There are people who spend tens of thousands of dollars on camera equipment. I'm not one of them. Again, I just want nice pictures.
Like most people, I started off with compact digital cameras. I probably went through about 4 of them over several years, each of them having a higher megapixel count than the previous one. But as the megapixels increased, I didn't noticed much quality increase. That's when I decided to take the jump to Digital SLR cameras.
I'm no photographer and I don't pretend to be. I just want a camera body that's no-nonsense and easy to use. So I went with the Nikon D60. The kit version came with an 18-55mm lens which is just perfect for an amateur like myself. (HK$4200)
Finally, I'm able to get shots that have excellent color clarity and are not ruined by noise. But my camera is like the Dark Side of the Force or the One Ring of Sauron. It keeps leaving me wanting more!
I quickly outgrew the 18-55mm lens and want something with more zoom. I found the built-in flash to be completely useless because it always produces pictures that are over-exposed.
So, I recently picked up some stuff:
The AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED
Relatively inexpensive, just HK$1750. It's compact and lightweight (which is critical for me). Comes with a hood (which I honestly had no idea what it was for at the time!) Photos look good with no visible distortions. Even when zoomed all the way in, I'm still able to get sharp pics thanks to the built-in Vibration Reduction. Because it's so lightweight and exterior is made of plastic, it feels cheap in hand. But it costs a fraction of the price of higher-end stuff.
Nikon SB-400
Small and compact (seriously, this is critical for me!). Cost HK$950. The flash unit swivels up so you can bounce the flash. Unfortunately it doesn't swivel laterally.
I was trying out the flash at home and it's amazing. Photos using bounce flash just looks more natural and alive. But then I realized, I can't always depend on having a white ceiling. So I need a bounce card. I know I can make one out of paper, but it's ghetto.
So, I went ahead and bought one of these for HK$20.
Now, with all this new stuff, I'm going to need to get a new bag. Seriously, somebody needs to stop me before I spend all my savings just for the sake of nice pictures.
I need Gollum to chew off that Ring.
I need my wife to say the following lines to me:
Her: I don't believe what I'm hearing! Obi-Wan was right... you've changed! You have turned to the dark side!
Me: I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me!
Her: You're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I cannot follow!
Me: Because of Obi-Wan?
Her: Because of what you've done... what you plan to do! Stop! Stop now... come back... I love you!
Then, I'll Force Choke her before Obi-wan Kenobi sets me straight with a swift lightsaber swing to my left arm and both legs as I leap over him to get to more camera gear...
