new equipment celebration thread [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

jann1033

07-17-2007, 10:50 AM

not quite what i was hoping for:lmao:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/jann1033/20070718001copy.jpg
the ansco was my first camera, i had been laboring under the delusion it was a Kodak Brownie but evidently my parents were cheap, although it wasn't totally devoid of bells and whistles if you notice the button to switch from B&W OR color film :lmao: the Kodak was my dad's camera that i remember him using on family occasions when i was little. not sure if it would work or if i could even get 620 film anymore but it might be fun to see.
anyone else have their old family photograhic heirlooms?

DVC Jen

07-17-2007, 10:56 AM

I am soooo envious! Seriously I am.

So are you gonna play with them - or just look at them? I wouldn't have a clue about playing with them - but I would love to have a collection of old cameras.

Rustysmom

07-17-2007, 11:21 AM

My mom has a camera that looks almost exactly like the one on the right and it took the 620 film too. It had a little door that you pulled up on the top to see the viewfinder I think. I think she has the old flash that kind of looos like the one in the picture that attached to it somehow. I remember putting the bulbs in.

I'm going to my mom's house tomorrow and I'll have to take a look at it. I took a lot of pictures with that thing when I was a kid.

Master Mason

07-17-2007, 12:52 PM

I have some of my dad's old cameras... When I move I will get them out of the boxes they are currently in and put them on display, I'll take some pictures then.

Gdad

07-17-2007, 01:20 PM

That's pretty cool- I found my first hand-me-down camera a while back- an old Argus C4 Rangefinder- took a few pictures of it but have not bought any film to take it for a spin yet.

http://www.scl.smugmug.com/photos/136716151-L.jpg

http://www.scl.smugmug.com/photos/136716288-L.jpg

http://www.scl.smugmug.com/photos/136716246-L.jpg

Also have my old Canon AE-1 35mm on 'display' although not quite as interesting. :rolleyes1

wdwwishes

05-01-2009, 05:00 PM

The Canon 50D and I think I'm very excited. I decided it was time to move on from my Rebel xTi. I think this camera is going to be great. I was a little concerned with size and weight compared to the xTi but I don't think that's going to be an issue at all. Like the xTi, there's some features that I'll need to "grow into" but that's fun of it. Just had to a little happy dance here.

Todd_H

05-01-2009, 06:11 PM

Congratulations! :thumbsup2

The 50D is a great camera that will serve you well. Enjoy it and be sure to read the manual to get the most out of it.

SrisonS

05-02-2009, 11:10 PM

Sweet!!!!! I hope you enjoy it. I've been thinking of getting a new camera myself. Money's sort of issue though. But I just have an S3 IS right now; and really wanna make the jump to a DSLR. But I want something that's gonna last me a good while......i don't have the most money in the world.

jann1033

05-03-2009, 07:23 AM

congrats on the purchase. will be looking forward to seeing the results soon

WillowBelle

05-03-2009, 10:54 AM

You will :cloud9: this camera!!! My DH bought me one for Christmas (and the battery grip for Valentines) and I am in hog-heaven. I upgraded from a Canon Rebel that I had for 6+ years. For me there was one heck-uva learning curve with the upgrade. I'm incredibly happy with the results that I've gotten with this camera. I can't wait to take it to WDW next month!

praline3001

05-10-2009, 08:59 AM

My kids (with Daddy's help) bought me a new camera for mother's day :cheer2:
I already had an older powershot A570 Is ...this past year I have really started getting more into photography so I have found limitations with this old powershot. The DH and kids surprised me with (drum roll)
The powershot G10 :cheer2:

I know not a DSLR but those things scare me LOL
I am a budding photographer and I like the powershots auto settings when I need it.
This new camera has more settings and gizmos then I know what to do with :rotfl2:

I post here every once in a while but always feel shamed when I see some of the BEAUTIFUL photos you guys share!
I did have a few questions, if you wouldn't mind :goodvibes

1. Are there any books out that are easy to understand for the newer powershots? I have the owners manual but it isn't really all that clear for us beginners. I want to be able to use my new camera to its max but the owners manual confuses me LOL

2. My camera came with a neck strap. I am used to wrist straps BUT this camera has some weight to it and I am worried I will drop it in the parks :scared1: (I am a bit clumsy) NOW if I use the neck strap AND a camera bag I will most likely choke myself with both straps around my neck :lmao:
I was *thinking* a waist pack but I am not big on looking like a dork with a fanny pack :lmao:
How do you guys take the bigger cameras in the park for the day?

3. The battery pack (I am coming from AA's) is very new to me. Best Buy doesn't carry my battery pack and I was told the only place I can find it is online (its a NB 7L)
The canon store sells it for 70 but I can get the same one on amazon for 47.... is there any difference here? Its a huge cost difference ~ I want to make sure the amazon one is *good*. What about off brands? Are there cheaper battery pack off brands that work just as good and won't mess my camera up?

4. How do you take a pic of pets without getting the green eye?! :scared: I keep practicing with my poor pets and they are about to seriously hurt me LOL the red eye reduction doesn't do any good. I tool the coolest picture of my cat but she had creepy eyes so I tried drawing them in but I suck at that :lmao:
Here is the edited photo I took~ as you can see the eyeballs are even creepier than green eyes :lmao:
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/sasha2.jpg

5. Back to the battery pack ~ how long do they last? How many shots can I get out of a charge? I will play with it a bunch before our upcoming trip but I want to be able to gauge my limits here.

I have TONS AND TONS more but those are the basics as I just got it LOL

ukcatfan

05-10-2009, 10:26 AM

1. Not specific on a camera model, but Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" will help you venture out of auto.

2. If you want to stay with a neck strap, upgrade to something like an OP/Tech Pro Loop. When I used a hand strap on my Powershot models, I always twisted it around two or three times, so If I dropped the itself, it would need to untwist before actually falling. That would give me enough time to react.

4. Either use no flash, or get an external flash. Pet's eyes are worse than people, so you really have to get the flash as far away from the lens as possible.

praline3001

05-10-2009, 01:02 PM

I just ordered the OP tech pro loop :cheer2:
Thanks so much for the suggestion!

I took one look at it and LOVE IT! My Ds has something similar for his sax and it works GREAT.

I like wrist straps but ..errr.... I am as clumsy as they come :rotfl2: So I will feel safer with it around my neck...unless of course I trip and fall :sad2:

I have been playing the exposure setting the G10 has .. not the greatest but I am trying!

I will keep trying with the pet eyes ~ my cats are 15 years old and don't move so they make great test subjects :lmao: I didn't get an external flash for mother's day but there is always my birthday :rolleyes1

jrc-elpaso

05-10-2009, 09:39 PM

I have a Sony DSC-H7 and I lengthen the strap so it's long enough to wear across my body like I do my shoulder bag - more comfortable than around my neck.
You might want to check out a basic photography class. I took an on-line class last summer before we went to Alaska. From ed2go. Go to their website and check to see if their classes are given by a local college or university (the only way to take them). I took "Secrets of Better Photography" and learned a lot. 9 times out of 10 my camera is on AUTO but I've learned enough to use some of the more advanced features if I want to. I really like the settings like fireworks, etc.
The really great thing about digital is that you can go out and shoot a hundred pictures and it doesn't cost you a dime. So just get out there and practice and have fun.

Angrypenguin

05-10-2009, 09:43 PM

Congratulations! The G10 is a wonderful Point and Shoot, really a point and shoot on steroids. Once you learn all the functions, you'll be ready for a DSLR in no time!:thumbsup2

praline3001

05-10-2009, 10:01 PM

The really great thing about digital is that you can go out and shoot a hundred pictures and it doesn't cost you a dime. So just get out there and practice and have fun.

I have taken 800 shots today ~ does that count as getting out there to practice? :lmao:

I have also been doing a lot of reading from this site~
http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners
And then applying what I learned ~ its A TON OF INFO and to be honest ~ too much to absorb at one time but I am learning!

Congratulations! The G10 is a wonderful Point and Shoot, really a point and shoot on steroids. Once you learn all the functions, you'll be ready for a DSLR in no time!
Those things still scare me. Don't get me wrong ~ I love taking pictures but I am much more about the composition and a complete doofus when it comes to the technical side of things :lmao:
I am trying though ... :thumbsup2 I will say it is a MAJOR upgrade from my old point and shoot!

Here are a couple of shots I took that I like.
My DH's eyeball ~ he was sooo thrilled :lmao:
He said something about sticking the camera somewhere but I just tuned him out!
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/daveseye.jpg

My old dog~
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/china4.jpg

Playing with the macro settings ~ a little more blurred than I was looking for ~ I need to get a tripod!
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/f2.jpg

A dead magnolia bloom~ of course today I couldn't have any new blooms :lmao:
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/G101.jpg

Here I tried using the foliage setting on my Sago palm ~ I saw this type photo in the photo contest and wanted to try myself LOL ~ I don't think I care for the foliage filter as it looks a little TOO fake ~ maybe I just did it wrong?
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/f3.jpg

praline3001

05-11-2009, 12:48 AM

OK ~ I DID try the no flash low light situation for my cat.
I am having trouble with the high ISO grain VS cat terrified of a tripod :lmao:
At least his eyes don't look like aliens LOL
I will keep trying ~ maybe if I use a little super glue to glue him down he would stop moving :rotfl2: Cats are a lot harder to photograph than I thought :lmao:

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/felix2.jpg

YesDear

05-11-2009, 07:20 AM

You have a great camera there. My only suggestion is to slow down a little and pay particular attention to what the settings are for particular pictures. You will then begin to learn what gives you what response!

Also with 800 shots do not be afraid to delete the ones that are bad. I find some newer photographers do not want to get rid of anything.

Amy

05-11-2009, 12:52 PM

praline3001

05-11-2009, 01:01 PM

You have a great camera there. My only suggestion is to slow down a little and pay particular attention to what the settings are for particular pictures. You will then begin to learn what gives you what response!

That's is what I am starting to do this week while the kids are in school. Those first shots were because I just opened my present and all of those dials were like..err...calling my name to turn and push :lmao:
This week I am going to focus on the macro setting. Here are the 2 best macro shots I took today:
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/dragonfly.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/praline3001/lizard1.jpg

praline3001

05-11-2009, 01:04 PM

praline3001 - you might want to order a Short Courses book for your camera. Here's a link: Canon G10 (http://www.shortcourses.com/store/canon-g10.html). It really expands on the little info you get in the manual that came with your camera. I got the Short Courses book for my Canon S3IS a couple of years ago and it was the best investment I made in my camera. I recently got the SX10 IS, and I'll be ordering the Short Courses book for it, too.

OH THANKS! Thats exactly what I was looking for!!!! Something specific for my camera. Are they easy to follow?
I LOVE the composition part of photography but the technical side is a struggle for me:sad2:
you start throwing all of those ISO/shutter speed/Apature crap around me and I feel like your speaking a foreign language :lmao:

revrob

05-11-2009, 09:11 PM

I understand the whole head spinning thing around ISOs/aperture/shutter speed. My head has had a difficult time wrapping around all of it. But I thought I'd put in a plug here for a book that I posted about in another thread. Someone on this board recommended the book "Understanding Exposure". I picked it up, and started reading. It made sense very quickly! This book BEGINS in the manual mode and teaches you WHY you choose which settings. I'm a WHY kind of person so this works for me. I just thought I'd mention it so you can expand your knowledge about the technical aspect when you're ready.

mamamzee

05-11-2009, 10:28 PM

praline3001

05-12-2009, 05:45 AM

I just wanted to say that when I read the title of your thread I was glad to hear I am not alone. I too got a new camera for Mother's Day and am feeling intimidated! My camera is a Nikon D60 and I have a long way to go to learn how to make the most of it. I am enjoying reading your progress and the suggestions provided to you here. I am also looking for a book to read, so will take the suggestions here and add them to my reading list. Happy Shooting!

WOOHOOOO I am not in this alone :goodvibes
I did order those books but I have also found a great website that's easy to understand that I have been reading as well. Here is the link
http://digital-photography-school.com/

This book BEGINS in the manual mode
I haven't messed around with the manual mode yet. I am just getting the settings and basics down before I go all commando and click that *M* :lmao:
I can mess with the ISO tons and use the scn or P settings (The P setting is like M for dummies :lmao:)

Khokhonutt

05-12-2009, 07:45 AM

Another option for learning your camera would be to check out something like, "Magic Lantern Guides: Canon Powershot G10". Amazon lists it for around $10.

I'm not sure if it's the exact same series as what I have, but when I got my Sony DSLR, I got a similar field guide. It was a great book to have because it basically translated the mumbo jumbo in the manual that came with the camera. Plus it had some general photography info, that helped. And the size was small enough to carry on trips, so I could use it for reference.

Jeff

DisneyDayTripper

06-16-2009, 09:29 PM

My wife and I upgraded our camera today because we were able to exchange our expensive point and shoot that we had problems with and Best Buy helped us out and let us exchange it and put the $$ towards a Nikon D40 with an extra lense. I'm so stoked to head over to Disney sometime and try it out. We've been fiddling with it a little bit, but there's so many different settings I have no idea where to start. It takes amazing pictures just in automatic setting so we'll mess with it as we go.

I'm not going to have to watch these boards now for tips and tricks ;)

saturndb

06-16-2009, 09:32 PM

Congrats on the new camera :thumbsup2 now the real fun begins, learning how to use it and what it can do :cool1:

Dave pirate:

DisneyDayTripper

06-16-2009, 09:41 PM

I stood out on our front porch taking pictures for like 10 minutes of our school's bell tower at night. Just trying to tinker with the settings and what not....I have so much to learn lol

Evad

06-16-2009, 09:53 PM

Congrats on the new gear!! Post some pics when you can!! :thumbsup2

Gdad

06-16-2009, 10:42 PM

Excellent! Enjoy- and post some pictures!

My2Girls66

06-16-2009, 10:51 PM

Enjoy!
P.S. There is nothing wrong with using auto mode until you are comfortable with the manual settings. I love 'P' mode when there isn't really time to 'setup' a shot. The camera does a fine job most of the time.

oregondaddyof2

06-17-2009, 01:26 AM

Awesome choice... I have a D60 (nearly the same camera) and have had it for almost a year... I just recently got the courage to take it off auto and play with manual... It will take amazing pictures for you either way...

handicap18

06-17-2009, 05:07 AM

Congrats on the new toy and welcome to the wonderful world of Nikonians!! Take your time there is a lot to learn and the learning will never end. Stick around here for a while land you should learn a little. Lots of great people here to help out along the way. Don't be affraid of the camera. No worries about taking bad pictures. That will only help in the learning process. See what works and what doesn't work and ask questions along the way.

donaldduck1967

06-17-2009, 06:17 AM

Congrats on the new gear.

YesDear

06-17-2009, 06:58 AM

Congrats. Have fun! Play! Do not be scared to turn the dial! It is digital it does not cost you anything to take a picture! Take 100 and keep 8.

DisneyDayTripper

06-17-2009, 07:37 AM

That's what I was talking to the guy at Best Buy about...I was like if film was still the only option I wouldn't be doing this because it would be so much more expensive to "play around" with the settings and see what works and what not...as opposed to simply taking 500 pictures just for fun to see what it does. My wife's only complaint last night was she ran out of things to photograph lol She was literally chasing our dogs around trying to get pics of them...it was about 10:30 and with 2 small yorkies (1 which sleeps 90% of the time) and the other which passes out after 9:00 P.M....they weren't too thrilled she was taking a picture of them lol

kaffinito

06-17-2009, 08:07 AM

Congratulations on your new camera! I hope you have a lot of fun with it. Don't worry about the learning curve either - I went from an old point and shoot to the D60 and it didn't take me too long to figure things out! :goodvibes

Swoop1

06-17-2009, 02:02 PM

Gratz. We got our first DSLR earlier this year and the first thing I did was learn to not use the Auto mode. Remember you don't have to go full manual, Av and Tv are great modes to shoot in and learn in.

But above all else get out there and shoot pictures, lots of pictures, like others have already said, it costs nothing but your time to take pictures with a digital.

ColleenG

07-09-2009, 10:44 PM

My wonderful DH surprised me by getting me the Rebel T1i! I had planned on getting the XSi, but the camera shop didn't have one in so the sales lady talked him into the T1i. I was really happy to have it for our little get away! :thumbsup2

One question I do have, when I started taking pictures it started numbering then at 3600 something. Shouldn't it start a zero?

Here are some shots from our trip today to Bushkill Falls, PA. DH was very pacient as I stop a million times to play with different setting. I think all the waterfall shots I did in shutter priority. I had a lot that were over exposed using the longer shutter speed to get that smooth water shot. I guess I should have lowered the ISO with the longer ss. Here are a few of the better ones.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3826.jpg

This one I used the Macro mode
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3835.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3836.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3839.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3864.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3881.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3914.jpg

Let me know what you think. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

ColleenG

07-09-2009, 10:49 PM

Here are a few more.

This one was tough to get. I really wanted to get the detail of the roots, but there was so much sun light behind it that it got pretty blown out. Is there a way to balance the light?
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3957.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3965.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_3971.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/jettabrain/Family%20Photos/IMG_4024.jpg

Thanks for looking!

Evad

07-09-2009, 11:14 PM

Very nice Colleen!! Well done for your first time.. :thumbsup2

ColleenG

07-09-2009, 11:19 PM

Thanks Dave! Those are just a few that actually came out well. Most of what I learned, I learned from all you experts here on the Dis! :goodvibes
:disrocks:

JR6ooo4

07-09-2009, 11:58 PM

In the water fall pics, did you use a tripod? the surrounding is really clear for the long shutter on some of those.

I have also spent a few minutes at least trying to get a wow shot of those tree roots. They just have more massiveness on real life compared to what I can capture

for the wide exposure range. Use a tripod, shoot multiple shots, exposed for the shadows and for the bright areas. then merge them in your favorite editing program. It is called "high dynamic range" or something like that...

Nice shots, thanks for sharing. I hope you had fun most of all.

And I understand about holding up the adventure while you try to take pics. In WDW DW and I split up for a while, while she goes on rides I do not want to, and I spend 20 minutes shooting a flower in front of the castle.

Mikeeee

ukcatfan

07-10-2009, 05:27 AM

One question I do have, when I started taking pictures it started numbering then at 3600 something. Shouldn't it start a zero?

Did you use a card that had ben used in another camera before or already had pictures from another camera still on it? My Canon p&s cameras will mess up the shot numbering when that happens, so it might be an issue on their DSLRs as well. If not, you need to verify that you do not have a floor model or something used that is being sold as new. I believe that there is a way to see how many shutter actuations the camera has had regardless of the file number. I believe that they store it in the EXIF data on each shot.

jann1033

07-10-2009, 06:44 AM

i haven't tried this for shutter actuation but it is supposed to work... go to camerabits.com http://www.camerabits.com/site/brochure.html and get the free trial of photomechanics.download then click edit>set info test. create a new line and type in actuation. click on variable, double click actuation click ok then open an image and its supposed to show the shutter click number....i don't have time to do it right now but if if works let me know:rotfl:
i did find another site but must not have bookmarked it. if i find it i'll post it if this one doesn't work

boBQuincy

07-10-2009, 07:32 AM

This software worked for counting shutter actuations fot my Xsi:
http://astrojargon.net/40DShutterCount.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Long exposures of waterfalls sometimes requires a neutral density filter to reduce the amount of light and allow longer shutter speeds.
As for the photo of the tree roots, the dynamic range of the scene exceeded that which the camera can capture. This is not uncommon as many scenes have sunlight *and* deep shadow. The best way to capture the full range of brightness is with HDR, where you take three or more different exposures of the scene and merge them in software. It really works and in many cases it is difficult to tell that any manipulation has been done.

Iwant2BAprincess

07-10-2009, 07:39 AM

I am looking at upgrading my xt to the t1i-let us know what you think once you have played with it for awhile

zackiedawg

07-10-2009, 08:22 AM

HDR is a technique for blending multiple shots in software to achieve the greater dynamic range for that tree-root type shot - but it's not the only way to get something usable.

In general, shooting in that style, you want to control the thing that is most likely to suffer - highlights or shadows - by exposing for one, then recovering the other with a very simple software tweak in post processing. In your case, I think had you shot at the lowest ISO, and exposed the shot for the sky/sun, the skies and tree leaves would be properly exposed, while the tree roots would be in dark shadow. Then, by using a contrast adjustment, levels tool, highlight/midtone/shadow tool, or clarify tool (almost all post-processing softwares have one or more of these things), you bring up the brightness of the shadows to show the root detail. Because you shot at low ISO, you won't suffer the noise issues from brightening the shadows. I use this technique a lot when I don't want to go through the HDR process. For me, shadows are much easier to recover than highlights - every camera may be different, so your mileage may vary.

Also, your camera should have some form of dynamic range compensation feature - just about all new cameras today have one (Sony has DRange Optimizer, Nikon has Active D Lighting). I don't know what Canon's is called, but I'm sure there is one. This can also help in these situations, if you set it to 'on' and maximum strength, it can help control either highlights or shadows in high contrast situations.

boBQuincy

07-10-2009, 09:34 AM

HDR is a technique for blending multiple shots in software to achieve the greater dynamic range for that tree-root type shot - but it's not the only way to get something usable.

Ok, so I might be complicating things a bit more than necessary... ;) ;) ;) but I have had more success using HDR for these kinds of images than with any other method. Another one that has worked well is to take two exposures (one for shadows, one for highlights), layer them, and mask the parts that are over exposed.

Canon's optimizer is just ok, don't expect fabulous results from it. It requires a minimum ISO of 200 and maybe, just maybe, can compensate for less than a stop of highlights. I don't bother with it anymore.

MarkBarbieri

07-10-2009, 11:00 AM

Another option would be to use a flash on the tree roots.

MICKEY88

07-10-2009, 11:13 AM

another option would be to shoot tighter eliminating the highlights in the background, exposing for the roots..

RBennett

07-10-2009, 11:57 AM

Another option is to put the roots on top of the car and bring it home. That way you can shoot in whatever lighting you want. Obviously someone hasn't seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

MICKEY88

07-10-2009, 12:14 PM

Sewfun

07-10-2009, 12:42 PM

Thanks for the laugh!! I forgot about that scene!

Another option is to put the roots on top of the car and bring it home. That way you can shoot in whatever lighting you want. Obviously someone hasn't seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Sewfun

07-10-2009, 12:45 PM

Tomorrow I am going along the North Shore of Lake Superior. One of the spots I plan on hitting is Gooseberry Falls, with it's three water falls. I would love to know the settings for the waterfall shots and if a tripod is recommended? This will be my first trip to Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry Falls with the DSLR and I am really looking forward to going. :) Any recommendations on settings would be wonderful!

In the water fall pics, did you use a tripod? the surrounding is really clear for the long shutter on some of those.

I have also spent a few minutes at least trying to get a wow shot of those tree roots. They just have more massiveness on real life compared to what I can capture

for the wide exposure range. Use a tripod, shoot multiple shots, exposed for the shadows and for the bright areas. then merge them in your favorite editing program. It is called "high dynamic range" or something like that...

Nice shots, thanks for sharing. I hope you had fun most of all.

And I understand about holding up the adventure while you try to take pics. In WDW DW and I split up for a while, while she goes on rides I do not want to, and I spend 20 minutes shooting a flower in front of the castle.

Mikeeee

ColleenG

07-10-2009, 07:11 PM

ColleenG

07-10-2009, 07:17 PM

Another option is to put the roots on top of the car and bring it home. That way you can shoot in whatever lighting you want. Obviously someone hasn't seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

that brings up another option, if your car is that close, light the roots with your headlights..:thumbsup2:thumbsup2

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Well we took DH's car on this trip, VW Jetta, but if we had taken my car, the Suburban, 1) it would have made it through the woods to use the headlights or 2) it would have been big enough to lug it home! :rotfl: I'm just not sure my pack mule (aka DH) would have survived the hike out of the woods with the roots and my stuff on his back!

I love Christmas Vacation! I haven't seen it in awhile.:guilty:

crazydadguy

07-12-2009, 06:28 AM

I didn't use a tripod. Every thing was hand held. The slowest shutter speed I used was 1/10. I was going to bring the tripod but it didn't fit in the back pack that I put my other stuff in.

You hand held all of those? You must be as steady as a Surgeon! I am too hopped up on caffeine for hand held long exposures. Good Job!

ColleenG

07-12-2009, 02:48 PM

I guess I have a steadier hand than I thought. Definately not a surgeon though!

bamagirl@hrt

08-26-2009, 03:09 PM

Thanks to the advice of several here, I have ventured into the world of dSLR. I bought the Nikon D40 in a two lens kit. The first is the regular kit lens and the other is the 55-200mm VR lens. It came today and I'm both having fun and feeling a bit overwhelmed with it!

When my daughter got home from school, I took her out in the back yard and started playing. I shot in Auto, Portrait, and Manual, just to see the difference. I also got a better picture of my dog than I've ever gotten! His eyes aren't "blue"!

I have a couple of questions, though. (Sure many more are to follow!)

1. What is the difference between Auto and "P" mode? The manual says that the "P" mode automatically selects the best shutter speed and aperture, so how is it different?

2. What do you use for your basic snapshots? The ones that aren't staged and posed? The ones that happen fast, so you can't fiddle with the settings much?

I only have a month to become accustomed to it before our next trip to WDW! I've also ordered the Nikon 35mm f1.8 lens and it is backordered. Don't know if I'll even have it for our trip!

Thanks for all of your help. Now I need to go visit the "Learning Curve" thread!

Frantasmic

08-26-2009, 03:19 PM

The (P)rogram mode selects only aperture and shutter speed; you select other parameters like White Balance, ISO, flash compensation, etc.

Auto is truly auto: the camera selects everything.

Regarding the basic snapshot setting, it depends. It will depend on whether you are doing indoor or outdoor shots, if it's cloudy, dark, dawn, dusk, brilliantly shining outside or wherever you are, what lens you have, are you going to use flash, etc.

The safest setting until you learn more is probably the auto or P you have been using. With your lenses, you may want to start with aperture mode and let the camera select the shutter speed or vice versa.

annnewjerz

08-26-2009, 03:30 PM

Congrats on entering the world of the dSLR. It's a slippery (and expensive) slope from here---but really really fun too! :goodvibes

As far as what setting I find myself using for snapshots---I usually always have the camera in Aperture Priority mode, just because it has become sort of second nature to adjust as I go depending on what I am shooting. That being said, when I first got my camera a year ago, I kept it on Auto for the first month or so and found nothing wrong with the photos I took other than the fact that the ISO was usually cranked all the way up to 1600 no matter what lighting conditions I was in. :confused3

Good luck. Practice, practice, practice and post some pictures for us to look at in between! :thumbsup2

Ann

YesDear

08-26-2009, 06:12 PM

Ann is a great student and she has progressed by leaps and bounds since she wandered into this place. And in spite of US she has grown into being a photographer not just someone who takes pictures.

Congrats on your camera. If you are willing to learn it is a great hobby.

Sounds like you are on the right track. Just remember the camera gets lonely unless you use it!

DisneySuiteFreak

08-27-2009, 02:04 PM

Bamagirl, take a ton of photos, upload them into your computer and get a free Exif reader like Opanda IExif and look at the settings you used to figure out what you did right and what didn't work so well. The book Understanding Exposure is very popular and helps a lot of people. I also like The Digital Photography books by Scott Kelby. They kind of tell you , "If you want this kind of shot, this is what you have to do to get it." A no brainer and too basic for a lot of photogs but it helped me in the beginning when I was getting frustrated wondering why my DSLR photos were not as nice as my P&S pics.
You'll need a tripod for long exposure fireworks shots, and a remote shutter release cable, or you'll need to know how to program the timer to go off 2 seconds after your press the shutter to prevent camera shake.
If you can swing it, you may want to consider getting the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens. It's a faster lens than the 35mm f/1.8 and I believe it should be in stock somewhere. It's a 3rd party brand, but it's a popular lens and at one time was sold out everywhere too. I mean, if you need it for your trip and are afraid you won't get the 35mm in time, it's an option.
Shoot as much as you can before you go. I've been using DSLRs now since October 2007, and I still am learning and find myself making some pretty stupid mistakes sometimes. (Like forgetting to adjust the ISO when in bright light situations, or trying to adjust exposure on a dark ride and accidentally changing the size of the photos I'm taking because I can't see the controls on a dark ride <smacks self in the forehead>) Sme of the stupid mistakes I've made would be easy to overcome if I invested more time in reading the manual. But the manual is not a novel. It's overwhelming all at once and for me can only be taken in small increments. :headache:
If you are totally new to DSLR photography, you may want to consider taking another camera with you to WDW that you know you do know how to use and will get some 'good enough' type shots with. Sorry, I don't mean to discourage you, but I would be worried if I just got my camera and was planning on using it for a very expensive trip to the World in one month, and I didn't have a lot of experience using that format camera. I just think it's better to be prepared so you can make good memories and not be completely discouraged or frustrated trying to learn how to use your camera on an expensive Disney vacation. Good luck! :goodvibes

ETA: to get the quick, unposed snapshot type photos you're asking about, you'll need a fast lens like the 30mm, and a good understanding of Shutter speed (you'll need fast shutter speed) and how aperture and ISO (lots of light entering the lens) effects the exposure. In Understanding Exposure he calls that the Exposure Triangle -- you can't get one without the other. They all have to work together. Either that or you'll need a flash. (In the Dark rides you can't/shouldn't use a flash so you'll need a fast lens + high ISO to get a fast enough shutter speed to get anything on a moving vehicle.)

bamagirl@hrt

08-27-2009, 02:26 PM

DisneySuiteFreak

08-27-2009, 02:43 PM

Thanks, everyone, for your input and advice. I have the Understanding Exposure book and have read and re-read it. I will continue re-reading it with camera in hand until I "get it." I also ordered the Nikon D40/40X Field Guide by David Busch. I think I saw it recommended on a thread here, and it got good reviews on another site.

This morning I found the 35mm f1.8 lens in stock on Amazon (actually ships from Camulet), so I should have it within a week. My son's birthday party is in a couple of weeks at a local bowling alley/ arcade. That will be a great time to practice my indoor shots!

I definitely plan to still take my Canon P&S to Disney. It gets good outside shots, especially of still objects. It is tiny & fits right into my purse. This trip will be a big test for me, as I've never lugged around a big camera before.

I appreciate all of your advice as I begin this new photographic journey. I hope I can do you proud!
Girlfriend, I can totally relate to the reading of Understanding Exposure! I've read it about 6 times now and it still all hasn't completely sunk in! I even took it with me on my last vacation so I would be forced to read it when I had nothing else to do (like sitting in the plane or hanging at the pool) I think in P mode, you can override the shutter selection and make it faster or slower and the camera will adjust the Aperture for you. So it's kind of like being in Shutter priority, but it only allows you to change it a few stops in either direction and that's it. The best part about P mode is that the flash doesn't automatically pop up like in auto mode. One last tip, use your lens hood during bright daylit shots. I've been forcing myself to do it and I think it helps alot as far as having blown out skies. Also, try to avoid shooting into the sun.
:woohoo: about the lens being in stock! That'll come in handy! Good luck!

MOmousefan

10-18-2009, 11:30 AM

My birthday present arrived on Friday and I am learning how to use it.
It is a Panasonic Lumix FZ35.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/panasonic-lumix-fz35.jpg
I had taken my wife's Lumix DMC-LX3 with me on my Sept trip to WDW because of it's small size. It shoots HD video and I was amazed at the quality it produced. Three things I didn't like about it was the 2x zoom, poor audio, and I couldn't zoom while videoing.
I started looking for a replacement camera and decided on this one.
The reviews were favorable and it has everything I need in a camera. It has 18x zoom, stereo mics, manual control in movie mode, RAW, and many more features.
I shot several images this morning in Program mode. The contrast is high as it is early morning, and I need to learn how to overcome this.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/2600x337.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/1600x450.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/3600x337.jpg

The zoom is impressive (to me) and reaches out a good distance.
27mm equivalent
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/4600x450.jpg
486mm equivalent
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/5600x450.jpg

Being able to zoom while videoing was a major consideration..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/th_zoom.jpg (http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/?action=view&current=zoom.flv)

I know that it is a P&S, but it meets my requirements and I like it's size. BTW, I purchased it through Beach Camera.
Doe antone else have this camera?

IndyShutterbug

10-18-2009, 11:55 AM

Congrats! Looks like a great camera.

saturndb

10-18-2009, 12:01 PM

Now comes the fun part.... using how to use it :yay::yay:

Dave pirate:

MOmousefan

10-18-2009, 12:08 PM

The fun part is always in the details. I drool over the great pictures I see on this forum, but I don't have the patience to create my own.

SrisonS

10-18-2009, 07:45 PM

Congrats!!!!!! You're gonna love that 18x optical zoom. I had a 12x on my old camera; and it definitely came in handy. It's pretty disappointing when a shot is "out of reach".

NateNLogansDad

10-18-2009, 07:57 PM

Very nice! I'm sure you're going to enjoy it to no end:thumbsup2

b/t/w How did you insert the video like that? I've been trying to figure that out for a while!

MOmousefan

10-18-2009, 08:26 PM

Thank you for the nice replies.
In response to NateNLogansDad's question I uploaded the video to my Photobucket album. I then copy and paste the IMG code to this thread.
BTW, this camera records HD video in two formats: Motion JPEG and AVCHD Lite. My five-year-old PC is not powerful enough to work with the AVCHD without dropped frames, so this video is Motion JPEG. My understanding is both formats are the same quality, but AVCHD has better compression.

Two more...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/6800x600.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/7800x600.jpg

Jayely1

10-19-2009, 05:44 AM

Nice camera!

left210

11-09-2009, 05:44 PM

How does this camera do in low light indoors and with fast moving action like kids and sports? I would probably just be using it in auto mode.

FINFAN

11-10-2009, 11:29 AM

SWEET! I would LOVE that camera! DD has a Panasonic Lumix, but it is 8 mp/12 optical zoom...we love the charger aspect instead of loose batteries. Does this model do the same? I am all over the 18 zoom. I have been tempted to get the compact Lumix that is out that is 10 mp/12 opt zoom, but REALLY would like a stronger zoom. We are P/S here...love the convenience. Your photos are awesome..thansk so much for posting. How heavy is the camera? DH says to stay with the compact one, but DD's is the body style like yours and to be honest , has held up to some serious abuse while she is at college. HOly cow, you are making me jump from the DIS site to the Beach camera site! Enjoy your new gift, it is awesome!

MOmousefan

11-11-2009, 09:25 AM

Sorry for the delay in answering your requests. I may be retired, but I still substitute teach on occasions and that is what I have been doing.
Anyway, here is some pictures taken in a dim room with the only light coming in the window behind me..

This shot is taken in program mode with Exposure Compensation at 0.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/P1000250.jpg

Here with EC set at +1..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/P1000252.jpg

And again with EC set at +2..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/mtsanders/FZ%2035/P1000251.jpg

The EC is easy to set on this camera using the buttons located around the Menu. I really prefer a pocket-sized camera, but this camera does everything I want and the learning curve will take me awhile to accomplish. I am still figuring out how to take fast moving objects, so please be patient.
Camera Labs (http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_FZ35_FZ38/) has been a great reference site to compare cameras. The owner has posted a great video (http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_FZ35_FZ38/video_review.shtml) on the FZ35.

d'Isigny

03-09-2010, 11:51 PM

I’m very excited as I’ve loved photography since I can remember. It was very difficult to put my A1 away and start with a P&S digital. For me...it’s just not the same. Maybe it’s the feel, size, lag of a point n shoot. Now ‘n then...will still shoot ‘old-school’.

Through a friend of a friend...I bought my first digital SLR. It’s a used Canon 10D with a 35-80mm EF lens. Knowing it’s at least 7 years old; it’s in wonderful shape – not a scratch ---- anywhere. This was very well taken care of.

Will need to download the manual and spend some time reading, experimenting and learning the ins-outs of this new toy (er...tool).

I would be grateful for your suggestions, books – tips or links/web sites (other than this great one) that you feel would be helpful.

Have SEVEN months to get comfortable using this. As my bride and I will be taking a Disney cruise to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Hope you can share your experience and tips so we can come back with some great images.

Finally...wanted to pass a shot that’s one of my favorites. I took this from a helicopter over Sedona, Arizona. Sorry it’s not Disney – hope you’ll forgive me.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d104/l044793/SedonaGEtrip8-2007028-1.jpg

photo_chick

03-10-2010, 12:13 AM

I still use my A-1 from time to time. I really wish there was a useful FD to EOS converter because I've got some really nice glass that my dad passed down to me.

It took me about six months to really get comfortable with my DSLR where I was confidant shooting in any situation. A lot of that was learning exactly how the camera would react in a given situation.

My best advice... have patience and go back to the basics if you need to. and don't fear the auto focus. LOL. When I went from the A-1 to an EOS SLR I was terrified of AF and thought it was "cheating"... I know better now.

d'Isigny

03-11-2010, 06:43 PM

I still use my A-1 from time to time. I really wish there was a useful FD to EOS converter because I've got some really nice glass that my dad passed down to me..

Don't think I'll ever give up my A-1 and all my dedicated lenses.

EOS EF to FD converter - I did see a 3rd party converter on ebay for ~$40...was going to post to see if any have had success with this --- thought it might be worth a shot.

It took me about six months to really get comfortable with my DSLR where I was confidant shooting in any situation. A lot of that was learning exactly how the camera would react in a given situation.

My best advice... have patience and go back to the basics if you need to. and don't fear the auto focus. LOL. When I went from the A-1 to an EOS SLR I was terrified of AF and thought it was "cheating"... I know better now.

Thank you for the encouragement and advice. I'd be happy if I get comfortable in six...cuz...in just over seven months...we sail to the Caribbean. Am planning on taking some time this weekend - most of next week to 'play'.

Here's a picture of my new toy (er...tool)...you should see the smile on my face.:)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d104/l044793/canon10d.jpg

Evad

03-11-2010, 07:01 PM

d'Isigny

03-11-2010, 10:04 PM

Alright Kevin way to go!! I'm happy for you. And nice to see you over here on the photography board

So what swayed you?? You had mentioned bringing your film slr on the trip.

We are going to have great time on the upcoming cruise shooting together. Can't wait :woohoo:

Great pic btw. Over here we post anything and everything not just Disney pics so no worries!!

Hello my good friend - thank you for your kind words.

I spent some time gaining a great education on the photography board researching my S3IS and Nan's small digital camera - purchase. Some fantastic information and great support with these folks - yourself included.

What swayed me...guess...seeing your work might have been the motivation I needed to 'pull the trigger'. That, and a better than expected tax refund along with a great deal that just 'fell into my lap (friend of a friend called me to inform of a person that was going to list this camera on Craigslist the following day). The price was wonderful and condition fantastic. Sometimes...it's better to be lucky than good...and I'm blessed to have great friends.

The next 7 months will prob be the judge to see if I can get comfortable with the 10D - comfortable enough to keep my A1 at home. As much as I love shooing film...the limitations are obvious. Some day...I'll pass my 35mm gear to one of my daughters...or grand children.

Thank you for your encouragement - seeing your work...am looking forward in learning from you.

Hope to pass some images on POTD over the next few days.

K

MarkBarbieri

10-15-2010, 01:08 PM

when you are riding your bike home in gorgeous weather from the elementary school on your Friday off after having had lunch with your kids who were very excited that you were there and when you get home you see both the UPS truck and the FedEx truck at your house dropping off packages.

I now have Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: The Ultimate Workshop (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240814835/ref=oss_product), 10 16"x20" JetMaster Display Frames, a 24"x15m roll of Innova Ultra Gloss Canvas, a 24"x100ft roll of Illford Smooth Gloss paper, a sample pack of Innova, and a sample pack of Canson Baryta Photographique paper. I'm ready to do some serious printing this weekend.

ChiSoxKeith

10-15-2010, 02:16 PM

Man......

Mark always has the best toys.....

Congrats on a wonderful day off and what sounds like an awesome weekend.

MarkBarbieri

10-15-2010, 02:40 PM

Not sure that I'd call a book and paper a toys, but they'll be fun anyway. The JetMaster (http://www.jetmaster-systems.com/) things look pretty neat. I can't wait to try one tonight. They are probably lousy in terms of archival quality since the picture is in contact with glue, non-acid free cardboard, and not covered by UV glass. But hey, between the paper, ink, and JetMaster costs, I'm looking at something like $15 to make a wall mountable 16x20. If they start looking nasty, I'll print new ones.

ChiSoxKeith

10-15-2010, 02:46 PM

Had not seen the jet master stuff before. Will have to add that to my wish list.

MarkBarbieri

10-22-2010, 07:06 PM

I finally got the JetMaster thing down. My first attempt was pretty ugly. Now that I understand it, it isn't so hard. When finished it really does look a lot like canvas stretched on a frame, but it certainly doesn't feel like it. I think they're fun for little in-home or in-office projects, but probably not something that I'll sell.

The canvas paper that I used, Innova Ultra Gloss Canvas, is dead easy to use. It's like printing on glossy paper. No drying time. No varnishing. Sadly, it glares more than normal canvas. So far, I'm on the fence about it. I'll try a few more photo styles on it.

orbrian

10-23-2010, 05:43 AM

That sounds like an awesome weekend.

MarkBarbieri

10-23-2010, 07:30 PM

I made four Jet Master prints today (plus two from earlier). I think I've got it down now. If anyone wants to get some and would like some tips, let me know.

I think they'll be lousy in terms of longevity since the print is completely exposed to UV light, dust, and whatever else would be blocked by a traditional glass and frame setup. I'm also confident that sticking a print to a non-acid free cardboard box can't be a good thing. All that and they feel really cheap when you hold them. On the plus side, though, they look fantastic and are dirt cheap (compared with real canvas stretching or matting and framing). I think I'm going to get more.

If you are interested in them, I recommend Shades of Paper (http://www.shadesofpaper.com/). I've been very happy with their service. Be careful about what size you buy. The sizes listed are the size of the final display. The print has to be bigger because it wraps around the sides and even onto the back. My 20"x16" frames require a print that is 24.7"x20.2". So the 13"x19" frames probably require that you have a printer capable of printing much larger than 13"x19". Download the templates if you want exact sizes.

I also played with some Proofline Photo Chrome paper. It's metallic paper. From what I've read, Mitsubishi makes all the metallic papers, so they are all the same. I'm not sure if that's true, but it's what I read. I've never been a huge fan of metallic prints, but they are growing on me. I made a half dozen test prints of various subjects and found that it really works well for some subjects and doesn't do well for others. I wasn't a big fan of portraits using the metallic paper. I loved some of the nature shots I printed with saturated colors.

I have to say that I'm really enjoying printing now. Matting, not so much. My poor wife is trying to figure out what to do with all this stuff I'm printing now.

CAJUNWDWFAN

11-01-2010, 10:55 AM

Yesterday I ordered a Canon T2i with 18-135mm IS lens kit! I'm very excited to take pictures and videos with this camera.

Marty Joe

11-01-2010, 11:29 AM

Woo Hoo! This is the camera I'm shooting for. I would like a fast lens to go with it as well.

SrisonS

11-01-2010, 12:23 PM

Congrats!!!!!! That lens will definitely do you well. I know first-hand. ;)

bob100

11-01-2010, 06:02 PM

Yesterday I ordered a Canon T2i with 18-135mm IS lens kit! I'm very excited to take pictures and videos with this camera.

nice camera!

CAJUNWDWFAN

11-09-2010, 12:41 PM

I got it last Friday! It rocks! Now I have a lot to learn.

AlbertZeroK

11-09-2010, 08:42 PM

Nice camera and an awsome lens, much better all around lens than the 18-55! :)

WDWFigment

11-17-2010, 09:33 AM

Who doesn't love seeing those three beautiful, beautiful words on the UPS tracking page?!

I can't wait for this workday to end!

:banana::banana::banana::banana:

Docarino

11-17-2010, 09:40 AM

Best words ever- I refresh the screen all day once that happens. Congratulations on the purchase!

annnewjerz

11-17-2010, 09:50 AM

:yay: :yay: :yay:

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it and see if you think it's really "worth" the upgrade from the D90 in terms of features, IQ, etc.

mom2rtk

11-17-2010, 10:12 AM

Don't you just love the internet? :surfweb:

Where's Al Gore so we can thank him?????? :lmao:

I can't wait to see what you do with the new toy! When is your December trip (well.... yes I know it's in December.... but which days?)

Golf4food

11-17-2010, 10:12 AM

Enjoy your new "toy"! :)

Marlton Mom

11-17-2010, 10:26 AM

It's still not too late to run over to Manhattan and pick it up in store!!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Just kidding!

:cheer2:
Marlton Mom

pgowder

11-17-2010, 11:32 AM

Who doesn't love seeing those three beautiful, beautiful words on the UPS tracking page?!

I can't wait for this workday to end!

:banana::banana::banana::banana:

Yep, those days are great!

I'm waiting for my notice now on the new lens.

ChiSoxKeith

11-17-2010, 11:53 AM

Only problem with that phrase is if they have it out for delivery and nobody is going to be home. Hate driving to the UPS delivery center to pick up a package.

That's why I have everything sent to work.

Which can sometimes be REALLY bad. There's no way I could make it through the day with a new camera sitting on my desk.

Gdad

11-17-2010, 02:12 PM

Hate driving to the UPS delivery center to pick up a package.

At least you CAN do that with UPS- with USPS or FedEx you are just s-out-of-luck until the next day. I am no stranger at the UPS facility. ;)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5084649277_b5e624601e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/capturelifeinaction/5084649277/)
@UPS (http://www.flickr.com/photos/capturelifeinaction/5084649277/) by ~Life by the Drop~ (http://www.flickr.com/people/capturelifeinaction/), on Flickr

saturndb

11-17-2010, 02:40 PM

enjoy your new camera! :yay: Hopefully by now the UPS site has that one word we love as well....... delivered!

Mickey_Firefighter

11-17-2010, 03:33 PM

Glade to here that. Have fun playing with it.

MarkBarbieri

11-17-2010, 03:38 PM

Our Fedex in Oklahoma allowed pickups. It was really convenient both because it was on my way home from work and because it was well run. Our UPS was on the other side of town and was crazy to do business with. You couldn't pick up you package until it was offloaded from the truck, but that didn't happen until about an hour after they closed. So you had to get there before they closed and wait for an hour while they gave you dirty looks.

Where I live now, they often ignore the signature requirement and just leave stuff. Ad to that the fact that my wife is often home and I haven't missed a package in years.

ChiSoxKeith

11-17-2010, 03:50 PM

Yeah I can do a pickup at my Fed Ex sorting facility.

I get about one Fed Ex or UPS package per week and I know both of my drivers pretty well. They'll leave the package on my front stoop at this point, unless I have a relief driver. Then it's a hassle.

If it's something expensive and I don't want it sitting out there, I'll just have it sent to work.

Groucho

11-17-2010, 10:14 PM

At least you CAN do that with UPS- with USPS or FedEx you are just s-out-of-luck until the next day. I am no stranger at the UPS facility. ;)
Just the opposite here - no UPS pickup the same day (though you might be able to stop out and hang around and they may take pity on you), while FedEx usually lets you. The main UPS warehouse is actually only a couple miles from my house. FedEx was farther away, but since then, they've built another warehouse that's even closer.

(I've got something coming on a FedEx truck tomorrow myself... and just happen to have the day off!)

rossb

11-17-2010, 10:16 PM

Who doesn't love seeing those three beautiful, beautiful words on the UPS tracking page?!

Enjoy, I'm sure you will love it.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it and see if you think it's really "worth" the upgrade from the D90 in terms of features, IQ, etc.

I have both cameras and I've shot them side by side. As far as IQ goes, the 7000 is not really an upgrade. With respect to features, the 7000 certainly has more features and menu items. The ability to fine tune lens AF is pretty big. So is the faster flash sync and a base ISO of 100, which essentially gives you even more flash sync speed over the D90. The drive mode dial is also a nice feature.

rossb

11-18-2010, 08:47 AM

WDWFigment

11-18-2010, 09:37 AM

The mirror lock will also be very useful with your long exposures. There is also a cool new option called delayed exposure. When the option is on the mirror goes up and stays up 1 second before the exposure for a steady image.

So far I am really liking the camera. It's too early to give a decent review, but in my short time with it last night, here's what I noticed:

fairly insubstantial improvements in high ISO. ISO 3200 and 6400 looked cleaner, but not by a ton
similar button layout to the D90 (but with more). Took no time to transition from the D90.
better dynamic range than the D90. I really noticed this when photographing our Christmas lights.
Some killer features: virtual horizon, Quiet mode, U1 & U2
Can't comment on IQ yet.
The body felt noticeably more well built than the D90.
instant SDHC card backup will be great.
Really fast AF, even with my lenses that "hunted" with the D90.

That's all for now. For me, after all is said and done, this will only be around a ~$200 upgrade. I know I could have put that money towards a new lens, but even if there is no upgrade in IQ and even if the high ISO upgrade doesn't turn out to be that great, this is still worth it for me. The dynamic range is a huge deal for me as I typically don't do HDR, and all of the features as well as the "feel" of the camera easily make it a smart move.

annnewjerz

11-18-2010, 09:44 AM

That's all for now. For me, after all is said and done, this will only be around a ~$200 upgrade.

I feel like for a $200 upgrade when all is said and done, it was a STEAL!

I'm sure my eventual upgrade will cost more, but knowing how much I loved going from the D60 to the D90 (mainly because of features like more focus points, better high ISO images, etc.), I can only imagine I'd also find the upgrade to the D7000 worthwhile and not be too concerned about the money.

Looking forward to hearing more.

WDWFigment

11-18-2010, 09:59 AM

I feel like for a $200 upgrade when all is said and done, it was a STEAL!

I'm sure my eventual upgrade will cost more, but knowing how much I loved going from the D60 to the D90 (mainly because of features like more focus points, better high ISO images, etc.), I can only imagine I'd also find the upgrade to the D7000 worthwhile and not be too concerned about the money.

Looking forward to hearing more.

Hey...if you don't mind selling something on CL and waiting for a MIR, get the Epson R1900 with it now. I'm sure your upgrade would only be around $300 or so if you do.

I was shocked at how beastly that printer is. According to UPS, it weighed 38 pounds. I don't doubt that at all!

rossb

11-18-2010, 10:29 AM

I gess J&R finnaly shipped it. :)

Some killer features: virtual horizon

That is a good one, I assigned it to the Fn button on the front of the body.

Gdad

11-18-2010, 10:29 AM

better dynamic range than the D90. I really noticed this when photographing our Christmas lights.
Some killer features: virtual horizon, Quiet mode, U1 & U2

From my little bit of using the camera I think the improved DR is mainly on the bottom end- meaning it seems much more adept at pulling detail out of the shadows than it does at recovering highlights. I think this might be because it is setup to push the exposure to the max and get the lowest noise possible (which seems to be the first thing everybody looks at in a new camera model) but especially shooting UWA it seems to have a tendency to blow out some clear blue sky. I had dozens and dozens of shots with the 10-24 that were unusable due to some lost sky that would have been easy lifting for the D700 to recover. Next outing I'll be shooting at a -0.3 or -0.7 EV to make sure it doesn't happen again.

One nice new feature I did not even realize it had until I came across it in the menu was the AF Fine Tuning- not sure if the D90 did that or not- but I was thinking it was something I was going to be missing- not so.

And I like that 'quiet' shutter mode too- pretty cool. Actually even in normal mode the shutter has a pretty smooth quiet sound to it.

rossb

11-18-2010, 10:37 AM

One nice new feature I did not even realize it had until I came across it in the menu was the AF Fine Tuning- not sure if the D90 did that or not- but I was thinking it was something I was going to be missing- not so.

The D90 does not have that feature. Keep in mind your zooms will probably require different levels of tuning across the focals. My 18-200 was a bit off on my D7000 (it is fine with my D90) and I had to compromise on a tuning setting that worked best across all focals. It was nearly perfect at 18mm and backfocused by about 7mm starting at around 70mm. If I dial in -7mm AF tuning 70mm looks great, but 18mm actually gets a bit worse. I ended up compromising on -5mm. Also note, AF fine tuning only really makes a big difference when you focus closer than the infinity point. AF tuning changes don't really change your lens performance much when you are locked at infinity.

Gdad

11-18-2010, 04:11 PM

I gess J&R finnaly shipped it. :)

Yay!

Also note, AF fine tuning only really makes a big difference when you focus closer than the infinity point. AF tuning changes don't really change your lens performance much when you are locked at infinity.

Good to know!

GvilleDisneyDad

11-18-2010, 05:02 PM

I hope that you will enjoy your new D7000 as much as I'm loving mine! I upgraded from the D5000 and there's a big difference in accessibility, features, and build quality, IMO. Probably not as much of a jump for you coming from from the D90. My net upgrade cost was about $400 and I think it was worth every penny.

I also picked up the rokinon 8mm fisheye (as a result of seeing the wonderful images on this board) and I've been having a blast playing with that lens and the new camera. :thumbsup2

DVC Mike

11-18-2010, 08:05 PM

I hope that you will enjoy your new D7000 as much as I'm loving mine! I upgraded from the D5000 and there's a big difference in accessibility, features, and build quality, IMO. :thumbsup2

Same here! I upgraded from the D5000 to the D7000 and also picked up the Nikkor 16-85m VR, and the Nikon 10-24mm VR just arrived yesterday!

rossb

11-18-2010, 10:26 PM

the Nikon 10-24mm VR just arrived yesterday!Nice lens, I use mine all the time.

denise

11-18-2010, 10:56 PM

I finally made a decision and ordered the D7000!!! Of course it's back ordered...but at least it's ordered.
I will be upgrading from a D40X so it will be a big change for me I think. I am very excited and can't wait.

Got a good price with no sales tax and free 2nd day shipping too (for whenever that is!)

Also just registered at the local JC for next semester...taking "color photography" which teaches the lightroom software. Took a photoshop class this semester. So I'm having fun in my retirement stage of life. :cool1:

JoeDif

11-19-2010, 06:59 AM

Congrats on the new gear!!

Gdad

11-19-2010, 07:47 AM

Good for you- great camera.

ChiSoxKeith

11-19-2010, 08:27 AM

Congratulations!

Happy Shooting.

DVC Mike

11-19-2010, 11:09 AM

Congrats!

I love my Nikon D7000.

:goodvibes

denise

11-19-2010, 11:46 AM

thanks everyone!
I just can't wait to get it....who knows how long it will take...they had no idea. Just have to wait for the email that says it is shipped....
:surfweb:

Spaceace5150

11-19-2010, 11:55 AM

Have fun!

Marlton Mom

11-19-2010, 03:34 PM

Congratulations on the upgrade to the D7000!

I've found the Digitutor series by Nikon invaluable with helping me to understand the capabilities of my camera.

Use the Digitutor series in conjunction with your camera manual for the best possible education on the features that your particular model has.

Once you become familiar with these types of advanced cameras and you are familiar with the terminology and functions, you can use the Digitutor to compare one model and it's features to another model when considering an upgrade.

Keep in mind that the Digitutor series doesn't cover 100 % of what a particular camera may entail. It's a good basic introduction. Your camera manual has the nitty gritty so to speak.... so be sure to spend some time with that.

I am spending a chunk of time learning about what my D90 has and then going out and practicing shooting using those options. It's not enough to just read about them. You've got to practice manipulating the camera settings to make it stick in your brain.

Good luck and here is the link to the Digitutor series for the Nikon D 7000.

http://www.nikondigitutor.com/eng/d7000/index.html

:hug:

Marlton Mom

denise

11-19-2010, 04:16 PM

thanks for the web site...now I really can't wait to start playing with my new camera!

omghidanielle

11-21-2010, 11:22 PM

Congrats!

I got mine a few weeks ago, (upgrading from a D40, also!) but haven't had much time to play with it yet. Boo!

ChiSoxKeith

11-23-2010, 04:21 PM

Booked an unexpected side job (non-photography related) and decided to use the proceeds to reward myself.

A new Canon 50mm f/1.4 has been ordered from Adorama and will be here in time for my trip to Disneyworld next week. Yahoo!

:cool1:

Icemann

11-23-2010, 04:26 PM

Congrats and have fun with it at WDW :banana:

ThurlFan

11-23-2010, 05:15 PM

Nice choice, and have a great trip!

ChiSoxKeith

11-23-2010, 06:51 PM

Nice choice, and have a great trip!

Why thank you. I debated renting it (only $26 for the week) but decided to take WDWFigment's advice and buy it. If for some reason I don't like it I can move it easily on eBay and won't be out much more than the $26 plus shipping the rental would have coat me.

Now the only thing is deciding if I want to rent a 70-200 f/2.8 IS for the week.

rmdavis

11-24-2010, 06:02 AM

:yay: Just got my 70-200 F2.8L MKII IS :yay:

looking forward to playing with it at the parks next week.

ChiSoxKeith

11-24-2010, 09:07 AM

:yay: Just got my 70-200 F2.8L MKII IS :yay:

looking forward to playing with it at the parks next week.

SWEET!

Congratulations and have fun shooting.

denise

11-24-2010, 10:22 PM

My D7000 came today! Just a week after ordering it. Now to read the manual. The fun begins.

ChiSoxKeith

11-29-2010, 01:46 PM

My Joby Gorrillapod Focus + Ballhead arrived today. Yahoo!

Can't wait to give it a shot!

MarkBarbieri

11-29-2010, 06:01 PM