Gillies

In my opinion yes, more megapixels (handy for crops) - more auto focus points (though most people only use center), larger LCD and the thing that would clinch it for me ... it attempts to tackle the sensor dust issue also Canons dust shake thingy. Ive read comments from pros that use it as a backup camera, and are more than happy with how it performs. Gillies

Really nice shots Snatcher, I particularly like the first one .... and like comment on the last one "sedimentary my dear watson" ha ha ha ha ... :) Yes, you can find yourself spending funny hours waiting to get the photo you have in your mind due to available light ... on thursday afternoon/evening I waited an hour and a half ontop of a hill hoping for a certain stage of 3/4 dark to get a certain dark navy/blue/black sky texturised/varied by any available clouds for the shot(s) I wanted. I just managed to take a few (5 mins worth) then the hailstones, wind and rain started ... so had to run for the car, will have to probably go back and have another go sometime. Gillies

Den Yes its a real problem with Digi SLRs ... if your changing lenses a lot, which I do ... in one day, I often change between 2-3 lenses. The cleaning kids do work good, yes lots of warnings though as the sensor can easily be damaged, Im "very" surprised Ive not damaged a sensor on any of my Digi SLRs yet. Post Processing fixes any dust thats on the sensor that is visible when you look at your shots ... but is a real pain the backside. Gillies

Lovely photos Chippy, great control of the light on the first one, and the reflection of the bird is just fantastic :-) A very very stormy gale here just now, so no chance for photos of fireworks ... unless I want a pile of colourful curves going in the same direction :-) Gillies

After years of abuse and slaggings off, for not been a driver I got behind the wheel last year - something I should of done many years ago, its soooooooooo good now not relying on lifts anymore. I started lessons in March, had my Theory in September, and my Test in November. For the Theory, I didnt read the book at all, instead I got CD ROMSs of Amazon and did the tests on the CDs over and over (lots of times), just about memorising all the Theory questions (its the same questions as in the test) ... and eventually getting 100% in the CD tests every time I stuck it in. Some of the questions are nice and simple - a few others are tricky, ie insurance, environmental issues and first aid etc. The CDs for the Hazzard Perception were extremely close to what the actual test was, basically what I did was when you spot the hazzard you click, then a second later click again when your 100% sure thats the hazzard, and when you pass the hazzard you click ... the software is set up so if you click it to many times though, you get awarded 0 points to stop people cheating. Anyway when it came to the Theory Test, I scored 100% in the Theory Test (since I had pretty memorised all the questions), and in the Hazzard Percception I scored 85%. When it came to the actual driving test I passed, despite the nerves. The CD ROMSs I got were called Driving Test Success from Focus, both the Theory Test and Hazzard Perception. Good Luck. Gillies

Great colours in the photos Snatcher - I particularly like the second one. Well done! Gillies

Both cameras are very similar, and you will get great results from both, apart from the obvious increase in megapixels and a few other minor changes, its splitting hairs for differences - Ive been using Digital SLR for over 3 years now and the one thing that drives me crazy is dust on the sensor - the more you change lenses, the worse it can get ... the 400D goes down the road of trying to tackle this with its anti dust shake thingy ... so for me, anything that attempts to tackle this problem and reduces any dust at all ... that would swing it to the 400D for me. Gillies

Looks definately like a Tub to me, though there is an arguement from certain sectors about hybrids around - but looks like a 100% Tub to me. We get lots of Red Gurnards, and this year LOADS of Red Gurnards .... become bit of a pest sometimes, guys out on monday were picking them up 3 at a time on small baits. It used to be the Greys were in abundance compared to the Reds - this year though, the Reds seem to have had a population explosion - even this year seen (Black) Red Gurnads .... ones that have been living right on the edge or on the hard. Heres a Red. Gillies

One of the guys on our club boat had a small one of 5 lbs 2 years ago - a total fluke .... a small Whiting jumped on, and the Halibut took the Whiting. I had two small ones a couple of weeks ago when fishing up in Skjervoy - Norway, a 7 lb one on a pirk fought much like a 20 lb Cod !!!!! I lost some much MUCH bigger ones ... hook ripping out, and stupidity on my part. A powerfull fish. Gillies

Superb shots Chippy - really liked them ... all worked out great, the effects, the framing, exposure levels. Well done !!!!! ND Grad is my favourite filter, when setting up proper shots I tend to prefer the results with it much more than results from my Polarizer, great for giving Scottish grey skys more zip. Again, great shots. Gillies

Hi Tracy My appologies, my server is down right now ---- so none of my photos are online, I should have it back up in a week or two, and all photos will be restored. Really glad you liked them ... my camera shy dog, whom I have to bribe or wind up to get a half decent shot off Gillies

Heres a handy link on photograhic technique for anyones that interested --- mainly of taking photos of a subject in various different lighing conditions, and getting various desired effects, its mainly to do with light, but the theory behind it all provides some very good information .... it can be pretty technical if you dont have a a good grasp of Photographic jargon and the workings of a camera (SLR namely) ... but the theory behind it can be applied to SLR but P&S also. If this kind of photography is your thing - then this could be a very handy resource. http://www.dg28.com/technique.html Gillies

I was just critiquing it from a photography point of view ---- had to do a lot of backspacing, as some of humeros things I would of typed .... probably in this PC world we now live in wouldnt have gone down to well I wouldnt like to meet them on a dark night though --- they do look kind of intimidating and frightening! Gillies

I guess I see it differently --- sorry. :-) I think the photo itself is a great candid shot - out of the norm! The actual photo ... a guy in white, taking photo of a group of women in white in surroundings full of people who are dessed in our own every day dress (jeans, t-shirts etc) The women are dressed in their traditional dress - but you can see how Western/modern society is creeping in on them ... the hand bags, and one of them even wearing a pair of boots looks like to me. The guy in the white is aiming camera at them for the shot - but two of the women looking to their right ... why? :-) The photo the guy is taking am sure must have meaning to him - family day out! From a photography point of view - if the guy had right camera, had half idea what he was doing and framed it right ... he could have a very very powerfull photo (in the eyes of us from the West). Gillies

Thought I'd mention this as its one thing I see popping up with a number of very good photos on here ..... Blown Highlights - this is where a bright area in the photo is overexposed so much that it looses detail and just becomes very bright, such as the sun shining on a part of someones face, a white t-shirt etc and the brightest area becoming an extreme white, to such an extent detail is lost. This is usually a big problem when photoing in harsh sunlight or when using to much flash ... and can be unavoidable in some situations, especially when taking candid shots .... if you think your shots going to have blown highlights a quick look at your histogram can be handy to help here, especially when you have time when taking the shots --- ie landscapes and portraits. Learning a wee bit about exposure to suit the conditions, and if your camera has the facility for applying some Exposure Compensation can work wonders. One aid we do have plenty of in the UK to help with blown highlights is overcast skys Im sure David W is an expert at dealing with this kind of thing --- all the white on a wedding dress on a nice sunny day .......... I take my hat off to wedding photographers !!!!! Some tips to deal with Exposure and Blow Highlights, as well as the Histogram can be found at. http://www.digitalkb.com/digital_photograp..._base/exposure/ http://www.fredmiranda.com/A16/ http://www.photoxels.com/tutorial_histogram.html http://www.rags-int-inc.com/PhotoTechStuff/Histograms/ http://www.pcphotomag.com/content/2006/mar...mera_tips.shtml http://www.microsoft.com/athome/morefun/photomistakes.mspx http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml ://http://www.luminous-landscape.com/t...se-right.shtml ://http://www.luminous-landscape.com/t...se-right.shtml ://http://www.luminous-landscape.com/t...se-right.shtml ://http://www.luminous-landscape.com/t...se-right.shtml Me personally, I think in some certain situations Blown Highlights can add to a photo depending on the scenario and the subject in frame. Gillies

I've seen a number of them over the years, waddling through the water and have been lucky enough to see the Sea Gull cleaning process .... have got to within a few feet of them, amazing looking creatures. Gillies

If its Monkfish as said by Davy ... commerically referred to as Monkfish as another name for Angler Fish .......... I've seen a handfull of them caught on the rod over the years, nothing over 2 lbs ... and most of them to a pirk. Gillies

Fantastic catch Thurso Angler, my favourite fish to catch and eat (though I dont catch many ... as dont fish often for them) ... and if I had caught them they would of definitely ended up on the plate also ... enjoy! You are enjoying great fishing of the shore up there from the sounds of it, and since you are returning your fair share - there is no real need for anyone to moan, its the guys with the monofilament net a few miles away taking lots of them that should be getting grief regarding the law, thats doing the damage. Regarding anglers and sea trout fishing in the sea, no matter what the law says, in my eyes it is very grey, and loopholes can be found in it on either side of it, depending on what stance you take. Regarding Roag Angler - He was a new poster on here (not someone under a different name), a sea angler and a game angler, he has fished for the Scotland boat team, holds a British record for a certain specialised species of fish, and gained the highest score ever when taking the water bailiffs exam for been a bailiff on migratory fish fisheries in Scotland - he is an extremely accomplished angler whom is known throughout Scotland in boat match fishing, shore fishing and Salmon fishing, so he knows a wee bit when it comes to sea fishing and game fishing, and could of brought a lot to this forum sadly ... and I say this fully heartedly - I wont defend him - believe me, me and him argue constantly and extremely viciously about the law and Salmon and Sea Trout fishing in Scotland on the odd occasion when I have contact with him ... and we argue/debate just about every single other thing in sea and game fishing. With regard to his catches, he does not retain any Sea Trout or Salmon he catches (not a fish eater), and he does get a lot of them up here in Lewis, all on the fly, mostly all caught on a voluntary run Salmon and Sea Trout fishery that him and others have worked hard on restoring over the past number of years ... he catches more Salmon and Sea Trout in a season than the average game angler gets in over five years. Like the Bass and Skate anglers on here, he is extremely passionate about Salmon and Sea Trout and improving the fishing for them everywhere since they are endangered - I wont defend him (no way), and I didnt see his final post and what he said, but to play devils advocate - like some of the very out of hand stuff that we all have seen on here regarding Bass over the past year, I can only assume he said something out of line on a par with that ... we all can remember the outcry when photos of kept Bass have gone on here, and imagine what would happen if photos of knocked on the head Skate or Shark went on (even if was for consumption by the captor)......... my point is, he was just reacting to something he is extremely passionate about and actively involved in ... I may not agree with him, but thats just his opinion. As I said though, I didnt see his final posts content, so if he stepped over the line, it was no doubt justified. Me personally, I love seen photos of catches on here, its what the place is all about - and people should feel they can post photos of fish they have caught without the fear of a backlash ... which is something we have seen all to many times, especially with Bass and some Cod photos. Anyway, great catch Thurso - the way you described the fight is a Sea Trout fight down to a T, I bet they gave you a few nevry moments during the fight ... hope they taste great, it is in my eyes the ultimate sea fish .... pound for pound one of the best fighting fish you can hope to come across in the sea (or loch, or river) on the right gear, and definitely the best eating fish you can come across in our waters Gillies

Sorry to hear that Sean ... thats terrible news, what a bunch of ........ Hope none of your camera gear was among it! Gillies

I dont remeber it (I would of been 3 at the time), but have read and watched how over the top Scotland went --- they thought they would win it, and the media fuelled of that. The over the top hype that went with Allys Army is an incident most Scots would try to forget I know they made total fools of themselves, the footage of the late Ally Macleod sitting with his head in his hands sums up that campaign in a nutshell, loads of hype - and falling flat on their face ... badly ... I think from that Scotland learned a big lesson in not to be over confident, and not over hype their team. Ally Macleods Famous Shot ... Today we live in a much more media driven world compared to 1978, and England are one of the very best teams "on paper", but not on the field (my opinion) ... so there will be hopefull media hype generated, and rightly so, like every country would do ... to rouse the country up to follow the team passionately, but the hype generated by the English media is just way way way over the top for most Scots (me included) to put up with I guess, some of the hype was edging on Science Fiction in my eyes! I think one way of trying to understand it - and how some Scots see it (NOT ME) is this ... If Germany played a team like Chile --- I'd guess that majority of England fans would not be up for Germany, but why ... a fellow European team playing a South American team, cause the majority of English fans do not like Germany for historical reasons between the "UK" and Germany .... though, times change and I personaly find Germany a great country, with fantasic people, but for many Scots I think its the same way they feel about England ... just to much history been the two countries to give them support ... so if Scotland does not back England, it can be understood for that stance. Bottom line, I dont think England played well enough to merit them going through to the semi finals .... and I said before, I blame Sven - and also, I dont think Portugals tactics (well Ronaldos blatant cheating) should have seen them through to the final, Im glad they didnt go through and got what they deserved against France. Gillies

Davy Holt has answered your question pefrectly - its the English commentators and media that gets to us, not the team at all. It all the over the top hype about a team of very good players who just cant play together .... whos fault? I think Sven. Its not the team - its all the hype seen through English Rose Tinted Glasses. When the BBC did that small bit about Sven last night after the Portugal - France match, I think it was Alan Hansen who made a good point in saying that the worst thing that happened to England was beating Germany 5-1 ... it made an average coach (Sven) look like a god, seems to me he was there just for the millions he was getting paid. Look at the England midfield, its absolutely packed with some of the best midfielders in the world - but they just cant play to their full potential together .... in my eyes, the weak link is Beckham, yes I think hes the best passer of the ball in the world, but he just doesnt mould into that midfield - Lampard and Gerrard have so much more ability ... and when needed Lennon brought that little bit of zip that seemed missing. Theo Walcatt ... what was that all about? I feel sorry for him, all the over the top media hype about him, and he hardly kicks a ball. The player I feel most sorry for is Wayne Rooney, he was stupid lashing out and stamping the way he did ... but the pressure put on that boys shoulders by the whole English media .... as the Great English Hope, it was just unreal (how many goals has he scored for England in build up to world cup when fit?) .... two injured strikers for upfront, an inexperienced teeenager, and poor old Peter Crouch ... who I think did himself proud if Im honest. Ronaldo a cheat yes, but I thought he played some nice football (when not been to ball greedy) - but his diving etc was pretty sickening, same goes to Thierry Henry ... the sooner FIFA bring in much stiffer laws on that, the better, ie Ronaldos diving against Portugal was farcical, and Im not overly convinced it was a penalty for France, Henry going down looked a we bit theatrical. Yes, there is haterd of the England football team in Scotland ... personaly, not by me - hate is far far to strong a word, I'd never say I hate them, I could never support England though - but I enjoy watching a good game of football no matter whos playing, and would of liked to see England play the good football that their players are capable off .... but they did not play any good football at all in my eyes, with exceptions of a period against Paraguay, and on other occasions some nice play by Joe Cole, Lampard and Gerrad. If I have to use the word HATE, It is all the over the top media hype I hate and thats what the majority of Scots I know hates, it has fuelled the fire throughout Scotland to hope England fall flat on their faces, the media and commentators make a pretty average playing team out to be a super team, and will win the cup easily - then of course all the constant 1966 references, its just all a bit much! So, to put you straight - Im not a jealous Scot ... what is there to be jealous off? Scotland not been there .... the Scotland team are terrible ... and over past decade or so us Scots have accept that as fact, and if we had been there, it would of been embaressing Im quite sure. I will not start getting my hopes up about Scotland about anything, hopefully I can in a few years ... after the European Championships ... with Italy, France, and Ukraine in our qualifying group its not looking good, but what better way to make our team better than playing such good teams ........... England have a much easier draw. So when I thank the cheat Ronaldo, its a thank you for not having to put up with the English medias way over the top hype anymore. Hope that answers your question ... not the team, the hype surrounding it. Gillies

I had to vote FOR Ronaldo .... he has saved us Scots having to listen to all the over the top media - Land of Hype and Glory stuff. The England team played no good football at all and had an easy route through to where they got when you look at the standard of the other teams that got through ... blame Sven if anyone!!!!! England got what they deserved, thank you Ronaldo .... if England played better football, and deserved to progress I'd maybe feel different. Gillies

Loads of them up here around the Isle of Lewis also - for past few years there has been a massive explosion of them, see them especially getting spewed out of Cod and Pollack alive .... was seen them in February getting spewed out of Thornbacks from the shore also. Gillies

I cant see past warehousexpress.com they give very good service ... at half decent prices. Gillies

Hansen --- I'd of thought you would all be able to understand him by now Strachan ... good luck on understanding him, he can be tricky sometimes if your not Scottish I bet. Gillies