Korean Job Discussion Forums

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

the lens can be the most important thing you get. good glass pays off in the long run.

soemthing that has a good range will also mean 1 lens will handle various situations and cover you for most of your photography for a while til you get more experienced and know what you want to shoot.

other lense makers include sigma, tamaron. though sigma is good - i think its generally more pricey. also look for older lenses, a few years old but still new wont hurt. Stores will always try to sell you the latest and greatest but some of the stuff they have around can still do very nicely.

spose you need to decide what kind of lens you want.

standard 55mm, wide angle, mid range 20-120mm-ish, long range 50-200.

also check out F ratings on the lenses too....just another thing you need to think about.

[phoenixstorm]

I went to a local tech building near my apartment and found the kiss from one of the dealers at 690,000 for the kiss x2 with kit lens.

Now it is 10,000 cheaper but I am wondering if the folks at namdaemun would be throwing in a bag extra battery or things like that?

[Sapa]

My problem with wanting to get a dslr is that I would want to be able to have the option of close up macro shots as well as shots of things from a distance, not to mention just normal everyday use. Now that going to get expensive real quick.

[SeoulnPepe]

Not really. If you use an extension tube you can turn a standard lens or just about any other lens into a macro lens. You could also try using a reversing adapter, but you expose you rear element that way.

Extension tubes can run from 10-50,000W. Reversing rings can be had off Ebay for about 15US.

[JustJohn]

A bridge camera might do you nicely if you don't NEED need the super speed and high iso performance that DSLR brings.

I got an 18x zoom one that has a great macro mode, and while still yearning for that dslr quality a bit I've gotta say that being able to go from wideangle to ~500mm without changing lenses extremely fun and handy.

[suadente]

Namdaemoon is best for cameras.

Think more of the lenses than the body. The differences between the cheap bodies aren't that important. Look into Olympus. I liked the Olympus feel when I was shopping, but at that time, they didn't have a body that I liked. I wish I had waited a few more months... But, if you want to trade lenses or something, it'll be harder. Korea loves Canon, likes Nikon, and doesn't really do Olympus.

Also, think about used lenses. Most of my lenses are used. They're only a few years old, they work fine, and they were substantially cheaper. My 28-105 was the same price as the kit lens.

Also, think about extension tubes if you want to do macro. I got them for 70 or so thousand won, and they get real close. And, lots cheaper than a macro lens.

If you're going to buy big, think about going to Hong Kong. I bought a lens there that was almost 20% cheaper than Amazon.com.

[swigs]

[SeoulnPepe]

I've seen clerks at other stores drop lenses, only to put them back in the display case. It happens at other places in Namdaemun.

Double and triple check the lens before you buy. Make sure the blades are clean (no oil, no scratches, no rusting, and that they all fit over each other nicely); check the glass through and through both against a bright light source and a dark background. You want to check for oil on the elements, scratches, fungus, hazing, and element separation--all of these will affect how your image turns out.

Make sure all of the screws are present on the mount, and check to make sure there's no cracks on the barrel (or missing screws; some nikkors have a small screw on part of the barrel).

If everything checks out, and the price seems good, you've found yourself a decent lens. Don't worry about dust--it'll never affect your images, unless it's a huge piece of dust in the middle of one of the elements.

Also, shop around. One store is bound to offer you a better deal than another. It also helps to take a Korean friend with you, as the store clerks know they can't really talk amongst themselves to try to rip you off.

By the way, there's no better way to learn photography than by going fully manual. It takes a bit of work to learn to do it right, but in the end you'll better understand what your camera is doing when something doesn't work out under an AF system.

[suadente]

Definitely test every lens before you pay for it, if you go used. I've seen some pretty bad lenses that are full of gunk inside.

And, as SeoulnPepe mentioned, shopping around is a good thing. Some of the shops in Namdaemoon overcharge on the bodies, but entice on good lens prices. Others overcharge on lenses but have good body prices. But, some are good on both.

[jkamphof]

I always go to Camera 2 U in Namdaemun (not the market but the street along side it w/ all the shops). It is one of the shops with a big Nikon sign. Anyway they have given me top notch service for over 5 years and they always give me good service if I have problems. They even ship all the way to Paju for me for only 2,000won extra...petty fair.

The best guy in the shop is named "Won" he speaks decnet english and always looks to give a good deal.

[swigs]

[swigs]

Actually just to add; before buying something go ahead and ask what the return policy is. It would have saved me some trouble.

[Sapa]

How can you make sure that what you're buying is brand new and hasn't just been put back in the box?

[sobriquet]

How much should I put my Olympus E-300 up for?

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympuse300/

I'm not using it at all, hardly ever used it in three years.

[SeoulnPepe]

I think there's no way to tell if something is brand new unless you buy it retail. Even then, there's no guarantee that someone didn't swipe a new item for an older one.

As far as cameras go, for Nikon you can use Opanda to check the shutter count. If it's 0-10 shots, it's new. If it's got about 1000, it's definately used.