Please do discover it by using your newly bought item and share the result with us

Lol... you prefer buying retail price or over-quoted price than street price? Even Shashinki also listing the item tagged at RM2195 only which considered higher than street price

I remember I asked Foto Selangor few months back and it was RM1.8K+/-

Given if I'm in your shoe, I'll pick the 50mm f/1.8G anytime over the Sigma 50mm f/1.4

This post has been edited by vearn27: Jul 16 2011, 12:32 AM

Why ah.....? Really need to ask why meh.....? I'll pass this and see if anyone willing to help you out with it (kinda dizzy now being 3am+ and still in the office)

Which part of HK you plan to dig your lens?

Guys, any recommended shop to get Aipo drybox at good bargain-able price?

My location is PJ/KL.

This post has been edited by vearn27: Jul 18 2011, 10:52 AM

So far, I checked gstrapinuse offers the cheapest price among I asked. I'm still considering should I take the AP-48EX or straight away get the AP-68EX to be safe

The drybox will be storing

1x Body + Grip
1x Body Only
4x Lenses (normal length lenses)
2x Flashes

Yet to own any tele, but this will be it as for the time being. Should the AP-48EX sufficient with plenty of spaces left?

The body with BG, need to unattach the lens to keep or able to keep it while with the lens attached?

AP-48EX sounds like a bit tight looking at what you managed to kept in previously. For my gears, it should be ngam ngam fit only (the will be one extra space since I don't have tele and if I'm not putting my flash in as well).

Therefore, only lens required to be stored in drybox leaving the bodies and flashes outside without harm?

From your experience, would the AP-48EX able to fit in D7000 + BG + 17-55 2.8G & D7000 + 85 1.4G attached with 2 extra lenses? Still got room for flashguns (or tele lens) or it is necessary to detach the body and lens?

Not to say I'm lazy... but I'm just looking at the possible convenient

Well, one is mine and the other one is my gf's

The D7000 + BG + 17-55 taking up one compartment is attached or detached? Still left one compartment for another D7000 + 85G and left one last compartment for lenses and flashguns?

Where do you get that focus chart? Can't seem to get the version that you're using with the square alignment line?

And supposedly, how to align with the square alignment line?

Since you're on FF, 50 or better still 85G?

Just tested my D7000 + 17-55 focus with Focus Test Chart. The result is just fine and I aligned it correctly, did I?

Both file and instruction available here: http://nikonasia-en.custhelp.com/app/answe...vTUY4TGl3ems%3D

I was at your position few weeks back and I made the choice for 17-55 instead of 24-70, that's mainly because I'm on DX which the effective focal length after 1.5x factor is 25.5-82.5 (17-55) and 36-105 (24-70).

I need wide coverage for the photos I'm shooting hence I made it to 17-55 as I find 24-70 is kind of tight after my experience with the kit lens 18-105

Poor gid, he was asking for more opinions between selecting a 17-55 and 24-70 ended up in a long debate between Everdying and Andy214. Well, I'm not trying to side neither sides nor saying who's correct because it's all opinions and individual preferences.

Before I sum 17-55 vs 24-70 on which could be better, let's sum up the Original Nikkor Lenses vs 3rd Party Lenses:

Nikkor Lenses (Original Nikon Products)

Pros

• Generally sharper?
• Generally better color contrast?
• Generally faster focus
• Better focus accuracy
• Better built quality
• Less likely of front/back focusing problem
• Generally high resale value but not all
• Less noisy auto-focus motor (for AF-S lenses)

Cons

• Very expensive
• Some lenses has lower resale value which would cause bad resale value ratio

3rd Party Lenses (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina)

Pros

• Generally slower focus and some very slow
• Not so accurate focus
• Chances of focus hunting in low light
• Built quality not as great as Nikkor lenses
• Likelihood of front/back focusing problem
• Some has noisy auto-focus motor (for AF-S lenses)

Cons

• Cheaper alternative than original Nikkor lenses (some even cheaper by 3x~4x)
• People tend to prefer 2nd hand Nikkor than 2nd hand 3rd party lenses?

That's what I could collect from the debate

However, please do note that there are good 3rd party lenses that could be better compared with Nikkor lenses. One good example would be Sigma's 50mm f/1.4 which is generally known it's sharper than Nikkor 50mm f/1.4. For this example, the Sigma's 50mm f/1.4 or known as Sigmalux is priced higher than Nikkor's.

This post has been edited by vearn27: Jul 22 2011, 08:28 PM

Again for gib, both 17-55 and 24-70 are top grade lenses from Nikkor. Likelihood of renewing both models are yet to know, but these two lenses already very good enough even for professional photographers. Sharpness wise, focusing rate, focusing speed, built quality, etc. both should be on par. Color contrast wise may be slightly leaned towards 24-70 due to Nikkor very own popular Nanocoating in which the lens bearing the N symbol.

Since both lenses quality on par, the one thing that should matter the most to your decision should be the focal length. If you using the kit lens 18-105 and you find that many times you shoot at 24mm and below, most likely the 17-55 will be a better choice since 24mm could be still tight on DX body which is less preferable for tight places, group or landscape shooting. 24-70 on the other hand provides you slightly further reach than the 17-55 but again, being losing out on the wide coverage.

It's all down to you on how you wanted to use the lens and what you intended to shoot the most. I picked the 17-55 because I need the wideness for covering my event shooting. Good luck

Fellow Nikonians here, just wanted to get some pointers in using flashgun.

I have the Nikon SB-900 flashgun with me. All the while I have been relying on i-TTL, Even Flash and switching in between Flash Sync Speed 1/250s (Auto FP) and 1/250s. Been advised not to use the dome diffuser because it will be creating shadow. I bought the Demb Flash Diffuser Pro (DFD) altogether with my flashgun but seldom using it as I'm not sure on how to controlling the light.

Anyone here willing to share on how you use your flashgun with everyone? i-TLL as well Or perhaps Manual setting?

Currently, I'm shooting most are events where people will be keep on moving (talking, gesturing, walking, etc.). One senior advised me to use Manual Flash Mode to conserve batteries. Setting at 1/4 or 1/8 depending on the scene and then adjust the power of the flash using ISO shooting in Programmed Mode. I find myself often underexpose the photos probably because I still get used to i-TTL. I have 8 rechargeable batteries anyway

What I'm doing now is setting the flash at i-TTL mode, even spread and setting the Flash Sync Speed at 1/250s (Auto FP) if I'm outdoor and 1/250s if I'm indoor. Usually in bright area will use i-TTL Fill Flash mode.

Anyone been doing the same or any tips on enhancing my flashgun utilization for better photos?

Regarding the general rules of flash from the link you given:

APERTURE CONTROLS FLASH EXPOSURE
SHUTTER SPEED CONTROLS AMBIENT EXPOSURE

How could I combine these two rules on shooting with Aperture Priority mode?

Hmm... but I sort of getting the idea of the rules you mentioned. Previously, I was shooting wedding dinner in a ballroom where the lighting is very poor. Then when I'm shooting the photo of group of people around a table, the background goes black as if there's no light. In a way, it can be the highlight of the participants around the table in the photo, but actually to light up the environment which is the background in my case, I'll need to step down my shutter speed. Here's where the rules of APERTURE CONTROLS FLASH EXPOSURE and SHUTTER SPEED CONTROLS AMBIENT EXPOSURE step-in

Still can't get myself used to that Manual setting method of flash utilization, relying on i-TTL to do the magic

SD9? No need lar... carrying separate boxes of 4 batteries each enough liao

Andy214 has been mentioned this a lot of times in the forum, an underexpose photo will generates more noise compared with overexposed photos.

I shoot most on Aperture Priority and only sometime on Programmed Mode. In Aperture Priority, when I wanted to step down the SS will be lowering the ISO. Vice versa when I wanted to step up the shutter speed. However, when shooting in Aperture Priority with flashgun will go slowest 1/60 only, am I right?

Still yet to be confident on using Manual mode. Anyway, did you utilize the Auto-ISO setting like setting your highest ISO and lowest SS?

The Eneelop I'm having currently sufficient of refreshing at my pace. Need not extravaganza speed. In anyway, the SB-900 heats up very fast too after blazing a few high powered shoot within a short period