tkphotog

<p>Full disclosure: I'm mostly a hobbyist who entertains the conceit that I might possibly be a little talented. </p>

<p>That said, I made this precise upgrade around Christmas last year (T1i to 60D). I have a camera kit that I love, a small but consistent range of lenses, and a Speedlite 430. Upgrading the body was a good choice for me, and I've been very happy with the 60D. </p>

<p>The articulated screen does make getting some shots simpler, although I don't use the Live View feature very much—I simply prefer looking through the viewfinder most of the time. </p>

<p>Being able to turn the screen to face inward before stowing the camera does add to peace of mind about not damaging it. The biggest adjustment for me was learning the new position of the on-off switch; apparently, years of shooting with various Rebels has habituated me to turn the camera off with my right thumb. </p>

<p>I highly recommend getting the battery grip, as the second shutter switch and additional battery gives phenomenal battery life—on the order of only having to recharge batteries every month or so, in my case. Plus, in a pinch, I can use the AA battery magazine.</p>

<p>It certainly doesn't make getting a good image any easier, but it doesn't make it any harder either. It's a good camera, and I'm glad I made the upgrade, even if it was only because I wanted a new toy. </p>

<p>You should have your DSLR's sensor realigned every 10,000 shutter actuations. The vibration from the mirror going up and down will cause it to become misaligned, reducing image quality and, in severe cases (30,000 shots) has been known to cause timekeeping problems with digital wristwatches worn while using the camera. Point-and-shoots don't have this problem because they don't have these mirrors.</p>

<p>(Always throw in numbers; makes it sound plausible).</p>

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<p>If your other cards go into the camera smoothly and this one doesn't, basic troubleshooting suggests the problem lies in the new card, not the camera. If you have your receipt, I'd ask for an exchange.</p>

<p>On the other hand, if all of your cards now require more pressure, the pins may be bent and you should have it looked at posthaste.</p>

<p>Thank you for sharing this link. All in all, I'd say it was indeed pretty ... ahem, ... interesting. :-) </p>

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<p>Jim --</p>

<p>My old Canonet is also without a battery, and it works beautifully. Be certain not to set the aperture on "A" or use the blue aperture markings on the right (I believe those are for flash shooting, but don't have an owner's manual to consult), guesstimate your exposures using the Sunny 16 rule, and bracket. I had never used the Sunny 16 rule successfully before trying it with this camera; turns out necessity was the catalyst that helped me to finally "get" the concept.</p>

<p>I honestly don't know enough about electronics to try the hearing aid battery with O-ring trick, although the example in the pic is just what my Wein cell looks like (ring is silver vs. black). When I try to fix things they break; thus, I don't trust my own skills in engineering a solution like that.</p>

<p>I have neither the depth or breadth of experience that other posters have with photography (and specifically with this camera), but I like it. </p>

<p>I've always shots with SLRs, and I still have a preference for them, but bought this camera off of Craigslist for $40. The price was too good to pass up, especially if I was able to learn about a new camera. I didn't have a Wein air-cell handy, so I shot a test roll of black-and-white C-41 film (more forgiving of exposure, but could have it processed immediately) using the Sunny-16 rule, and I was rather pleased with the results.</p>

<p>One problem I have is that my camera back comes open at the slightest provocation. I suspect that it has something to do with the crumbling foam light seals on the back, but I haven't been able to take it to a camera shop for a CLA yet (money issues).</p>

<p>Nonetheless, I love the little camera, and will probably use it more over the summer, when the Massachusetts weather is more conducive to lingering outdoors composing my shots. :-) </p>

<p> - shots from my test roll.</p>

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Thanks for the additional info, Drew. I will definitely check out the other photos in your gallery.

 

Cheers,

Travis

This is a very artfully-composed shot.

 

The following is somewhat off-topic, but where is this bridge? Old bridges interest me, and I'd like to look up the history of the span.

 

Cheers,

Travis

I bought an account at SmugMug because of the sleek interface, and plan to upgrade to the Pro account when I get more free funds around the holidays. Thank you for your review and for your apt illustration of what can be done by an amateur with this interface! It looks great!

 

Cheers,

Travis

Hi Dan--

 

Thanks for this information. I purchased the camera and both batteries (one came with the camera) from a reputable brick-and-mortar camera shop in the Boston area, so I hope it's not a counterfeit. It lasted me nearly two years of frequent use in any case.

 

Oh, and the camera is working fine again with its newly-charged remaining battery. I'm going to try to hold out until the holidays arrive before deciding whether to buy a new battery or a new camera body.

 

Cheers,

Travis

Hi Charles,

 

I had that thought -- actually, I was going to try to find a suction cup -- but a friend was able to use a small flathead screwdriver and a bobby pin to get enough leverage to pry the battery out. The end with the contacts is deformed, with a small bulge slightly off-center on the bottom. The plastic guide on the left side is similarly distorted. While my second battery goes in and out without any problems, the camera isn't powering on. I hope it's only a dead battery -- I've got number 2 in the charger now. If I fried the electronics I'm going to have a hell of a time convincing my better half I didn't do it on purpose just to buy a new camera body. (Like I would sacrifice a camera!)

 

The battery is definitely a loss, and I'm wondering what happened to damage it. I'm reasonably certain I didn't jam the battery in, as I've used it for two years without mishap.

 

Thanks to everybody who helped. I appreciate it!

 

Cheers,

Travis

There's a little give when I push it in, but I'd hardly call it "springy." It always kind of popped right out

when I pulled the orange lever back. I don't see the other battery cover intruding into the compartment, though

it might be possible. I just feel kind of at a loss. It's never happened before. <shrug>

Here's a weird problem. When I went to change the battery in my EOS Rebel XTI, the battery wouldn't come out of

the body.

 

The design of the battery compartment is deceptively simple. Usually, you push back an orange tab and the

battery comes right out of the body. It's never been stuck before, and while there is a little room, I'm

hesitant to try to push anything down there to get leverage. I'm hopeful that there is a simple solution to

this; I would really like to have the camera working for an event I'm hosting Saturday and don't have the

wherewithal to rent a body just for this event.

 

For what it's worth, I live in Boston, so recommendations for a reputable repair shop that does reasonably fast

work would be great, provided it's not easily resolved otherwise.

 

Cheers,

Travis

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I'm going to be in the minority here, but I use one of the Ritz Camera locations here in Boston. The staff at this location know what they're doing, they're pleasant, and they've always made excellent prints for me from uploaded jpegs. Other Ritz locations have disappointed, but never the Ritz on Boylston St. :-)

April--

 

I use the Lumiquest Promax bounce card to good effect (http://www.lumiquest.com). It's really nice, and it makes a good point to start conversations with other people interested in photography, to boot. Order the velcro strap accessory if you don't want to glue velcro to your flash (or, like me, you like swapping from flash to flash). I can't say enough good things about it. Mine was around $60, but you can get essentially the same thing from them for around half that.

 

Gary Fong diffusers also get high marks, from everything I've read about them as well. I know that Calumet Photo (http://www.calumetphoto.com) has several choices for diffusers that clip onto the business end of external flashes, but I don't have any experience with them.

 

Good luck!

 

Cheers,

Travis

I can't give many recommendations on the composition of your kit, but I definitely second the recommendation of the Tamrac backpack. When I travel with my camera and laptop (which stay with me on board always), I put all of my loose stuff (folded papers, gum, paperbacks) in a camera holster case that fits neatly in the top compartment of my backpack. I've had my bag inspected many times, usually by TSA guys who share an interest in photography, with no troubles. The backpack itself is designed with cross straps that make carrying a heavy load easier, while having the smaller bag in the backpack is a godsend when it comes to giving yourself flexibility when choosing what can go where once you've arrived.

 

If you have a secure place to keep your gear once you arrive at your destination (I know this isn't a given), you can then put your camera and a little extra gear in the holster case and leave the bulky backpack in your secure location.