Hidalgo Street: In Search of the New Canon EOS 500D
source: Canon Image Holiday 2009 Edition
Whether you’re a professional photographer or a budding hobbyist, there is no place like Hildago in Quiapo for high-end and low-end cameras that are priced slightly lower than those at the malls. Name it, they have it — loads of accessories from lighting, lenses, batteries, CDs, DVDs anything photo and video related — the Gilmore of cameras so to speak. The stretch of shops (Henry’s, Mayer, etc) can be a little too crowded for comfort and you need to be careful when you bring cash to buy your camera.
One of the shops I’ve browsed in however does offer free delivery to your home or office. You just need to make a deposit of at least Php 1,000 or more. Only then will they bring out the camera and have it tested as they do not have display items (before you go there, you should have already seen and held the cam of your dreams in the mall anyway). For Canon lovers, Ms. Helen of Mayer says they guarantee three years warranty on parts and service.
The latest drool-worthy DSLR camera is the Canon 500D (entry level series) priced at Php 49,950 at the mall and can be had for Php 42,000 at Mayer. This is not your average DSLR as it is packed with features similar to that of midrange series such as the EOS 50D (see photo). If you purchase any select Canon camera or camcorder from October 1 to December 31, 2009, you are entitled to a choice of premium items (4GB SDHC mem card, Crumpler Camera Strap, etc) from the Canon Promo Redemption Portal. Since Christmas is just around the corner, why not drop by, browse a little and maybe get that shutterbug brother/sister of yours the latest digicam or whatever his/her heart’s desire.
There are plenty of shops to choose from. Do compare prices. Airconditioned Henry’s seems to draw in the crowd, but other shops like Mayer,Watson, 24K, Avenue and JT though not as brightly lit, do offer better pricing. Haggle. Prices are not etched in stone.
photo by Omel Hernandez
Got a tip from a professional photographer friend of mine: use a USB cable at all times when transferring data from cam to PC rather than taking out the SD card. He learned this the hard way; the SD card slot was damaged and it took weeks before the parts were replaced.
Here’s a listing of shops he regularly goes to as they have been in business for years:
Mayer Photo – address: 111, 113, 115 C. Palanca St., Quiapo, Manila; tel: 733-7598, 733-7722 . Look for Ramon Ong; Products: Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, good source for high end lenses.
Watson Photo Shop – address: 312 P. Gomez St., Quiapo, Manila; tel: 733-7697. Look for: Philip King Tan Tang Products: Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fuji, Sunpak, Olympus
