george_gilbert

Kurt:

 

I had to deal with the Canon repair service this last spring, and they were most professional. The estimate was right on, and the service was fast (about a five day turn around).

 

At the time, I had a choice of the Canon repair facilities in either New Jersey or in California. The Canon site did not list a repair facility in Illinois. Are you sure that you were dealing with Canon repair, or just a "Canon Authorized Repair". If you were dealing with an "authorized" facility, the real Canon might be interested in hearing about your unsatisfactory experience.

My experience in Costa Rica included trips to botanical research sites,and several of the National Parks. For the photography of wildlife, I used a 70-200 zoom, and 1.4X and 2.0X extenders. Much of the wildlife was in the overhead canopy of the forest. To get shots of the monkeys, birds, sloths, etc. a flash extender such as a Better Beamer was helpful. Make sure you understand how to use the Better Beamer before you fly to San Jose.

Just got back from a two week tour of the Galapagos, so let me add some comments Your questions on the need for a Macro, or a tripod/monopod are reliant on your photography style. I found very little need for a tripod. If I had had a monopod, I would have used it as a hiking stick. A tripod would have been useful only if I had taken a long telephoto for capturing sea birds in flight. Two much equipment can be a handicap. On my tour we were constantly climbing into rubber dingys and making "wet landings" in water or on sandy beaches. A full camera bag would have been a handicap rather than a benefit. I took a wide angle, a 28-70 zoom, and a 70-200 zoom (with a 1.4X externder), and could pretty much cover everything.

 

If I had any extra space, a reflecter would have come in handy as the sun is directly overhead this time of year, and the contrast is something we'ere not used too in the northern hemisphere. The shadows are harsh, and often, you cannot leave the marked trail to get good light on a booby nesting just a foot ot two away. A reflecter would also help lighting the marine iguanuas on the black lava. I saw nothing that prohibited the use of a flash, and at times a fill-flash might have helped.

 

If your tour provide for snorkeling, take a handful of disposable waterproof cameras. The snorkeling will give great shots of spectacular fish life among the rocks and unbelievable contact with the playful sea lions.

 

Take twice the amount of high-SPF sun screen that you'd`think you need, and a hat that gives sun protection for your ears and neck as well as your face. Count on snorkeling with a hat and a tee shirt.

Several people on our boat burned the first day, and that was the end of their snorkeling.

I spent the last week of September and the first week of October in RMNP and in Southwest Colorado this last year. It was the height of the aspen color season and the beginning of the elk rut in RMNC. Had to wait for two days to get the snow plowed off of the Fall River Pass, but the snow and aspen color (and the blue Colorado skies) made for spectacular photography.

Very nice birds on the web site. I was really hoping that I could find a workshop, or at least an educational tour to help me with my photography. I'm satisfied now that anyone with a reputation is closed down during the holiday period. I'll see if I can get away in March or April.

 

Your pictures, and others that I've seen have convinced me hat I'll get to CR eventually.

 

G. Gilbert

Thanks, John, for the recommendation. I'm checking Interquest Adventures out now.

 

G. Gilbert

Good Evening. I'm looking for a warm weather Nature photography

workshop, or even a well-led Nature photo tour during holidays

sometime between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15. I'd like easy access from the

U.S., and Costa Rica seems to be an ideal destination. Unfortunately,

most workshops seem to be taking their own holiday over this period.

Does anyone have a suggestion, or a recommendation for a

workshop/tour over this period?

 

G. Gilbert

Good Afternoon:

 

I seem to have time on my hands between Dec. 16 and Jan 15 this

Winter,and I'm looking for a week-long Photo Nature Tour/Workshop in

a warm location like Costa Rica. Unfortunately, I haven't found a

tour open in this time span. Does anyone have a recommendation for a

tour or a workshop in Costa Rica that's open at that time of the

holidays?

 

G. Gilbert

Complete (6 pages) specifications are found in a sales guide at

 

http://www.inkjetart.com/2400/R2400_SalesGuide.pdf

 

George Gilbert

I've read Bob Atkins excellent explaination on RAW, JPEG, and TIF

files. That article, and the ensuing thread at

http://www.photo.net/learn/raw/ really have been a help. For

demonstration purposes, is there any convenient way to open a RAW

file to show the absenc eof color information and the percieved

flatness of the image?

The Epson web site recently posted new drivers for a number of printers/Windows XP systems, and specifically mentioned the problem of dark printing.

I was once told that the water from the geysers at Yellowstone is saturated with dissolved silica. As the water cools (or dries) the silica percipitates out and becomes one with the silica surface of the lens. This would have all the appearance of etching.

 

Unfortunately I discovered another place for corrosion on a camera. The little black buttons on the top of my Canon EOS-1n became corroded and began to stick. The repairs were moderately expensive. I saw the old corroded buttons and they had the blue/green color of copper oxide. I guess these buttons are copper with a coating of black enamel. I'd be quick in the removal of any moisture on the top surface of the camera.

Don't skip the Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop.

I really dislike not agreeing with Yakim bedcause he often gives great advice, and he really knows what he's talking about.... But I do have a different opinion. Martin has asked for a dvice on a lens, not a camera bag of lenses. I do have a camera bag full of lenses, almost all fairly expensive Canon L lenses, but if I had to settle for one general lens for a variety of purposes, I think I'd have to settle for the Canon 28-135 IS lens. It's good range and thed IS feature make that lens useful for a avariety of purposes. Granted, it's not the best Canon lens, bujt it will suffice for almost all routine uses.

You can answer all your questions at the Canon Museum, http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/

 

Canon maintains a history of camera bodies and lenses at the on-line sight. On the menus, first click on film bodies, and on the second page, click on the EOS bodies. Each EOS body will have a description, and under specifications, a fairly complete listing of those specifications

 

Basicly, the EOS-1 series has been the Canon top-of-the-line film bodies. The EOS-1 was introduced in 1987, the EOS-1N in 1994, and the EOS-1V in 2000.

The 70-200 f/4 feels exactly like any other high-quality lens when using auto-focus. I routinely leave the lens set on auto-focus and normally use the auto-focus feature. I will manually touch the focus ring after focusing to see if I can make any improvement. In those rare instances when the focus can be improved, it's necessary to manually switch off the auto-focus switch, or the auto-focus will take command when you partially push on the shutter switch and then re-focus your picture.

 

In fact, the auto-focus on the L series lenses is probably faster and more accurate than manually focusing.

 

I was deeply resentful when the auto-focus camera were introduced (15 years ago?), but I've come to appreciate this feature of modern camera equipment. I just bought the 70-200 f/2.8 L IS version of the 70-200 f/4L lens, and it has changed my photography.

I've found that, on two occassions over the past six years, that some oxidation. or maybe even figger oils, have contaminated some of the multiple contacts in the camera. Everytime I take out my camera after a period of non-use, I use a microfiber cloth (or a clean t-shirt in a pinch) to vigorously clean all of these contacts starting with:

 

The two battery contacts in the swing-door battery compartment.

 

The five contacts on the base of the battery compartment.

 

The row of twelve contacts at the interface between the battery holder and the camera.

 

The eight contacts on the camera where it interfaces with the lens.

The lens contacts.

 

The seven contacts in the film canister holder.

 

The eight contacts in the camera where the film back makes contact.

 

The six pin contacts on the film back.

 

And finally the two contacts on the battery itself.

 

I don't know if all of these contacts make a difference, but this 10 or 15 minute job might save you a trip to the repair shop.

There is an extensive table with side-by-side comparisons of the camera features at

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos300d/

Thanks, Arnab for such an informative answer to Wee's question. I'd like to ask if you have any experience in planting of flowers to attarct butterflies? Do you have any specific recommendations?

Dear Zapped:

 

I think you've planned way to much driving and not nearly enough looking. But we can change some of that right away. According to the National Park web site, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has no visitors services or facilities open until mid-May. I don't believe they even make an attempt to keep the road open.

 

I'd also skip the Springdale galleries.

Mark and Gloria:

 

Why would I mak this up? Let me quote directly from a Canon manual for a lens with the newer Image Stabilization (both Modes 1 and 2). This is from the manual section entitled Tips on Using the Image Stabilizer.

 

"Set the STABILIZER awitch to OFF when you are taking pictures with a tripod. Even if the STABILIZER is set to ON, the IS function does not operate because the electronic circuits in the lens automatically detect that a tripod is being used. However because electrical power is still being supplied to the image stabilizer unit, batery life is roughly 20% shorter lhan it would be with the switch set to OFF."

 

Perhaps you should occasionally read your camera manuals.

According to the manual, Mode 1 corrects all vibrations no matter whether the camera is being held horizontally, vertically, or at an angle. Mode 2 corrects vibrations and shaking only in the direction at right angles to the camera's motion, and is used when panning with the camera.

 

The manual also directs to turn the IS off when on a tripod as the camera senses that the camera is on the tripod and swithches off the IS, but the battery is still being consumed, and will decrease battery life by 20%.

It's quite the tourist thing to do along the waterfront at Key West, Florida. Everyone goes down to the harbor for a great street show at sunset, and they look for the green flash as the sun goes down. I figured that the flash was just a reflection off the olive in my glass.

Thanks, gang for the suggestions. I always appreciate the help found at photo.net.

This last year, I I attended a photoworkshop that was less-than-

satisfactory, so this year, I'm looking for workshop

recommendations. I've checked the posted remarks in the Photo.net

Community/workshop threads. but not enough of us bother to post

there.

 

I'm looking for a late Winter/Spring workshop in a warm weather

local, and it occurrs to me that a workshop in the Baja California

area might be good. The weather should beat what I have here, and

the timing woulf be good for watching. And I'm looking for a real

workshop - not just a photo tour. Does anyone have a good

recommendation?