SLR lenses from states

[benyl]

Bah... I don't know if this is the right place or if I should PM everybody.

I am getting some "cake" (as Ben likes to call it) on Thursday (got to love variable pay).

I am going to order:

70-200 2.8L IS
100 2.8 Macro USM
ET-67 (for the 100)
Maybe some filters
50 1.8 mkII (if they have it in stock (tempted by the 50 1.4)).

I am not sure if I am going to go with Adorama.com or BHphotovideo.com

Anybody else want in? Thinking the more we order, the better the price might be.

I want to go local, but they just can't compete on price.

e.g.
70-200 is $600 cheaper
100 macro is $350 cheaper
ET-67 is $30 cheaper
50 1.8 is $70 cheaper

Adds up really fast!

Let me know. I am not in a rush, but I am not waiting till April either.

[C4S]

50 mm 1.4 sound tempting ....

70 - 200 2.8L is one of my "dream lens" .. but almost as expensive as a used car ! :nut:

so .. just go to those website to order ?

The Camera's prices from US are so tempting ...

do u know, I can order them from US ? and ask them to ship and bill to me in canada ? or I hv to ask them to send to a US address ( like my friend's house) ?

:angel:

[Ben]

<jealous>

Way to rub it in asshole!

hahahaha

Those Lens' own!

</jealous>

Lemmie know if you want a Circular Polarizer for your 18-55 lens, I have 2 and this one has been used once, its a Tiffen 58mm, retail was 69 bucks, I paid 67, a week and a half ago, mint/as new condition, yours for 40? After playing around with it I figured out how to capitalize on the properties of the filter, so was not a waste of money as I hd first envisioned.

LMK.

Enjoy bud!

Cheers

[E36M3]

Man, that 70-200 2.8L IS does look sweet. Have you found it cheaper than $1649.95 USD?

[sputnik]

i highly recommend bhphotovideo.com

my sister has the f1.4/50mm USM lens with her 10D... its a VERY nice lens (low light photography is fun)

[t3rry]

consiter customs and duty an taxes ect... and it might just be cheaper to buy locally.

[benyl]

C4S, I was thinking of a groupbuy. Meaning I would order everything everyone wanted in hopes that they would give us a discount. Shipping is surprisingly inexpensive. You just have to pay duty (if it applies) and GST.

Ben, wasn't trying to rub it in... although I see where you are coming from. Do you still work at TELUS? Doesn't the front element of our lens rotate when it focuses? That kinda fux with that type of polarizer. If I get the 50 1.4, it will fit and I will give you a call.

E36M3, I did find it for $1529, but that was on AAAcamera.com They have a VERY VERY bad reputation. I would rather pay a little more and know that I will get what I pay for on time.

sputnik, b&h is at the top of my list right now.

[Melinda]

Bah! I wish my tax return was a little more then $600! Then I could get in on this...maybe in the future we can do another 'group buy' with these! :D Haha I'm sure Ben and I will want in by then! :) You wont be dissapointed with the 70-200 Graham, trust me! If it wasn't so damn heavy, that would be the lens I'd use all the time! LOL :D

[tulit]

A few months ago Dell messed up and was selling 70-200 2.8 IS's for like $1250. Too bad they wouldn't ship to Canada :(


Anyways, Id probably be in on this. Let me know when you plan to order. They won't give us discounts, but this way shipping can get split between everyone. And im almost certain there is no tax other than GST (If someone feels like calling revenue canada they will tell you for sure).

Word of warning. The 50/1.4 is not a super great lens for the money. The 50/1.8 is a way better value for the dollar. My biggest gripe was slow and inaccurate focusing. At first I thought I had a bad lens, but I tried another and it was the same. I also didn't think the 2/3 of a stop were worth the 5 times in price so I returned it. You might want to look around for a used one. I found a mint MK I 50/1.8 for $100 at Photoworld on 11ave. If you can, try and get a MK I rather than a MK II. Its much nicer (focus scale, metal vs plastic mount, etc), the optics are identical though.

[benyl]

yeah, I am very luke warm on the 1.4

the nice thing about the new 1.8 is USM. Although everything I have read says that the old one is better. If I can find an old one, I will get it. I am leary of buying used on e-bay... cause it is so hard to really know what you are getting.

Tulit, PM me what you are looking to get.

I am thinking of probably ordering sometime next week.

[E36M3]

What do you guys recommend for a second lens? I just got my Digital Rebel a couple weeks ago, and since some of my pictures won't be reproducible (travel) I was hoping for recommendations on a great general purpose lens. I'd mostly be taking pictures of architecture, cars and people, maybe some landscapes.

I realize that is a pretty broad range, but I'm hoping for suggestions. The current lens is pretty good from what I can tell, but I wouldn't mind better :)

[tulit]

For architecture or landscape you generally want something fairly wide. The only thing in that range (thats affordable) other than the kit lens is 17-40L.

For people and cars you want something a bit longer. 50/1.8 or 85/1.8 are good choices.




the nice thing about the new 1.8 is USM. Its not USM. Both of the 1.8's are DC motors. The 1.4 is USM, but is a micro USM (the better USM is the ring type). Ill PM you later with what I decide :)

[kkcool6]

May wish i knew about u guys wanting canon lenes etc a year ago. I sold off all my canon to vintage visual and they rake me for it.

80-210 2.8
100 2.8
24-80 3.5
50 2.6
canon AE2 camera with grip
low pro bag
Canon pro flash
power supply for the flash
filters, pro tripod etc etc etc.

they gave me 1000.00 for it all, I was tired off all the stuff so I just took it

[Ben]

Originally posted by benyl


Ben, wasn't trying to rub it in... although I see where you are coming from. Do you still work at TELUS? Doesn't the front element of our lens rotate when it focuses? That kinda fux with that type of polarizer. If I get the 50 1.4, it will fit and I will give you a call.



I was just buggin ya. No I dont work for TELUS, havent for months now, I'm unemployed lookin for work real bad.

[t3rry]

Originally posted by E36M3
What do you guys recommend for a second lens? I just got my Digital Rebel a couple weeks ago, and since some of my pictures won't be reproducible (travel) I was hoping for recommendations on a great general purpose lens. I'd mostly be taking pictures of architecture, cars and people, maybe some landscapes.

I realize that is a pretty broad range, but I'm hoping for suggestions. The current lens is pretty good from what I can tell, but I wouldn't mind better :)

what do you think of that camera, and where did you get it and what did you pay??, i wanna get one of those.

[E36M3]

It is great. I am a complete amateur, but it is easy to take decent shots with. I don't do anything fancy, but it is a lot more fun to play with then my S400.

As I get more comfortable with it, I am getting better and better quality, and the consistency of shots turning out decently has gone way up.

I've only ever used an analog SLR (took a photography course a long time ago and played with a friends on a trip one time), so it took a little getting used to, but I love the ability to edit shots in Photoshop.

With the 1GB CF card, it has more than enough room for a couple days of random photography, and the cards speed is more than acceptable. I still need to buy a case, and it is a pain in the ass to travel with (I've been traveling almost non-stop since I got it) and I still like to have a small camera for lots of stuff.


Originally posted by t3rry


what do you think of that camera, and where did you get it and what did you pay??, i wanna get one of those.

[t3rry]

cool, thanks for the reply, i too am quite the amature but i wanna learn :D i am hoping to get this cam and i am hoping i will get half decent at photography and maybe make a few buck off of it, if not a living, its somthign i have had a passion for for quite some time, i have just never had the funds to do anything..


i am a digital kid, i am very happy to see a digital camera like this, and i am looking forward to getting it and playin around


you never said where you got it or what yu paid?

[Ekliptix]

I'll need a good tripod sometime. Does anyone have a recommendation?

Still thinking about a lens.

[E36M3]

I found it at an amazon.com store (some place out of NYC) for $910 USD including shipping with no tax.. I live in California most of the time, so you'd probably have to pay shipping + duty + GST to get it into Canada. My guess is that you should be able to get it for $1350 cdn or so in Calgary. I'd highly recommend getting the kit version, as it comes with a decent lens and it a great value.

[t3rry]

yea, i wouldn't buy just the body or i couldn't play right away and it'd drive me crazy :D

[E36M3]

Yeah.. I feel the same way about new toys. Make sure to get a CF card, as it doesn't come with one or you will be pissed.


Originally posted by t3rry
yea, i wouldn't buy just the body or i couldn't play right away and it'd drive me crazy :D

[t3rry]

i ahve one for my current cam but i want to get a larger one, my current is 265, how many images does your 1gb hold at top res?

[E36M3]

I usually use the mode where it stores a RAW image and a JPEG, always in highest res, and I think that I can easily get about 100-150 images on the 1GB card. You can always just capture JPEG in highest res to increase the number. JPEGs are usually about 5mb or less at highest quality, so you can fit a crapload on if you don't need RAW images to play with.


Originally posted by t3rry
i ahve one for my current cam but i want to get a larger one, my current is 265, how many images does your 1gb hold at top res?

[t3rry]

never messed around with a RAW image, whats the diffrence?

[E36M3]

It is just an uncompressed format. JPEG has lossy (ie. the image loses some quality) compression, so theoretically if you want the highest quality image to use for editing, you should edit the RAW file, then save it in an appropriate format for distribution later (like if you want to post it on the web, you can save a second copy as a JPEG)

I'm not anal enough yet, and my images aren't good enough yet for it to make much difference, but I do it anyway to feel cool.


Originally posted by t3rry
never messed around with a RAW image, whats the diffrence?

[tulit]

never messed around with a RAW image, whats the diffrence?

Its unprocessed by the camera. Basically you are getting the datastrem stream that came directly from the sensor.

When you go to conver the RAW back into JPEG or whatever, you can adjust the post processing parameters that the camera usually does automatically when you capture directly to JPEG (like sharpness, contrast, etc). You can also redo the white balance, as well as get maybe up to 2 stops of exposure latitude. All these things won't be possible once the image is in JPEG. You can't edit RAW files directly. You need to convert them first and then go from there.

[t3rry]

thanks for the info guys

[benyl]

Haha, you bastiges are taking over my thread!!! haha... keep the discussion going... good info here.

[Melinda]

Originally posted by Ekliptix
I'll need a good tripod sometime. Does anyone have a recommendation?

Still thinking about a lens.
Vistek has a bin od discount tripods...not used, but some that are dis continued or they only have one left or whatever...i got my tripod there...was supposed to be $250 but i got it for $150

[Ekliptix]

Thanks.

[RC-Cola]

Originally posted by Melinda

Vistek has a bin od discount tripods...not used, but some that are dis continued or they only have one left or whatever...i got my tripod there...was supposed to be $250 but i got it for $150

I bought a manfrotto tripod from Sanael Cameras on 10ave. It was $160 and has been excellent.

I orignally bought a cheap $75 tripod from London Drugs but I took it back because anytime I wanted to shoot pointing up or down the tripod wouldn't hold the camera. With most things in the camera world, you get what you pay for...

[t3rry]

sorry, one more question.... so, if i took all my pictures in only raw, ould it be easy enough to switch them to jpg for posting them on the net? also is there a prog that will do this in mass quantities, liek say i filla 1gb card of all raws, transfer it to my computer and then save another copy of all of the files as jpg? that way the card will hold more....

[benyl]

When you shoot in raw, it save the RAW file and a jpg file. So you could just post the jpg it saves.

There is something called C1 and I think photoshop CS has a raw converter. I have never shot in RAW mode, so I have no idea. Check the resources thread and look at some of the forums highlighted there for more info on this.

[t3rry]

thanks benyl

[sputnik]

Did you get these lenses already? If you dont want to buy from the states... check out Don's Photo on 17th Ave SW (@ 11th St SW).

Talk to Derrick there and I am POSITIVE he will do much better than Vistek or the Camera Store will be able to do. Especially if you are buying more than one lens.

Also the reason that the f/2.8 70-200 is $600 cheaper at B&H is because it isnt Canon USA (its imported) which may affect your warranty and it also wont be an IS lens. You will notice that their Canon USA f/2.8 70-200 IS USM is $1600 USD (as opposed to $1000). Its something to think about.

[benyl]

The IS is $2100 in the states for the Canon USA one. In Canada, they are listed at $2900.

I actually got my 70-200 IS used from the states. so I saved a bit more.

I still haven't ordered anything else. B&H is out of stock on the two lenses I want.

I will go down to Don's. If he can come within $100, I would of course rather buy local. I think it would be tough for him.

[thich]

Originally posted by sputnik
Did you get these lenses already? If you dont want to buy from the states... check out Don's Photo on 17th Ave SW (@ 11th St SW).

Talk to Derrick there and I am POSITIVE he will do much better than Vistek or the Camera Store will be able to do. Especially if you are buying more than one lens.

Also the reason that the f/2.8 70-200 is $600 cheaper at B&amp;H is because it isnt Canon USA (its imported) which may affect your warranty and it also wont be an IS lens. You will notice that their Canon USA f/2.8 70-200 IS USM is $1600 USD (as opposed to $1000). Its something to think about.

Does Don's Photo have better pricing if I wanted to do a group by for the 300D? I have a few friends who are looking to buy right now but we are considering buying from Vistek

[Davan]

Wish I saw this earlier... I just ordered a Fisheye lens. It's already on it's way!

[sputnik]

Originally posted by thich


Does Don's Photo have better pricing if I wanted to do a group by for the 300D? I have a few friends who are looking to buy right now but we are considering buying from Vistek

How many people. I can find out for you.

They will generally make a deal with any package or multiple item purchase... and they will ALWAYS beat Visteks price.

[thich]

i don't know how many at this point.

Asians have quite a difficult time at making decisions lol.

I'll PM you when I find out

[sputnik]

Originally posted by benyl
The IS is $2100 in the states for the Canon USA one. In Canada, they are listed at $2900.

I actually got my 70-200 IS used from the states. so I saved a bit more.

I still haven't ordered anything else. B&amp;H is out of stock on the two lenses I want.

I will go down to Don's. If he can come within $100, I would of course rather buy local. I think it would be tough for him.

I spoke to a friend at Don's and a friend at the Camera Store and both say that COST direct from their distributers is $2350 for the lens. So $2100 isnt going to happen locally.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by thich
i don't know how many at this point.

Asians have quite a difficult time at making decisions lol.

I'll PM you when I find out

The 300D's are being sold pretty close to cost locally these days. However for 3 or more 300Ds (with lens) will go for $1349 each.

Not much of a break.

[thich]

thanx for the info sputnik!