Christmas is here

Photobucket

Camera Bag

Ever since I got my camera, I've been searching for a camera bag to put all of my equipment in. What's wrong with the free camera bag that came with the kit you might say. Well, for one, I prefer something that's discreet that doesn't go "THIS GUY HAS A DSLR SLUNG ONTO HIS SHOULDER!!" with neon lights lighting it up. Ever notice when someone carries around a suspiciously boxy bag with a Canon or Nikon imprinted on the front? Now you know what's in them. Catch the attention of the wrong person and you'll find yourself a few thousand Ringgit lighter, figuratively and literally. :/

So what kind of bag is discreet? Third party camera bags such as Kata, Lowepro, Crumpler etc thats what! Unfortunately, these bags cost a small fortune and for a camera enthusiast on a budget, they're pretty much out of the picture. That leaves the question of what to purchase if all the bags are so darned expensive.

The answer lies in slightly less known brands who also manufacture camera bags ie Bagman, Winer etc although Bagman seems to be a pretty decent knock off of the Crumpler 7 million dollar home.

Photobucket
Image from shlow1819.

Initially I had wanted to get a Bagman. The size was decent, price was reasonable and the reviews weren't too shabby. Unfortunately one inherent problem with sling bags was that they tend to get in the way whenever you're trying to reposition yourself for a better angle. That's when I spotted a lowepro slingbag look alike. It had all the main features of real one such as side access to the camera, customisable compartments and a rain cover for when it rains! Pricing wise, its the same as the Bagman but no reviews were forthcoming so I took the plunge and got one anyway.

*Edit, I just found out that the bag's called Buffalo Montana 284 Fastpack


Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket


Build quality is decent with a few stray threads here and there and the padding seems to be sufficient to absorb a few knocks here and there. Since I don't have the real Lowepro with me I can't say with authority that this bag is as good as the real deal but its definitely able enough as a camera bag. Besides, its less than half of the real one so what more do you want? :D

DSLR shopping spree

Just the other day I was tagging along when Billy and Chris decided to go for their 'little' DSLR shopping spree along with David. After all, its not everyday that you find two guys buying Nikon DSLRs at the same time.

Since they were busy testing out their Nikons, my wandering eyes landed on something that I've been eyeing for a long time... the Canon 50mm 1.8 II. With a bit of luck and their 'bulk' purchase, I managed to get the Canon 50mm 1.8 II on the low with a no name filter thrown in for free. With that said, Foto Selangor's prices are pretty competitive closely matching prices quoted by online retailers. Haggling is a must as their display prices are sometimes 10%-20% higher than the final prices.

p.s. Foto Selangor can be found at Pertama Complex which is besides Sogo. Google the shop's name and you'll find that I'm not the only one raving about their prices. :D

Photobucket
50mm

Photobucket
Billy and his new toy


Photobucket
Chris' payment for his camera. Cash no less

And some random pictures taken with the 50mm while we were in the shop:

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Cobwebs

Here I am cleaning the proverbial cobwebs. Its been ages since I last posted anything mostly because there wasn't anything meaningful to post but mostly because I got lazy. What's new then? I finally got myself a new camera, the 1000d which is a step up from my old one the powershot. Hand on heart, the images coming out from the new camera is fantastic to say the least. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to hone my skills further. :)


Photobucket
Old.

Photobucket
New :D


Some pictures from the kit lens:
p.s. the fish head curry was pretty good, its somewhere along Jalan Ipoh, can't remember the shop's name though...

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket