Parallel imported product

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Master Geek

#1028954 22-Apr-2014 09:09

"Google it = specialised expertise"

Google will not tell you whether a quirk is an undocumented feature or a fault.

And Google will not necessarily help you sort out the pearls of wisdom from the avalanche of cr@p that Google will present to you.

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#1029059 22-Apr-2014 12:03

canon 700d at harvey normal twin lens kit. this price is cheaper than parallel import. and if you hated the kit lenses so much if you sold them on trademe you'd get at least $200 in hand depending on your luck and how long you wait, but no more than $300.

Batman

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#1029061 22-Apr-2014 12:05

that camera is as good as if not exceeds any nikon crop sensor in terms of ability. and as good as any canon crop sensor bar 70d. period. nikon fans please feel free to critique i might change my mind.

timmmay

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#1029071 22-Apr-2014 12:20

Best sensor in the world isn't much good if the lens doesn't hit focus.

I don't really follow low end cameras these days, most are fine for most uses I figure. I held my brothers Canon x00D cameras recently, it felt like a toy to me. I gave him a D700 to play with - now he wants one. You could hammer a nail in with my camera and it'd still work fine, though I doubt many people have that requirement from a camera.

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#1029075 22-Apr-2014 12:26

it's got 9 cross type autofocus sensors spread all over vs ONE cross type for most nikon crop sensors, and the d800 has like 15 crosstypes clustered around the middle.

in that regard i claim it being superior. the crosstype sensors are very accurate. i don't know why your canon gave you so much grief. if anyone else have other canons and crosstype sensors that give them grief please let us know.

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#1029081 22-Apr-2014 12:35

having said that i do believe nikon gives you better pixel level quality. in low light digic 5 probably is better in high iso but i do not have one to compare so let's say nikon better pixels.

i think nikon lenses are more expensive but probably better made. not sure about picture quality, canon is up there.

my gripe with non cross type sensor is if i can't nail the focus what is the point. that's why i regard 9 crosstypes all over is 9 times better than one in the middle and probably still 9 times better than 15 in the middle.

which is exactly the reason you left canon! how interesting eh

timmmay

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#1029087 22-Apr-2014 12:41

Probably time for me to stop talking about Canon focus. To answer your question though, after 5 years with Canon and a wide variety of cameras (40D, 7D, 1D3, 5D), all calibrated with lenses by Canon Professional Services, I wasn't happy with the focus performance. Switching to Nikon gear I was immediately happy with it. It cost me thousands to switch, but it was worth it.

With what I was doing there were no second chances, you get one shot to take a photo then it's gone. Very few people need that level of performance, and I was probably unlucky. I expect Canon are better these days, and that most people would be happy with either brand.

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kiwigander

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Master Geek

#1029098 22-Apr-2014 12:57

If OP is not absolutely sold on Nikon gear, check out the Pantax K-500; two lens kit for $875 at Photo & Video International and presumably similarly priced in the Auckland shops.

I'd have stayed with Pentax when it came time to update my old ist*SD but they did (and do) not offer a full frame sensor.

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#1029121 22-Apr-2014 13:58

timmmay: Probably time for me to stop talking about Canon focus. To answer your question though, after 5 years with Canon and a wide variety of cameras (40D, 7D, 1D3, 5D), all calibrated with lenses by Canon Professional Services, I wasn't happy with the focus performance. Switching to Nikon gear I was immediately happy with it. It cost me thousands to switch, but it was worth it.

With what I was doing there were no second chances, you get one shot to take a photo then it's gone. Very few people need that level of performance, and I was probably unlucky. I expect Canon are better these days, and that most people would be happy with either brand.

it is possible that nikon non crosstype sensors are superior. I don't know enough from that side. do you use your non cross type sensor and get pin point perfection? i know with canon and non crosstype sensor you don't even want to go there.

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#1029123 22-Apr-2014 13:59

kiwigander: If OP is not absolutely sold on Nikon gear, check out the Pantax K-500; two lens kit for $875 at Photo & Video International and presumably similarly priced in the Auckland shops.

I'd have stayed with Pentax when it came time to update my old ist*SD but they did (and do) not offer a full frame sensor.

what about upgradability? canon and nikon have literally tens if not hundreds of lenses (canon ones much cheap by the way) that have stood the test of time.

timmmay

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#1029138 22-Apr-2014 14:20

joker97: it is possible that nikon non crosstype sensors are superior. I don't know enough from that side. do you use your non cross type sensor and get pin point perfection? i know with canon and non crosstype sensor you don't even want to go there.

I've never done a comparison of center to off center focus points. I use center mostly, but I wouldn't hesitate to use off center in decent light. In poor light (first dance type stuff) I'd use center all the time, it's faster to lock and more reliable.

Bee

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#1029155 22-Apr-2014 14:43

I bought a Nikon D5100 a little while back - parallel import with 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses for less than the price of the body only in NZ at the time. Was a few hassles and long wait for it to be shipped in from who knows where...

If I was to do it again I would go thru einfo for sure... they aren't the best price but they do have a good reputation now as a business that can be trusted...

Next question - what camera to buy? I love my D5100 and if you can find one, I would still recommend this camera to anyone after a serious first time DSLR. Its a quality camera and well worth the price it is now for sure!!!

Nikon Users are in the minority it seems, so I'm betting you will end up with a canon? which ever way you go be sure to google all the reviews, alternatives and then if you can go into a store and play with a few cameras and see which one feels better for you.

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

driller2000

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#1029159 22-Apr-2014 14:56

lol much of what has been said above is way over my novice head : )

however - to the OP:

i purchased a canon 600d twin lens kit from the auckland camera center 9 months ago and we are LOVING it

re your original question re parallel imported - i considered this but decided "yeah nah"

the expert/specialist advice i got (approx 1/2 hr of focused chat ie. re my needs / intentions / skill level etc) at the auckland camera center was excellent and well worth the extra cost.

and when you add in the local warranty vs. the hassle, cost and risk of sending the camera offshore should there be any issues - to me it was a no-brainier to buy a locally sourced product

that said should i look at additional lenses / accessories down the track - then i would reassess the paralell imported option

edit: due to mixing up a separate post with this one :)

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#1029203 22-Apr-2014 16:15

Just for the op.

Canon 600d has one centre cross type autofocus point.

700d has 9 places around everywhere

No nikons have cross type autofocus points outside the centre that I know of

timmmay

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#1029207 22-Apr-2014 16:32

joker97: Just for the op.

Canon 600d has one centre cross type autofocus point.

700d has 9 places around everywhere

No nikons have cross type autofocus points outside the centre that I know of

It seems every Nikon has cross type AF points outside of the centre. They have some value.

D4: "15 cross-type sensors in the central area and 11 focus points compatible with f/8"
D5200: "Nikon Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, 39 focus points (including 9 cross-type sensors)"
D7100: "Nikon Advanced Multi-CAM 3500DX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, fine-tuning, 51 focus points (including 15 cross-type sensors; the center point is available at apertures slower than f/5.6 and faster than f/8 or at f/8)"

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