ahockley

Not sure by what you mean when you say it's not very versatile. It is consistently rated as one of the sharpest lenses that Canon makes, and dropping down to f/2 is great. I've had one for about a year and I love it.

A lot of folks are happy with Lightroom. I've been using IMatch since before Lightroom existed and am quite happy with my IMatch setup. It does what I need it to do and the fact that it exposes a scriptable object model means that a lot of features that might not be built-in have already been created (or could be created) by third-party scripts. In addition, the user forum/support is awesome. There's an active community willing to answer any questions, and the developer will interact directly with end users. That's something you won't get from Adobe (at least not for a reasonable fee).

What you're describing is the normal behavior.

I made the 300D to 40D upgrade a couple months ago. It's a night and day better experience. Maybe the number of specific features isn't huge, but the changes are big. The AF system is MUCH better/faster. The noise levels at comparable ISO values are much improved. The faster shooting is nice for some applications. The LCD is almost twice the size of the 300D.

 

Do it. You won't be disappointed.

I have the Bogen/Manfrotto 3021 and have been happy with it. It has the reversible center column which I've used a few times. You can also mount the column sideways (parallel to the ground) which can be useful for down-on shots. The biggest downside to the tripod is that it's heavy, so if weight is a consideration you'll want to look at carbon fiber.

One of the best things to do is if you live near a decent camera store, head on in and check out their selection. They should let you put some weight into the packs and see how they feel against your body. Your exact needs will depend on your intended use (amount of weight, durability, etc).

I really think that for what 90% of folks need to do, you can't beat the price/feature combination of Adobe Photoshop Elements.

I'd head over to the IMatch user forums at http://ptforum.photoolsweb.com/ - you'll find lots of info specific to the product, and they have a whole forum section devoted solely to image organization.

I'm a happy user of IMatch - http://www.photools.com

It doesn't really solve your immediate need but many of the camera backpacks have tripod carrying straps/pouches built in. I use a LowePro Mini Trekker AW, and it has a flap that drops down to hold the base of the tripod and then two straps to secure the middle and top.

What compression level are you using when saving the JPGs?

The number is an estimate based on the settings for the last image taken. The exact size of the image will vary depending on the detail and complexity of the image... a shot of a blank wall will use less storage space than a shot of a forest (with lots of leaf detail).

 

So yes, the numbers will vary at times.

I never have understood why folks get so worried about a bit of noise from the AF or IS, as long as the lens is taking "correct" photos and things are working properly...

 

For what it's worth, I have the 300 F4L IS and yes, the IS is fairly noisy on mine as well. Works great however!

In my little niche of the hobby (railroad photography), steam trains sure look good in black/white, even if they are shot in present times...

In general if there's any significant horizontal movement to the panning, I'd use IS mode 2. That's what I do for birds...

Regarding sensor cleaning, I'm a big fan of the Copper Hill method. I wrote about it on my blog here: <a href="http://www.dogcaught.com/2005/11/14/eos-300d-cleaning-my-sensor/">http://www.dogcaught.com/2005/11/14/eos-300d-cleaning-my-sensor/</a>

I have this exact same setup and like you am continually impressed by the results.

What good timing. I just launched a new photoblog and have actually yet to announce it to friends/family, but it has several posts already as I've gotten the kinks ironed out.<p>Anyway: <a href="http://www.aaronhockley.com">http://www.aaronhockley.com</a>

Interesting timing to see this today, as I just posted a piece on my blog titled "Digital Photography: It's Photography First" discussing how even though the cameras have changed, the photography fundamentals remain the same: http://www.dogcaught.com/2006/05/09/digital-photography-its-photography-first/

 

-Aaron

That price seems in line with what my local shop (Pro Photo Supply in Portland, OR) would charge for a 5D with batteries and cards for the day.

Unfortunately Canon makes a good product which means that if you want "good/great quality used lenses" you're going to pay almost as much as you would for a new one...

I concur with the previous reponse that I would prefer a crop to remove the leg and shoe from the right side of the photo.