• 12-20-2005, 12:45 PM
    Jboats
    HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Help
    I am thinking very hard to become a SLR junkie ....

    Now, I am pretty fixed with the Nikon D 50 .... the question is what ebay package I should take....


    this one

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

    or this one :


    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

    The difference is that the first one has a Sigma 70-300 lense and 2 Gig storage, versus the second option has a 55-200 Nikon with only 1 gig stoirage plus roughly 130 dlr more...

    Whats the better deal ????

    Thanks Thor
  • 12-20-2005, 01:36 PM
    mjs1973
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Welcome to the site Thor,

    I'll start by saying I bought my current camera, a Canon DRebel, as one of these kits on ebay. My advice to you is, DON'T DO IT. Don't get me wrong, I love my camera and it has treated me very well. The big problem I have with these kits is all the "extras" they have. For the most part, they are junk. The "Deluxe Tripod" isn't even worth it's weight in scrap metal for the aluminum it's made out of. Mine came with a "Deluxe" or "Pro" tripod, that isn't even good for holding a P&S camera, let alone a DSLR. Basically they add all these extras to make it sound like a good deal, but in all actuallity, you are getting crap accesories that you will want to replace right away.

    IMHO you would be much better off going to a reputable dealer like B&H or Adorama and buying your gear from a company you can trust and to get a brand that has a good reputation. I'm not a Nikon shooter so I know nothing about the camera or lenses in either of these kits, and I'm sure they are fine, but don't be fooled by all the "extras" they back into these kits. From my experiance, you would be MUCH better off putting together your own kit with better quality accesories. It will cost you more up front, but will save you much more in the long run.
  • 12-20-2005, 02:05 PM
    mjs1973
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    It's prett slow here at work today, so I went to the B&H site and put together a kit to match the two you have here. My kit only includes the camera body, both lenses (actual lenses, not the wide angle adapter) and a 1 or 2 GB card depending on the kit.

    Here's what I came up with. You can get the 2GB kit for about $1060 at B&H, so you save a bit of money on the ebay kit, plus the extras. You can get the 1GB kit for about $975 at B&H. This is cheaper than the ebay kit. I tried to find the exact lenses they have in the kits so they should be very close. The memory card is another story. I used a the cheapest Sandisk card B&H had. It's hard telling what brand name will be on the card in the kit.

    Hope this helps.
  • 12-20-2005, 03:35 PM
    Jboats
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    I hear ya
    all this junk on the side is irritating at best.... my question is if I should go with the two Nikon lenses 55- 200 or the one Nikon and the Sigma 90 -300
    ????

    Thanks Thor
  • 12-20-2005, 03:47 PM
    mjs1973
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    I think if you determimine what you plan to shoot with this gear, it would give you a better idea of which one is best for you. One kit has a wider lenses, the other has longer leses... If you shoot wildlife, you might want the longer lens. If you shoot landscapes you might want the wider kit. If your subject is fast action, or if you plan on shooting in low light a lot, I wouldn't get either one, do the the max aperture on the lenses. I don't know anything about any of these lenses so be sure to check out the reviews on this site and see what others have to say about them.

    I think if you examine your shooting needs, one kit will fit your needs better than the other, but that's for you to decide.
  • 12-21-2005, 09:19 AM
    Nikonpenguin
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Jboats,

    The best is buy body and know what kind of lens do you need and buy lenses.
    I always look for the price for both, lense and UV filter at same time.
  • 12-21-2005, 10:58 AM
    Jboats
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    thats probably the biggest problem .. I really dont know what I am shooting . I have a 995 nikon now. Do a lot of stuff for Ebay photos for selling.... ( usually not enough light, but I rig up some household lights and go macro ) and I do quite a few of pics when sailing on the lake ( most of the time rather far away, but with pretty good light ) from other sailboats , than I do the occasional natur shot ,,, but those are point and shoot thingies most of the time

    I think that the nikon 995 has problems... there is really no auomatic there, and the secund the light gets a little less there is no way other than to shoot with timer and stative.. which sucks most of the time ,,,

    Thor
  • 12-21-2005, 11:17 AM
    mjs1973
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    I'm not sure what the crop factor of this camera is, but I think it's 1.5x. That being said, your 35mm focal length range for these two kits is 42-450mm for one kit and 28-300mm for the other.

    The 35mm focal length range of you 995 is 38-152mm. So either kit is going to give you a lot more range on the long end. The short end you will either loose a little bit of range, or gain a bit of range. If you want to go wider with your landscapes I would go with the kit with the 18-55mm lens in it. If you want to reach out and touch some wildlife, I would get the kit with the 300mm lens in it. If you do a lot of macro work, skip the kit and get a dedicated macro lens.
  • 12-22-2005, 06:52 PM
    Jboats
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    okI did the plunge and ordered me a D50 body alone from an Internet outfit.... 355 bucks sounded pretty good... lets see..

    now the task of getting the right lens or maybe two ???

    wheres a good deal ...lol

    thor
  • 12-23-2005, 05:17 AM
    mjs1973
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Congrats on your purchase. Who did you order from? That price sounds almost too good to be true, and when it comes to some of these online camear dealers, it usually is. When you ordered it, did you get an email asking you to call them to verify your info?

    As far as good deals go, I would suggest going to B&H or Adorama. They might not be the cheapest, but they are very fair, and very easy to deal with. I have never had a problem with them, and I trust that I'm going to get what I order. I have dealt with some other internet dealers that offered great prices, but in the end, it wasn't worth it. I ended up canceling my order, and going someplace that was much more trustworthy.

    I don't know anything about Nikon lenses so I can't help you there. You might want to start another thread to ask about lenses. If you do, be very specific about your needs, and describing what you want to accomplish with your photography.

    Good luck with your new gear!
  • 12-23-2005, 08:07 AM
    Jboats
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Contact Info:
    Infiniti Photo
    Brooklyn NY, 11223
    Toll-Free: 1-800-593-0026
    Local Phone: 718-627-6066
    Fax: 718-998-9130

    Website: http://www.infinitiphoto.com
    Email: support@infinitiphoto.com

    thats the Nikon Body for 355.00 plus 15 buckaroos for shipping ....
    Lenses I found at :
    The Camera Box ( found with froogle.com )
    1x AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED = $ 127.00
    Nikon Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DX G AF-S DX + 178.00 plus 10 dlr for shipping


    from ebay I have bought ( all prices with shipping ) :
    1 Fisheye lense $ 52.00
    1 SD Card reader ... $ 7.00
    1x 1 gig sd card [lus 1 x 512 sd card both for $100.00

    all together under 850 dlr... that is comparable to the kits they sell on Ebay for over 1100 dlr ....and its both Nikon lenses versus some other ones, plus more storage...Now I need to find me all that junk they sell with the kits ..lol ( Maybe not.) I do have a cheap tripod and a nice camera bag already ...

    Thanks for all your help.... I am gonna rerport back when everything comes in ... which I suspect will be a little longer because of holiday stuff floating around all over...

    Thor
  • 12-23-2005, 12:17 PM
    Mig
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    You may want to read this post:

    Warning Infinitiphoto.com=Bait and Switch

    And from other sites:

    http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews-all-87615.html
    http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=16355171
    http://www.resellerratings.com/seller9662.html
    http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/h0057.htm

    Normally, when a price is that good there's something wrong - I hope it works out in your case. Good luck.

    Danielle
  • 12-23-2005, 01:01 PM
    masdog
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Be very careful about buying cameras from retailers in Brooklyn. Most of these shops are scams out to get credit card numbers, and its doubtful that you will ever get the product you ordered. I wouldn't trust any website that offered the cameras for well below retail costs.

    If you're interested in buying a digital camera over the net, there are a number of reputable retailers. The few I am aware of are B&H, Adorama, Calumet, and Roberts Distributors. These four places have a great reputation, and while you may not get the item at bargain basement cost, their customer service more than makes up for it.
  • 12-23-2005, 02:16 PM
    Jboats
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    **** now i am listening to all the warnings about ebay and kit pricing just to get screwed by a online outfit.... ???

    Shouldnt have listened I suppose .... grrrrr


    Thor

    will try to get out of this mess ....
    although Now I am going to pay hundreds more than one of those kit prices ... darn
  • 12-23-2005, 03:03 PM
    Mig
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Quote:

    Shouldnt have listened I suppose .... grrrrr
    Well, to be fair, mjs recommended B&H and I think he's absolutely right about the ebay kits - many of them contain garbage accessories.

    You should be okay with the lenses - I haven't seen anyting bad about The Camera Box. The body can be had for $570 at B&H...so you'd end up at about the price of the second ebay package.
  • 12-23-2005, 05:38 PM
    mjs1973
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Have you called or contacted this company to cancel your order? I had a run in with a company like this once, but I was able to cancel the order before anything was ever shipped, or charged to my credit card. Perhaps I was one of the lucky ones, but it sure doesn't hurt to try. If they tell you it's too late to cancel your order, don't take no for an answer. Good luck.
  • 12-23-2005, 07:45 PM
    masdog
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    If you can't get the company to cancel the order, you can always dispute the charge with your credit card company and have them do a chargeback.
  • 12-27-2005, 08:30 AM
    Jboats
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    ok update:
    waited til Monday .. send them infinity people a email and ask them to be very careful and include everything which is in the original box as received from Nikon ...

    Anyhow... also I called them on Minday... Now I was prepared for this call and after 1 1/2 hour of waitng in line and talked to several people in beweteen , just to be put back to hold and waiting longer .... ok finally i get that person.... and they actually find my order as well... now I ask them if they have a tracking number for me.... he gets all pissy and says your order is cancelled... darn I was suppose to have a little fun with the guys,, dont I ?
    No. after 2 hours on the phone this was WAY TO EASY ... so I say a few choice words and than good buy.... here comes the highlight.... The idiot calls me back and threathens me with some outfit who regulates foul languages with mailorder outfits.. what a joke .... this is calling the kettle black I suppose... anyhow I immedeately called the credit card company and tried to make sure that those boneheads cannot do anything with my credit card...

    Than i had a cocktail, relaxed and order the camera boady and a few extra accessories from B & H .. Now I have spend roughly 300 bucks more than on one of those package deals on ebay... but In all reality. I have a better tripod ( a compact one, which will fit in the bag ) more storage ( 1 extra 512 card) plus the one gig, a lens cover to protect the 18-55 nikon lense and such...... so I am not all too bitter .... lol

    especially as the fun will start when I finally get everything together.. as I will need all the help I can get from the board regulars ...lol

    Thanks Thor
  • 12-27-2005, 09:01 AM
    mjs1973
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Hey Thor,

    Thanks for updating us on your experiance with this company. I see you posted your experiance in the Camera Dealer Feedback forum too. It might help prevent someone else from going through the same thing you just did. I think you will find that in the long run, you will come out ahead, even if it did cost you a little more up front.

    We look forward to seeing some pics once you get your new gear!
  • 12-29-2005, 10:51 AM
    cyberphotography
    Re: HELP.. whats the better deal ???
    Thor, good job on getting out of that mess. I made the mistake of ordering my 20D kit from a crappy dealer in Brooklyn and after i realized my mistake it was to late to back out. I will not go into detail as this will cause an anxiety attack and piss me off again. The only thing useful was the body. I started over by purchasing the lenses that suited my needs. NEVER again will i deal with these idiots or any ebay kits. Buy the body and kit from B&H, Adorama or local dealers, period!!!!!!!