pnance

<p>Anyone who has used Word, Wordperfect and Open Office to address an envelope will immediately understand that Wordperfect has perfected the task.<br>

Wordperfect also excels at creating booklets in a way that leaves Word and Open Office in the dust.<br>

I also use Corel Photopaint before ever trying Photoshop, it just loads faster. However I prefer to do all possible work in NX2.</p>

<p>SD and CF are so different. Have you noticed that in the size race, they haven't had to make any changes to the CF cards? But there are SD, SDHD, SDXD and who knows what! The CF card have the same interface type as a hard drive, not so with the SD types, which is why they keep hitting a size ceiling. CF cards will hit their ceiling at 2.5 TB</p>

<p>I think its safe to say the new 70-300 VRII replaces all past versions of the 70-300 lens (of which there are several, and none VR). It is heavier, longer and fantastic.</p>

<p>After further use I've noticed that like <a href="../photodb/user?user_id=19054">Ilkka Nissila</a> said, it appears to not use CPU time, however, it is actually using so many graphics resources that Task Manager can not update itself! Will definitly be going back to 1.5, it works fine.</p>

<p>I believe it would be helpful if users who are reporting problems would give at least minimal info about their PC setup. Such as OS (version and release level), CPU (type and speed), amount of RAM, possibly display card type (& memory). Information given would then be useful to others.<br>

<br /> If certain combinations have the same problems it might be helpful to Nikon as well.<br>

<br /> For example (this PC): WinXP SP3, AMD 64 X2 Dual Core 2.51 ghz, 3.5 gb ram, nVidia GeForce 9500 GT 1 gb dual display.<br>

<br /> So far: I've noticed that the large view only partly works, it will flash up when you first select it, but than goes black and blinks on occasionally. May have to revert to ver 1.5.</p>

<p>I recall an article where the author mentioned taking an older normal lens and replacing the diaphragm with a disk with a pinhole, to increase the depth of field.<br>

It was a rather extreme method, I believe the article was in Model Railroader magazine in the '70s. But the pictures printed with the article showed increased depth of field.</p>

<p>Paul</p>

<p>Maybe Nikon will do the ILC right. Small body, large sensor, new small lenses, adapter for automatic use of all the Nikon F glass out there.<br>

Something for everyone. Those with too much money can buy all new glass. Those of us with too little, can reuse our humble collections.<br>

Maybe not necessarily too small a body, a large display is nice. One you can see in the sunshine.<br>

How about a touch screen, where you tell the camera where to focus!<br>

Paul</p>

<p>With my first Nikon (an F) I only had the 50 for quite a while, and later when I added a 28 and 135 to the mix, the 50 was still my most used lens. Everything has its purpose, if your main aim is photographing items far away, you will probably use a telephoto more; the same for wider lenses, if you need them, use them. But I imagine most of us could use a 50 more than we do (for full frame). But people usually use what's on the camera.</p>

<p>Thinking back even further, before the F, I had only used 50mm lens on other cameras as well. I didn't think I was suffering, I just walked back and forth more.</p>

<p>I didn't see this, so let me say, <strong>do NOT use an old bleach bottle</strong>. Plastics are somewhat porous and its very hard to remove the old contents. I liked the recommendation for the peroxide bottle, except the ones I see are usually small. Soap bottles are also very hard to completely clean.</p>

<p>An example taken with a zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6 quasi-macro 1:4, is here.</p><div></div>

<p>You have probably noticed many are encouraging you to use a longer lens. Its because everything gets easier. You get more distance between the lens and the subject, hence more light on the subject. Because all wide angle lens (for SLRs) are retrofocus, there are more lens elements in the path; thus less with the telephoto designs. And more telephoto lens have built in macro settings, I get great close ups with my 70-300 Nikkor, but it can't compete with the 105mm 2.8 macro lens, which does go to 1:1, and example shot of a daffodil is attached. Taken handheld.</p><div></div>

<p>When you think about it, you can look through the viewfinder before you start a movie, but when actually filming the mirror would have to be up! So, using the rear monitor screen is the only way to view video during capture. And as Shaun mentioned the active area is displayed, with the rest of the screen grayed out.</p>

<p>Can't help but wonder if something else is wrong. I have two Nikon batteries for my D300 that I rotate (use one and charge the other). I have heard you should not run the batteries all the way down. So I've been stopping when I get about to about a quarter charge left. Have not had any Nikon Lithium battery failures with the D300 or the previous D100.<br>

Have heard that there are fake Nikon batteries out there. Search this site for details. Seems like they were not as reliable!<br>

Paul</p>

<p>Pressing the middle of the rocker switch will center the focus indicator. I usually leave mine locked there because I seem to bump it when I use the camera.</p>

<p>Some say if you can tell the picture was done with HDR, it wasn't done correctly.</p>

<p>While the Heliar will not meter on an slr, the mirror has to be up to mount!, it will meter on most Voigtlander bodiers, even if its the SL version for the Nikon F/F2 with a Leica adapter. Focus with the lens is done manually for both the SL and Leica versions, there is no focus cam, but the lens is easy to focus anyway, at max aperture f/5.6 and 12mm, even halfway trying will get you in the ballpark.</p>

<p>Saturn will be near the meridian by March.</p>

<p>Harvey - More than a few months, Saturn's rings were on edge and invisible August 11th. Its a 15 year cycle, so its 7½ years till they're on fullest possible view. I would imagine it will be many months before they're worth photographing again. Of course, this will give us a chance to record the progression of the tilt!<br>

Saturn is even further than Jupiter and smaller, so since Jupiter's current apparent diameter is 46.8" and Saturn ranges from 14.5" to 20.1", Saturn will be less than half the size of what Jupiter is now at its closest and ⅓ that size at its smallest. Gonna need a teleconverter to keep the size up! or get the telescope out, its about 1250mm.<br>

I live in Indiana and the weather and light polution here is so bad I haven't set my telescope up in years. But this new technique will give the chance to reindulge as long its not cloudy. I took the picture in front of my house, across the street from a street light with my neighbors porch lights also glaring away less than 45 degees from my lens. What's is lousy for viewing with the eye isn't so bad for the camera apparently. I'll be trying some moon shots soon. Its just coming off new and will be a few days before its visible here.</p>

<p>If you have version 1.x your Nikon D100 will only work with up to 2GB cards. If you have version 2.x it will work with any size card available now. I have seen 4gb cards formatted to work in 1.x cameras and are formatted at 2gb, these have to be reformatted to get the total capacity of the card.<br>

Cards of the proper size that won't work are either defective or interface/speed problems prevent them from working. I've only found one card that wouldn't work, and the manufacturer replaced it.<br>

My D100 (a 2.x) model works with a 16gb card.<br>

Also remember to format your card before using it in the camera.</p>

<p>For a really cheap solution, try one of the lenses that fit to the front of the lens. Usually called a .45x or so. They work best (if that is correct) with prime lenses. On a 20mm or so would even give the round image.<br>

They aren't great, but are cheap! I have used some in the past and gotten some images that I would have missed otherwise.</p>

<p>I was so impressed with Harvey Serreze's Jupiter pictures, I just had to try it myself. I was able to duplicate his shot, but this one I thought added something new.<br />Its Jupiter and the four major moons plus Nepture on the lower right!<br />After I took the picture I looked up the names in Home Planet and was surprised to find Neptune also in the picture (I had originally thought it might be a star). Had to find the satellites names/positions on a different site. Off topic, when Gallieo observed Jupiter through his telescope, his drawings show Neptune also, he just didn't know it at the time as Nepture wasn't known yet.<br />The moons are in order (left to right) Ganymede, Europa, (Jupiter), Io, Callisto.<br />D300, Vivitar Series 1 Solid Catadioptric, 800mm, f/11. Taken 9/16/2009, 11:28 EDT, about on the meridian.<br />This site is so great, always seeing something new!</p><div></div>

<p>Get a Nikon flash if you can. Or you might try the Sigma EF-530 DG ST. It doesn't have the LCD screen on the back, so the only adjustments you can make are from the camera. Compatible with all film and digital Nikons TTL or iTTL; if others can do it you wonder why Nikon didn't. Mine works fine, would rather have had the SB-600 or SB-800, but have the same concerns you do.<br />Incidently, I have the SB-28, then had to get the SB-28dx for the D100, if never ends.</p>

<p>One more:<br />Nikon D300, 70-300mm F/4-5.6D-ED @ 300mm, 1/500, F/11 - no tripod, too hard to follow bugs - look at those pollen sacs on the hind legs! She's been busy<br />Paul</p><div></div>

<p>Nikon D300, 70-300mm F/4-5.6D-ED @ 300mm, 1/250, F/10<br>

Paul</p><div></div>

<p>I had seen your original post and got one, they were worth the price then, and its an even better bargin now. Thanks for the postings.<br>

Paul</p>