DIgital? FILM? BOTH?--BOTH!!
Aug 15th, 2004, 03:59 PM
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DIgital? FILM? BOTH?--BOTH!!
Again thanks to everyone who posts here. This week -especially to the photography people.
After much ruminating and obsessing- I finally found a digital to use as a backup for my Canon SLR. I got a Canon Powershot S60- 5 megapixels ($499). It has a FULL array of manual and automatic features-including the ability to shoot in raw format. Shutter lag is decent. There's also a nice light metering system, manual & automatic bracketing, etc. etc. etc.
I also picked up an extra battery and a couple of 512 mg compact flash cards (only $64 each at Costco).
Am really quite amazed at what this little creature can do- and how easy it to spiff up my shots just with the software included.
It doesn't have a large optical zoom - really just a 28mm-105mm range. But I think it will be fun for things close-in, landscapes- and in case (God forbid) something happens to my SLR.
Lastly, as Denis Finch Hatton was reputed to say- "Tell them I'll be in Tsavo!"
(I'm leaving Monday August 23)
Thanks again-
Sharon
After much ruminating and obsessing- I finally found a digital to use as a backup for my Canon SLR. I got a Canon Powershot S60- 5 megapixels ($499). It has a FULL array of manual and automatic features-including the ability to shoot in raw format. Shutter lag is decent. There's also a nice light metering system, manual & automatic bracketing, etc. etc. etc.
I also picked up an extra battery and a couple of 512 mg compact flash cards (only $64 each at Costco).
Am really quite amazed at what this little creature can do- and how easy it to spiff up my shots just with the software included.
It doesn't have a large optical zoom - really just a 28mm-105mm range. But I think it will be fun for things close-in, landscapes- and in case (God forbid) something happens to my SLR.
Lastly, as Denis Finch Hatton was reputed to say- "Tell them I'll be in Tsavo!"
(I'm leaving Monday August 23)
Thanks again-
Sharon
Aug 15th, 2004, 07:12 PM
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Yay---happy shooting! I think you will really enjoy the flexibility ( and the extra range) a digital will provide. I predict the film camera may turn into the "backup!" A couple things to think about:
1) Many people recommended that I get 2 extra batteries. Sometimes charging facilities are such that you have to leave 1 battery at camp to charge while on a drive. If you have 2 extras, you will still have a backup for yoru drive.
2) Once you start shooting digital, you will find that you take LOTS of photos, but can only do obvious eliminations on that little screen. You might want to pick up more cards than you can imagine using ($64 for 512 K is amazing...last time I bought them at Costco they only had 264K and I think those were something like $55!!
Another option is a portable hard drive-- they are very small, and useful for downloading your cards while travelling.
Have fun!!
1) Many people recommended that I get 2 extra batteries. Sometimes charging facilities are such that you have to leave 1 battery at camp to charge while on a drive. If you have 2 extras, you will still have a backup for yoru drive.
2) Once you start shooting digital, you will find that you take LOTS of photos, but can only do obvious eliminations on that little screen. You might want to pick up more cards than you can imagine using ($64 for 512 K is amazing...last time I bought them at Costco they only had 264K and I think those were something like $55!!
Another option is a portable hard drive-- they are very small, and useful for downloading your cards while travelling.
Have fun!!
Aug 15th, 2004, 07:38 PM
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Tashak,
Yes, I'm already falling in love with it-like a new puppy
-- and lusting after the Canon Digital SLR...maybe for Xmas...
Which portable drive do you recommend? I'm assuming it just connects with the USB cable?
The accessibility of the instant feedback, etc- really has encouraged me to experiment and shoot much more than I have with my SLR.
Sharon ("digital girl"
Yes, I'm already falling in love with it-like a new puppy
-- and lusting after the Canon Digital SLR...maybe for Xmas...Which portable drive do you recommend? I'm assuming it just connects with the USB cable?
The accessibility of the instant feedback, etc- really has encouraged me to experiment and shoot much more than I have with my SLR.
Sharon ("digital girl"
Aug 15th, 2004, 10:41 PM
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Yes, you've already discovered my favorite thing about digital...the instant feedback. Although changing ASA/ISO is close behind. The biggest problem is that you can end up spending hours...days...a whole weekend...playing with your digital photos. I need to take a photoshop course to really learn to use it, but it is quite amazing what you can do even when limited to the simplest of functions.
Sorry, I don't have any recent recommendations for a portable hard drive. I got mine 2 years ago from Adorama ( photo place in NYC with good website and 800 number prices). It is called a Super-Digibin...it's fine, but I bet there are better options these days. Mine doesn't have preview screen..the more recent ones do. But I believe there was a thread about this somewhere on Fodors recently..
Sorry, I don't have any recent recommendations for a portable hard drive. I got mine 2 years ago from Adorama ( photo place in NYC with good website and 800 number prices). It is called a Super-Digibin...it's fine, but I bet there are better options these days. Mine doesn't have preview screen..the more recent ones do. But I believe there was a thread about this somewhere on Fodors recently..
Aug 16th, 2004, 01:04 AM
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Yeah that instant feedback is wonderful isn't it?
But I would recommend that you not try and delete the duds just on the basis of the picture on the back of the screen because it's not that easy to judge the shot well and some shots that look bad can be salvaged remarkably well by only minimal efforts with image processing software.
I'd also opt for having 3 batteries altogether, one to be charging whilst two are out on the drive with you.
There are so many different devices onto which you an empty the CF cards. We have an X Drive which works very well for us but there are many other choices some of which may be better for you.
If you look at SLRs anytime soon I'd look at the Canon 300D, the Canon 10D and the Nikon D70. We went for the Nikon for a number of reasons and really like it!
But I would recommend that you not try and delete the duds just on the basis of the picture on the back of the screen because it's not that easy to judge the shot well and some shots that look bad can be salvaged remarkably well by only minimal efforts with image processing software.
I'd also opt for having 3 batteries altogether, one to be charging whilst two are out on the drive with you.
There are so many different devices onto which you an empty the CF cards. We have an X Drive which works very well for us but there are many other choices some of which may be better for you.
If you look at SLRs anytime soon I'd look at the Canon 300D, the Canon 10D and the Nikon D70. We went for the Nikon for a number of reasons and really like it!
Aug 16th, 2004, 03:34 AM
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Sundance - Our portable hard drive is a Kanguru. We bought it towards the end of 2001 for a three-week vacation. It came in incredibly handy then, and continues to do so. We took it with us on our safari this year and I was able to download my photos to the Kanguru after each game drive.
Just bear in mind that you will have to periodically charge up your drive if you can't plug it into a regular outlet when you are downloading your photos. At least that has been our experience.
(Charging-wise, we were lucky - one camp had 24-hour charging available in the manager's office, and two others had installed an outlet in each tent just for charging batteries. We didn't have to charge the Kanguru every day, but we did have to do so several times during our trip.)
Just bear in mind that you will have to periodically charge up your drive if you can't plug it into a regular outlet when you are downloading your photos. At least that has been our experience.
(Charging-wise, we were lucky - one camp had 24-hour charging available in the manager's office, and two others had installed an outlet in each tent just for charging batteries. We didn't have to charge the Kanguru every day, but we did have to do so several times during our trip.)
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