Guys, what are the tips and guide when purchasing used lens? The shop quoted me the wrong price. It's RM4.9K instead of RM3.9K ~ Lol. Kinda expected anyway but I'm just giving myself false hope. Now looking at used unit instead.

In addition, a guy just let go his 2 months+ 17-55 /f2.8 with about 9 months+ warranty at only RM3.7K last weekend. Sheesh, missed that deal out

Lol. It's not pointing at you, but the person holding the DSLR in the photo that you took

In your case, I little doubt it's the camera or lens issue than the wrong technique used. Try use Single-Focus Point and use the one in the middle (the middle one is the most sensitive point among all available). Set your camera to AF-S (single) mode instead of AF-C (continuous). Focus on your subject (the person in example) by holding the shutter half-down. Once the subject is locked (the DOF being set), by keep holding the shutter half-down, recompose your frame and snap it when you got what you wanted. Please remember not to move the camera (yourself as well) front & back or tilting it while recomposing. The focus plane may changed and could result in OOF (Out Of Focus) case.

Any guru please welcome to correct me if I'm wrong.

Try use the method above and see if you still get blurred subject

What's your budget for lens?

Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G is about RM750. Taking scenery and family shots don't require bokeh. Well, again it depends on what you wanted to achieve, but IMHO it's wasted to take bokeh shot for travelling since you'll missing out the scenery details.

Your 18-105 kit lens should do just enough. Instead of getting a bokeh lens, why not get a flash instead? SB700 is about RM1,000.

Just wondering this as I have noticed a few, if the warranty card stating Nikon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. but not stamped by company cop, would the warranty still valid or compulsory require company's cop?

Anyone here has 17-55 f/2.8? Funny this is somehow like "birth mark" for certain batch(s) or unit(s)?

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/forum/topic/739081

Answered your post in the quote in blue.

Haha. This is weird and funny. It seems to be like a "birth mark" for a number of unit(s) or batch(es)

Everdying didn't bother it at all since it doesn't affect anything?

Doubt if it will focus better, but you'll get a better range (200mm) compared to 105mm

Focus better usually more to be related with the body and most importantly skills than the lens itself. Lens wise should be either focus fast or slow

Likewise commented, use smaller aperture (larger DOF) and faster shutter speed. According to rule of thumb, Shutter Speed = 1 / Focal Length. Therefore, in your case is:

1 / 300 x 1.5 = 1/450

It's recommended to use the next faster shutter speed to 1/450. Why the x 1.5 factor, it's because D3100 is a APS-C (crop sensor) body.

Any Liverpool fan here bought the ticket from SC Internal Purchasing? They got special numbered seat for RM108 ticket + Special Hand Strap for Training Day + SC Limited Edition Liverpool Lanyard

Devil_J,

Need to break the terms up a bit and explain individually as they're related but not the same.

Auto-focus is the camera automatically focus on the subject you wanted to focus when you point it with your focus point(s) within your viewfinder and press the shutter half-down. What happened during auto-focus is that the camera automatically set the depth of the field towards the subject which you wanted to focus.

Auto-focus has 3 modes which are:

1. AF-A (Automatically switch between Single and Continuous)
   
2. AF-S (Single focus)
   
3. AF-C (Continuous focus)
   

You have to google to read up the different in between the modes. Basically, AF-S will not refocus until you release the shutter after you pressed the shutter half-down (which mean you have focused) while AF-C will continuously try to refocus whenever you pressed the shutter half-down and moving the camera. AF-A in the other way will automatically switch in between AF-S and AF-C based on the "intelligent" of the camera.

Other than Auto-focus is Manual-focus where you need to turn the focus ring on the lens to focus on the subject you desired.

Auto-focus Points is another thing where how many auto-focus points to be used with auto-focus (there'll be no focus point for manual-focus). If you're using D90 (if I'm not mistaken), you should have maximum 11 auto-focus points and can switch to use single focus point. When you use all 11 auto-focus points, the camera will determine (think) which subject you wanted to focus based on the camera's "intelligent". Hence, you may need to focus multiple times in order to get your subject in focus. Otherwise, you may use Single-focus point and focus on the subject you wanted to focus, then while pressing the shutter half-down (focusing), you may move the camera to recompose your photo.

What it mean by recompose is... says you wanted your subject to be in the lower left of the photo. When you focused on your subject, basically it should be the subject in the middle of the viewfinder now because the single focus point is in the middle. Then, while pressing the shutter half-down you move you camera to locate your subject to the lower left of the viewfinder. Once done, press the shutter all the way down to snap it.

I also kelam-kabut when trying to explain already... hope it helps

I'm not sure about this as I only entered once to Bkt. Jalil stadium and that also I sat within the ring inside for concert than the stands. The ticket is only for the match day itself, training day will be provided a different access tag which is free when you purchase the ticket. But if I'm not mistaken, training passes are limited and already given all out

This post has been edited by vearn27: Jul 8 2011, 10:37 AM

Yeah, I collected the ticket from my friend yesterday and quite surprised when I see row and seat number on the ticket

In addition, got the SC's hand strap to differentiate between SC Internal Employee and non employee during training day

This post has been edited by vearn27: Jul 8 2011, 10:44 AM

Want to be so bad meh?

Anyway, don't think I'll be carrying my DSLR there as my kit lens 105 will not bring me anywhere near

20% discount? I never know about that and my friend forwarded the email to me also did not stating 20% discount except mystery Liverpool merchandise which I suggest is the lanyard.

I checked with my friend again, he said it's free-seating and the white color strap to be wear on the match day instead of the training day. However, on the ticket stated row and seat number

What gears are you carrying there anyway?

My gears max reach 105 need not to mention already Probably just my Sony DSC-W300

Anyway, izzit 17-55 from Nikon is weather sealed?

i) Flashgun - A great partner for lens with small aperture. It does help a lot in dim and low light area.
ii) Batter Grip - If you shoot portrait a lot or need a heavier body to balance up heavy lens, else not necessary.
iii) Tamron 17-50 - You already have 35 and 50 1.8 ! Unless you lazy to change lens

I got all the 3 similar stuff you had mentioned but I don't own the primes which you have. Initially planning to get 50mm f/1.8G. Now, not so necessarily already unless I focus into taking portraiture

Do you, by any chance, specifically, sensitively... really... I mean REALLY ??? can feel any different if the lens made from China or Japan other than the words made?

Chill chill... just joking since it's Friday and massive jam coming into the weekend.

1.4 is great, but not that easy to shoot. Last time I used Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, I only comfortable shooting from f/1.8 and above. f/1.4 kinda soft

We do have the same thought, but in totally different situation. I have no prime and only kit, but you have both the 35 and 50 f/1.8 prime

Kenko is a well-known filter manufacturer? I always have a bad thought that their filter is cheap quality stuff. Am sorry for that

I only invest the lens that I need . I may get 85mm f/1.4G but ended up less utilized?

Why I have such assumption because usually the shop will always recommend cheap filter and they usually recommends Kenko UV filter. Some even give them out for free when purchase lens with them

Again, if you know what you shot the most... you'll know which lens will suits your needs. I'm shooting wedding actual day now, therefore wide coverage will a little bit of zoom will be good enough. Try be the OP for the day and only use 85mm f/1.4, I would like to see how you could survive it

Totally agree with the bold phrase

Again, it depends on your needs which are what you shoot the most. If you like doing bokeh, portraiture and food etc. The 50mm f/1.8G is at your call. But in the other way, if you need one thing to create better shot with your current lens (assuming the kit lens), filling up the shadows, lighting up dim places, increasing shutter speed etc. Then flashgun will be a wiser choice

If you posses and able to handle it with proper techniques, stabilization is ain't that crucial. I'm not saying it's not necessary, but it may just be bonus or spare function in case needed?

I can't be sure about this, but by any chance NON-VR + PROPER TECHNIQUE VS VR + PROPER TECHNIQUE will have the chance of non-vr being sharper than the latter?

Isn't recently just a new Nikon shop opened at Kota Kinabalu?

Just to remind you that 85 f/1.4 don't have VR as well. With big aperture, VR can be neglected.

Started with 18-105. Now 17-55.

Still learning and rely on tripod? Well, depends on how you see it then...

Call them. There are tons of numbers available on the net by Googling. I came across Foto Selangor from Googling. Make sure they have the stock ready and make an appointment with them before you travelling to KL/PJ from Seremban.

Yeap, 17-55 indeed a solid lens. Now I understand why earlier someone mentioned it's too sharp and need to soften a bit

Isn't the shutter speed can easily be achieved by the big aperture?

Can be that great? Hmm... how much superior is VRII from VR?

It depends on what you're shooting the most and also the kind of "effect" that you want in your shot. f/2.8 can do bokeh, although not that much but definitely better than the 18-105. Sharpness wise I'm not sure, but do you have flashgun? 18-105 is magical with flash