ray

I get my <a href="http://www.pictureframes.com/scripts/WebObjects/PictureFrames.woa/

wa/CustomMat">custom cut mats</a> from Pictureframes.com. You can specify all

four dimensions and bottom weight it if necessary. Off course, they have other shapes

than the usual boring rectangle.

what you are seeing is the nikon view NEF plugin. Remove it from the PS plugin folder and

let the default PS CS raw converter take over. If you do a search you will notice that this is

a common problem because Adobe PS cannot distinguish between multiple plugins for the

same file type and it arbitrarily picks one without giving you an option.

I have had several bound albums done by Art Leather. This is called their Montage

albums. Couple of different ways of doing it (all of which are explained in the three PDFs

that

you can download here: http://www.artleather.com/html/montageartbook.shtml).

I have chosen LEVEL THREE (see prior link) where I print out the pictures using my local

printer (10x14 prints from a Noritsu machine -- I supply the digitally composited pages

from Photoshop). Then I take the pages and fedex it to Art Leather in NY with hand

written instructions as to the type of album cover material and name of the couple. I wait

four

weeks and an album shows up at my door. Not sure if it could get any easier than this.

It looks like you're looking for either LEVEL ONE or LEVEL TWO of their service. The PDF's

have sufficient technical info (page resolution is between 200-300dpi) including page

resolution, page size and mailing address is all given in this PDF.

If you have more questions, you're more than welcome to email me or post another

question to my attention here.

Form an LLC or S-Corp to protect your personal assets from corporate liability. This is

step one. Step two is to purchase "malpractice" type of insurance for your business. PPA

has automatic coverage for wedding photographers.

Whatever you do, do NOT skip step one.

Generally when it rains during an outdoor ceremony, everybody scatters. This is good for

you. Alternatively, you can have an assistant hold an umbrella over you or you can resort

to plastic camera body covers.

I've shot through wet events before with my F5 and D1x cameras without any issues.

<em>...about how Canon got ETTL-II wrong; did Nikon get i-TTL right</em>

<p>

Let me put this in perspective. I use a Nikon system with i-TTL and my assistant uses a

Canon system with the older E-TTL. Granted the i-TTL is clearly more consistent with

flashes, I would certainly not exaggerate the inconsistency of E-TTL. My assistant may get

a dozen or so under (or over) exposed shots but with two photographers, this has never

been a huge problem.

<p>Don't get me wrong... I'm not willing to trade in my i-TTL for the older E-TTL, but this

is not as big a problem as people often make it out to be.

Use your backup camera until your D2h comes back from repair. My Nikon F5 shutter

failed long before it got to 50k actuations. It happens. Fortunately, Nikon was able to

repair and return it in about two weeks.

Everything eventually breaks; this is why professionals keep backups and use them.

<em>If you suck using a $300 film camera you are still going to suck using a $3000 or

$1000 digital camera. Same in golf.</em>

<p>

Perhaps I am taking this out of context, but I have to disagree on this point. I teach

several photography courses and I've noticed an interesting trend. Students with film

cameras tend to be economical with their exercises. Rarely do I see a student shoot a

dozen rolls of film in a month long class.

<p>

Students with dslrs are shooting hundreds if not thousands of images in that time period.

If practice makes perfect, then surely digital photographers have an unfair leg up in the

game. It gets even more unfair when you note that a digital camera allows you to make a

mistake and then learn from your mistake immediately by looking at the result on the

camera. This short feedback loop is making better photographers all the time (and

explains why digicams have eclipsed film camera sales in such a short period of time).

<p>

A friend of mine bought a $1000 dslr a year ago and she recently rolled over 10,000

images in one year (that's well over 250 rolls of film). I can assure you that I am

astounded (and faintly jealous) of her progress.

<p>All this aside, there is no point bashing one set of technology vs. another. We all have

our favorite tools. I may rely on dslrs for all my work, but that doesn't mean that I'm ever

selling my Leica rangefinder.

<em>Really? Are you sure this is true? If so I'm really surprised more hasn't been made of

this feature in reviews, etc. If the D70 really has this capability, it would be a real

technological breakthrough.</em>

<p>

I do not own a D70 so this is hearsay. However, if you read reliable reviews on the D70,

such as <a href="http://bythom.com/D70REVIEW.HTM">Thom's review</a> you will see

that this is indeed the case. To quote the relevant section:

<p>

<blockquote Cite="Thom Hogan">"All shutter speeds up to 1/250 are handled

mechanically on the D70, all

faster shutter speeds are handled electronically (e.g., the shutter opens for 1/250 and

the sensor turns on and off to create the shutter speed effect). .... Flash sync is normally

1/500 on the D70. But as with the D1 series, if you use a "dumb" flash you can sync all

the way to 1/8000."</blockquote>

<p>

In my opinion the reason Nikon doesn't advertise this fact is that:

<ol>

<li>It's missing on higher end cameras like the D2 series

<li>It may not have a very practical value since most studio strobe can only sync at 1/

8000 with a very weak power setting. Not enough to be used in broad daylight where this

would be most useful.

</ol>

<em>Also, my Canons (and I think the more recent Nikon flash/camera systems) have a

high sync mode that allows even faster shutter speeds with flash all the way to the highest

shutter speed available (1/16,000th second on my 1D)</em>

<p>

True, but I think you missed my point. The D70 can sync with a studio strobe up to 1/

8000 sec because of an electronic shutter (and not because the studio strobe is pulsing

during that period). This electronic shutter was removed (or disabled) in other cameras

(such as the D2 series cameras). I don't know if this was an engineering decision (based

on the different types of sensors (CCDs vs. CMOS vs. LBCAST) or a marketing decision.

<em>All good digital cameras have a shutter the same as a film camera, with the

exception being a small number of ultra cheap cameras that perform a capture by doing a

retrieval of the live sensor buffer ... a shutter is too expensive for those camera.</em>

<p>This may be on oversimplification of the answer. Some (not so cheap) cameras, such

as the Nikon D1x and D70 can sync up to 1/500th of a second because they use a

combination mechanical shutter with an electronic shutter.

<p>Perhaps, somebody more knowledgeable than I can answer the obvious question as to

why some cameras have a combined shutter (mechanical + electronic) such as the D1x

and some don't (D2h and the D2x)

You will inevitably see dust (especially, if you are shooting with small apertures). Keeping

one lens on won't help you either, as the 28-105 zoom will suck in air every time you

exercise the zoom ring.

<p>

I recommend you get used to <a href="http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/

ccd_cleaning">cleaning your sensor</a>. Painless, effective and you can go back to just

worrying about how to improve your photography.

<em>..althought Leica Digilux 2 is listed as 2.5 MP camera...</em><p>

Where did you hear that? <a href="http://www.leica-camera.com/digitalekameras/

digilux2/tecdat/index_e.html">According to Leica</a>, the Digilux 2 is a 5Mp camera.

<em>Also, is it true that the cartridges that come packaged with a new printer (my new

one, in particular) are not as full as the ones you buy off the shelf?</em><p>

Not true. However, the first set of cartridges are often used to prime the head and lines

and this often leads to reduced number of prints. When I got my Epson 4000, I was

shocked to discover that it gobbled up 40% of all 8 ink cartridges (combined replacement

cost approx: $500!) to prime the head and lines.

<p>

<em>I was told several years back that they should be stored in the refrigerator...</em>

<p> Never heard of such a thing. Keep them in your closet and it

will be fine. Remember to gently shake the cartridge before use in case some of the

pigments have settled.

I've been using V6 (mac) for quite some time now and I've never had trouble printing b&w.

I got all my b&w profiles from the website (ftp server). Have you contacted colorbyte

about your problems? Are you sure that you are not using the older 5.5 profiles by

accident? V5.5 b&w profiles are not compatible with v6.

I'm using a different epson printer so it's possible that there is something wrong with the

1290 profiles.

I have a feeling that all the batteries are dead.

The good news is that you can pick up generic en4 batteries for the D1 camera from a

variety of sources. Type in "en4" into froogle.google.com and you will see a large number

of retailers. They average approx. $25/ea

You can upload a custom tonal curve into the D70 which will give you the saturation pop

that you are looking for. Not sure if this is necessarily a good idea as you probably want

to preserve skin tones. Then again, I'm not sure what you're shooting. In anycase, the

D70 is flexible enough to accept a custom curve to suit your color palette and taste.

Type "D70 custom curve" into google.

The Adobe Raw Converter in PS CS is identical for both Nikon (.nef) and Canon (.crw) raw

files. They both have an identical interface with identical options (in particular the ones

you have mentioned).

If you are not seeing this for .nef files then you are not looking at the adobe raw converter.

Instead, most probably, you are looking at the stripped down -- and free -- version of the

nikon raw converter that comes with nikon view. You need to go to your plug in directory

for Adobe Photoshop and remove the nikon raw plug in.

If you've purchased nikon capture (this is not free) then you should have a stand alone

program with even more options than the extensive options available with the adobe raw

converter.

Your camera will be due for a schedule repair/update well before 10 years. If nothing else,

your shutter will probably die before then. Nikon will then replace your battery when you

send it in for some other repair or a scheduled tuneup.

I know that when I send my DSLRs in to Nikon for repair (broken shutter, etc.) they will

also fix anything else that may require a CLA (such as cleaning the sensor, etc.).

I believe the new DSLRS (D2 series) have the clock battery in a user accessible

compartment.

I have used the <a href="http://www.artleather.com/html/seldex.shtml">Art Leather

Seldex</a> albums with two types of steel veneer covers. One was a brushed steel (very

nice because it is completely fingerprint resistant) and the other is a plain aluminum/steel

veneer. Call Art Leather to have a rep come out and show it to you.

I've shot an entire year's worth of wedding with the SB-800 (i-TTL mode, camera on

Manual Meter, shutter between 1/30 - 1/60 and aperture wherever it needs to be based

on DoF)

... and not a single picture with eyes closed. At the risk of being flamed, I dare say the

problem lies not with the equipment but rather the way it's being used.