kathywilson

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Also consider Paint Shop Pro (v10 is the latest, but v9 is better). It will give you more control than Elements, but costs roughly the same. ($60) Photoshop has an incredibly steep learning curve - Elements or PSP can be used virtually out of the box. There's also Picasa which is free, though offers little true control - but free is a great price, and it's really not all that bad a program. Also, it will help you clarify what it is you *do* want, so you'll be able to zero in on the program best for you. I happen to use all of the above, and then some, but I'm sorta crazy that way <g> Enjoy!

Christi - for what it's worth, the kit lens on the 30 is the same as the 20, and I'm really enjoying it. I thought I'd use the larger zoom I bought mor than the kit lens, but that turns out not to be the case, but then, the kit lens is like a "regular" wide angle on a film camera, and I do landscapes mainly so it works well for me. It's likely it *wouldn't* be the right lens for your uses. Be prepared - your point and shoot did a LOT of in-camera work for you. Your dSLR won't, and if you shoot RAW (worth it in the long run) it won't do anything for you at all. It might be a shock, because at first glance your images will not look as good as from your pas - but run it through a RAW converter and do a little PS or other post-processing, and it will amaze you.

The lenses you looked at for the 20D will fit the 30D. I'm surprised you went for the 30D, but I do understand the urge. :) I had all the same issues, though in my case it was only a rumor the 30D was coming (it did, a few weeks later). I finally decided something bigger and better will always be just around the corner, so went with the best I could afford at the time. If/when I upgrade, my lenses will still be good.

ah well, hopes dashed <g> Maybe just a word of friendly advice in the brand specific forums "look back 5 posts to the most recent "what do I get" post before asking again..." <g> Yeah, I know - that definitely won't work :)

One forum for everything - lenses, cameras, other gear, every maker.

As I've participated in the forums more, I've noticed the same "help

me decide what to buy" questions coming up all the time. Maybe a

forum specifically devoted to that might help clear the clutter out

of other forums and give everyone a one-stop spot for their

questions.

The others are right, Jennifer :) But there are a few things you can do to help your eyes see the potential of b&w. One - look at a lot of b&w pictures! Eventually you'll start seeing what makes them work. Next, when you do the post-processing of your own images, do a fast "greyscale" of them to see if they work better as b&w compared to color. I do NOT recommend using greyscale as your conversion process though! It's crude and primitive, and that's being generous. If you decide an image would work better, or just offer another perspective - there are a number of conversion techniques available online. Good luck :)

don't even need to check the date - just read the page <g>

I've had a hell of a time keeping my sensor clean! I use the blower (Giottos) but have had to go in with Eclipse fluid and sensor swabs twice now. I swear to God I'm going to go in with a vacuum cleaner and a floor mop next. I keep the camera turned off, I change lenses as little as possible, and when I do - the camera is lens down and off. (same way I use the blower) so I don't know what the devil I have to do to keep this thing clean! I've noticed the same thing you have tho -- getting that last "stopping" edge fully clean is really hard.

I'd like some way to make html comments myself - I don't write html, so have to go looking for how to do it, which just slows me down. But there are times when I'd really like to put in a neat link, instead of text someone has to cut and paste.

Brian - I'll add my thumbs up to the change in critique forum as well! I didn't mind the old way, but I always disliked not being able to see the image in the older requests, and now I can - I'm sure this will inspire ppl to view those images more, and leave comments/ratings. Nice job!

I use PS 7, PSP, Elements, and even Picasa - all for different things, but the workhorse is PSP v9. As another response said - v10 after Corel took over just isn't as fine a product as version 9. Also like others said - PS (any version) is "industry standard" and you'll always have an easier time finding help using it than you will for PSP. That said, PSP is infinitely easier to use than PS. If you're not going to be doing any seriously advanced work (not that PSP can't, it's just not as refined ultimately as PS) do yourself a real favor and pick up PSP for $60. And if you do find you need to do something more advanced - then go looking for CS2 (up to $650). I'd skip Elements in any version. While I do use it from time to time, I get frustrated with its lack of features so common to PSP and PS.

I've noticed the same, and I think it's the result of the color space being used. Most software will use sRGB by default, but I think PS uses Adobe RGB by default. It can't hurt to change your PS working color space to sRGB and see if that helps, but I could be wrong.

I'm not even sure you'd want one if you were traveling. I took along my laptop this last weekend out in Canyonlands - has the advantage of all the gb I need, fast transfer rates, and a far larger screen to view the image right there in the back of beyond (which means, obviously, your Olympus RAW format will present no problem). Sure, it's bigger than any of the other devices discussed, but I already own the laptop, and heaven knows it's more versatile! <g>

Sandisk 1gb or 2gb Ultra II. The Extreme III is faster, but imo, not enough so to warrant the extra money. If you're not shooting multiple fps, take the cheaper Ultra II. . Excellent prices on B&H or Amazon. The camera determines the resolution - not the CF card. The only way the card matters is in how fast it can save the image size your camera has taken. I've had no trouble with mine in the 20D - write speed is terrific, as is read. Do yourself a real favor though, and budget a card reader into that $100. It will be far faster getting the images to your computer than your camera will be. With RAW images on a 1-2gb card, that will be a significant time saver.

I don't have CS2 either, but PS7 is fairly cheap/accessible. You might also like using Paint Shop Pro v9 or 10 - great deals can be found on eBay. There's also PS Elements 3 or 4 which has a built in RAW converter - BUT... as I recently discovered, the Canon EOS Viewer and DPP handle Canon's RAW format best. There's also Picasa - but it's very limited in what you can do. Using Picasa for RAW would be like entering Daytona with a Neon. :) Be prepared though - RAW is going to take more time and effort than jpeg, and it might disappoint you until you get a good workflow down, but it's completely worth it and will improve your photos immensely. Good luck!

I love my LCD monitor - and it has a matte screen. I really like the anti-reflective properties, and it cuts down on glare which really saves my eyes a lot of strain. However - I've recently realized that the "noise" I've been seeing in photos is really the fine texture of the screen! I didn't really know this until looking at test shots as a check on the cleanliness of my sensor. I don't know that I'll do anything about this "problem" just now, but it's something to consider - if you are fanatical about your image work, the apparent "noise" might bother you more than the reflections/glare from a shiny screen.

Les - yeah, I found out about the bike race Thursday when I muttered "what the hell is going on in Moab!? I can't find a freaking hotel room for less than 119 bucks, and there are only two of those!" And neither would take the dog. I wound up based in Grand Junction again... caught a great sunset at Canyonlands, missed an absolutely glorious sunrise when I found my battery was unexpectedly dead. (new-user error) CNM was great though - caught a wonderful sunrise there, and stuck with it through the wind and the blowing snow! I SUFFERED this weekend! Still wondering if it was worth it <g>

Well good - I was convinced they wouldn't remove it without a hard kick in the rear from Yahoo or somesuch. I'm glad they have - and I totally agree the principle is worth the fight. It may be a losing fight for a while, but eventually laws will catch up to technology, and technology will find a way to secure files - or at least prove ownership.

You can't convert back from Tiff/JPEG to RAW.

But your camera should definitely be capturing RAW to begin with - and storing it as such. Check yoru camera menus.

After that - check your software preferences. Is it at all possible your software is automatically converting?

It's possible they may want the RAW file to verify shooting information/manipulation etc. There is "buried" data in the EXIF data which tells that. Otherwise I can't see why a TIFF wouldn't be ok, or even a jpeg.

Beyond all that - terrific bird! You have some serious artifact problems though - almost the entire outline is strongly pixelated.

Tyler -- you can also check out www.dpreview.com which will give comprehensive reviews of both cameras, along with their final recommendation. For what it's worth -- the kit lens on the XT is the same as the usual offering on the 20D (the 18-55mm) and is a very good lens you'll be happy to use for most anything not requiring a great deal of zoom. I went with the 20D over the D70 (the D200 was out of the price range I was considering) primarily for extra pixels and bang-for-buck. I think you'll be very pleased with the XT kit. When you're talking upper range cameras from two fine manufacturers, it's not quality you'll be arguing over for both of them are superb. I strongly urge you to get your hands on the actual cameras though. See which fits you better. Are the controls in logical places, is the viewefinder a good size/bright, is the menu laid out well and understandable etc etc. I chose the 20D over the XT because the 20D was simply a better fit in my hands. I liked, silly as this sounds, the feel and weight of it in my hands. It's more important than you'd think. But bottom line? You won't go wrong with Nikon or Canon, and both will give you backward/forward compatible inter-changeable lenses. Good luck!

Hi!

You can get a "Sima 35mm SLR Lens Cap Keeper" from most camera stores which has a self-stick pad you attach to the lens cap, which then attaches by a cord to the ring you put your camera strap on. It costs about 4 bucks. It's a nuisance if you want to change lenses, but if you use the kit lens all the time, then it's not an issue. Here's a link to one so you can see what I'm talking about:

 

 

http://www.become.com/shop?pid=201838482&q=sima+35mm+slr+lens+cap+keeper

My sensor was absolutely filthy - brand new! I took it to a local shop (extremely well-respected) and they walked me through cleaning it, and gave me tips on keeping it that way - with the caveat that dust WILL get in, because that's what dust does.

1) turn the camera off before removing the lens (or memory card)because "electrostatic build-up will attract dust" in the case of the sensor, and might cause you to corrupt data in regards to the card.

2) Change lenses with the camera lens opening facing the ground.

3) When you do have to blow the sensor off - DO NOT use canned air EVER! Use a bulb blower (Giottos) with the lens opening facing the ground - gravity is your friend! If you do it facing up (as the manual recommends) you will just blow the dust around, not out - which is exactly my experience.

4) If the sensor is still dirty and a blower won't get it, use Eclipse fluid and Sensor Swabs.

But - whatever you do, get used to the idea that the sensor WILL get dirty and you're going to have to blow/clean it, or wind up spending more time cloning dust out than taking pictures.