p.c._d.

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<p>I have the *istDL and Sigma 500DG (standard) flash. I seldom use the flash

since I'm an 'available light' person. However, when I do use it, I'm always

puzzled by the fact that the indicator light on the back of the flash that is

supposed to show the closest focal length to what is being used is never

correct. I can put on the 18-55 kit lens and the flash will show 28 as the

focal length - regardless of how I have zoomed in or out. Same thing happens

with my 80-200 - it shows (if I'm lucky) a 105 focal length, and does not

change with zooming. The only lens that it's remotely correct with is my old

manual 50mm. If I pull the flash diffuser screen out, both the lowest and

highest focal length indicators are lit, which is correct according to the

very basic instructions that came with the flash. When the diffuser screen is

snapped back into place, the two lights go out, and it reverts to the behavior

I've just described. This does not change if I change the settings (Av, Tv,

M, P, etc.) on the DL. And, yet, I'm sure I've seen it work fine a couple of

times...

<p>Does anyone else have this problem with the Sigma flash? I've checked the

contacts for the flash and also for the lenses, and all seems to be fine. Any

ideas what's causing this behavior?

<p>Thank you very much for your input!

<p>Bryan, we'll be at the show from about 10 or 10:30 until the end. The highlight of the day will probably be the Blue Angels, and they're the next-to-last show - figure starting at 3:30 or 4, based on prior experience, although there are no times listed on the website. Your prior posts imply that you're planning on being there in the morning. If that's right, and you do want to meet up for a little while, <b>PLEASE</B> email me offline (request my email address by clicking on my name) no later than 4:00 pm Friday and let me know when/where since I may not have a chance to go on p-net again before Saturday AM. If you aren't able to email me by that time, you'll have to trust to luck and keep an eye out for us. If we don't meet up, enjoy the show, and you can always post some of your "noob" questions here!

<p>Thank you all for your responses! I'd love to try developing my own, at least once, just for the experience, but I really don't have the space to make a temporary darkroom or even store the stuff when I'm not using it.

 

<p>Jon B, thanks for the recommendations. Dwayne's was one of the places I found, and was the one I had in mind when I referred to the "reasonable" cost. I'll check out the other one you mentioned, too.

<p>I lurk on the other forums on p-net, but this is the first time I've ventured

in to the Classic Cameras... This past weekend, I bought a Brownie Synchro

Reflex camera at a tag sale in really nice condition. I found some info on it

today online and bought a couple of rolls of B&W 127 film from B & H today. I'm

hoping to bring it with me on Saturday to an air show & take some "vintage"

photos of the WWII planes. My question is - does anyone have recommendations

as to where the film can be sent for developing? I found a few places online

today, and the prices ranged from outrageous to reasonable - but I have no idea

about the quality or level of service or anything like that.

<p>Thank you for any suggestions!

<p>I live in central CT, and while I have plans for this weekend, I would make the suggestion that you Google the air show being held this weekend in Kingston, RI (by the RI National Guard - I think it's on their website). That is only a shortish (1- 1 1/2 hour) drive from SE CT, and it is also where I will be on Saturday, practicing with my 500mm... Going to the air show will give you a chance to get more experience with your camera, get out of wherever you are staying, and generally give you a purpose in life! As I said, I will be there with my stepfather, who's a military nut (and I'm a camera nut!). If you see a woman walking around all wrapped up in a camera, with a middle-aged guy in a "US Navy Retired" ball cap, come up and introduce yourself! I'd be glad to walk around with you for a bit and give you the benefit of what experience I have. Only thing is that you'll also get an earful of military history from my stepfather!

<p>If this sounds good to you, and/or if the suggestion made by Eric, above, falls through, email me directly and we can set up a time/place to meet at the show for an hour or so.

<p>My choice would be <i>Photoshop Creative</i>. It costs a fortune unless you're lucky enough to live in the UK (which I am not). An overseas subscription is GBP80, but that's still cheaper than buying it (a month late!) at Borders or Barnes & Noble for $15.50 a pop. It's got great step-by-step tutorials, a fun tone, a CD loaded with freebies, and much more. The day it arrives is the highlight of my month!

<p>It IS possible to run an action in PSE4, with a few caveats. The first is that actions cannot be created in PSE4, so you will need to hook up with someone who has a version of full PS to actually create the action, and then send the file to you. The second is that you need to create a .psd document 64 pixels x 64 pixels, with any picture you desire in it, and save that .psd file with the <b>exact</b> same name as the action in the same folder. You then purge your cache in PSE, and restart. When it rebuilds the list of styles, the new action will then be loaded as a style, and works exactly like the preset ones. The third is that you won't be able to apply it as a batch, but if will be a "one-click" if you open each picture.

<p>I know I haven't given a lot of detail here, but it's been a while since I used PSE4, and I don't have the instructions for using actions right at hand now. If you want more detail, email me offline and I'll find the instructions & send them to you.

<p>Has anyone else noticed that the straightening function within ACR 4.1 does

not correct the angle as well as using the ruler tool and Rotate Canvas =>

Arbitrary in CS3? I was working on a batch of pictures last night where the

subject was skewed from the horizontal or vertical. The pics were old JPEGs,

and I was using ACR to make the adjustments. Every time I used the straighten

feature, the crop would straighten the horizon (for example) but not

perfectly. I'd have to open the picture in CS3 and do another straighten using

the ruler and Rotate Canvas in order to make the subject perfectly horizontal

or vertical. I have to admit that most of the adjustments I was making were

more than just "tweaking" the horizon, but I still found it odd that ACR

wouldn't do a perfect crop & straighten. I haven't tested the function yet

with RAW files, but I find it hard to believe that the file format would make a

difference on a function like straightening.

 

<p>Anyone have any input or ideas on how to fine-tune the crop/straighten in

ACR without opening PS3?

 

<p>Thanks!

<p> I've had good luck at zoos and aquariums using a plain UV or skylight filter, no other accessories, and "just shooting" (making no special accomodations for positioning myself or the camera).

<p>Has anyone noticed if the shortcut key to resize a picture to fit the screen

(Ctrl+0 [zero] on PC) works in ACR4? I believe it's supposed to, but isn't

working for me - but only in ACR4. The shortcut works just fine in CS3, and

earlier versions of ACR. In ACR4, I have to use the menu at the bottom and

select "fit to view". Is this a bug, or am I just missing something obvious?

I haven't seen any mention of this either on p-net or the Adobe forums.</p>

 

<p>Thanks!

<p>I am trying to find a good, reasonably-priced, online lab - preferably on

the East Coast - that will print on textured paper. I have PS'd a photograph

to look as though it was a pen-and-ink sketch that has been partially hand-

colored. I'd like it printed on some type of paper that resembles sketch paper

that would have been used if it was a "real" pen-and-ink sketch. I've looked

at several of the labs recommended by PNetters (White House, Mpix, Bay Photo,

etc) but none of them seem to offer the type of paper that I'm looking for.

I'm only aiming for 11 x 14, and only having 1 printed, so this is not a volume

order or any "odd" size.

<p>I'm totally unfamiliar with any of the terms used regarding photo paper,

other than "matte", "glossy", "semi-gloss" and the like. Is it possible that

the labs I have looked at do offer the paper I'm looking for, but I don't

realize it, because the terminology is unfamiliar? Is there some keyword I

should look for in the description that would indicate the type of very light

texture I'm looking for? I do <b>not</b> want to add a texture in PS as I

think that ends up looking totally unrealistic (been there, tried that).

<p> Any suggestions for labs and/or paper would be welcome.

<p>Using PS7, I am trying to make two lines of text curve around a central,

round, vignette. I want the top line of text to go from approximately the 10

o'clock position over to the 2 o'clock position, and the bottom text from 8

o'clock to 4 o'clock (so that all the words are right-side-up).

<p>I found a posting on the Adobe forum explaining how to do this, but wasn't

able to make it work (and from some of the postings on that thread, I was not

the only one!). I made a circular marquee then turned it into a temporary

path. The instructions then said to select the text tool and hover it over the

path until the cursor changed shape, then select & type, and the result will

follow the shape of the path. Well, the problem is that the cursor never did

change shape. I fought with it for over 45 minutes, with no luck.

<p>So, does anyone have a fairly quick and easy way to make text bend like I'm

looking for? I have both PS7 and PSE4, so am open to suggestions using

either/both program(s). Incidentally, I tried using the transform tools and

they distorted the text itself, so I wasn't happy with that result.

<p>Thanks!

<p>There's a transfer medium called Omni-Gel that should do the trick. It's available online only, I think, from a place in Texas, and also at Joann.com. I've never used it, but have heard great things about it from people who have. I have 2 unopened bottles on my shelf... someday I will open them!

<p>As I understand the process, it starts with a color <b>photocopy</b> of the picture, then several thin layers of the gel are painted over it and allowed to dry. When dry, the whole stack is soaked in warm water, and the paper peeled off, leaving a very thin, transparent membrane with the colors encapsulated in it. That is allowed to dry, and then applied to the surface using another thin coat of the gel, followed by 1 or 2 topcoats/sealer coats, still of the same gel.

 

<p>The membrane with the colors in it would definitely be flexible enough to go around the egg, so your only issue would be the shape of the top & bottom portions of the picture, so that it will fit on the egg without overlapping. Good luck, and I would be interested in hearing your results, too!

<p>Glad to have helped! I first found the concept of luminosity masks designed for full Photoshop, and unusable with Elements, but I played around and found that a "junior" version was workable with Elements. As soon as I got the hang of this, I ended up using it on almost every image, it's so versatile! Note that you can do the opposite (darken too-light tones) the same way - just don't invert the grayscale. You can use this to adjust both shadows and hightlights on the same image by making two separate Levels adjustment layers, with the corresponding grayscale/inverted grayscale masks.

<p>Another way to lighten the dark without affecting the light (and without using the shadows/highlight option) is to force Elements to make a luminosity mask.

<p>Duplicate the background layer. Change the copy to grayscale and invert. You want all the light areas to be BLACK or dark gray, and all the dark areas to be WHITE or light gray. Ctrl + click on the inverted grayscale image thumbnail to load it. Create a new Levels adjustment layer. Double click on the white thumbnail next to the Levels icon on that layer. That will open the thumbnail and load the inverted grayscale picture. Double-click on the Levels thumbnail, which will close the grayscale picture and open the Levels dialog. Use the Output slider (at the bottom) and move the left arrow towards the right. This will lighten the dark areas. The luminosity mask limits the changes to the white and light gray areas, blocking out the black and dark gray areas. The grayscale will prevent any obvious "lines" from where you made the changes since the change will just fade away as the gray tone gets darker. You should be able to make a quite substantial change using this method.

<p>Good luck!

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<p>Very easy... Open both pictures in Elements. Be sure that they are the same size (inches/cm) and the same ppi. Zoom percentage doesn't matter. Then make sure you are NOT set to the Maximize view mode (change it to tile). That will enable you to see both pictures on the screen at the same time. Select the move tool (V) and then hold down the shift key and drag one picture on top of the other in the picture window. That will create a new layer in the destination picture's layer palette. Holding down shift is important since that ensures the pictures are perfectly aligned when you release the mouse after doing the move. Once you've got your new layer, you can close the source picture, if desired. If you need to change the order of the layers, just simplifiy the background layer and you can then rearrange them to get the best one on top.</p>

<p>I have the Sigma EF500 ST for my Pentax DL. Before buying, I carefully compared the standard Sigma with the Super. I asked myself how often I would use the "extra" features that the ST offers over the Super. The answer was "probably never" - so I saved myself quite a bit of money by buying the ST. I've had no problems with it, and am very pleased, although I've only had it since shortly after Christmas. I did not give it the "stress test" mentioned by a previous poster. I'm also pleased with the battery life and recharge speed under 'normal' conditions.

<p>The question that really needs to be asked is what you plan to use the flash for and whether you really need the bells and whistles. If you just want a good, dependable flash with some nice features at a reasonable price, go with the ST. If bells and whistles are your thing, go with the Super. If money is of no object, pay for the name and get the Pentax...

<p>For what it's worth, I got mine online at Sigma4Less, and saved probably $10-$15 off the prices of the more well-known camera places. I checked resellerratings.com first, and they had a quite good rating. I had absolutely no problems with them - I ordered it from NY on Wednesday before lunch and it was sitting by the door on Thursday after work! I only got the standard shipping, and I do live in CT, so it didn't have far to travel, but I was still impressed.

<p>Sorry it took me so long to respond to this. First I had to think about it, then p-net got caught in my office's "police" filter, so I couldn't access it until I got home.

<p>Anyway, you're asking about the I-91 corridor from Meriden, CT to Springfield MA, which the prior respondent seems to have overlooked. I live right in the area you're asking about, so even though everything seems ho-hum to me from long familiarity, I'll try to provide some suggestions (south to north).

<p>Try Main Street in Middletown - very much a 40's or 50's scene with brownstones and storefronts, but it's bustling. Or go over the bridge to Portland and then <u>under</u> the bridge - there are marinas and some crowded neighborhoods there if you like the "gritty" look. Driving north, I suggest you take either the Silas Deane highway (Rte. 99) or the Berlin Turnpike (Rte. 15) from Middletown to Hartford - there's really nothing along 91 proper.

<p>In Rocky Hill, follow the signs on the Silas Deane to the CT River ferry - the oldest continuously operating ferry in the country. It only runs May-October, though. There may also be interesting stuff nearby along the river. After that, continue driving up the Silas Deane to Old Wethersfield - beautiful Colonial architecture and a real "Olde New England" feel. Check out the Congregational Church on Marsh St. The cemetery has stones dating back to the late 1600's. There's also Comstock, Ferre & Co, which if they have their spring plants outside, is a good possibility. The ice cream place next to Comstock is also worth a visit, but not to take pictures!

<p>From the Silas Deane, go crosscountry to the Berlin Turnpike. In Newington, there's Mill Pond Park with an itty-bitty waterfall which is a local landmark. There are geese at the park, although they're pretty wary. Also in Newington is the old Children's Hospital, if you like old, decrepit institutional buildings. Cedarcrest Hospital (an old mental facility) is less than a mile from the Children's Hospital. I'm sure it's posted for no trespassing, but it might be worth a drive by. Like many other buildings of its type and era, it has a bit of a "reputation" for being haunted - that will either turn you off completely or whet your curiousity!

<p>In Hartford itself, the Capitol grounds are nice and you definitely, unquestionably, shouldn't miss the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch right next to the Capitol. It's one of the first Civil War monuments in the country, I believe. If you go on a Sunday morning, you can stand in the middle of the street to take that picture. In the summer (June) Elizabeth Park has a famous rose garden. Cedar Hill Cemetery is where the movers & shakers of CT society in the Gilded Age are buried. Katharine Hepburn is buried there, too. The old section is interesting - <i>very</i> interesting. The cemetery is known for its trees and in the spring there are guided tours by an arborist (or whatever you call people who study trees). There's also the Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe House.

<p>On the other side of the river, East Hartford has Wickham Park. There's approximately a $5 parking fee, or you can park on one of the side streets & walk in. In the warm weather, there's an aviary, and several "topic" gardens - a Chinese garden, a water garden, etc. There's an awesome view over to the Hartford skyline on a clear day. Down by the river, you can park in E.H. and walk over the river on the pedestrian bridge to Constitution Plaza in Hartford proper. There are good views of the skyline there, including the Old State House, the Colt dome, and the Phoenix building, which used to be the only 2-sided building in the world.

<p>North of Hartford, there's Bradley Air Museum in Windsor Locks, and Old New-gate Prison and copper mine in Granby. Up in that area in the summer, there are also tobacco fields - a dying piece of CT history, and very photogenic. In Springfield, there's Forest Park which used to have a small zoo, maybe it still does, but is very nice, regardless.

<p>I think that that should keep you going for a while. Unfortunately, many of these places are not at their best in the winter, but spring is coming...

<p>If you have any questions, or would like more specific directions to a place, send me an e:mail and I'll be glad to help.

<p>I have PSE4, and have updated it with the correct version of ACR to support

my camera's RAW format. I have absolutely no problems viewing and working with

RAW in the Editor portion of Elements.

<p>However, on the rare occasions when I want to look at unedited RAW files in

the Organizer of Elements (I dislike the Organizer, and seldom use it), the RAW

files display only as black squares. They upload without any problems, and I

can open them in the Editor from the Organizer, but I cannot view them in the

Organizer. I also have Elements loaded on my laptop, and I've noticed that I

can <i>sometimes</i> view the RAW files in the Organizer on the laptop. As I

change the viewing size, it sort of fades in and out between the picture and

the black square, usually ending up as a black square, of course! JPEGs work

fine in the Organizer, this is restricted to the RAW files.

<p>What causes this? The fact that I upload, manipulate, and open (in Editor)

the black squares in Organizer indicates that it must be a display issue of

some sort, rather than a problem with the file format. And why does this only

affect Organizer? Has anyone ever experienced this or a similar problem with

PSE4?

<p>Thank you for any advice or suggestions on how this can be corrected.

<p>I have just purchased a copy of PS7, and am looking for suggestions on a

good reference book to go with it. I have had, and used, PSE4 for a while now,

and am comfortable with all the 'basics', plus some of the more advanced

features in Elements. What I'm looking for is a book for PS7 that is somewhat

along the line of the <i>Missing Manual</i> series for Elements. I don't want

something that's for the absolute beginner, since I think my Elements

background has brought me past that. Nor do I want something that tells how to

achieve certain effects, without the rationale behind the tools used.

Something in the intermediate-to-advanced category would be good!

 

<p>Everything I found in a quick search on Amazon seems to be for either the

absolute beginner, or else just "tips and tricks"... I'd like something where

I can learn more about the features that PS has but Elements does not, instead

of rehashing stuff I already know.

 

<p>Any suggestions? Thanks!

<p>This is absolutely fabulous information!

<p>"J", thank you so much for sharing those pictures. They are definitely each worth more than a thousand words of explanation!

<p>Is there any way to identify, visually only, which camera manufacture a lens

mount is for? I often see third-party lenses available online from other sites

than the camera dealers (B&H, KEH, etc.) and not on eBay, but I have no idea if

those would fit my *ist DL. Pictures are always posted (or can be requested)

but the sellers often are in the position where they have no idea of the mount

themselves - for example at shopgoodwill.com they take what they get without

knowing the ancedents. I know M42 screwmounts are pretty near universal, but I

look at the bayonet mount lenses and have no idea...

<p> So, IS there a way to look at a picture of a bayonet mount and determine if

it's for a Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, or whatever body? I do not want to

get into adaptors or the M42s since anything I get this way would be "just for

fun" and the more fiddling with it I'd have to do, the less I'd use it (and the

less fun it will be!). I'd like to look at a picture and say "yes, that's a

Pentax" and pay my money with a modicum of confidence that when it arrives,

it'll fit the DL. Is this possible?

<p>Thanks for any advice!