Sutton Warrior

Entry No. 2 ---------- Walter Pigeon ------------------ Camera Make: NIKON D80 Date/Time: 2008:10:18 11:05:39 Exposure Time: 0.0025 s (1/400) ISO Equiv.: 200

Entry No: 1 ----------- Proud to be British . . . ----------------------------- Camera Make: NIKON D80 Date/Time: 2008:10:18 10:42:09 Exposure Time: 0.0020 s (1/500) ISO Equiv.: 200

Following on from the 'VR and lense compliment' threads. I finaly bought the Nikon D40X, Hazel got quite excited . . . "can we go out at the weekend"? said she . . . Why not, we decided to go to Colchester in the end, the Town I work in, Hazel was due for a wander around the shops! Problem number one; the D40X refused to work . . . fortunatly I checked it out on Thursday night, so, Fiday I went back to London Camera Exchange in Colchester. To cut a long story short, it was decided to return the camera to Nikon, and the Camera Exchange loaned me a D80 body untill the the 40X is returned. A pain, but very admirable of the shop to grasp the nettle so firmly Saturday morning was pleasent if very autumnal, a wander around the market was pleasent enough. Then into the main High Street, this picture took my eye, of the Town Hall. We ended up at Colchester Castle, well worth a few hours, plenty of photo oportunities Here is Hazel . . . 'now, what was it I'm suposet to press' I set the camera up on full auto, and by the end of the session she had certainly got into the swing of things. Still at snap shot stage, we have looked at her photos this morning, the idea is there. A little more confidence, get closer, reframe? Castle grounds, autumn colors A great few hours, of doing something together not involving boats and fishing! It was interesting to both be using the same camera body. Reading Ken Rockwells coments about the D80, he sugests it over exposes by 0.7 of a stop. So Hazel D80 was set at 0 'F' compensation, I put mine on -0.3, I duplicated a few of Hazels pictures, for comparison in descusion and to see if Ken was right . . . Yes he is, all Hazels pictures show just a tad of over exposure, mine, for me are about right, in my humble opinion? It will be interesting to compare the D40X/D80 when it comes back. So, an enjoyable day out together, and we still got hom intime for me to watch F1 Grand Prix qualifying I have vertualy abandoned my Canon compacts, with the unreliabuility they have both displayed. It has to be said, there is a pleasure and involvment in taking pictures with a DSLR that you dont experiance with a compact. I have a few pics to post on this months comp, after I have watched the F1 Grand Pix this afternoon, go Lewis

Thanks for that Andy. Just bide my time on the lenses, get to grips with what I'v got for the present, try to formulate some thoughts, where we, thats the Royal 'we', Hazel and me, want to go. A little jugling with the present motley selection will give ideas, as well as, I think, sit and watch the money markets and reactions to same . . . Might be a few bargins floating around in a few months, if retail has a bad Christmas??? Plus the fact that i dont know my situation in 2009 . . . I might win the lottery hav'nt got a emoticon 'flying pink elephant' Bargins . . . I went in and bougt the D40X body this morning, its being treated as a new camera as far as the shop (London Camera Exchange) is concerned, therefore the Gt is on that basis. It comes in its original box, all like new, £150. I was happy, then I looked closer, the box has it original price tag on it . . . . £429.99!!! thats just the body, no lens. I also treated myself to a 'Manfrotto' monopod with proper MF 'single plane head' £50 inlusive. For macro I am looking at the Sigma 105, I have seen the results, they are stunning, fast at 2.8, affordable, not sure it focuses on a D40X but thats not realy a problem, it will most likly be used on the D80 any way. And yes, the Sigma 10-20 is in my sights. I have just looked up the reviews, wow!!! I'm even re looking Sigmas latest version of the Sigma 70-300 APO, its been updated to latest digital requirements. What the above brings home to me, the D40X will fit the bill admerably as purchased, a light, proper camera for Hazel, point & shoot, but with some encouragement from me there is enough there for her to do more? A quality P&S for me with the Nikon 18-200VR. Going away from this will bring the D80 into use and full choise of lenses There is also the fact that 3rd party offerings are coming on line all the time, to improve the D40X's flexabuility on lenses. Play the wating game . . . I recon Sigma will do a compatable 70-300 soon? For anyone reading this, they are knocking out Sigmas 18-200 super zoom lenses for £149.00, not OS. With out the OS mechanisam, they are very small and light, I thought a bit of a bargin??? A few other goodies in the bargin lens cabinet I spied as well. SW

OK, after my thread 'VR . . . does it affect . .' and the good advise received. The advise hepled me realise I actualy have a decent set of low cost lenses in a; Nikon 18-70, superb quality especialy considering its a 'kit lens'!!! Sigma 70-300, very old, but a capable budget long zoom, only fully fuctional on my motor in body Nikon D80, and a jack of all trades 18-200VR. The idea is to get a knock about body D40X with the 18-70 fitted nice light combination for Hazel to hose about with. I will use the D80 and the 18-200 for general walk about, and the 18-70/70-300 for more serious work? However, the Sigma 70-300 is a film vertion, up for replacement at some time? Nikon 70-300VR? A wider angle lense would be a nice adition 15 to 20mm??? and a 100 to 150 macro Any coments on the lense compliment, curent and proposed aditions? SW

Use a Normark for filiting and a wet stone, neither go near the boat, the edge holds for a very long time. On the boat, I use a 'butchers regrind', great for the rough and tumble of skin, bone and frozen bait, sharpen with a 'dimond plate' glued to a wooden board. SW

Thanks Andrew, confirmed my thoughts, at £150 I can live wiith the (anorack'ish?) issues around the D40-D40X. I would be paying at least 150 quid for a compact saddled with loads of compromise type issues compared with any DSLR. The Sigma will not auto focus on the D40X, but I dont see that as a problem. Its is unlikly it will be partnerd with the D40X in Hazels hands, or mine, it will kept with the D80 on which it works just fine. As you say, never print larger than A4. A 'mono pod', budget 'VR' for the 70-300 to get the best out of it at the long end, off to a new start in my picture hobby By the way, the daisey pic was shot with the 18-200VR/D80. Thanks for you time Westie, regards, SW Off to work, the bank drives!!!!

Thanks Andrew for taking the trouble to be so detailed. I have a Nikon 18-200VR, I use it as a walk about lense on my D80, all things to all men, master of non? But it suits my needs, produces much better pics than I though it would, but have wondered ocasionaly? Then when I read the bit about better results with VR switched of . . . you know, the mind starts to doubt its self? Personal life has been very hard recently, almost no photography, last photo session was the one that I enterd the whit daisy in amoung the yellow daisies 'I think I'm lost'. Very little fishing, a lot of thinking and considering mine and Hazels situation. My A640 compact which I did use a lot, has gon on the blink, same falt as my previous Canon S50 compact, at £100 per repair, it aint worth it!! Hazel is unwell, operation schedualed for early December, three months off work, I too have health problems that sudenly appeared, as I say, it feels a bit like being in tuble drier at the moment, some one pull the plug please!! So, as I say I got to thinking, new compact . . . nah, cant abide the zombi pose, Canon have the eye piece but in my experiance are unreliable. So its the D80 . . . but need a new camera bag. Talking to Hazel, the other evening, she fancies having a go at the photography thing, she did a bit 10 years ago and came 6th in the Dustable photo club competition, beat me as well!! Wandering through town yesterday, looked at the local camera emporium . . . found a bag that took my fancy a small 'National Geographic' job, just right for the D80 + 18-200 and one or two lenses, a bit 'Indiana Jones' style, I can dream Then I spied in the cabinet a Nikon D40X body, used, but only as a demonstrator . . . point and shoot, with full DSLR capability. My lense compliment; 18-200VR, 18-70DX and a very old Sigma 70-300 Apo (c1995?). I negociated a price on the D40X of £150.00 + 12 months Gt, (majour chain, so safe . . . ? ). Thinking, Hazel can use it with the 18-70, nice and light, I can use it in place of my P&S compact with the 18-200VR, fishing, boat, general waving around etc. The D80 then comes in use with the 18-70 or the 70-300 for some seriouse creative work? Any thoughts on that Andrew, or any one else? I'm planing to call in to the shop tomorrow, put my money where my mouth is, yeh, I know, a 'big mouth'! Then, and this is where the VR question arose in my mind, look for a Nikon 70-300VR to replace the Sigma? Not to rush, wait for one to come up at the right price, or, gather options, on where else to go. I get very confused on ocasions these days, sometimes its hard to make decissions??? Very frustrating, getting old? I hope thats clearer now? Regards, SW

Now here is one to get your head round? Vibration redution on lenses, in my case Nikons 'VR' mode. Does it just take the sharp edge off the image when switched on, not enought to worry grandad when taking pictures of active grand children, but what about when one is trying to be creative? I have read this might be the case??? SW

Ollie Jay, it all gets a bit technical according to the web these days, was a lot simpler a couple of years ago? 'PS Elements 5' onwards, has a calibrator in the program. Her are a few links I dug out of the web, might help: http://www.nies.ch/doc/monitor.en.php http://www.photoscientia.co.uk/Gamma.htm http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorial...profiling.shtml As I say they might help certainly point you in a direction? SW

Well now HB, opinion, I presume you want an opinion? Not at all keen on the sky, grass etc, mates face, its OK but still a little flat? Thats IMHO. I presume you are using full program Photo Shop? This is what I did using the budget 'PS Elements v4'. No plugins, simply the standard items, took 4 key hits and with a little more time and study it could have been even better, but again 'thats in my humble opnion'? The way, 'PS Elements' presents the face, it looks to me like there is a face reflector out of shot, of course, we know there is not. SW

You have a point there HB . . . However, I still hold to 'lack of structure and direction for me, after a while lacks luster and is very frustration'. Hense my sugestion of some 'open' some 'themed'? I also agree with previouse sugestions, photo quality becouse of 'Open, anything goes', is suspect, minds are not being stretched, lazeynes is evident, thats IMHO. I certainly think that; if the comp is intended to improve individual abilities, the aimless way in which it is curently conducted, does very little to help the couse of 'better pictures'. "Do we want to improve the quality of our pictures" or, is it just a bit of 'fluffy fun'??? These days, I thought (structured) learning could be fun? We could of course run two competitions side by side? SW

Entitled to your opinion, you are Den. In some resepects I can agree, but loosing the focus of a 'subject' is totaly unacceptable. I would sugest a max of 4 Open comps out of the posible 12, the remainder should be themed. Taking it a stage further, with out the structure of a theme, improvement will be slow. No difereant to being tought at school with out 'cylibus and struture' failure to achive is more likley. However its nice to let the hair dowm ocasionaly. Comp., stays open . . . my squib is in danger of getting damp. We also, seem to have lost the 'question, answer and advise' side of the forum, as to why . . . Mmmm ? SW

Sadly HB, it can be just that these days. You see mate, photographicaly, I personaly need a goal, something to aim at, to compair with, slowly but surley the enthusiasm does drain if there is nothing to aim for? In fact, thats it I think, why bother, its just another expensive time consuming hobby. Revert to angling/boating 'snap shot' mode. I get much pleasure from my oportunistick free style. Photos that I post on a fishing/boating forum I frequent, are much apreciated, not for their photographic excelance, but for the information they conveyed. Others do likewise, 'a picture is worth a thousand words', it is great to be able to say so much with one or a series of pictures, use a simple camera, 99% of the time set to 'auto' . . . SW

I agree with you totaly 'MG', I think I did voice my view originaly, I think, as a PM ? ? ? . . . so as not to ruffle to many feathers, me and tact ? Seeing this months (August) highlights the view IMHO. A theme makes the photos a little more challenging . . . but surly thats what its all about? I only enterd this month at the last knockings to keep the end up, next month or the month after, aimless? 'what to shoot', will I bother? There I go, 'tact' out of the window. SW

Entry No: 4 ------------ Atmosphere . . . ------------------ Canon PowerShot A640 Date/Time: 2008:08:31 06:20:46 Resolution: 800 x 571 Flash Used: No Focal Length: 21.7mm (35mm equivalent: 489m... CCD Width: 1.60mm Exposure Time: 0.0010 s (1/1000) Aperture: f/4.0 Whitebalance: Auto

Entry No: 3 ----------- "Left hand down a bit . . ." ---------------------------- Canon PowerShot A640 Date/Time: 2008:08:28 14:17:16 Resolution: 680 x 498 Exposure Time: 0.0008 s (1/1250) Aperture: f/8.0 Whitebalance: Manual

I have all the original pics on my computer. Why not keep it simple, for me that is? As you may have gathered, I rarly get involved these days, never visit other photo sites, so have no need for extensive album(s). Getting old and grumpy?? SW

Its likly to be either weight distribution and/or the little trim tab on the underside of the cavitation plate. Often made of sacraficial anode material so does two jobs. It needs tweeking, and/or replacing and tweeking. SW

Entry No 2 ----------- "You want how many unloaded?" ------------------------------------ NIKON D80 Date/Time: 2008:08:23 10:03:35 Resolution: 700 x 483 Focal Length: 62.0mm (35mm equivalent: 93mm... Exposure Time: 0.0050 s (1/200) Aperture: f/9.0 ISO Equiv.: 200 Whitebalance: Auto Metering Mode: matrix Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)

Entry No 1 ---------- "A great Day to be afloat" ---------------------------- NIKON D80 Date/Time: 2008:08:23 09:58:14 Resolution: 647 x 526 Focal Length: 18.0mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm... Exposure Time: 0.0050 s (1/200) Aperture: f/13.0 ISO Equiv.: 200 Whitebalance: Auto Metering Mode: matrix Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)

Working OK this morning. Old pics; I dont run an album, I delet 'old pics' after a few weeks. I did try Google, frankly, PB is by far the best for my needs, anb least complicated as far as I can see, it suits AN comp requirements best as well? IMHOP Thanks all, SW

Looks like my 'Photobucket' account has crashed, has anyone els had problems with Photobucket? Does any one know of a fix? Has anyone an alternative quality picture host site? SW

Mmm . . . Just looked here for an explination of HDR images: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...:en-US%26sa%3DX Do you use HDR's for the comp., Hellbelly they seem to require a lot of fidling about? SW

Entry No: 3 ----------- Natures colour, evening light . . . ----------------------------------- Camera Model: NIKON D80 Date/Time: 2008:07:22 17:29:24 Resolution: 700 x 651 Focal Length: 105.0mm (35mm equivalent: 157... Exposure Time: 0.0025 s (1/400) Aperture: f/5.6 ISO Equiv.: 200 Whitebalance: Auto Metering Mode: matrix Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)