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juaini

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Posts posted by juaini

    Where to buy in KL, Malaysia

    in Accessories

    Posted

    Not too sure about the prices, haven't gone shopping for gear since I moved back to KL from the States, but I have an intuition that it costs about the same as in the US. I hear that everybody buys their stuff from Selangor Photo at Pertama Complex, and Rimpai Mewah at S&M (don't laugh) Complex, or Mall, or something, which is somewhere between Pudu and Central Market, I think. I just passed by it two days ago, don't quite remember...

     

    As for cellphones, Sungei Wang Plaza all the way.

    Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 zoom, D vs G?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    *waving* One vote over here for the 70-210 f/4-5.6!! Sharp, great color and contrast, excellent distortion control, and I got mine used at KEH for $56!! It's also built better than any consumer grade lens I've personally ever laid hands on. Doesn't get any better than this...

    A very beginner question

    in Nikon

    Posted

    "The N80 will allow you to set the ISO rating manually, the N65 does not allow for this. " - But you can set exposure compensation for the entire roll, which will essentially doing the same thing as setting ISO. That said, I never had to do this until I started shooting Kodak TCN (I like it overexposed by 1/2 a stop, but that's just a personal preference). Whether or not you want or use this feature depends on what you shoot, the film you shoot, and "the look" that you want from your pictures.

     

    Since you say you're so much a beginner, I don't think you need to worry about this. You should worry more about technique, composition, lighting, etc. Although, Vernon is absolutely right about bulk-loading film yourself.

     

    "The N65 requires an electronic cord. " - Actually it's a remote control, and it costs less than $20 at Adorama or B&H. It's only a minor nit, and you might not even need a remote release, depending on what you shoot.

     

    In any case, I've used the N65 for about 8 or 9 months now. I know it inside out, and I can confidently say that I can operate it in my sleep. It's not as hard to use as people say it is. I use mostly Aperture priority, and if in a pinch, I apply exposure compensation instead of switching to Manual exposure. It's just a workaround that gives the same results without having to switch modes. It's also a trick that you can apply to any other camera, not just the N65, although on other cameras it might be simpler to just switch modes...

     

    I guess you can tell that I do have a lot of tricks up my sleeve to work around the N65's limitations. And they're really not hard to remember or apply, but you just need to understand certain photographic concepts so that you know what you're trying to achieve when using these workarounds. But even if you end up buying an F5 it would be just great if you did learn the photographic concepts anyway *hint*

     

    The only thing that I really wish the N65 had was a spotmeter (which the upcoming N75 has, by the way). Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy with it, and I don't foresee myself wanting or needing a more sophisticated body within the next year or so. If I step up to something better, I'd still keep my N65 for when I want something small and light.

     

    Consider buying an N65, learning the basics, then trade up if you feel like you need something better. After all, the N80 is almost twice the price of an N65 (which was my biggest consideration when I was looking to purchase). You may be able to test the waters without plunging into it headfirst.

    N80 and Close Up Photos

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Jason, in a perfect world, I would buy the macro lens. But as it is, I am an international student in college on a budget, and I can barely afford to pay for my textbooks. I wanted the cheapest route to macro, and for me, it was a 5-dollar set of extension tubes. It does require a little work, but it was fun and it gave me fantastic results. Well, almost fantastic, but that's due to my own carelessness and inattention. Hey, you learn, you know?

     

    The point of my entire post was to enlighten Jack that there are many, many alternatives to macro that don't entail missing lunch and staying home on weekends for the next six months. I researched all my options very carefully, and I wanted to share.

    Compatible lens for F80

    in Nikon

    Posted

    �Sigma EX lenses are D type so will not affect matrix metering - in fact they will offer it whereas with the G type Nikkor lenses it is not available.�

     

    Actually, G lenses are in effect the same as D lenses, just without the aperture ring; i.e. All G lenses Will offer matrix. In some cases, like the 70-300G and the 70-300D, or the 28-80G and the 28-80D, they are made with different optical formulas, so there will be a difference in optical performance. Otherwise they�re basically the same thing.

    Best lens for indoor snapshots w/ flash

    in Nikon

    Posted

    my personal feelings... i realize you were asking �with flash�, but here�s my take on things.

     

    i like to be inconspicuous, so no flash. i don�t like to muck around with filters to counteract crazy artificial light, so B&W. so my standard indoor setup is my camera body, my 50mm f/1.8 (which is truly fast enough to be used handheld indoors), and any 400-speed B&W film. Lately I�ve been using Kodak TCN, but that�s because I got a good deal on a near-dated brick of it.

     

    i find myself using the 50mm at or near max aperture even with 400-speed film, so yeah, i�d say i need the speed. the 35mm f/2 would probably do well for me too. to me, i don�t feel that 50mm is limiting; in fact, i think it makes you work to get really good shots. most of the good ones are not wide, room-sweeping shots anyway...

     

    i�ve found that the 50mm length is excellent for telling stories about small groups of people, e.g. couples or trios, up to say, 5 people. wide enough to get in fairly close, but long enough that you have to give them some space. the result is a feeling of intimacy without intrusion.

     

    just my own personal philosophy of indoor people shooting.

    N80 and Close Up Photos

    in Nikon

    Posted

    I once bought a set of used third-party extension tubes off Eb*y for 5 dollars. the catch? no AF, no metering. what I did was to meter off a gray card in manual mode, add exposure compensation (how much exactly depends on how much extension you�re adding), put on the extension tube and fire away. Er, tripod, of course.

     

    oh, but i used my 50mm f/1.8 for this. you can�t do it with a G lens, you need to set the aperture using the aperture ring. so i guess my post is just to let you know that there are cheap alternatives. the 50mm f/1.8 can, after all, be found for under USD100.

     

    or, you could stack lenses. i�d recommend the 50mm for this one, too. put your 70-300 on the body, and fit the 50mm on the front of your 70-300, filterthread-to-filterthread. you can buy adapter rings to do this for you. this will likely give you pretty large magnifications, but with very little working distance, it wouldn�t be very practical for working outdoors. and again, the lens you fit on the front of you r70-300 will need to have an aperture ring, because you need to be able to keep it open at max aperture.

     

    other than that, you could buy a set of Kenko extension tubes, they make a set that retain AF and metering with the newer bodies. this would probably be more economical than a new macro lens, if you�re not sure you really want to invest that much money in it.

    Nikon Camera for a 7 Year Old?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    �Or find one of those brightly-colored, kid-sized $35 quarter-frame Nickelodeon cameras that lets you shoot 144 images on a 36-exposure roll of film.�

     

    It�s called the Nickelodeon PhotoBlaster, and it�s been discontinued. but you can find them at an certain auction site (!!) but for a price... they�re now collector�s items. looks like fun though, i thought of getting one for my kid brother.

    I am gonna buy a camera,need your help..

    in Nikon

    Posted

    a little late here, but greg doesn't seem to exhibit any interest in indulging in photography as a serious hobby ("i like to take photos"). personally i say go for the N65; for very little more money than the N55 you get a lot more capability, and if greg feels like he wants to get more serious about photography he won't kill himself over the N55's lack of features. the N80 is more geared toward the serious amateur.

    <BR><BR>

    why am i referring to greg as the third person? i mean YOU, greg. :) sorry.

    <BR><BR>

    read <a href=http://www.nikonians.org/dcforum/DCForumID5/921.html>this</a> and <a href=http://www.nikonians.org/dcforum/DCForumID5/907.html>that</a> and even <a href=http://www.nikonians.org/dcforum/DCForumID5/791.html>that</a>. i think the first one sounds more like you, greg.

    N80 analog exposure display works in A mode?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    i'll take a stab at answering your question.

     

    the analog display only comes on in S or A mode when the camera can't make a correct exposure due to limits on its shutter speeds and/or aperture of the lens. i think that in A mode it's much easier to get a correct exposure because you're only concerned with aperture, so the camera has a full range of shutter speeds between 30 sec to 1/4000(??) to choose from.

     

    in S mode on the other hand, you choose a shutter speed, but the range of aperture settings for the camera to choose from is much smaller than the range of shutter speeds. so the likelihood of selecting a shutter speed that can't give a good exposure is higher.

     

    which brings me to the question: how do you know that it's over/underexposing, as you are indicating in your question #2? did you test this out on film?

     

    sorry if it was a little long winded and hard to understand, it was the best i could do. anybody want to give it another shot?

    New to Nikon

    in Nikon

    Posted

    i subscribe to the philosophy that it's not the camera that makes the picture, but the person behind the camera. features are just tools to make the job a little easier, but then tools are useless if you don't know how to use them.

    <BR><BR>

    personally i use the N65 with the kit 28-80G lens and the 50mm f/1.8, and i have taken some amazing photos with my setup. i don't think the 1-dial interface is a bother unless you plan to set your exposures manually, or are constantly setting and resetting compensation. people knock the 28-80G lens quite a lot, but truth is, i have exposed many very sharp, richly colored and contrasty slides with it. of course, do get the 50mm for indoor shots without flash; besides, playing with depth of field is one of my favourite games!

    <BR><BR>

    conclusion: buy as much camera as you feel comfortable buying AND using. if you can't imagine yourself ever needing to switch metering systems or having gridlines in your viewfinder or [<i>insert superneat N80 feature</i>] then you'll be happy with the N65. either way, make sure you get the battery grip, it's totally killer!

    <BR><BR>

    i also subscribe to the philosophy that one tends to get smarter and and more creative when working within limitations than without. just a thought.

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