Need some advice from Aussie CR Members

Aug 28, 2012
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Rienzphotoz said:
Back from an AWESOME vacation in Australia, what a beautiful country! ... got to see "heaps" of places :) (I noticed that the Australians I interacted with, used the word "heaps" a lot).
"Wanker" is another word that seems to be quite popular in Australia :)
I'll be posting some photos and some memorable experiences shortly, meanwhile I wanted to share a little about my shopping experience in Melbourne.
I visited Digital Direct, Ted's & Michael's and bought:
GoPro Black 3+ and DJI Quad copter from Digital Direct (Elizabeth Street)
Two Extra Batteries for Quad Copter and BoPro Hero Black 3+ from Michael's (Elizabeth Street)
Sony BCQM1 Charger (for my Sony a7), LowePro Toploader Zoom 10 Rezo & GoPro Tripod Adaptor from Ted's (Chadstone)
What I learned shopping at these places was that EVERY SINGLE one of those stores tried to rip me off by charging anywhere between 20% to 100% more than the prices I eventually bought for. Michael's tried to charge me AU$ 1500 for GoPro Black 3+ & Quadcopter, Ted's tried to charge me AU$ 1589 ... so I took the Aussie CR member's advice and told the sales rep at Digital Direct that I was getting it for AU$1200 (DD's original quote was AU$1400) ... the sales rep consults with his manager and comes back willing to sell (DJI Quadcopter and Go Pro Black 3+) for AU$ 1200 and also throws in 2 additional (Watson) batteries for the GoPro 3+ and a Rode Smartlav Lapel Mic for free. Since I am a tourist, I also got the GST amount of AU$ 110 refunded from the Melbourne airport under TRS (Tourist Refund Scheme). So I got all of the above for AU$ 1090 (which I think is a very good deal) ... me VERY HAPPY 8)
But when I tried to buy 2 additional phantom flight batteries for the DJI Phantom Quadcopter, Digital Direct tried to charge me AU$ 50 for each of the batteries ... so I went to Michael's and got those 2 batteries for AU$25 each (half of what DD was trying to charge me).
A few days later I went to Ted's Camera Store at Chadstone Mall, as I couldn't find a battery charger for my Sony a7 anywhere else. Ted's quote was AU$100 ... so I went to Myer who gave me a quote of AU$80 ... so I go back to Ted's and told them about Myer's quote ... Ted's immediately drops their price to AU$ 70 ... so I bought the charger and a LowePro Top Loader Zoom 10 Rezo (which fits perfectly for Sonay a7 with 28-70 with room for 2 additional batteries in the front comportment) ... but when I asked for a GoPro vehicle mount suction cup, Ted's wanted to charge AU$80 ... so I went to Myer and got the same thing for AU$ 40

I could not believe the difference in prices from store to store ... it felt as if I was haggling at an Indian fish market. But thanks to the excellent tips and advice from the Aussie CR members here, I'm very happy to have got some good deals ... best of all I'm also getting the GST refunded.
From my limited experience I found Digital Direct to have the best customer service as they were very patient and friendly ... they allowed me to try over a dozen different lenses.
Sales reps at Michael's were very friendly but their prices were quite a bit higher than Digital Direct. Ted's was the least friendly, they did not seem to be interested in a customer (me) asking them questions about the gear ... I would have preferred not to buy from Ted's but they were the only ones who had the Sony charger and it was difficult to that charger anywhere else in Melbourne.
Great to hear you enjoyed the visit. Sorry about Melbourne's weather. Looking forward to seeing some of your pics. Cheers.
 
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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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I'll try and post images made with Sony a7 + 28-70mm lens as its a new camera and it might hold some interest those considering this awesome little camera.
Here is an image of the White Lighthouse at Queenscliff, from Day 4 of my trip on our way back from the Great Ocean Road. Image is straight out of the camera.
 

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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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Here are a few pics made at San Remo - Phillip Island (Victoria) during the Pelican & Sting Ray Feeding Time. At around 11.30 am everyday, this lady comes to feed wild Pelicans & Sting Ray at the beach ... what is incredible is that these wild Pelicans and Stingray fish actually know the exact feeding time and show up religiously ... these are not creatures from a zoo, yet they know exactly when this lady comes to feed them ... and it is an incredible sight to see.
 

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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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What was amazing is to see the behavior of the Pelicans during and after feeding time. During feeding time, there was absolute frenzy with the Pelicans jostling & flighting with each other ... once the feeding time is over all the Pelicans f**k off from the place in a very quiet and orderly fashion ;D ... here are a couple pics of during and after feeding time.
 

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Roo

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Sep 12, 2013
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Rienzphotoz said:
On our way to Queenscliff, I saw these wooden (dolls?) ... not sure the name of the place ... does anyone know?
Image made from a moving car with Sony a7 + 28-70mm lens.

That looks like the bollards at Barwon Heads :) There are many of these installations around the Geelong area by Jan Mitchell, a local artist :) They were created from recycled pier pylons.

Glad you enjoyed your trip but the haggling sounded tiresome. Looking forward to seeing more photos!
 

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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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The birds in Australia are bloody brave, they don't budge even when you approach them with a big lens & camera ... its a heaven for Bird photographers. Here are some images of birds at Dandenong Ranges National Park ... the first images of my son (who is crazy about wild life) was over the moon when these Parakeets feeding off of his hand. We spent over 6 hours exploring the National Park and it was pure paradise with clean air, fresh breeze and an awesome atmosphere.
 

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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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couple more from Dandenong ... the first one is of a King Parrot who wouldn't budge from our car, we had him land our heads ... he just wouldn't leave until we gave him something to eat. It was amazing to be able to touch these wild birds. Second image is of my son who was so flipped out by the beauty of Dandenong Ranges, he asked me if could study in Australia :) ... I had to tell him that staying in Australia means the same old thing that he does here i.e. studying, and not about visiting Dandenong Ranges everyday ;D ... he was really sad to leave Australia, especially Dandenong Ranges as he really likes nature and wildlife.
The burrow/hole in the tree must've been around 7 feet, coz my son is 6.1 ... so you can image the size of that burrow/hole and it was quite deep as well, at least 3 more people could have squeezed into it.
 

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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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Roo said:
Rienzphotoz said:
On our way to Queenscliff, I saw these wooden (dolls?) ... not sure the name of the place ... does anyone know?
Image made from a moving car with Sony a7 + 28-70mm lens.

That looks like the bollards at Barwon Heads :) There are many of these installations around the Geelong area by Jan Mitchell, a local artist :) They were created from recycled pier pylons.
Thanks
Roo said:
Glad you enjoyed your trip but the haggling sounded tiresome.
Oh yes, we have thoroughly enjoyed our trip, Australia is a magnificent place with lots to do and see. If I have to crib about one thing then it has to be food ... I wanted to taste some good Australian steak, but was very disappointed to find mostly Asian cuisine ... especially Swanston street, I thought I was in Hongkong or Singapore. I tried rib-eye at a couple of places but wasn't really pleased ... with so many cows one would think, you'd get some nicely prepared and tasty steak would be easy to find in Australia ... I should have asked the Aussie CR members to recommend some good places where they serve yummy steak. But the pizza and pasta in Clarinda and Apollo Bay was just AWESOME.
I didn't mind the haggling at the camera stores as I got to try lots of different lenses ... I was like a kid in candy land ... I always buy online so I pretty much never get to see lots of camera gear in one place, so it was lots of fun visiting those 4 camera stores in Melbourne.
Roo said:
Looking forward to seeing more photos!
Absolutely! ... I made over 15000 images ... plan to share at least 0.5% of it ;D
 
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Glad you enjoyed the trip Down Under, Rienzphotoz. The weather in the time you were here was, well, typically Melbourne :)

As it is, Melbourne's about to experience the summer heat (38-41c) for the next week.

The camera shop experience is pretty standard for the shops mentioned. Digital Direct is probably the best out of the lot, but you do need to go in armed with prices before hand.

Next time your down this way, perhaps I could find you a kangaroo or wombat to cuddle :)
 
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Roo

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Love the aquarium shot Rein, the colours in that are great and not easy to get shooting through such thick glass :) reminds me I need to go there again. The Rosellas are very friendly especially when food is involved. The juveniles have that mottled green look until they get the beautiful crimson and blue colours.

What were your highlights for locations? Any disappointments?
 
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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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Mr Bean said:
Glad you enjoyed the trip Down Under, Rienzphotoz. The weather in the time you were here was, well, typically Melbourne :)

As it is, Melbourne's about to experience the summer heat (38-41c) for the next week.

The camera shop experience is pretty standard for the shops mentioned. Digital Direct is probably the best out of the lot, but you do need to go in armed with prices before hand.

Next time your down this way, perhaps I could find you a kangaroo or wombat to cuddle :)
I was there between 18th Dec 2013 to 4th Jan 2014 and had a blast, going out everyday (except on Christmas day). The weather was not too bad during that time.
Thanks for the Kangaroo and Wombat offer :) ... btw, I do have several photos of Kangaroos and some Wombats ... will share them once I get a chance to edit them.
 
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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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Roo said:
Love the aquarium shot Rein, the colours in that are great and not easy to get shooting through such thick glass :) reminds me I need to go there again. The Rosellas are very friendly especially when food is involved. The juveniles have that mottled green look until they get the beautiful crimson and blue colours.

Thank you

Roo said:
What were your highlights for locations?

Where do I begin, coz there are so many highlights, but the first one has to be the Helicopter ride to visit the Twelve Aposltes, then the Great Ocean Road, Pelican/sting ray feeding, the Fur Seal colony off the Phillip Island Coast, Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, Dandenong Ranges, Cherry picking and, Mornington Peninsula, Starwberry picking farms, the wine tasting sessions at the Wineries ;D ... there are s many more ... I'll keep posting images as and when I edit them from each day of our visit.

Roo said:
Any disappointments?

Three disappointment me:

FIRST:
Not getting on the Melbourne Star observation wheel ... my bro-in-law told me that it was closed due to safety concerns and I like a fool did not bother to check the internet and took his word. Melbournre city has beautiful architecture but the views are ruined by electric wires all over the place obstructing the magnificent architecture (editing them in PP is a major pain, coz there are far too many of them), so I really wanted to get on the Melbourne Star to get some images f the city without all the distracting wires and stuff ... well that did nt happen because of my laziness in not checking the Melburne Star website. :-[ :'(

SECOND:
Sealife Aquarium in Melbourne ... it is very small with very limited species and lots of repetitions.

THIRD:
Not being able to taste good Australian stake
 
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Roo

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Sep 12, 2013
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Rienzphotoz said:
Where do I begin, coz there are so many highlights, but the first one has to be the Helicopter ride to visit the Twelve Aposltes, then the Great Ocean Road, Pelican/sting ray feeding, the Fur Seal colony off the Phillip Island Coast, Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, Dandenong Ranges, Cherry picking and, Mornington Peninsula, Starwberry picking farms, the wine tasting sessions at the Wineries ;D ... there are s many more ... I'll keep posting images as and when I edit them from each day of our visit.

Roo said:
Any disappointments?

Three disappointment me:

FIRST:
Not getting on the Melbourne Star observation wheel ... my bro-in-law told me that it was closed due to safety concerns and I like a fool did not bother to check the internet and took his word. Melbournre city has beautiful architecture but the views are ruined by electric wires all over the place obstructing the magnificent architecture (editing them in PP is a major pain, coz there are far too many of them), so I really wanted to get on the Melbourne Star to get some images f the city without all the distracting wires and stuff ... well that did nt happen because of my laziness in not checking the Melburne Star website. :-[ :'(

SECOND:
Sealife Aquarium in Melbourne ... it is very small with very limited species and lots of repetitions.

THIRD:
Not being able to taste good Australian stake

If I believed my friends you wouldn't have missed much on the Melbourne Star. They think it's in the wrong area to get good views but them they have never been on it lol. I would prefer to try it to see what views can be had. At 120m tall I think it gives a better view than they think.

The aquarium is ok but, as you say, a bit small and lacking variety.

For a steak I would have suggested Vlado's in Richmond. It's a bit of an institution where you can have any meat you like....so long as it's beef! It even has cow pictures on the wall:D
 
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Rienzphotoz

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Aug 22, 2012
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Roo said:
I would prefer to try it to see what views can be had. At 120m tall I think it gives a better view than they think.
+1
Roo said:
For a steak I would have suggested Vlado's in Richmond. It's a bit of an institution where you can have any meat you like....so long as it's beef! It even has cow pictures on the wall:D
After having seen what Australia has to offer, I'll definitely go back to see more of your beautiful country ... and, I'll be sure to try the stake at Vlado's next time ... now that I have a bit more knowledge about Australia, I'll be sure to ask more specific questions next time.
 
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