MichaelChang

<p>This is her member page, Michael:<br> <a href="/photodb/user?user_id=7428567">http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=7428567</a></p>

<p>Canon introduced the EOS 60Da back around 2012 specifically for astrophotography:<br> <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_60da#Features">http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_60da#Features</a></p> <p>Presumably because there are enough astrophotographers modifying their cameras that major players thought it might be a worthy niche market. </p>

<p>Thinking ahead is a good thing, Stephanie, but jumping in then learning how to swim can lead to disaster which is what William and Jeff is emphasizing in kinder words.</p> <p>Whether you go pro or not, indeed an aspiring photographer will still need a camera to practice and learn with, but since you did not mention a budget or what you've been using, I will just say that a full featured DSLR, ignoring arguments about image quality and such, can be had for as little as $200 for a full kit on the used market; maybe even less if you shop carefully. </p> <p>It will be quite a boost with such a kit if you've never had your hands on one. With it, you can learn everything from the rudiments to advanced photography techniques through practice from any number of online resources including members here who will always be more than happy to help. </p> <p>So, if you want specific recommendations on a usable DSLR on a shoestring, let us know your absolute maximum budget and we can start the ball rolling. </p>

<p>Thanks, Ed. I wasn't aware of that. Good to know! </p> <p>Funny part is, Windows 8.1 retails for $119 at the Microsoft store in Canada but I (or anyone) can buy such a tablet <em>with</em> 8.1 for less. </p> <p>I've read that Microsoft is essentially giving away 8.1 to the low cost tablet OEM with certain performance restrictions; RAM might be one of them. I guess they're trying to gain market share. </p>

<p>Oh, another nice thing about that cheap tablet running full Windows 8.1 is that I get full offline voice command that's built-in to Windows. Really handy when I run it in desktop mode and it gets difficult to touch the proper icons or buttons on a small screen.<br> <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows-8/using-speech-recognition">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows-8/using-speech-recognition </a></p>

<p>Ed, the tablet is linked in my comment above. It comes with a full version of Windows 8.1. <br> <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834734009&cm_re=vulcan_challenger_ii-_-34-734-009-_-Product">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834734009&cm_re=vulcan_challenger_ii-_-34-734-009-_-Product</a></p> <p>I can run it in its Charms mode like any touchscreen Android tablet, or in full Windows desktop mode like any Windows computer using a keyboard and mouse. In fact I've installed many desktop apps that I frequently use for portable applications unavailable on any other OS. </p>

<p>I bought an 8" <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834734009&cm_re=vulcan_challenger_ii-_-34-734-009-_-Product">Windows 8.1 tablet</a> on sale for $100 (In Canada) over Christmas just for grins and not having any expectations - just had to have another toy to complement my Android tablets. It came with a magnetic carrying folder and Bluetooth keyboard. </p> <p>Boy, did the tablet ever exceed my expectations by a very long mile! </p> <p>It reminded me of the big fuss 10 years ago about building a $100 laptop for third-world countries, and now we can buy a full-fledged Windows 8.1 computer, retail, for that money. Adjusted for inflation, that's $85 in 2004 money; talk about great value.</p> <p>The tablet has Bluetooth that I've used to connect a <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-TomTom-MKII-Bluetooth-Wireless-GPS-Receiver-Same-Design-As-GlobalSat-BT-368i/251472805340">TomTom GPS</a> for Offline Navigation, and a micro-USB port that can fan out for HDMI. As a desktop supplement, I use <a href="http://www.inputdirector.com/">InputDirector</a> KVM that controls all my computers with a single keyboard/mouse, and the tablet is grab-and-go that I can use to control my Nikon cameras, telescope mount, and read my car's OBD2 data without the weight and bulk of a laptop. Just amazing. </p> <p>The downside to Windows is the low number of available apps but developers seem to be slowly making them available. Not a problem for me, though. Everything I need IS available, and what I can't get is available on Android. </p> <p>Windows 10 is supposed to be nearly the same as Windows 8 in its resource requirement which is a lot less than any previous Windows versions. My little tablet runs snappy like a champ with just 1G RAM and plenty for my application, so I'm looking forward to the 10 upgrade not so much for the "features" as the extended product life I'll get to enjoy. Remember, Windows 7 End-of-Life has come.</p> <p>By the way, Nokia released their "HERE" offline GPS app for free, available for iOS, Android and Windows. Best GPS app I've come across, and I've tried them all.<br> <a href="http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-releases-here-maps-all-windows-81-hardware">http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-releases-here-maps-all-windows-81-hardware<br /></a></p> <p> </p>

<p>Alan, I'll paste the answer to your deleted question for others since it wasn't clear to me initially either. </p> <p>The upgrade is <strong>free and permanent</strong> for the first year. You'll have to pay retail if you choose not to upgrade during the first year free offer. <br> <a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-windows-10-will-not-be-sold-as-a-subscription/">http://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-windows-10-will-not-be-sold-as-a-subscription/</a></p>

<p>Microsoft has announced that <a href="http://www.itpro.co.uk/operating-systems/23119/windows-10-release-date-and-specs">Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for the first year</a>, then it will become a standard retail OS if you choose not to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8/8.1. </p> <p>Release date is said to be sometime mid to late 2015. </p> <p>Technical Preview users have reported 10 as a substantially better integrated OS than 8.1 in its desktop's mouse/keyboard and tablet's touch/pen. Some notable feature enhancements include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spartan_%28browser%29">Spartan Browse</a>r, <a href="http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/"> Microsoft Azure</a> personal and enterprise cloud computing, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Cortana">Microsoft Cortana</a> (MS HAL-9000). Gamers might appreciate better Xbox integration.</p> <p>Sounds like a great deal. I took advantage of the $40 8.0 Pro upgrade when it first came out and never regretted it, now I can finally ditch XP Pro after slowing finding solutions to legacy hardware and software. </p> <p> </p>

<p>Hi Edwin, I think <a href="http://www.virtualdub.org/">VirtualDub</a> + <a href="http://www.guthspot.se/video/deshaker.htm">Deshaker</a> should be able to fix your compiled time-lapse video. </p> <p>Both are free and there are many YouTube tutorials on its use:<br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=VirtualDub++Deshaker">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=VirtualDub++Deshaker</a></p>

<p>I don't know when the page view feature came online but it's much appreciated. Now I can finally browse that one particular folder containing 18,460 photos over the next little while without choking my machine. </p> <p> </p>

<p>Speed is one obvious advantage, but just as important is the SSD's reliability* and lower power consumption (and therefore less heat). </p> <p>They have become so inexpensive these days (in North America) that it makes sense as an upgrade to any modern computer. </p> <p>*Go for a name brand known for high performance and reliability - Intel, Samsung, etc. </p>

<p>This is an interesting article that might benefit wedding photographers in their contract drafting :<br> <a href="http://www.legalphotopro.com/2013/01/16/the-myth-of-the-non-refundable-deposit-l-law-for-photographers/">http://www.legalphotopro.com/2013/01/16/the-myth-of-the-non-refundable-deposit-l-law-for-photographers/ </a></p>

<p>Although I tend to agree with Michael's remark, there is an alternate interpretation;</p> <p>She clearly understood the implications of sending in her check, in that:</p> <ul> <li>it's non-refundable; and</li> <li>you will be under obligation to reserve the agreed upon dates.</li> </ul> <p>That in itself may constitute an enforceable contract because:</p> <ol> <li>there was meeting of the minds; you both understood the terms; and</li> <li>there is consideration in the amount of the deposit; and</li> <li>you reserved the dates possibly at the expense of declining other potential clients.</li> </ol> <p>If she didn't actually cancel her wedding but only said she did in order to obtain a refund, then you can add <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_faith#In_law">bad faith</a> to your claim to support her possible intentional withholding of the contract signing to leave her options open to hire an alternate photographer.</p> <p>A lot of assumptions, and I'm not a lawyer, so best to consult with a lawyer in your area.</p>

<blockquote> <p><em>"I was shooting boiling pot of stewed beef with soup bubble coming up while my camera was pointing down."</em></p> </blockquote> <p>I imagine the pot will need to be on the heating element in order to maintain full boil. <br> <br> To shoot in such a situation, I'd probably use a fan to disperse the steam and use a mirror angled at 45°. Even better if the pot can be placed on a single-element electric stove to make framing and shooting easier. </p>

<p>Hey Eric, I enjoy Google's various mapping products as well. </p> <p>I wonder why Google chose to bundle "Google Sky" into Google Earth Pro; Google Sky has always appeared to be a half-baked project and the integration into GEP is terrible. For example, I'm in Google Sky and a search for "Andromeda Galaxy" brings the map to the label: Andromeda Computer Systems in Alberta, Canada, but pointed somewhere in deep space. </p> <p>Let's hope the embellishment of the product will continue, and that giving GEP away won't mean the product has been abandoned. </p>

<p>Tips and tricks for power users:<br> <a href="https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Google+Earth+Pro+tips+and+tricks">https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Google+Earth+Pro+tips+and+tricks</a></p>

<p>The application works under Windows 8.1 Pro even though it's not mentioned in the download page. </p>

<p>Google Ear Pro used to be a $399/Yr subscription. Now you can get it free by following the video instructions on this page:<br> <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/get-google-earth-pro-for-free/">http://www.cnet.com/news/get-google-earth-pro-for-free/ </a></p> <p>This is the download URL:<br> <a href="http://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html">http://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html</a></p>

<blockquote> <p><em>"Speaking of bad behavior and disrespect of other cultures by US photographers/tourists..."</em></p> </blockquote> <p>They are extremely lucky that they weren't in Saudi Arabia. </p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback, guys. </p> <p>I don't know about iPads but Android lets users move installed programs around effortlessly. I think Microsoft should seriously consider addressing these basic issues if they want to be a serious alternative in the tablet market. The only reason I can think of for the missing "feature" is to allow OEMs to upsell tablets with more internal storage at huge margins. </p> <p>Too bad, really. Running full-fledged Windows 8.1 on a tablet is (to me) a real plus. Mine serves as a secondary computer using Input Director, a grab-and-go computer, and complements my Android tablet perfectly. </p> <p>Wouter, I'll look into Mount-Point and Symlink; thanks as always for the helpful computer tech-support. :-) </p>

<p>Some Windows 8.1 tablets come with limited internal storage but has external SD card capability; problem is, the default app. installation location is under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps and will quickly fill up the internal storage with just a few large programs.</p> <p>So my question is, is there a way to redirect the installation of the program files to the SD card? It used to be possible with Windows 8, but not 8.1 that I'm aware of. </p> <p>Some users have reported success using Symlinks but don't describe the steps to accomplish it while others have bricked their tablets trying.<br> <br> Thanks.</p>

<p>.[.Z was a prolific rater with <strong>57,869 </strong>ratings to his credit in a few short years. His ratings were rarely accompanied by comments which became a frequent source of forum complaints. <br> <br> To my knowledge, .[.Z was banned a number of years ago for reasons other than his ratings, although arguments resulting from his ratings might have been the original cause. <br> <a href="/photodb/user-ratings?user_id=116858">http://www.photo.net/photodb/user-ratings?user_id=116858</a></p> <p>I say leave it alone. It is more fruitful to offer more thoughtful comments than to engage in these types of discussions that usually result in very long threads and not much else. </p>

<p>I actually find the rate of decline over a span of 36 months shocking.</p> <p>The hot item over Christmas 2014 seems to have been low cost tablets and convertible laptops that might partly explain the decline, but still. </p>

<p>From my experience, the most important camera attribute to a child learner is responsiveness - anything that has no shutter lag will make them happy.</p> <p>Much less important are "serious photography features" that you've described - Manual/Aperture/Shutter/Program modes, Raw file option, exposure comp etc., that will only serve to frustrate an 8 year-old, at least in the beginning. <br> <br> I find the most fruitful way to guide a child is to let him/her explore to develop a level of keenness that will hopefully turn into a passion. The quickest way to make a child lose interest is to saturate them with "lessons" that will take all the fun away. <br> <br> Give them a responsive camera and turn them loose even if they shoot in Auto mode all day, because the initial success will breed the desire for future success that will also make them more keen to learn. Conversely, they will be quickly discouraged and lose interest if their initial experience is a struggle. <br> </p>