klix

Which ones apply?

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1. The kid's parents - definitely.

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2. The actor in cop costume?

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3. Universal Studios? The cop is their character. This was taken on their lot.

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4. Whoever owns rights to Blues Brothers?

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5. LA Clippers?

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<img src="http://klix.smugmug.com/photos/120134860-M.jpg">

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Smart for the money -- CAT LITTER

Just make sure it's the silica gel kind. It's cheap and available from many, many places.

KL

Looks like a case of banding to me.

Time to use that warranty card.

KL

Actually, it would **NOT** be serious ROI that Nikon would want if they wanted to maximize returns, it would be serious NPV (Net Present Value). :-)

Also, if that serous NPV were ALL that Nikon wanted, then why bother with the F6? Surely, NPV calculations on the F6 development were MUCH, MUCH lower than something like a D40.

For all the good reasons that Ellis mentioned, I do think that Nikon will come out with a FF DSLR by EOY 2008. It will not have a high NPV nor will the price be **reasonable** but it wil l restore some of that Nikon branding prestige.

KL

<i>**if I can assume that you'd want the D200.</i>

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S/B if I can assume that <b><i>you want in-camera metering</b></i> you'd want the D200.

Are the **old Nikon lenses*** manual focus lenses or ar they Autofocus lenses? If they are manual focus lenses, and if I can assume that you'd want the D200.

If they are AF lenses, or if the loaned lenses do NOT weigh very heavily in your decision, then I would suggest getting the D80.

Actually, if you had not mentiooned the loaned lenses, sounds like a D80 would be a good fit for you. I have a D200, but only because I have quite a few manual focus lenses.

As to lenses, I think a two-lens combo would be an ideal start:

1) Nikon 12-24mm - should be in every Nikon DSLR shooter's bag. The Sigma 10-20mm and Tokina 12-24mm equivalents are okay, but the Nikon just outshines all the others. I've recently sold my SIgma and ordered the Nikon.

2) Nikon 24-85mm/AFS - yes the 28-70mm/2.8 is vastly superior, but it is heavy; whereas the 24-85mm is sharp and AFS-fast, and doesn't take up much room in your bag -- even Thom Hogan agrees.

From a budget perspective, you have a total of $2800 USD. For that, you can get either the D80 or D200 plus the two lenses above.

Caveat: It's all the other stuff that will kill your budget -- media cards, batteries, and all those other accessories, etc...

KL

1) 17-35mm/2.8 AFS

2) 28-70mm/2.8 AFS

3) 70-200mm/2.8 AFS

4) 28mm/1.4 AFD

5) 85mm/1.4 AFD

6) 60mm/2.8 AFD Micro

7) 200mm/4 AFD Micro

Well, I don't know how **good** this contest is, but it's FREE, it's open to everyone, you can submit one photo a day for any category, and it's a monthly contest.

http://www.betterphoto.com/contest.asp

KL

To be honest, I don't know why you'd spend almost $3K on a D200 and a top-notch lens, then leave it at home on a nice trip.

Unless you're REALLY worried about theft (which would be the only valid reason to leave your expensive stuff at home), you should bring your best equipment.

Also, unless you're planning to use your D200 as a foundation to a sandcastle, there's no need to worry about getting sand inside -- the D200 is well-sealed. Even a little saltwater spray can be wiped off easily.

As to dust getting in the sensor -- just accept it as a fact of life of DSLR ownership. Learn how to clean the sensor yourself.

KL

<i>You can "zoom" by moving your feet</i>

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NO, YOU CANNOT. The perspective is different between zooming in and out with a zoom lens versus using a prime lens and zooming and out with your feet.

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The 18-70mm is a good starter lens for the D80. You can then add to it as your needs grow, e.g., wide angle, telephoto, macro, etc..

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Good luck!

If you don't mind tne drive to Anaheim, I highly recommend Camera Tech.

Mike has done the same type of work for my AIS lenses, and he does great work at reasonable prices. Great guy -- got his start as an apprentice at Zeiss.

Don't know if he's willing to receive/ship -- I think he might be strictly walk-in. You might want to call him.

The shop's at 1347 S. Anaheim Blvd in Anaheim.

The phone number is 714-535-0993.

He's open until 5:30pm M-F, and 1-4:30 pm Saturdays.

Good luck!

KL

<i>We all know (I think) that the D200 has a soft focus</i>

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I guess you learn something new everyday...

conular = cone-shaped.

3-4 inches is pretty long and will likely introduce vignetting, unless your lens has a very narrow angle of view, i.e., a long telephoto. I have a couple of telephoto lenses with built-in cylindrical lens hoods, e.g., Nikon 200mm/4 AIS.

You might want to check ebay.

Personally, to fill that gap, I'd go with a zoom, as long as you can live with a slower lens.

- First choice - 50-135mm (if you can find one)

- Second - 75-150mm Series E.

<center><img src="http://klix.smugmug.com/photos/120134860-L.jpg">

<p><p>Universal Studios</center>

<center> <img src="http://klix.smugmug.com/photos/120111242-L.jpg">

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<i>D200 and Kiron 105mm</i></center>

Don't know about photo.net, but photosig does.

http://www.photosig.com/go/photos

YOu can download the Adobe DNG converter; then use the converter to convert NEF to DNG. CS can open DNG.

An easier solution is to download RawShooter Essentials for free (link below). It'll read your NEF file and allow you to save the file to a tif file, which you can open with CS. Thi sis what I use.

There may be other ways.

KL

http://www.pixmantec.com/products/rawshooter_essentials.asp

If you have broadband access at home and where you're going, would it be feasible to just set up your home system as an ftp host? Then you can just ftp your images to your home system.

In addition, keep multiple copies with you on a PSD and multiple SD/CF cards.

DIGITAL

Nikon D40 with kit lens (18-55, v2) or the 18-70mm lens or the 18-200mm lens (if you can find one at this time or wait until it is more widely available).

FILM

Fuji GA645 AF ZI - a nice, compact 645 camera. Not widely available, but they do pop up every so often.