with converter 1600mm, on 450D = 2560mm. Build a platform on Cops Corner and cover the whole track like I'm next to the track. Sure they aren't that great optically, but I'm taking low qual jpgs, which are downsized even further for uploading to the web, so I should be ok. Might even get the odd wildlife shot.

wow that is good value for money! An ultra zoom is on my to-do list too - I just need more $$

Besides, foot long lens are sexy. I'll just stick it on a non-working film body and use it to get people out of my way at car shows. Anyone seeing me wandering around with that monster is gonna think I'm a pro-magazine photog. Possible fringe benefits there too

That's the spirit. In your defense you are a good photographer so you can get away with it. Me, I just get laughed at

Also, the converters, not very sure. Canon ones are $250+ on amazon, so I'm not real hopeful of getting

it under 50k here. Also, they are white, coz they are supposed to work with L lens. However, there are a few other brands on amazon. Oddly, just $2 difference between the 1.4 and 2.0 on amazon.

I think people prefer the 1.4 due to IQ.. supposedly the 2.0 degrades visual quality too much.. Also have you considered other compatible teleconverters? I hear the other brands allow you to use most lenses (vs the Canons which only work with a few primes!/l zooms)

My everlasting regret that I forgot to ask him to lend me the L for a while to try out. I was soo damn excited with my own 55-250mm which I had just got. That guy hand carried that and my XSi in for me

Tell me about the 55-250 is? whats the longest handheld time you can get with IS? how sharp are the pics? With the 18-55 I can handhold a max 1 second at 18 and about 1/4 at 55, this generally matches with what I've read.

Edited January 4, 2009 by Saturn

[Saturn]

Ripper: If you don't mind me asking - how is the 50D? (I think you mentioned you got one?) I'm curious because it costs quite a bit more than, say the 1000d. What specific advantages does it have, and how does your photography benefit from it?

[Pericles]

sorry machan, You are right. It's not IS. I keep refering to that macro lense as IS for some reason.

Tharendra's shot is pretty good, no lense blur what so ever. hmm interesting. The non IS one's are quite reasonabaly priced as well. you know your shot, have you tried using on Creative zone C.fn 1 II-2 high ISO noise reduction (on). Did you use any filters on the 55-250mm for those nature shots?

I'm thinking i should invest in the coking square filter system as i find it to be far more cost effective rather than buying screw in's for diff lense sizes. Ie. The filter effects like polorise/UV/ND cannot be obtained by PS in my experience.

Anyone with any experience with Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS? cheaper aswell.

I normally keep it (high ISO noise reduction) on, but I think I turned it off on that trip coz I was experimenting around with the new lens.Not too sure. And the normal Hoya UV filter is on pretty much all the time. Not familiar with the system you mention. My plans on the canons all call for 58 and 52 mm filters, so I didn't think I'd need to worry too much about sizes. Haven't got anything other than the single 58mm UV, which fits both my lens currently. Will got for a polarizer as money permits later on, tho not in a rush. For one thing, all my lens have rotating front elements, which makes using polarizers a pain.

No experience on the Sigma. The EF-S 18-200 IS has dropped to $499 on amazon tho. Steep fall from $699 very quickly. There is also a $100 rebate offer or summin until 17th Jan, so possibly $399?

I'm not refering to the blob shape, but rather the quality and nature of the bokeh. The 1.8 gives harsh 'condom shaped' bokeh for lights, whereas the 1.4 gives a softer 'center-glow' type bokeh. It's a very subtle effect. (Also as you pointed out, the 8 blade aperture gives more rounder bokeh.

Have to check that out

Still, I guess I am going to get the 1.8 and see how it goes, then switch to the 1.4

My plan too. Well, not switch, but see if I want to switch.

That's the spirit. In your defense you are a good photographer so you can get away with it. Me, I just get laughed at

No one knows how good a photog you are when you are wandering around in a car show dude. Unless they know you already Tho I do plan to rely on the AL T-shirt that says "Automobile e-magazine" on the sleeve

I think people prefer the 1.4 due to IQ.. supposedly the 2.0 degrades visual quality too much.. Also have you considered other compatible teleconverters? I hear the other brands allow you to use most lenses (vs the Canons which only work with a few primes!/l zooms)

By "Work" they mean that AF and auto modes work. There is still the old fashioned way, even with EF-S (I think). Tho $250 is a bit much to spend for doing things manually! I did look at a few teleconverters, but nothing tempted me enough. Tho some are cheap enough to get to experiment with later, after I get a few more essentials. Specifically, battery.

Funny thing, that Kenko system that can stretch to 1600mm costs less than a damn 2.0X teleconverter. Shame, these Canon buggers.

Tell me about the 55-250 is? whats the longest handheld time you can get with IS? how sharp are the pics? With the 18-55 I can handhold a max 1 second at 18 and about 1/4 at 55, this generally matches with what I've read.

I haven't really tested it out like that. Anyway, I can't stand still for better than 1/4 without swaying. I have terrible balance. Need to prop myself against something. Which is why the monopod was such a critical purchase. Tho it might be February by the time it gets here.

Tho its funny, I find it easier to hold the 55-250 steady for longer for longer shots. I think the extra weight helps. Also having a longer barrel to grip and balance. I've also tried balancing the lens on my forearm and it can help.

[Saturn]

Funny thing, that Kenko system that can stretch to 1600mm costs less than a damn 2.0X teleconverter. Shame, these Canon buggers.

Its a pity really, but they have customers willing to pay astronomical amounts so they can charge what they want. Sadly, for ordinary people like us who live in third world countries.. what to do except grin and pay.

Re: teleconverters: this looks promising:

http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-Autofocus-Tel...s/dp/B000068ODT

Also

http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-1000mm-Mirro...s/dp/B000NNUHWK

Seems to work with most canon lenses..

I haven't really tested it out like that. Anyway, I can't stand still for better than 1/4 without swaying. I have terrible balance. Need to prop myself against something. Which is why the monopod was such a critical purchase. Tho it might be February by the time it gets here.

Tho its funny, I find it easier to hold the 55-250 steady for longer for longer shots. I think the extra weight helps. Also having a longer barrel to grip and balance. I've also tried balancing the lens on my forearm and it can help.

Whats the longest you can handhold IS @55 and at 250? I'm really curious to know. I find that in my 18-55, 55 I can get about 30% clear photos at 1/4.. so by that math, reaching 250 I should probably have no hope

Speaking of mirror lenses.. I stumbled on this:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/mirror.html

quite interesting!

Edited January 4, 2009 by Saturn

[Saturn]

Have no plans of going to full frame, so EF-S is not an issue. Can still use even with the XXD range.

Whoa, hey, don't say that just yet! Especially considering that the 5d has dropped below 2k!

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-5D-Digital-Cam...y/dp/B0007Y791C

Imagine that..full frame.. wide angle at 24mm... yum

Why that thing is nearly as cheap as a 50d, here in SL at least (170k at metro)

Edited January 4, 2009 by Saturn

[Pericles]

Its a pity really, but they have customers willing to pay astronomical amounts so they can charge what they want. Sadly, for ordinary people like us who live in third world countries.. what to do except grin and pay.

Re: teleconverters: this looks promising:

http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-Autofocus-Tel...s/dp/B000068ODT

Also

http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-1000mm-Mirro...s/dp/B000NNUHWK

Seems to work with most canon lenses..

Whats the longest you can handhold IS @55 and at 250? I'm really curious to know. I find that in my 18-55, 55 I can get about 30% clear photos at 1/4.. so by that math, reaching 250 I should probably have no hope

Speaking of mirror lenses.. I stumbled on this:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/mirror.html

quite interesting!

While I haven't checked to see test wise, I've got acceptable images at 1/50 and as low as 1/20 at the 250mm end. Changes from person to person I expect. Maybe I've developed the technique without realizing it, coz I've been using a 432mm equiv for years, namely the S2 IS. Thing is, for most applications, less that 1/50th is pretty useless coz its pretty guaranteed the subject will move.

Whoa, hey, don't say that just yet! Especially considering that the 5d has dropped below 2k!

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-5D-Digital-Cam...y/dp/B0007Y791C

Imagine that..full frame.. wide angle at 24mm... yum

Why that thing is nearly as cheap as a 50d, here in SL at least (170k at metro)

Not going full frame is not a just a price thing I'm just not much of a wide angle shooter. My main areas of interest are both at the tele-end, motorsports and wildlife.

[Ripper]

Thanks for your suggestions and advice! Please also let me know if there are any car shows coming up.. want to test my lenses Yes, considering the 70-200f4 or the 200 f2. Or both. Not too sure, I may go for the F4 and an 85f1.8 for low light. So many options, so much choice but so expensive

I considered the f2.8 but that thing is really heavy not to mention costing nearly 2 grand!

@ripper - congrats on the 50d. If you don't mind me asking, what lenses did you get?

btw.. check this out: it's an archive of JPG magazine, in PDF format:

http://jpgmag.com/downloads/archives.html

Some nice stuff there

ps: pericles, ripper, and everyone else here who uses DSLR's.. if you don't mind me asking, which lenses do you personally use? which are your favorites? I'm looking for tips to build a glass collection

btw for anyone who is looking for gear, metropolitan has got some new shipments (and are getting more) so hopefully they should have revised pricing. I visited their office at Magazine road, had stacks of boxes of cameras. best of they had a room full of lenses. Main guy there gave me decent prices and was very helpful and intelligent - also his prices were realistic not crazy like the shop prices.

Some of the prices he offered me were not too bad, just a little above US street prices, worth it for the warranty. It's only for higher end stuff (e.g. L lenses) that the prices were crazy, so I'd probably import those.

thanks mate

the 50D is my first DSLR so have a very steep learning curve and cant seem to be finding enough time to get it on high gear due to other commitments

I bought the ultra basic ef-s 18-55IS and the ef-s 55-250IS as my starter set... Hopefully overtime the glass collection will grow...

btw... do you have a flickr stream too like Peri and the rest?

[Saturn]

thanks mate

the 50D is my first DSLR so have a very steep learning curve and cant seem to be finding enough time to get it on high gear due to other commitments

I bought the ultra basic ef-s 18-55IS and the ef-s 55-250IS as my starter set... Hopefully overtime the glass collection will grow...

btw... do you have a flickr stream too like Peri and the rest?

Congrats on the 50d! If you don't mind me asking, what made you choose that, as opposed to say the 1000d

Your choice of lenses is excellent. You've covered the basic range pretty neatly!

You could consider a 50mm 1.8 (should be about 10k at Metro, if/when they get it)

The difference is this is a fast low light lens - i.e. it has 1.8 aperture so you can take photos in low light etc. You can do the same with the 18-55 but subject movt would show (in theory, the 18-55 lens starts with an aperture of 3.5, so a 1.8 would let in twice or more light perhaps, see aperture diagram below)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...ure_diagram.svg

Aside from good light gathering, the 50mm 1.8 (at f4) attains L grade sharpness (so I'm told) - I do know that it's resolution levels are above the limits of your sensor, and you will notice a vast difference of clarity and sharpness, so I definitely recommend going for one of these lenses.

Yes, have a flickr stream but it sux

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99573504@N00/

Please do give me yours too

@Peri - aside from wide angle, personally, I want to switch to a full frame because it would simply give me more data . Of course the difference isn't as startling as going from a P&S sensor to the APS-C, as this handy wikipedia article shows (you know this more than me but I'm including the link for anyone else who might like it), there IS a difference - also full frame is future proof (there's rumors canon may eventually go full frame only),

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...SensorSizes.svg

The above image was one of the main reasons (aside from interchangeable lenses) that I switched from P&S to DSLR

Wow, just realized. According to that diagram, the APS-C (I assume this is what we use) covers 329mm square, whereas the 35mm full frame covers 864mm square. That is definitely quite a difference - in fact looks to be more than 2X!!

On the subject of stabilization, have you tried a string 'tripod'

http://www.instructables.com/id/String-Tripod/

I hear that despite looking silly, they are quite good (not to mention lightweight). the idea is finding a nut that fits in your camera's tripod hole, running a taut line of string from that to under your shoe (or something similar) - the tension from that should keep the camera stable - poor man's IS

Edited January 5, 2009 by Saturn

[Pericles]

You can also try looping the strap around your elbow and wrist. There was a technique for doing this properly to keep the cam steady.

[Watchman]

Wow, so man Canon users.

My first lens naturally was the kit 18-55.. When going for the zoom, i couldnt afford the 300mm AF-S lens, so had to settle with the 55-200mm...And to go above 200 i was looking at converters when i found a set of a .5x and 2x converter on ebay for what can only be explained as dirt-cheap... i wasnt a big fan of the glass quality of the 23x but the .5x really does blow you away! most of my favorite photos have been through this. So i'm covered from around 10mm till 200mm which i am quite happy with for now, untill i can upgrade to a D90 which has a better selection of lenses for tis mount..

And when it comes to shooting cars i'm personally not a big fan of the 18-45mm range... its neither wide enough or zoomed in enough.. So i shoot on either the wide angle or the zoom lens... for motorshows it HAS to be the wide angle, because once you step away from the car far enough to get it in full frame at 55mm+ people dont see you and start walking between you and the car... which is not the case with wide angle.

[Ripper]

Congrats on the 50d! If you don't mind me asking, what made you choose that, as opposed to say the 1000d

Your choice of lenses is excellent. You've covered the basic range pretty neatly!

You could consider a 50mm 1.8 (should be about 10k at Metro, if/when they get it)

The difference is this is a fast low light lens - i.e. it has 1.8 aperture so you can take photos in low light etc. You can do the same with the 18-55 but subject movt would show (in theory, the 18-55 lens starts with an aperture of 3.5, so a 1.8 would let in twice or more light perhaps, see aperture diagram below)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...ure_diagram.svg

Aside from good light gathering, the 50mm 1.8 (at f4) attains L grade sharpness (so I'm told) - I do know that it's resolution levels are above the limits of your sensor, and you will notice a vast difference of clarity and sharpness, so I definitely recommend going for one of these lenses.

Yes, have a flickr stream but it sux

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99573504@N00/

Please do give me yours too

@Peri - aside from wide angle, personally, I want to switch to a full frame because it would simply give me more data . Of course the difference isn't as startling as going from a P&S sensor to the APS-C, as this handy wikipedia article shows (you know this more than me but I'm including the link for anyone else who might like it), there IS a difference - also full frame is future proof (there's rumors canon may eventually go full frame only),

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...SensorSizes.svg

The above image was one of the main reasons (aside from interchangeable lenses) that I switched from P&S to DSLR

Wow, just realized. According to that diagram, the APS-C (I assume this is what we use) covers 329mm square, whereas the 35mm full frame covers 864mm square. That is definitely quite a difference - in fact looks to be more than 2X!!

On the subject of stabilization, have you tried a string 'tripod'

http://www.instructables.com/id/String-Tripod/

I hear that despite looking silly, they are quite good (not to mention lightweight). the idea is finding a nut that fits in your camera's tripod hole, running a taut line of string from that to under your shoe (or something similar) - the tension from that should keep the camera stable - poor man's IS

http://flickr.com/blindshooter

that's me but nothing much there yet...only a couple of pics

on me decision to go for the 50D... I work with pro snappers quite often since i'm in advertising... Do use PS and stuff so i really needed something i can grow into...

Mind you i get bored with things rather quickly and needed something that can keep me busy for a while...

And also i needed the higher pix range...in case i snap something good enough that i can later use on my work... and being able to crop into pics at higher MP rate was a plus...

after checking with a few photographers, it was the 40d from canon camp and either the d200 or the d300 from the nikon camp...

went with canon for some odd reason

I would say the biggest things aboutt he 50D that swayed me was the improved LCD...

Since i'm new to this, i wanted to see my stuff on location to the best the camera can allow...

so 50D was sort of an easy winner

But admittedly i was torn between the 40D and the 50D for quite a long time

on lenses, i would prefer to go for a wide lens next time... 10-22mm or summin like that...

if only the cam was full frame

but hey, you can't have all

on tripods, gotta a slik700dx pro and a monopod... didn't use either of them yet though

need a shutter release thing first to go for long exposures...

[Watchman]

Wow, so man Canon users.

My first lens naturally was the kit 18-55.. When going for the zoom, i couldnt afford the 300mm AF-S lens, so had to settle with the 55-200mm...And to go above 200 i was looking at converters when i found a set of a .5x and 2x converter on ebay for what can only be explained as dirt-cheap... i wasnt a big fan of the glass quality of the 23x but the .5x really does blow you away! most of my favorite photos have been through this. So i'm covered from around 10mm till 200mm which i am quite happy with for now, untill i can upgrade to a D90 which has a better selection of lenses for tis mount..

And when it comes to shooting cars i'm personally not a big fan of the 18-45mm range... its neither wide enough or zoomed in enough.. So i shoot on either the wide angle or the zoom lens... for motorshows it HAS to be the wide angle, because once you step away from the car far enough to get it in full frame at 55mm+ people dont see you and start walking between you and the car... which is not the case with wide angle.

[Overdrive]

Wow, so man Canon users.

My first lens naturally was the kit 18-55.. When going for the zoom, i couldnt afford the 300mm AF-S lens, so had to settle with the 55-200mm...And to go above 200 i was looking at converters when i found a set of a .5x and 2x converter on ebay for what can only be explained as dirt-cheap... i wasnt a big fan of the glass quality of the 23x but the .5x really does blow you away! most of my favorite photos have been through this. So i'm covered from around 10mm till 200mm which i am quite happy with for now, untill i can upgrade to a D90 which has a better selection of lenses for tis mount..

And when it comes to shooting cars i'm personally not a big fan of the 18-45mm range... its neither wide enough or zoomed in enough.. So i shoot on either the wide angle or the zoom lens... for motorshows it HAS to be the wide angle, because once you step away from the car far enough to get it in full frame at 55mm+ people dont see you and start walking between you and the car... which is not the case with wide angle.

Yeah dude, you are out numbered.