bj_bignell

You should have no trouble carrying your film and camera on-board. If you want your film hand-checked, take all of the rolls out of the canisters, and place them all in one or more CLEAR plastic bags (Ziploc bags would be good). Keep these plastic bags in your carry-on. BEFORE you get to the front of the security line-up, remove the plastic bags from your hand luggage.

You should have no prolbem having the film hand-checked, because you'll have it clearly visible through the plastic bags, and you'll be prepared before you get to the X-ray scanner.

Enjoy your trip!

It looks like I'm going to China on October 6, 2003 for about a

week. Does anyone know if there are any restrictions/rules on

photography? Besides the obvious airport/military base exceptions, I

haven't heard anything about restrictions there.

I don't know where I'll be going yet, but I'll post info when I get

it. Thanks for the help!

Steve,

I would follow the link to http://www.storagereview.com/ and do some research. One important note was (almost) touched on by another poster, and I'll elaborte: The slowest part of your computer is the hard drive. I very seriously recommend getting at least a 7200RPM drive, if not a 10000RPM unit.

Make sure that your new hard drive is compatible with the IDE setup on your motherboard.

BJ

Obviously for you focus speed is important, so make sure you go to your local retailer and try different camera/lens combos out, and see which impresses you. Make sure to get lenses with built-in focussing motors (Nikon SWM, Canon USM, or Minolta HS) for higher speeds.

The other detail to consider is frame rate. Since snowboarding action happens fast, you'll likely want 3fps or faster.

Finally, almost every Minolta Maxxum has a release-priority setting which will force the camera to take the picture whether or not autofocus has been confirmed. You might find this useful.

Dan,<br>

If you have a car and can travel, just do a border run for a duty-free liquor, and pick up some camera gear on your way. :-) <br><br>

If that doesn't interest you:<br>

- McBain Camera in Edmonton (http://www.mcbaincamera.com) has good shipping rates and fair prices.<br>

- The Camera Store in Calgary (http://www.thecamerastore.com) usually has lower prices than McBain.<br>

- London Drugs usually has a good camera department, and their prices (especially sale prices) are usually competitive. Some locations also deal used gear.<br><br>

If you eventually find a good source, post it here so we all know!

Jake,

You can try Vintage Visuals in Calgary, AB (Canada). They have some used color enlargers in their darkroom equipment list.

http://www.vintagevisuals.com/

Stuart,

I've pushed generic ISO 400 color negative films to 800 and 1600 and had them push-processed. The grain was noticeable and definitely added a mood to the photographs, although it wasn't necessarily 'nice' grain. Make sure your exposure is spot on, because when you're going this far, there is NO room for underexposure!

I've also done the same with generic ISO 100 color positive film to 400. Much nicer results (cleaner grain, more pleasing), with lots of contrast.

Craig,

If you want to keep your camera handy, you can make (or perhaps find for purchase) a chest strap that will hold the camera against your body, and take some of the weight off of your neck. This will keep it out and ready, but it won't be bouncing against you and beating you up.

Good luck on your trip!

Ward,

Take everything if you have the space for it! Canada is a big, beautiful country, and you'll probably find lots to shoot.

That being said, I would really recommend a wide angle lens, even if it's just a 28mm. If you get into the open prairies or the Rocky Mountains in western Canada, you'll wish you had one. If you're taking the EOS, see if you can't get yourself a 20mm or 24mm.

Good luck with your trip.

Sean,

Despite what anybody says here (or in any forum), the best camera you can own - especially when learning - is the camera that you enjoy working with most. If a camera fits right in your hands, you can comfortably control it (manual or electronic control!), and you are pleased with the pictures it produces, you have the right camera.

If one day you want to be a professional, then you can take some serious time to do some serious comparisons of Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax, Contax, etc etc etc...

Good luck with your new camera(s), and with your travels.

BJ

Diane,

If budget is not a concern, you can mount Carl Zeiss T* lenses on your Yashica. Zeiss makes the Tele-Apotessar 300mm f2.8, the Tele-Tessar 300mm f4, and the Vario-Sonnar 100-300mm f4.5-5.6. You could even get really adventurous and try the Mirotar 500mm f4.5 or Mirotar f8. See http://www.contaxcameras.com.

I'm not aware of any long (>200mm) lenses that Yashica made, but if you can find a 300mm lens made by Yashica, it'd probably be a good buy for the money. Try to find a clean used lens if you can, and save a few bucks.

I'd suggest you stay away from any older (and cheaper) lenses, especially zoom lenses. Often, these lenses are made with plastic lens elements, not glass, and usually come with a universal mount adapter for your camera; they're not built specifically for your camera.

Your other option is to buy a good quality 1.4x tele-converter. This will make your 80-200mm zoom into a 112-280mm zoom, which gets you a little closer. A 2x tele-converter will extend you to a 160-400mm zoom. Beware that tele-converters will cost you 1 stop (1.4x) or 2 stops (2x) of light. So, if your 80-200mm zoom is an f4-5.6, it will be an f8-11, which gets pretty dark in the viewfinder.

If you do find a good lens to suit your needs (and budget), post another message and let us know how it worked.

Good luck!

BJ

I recently acquired a Bernard & Marks Marksman Six-20 box camera. It

has two shutter speeds: Time (Bulb) and Snap. Does anyone know what

shutter speed the "Snap" setting provides?

Thank you!

BJ