rich_b1

I agree with Gary's answer, as I also have the 3265 and love it.

 

When the friction is tight, you can easily pan horizontly without much risk of vertical movement. If you loosen it up, you can pretty much move freely in any direction, however, it may be difficult to maintain the proper plane without a lot of practice.

 

While I haven't seen it in person, from the pictures, the new 322RC2 has a horizontal handle configuration and may be easier to pan with than the 3265 which is vertical. Also, the 3265 is very tall.

 

I'd definitely take a serious look at it.

 

Good luck,

 

Rich B

I pondered this same question about a year ago and wound up purchasing the 20mm prime, and have been very happy with it.

 

The thought process went like this: While the 20-35 is supposed to be a decent lens, my main concern was the 20mm focal length. If the zoom lacked a little at each end (as many zooms do), then I would defeat the purpose of getting the ultra-wide angle. It was then an easy answer, especially since I have a 28-105 zoom which doesn't leave a big gap. Also, the zoom is heavier, and as you said, takes a larger filter.

 

You probably won't go wrong either way, this was just how I arrived at my decision, and it works for me.

 

Good luck

 

Rich B

My ME Super died last year. The rewind lever had started with problems you describe & progressed to not working at all, and the associated electronic exposure system became non-operative. I am the original owner, and while I loved this unit as my first SLR, would not make the type of investment to repair it. You can get a brand new Pentax, use whatever lenses you have for an equal or lesser cost.

 

Good luck,

 

Rich B

I purchased an Electron Blue 19" in January. The blurry text was driving me crazy, until I called customer service. Seems I had a monitor cable extension which has a different impedance than required. I didn't know, but have since found out that 19" & larger monitors require a different cable to work properly.

Removed the extension, repositioned the monitor and it gives great text and the images are super.

 

Good luck,

 

Rich B

A couple of non-expert thoughts.

Are the cartridges OEM or third party? While some have good experience with non Epson cartridges, many, many folks have a problem with them.

Do you have the most recent drivers for the printer?

Do you have another printer, & does that work OK?

 

Good luck

I'm not 100% positive, however, I seem to remember that Willoughby's went out of business some time ago, and I believe someone else is operating under that name. I haven't purchased from them, however, if you check http://www.resellerratings.com/seller3595.html or bizrate.com, it can give you a better idea

I bought the LaCie EB IV 19" about a month ago and agree with the other posts about its quality. Sorry I haven't used the NEC/Mitsubishi, however, I also saw a number of posts that they're the same.

I paid $300 at Provantage, which is somewhat more than the NEC model for 3 reasons. First, many people indicated that LaCie customer service was first rate, a far second, it comes with a hood. That really makes a difference in how light falls on the screen, & while I could have bought or made a hood this lessened the hassel. Way farther down third reason, is I like the color of the case.

 

I did have to call customer service when I first got the monitor, & they were first rate. Didn't have to hold on for 3 hours to get a human, & they were friendly & helpful. Not a knock on the NEC/Mitsubishi folks, I just didn't see any comments on how their CS operated. They may be equally as good.

 

IMO, you can't go wrong either way. It's a great monitor

I purchased the LaCie EB IV 19" about a month ago & love it. Only complaint is the onscreen menu. Its sort of like setting a digital watch, however the previous advice was correct as to setting the RGB. Also purchased the Spyder but only with PhotoCal, so can't tell you the difference in the programs.

 

I played around with different resolutions and seem to like 1280 x 960 the best, however some others work too. This also maintains a 4:3 ratio. The refresh rate I use is 85, and there's nary a flicker. You need to experiment until you find the setting you like best.

 

Enjoy,

http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/

Steven,

My first camera in the 60's was an Olympus Pen EE, & I still have it, although the shutter is inoperative. I believe it is the same as the Pen EES-2, but without the automatic shooting modes. It takes great, sharp pictures, however due to the 1/2 frame size, as Mike indicated, you have to choose your subjects carefully as small things will look that much smaller.

 

While the camera is economical on film purchase, it is not for developing & printing. Instead of being charged for a roll of 24 or 36, you'll be charged for 48 or 72 prints. On the other hand, it will take you that much longer to run out of film.

 

If you like to play, for $7.00 it is well worth the investment, especially as a snapshot camera.

I did a Google search & amongst others it listed this site

http://www.classic-cameras.info/camindexe.html

If no answer on photo.net, perhaps you can find out there.

 

Good Luck,

 

Rich B

This site has listings for most of the Canon cameras past & present. You'll have to go to the descriptions on each, but I believe it lists the flash sync.

 

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/index.html

Not books, but some documentation & information available at http://eosdoc.com/manuals.asp

http://eosdoc.com/manuals.asp

Do a Google search & you'll find a lot of information regarding the Pen series. This is one link that I found amongst many.

 

http://www.claus-marin.de/f-ft-fvneueng.htm

Not specifically a 550EX Manual, but a lot of information on using it and other Canon equipment.

 

http://eosdoc.com/manuals.asp

 

Good luck,

 

Rich B

Here's a link for any do-it yourselfers

 

http://homepage.mac.com/mattdenton/photo/cameras/repairtips.html

Check this link for a discussion of the Mack warranty. I've used them twice, & other than a slow turnaround have been very satisfied.

dhttp://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000nvO

This link has the least expensive prce I've seen for this service.

http://www.scarolainc.com/

 

Good luck,

 

Rich B

I found the link to that article about cold weather.

 

http://www.nyip.com/tips/current_coldtemps.php

 

I guess they're having an Indian Summer in Alaska.

 

Rich B

In our town, there is a young girl with a severe disease. Local organizations have been raising money to help with her medical expenses by recycling carts, & also cell phones.

 

If anyone wants to send these items for recycling, the address of collection is:

 

C.B.S.

21 Passaic Ave.

Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 USA

I just read about this trick, but wish I could remember where.

 

Condensation occurs when you move from a cold environment (outside) to a warm one (inside). Since very cold air does not hold much moisture, there should be no problem with condensation while outdoors, but it may happen when you go back in, as warm air does hold moisture. Just try not to breath on the camera & lens, while outdoors, as that will introduce moisture in the cold environment, & you may get a sheet of ice on your lens.

 

To prevent water from forming on your camera & its electronic parts, put it into a zip-lock bag WHILE OUTSIDE. When you go inside, since the air inside the bag has little moisture, no condensation will form inside the bag, but it will on the outside of the bag. After everything comes up to temperature, you can safely remove the camera from the bag, since it will now be at room temperature.

 

Keep warm. We appreciate what you're going through. As I write this, its -1f (-18C), and yes its ffffffreezing.

 

Rich B

Howard,

 

Did you ever resolve the sharpness problem? I've just purchased the LaCie Electron Blue IV 19", and while images look good, text does not. It looks almost as if the characters have a ghost image.

 

I've been told that an aperature grill monitor will have this effect on text, & am willing to live with it if necessary, however, if you have a solution, I'd love to hear it.

 

Thanks,

 

Rich B

Andrew,

 

Any place which processes film thru Fuji! You have to ask for "Premium Processing", and then they run it through the Frontier. Of course, this is for rolls sent out, not 1 hour. Closest I know to you is Plains Pharmacy on Valley Rd. in Wayne.

 

I'm right down the road in Pompton Lakes, neighbor.

 

Good Luck.

 

Rich B

If you have Windows XP, the included Windows "Movie Maker" has a function to "take a picture". Not the best, but its there.

 

Rich B

I'm not sure of the answer to your question, however I've had some slides dome by Proset in Totowa or West Paterson. They're on McBride Ave., just off Route 46. They lean towards the professional side of the business, but happily take care of an amateur like myself. If they don't do the process you're looking for, they may lead you to someone who does. Real nice folks to work with.

 

Good luck,

 

Rich B