barry_passaris

Dear all,

Thanks again so much for your feedback. The info. has been very valuable and it sounds like the US websites are 'the way to go' for both equipment and film.

Regards,

Barry.

PS: Peter, nice work on your website!!

Dear All,

Thanks for your insights, especially yours Peter which were quite detailed. It's interesting that some couriers will declare the items to customs whilst others don't.

Peter, you mentioned EMS (What does this stand for?). Did you organise shipping independently of the store as 17th St Photo and B&H do not offer the shipping via this company on their sites.

Out of interest, does anybody bother to insure their purchases?

In addition, why is it that photographic equipment has such a high mark up price in Australia? The photo stores are just bleeding us!

Maybe I should look into a photo retail business, rather than taking photos, as there is obviously demand for selling at a reasonable price, which is a void in the current Oz retail market!

Are there any Aussies who know if purchasing goods from a US/UK

website will incur tax additional to GST (Goods and Services Tax)?

I'm considering purchasing equipment either from Robert White in the

UK or B&H in New York and prices for some EOS lenses are much cheaper

than in Sydney even with FedEx delivery charges.

If anybody has previously purchased any goods in this way, could you

please let me know if I will be charged any additional costs. I'm

sure this will be happening more frequently now that the Oz dollar is

much stronger.

For me, this lens is definitely sharper and generally performs better at the 24mm end than at 70mm. At 70mm I have noticed chromatic aberrations which I did not expect from such an expensive lens. In fact my 70-200 f4 performs better at the 70mm end than my 24-70.

However, I do not shoot wide open and generally photograph from f11-f22. Apart from this issue, the lens is of great quality and probably my most used lens currently and also Canon's best quality zoom.

I agree with Jamie. Digital is moving at such a rapid pace, if the wait is only 30 days to find out about a new model, price etc, it's probably worth the wait.

I have also been tempted to purchase the 10D but I'm disappointed there is no spot metering and I'm also hoping a new model will have more pixels for better performance in architectural work (Digital so far seems to capture people better than buildings). Does anyone know of a weblink which has specs on the proposed new model?

I'm considering my first medium format purchase and I'm seeking a

lightweight kit as I shoot street scenes/architecture and walk alot

with my gear (+tripod).

My wishlist of cameras is:

1. Mamiya 7II

2. Ebony Finesse

3. Silvestri T30

4. Cambo wide

All these cameras are expensive (very expensive in Australia!)just

when one lens is included in the price (let alone more!) so this will

be a major investment for me.

The Mamiya 7 is more readily available in Sydney and is probably the

cheapest of the lot, so is a more realistic option. The only

compromise being no shift/tilt options as with the others on the

list. This may not be an issue due to photoshop pc control these

days, but I am accustomed to alter perspective whilst shooting, based

on my Canon EOS 24mm TSE shift lens.

In addition, I hear the Mamiya 7 has issues re: exposure and when

using slide film?

The Bronica 645 Rangefinder may also be an option, but photo forums

indicate Mamiya lenses are sharper? Plus the 6x7 format is preferable.

I'm not a professional but I am considering larger than 8x10 prints

for sale purposes and need more than 35mm detail and sharpness, which

I have found disappointing to date, even with L series Canon lenses.

Any ideas about any of these cameras, keeping weight and price in

mind?

I'm searching for a lens which is wider than my current 24-70mm f2.8

zoom and I'm not certain whether to opt for the 17-40mm zoom or the

20mm prime. My preference is the 17-40mm for its versatility (and it

is an 'L' series!) but reviews have commented on the high degree of

flare wide open and also barrel distortion for this lens.

Could anybody provide any feedback on this issue?

I photograph predominantly architecture and street photography with

an EOS 3 body (+ 24-70mm f2.8, 70-200mm f4, 100mm f2.8macro, 24mm TSE

shift). I generally don't open up more than f8 but I'm concerned

about flare/barrel distortion at f11-f22.

Keep in mind that I'm sharpness obsessed, due to emphasis on

architecture, and even my 24-70mm and 70-200mm fall short of my

standards at the long end (chromatic aberrations!).

Regards,

Barry