Olympus Camera Service Center: Red Dot Manila Contact Number

If you're looking for latest information on Olympus digital camera repair like me, but only to buy a USB data cable for my Olympus Tough TG-2 IHS, try to call Red Dot Philippines at the following numbers Red Dot Philippines 1817 España Blvd., corner Prudencio St., Sampaloc, Manila, 1008 Philippines Telephone Number: +63.2.708.9282 Fax : +63.2.522.7079 but the problem is that nobody's answering the damn contact number. I only need to inquire the price of the USB cable and if they have it I'm familiar with the place as I lived in Sampaloc, Manila for 10 years, college days and early corporate life. How to get there: From MRT Quezon Avenue, Cubao, GMA, Kamuning or North EDSA, just board a jeepney going to Quiapo and alight at the corner of Espana and Prudencio. from LRT Taft, take jeepneys going to Quezon City (Cubao, Project 3-2, Project 6/SM, Fairview, Project 8), alight at the corner of Espana and Vicente Cruz, then cross to the other side.

Write Protect Error Olympus Camera: Tough TG-2

I didn't encounter this error in my old Olympus Tough waterproof camera but Toughie, my Olympus Tough TG-2 camera frequently has this "write protect" error The first time it happened at home and I was able to to fix it without really knowing why and how i did it. The second one happened just recently while I was about to jump out of the boat to snorkel near Magalawa Island in Palauig, Zambales. The dreaded write protect error showed much to my dismay What causes the write protect error? Some sites point to locked/write-protected SD card (memory card) but when I inspected my memory it's not locked/write-protected. On the second occasion I though my SD card is already full but when I put it into my Nikon DLSR camera, it's not yet full and still useable the real solution is really to take the memory card out of the camera then format it in a PC or another camera. If you have precious pictures already stored, copy the pictures first before formatting. I found out that the camera saved a corrupted file in the memory card, the file I wasn't able to cut and paste to my hard drive that's causing the error. I found no issues with the SD card but it may be defective. Lesson: bring another SD card to replace the card causing the write protect error of Olympus cameras. You'll never know when it will hit you just like me, just when I needed it most :(

Lytro Light Field Camera Prices, Specifications

I signed up for advance notice from Lytro, the maker of the first ever light field camera, months ago. This time, they sent me an invite to be one of the first "photographers" wishing to get their hands on the new cutting-edge camera.

Lytro camera price: $499 for 16GB, $399 for 8GB
Lytro camera lens aperture: f/2

Lytro camera price philippines? probably around P25k :(

But my usual problem is how to ship the camera to the Philippines without getting too much customs charges, I'm willing to pay duties but not outrageous ones earlier charged on a trial shipment to myself.

I imagine how much would the Lytro camera price be in Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila should it ever find itself there.

Hope to get a lytro camera next year so I can get sample images and pictures using the cute device.

Imagine how it would revolutionize photography that can make Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Kodak and other camera makers take notice :P

Canon 1100D Price Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila?

The recently released brother of canon 1000D can be found in Hidalgo at an introductory price of...

Canon EOS-1100D cost in Hidalgo, Quiapo: PhP 29,000.00 only

for prices of other stuff in hidaldo, click this post on
Canon Price List Hidalgo
Nikon Price List Hidalgo

Canon 60D Price in Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila

With my impending replacement of my aging Nikon D80, I'm also mulling a return to the Canon world again with the reccently released Canon 60D to replace the Canon 50D.

How much does the canon 60D costs in Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila? How will Canon 60D vs Nikon D90 and Nikon D700?

Canon 60D sells somewhere in the P51k price range in Hidalgo (body only, no kit lens). I wanted the BG-E9 battery grip to come with it too plus a backup battery

A trip to downtown Manila along with my other favorite haunt, Raon for electronics, is in the offing :P

Canon Prices Hidalgo
Nikon Prices Hidalgo

Tamron Lens Price, Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila

For people like me looking for the latest price list of tamron lenses in hidalgo, the photographers haven in Quiapo, Manila. I'm hoping to buy the tamron 17-50 2.8 at the cheapest possible price without sacrificing warranty and quiality.

Tamron Price List in Hidalgo 2011:

Tamron 70-300
AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 P8,500.00

Tamron 18-270
AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) P23,000.00

Tamron 11-18
SP AF11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) P31,000.00

Tamron 17-35
SP AF17-35mm f/2.8-4 Di LD Aspherical (IF) P29,000.00

Tamron 17-50 2.8
SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) P18,500.00

Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC
SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) P22,500.00

Tamron 28-75
SP AF28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) P18,000.00

Tamron 90 2.8 Macro
SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro P22,500.00

Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 VC
SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD P24,800.00

Note: prices quoted from Henry's camera. You can call other hidalgo
shops to haggle cheaper prices if you can at Avenue, Mayer's (if mang
ramon is in a good mood), Watson's et al

Tip: Prices of Camera, Lenses and other photography stuff in Hidalgo
is cheaper if you buy in cash. ATMs nearby include BDO (inside SM), BPI
and Citystate Savings (BancNet)

Some stores carry in-store warranty thus the lower prices

advantages and disadvantages of tamron lenses:

Advantage versus Nikon and Sigma: Cheap and sharp (tamron 17-50 vs
nikkor 18-55 vs sigma 18-50)

available in Canon-mount or nikon mount

Disadvanctage: there's no such thing as Tamron Service center
Philippines. There are many lens repair shops in Hidalgo who can repair
your lenses though.

Related Posts:
Canon Price Hidalgo
Nikon Price Hidalgo

Canon 1000D Price Hidalgo, Quiapo

Looking to buy a Canon 1000D DSLR camera in Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila to answer the question "how much is a canon 1000D?"

Canon 1000D kit (18-55) w/ 4gb sd w/ 4gb memory - P25,500
no price yet for Canon 1000D body only

Canon 1000D Features and Specifications:

-10.1 Megapixels CMOS Sensor Digic III
-2.5 inch LCD Monitor Better & brighter LCD
-Better and brighter viewfinder
-Live View with contrast based AF
-SDHC card support

price subject to change without notice. you may call the hidalgo camera store contact number for the latest price.

Canon 50D Price in Hidalgo, Quiapo

For people looking for the price of Canon 50D DSLR Camera on Hidaldo St., Quiapo, Manila

Canon 50D kit (18-55) w/ 4gb CF - PhP63,000.00
Canon 50D body - P60,000.00

Canon 50D Features and Specifications
15.1 Megapixels CMOS sensor

3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) with multiple coatings for improved viewing and smudge-resistant protection.

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output for displaying full high-resolution images on a High Definition TV.

Prices may change without notice. You may contact the camera shop in Hidalgo for the latest price.

Canon DLSR Camera Prices in Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila

I noticed some time ago that prices of canon cameras in hidalgo is about P2k more than the prices of canon cameras in hong kong as most of the hidalgo camera stores source their stuff from HK and just offer store warranty, and not really official Canon warranty.


For your reference, herewith is the current price of canon cameras in hong kong (source: YDragon), multiply it with the current HK$ exchange rate to approximate the prices of canon cameras in hidalgo:


Canon EOS-1Ds Mk III (Body) 45,400
Canon EOS-1D Mk IV 32,000
Canon EOS-5D Mk II 16,700
Canon EOS-5D Mk II (Kit: EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM) 23,900
Canon EOS-7D (Body) 11,020
Canon EOS-7D (Kit: EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) 13,160
Canon EOS-7D (Kit: EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM) 15,580
Canon EOS-60D (Body) 8,800
Canon EOS-60D (Kit: EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) 10,000
Canon EOS-550D (Body) 6,380
Canon EOS-550D (Kit: EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS) 6,680
Canon EOS-550D (Kit: EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) 8,200
Canon EOS-500D (Kit: EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS) 5,200
Canon EOS-450D (Kit: EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS) 4,780

canon flash prices:

Canon SpeedLite 270EX 1,130
Canon SpeedLite 430EX II 2,050
Canon SpeedLite 580EX II 3,180


If you want the current price list of canon in hidalgo and malls, you can call the camera stores contact numbers on hidalgo and inquire yourself either Henry's, Mayer's, Avenue et al

possible entry keywords:
canon camera pricelist, canon warranty, canon camera repair hidalgo

Nikon D7000 Price in Hidalgo, Quiapo, Manila?

Even if I was able to repair my 2.5 years old Nikon D80 and looking at upgrading to D90, I'm drooling for the new Nikon D7000 which came out last month.

I still can't find information on where I can buy the Nikon D7000 in Manila, particularly on Hidalgo, Quiapo. I suspect it's in the price range of P60k though.

If you know the price and contact numbers of Hidalgo stores: Henry's, Mayer's, Watson's, Avenue Photo et al, please click the comment button.

Update Nov 7, 2010:
Nikon D7000 price Philippines is PhP58,000.00 (canvassed by a simple phone call) I can find it sold online for PhP77,500.00 (body only i.e. no kit lens)

Might go to Hidalgo one of these days by taking the LRT Carriedo station to check

Nikon D80 Err: Aperture Lens Problem, DIY Repair?

Nikki, my 2.5 year old Nikon 80 stopped working after a few shots while I was taking a picture of my baby. The initial symptom is a different sound of the shutter then underexposed pictures.

I'm now looking for DIY Nikon DLSR Camera Repair Guide, if there's one so I can again save a few bucks, even some pictures of how to open my DSLR camera, tinker with the shutter mechanism, repair it myself.

Nikki just displays Err on the LCD monitor and won't take a shot. REset by taking out the battery didn't help. Tried to clean the lens contacts using contact cleamer on the body and using a different lens, a 50mm f1.8, didn't help either. Note that my camera is attached always to a Nikkor 18-200 F/3.5-5.6 VR and seldom separated from each other.

If I can't do it myself, Imay have to go find nikon camera repair shops on Hidaldo St. in Quiapo, Manila or bring it to Columbia (CDSC) somehwere in Frisco (but i know it will cost me an arm and a leg so I'd rather not).

I think it's time to upgrade toa Nikon D90 or a cheaper D5000 or D60 then sell my dear Nikki!

other Nikon Cameras:
FM80,D3X, D2Xs, D300, D300s, D700, D90, D5000, D60, D3000

Nikon DSLR Camera Prices: Hidalgo, Quiapo and Columbia

On shopping mode for a new camera to replace my Nikon D80 with Err message recently. Herewith are the latest prices of Nikon Cameras on Hidalgo after asking around.

Nikon DSLR Camera Prices 2010:


Nikon D3X: P386,000.00
Nikon D2Xs
Nikon D300
Nikon D300s: P74,000.00
Nikon D700:
Nikon D90: kit P49800, body only P45,000.00 (some stores at P33,500.00)
Nikon D5000: kit P36800, body only P31,800.00
Nikon D7000:
Nikon D60: already phased out, try second-hand/pre-owned units
Nikon D3000: Kit P24800.00
Nikon D3100:

Nikon Lens Price:

Nikkor 18-200 VR: P33,000.00
Nikkor 50mm 1.8: P6,600.00
Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR
Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8
Nikkor 70-300mm VR
Nikkor 55-200mm VR
Nikkor 18-135mm
Nikkor 50mm f1.4
Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 IF-ED Fisheye
Nikkor 12-24mm f.4G IF-ED
Nikkor 10-24 f3.5-4.5
Nikkor 85mm f1.8
Nikkor 85mm f1.4
Nikkor 105 f2.8G VR Micro
Nikkor 14-24 f2.8

Nikon Flashes:

Nikon SB-800: phased out,try other units
Nikon SB-600: P11,500.00
Nikon SB-400: P7,500.00
Nikon SB-900 AF

Nikon Coolpix P50
Nikon CoolPix P5100
Nikon CoolPix S51
Nikon CoolPix S51c
Nikon CoolPix S600
Nikon CoolPix S700

Note: prices are subject to change without prior notice. You can get a higher or loer price depending on the hidalgo camera shops you asked from be it Henry's, Watson's, Mayer's, Avenue photo or some other camera stores there. Most of the stores there don't accept credit cards. Parking is a problem for those who have cars. directions to hidalgo is there not encouraged (how to get to hidalgo quiapo).Some stores sell grey market unitsthus only offer in-store warranty, and won't be honored by Columbia, the official Nikon Sevice Center in the Philippines

"Cheap," "EVIL" Cameras: Olympus Pen, Lumix GF1 and Samsung NX10

The latest challengers to the DSLR market are the so-called EVIL cameras, EVIL stands for Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens and unlike bulky DSLR cameras, don't have mirrors in them.

Popular EVIL cameras, with the size or small point-and-shoot cameras but the resolution of DSLR cameras, are the Olympus Pen, Lumix GF1 and the Samsung NX10. The usual feature of DSLR is also there with the interchangeable lenses. There's no EVIL camera product from either Nikon and Canon yet but expect the price of EVIL cameras to fall when the two camera giants enter the market.

For now, those EVIL cameras are priced at about PhP40k, approximately the price for a mid-range DSLR body.

I think I'm going to forgo upgrading my Nikon D80 for now to wait and see how this EVIL camera will come to play next year.

Cheap Nikon Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

After about 2.5 years of shifting from Canon to Nikon, I finally was able to buy a new, rather slightly used, Nikon 50mm "nifty fifty" to be my second lens after the walk around Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6

I'm always on the lookout for cheap lenses at PhPhoto yahoogroups and when sonebody posteed a slightly used Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 prime lens for just P4.5k, I immediately sent a text inquiry and the agreement to meet up at Paseo Center materialized.

Note that the Nikon 50mm f1.8 costs P8k no even on Hidalgo, Quiapo (while canon's nifty fifty price is around P4.5 brand new.


The nifty fifity is a very good and extra sharp lens perfect for portraits but it won't focus (no AF) for D60 DSLRs. I intend to buy an extension tube for me to practice macro photography. I prefer the tube over close-up filters and macro reverse rings and I don't have the moolah for macro lenses

Photo Print Sizes: 3R 4R 5R 8R and 8SR

Back in film days, having your pictures printed was a necessity, but in the digital age, sometimes you only store photos in your computer, cellphone, CD/DVDs and memory cards.

My film days are over but sometimes I still don't remember the dimensions of photo print sizes commonly referred as 3R, 4R, 5R and 8R so here's a list of the picture sizes for your information:

3R (3.5 x 5 inch)
4R (4 x 6 inch)
5R (5 x 7 inch)
8R (8 x 10 inch)
8SR (8 x 12 inch)

other sizes are 12 x 18 inch, 16 x 24 inch and 20 x 30 inch.

One way to remember how long and wide a picture size is, sort of a mnemonic, is that the number corresponds to the length in inches of the shorter side, the the longer side two inches longer than the shorter side, except for 3R picture size with only 1.5 inch difference.

These photo print sizes were derived from 35mm film format (36 x 24mm) with aspect ratio of 3:2 like my DSLR camera and large-format (4x5) film format.
The standard ratio for 35mm negatives correspond directly to 4 x 6 inch (4R), 8 x 12 inch (S8R) so my usual choice in printing is 4R and 8x12 to avoid cropping and resampling.

This is a problem with developing or printing pictures taken using point-and-shoot cameras with 4:3 aspect ratio, you need to crop or resample your picture so that no pixel will be left out of the printed photo. If you don't do this, some part of your picture my be cropped when printed. To make sure the whole picture is printed, resample your picture using Photoshop or other photo editing software without noticeable distortion in the resulting photo otherwise you really need to crop.

You know where to have your pictures printed cheaply? Hidalgo St in Quiapo if you can get there :P

Waterproof Camera Models and Cases: Olympus, Pentax, Canon, Nikon, Dicapac

How would you review and rate waterproof if you ever feel the need to have one? For which activity? Would you go for compact, handy and easy to carry
waterproof camera models in order to survive water splashes, rain, even corrosive salt-water for snorkeling but not for SCUBA diving? Do you require video-recording function? and lastly, the price should be affordable and within your budget?

Waterproof Cameras are presently dominated by only two manufacturers: Olympus and Pentax with numerous models to choose from with high megapixels and maximum depths specifications.

Olympus Waterproof Camera Models:

Olympus Stylus 1050SW, Olympus Stylus 1030SW, Olympus Stylus 850SW, Olympus Stylus 790SW, Olympus Stylus 770SW, Olympus Stylus SW 720

Waterproof Pentax Camera Models:

Pentax Optio W60, Pentax Optio W30, Pentax Optio W20, Pentax Optio W10
(Pentax was the first one to come up with waterproof digital camera model in 2003)

Beyond Olympus and Pentax, there's GoPro Digitial Hero 3: wrist mounted camera in waterproof case, helmet-mount and deck mount kits available. Other models also Vivitar VIVICAM-6200W or SeaLife SL321 ECOshot for SCUBA Diving but comes with no zoom lens and not-so-good image quality.

If you need to go deeper, more than the specified depths of the cameras, you can buy underwater cases for your cameras, be it Canon, Nikon, Sony et al. Underwater cases for cameras are expensive, costing about $200 each and are only available on order basis in the Philippines.

You can, however, try Dicapac, cheap underwater camera case, so as not to lose image quality but take note of white balance problems when shooting underwater. Will post sample pictures and photos later.

Color Temperature: Halogen, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Daylight and Combined Lighting

As i've just bought a remote control for my Nikon D80 plus a light tent to make my own cheap table top studio combined with amy table halogen lamp and tripod.


This time, i appreciated setting my camera's color temperature to achieve white balance using halogen continuous lighting not possible with my old Canon EOS 300D camera (walang K)

Color temperature settings I googled and experimented on:

Daylight:5500 degrees Kelvin
Fluorescent: around 5500 Kelvin degrees
Tungsten: 2700-2800K
Neodymium lamps: around 3000 Kelvin degrees
Halogen lamps: 2800 to 3400 K

Notes:

An 80B filter converts 3200K light to 5500K. You'll need a combination of an 80B with an 82A to correct the light from a household bulb to approximate 5500K.

correction filter for use of daylight films with halogen lamps is the 80A.
Light bulbs, a stronger blue filter, a 80B

Incandescent includes tungsten, neodymium, halogen

As Tungsten Incandescent bulbs age the color temperature gets continuously lower (more red/yellow); not the case with Halogen lights. Dimming either type of light shifts the color temperature downward (becomes more red/yellow)

I wonder what's the setting for white balance when doing underwater photography :P

Nissin Speedlite Di622 External TTL Flash for Nikon/Canon

I've just bought a shoe-mount flash for my Nikon D80 DSLR camera from a store in Makati City

It's a Nissin Speedlight Di466 Nikon-mount that supports Nikon's i-TTL function.

My first impressions and testing:

It's so easy to use: mount it on you camera, turn it on and use i-TTL mode and you can take pictures with proper exposure.

I tested the slave function to trigger it using my cameras's on-camera flash and it works like charm but only on manual mode. It has no support for other triggers except optical

It has a built-in diffuser for wide angle shots and a built-in bounce card.

Manual mode lets you choose from 6 power level with the touch of a single button.

It's cheaper than Nikon's SB-400 by 33% and better than SB-400. It has almost the same guide number as the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight. I bought the cheaper third-party flash instead of Nikon's due to cost constraints. I can't compare the recycle time with Nikon flashes for I really don't have experience with them

It has a sister slave flash, the Nissin Di466, but I don't intend to be a strobist, I just want to have the advantage of bounced flash for family events.

This will be updated to include other observations and caveats :P

How-to: View, Edit EXIF Data EXIF Editor

I've been asked many times how to view EXIF data in Windows XP as well edit the data for no obvious reason except when you're just going to brag if you have the latest camera or possibly to hide camera you're using and delete incriminating details of the date the photo was taken.

How-To view EXIF data, right click a file on Windows Explorer, select Properties on the menu, click the Summary tab, then Advanced to display EXIF data with photographic details.

I use IrfanView with the plugin to view EXIF data.

Editing EXIF data is tricky, it requires third party software like Opanda PowerExif to edit data but it doesn't come free (price: $49.99).

There's also ExifPilot and ExifEditor ExifEditor

For occasional use, the cheap trick is to use a hex editor, many free hex editors available, where you can edit the fields you want before saving to another file (don't overwrite the original file to be sure).

For my demo, i used HexEdit for its simplicity requiring no installation, just a small executable file.

To completely remove EXIF data in a picture, you may use EXIF Stripper (available here to hide settings and save on file storage space though minimal as claimed.

Tip: For anonymous bloggers, I recommend stripping pictures of EXIF data before posting in your blog. You can be traced by the camera model you have and date/time stamp on it if you're living in a small town.

Nikon D700 DSLR 12.1 Megapixel Camera

So, the earlier rumors about the new Nikon D700 is true after the latest news about the new camera from Nikon

I would love to see how the ISO 6400 works and see if noise is really acceptable as claimed.

Nikon D700 Key Features

* 12.1 megapixel full-frame sensor (8.45µm pixel pitch)
* Image Sensor Cleaning (vibration) *
* ISO 200 - 6400 (with boost up to ISO 25600 and down to ISO 100)
* Also supports DX lenses, viewfinder automatically masks (5.1 megapixels with DX lens)
* 14-bit A/D conversion, 12 channel readout
* Same ultra-fast startup and shutter lag as D3
* Nikon EXPEED image processor (Capture NX processing and NR algorithms, lower power)
* New Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 150,000 exposure durability *
* Multi-CAM3500FX Auto Focus sensor (51-point, 15 cross-type, more vertical coverage)
* Auto-focus tracking by color (using information from 1005-pixel AE sensor)
* 95% coverage, 0.72x magnification viewfinder *
* Auto-focus calibration (fine-tuning), fixed body or up to 20 separate lens settings
* Scene Recognition System (uses AE sensor, AF sensor)
* Picture Control image parameter presets
* 5 frames per second continuous with auto-focus tracking*
* Optional MB-D10 Battery Pack (same as D300), increases burst rate to 8 fps *
* UDMA compatible single CF card slot *
* 3.0" 922,000 pixel LCD monitor
* Live View with either phase detect (mirror up/down) or contrast detect Auto Focus
* Virtual horizon indicates if camera is level (like an aircraft cockpit display)
* HDMI HD video output
* 'Active D-Lighting' (adjusts metering as well as applying D-Lighting curve)
* Detailed 'Control Panel' type display on LCD monitor, changes color in darkness
* Magnesium alloy body with connections and buttons sealed against moisture
* Improved Info display on main screen *

I wonder how Nikon D700 prices locally on Hidalgo against Singapore and Hong Kong so I can make a nice hands-on feel and get sample pictures.