koen_hufkens

Same on the BG-E2 on the Canon 20d!

Nice... there are some tools that do the same but the panorama software approach is a new and cheaper alternative.

Buy the original one... send the thing over to Hutech and they will replace the normal IR-UV cut filter by a clear one or an altered one that gives some IR capabilities. They even have a nifty system that allows filters to be places just at the mouth of the lensmouth. Keeping your mirror and your sensor free from all dust. Something that would really be welcom as a standard feature on digital DSLR's.

I've had various Maxtor drives over the years... all are still running in computers, if it isn't one of mine then it's one of my sisters.

 

I have an external 160gb drive in a casing linked to before, and it works as a charm. Ok, it's a little slow, certainly not a working drive but as backup it does it job pretty well.

Not to rain on your parade but I would stick to cities in this time of the year. Belgium and the netherlands are a pretty grey place during november, december... things begin to lighten up a bit in mid winter because frost gives you oportunities to shoot nice outdoor nature shots, but in fall... all grey most of the time

 

Maybe you can have some fall colours here and there but I would stick to cities to shoot. It's certainly possible to do some great nature shots in this time of the year, but it will need more creativity from your part to get around problems like bad light, lack of contrast because of mist and rain etc etc...

 

Snow isn't to be expected. You could be lucky or unlucky, you deside, but it isn't a part of the daily winter weather over here.

 

It's safe to walk about with all your equipment, but don't be reckless with it... there are always pickpockets out there.

 

Equipment: Drop the 400mm... you won't need it. unless you are a birdwatcher or something alike.

 

Transport: Public transport is good, but not cheap. If you need flexibility, rent a car.

Skiing and snow don't match all that good with a iso 400 film => way to much light for this kind of speed. Use iso 100 film, doesn't matter wich one these day's.

 

Use fill in flash if you can. Most "portrets" will come out a lot better this way, certainly if you stand on a slope with nothing but snow behind you and no spot metering (because of the person handeling the camera).

 

In b&w I tend to overexpose my pictures 1 stop so snow is white and not greyish. But I don't recommend that trick for color film, would do more harm then good.

(He's swedisch)

 

A said, go for the 50mm f1.8, and if you look in different shops you may find a EOS 30 with the image stabelized 28-135mm, mentioned before, in KIT form. When I was looking for prices they offered this combo, it almost convinced me but I just couldn't miss the money on that moment.

 

Also note that the EOS 30 isn't for sale in shops that restock pretty quick, it's the 30v now.

Are you looking for a manual or automatic focused lens. The manual lenses shouldn't be all that expensive. I own a lot of pentax equipment and didn't pay that much for my second hand manual focus lenses. Just keep you eyes open, the original pentax lenses are worth it.

Don't use filters, you have a digital darkroom where you can apply filters after taking the shot. It's one of the advantages over analogue photography. It will only cost you money and won't be of any use.

 

A UV or skylight filter as a protection for a large lens surface can be a good thing though...

As much as I like digital photography I still think there is plenty of space for the old analogue way. For once, negatives will outlast any digital copy by far. If you know that commercial DVD's and CD's are starting to rot after 5 to 10 years, I fear the worst for the writable cheap stuff they produce for the consumer market. That and the fact that a photo is more then just bits and bytes, a real physical something, makes me a firm believer of the analogue way.

 

For the occasional shot I use a digital camera but for the serious work I stick to film. That's my view on things...

The results can be found here: http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=308441

 

It's not much but conditions were not optimal to say the least...

The outcome... of a cloudy veeeeery rainy day.

 

I have shot some pictures but about 1/4th of what I hoped to, and under very bad light conditions. I'll post the results at the end of this week.

 

The results won't be spectacular, but it was a learning experience. one: forested area's are dark when there is no direct sunlight. two: rain shortens your working time. three: God bless Gore Tex...

 

Koen.

So we have:

 

My pentax mz-5 with 50 and 135mm lens + extension tube./

2x fuji velvia, 2x fujicolor press 800, 2x kodak ektachrome 100/

A white bed sheet/

A cardboard with some wrinkeled tin foil on it/

And my tripod

 

I think my fellow students are going to wonder what the hell I'm planning to do :-)

 

I don't have a warming filter, but I do have a polarization filter. It could have a warming effect but it costs me a stop I think.

yeah I know that I have the wrong gear, but I'm still a student and until I have a descent job good macro equipment isn't on the menu.

 

My goal isn't to take the ultimate picture, I want good pictures from what grows there. No masterpieces, just for a digital flora etc.

About the flowers, don't worry... I'm a biologist :-)

 

I would go with a 28 and 50mm f2 combination. 28 for close-ups of the reproductive parts of the flower, 50 for the overal flower. I will also take my zoom with me for some pictures of the setting, just to get a view of the habitat.

 

Next question, does your f value matter. I think I don't need very low f values. Your DOF will be so shallow that you won't have much of a picture. Image quality will improve if you use an f2 lens instead of an f4 lens at f4. But besides that, are there any advantages, taking that you will not shoot at these low values?

 

I like the white bed sheet trick, I think I take one with me.

Next monday I have a Biology fieldtrip to grass plains and will

probably encounter some rare orchids etc. I have a lens with an extra

extension tube to get some macro capablities, but I lack a descent

flash. Any tips for film use?

 

I may add that there could be some wind so long exposures on tripod

wouldn't always be possible and I'm will be shooting from noon until

early evening.

 

So, slide for great color = slower and more picky on exposure, easy to

digitize in digital flora?

 

Color negative = less pronounced colors but faster film speeds are

available, not as easy to digitize?

Thanks for the tips... I looked up some specifics... I find the Canon Elan7e to be the thing I'm looking for. It still has some manual control buttons, something I very much appreciate in the pentax line.

 

It's a shame to dispose from a serie of good pentax stuff, but I think it will be better for my work and my budget because I just can't find anything for pentax on the second hand market and that's bugging me for a while now.

 

So Canon Elan7e it will be...

 

I can see the advantage of the electronic cable release more clearly now, I was just oldfashioned I think. I'm used to the little cable release hole and panic when it isn't there. Has a lot to do with being pretty active in astrophotography. In that case, any cable release is necessary.

 

Last question, what's the name of the Elan series in Europe? Haven't seen them anywhere. Could it be the Eos 33 or 3???

Looking for a camera:

 

-mirror lockup

-continious AF

-DOF preview

-exposure lock

-good AF

-good metering

-compact

-quiet

-non electronic cable release

-compact if possible

 

can I find this in a pentax camera... the website is not all to keen

to give a good list of details, nor can I find a wide comparison

between camera's with these "high" end features. Any idea's, links...