Nice find.

Interesting that they mention the following;



Exactly what the old 58mm f/1.2 NOCT was made to do.

The following confirms it;



Yeah, price is high for that focal length. But if it is really suppose to replace the NOCT or better it, then the asking price is quite "reasonable" seeing that used NOCTs on ebay cost at least double the price.

Yes, Sigma is getting better and better and I like it. Better for everybody and this brings the Nikon retail prices down a bit.

Anyway, for the supposedly NOCT qualities of this 58mm f/1.4, that's something which very few manufacturers posses. I may be wrong but I think Leica is the only other manufacturer with this NOCT know-how.

You're basically right. I believe this was discussed before.

The thing is if you buy a brand new "grey import" lens from any shops here in Malaysia, that would mean the supply source is from outside of Nikon Malaysia. Any claim of warranty will need to return back to the shop you purchased because when Nikon Malaysia needs to repair a grey import lens under warranty, they will insist a copy of the original purchase receipt to be produced together with the international warranty card. By going directly to the shop you bought your grey import lens, that "hidden" receipt that belongs to the shop when they bring in the grey lens into Malaysia will be given to Nikon Malaysia when they do the warranty claim.

But of course there is no stopping you to directly purchase Nikon lenses outside of Malaysia on your own either by online or from foreign shop. Most of the time, online prices including shipping equal local prices which does not make it attractive anymore. Some more there's risk of your lens being damaged during shipment. Yes, there's no tax for camera equipment but from my experience, Kastam can at their discretion tahan your camera stuff even though they know it's tax free because they claim they just want to open and check and you would need to go to Sepang to clear it yourself or get an agent to do it for you. That's additional cost and time that you need to consider too.

Hong Kong.

This was one of the things debated around 7 or 8 years ago when I just started out. Pros and cons of Nikon vs Canon. Unlike Nikon, Canon does not have international warranty for their lenses and Canon is REALLY anti grey sets.

Yup. 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II in Japan Yodobashi.

Some bigger samples from the 58mm f/1.4.

http://www.nikon-asia.com/en_Asia/product/...-f-1-4g#gallery

I only have experience with the Sigma 10-20mm. Not the f/3.5 but the older one.

Good attempt. But for those kind of shots, you need really dark places with no light scatter in the skies from surrounding light contamination.

Actually on a contrary even though I am a Nikon fanboy, I find the Canon service is much more "kind" and sympathetic to their users. I know quite a few Canon consumer DSLR owners who actually have their shutter mechanism replaced FOC even though their units were quite old.

That's true. Actually when D3 and D700 came out, I was very surprised Nikon choose to use the same AF module of the D3 on the D700.

I guess it's not "Japanese" culture to admit mistake. In any big company, there's bound to be a product they are not proud off. On a Canon side, you have the famous case is the 1DMkIII AF. Which they thought they could sweep the problem under the carpet and launch the 1DMkIV... Only solve when they ditch the whole AF design and design one from the ground up. Hence the 1DX...

You sure D4 is without problem?

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3503...m-post-51651185

How can you equate D4/D800 with D7100?

There's bound to be improvements in newer bodies. That's a fact of life. Just like handphones. Worst part is you find that after a few months down the road, your shiny new FF body loses value. New technologies like the D800E bodies absent of AA were new and rare and therefore could command higher prices then. It is after all the only 36MP monster in a DSLR body when it came out.

So going by that logic, Nikon should quickly come out with an update for the D800 or their D4 whenever they find a need to add a new tech like WiFi?

I always believe you are never wrong staying put in either camp (Nikon or Canon). When I started with Nikon gear, Canon had better high ISO performance. Canon also had the first FF sensor and went on to the runaway success of the original 5D body that was simple and affordable. And the rest they say was history for Canon after that. Nikon then became successful with D3 and D700. Then Canon came back with upgrades to their line up and now the lead for technological supremacy bounces back and forth like a ping pong ball. The way I see, currently Nikon has the edge at the moment and it will only be a matter of time before Canon bounces back. So if you're in either camp with lots of investment in lenses, just be patient and it will come to you. Chasing it will drain and frustrate you to no end.

Precisely.

Difference in price between the D800 and D800E is RM 1k and not as much as you make it out to be. When the D800 and D800E came out, Nikon gave users an option. It's our choice and money at the end of the day if we're gonna get screwed more for the D800E or less for the D800. They can screw people with the prices they charge because it was the only 36MP DSLR that had that feature.

It's good now that by making sensors for Nikon, Sony has learned some tricks with regards to optimising their own sensor design without AA. This is good and at least gives Nikon a run for their money.

Besides, the D5300 inherited and shares the sensor already used on the D7100 which brings the bulk cost of sensors and hence the overall pricing down.



Marketing and damage control lor.

Why would it piss off D800 users? D610 is after all 24MP with or without AA filter. Apples to oranges comparison.

This post has been edited by jchue73: Oct 18 2013, 03:18 AM

I'm neither happy nor bitter. I don't have a D600 and neither am I planning to get the D610. I choose to bit the bullet when D800 was at it's highest price. What to do? Price to pay for an early adopter. What does it have that others now have? Just looking at the current prices and the other available bodies alone is heartache.

For the D600 crowd, I would understand the unhappiness the D610 has caused. Instead of putting resources to solve the shutter problems on the D600, Nikon instead chooses to put the solution into a new body (D610) and charge users for it.

Also like you mentioned, Nikon is able to put a lot of tech in a D5300 for so much less money than compared to D610 and yet charge a bomb for an updated D600 in the guise of the D610. I guess they continue to use this pricing structure because both bodies cater to different markets.

D610/D600 has a different targeted audience than with D5100/D5200/D5300. There was a survey done recently and I thought I read that Nikon and other big companies like Canon and Sony do not make so much profit on their high end systems. They make more profit on consumer products. So that partially explains your question why they choose to concentrate on consumer bodies like D5300 instead of D610 because as consumer products, they expect to sell more D5300 and try to please the bigger audience.

I know Nikon upgrade path is a little weird. They put newer tech on lower end body than they should on their higher end ones. I think it started on D700 time when they put the same AF module as they have on D3.

Anyway, I'm no camera designer but I suspect that putting in stuff like WiFi etc is a little complicated and would require a complete redesign due to space contraints. But then again, WiFi chips are very small.

Their marketing and social media department needs a knock on the head sometimes.

Anyway, I merely mentioned that with all big manufacturers, there's bound to be an orphan child lemon product like this where the company is not proud off and that it's normal practice for big companies to do this. Nobody company is perfect. After sales service is always a non profit arm of the company and most of the time they are set up to please users. That's all.

I don't think there will be a formal written statement. A written statement would mean admission to the D600 problem which they are not !

Investment itself always involves risk. Never risk free.

Calculated risk? Yes.

Yeah, landscape shots would place importance to quality than AF speed.

By f/8, everything is in focus.

This post has been edited by jchue73: Oct 18 2013, 11:52 AM

What was your reason for f/29?

To show the dust on the sensor?

Go for cheaper China made ones like Benro and Sirui. More bang for the buck.

Long time ago, the made in China stuff were very bad. Nowadays got quality.

Proud owner of Sirui P-326 monopod and Sirui K-30x ballhead with Sirui M3204 CF tripod.

Looks fine. The only suspect is if the legs are strong enough when extended. The connection does not look too secure.

+ 1

For me I usually use tripod when I travel. So naturally I want to find a tripod that is light and yet it's sturdy.

Curious. What's in Shashinki that's cheap? I always have lots of things to buy but then stop short when browsing Shahsinki because they are not cheap.

Tripod is one thing but the reviewer forgot to add ballhead which is equally important.

Anyway, I just recently got my tripod / ballhead and before that went through a selection process looking for one without bursting the budget. Looking at the recommended tripod on those links above, it's not enough for me. I wanted one that was tall, strong, sturdy and relatively compact / lightweight at the same time.

The specs from the above link looks compact and light but I needed one that had to be sturdy.

As a comparison, the tripod I got has the following specs below and my remarks on what specs I saw as important and why I selected it;

Number of leg segments 4 (3 sections would be best for stability but usually 3 means not so compact when folded)
Top pipe Ø 32 mm (Bigger diameter the better / more sturdy at the expense of weight)
Max. Height 177 cm (Taller means easier to work with for taller people)
Max. Height excl. centre column 148 cm (I usually place more importance on this figure because for me, camera bodies on extended centre column is not recommended due to stability)
Min. Height 15.5 cm (I personally don't place too much importance on this unless you do lots of macro, you may want a lower figure)
Packing dimension 51 cm (Smaller it is, the better but there is a length you need to compromise (depending on your luggage space) as I need the tripod to be tall)
Weight 1.7 kg (lighter it is, the better but like folded dimensions, the weight you need to compromise when you place importance on sturdiness)
Max. Load 18 kg (this is very subjective and take the given figures from the manufacturer with a pinch of salt)

Looks lightweight with good price too. I would just question about it's sturdiness and stability. 25mm on the thickess section is not that great. But then again it's a compromise. Perhaps you will find it ok with your gear.

Do you have any way of testing it? That is why for things like this and for camera bags, I rather go to a shop and test it out myself. Of course I like to get it cheap as well.

You forgot to add expensive too.

Speaking about places to shop, I looked everywhere for the combo I wanted. A few places had it and saw YL Camera was the cheapest amongst all. After go there to test out, I found that it was cheaper still than what was listed on their website. That's why I got it straight away.

Yeah agree. ND filter.

Subscribe to this.

http://www.lowyat.net/2013/10/18/3083/back...riangle-part-1/

Till now, nobody is trumping the D800 yet. So the D800/D800E is still king. It took a lot of people by surprise when Nikon came out with such a huge MP FF sensor on a normal DSLR body.

It's not just medium format size output with garbage quality. Quality that rivals medium format and excels in dynamic range and noise at higher ISOs especially when paired with good glass and when focus is spot on.

That's why I can never fathom buying a manual focus Zeiss. What's the point of having the best glass when most of the time you're trying to get it focused ? f/1.4 is bloody thin.

What focus mode are you on? Single, AF-C or AF-A? The way I see, there's quite a few more contrasting lines in the background that would distract the camera AF (just like how [PF T.J.] is distracted with the lenglui instead of looking at the bokeh ! ).

Took a look at it in original size and given the circumstances, I think you did good.

Becareful. Dangerous nowadays with cosplay.

Instead of dinosaur, they should superimpose an enlarged picture of the Mother-In-Law chasing the crowd.

Don't know about you guys but when I read about the D4H, the first thing that came to mind was a faster D4. Nikon traditionally used the H notation to imply speed. S notation to imply minor upgrade. Just like how many people say that the D610 should be called D600s.

I still have my D2Hs which is a minor update to the D2H which is a faster sports camera to the D2X / D2Xs.

Back from cycling?

The first 2 lovely. Love the way you caught the light spill.

It is in the unpredictable weather that one finds great landscape pics.

Yuck. Pay more for a new system just to be downgraded?

Anyway, was watching my F1 fix this morning and saw this. Looks like it's used with a 1.4x TC with a D800.

LOL Lightweight mah. If not, it will have to be a 600mm /f4 bazooka on a monopod.

Accurate? It seems the rumour mentioned it having AF system from D610 with 16MP sensor. 2016 pixel RGB sensor vs 91k pixel RGB sensor on the D800. After having tasted D800, do you think it's gonna satisfy you?

Anyway, these are just rumours.

My 2 sen. For me, I don't feel anything to the rumored announcement even though I'm a self professed Nikon nut. It's small yes, but can it step in to replace even the D610 in terms of performance?

For those people who jump in to switch to Nikon mainly for this camera, it's a big risk. Unfortunately, we have yet to see a small size camera (even though with big fullframe sensor) replacing the current FF DSLRs. I only see the Df as a 2nd camera for existing Nikon users. But how many can afford it as a 2nd body?

For new users, I would rather advise them to get the Sony A7 / A7r since you need to get new lenses anyway. Yes, these new lenses are Zeiss and no, they are not manual focus lenses.

On the other hand, if the strict intention is to keep it small + quality, then the Sony RX1R suits the bill. For anything that is f/1.4, f/2.0 or f/2.8 long lenses, they are going to be big and bulky and would present a somewhat awkward handling of the small body + big lens.

You planning to get 2nd hand or new D600? If new, why not D610? Anyway, if you shoot low light and landscapes , it's a nice upgrade in noise and dynamic range performance. If you shoot sports / wildlife, probably the D7000 is better.

Depending also on your current lenses if they are FX ready. What do you have? Need to consider upgrading your DX lenses if you plan to use D600.

Thanks for the info.

Exposure will still be the same. I think you probably confused with people comparing noise / ISO performance between the 2 bodies.

This post has been edited by jchue73: Oct 31 2013, 11:50 AM

No need D4. D4 is only if you want to burst and machine gun which is not required.

A D800 or D600/D610 would suffice. Use high ISO and then resize to 12 or 16MP, boom. Magically all noise gone.