Digital SLR Service

Like a car, high end camera equipment needs to be maintained. My first need for camera maintenance was caused by extremely annoying dust spots. The camera has a built-in cleaning mechanism I have set to run at power on and power off as well as a dust off feature where you take a photo of a bright white light and the camera supposedly compensates for the dust spots and takes them out of the photos but they are no substitute for getting a professional cleaning job.

I was always hesitant to mess around with the interior components of my Nikon D700 but I did try a few times to blow out dust with a blower and even use a lens pen to try to clean the sensor and mirror but nothing worked. I thought about getting the camera cleaned at Calumet in San Francisco but they wanted to hold the camera for 2 days, had a ridiculous waiting list and charged $60 so I decided to wait until I got back to Bangkok.

Dust Spots which appear on Every Photo

Where to Get Camera Service in Bangkok

While camera shops are a dime a dozen in Bangkok places that I would feel comfortable bringing my expensive equipment for service are not.   I went to MBK and asked a few camera shops if they did sensor cleaning and non of them did.  I went to the official Nikon store and they referred me to Niks Thailand.  I had heard of a camera place called Niks Thailand that is one of the few if not the only official Nikon dealers in Bangkok.  After a couple google searches I found it was located on Silom Road.

SLR in hand, I hopped on my helmet-cam equipped bicycle and started peddling off to Silom which is in the vicinity of Nik’s Thailand. I didn’t really know where I was going so I ended up towards Saphan Taksin BTS station. I asked a couple people and finally made my way to a Nikon dealer which I thought was Nik’s but I was wrong.  It turned out I got the address wrong and ended up at Sunny Camera which is very close to State Tower.  The guy at the camera store gave me directions to the right place, Niks Thailand which was luckily only a few blocks away.

HOW TO GET THERE: If you’re reading this, the chances you’re going to be riding bicycle are probably slim here are the 2 easiest ways.  If you are far from a BTS or MRT station, hop in a taxi and ask him to take you to “Thanon Silom, Sofitel” or just “Silom Sofitel” as Niks Thailand is right next to it.  BTS is very easy as well.  You have to take BTS to the Sala Daeng station and from there it is around a 10 minute walk west or a 2 minute cab ride.

Niks(Thailand) Co.,Ltd. 166 Silom Road 12.

Sensor Cleaning & Lens Repair

First off, Niks Thailand is a very cool store.  They have numerous toys on display as well as a bunch of new and old Nikon equipment including some Über telephoto lenses.  In addition to the toys, there is a big screen displaying slideshows of Nikon photo contests in the lobby area which has a few comfortable seats.  The staff is very professional and proficient in English.  They charged 1000 baht (around $30USD) for the sensor cleaning which took 2 hours.  I simply went to a nice outdoor restaurant close by and had lunch while my sensor was being cleaned.  When I got the sensor back they gave me a little card which showed the locations of the dust on my sensor which was completely unnecessary but nice of them to go into detail about it.

I thought I was done w/ Niks Thailand until I had a terrible accident with my $1500+ 70-200mm F2.8 VR lens.  The lens fell from 4 feet up in a camera store onto the concrete floor and cracked (photo at top of post).  Even though the lens seemed to work fine I was worried bout dust and moisture entering through the crack.  I planned to tape the lens but I received advice from people commenting on my flickr page to take it in for repairs so I though why not.  When I took the lens in they told me it would cost 4500 baht to fix (around $150USD) which I thought was fair.  I thought they were going to send the lens in but they said it would take 5 hours!  I told them I would pick it up the next day as I didn’t feel like going to the other side of town during rush hour.

Broken Lens?  Maybe Not

I got the lens back and the crack was fixed 100% perfect (more on that in a bit.)  They explained to me that the manual focus was “stiff.”  It turns out I failed to notice that the manual focus was FUBAR or completely stuck.  I almost never use manual focus but would like to have the option.  I also came to realize that the part I cracked on the lens wasn’t even part of the lens.  It was so easy to fix because it was simply the tripod bracket that allows the camera body to shift from landscape to portrait when the lens is mounted to a tripod.

I should have known that immediately and I’m surprised the people in the store and nobody on my flickr page pointed that out to me.  I feel I wasted 4500 baht because the lens performs the same as it did with the crack there and has no danger of taking water or dust inside the lens.

Regardless of my personal follies, I highly recommend Niks Thailand as a camera repair and camera shop.  I asked the prices and they were not cheap like Pantip Plaza but I’m sure they offered better warranties if that concerns you.  If you’re in the Silom area take a stroll over to Niks Thailand and check it out as you can enjoy looking at some equipment, contest photos and have no pressure put on you to buy anything.

Telephoto Lenses & Camera Bodies on Display at Niks

View Photo Galleries from Thailand & More

Nikon D700 Full Frame Digital SLR Camera Body

Even though I was completely happy with my Nikon D90 and lens collection I decided to make the investment and go for the D700.  For me, the decision was made because I simply had to do something about my obsessing over my camera so I decided to get what was the very best option I could afford.

The primary models I was considering in the relatively new full frame digital SLR were the Nikon D700 and the Canon 5D Mark II.  I literally read dozens of reviews of both cameras and found no clear-cut winner.  The primary arguments for the Canon is it trounces the Nikon with overall resolution which can make the final cropped image more useful and of course, has full 1080p HD (High Definition) video capabilities.

The primary advantage of the Nikon D700 was its high ISO ability and build quality.  It was the latter which led me to finally make a decision.  While some reviews explained how the Nikon “fits in your hand better” it is no excuse for going in and actually testing the camera.  I could tell when I first picked up the D700 it was perfect for me.  It really feels like it belongs in your hands and everything is placed exactly where it should be.

In hindsight holding the D90 for long periods of shooting, my fingers were always sore while after using the heavier D700 for just as long I have never felt a single pain in my fingers!  Picking up the Canon felt a lot lighter and the interface didn’t seem right.  It could have been due to my previous use of the Nikon D90 more than anything but in my case, the D700 was a clear-cut winner.

Nikon vs. Canon:  Making Your Choice

Nobody can take away from the quality of Nikon and Canon digital SLRs as they both are capable of taking great photos.  Like all sensible online reviews stated, your primary choice may be a predetermined one.  If you already have lenses for Canon or Nikon it would be a wise and less expensive choice to get a digital SLR body which uses your current lens collection.

On a side note to this story, there does exist an adaptor which allows Canon digital SLRs to use Nikon Lenses although I did not read much about them.  I’m not sure if Canon has any adaptor which allows use of Nikon lenses on their cameras.  From what I read, one of the primary reasons for this adaptor is the first lens I bought for the Nikon D700.

Nikon vs. Canon is not the only battle you should be aware of.  Multiple brands make competitively priced Digital SLRs that have the image quality that rivals anything Nikon or Canon makes.  Brands such as Sony, Pentax, Samsung, Olympus DSLRs are a viable option.  Even though 3rd party companies such as Sigma and Tamron make lenses that fit most camera brand mounts, with long running optics companies like Nikon and Canon you have a wide variety of lenses at your disposal especially with the D700s full frame sensor.

The Lenses I have used with Nikon D700

Full frame lenses are both an advantage and disadvantage of using full frame cameras.  The advantage is you are able to use a wider array of lenses dating back to all 35mm film cameras.  This means you can pick up lenses for very cheap online and even at your local garage sales for use on your Nikon D700.

You can also use all the lenses for Nikon’s DX lenses, the 1^st generation of digital SLR cameras although a crop factor of 1.5 will be factored in.  If you use ‘DX’ mode you will be shooting at less than 50% of the camera’s resolution which is stupid when you think you just paid over $2000 USD for the new full frame sensor.

The disadvantages of owning a full frame camera is if you want to buy one of the new lenses from Nikon & other third party manufacturers which were specifically designed for use on full frame digital SLRs you’re going to be paying a premium price.  Nikon’s new lineup of lenses branded with a big gold ‘N’ which signifies a special “nano crystal” coat which supposedly reduces lens aberrations are all very expensive.

Nikon Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8

The physically impressive Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 super-wide angle lens was raved about by almost everyone who reviewed it online.  Since I was already in love with super wide angle shots, this lens was a no brainer and I bought it along with my D700.  The lens is remarkably sharp, does not distort very much and works well in low light.  The only drawbacks to the lens are its inability to use filters and its size.  The inability to use filters is important for protection and creative control of exposure.  If you treat your equipment like bumper cars, this lens may not be a good idea because one bump of the bulbous front element and you could be looking at an expensive repair from Nikon or an even more expensive replacement.

Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D

The 50mm f/1.4 D is about 3x as expensive as the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 D and differs little.  The obvious better f/1.4 low light performance is the only reason to own a f/1.4 over a f/1.8 so unless you shoot in the dark a lot, the f/1.8 will do just fine.  I used the 50mm f/1.8 D on both the 1.5 cropped D90 and the full frame D700 and found very little differences in their performance.  I actually prefer the 50mm f/1.8 D because it’s lighter and seems to focus better.  Overall, depending on your budget and shooting needs, almost all pros recommend carrying a 50mm prime lens.

Nikon Nikkor 70-210 f/4-5.6 D

A friend of mine in San Francisco had this lens with an old film camera.  It was almost in brand new condition and he lent it to me for a couple weeks of shooting.  The lens was the first push-pull model I used.  The first few shots I took with this lens and the D700 I noticed the photos taken in broad daylight were very sharp and had nice colors.  The lens became almost useless as the day grew longer.  Anything handheld not shot at a very high ISO had the effects of dreaded camera shake as the lens was without either VR (Vibration Reduction) or a low maximum aperature.  I would recommend this lens for anyone who wants a cheap lens for shooting during the daytime or solely on a tripod at night.

Nikon Nikkor 35mm f/2.0

The friend that lent me the aforementioned lens from his old Nikon film camera also had this 35mm f/2.0 prime lens.  As with the majority of prime lenses (fixed focal length) this lens was very sharp.  I actually liked 35mm focal length a lot.  It seemed as if 35mm was around the same focal range as your own eyes which is good for scenery but not as good for portraits and other applications.  Since I already had the 24mm of my 14-24 f/2.8 for scenery I felt that I would’t use a 35mm prime lens very much although I do recommend the lens for anyone who likes to shoot a mixture of scenery and portraits and likes a light, fast lens.

Nikon Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8

I purchased a copy of this old professional mid-range zoom from Amazon for around $250.  At the time of purchasing I didn’t realize 2 things:  1.  It was a push-pull lens and 2.   it was not the D lens.  While I have read multiple reviews downplaying the importance of Nikon’s ‘D’ distinction which has to do with the lens sending distance information to the camera I found this lens was very poor at autofocusing, especially in low light.  The focal range I believe is more for studio work or portraits when the subject is almost always to be within a 3-15 feet away.  Although this lens would also serve well for people who enjoy shooting scenery I would recommend it (as well as lenses with the similar mid-range focal ranges) only to people who shoot events such as weddings, parties and family get togethers.  When there was enough light, this lens was as sharp as they come with very little distortion.

Nikon Nikkor 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5

This older Nikon mid-range do-it-all zoom was the biggest surprise out of all the lenses I have ever owned.  It surprised me likely because I bought a flawless copy of it off craigslist.org in San Francisco for almost free!  I bought 3 lenses for $60 which I ended up selling the other 2 for $115 so I essentially got this gem for -$55!  What makes this interesting is I originally considered purchasing this lens in a camera store in Bangkok which they wanted over $200USD!  The lens is a light weight, plastic feeling versatile lens.  My most favorite thing about it is its close focusing ability which allows you to literally put the end of the lens a couple of inches away from the object you are photographing.  Close focusing requires you flip a switch to “macro” mode after the focal range goes past 70 which is a minor inconvenience but does not take away from the value of this lens.  The lens is also great for scenery and is sharp when taking my favorite shots which happen to be low light night shots.  I would recommend this lens to anyone who can get their hands on one and who hasn’t spent a ton of money on more expensive Nikkor lenses.

Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR

This is the beast of Nikon’s common lenses which is used by most professional photographers.  The lens is literally “built like a tank” with solid steel construction with no external moving parts on the outside during zooming.  The lens is big, bulky and heavy but the photos you take with it speak for itself as they are very sharp and allow you to control depth of field with precision which creates very pleasing bokeh (the out of focus area).

The telephoto zoom focal range is great for capturing a wide variety of images especially animals, sports competitors, portraits, far off scenery as well as being one of the journalist’s favorite lenses.  Although it has been replaced with the VRII version which has Nikon’s ‘N’ Nano crystal coat and costs a whopping $2200+ USD it still holds its own as one of the very best lenses money can buy.

Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro

Before I was to leave San Francisco for Bangkok I decided to take advantage of the plentiful supply of photography equipment on the SF Bay Area Craigslist one more time.  While I had fun with the 28-1055 (above) with macro capabilities, I wanted to see how a “real” macro lens would fare.  I had to choose between a popular 90mm Tamron macro lens but the fact that the lens barrel extended and retracted during focusing, had me choose the Nikkor although it was over 2-3x as expensive.  I searched Craigslist every day and it took 3 weeks before I found one of these Nikkors for sale and I snatched it right up.  I had the idea that I would sell it if it didn’t ‘blow my socks off’ and after using it a few times I still haven’t decided.  There is not doubt that for someone interested in macro shots this is a great lens.  The problem for me is while I like macro photography, to get the shots I really like (bug’s eyes) it takes more than just a macro lens.  Since I have started using the bounce flash of the Nikon  SB-900 speedlight my results have gotten a lot better but again I have only used this lens a few times so I can’t really say much about it.

Developing a Camera Kit – Part III:  The Winners; My current Camera Kit

Because I am not a professional photographer I am not biased by years or decades of prior experience, changing technology and times. I do not take pictures of brick walls or test charts and critique lenses for fun. I travel anywhere in the world and I take photos of things I think look cool.

Almost everyone has a digital camera these days. Point-and-shoot cameras are the most popular because they take great photos, are small, light and cheap. For those of you who like to carry as little as possible gear, don’t like to spend that much money and value having a camera that can go with you everywhere with very little hassle and cost, a quality point-and-shoot is everything and more than you need. My favorite is the Canon S90 which is not the tiniest point-and-shoot but has a great interface, lots of cool features and takes tremendous photos.

For those of you like myself, who aren’t satisfied with getting a great or even excellent photo but want a PERFECT photo, you will likely have to go through a trial and error process to develop a camera kit which suits all your needs. This camera kit will no doubt have a digital SLR camera body and an assortment of lenses.

Benefit from My Obsession

Use my painful and expensive method to finding the right camera gear for my bag to help you. I spent a better part of 4 months literally spending all day reading about lenses, buying them and testing them in real world situations. This was a good and bad experience for me. The bad was instead of traveling and going to new places I was inside reading about the lens options I had and taking photos of the same things over and over again.

The good was I learned a lot about photography, experienced quite a few lens and camera options and found a kit which I am 100% completely satisfied with. Testing lenses inside camera shops wasn’t good enough for me. I just went out and bought the lenses I read about and used them in real world situations.

My Experience with Camera Bodies & Lenses in the Past Half Year

Nikon D90 Camera Body

I loved the D90 when I had it and I still love it when comparing it to the Nikon D700 which I upgraded to. I actually miss the D90 on a daily basis when I’m shooting with the D700! First of all, the D90 has everything you need and then some. The buttons seem to be all in the right place and it is light but not cheaply built. I bashed the video recording capabilities when I first blogged Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera but I would like to take that back!

The video lacks autofocus which renders the camera useless for things which move in the vertical plane but it also allows you to control depth of field which is what really differentiates amateur from professional film! Watch any movie or TV show and you will see focus shift from the foreground to the background almost every scene. The D90 allows you to achieve this professional effect which is virtually impossible on all camcorders. Of course if you’re shooting anything other than small scenes for a commercial or movie such as sports or your kids playing you’re still going to want to get a camcorder but the D90 video capabilities can create some professional looking cinematic moments from your digital SLR.

Of course 99% of people, myself included buy a digital SLR to capture still images. In order to get the still images you desire, choosing the correct lens and knowing when/how to use it is crucial. I had a chance to work with a number of popular lenses with the Nikon D90 and here is my experience with each of them.

My Lenses with the Nikon D90

Nikon Nikkor 18-105mm VR

The Nikkor 18-105 mm VR was the first lens I ever used which came with the Nikon D90 kit. I liked the lens performance initially as the focal range was good for a variety of uses and the photos turned out nice and sharp but as I started reading about the many Nikon and 3rd party SLR lens I decided to ‘upgrade’.

While I was almost 100% satisfied with this lens I figured I could get more out of a longer focal length or wider angles.  The lens is great for any Nikon SLR because of its built in motor which makes it a perfect lens for anyone on a budget who is just getting into SLR photography.

Users of the D40, D60 and D5000 will like this lens a lot more than the standard kit lens (18-55mm VR) simply because it is just as sharp and has that useful extra 50mm of zoom to work with along with the same valuable VR (Vibration Reduction).

Nikon Nikkor 18-200mm VRII

Like many people who have used the internet to find information about lenses I read the glowing review by Ken Rockwell about this lens.

I researched it and determined that the optic performance was likely the same as the kit lens I wanted to be able to cover more range and this popular lens covers 300mm equivalent telephoto.

I will admit I didn’t know enough about DSLR photography at the time I had this lens to get the most out of it.  I believe this lens is a great pickup for almost all photographers who have DX  (Nikon cropped frame) sensors.  Like Mr. Rockwell says, this truly is a do-it-all lens that can get almost everything the average travel photographer shoots with the exception of the super-wide angles.

Nikon Nikkor 50mm F1.8

Another glowing review by Ken Rockwell caused me to purchase this little lens. It was probably the easiest choice to make as it costs around $100USD and auto focuses with the D90’s built it motor. The lens is simple, light, cheap and gets great performance in even the lowest of light.

You can expect VERY sharp images when taking shots of people or animals within this range. Being a prime lens, the drawback is you have to move your feet rather than twisting a zoom ring.

Nikon Nikkor 10-24mm

Even though the D90 was giving me great images I still desired more. At the time I thought it was the camera I needed to upgrade when comparing my shots with the D90 and 18mm (27mm equivalent) and people with the new, expensive full frame cameras.

It turned out what I really was missing was the wide angle from an ultra-wide angle lens. This Nikkor DX lens was expensive and while the range 10-24mm (15-36mm equivalent) was nice, the performance didn’t meet my satisfaction after spending over $900 USD on it. While images in good light looked pretty good, when the light wasn’t there, the images almost never looked sharp, even when mounted on a tripod.

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

I was hesitant to buy a 3rd party lens for my Nikon D90 but I read many positive reviews on Amazon and flicker about this Japanese made Tokina ultra wide. The main knock on the lens from reviews was there was a sample variation with some lenses having issues. It cost $300USD less than the aforementioned Nikkor so I decided to give it a try and I’m glad that I did.

The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 quickly became my favorite lens for the Nikon D90.  Everything about the lens was impressive from the quality of build, to the very smooth zoom ring to the great low light performance and topped off with almost perfectly sharp wide angle images.  Although some reviews criticized its focusing ability, it focused perfectly on my D90 although you should take note if your SLR body has a focusing motor or not because this lens does not have one.

Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8

After experiencing the vast difference between a lens with a standard (f/3.5+) aperture and the professional Tokina 11-16mm with a f/2.8 maximum aperture I decided to give this Sigma a try. As I planned to sell my Nikkor 18-200mm VR I chose this lens for 3 reasons including the one I just mentioned.

Another reason was the Nikon equivalent lens cost several times more and finally this Sigma had very close focusing capabilities. I thought the macro abilities would make this a great “walking around” lens and it did, well kind of. I found when I used this lens I would only use it for close up objects at 50mm. I originally bought it for the versatility but found it wasn’t versatile at all for the kind of shooting I like to do, especially ultra-wide angles.

Part II:  Upgrade to the Full Frame Nikon D700

Fleeing Bangkok

I had just got back to Bangkok from San Francisco where I had visited Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon to extend my student Visa and re-start my Thai Language classes when I heard that the “red shirts” were at it again.  Without getting into details, tens of thousands and possibly millions of (mostly rural) Thai people unhappy with the current government were planning on converging on Bangkok for a huge protest.

Mass gatherings are not my cup of tea especially ones that could bring bombings or violent military responses.  I’d probably feel most comfortable in a large crowd of Thai people than any other but that’s not saying much.  My dislike for being in large crowds culminated as I was getting squashed and pickpocket during New Years on Copacabana Beach in Brazil and I have no desire to experience that again.

I felt that I needed stability in the midst of the political instability of Bangkok so why not head to one of the purported safest and most stable countries in the world?  I booked a one way Jetstar Asia flight to Singapore for Thursday the day before I heard there was to be a big red shirt rally in Bangkok on March 12, 2010.

Seeing Red on the Streets of Bangkok

Finding a Hotel in Singapore

I booked my flight to Singapore with a relatively short notice so as usual I had to scramble to find a hotel.  I used sites such as Hotels.com and AsiaRooms.com to get the general range of places to stay in Singapore and I discovered that there is not much as far as mid-range hotels go.

The cheap prices that came up in searches were usually hostels and budget hotels without basic amenities while the expensive hotels cost an arm and a leg.  I was debating a night at Novotel which is located directly on the scenic, vibrant Clarke Quay dining and night life area but the cost came up to around $200 a night which was too much for the 6 hours I’d be spending there sleeping.  I ended up staying at the same hotel for my entire stay which was located in the Geylang area.

Places to Stay in Singapore:  Fragrance Hotel Pearl

Colorful Singapore Police Station

Getting Around in Singapore

Often times the subway is the best way to get around in large cities.  When a subway is convenient I will always take the subway as the first method of getting around when traveling to new cities.  My hotel was located a 10 minute walk from the nearest MRT station.

About 10 minutes after getting the hotel room I strapped on my camera bag and began walking toward the MRT station.  It was Thursday afternoon around 1 or 2pm so as I arrived to the MRT station profusely sweating.  There were multiple lines at this station so I asked the MRT workers for help.

Upon arriving to the ticket machine you will see a rather large LCD display with the entire Singapore MRT system on it.  There are 6 options on the left one which is “buy single trip ticket.”  After choosing single trip ticket you are asked to select your destination by touching the map on the LCD display.  I believe the maximum cost was $2 Singapore which is around $1.40 USD which I found to be quite a bargain as some trips were well over a dozen stops.

My first trip on SMRT was only 4 stops and I was expecting a light load on the subways being it was mid-day on a normal week day.  Upon entering the train I was rather shocked to see how crowded the subway was.  I asked a student in the subway if it was always this crowded and he told me it was.  I was only going 4 stops to the City Hall MRT to see the harbor so it didn’t bother me too much.

Singapore City Hall MRT Station - 3:20pm Thursday

Things to Do in Singapore

I had an open ended itinerary in Singapore so my plan was to play it by ear.  Other than the few ideas for things to do in Singapore I got from my old client and friend Alvin which I wrote on a note card and put in my wallet upon arriving I really had no idea what I’d be doing.

Along with my friend’s recommendations I picked up 2 or 3 Singapore tourist maps at the airport.  I didn’t notice it until the end of my trip but each map was for something different.  There was a ‘medical’ map which listed all the hospitals and spas, a ‘night life’ map as well as a general tourism map.  I used the tourism map as a basic guide as I did some of the following:

Singapore River Boat Tour

Singapore Zoo / Night Safari

Jurong Bird Park

Singapore Botanic Gardens

East Coast Park Bicycle Ride

Singapore Flyer

Mount Faber Hike – Sight Seeing

Singapore Cable Car

The cable car was out of service when I was in Singapore.  It is actually a “bi-cable gondola lift” which is a cable suspended air trolley with glass bottoms for sight seeing.  Singapore cable car has 3 stations originating from 300m above sea level at the top of Mount Faber to the Harbour front station located on the edge of as well as Singapore’s resort island, Sentosa.  The fair cost of the cable car ride is 19 Singapore dollars ($13.40 USD) which would make worth doing, especially if you like taking photos and/or want to get to Sentosa in style.

Sentosa

Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquility in Malay, is Singapore’s mega popular island resort, visited by some five million people a year. Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses and two five-star hotels, and the Resorts World Sentosa, featuring the new theme park Universal Studios Singapore.  Since I was traveling alone and was heading to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, Thailand after Singapore so I decided to skip my trip to Sentosa as I would rather spend less in Thailand and experience natural beauty than what I perceive as an artificial paradise.

Sentosa Island Montage (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Shopping

As with most large Asian cities, you can’t cram in 5 million people on a small area without having tremendous amounts of shopping centers and Singapore is no exception.  Places to shop range from small knock off clothes vendors to high-end luxury stores such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton. This paragraph blurb hardly does Singapore’s shopping scene justice.  If you are into shopping and find yourself in Singapore you will find everything you need and then some.

The prices seemed to be fair unlike Tokyo but probably more than places such as Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur where many Singaporeans go looking for deals.  As usual I didn’t spend much shopping for stuff but I did pick up a new Kata 123-Go 30 camera bag at Funan Digital Life mall, one of the 2 highly recommended electronic shopping areas by everyone along with Sim Lim Square which I didn’t have a chance to get to.

Ground Floor of Funan Digital Life Mall - Singapore

Places to Eat in Singapore:  Everywhere!

I was very impressed with the food in Singapore.  First off, I love Indian food and I had a chance to try numerous types of Indian food I had never eaten before in Singapore.  The convergence between Chinese, Indian, Malay and even Japanese people seemed to make Singapore a culinary paradise.

Geylang Road

I ate off hawker stands for almost every meal and was never dissatisfied.  Along with cheap food all over the city/country there is a large assortment of fine dining options as well.

Delicious Muslim Indian Food along Singapore's Geylang Road

Little India

To be honest I expected a lot more from Little India.  I expected it to be a huge section of Singapore when in fact it seemed to be more like a couple blocks.  The Indian food I had in Little India was definitely not a disappointment though.  For a very cheap price I got a huge square grass-like plate of some of the most delicious Indian Food I’ve ever had and Indian Food is my favorite!  I could have probably explored Little India in Singapore a little bit more but I’ll leave that up to you.

Typical Narrow Colorful Streets of Singapore's Little India

Chinatown

Chinatown was even less impressive than Little India.  Since the population of Singapore consists 70% ethnic Chinese I didn’t really expect too much from Chinatown and I was not surprised when it turned out to be a small shopping center with some small shops as well as food stalls.  I got a couple pork buns and was on my way as there is a Chinatown MRT station right in the center of Singapore’s Chinatown.

View from the Edge of Singapore's Chinatown

Overall Impression

After the initial “cool” factor of visiting a new place I always think about whether I’d ever live there and Singapore immediately received my seal of approval.  When thinking about it, it took me a while to come up with some reasons why I wouldn’t want to live in Singapore and one was the slight sterile feeling.

I would recommend anyone visiting Southeast Asia to check out Singapore for at least 3 days.  If anything it will give you a stark contrast from some of the less developed countries as although Singapore is still classified as a “developing country” it is just as developed as any city in the USA along with being safer, cleaner and friendlier.

View the full Singapore Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Marina Bay, Esplanade & Singapore's Central Business District

View the full Singapore Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Learning the Hard Way

On my previous photography posts about choosing a digital SLR camera and the Nikon D90 I was a true Bangkok camera shopping rookie.  I had only been to MBK and the larger and newer, obviously more expensive retail malls.  In only a few months I have went from becoming a rookie to almost a professional when it comes to getting the best deals in Bangkok.

Primary Shopping Options

Besides the shops in the major shopping malls such as Central World and Siam Paragon where you can expect to pay full retail prices there are 3 primary options where you can find wholesale prices on brand new camera equipment including the top of the line digital SLR lenses from Nikon and Canon.

The three shopping locations are MBK which I have posted about numerous times.  While MBK has a whole tech floor and numerous camera and lens shops, I found the prices to be more expensive than the next two places I will mention.  MBK does have one of the better camera shops in Bangkok for gear such as filters and second hand equipment.  The shop’s name is photofile and there are 2 locations in MBK, the main store being on the first floor.  I will talk about selling SLR camera lenses later in this post.

The 2^nd shopping option is an IT mall named Fortune Town.  Fortune town is located near the Fortune Hotel near the Ratchada area of Bangkok off of Ratchada road.  I have only been to fortune town twice.  The first time I was there I bought the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens at a small camera shop for a price which I thought couldn’t be beat as it was lower than the cheapest price I could find on Hong Kong Ebay.  It turns out I went to the 3^rd shopping option for lenses and found out I was wrong.

The 3^rd and best place in Bangkok to buy digital camera lenses, not to mention all electronics including digital SLR camera bodies, computer parts, laptops, cell phones is Pantip Plaza.  Pantip Plaza is an IT mall located in Pratunam area of Bangkok.  It can be reached by a 10 minute walk from Central World and is an experience to say the least.

Bangkok's 3 Primary Camera & Lens Shopping Options

Pantip Plaza

Pantip Plaza has a bustling hock shop atmosphere that some people like while others hate.  It is much like most other shopping areas in Bangkok, the only difference being as you walk in you will have hardcore porn DVDs shoved in your face.  As you ascent the 5 floors via escalator you will get more hardcore porn DVDs shoved in your face but if you’re looking for the best prices on Digital SLR and camera lenses this is your place.

I have read a lot and talked to numerous people about Pantip Plaza and heard many mixed reviews.  Some claim that stores in Pantip sell tainted products, products with their expensive components replaced and counterfeit products.

While I haven’t experienced any of this, I wouldn’t doubt it.  There are some smaller camera shops in Pantip that I wouldn’t fully trust but other shops such as AV Center where I buy all my equipment seems to be 100% trustful.

I mentioned I had bought the lens at Pantip and the appraiser at Photofile scoffed at me and offered me a lowball price.  Whether he was just an elitist who wanted to continue to offer absurd prices for stuff you can get for much cheaper elsewhere or he knew what he was talking about I don’t know for sure.

Looking down from the Top Floor of Pantip Plaza

AV Center in Pantip Plaza

Pantip Plaza has numerous specialty camera shops, the best I have found to be AV Center.  AV Center is actually 5 or 6 separate stores located throughout Pantip Plaza.  Each store has almost identical prices and equipment.  Ask one of the AV Center stores for a lens and they don’t have it, they will likely have it on another side.

At least 3 of the 5 AV Center stores are big with equipment on display but I would consider the primary AV center store is in the middle of the 3^rd floor and can be viewed from any escalator.  There is a nice showcase with all the equipment, multiple employees and some space to move around.  The prices are offered pretty much as low as they go.

As with buying anything throughout Asia, always try to get them to knock down the price.  With high-end camera equipment at AV center and the already low prices, they will usually knock down the price a couple hundred baht which isn’t much but will add up if you keep buying from them.

Camera Lenses & Gear I Bought at AV Center and was Fully Satisfied

Nikon D700 DSLR Body
Nikon MB-D10 Battery Grip for D700
Nikon Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 Lens
Nikon Nikkor 10-24mm Lens
Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Lens
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 HSM

Read about Developing the Right Camera Kit

One of Many AV Centers in Pantip Plaza

Selling your Unwanted Digital SLR Lenses in Bangkok

Photofile at 1st Floor of MBK

As you can tell by my list of lenses, unless you’re made of money, you will be needing to sell lenses as well.  You may want something a little better, lighter, more versatile which better suits your needs.  As you can probably tell by the list of the lenses I have bought in just the first few months of owning a digital SLR camera, I have had to part with lenses as much as I’ve bought them.

While craigslist.org is not the megasite it is in much of the USA, especially San Francisco, there are people who look at Bangkok craigslist for deals on used equipment.  I have learned from experience, since some camera stores are so cheap, don’t expect a quick sale.  Whoever responds to your ad will haggle to no end which may not be worth it as meeting them across Bangkok may also be a challenge.

I found 2 camera stores in Bangkok that buy used lenses and Digital SLR bodies but any store that sells second hand equipment may be willing to buy but it is worth it to get estimates from all the places.  The primary store is Photofile in MBK.  They sell equipment for much more than the stores in the IT malls and it turns out they buy lenses for more as well.

Photofile will offer you top dollar if you have the box, all accessories and a warranty card for your equipment.  The second place was a small camera shop in Fortune Town.  I asked them to give me an estimate when selling a lens and they offered me 4,000 baht ($120 USD) more than Photofile for the same lens but also offered 2,000 baht ($60 USD) less on another lens.  The moral of the story:  Get multiple Estimates if you want to get back the most for your used SLR lenses while selling them in Bangkok.

When buying a lens in Bangkok you should note that when you get a cheap price 99% of the time you will NOT get the Nikon 5 year manufacturer warranty.  You will likely get the 1 year in-store warranty which I would not have too much confidence in.

Being Cheap

Most people I know want cheap prices.  If you have no problem buying retail, spending 25% more when buying camera equipment or anything go to any store in Central World or the Siam Centers.  I have priced SLR lenses in Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA and the prices in Bangkok are the cheapest I’ve found for new equipment.  If you’re looking for the cheapest prices in Bangkok, possibly in the world, just go to AV Center in Pantip Plaza, test, buy and admire your photography.

Read about Developing the Right Camera Kit

Recommended

When I saw the rather large description of Core Pacific City which is commonly referred to as Living Mall in the Taipei Lonely Planet Guide I put an asterisk next to it.  The Lonely Planet explained that the oddly shaped shopping mall was designed by “the Picasso of architecture” Jon Jerde a famous and highly successful American architect.  Since it was predominantly listed in the Lonely Planet and was very close to Taipei 101 I made it a priority to visit.

I was relatively excited to visit Core Pacific City until I asked the lady at the hotel front desk about it and she told me, “nobody goes there anymore.”   Her lack of interest was kind of a buzz kill as her description pretty much contradicted the author of the Lonely Planet.  This contradiction actually made me want to go there even more to see who was right.

I made sure to have the front desk lady write directions in Chinese so I could get there with minimal hassle.  After my visit to the Taipei 101 observation deck I got in a cab for the less than 10 minute ride to Core Pacific City.

Entrance to the Core

When I first arrived at Core Pacific City it was apparent that front desk lady was spot on in her assessment of Core Pacific City.   As opposed to Taipei 101 which was packed with people, Core Pacific City seemed to be deserted.  I was there at around 9pm and the mall was open 24 hours a day so I can’t speak for “prime time” hours but it seemed that there were very few people there.

The Lonely Planet author was at least right about the layout of Core Pacific City.  The bizarre layout of the mall was interesting enough to warrant a visit from a traveler.  I had a chance to snap a few photos as I browsed the overpriced shops and restaurants, some of which were closed.  As I arrived on one of the basement floors to find the food court I also found a lot more people.

The large variety of cheap food in the food court was on par with most other mall food courts I had ever been to.  I had an authentic Taiwanese noodle dish which was brought to me in a small steaming cauldron.  After I ate I really did not feel the need to explore Living Mall any further so I decided to leave.  I exited out of the opposite side I came in next to the cinema and I had a chance to snap a couple more pictures then it was back to my hotel.

24 Hour Shopping

Overall Impression

From my brief visit to Core Pacific City I would agree with the front desk lady at the hotel.  It seemed like Core Pacific City was a ‘has been’ type of attraction where Taipei 101 and New York, New York (the adjacent shopping center to Taipei 101) was now the happening shopping and tourist attraction.  I definitely do not regret going as Living Mall was pretty cool looking but the shopping and food was the type of run-of-the-mill experience you can get at any mall in your home country or anywhere else in the globe.

Saying Goodbye to the Core

Taipei 101

Taipei 101 was designed specifically to be the tallest building in the world.  In a few months from now it will be trumped by almost 1,000 feet by Dubai’s extremely ridiculous 160 floor ‘Burj’ officially in a month (January 2010) but when I went it was still considered officially the “tallest building in the world.”

I didn’t know much about Taipei before I went but I figured it to be similar to the large Asian cities I’ve been to such as Bangkok, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong but it seemed very different.   I don’t know if it was just because Taipei 101 was so tall or ont but it seemed like Taipei only had 2 buildings over 50 stories, one being 101 and the other being on the other side of the city.

I thought it was a cool way to bring tourists into the city but an expat I talked to on the plane likened Taipei 101 to a giant unnecessary phallus of Taipei.  I was just on a weekend trip so the only thing I cared about was to see it, take a few pictures of it and from the top floor with my Nikon D90.

Getting Close: Walking to Cloud Shrouded Taipei 101 on Xinyi Road

Getting Taipei 101

You may be surprised to know that even though Taipei 101 is probably the city and country’s biggest tourist attraction, many taxi drivers still didn’t understand me when I asked them to take me there.  Like I said in the excerpt for this post, Taipei 101 sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the Taipei skyline so pointing may be the best way to tell a cab driver to take you there.

Luckily for me, there was no need to bust through the language barrier to find Taipei 101 or even use any form of public transit.  I got lucky because it is on the same street (Xinyi Road) and is comfortable walking distance from the very likable hotel I was staying Dolamanco Hotel.

The straight walk from the hotel to Taipei 101 passed by numerous bakeries and I stopped at a street stand to get a couple random buns.  I tried to order pork buns but of course I was not understood and they just gave me a bunch of various item filled buns.  Needless to say the hot steamy snacks were nice on a misty Taiwan day.  I bought a timer remote for my camera in Taipei’s ‘Camera District’ earlier in the day and I had a chance to take my first time lapse sequence (below) which in hindsight I should have done the math and took more pictures, but I still got a pretty cool 10 seconds nonetheless.

Shopping

Upon entering Taipei 101 from the ground floor all you can do is shop and it’s not cheap.  You will find every high end store you can think of from Emporio Armani to Gucci to Prada.  You will also find Diesel, Calvin Klein, Nike and less expensive options but NOTHING in Taipei 101 would be considered bargain shopping.

On the bottom floor there is a food court which looked pretty good.  I say looked pretty good because I skipped it and went straight to the bakery.  There is a bakery which you will see as soon as you go down the escalator from the Nike store which I found everything I ate and drank to be delicious and fairly priced.  Since I didn’t want to overpay for stuff I didn’t need, after filling up on delicious baked goods and freshly brewed coffee I decided to make my way to the observation deck.

Looking up to Tower from inside Shopping Area

Line Wait and Fastest Elevator in the World

Taipei 101 boasts the fastest elevator in the world which gets all the way from the 5th to the 89th floor observation deck in only 39 seconds.  The elevator was very cool with space graphics and sound effects as well as a graphic readout of the speed which whizzed to the top very quick which was nice as I was stuffed in there like a sardine.

Before I could get up to the fastest elevator in the world I had to get through what maybe was the rudest line in the world.  They told me as I purchased the ticket which cost 400 TWD  ($13 USD) that there was a 30 minute wait which wasn’t bad until I got in line.  As I stood patiently in line at least 2 dozen people rudely pushed past me, or went under the barricade to get in front of me.  I don’t know if they were all together or something but I was getting pretty agitated.  After around 30 minutes of getting pushed around waiting in line, it was finally my turn to get up to the 89th floor observation deck.

Continue… Taipei 101 Part II

Outdoor Bargain Hunting

Since Chiang Mai is not the home of seemingly endless gargantuan shopping centers like Bangkok most of the best shopping opportunities are at various fairs.  Most people I talked to in Chiang Mai recommended shopping at the Sunday walking street fair instead of the night bazaar which was overpriced.

While all three places I stayed at were withing a 5 minute walk to the old moat gate which is where the fair starts, Montri hotel was located right on the corner surrounded by Sunday’s street fair.  I was staying at the nearby Royal Guesthouse when I decided to check out one of Chiang Mai’s biggest tourist attractions.

To say the Chiang Mai walking street fair is a tourist attraction is not doing it justice.  It seemed all of northern Thailand was there.  People from northern Thailand were there selling souvenirs, art, food and more and many people from Chiang Mai were also there.  Much of the goods for sale I have seen everywhere I’ve been in Thailand but I would guess that most of the people that make them live in northern Thailand.

One of the Many Local Tribes People Selling their Sourvenirs

Near the Moat Gate

The square near the remnants of the brick wall and the old gate which used to surround the city is where I started my Sunday night walking market experience.  The big square covered with baby blue and yellow paper lanterns is filled with booth after booth of goods.   There are many people just lounging around along with tourists and Thai people there primarily for the food and being social.

I didn’t know whether the square by the moat gate was the entire Sunday street fair so I decided to walk up Ratchadamnen Road.  Up the street I immediately noticed there was plenty more to the Chiang Mai walking street fair than just the square by the moat gate.  I immediately noticed an alcove with solely food restaurants which I had to stop at.  I ordered this omelet looking thing with noodles.  As I was eating the omelet I started talking to a Thai girl who turned out to have been living in Australia for the last 7 years.  She asked if I would join her and her 3 sisters for a walk through the fair.

Moat at the Beginning of Street Fair in front of Montri Hotel

On and On

I walked up the street with the Thai Aussie girl and her sisters and the streets seemingly got more crowded.    It was very crowded to the point where  I  would get stuck in a bottleneck for a minute at a time in some spots.  We stayed primarily on Ratchadamnen Road which included a couple temples and the fair seemed like it went on endlessly.  After a few blocks we turned around and headed back towards the moat gate.  My new Thai friend had to take her sisters home so I went to business and bought some gifts for my sisters.

View from Top of Apartment Building along Ratchadamnen Road

Overall Impression

While the Sunday walking street fair in Chiang Mai was huge it was nothing I haven’t seen before.  For me the highlight was the delicious food which was easily available almost everywhere I looked.  While it was crowded, there was absolutely no motor traffic which is unusual for Thailand.  People traffic was pretty heavy but no motorcycles, trucks, scooters, etc. made the Chiang Mai walking street fair a pleasurable experience and a must for anyone staying in Chiang Mai over the weekend.

Shopping in Hanoi

It seems like every major city in Asia has shopping areas which all tend to be very similar.  Cho Dong Xuan is no different.  Like most streets in Hanoi the streets in the Dong Xuan area were narrow but the densely packed stores (along with the usual swarms of motorcycles traffic) made this area a little more crowded.  It took only a few minutes to get to Dong Xuan from Hoan Kiem lake which is the primary lake in Hanoi.

The shops sold a wide variety of items from T-shirts to umbrellas, to fabrics to toys and everything you could think of.  I would say a very large percentage of the shops were selling stuff most people would consider junk.  The prices seemed to be a lot more fair than Saigon specifically Ben Thanh Market but again it obviously depends on what you’re looking.  If you’re the type of shopper like me who is either looking to buy a specific item or not going to buy anything I would be willing to bet that you would likely buy nothing at Cho Dong Xuan.

Overall Impression

Since I live in Bangkok where I’m somewhat familiar to the process of shopping it seems kind of pointless to shop in Vietnam or anywhere else for that matter where I can get the sam stuff with less hassle. The areas

As I mentioned in the overview of Hanoi, the people were far friendlier, less annoying and more polite in Hanoi and it made shopping a lot more relaxing than in the hustle of Ho Chi Minh City.  I would recommend Dong Xuan market and the area for anyone looking to buy cheap Vietnamese handicrafts, knock-0ffs and clothes but if you’re looking for something high-end, top quality or very nice you’re probably better off looking elsewhere.

Looks like its Tme to Shop at Cho Dong Xuan