david_pogoff1

<p>Thanks guys for all your advice. It seems that the 14-45 that I have is the best of the Panasonic 14-4x, so I'll keep it.</p>

<p>Long term, though, I'll keep my eye on the Panasonic f/2.8 lenses. Does Olympus have any lenses that compete with the Panasonic f/2.8 lenses?</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>Hello all.<br>

I see that there are two (more?) 14-42 Panasonic m4/3 lenses and one 14-45 lens (which I have). Based on what I've read, it appears that the 14-45 lens is nicer than the first 14-42 lens but not as nice as the more recent 14-42 (Power OIS) lens.<br>

I'd appreciate any commentary on this topic. Specifically, should I just keep the 14-45 or look to upgrade to the Power OIS 14-42. Or, for that matter, look to upgrade to the f/2.8 lenses.<br>

I should add that I have no interest in video -- just still photography.<br>

Thanks much for any advice.<br>

David</p>

<p>My understanding is that the black GX7 body is not intended for sale in the USA. But, I see it available on eBay and Amazon -- even Adorama and B&H. Is this grey-market merchandise intended for sale in other regions? If so, then is the firmware specific to the country in which the body is intended for sale? Specifically, I'm concerned about languages available (on the screen) and video modes available.<br>

Thanks for any help or advice.<br>

David</p>

<p>I assume you're all familiar with the lens cleaning cloths that come with a new pair of glasses. Are these similar to, and usable for, cleaning photographic lenses?</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>In search for the latest software for my 50D to install on my MacBook Pro with Mavericks (10.9) installed, I went to the following page on the Canon USA web site: <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/home">Home</a> / <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support">Support & Drivers</a> / <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/professional">Professional Imaging Products</a> / <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/professional/professional_cameras">Cameras & Camcorders</a> / <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/professional/professional_cameras/eos_digital_slr_cameras">Digital SLR Cameras</a> / EOS 50D. I selected "Drivers and Software" (the web page had auto-detected that I was running "OS X Mavericks version 10.9").<br>

<br>

For Drivers, Software, Utilities, and Firmware, I saw the message "There is no - software for the OS Version you selected." But, when I selected "OS X version 10.8", all the software was there for the offering.<br>

<br>

Has anyone had experience installing the version 10.8 software on Mavericks? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.<br>

<br>

Regards,<br>

David</p>

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm looking for recommendations for books on macro lighting, especially when there is more than one light source.</p>

<p>Books by Deutchmann have gotten mediocre reviews.</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>Thanks guys! I'm glad there is a clear consensus.</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>I'm not sure how much of a classic the 167mt is but it appears that this forum is the closest I could find for my question.</p>

<p>Please recommend a repair outfit that can do a thorough going over and CLA of my Contax 167mt. I dropped if (from only a foot or so). I can't detect any damage but detecting problems that need repair is not my expertise.</p>

<p>Thanks for any advice.</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>Rod and Robin Deutschmann have written five books on various topics related to flash photography. Is anyone familiar with these books?</p>

<p>If so, I'm interested in commentary. The titles are intriguing and I'm inclined to get one or two of their books, amongst:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-One-Flash-Practical-Photography/dp/1608952509/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312412350&sr=8-1">Just One Flash: A Practical Approach to Lighting for Digital Photography</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Off-Camera-Flash-Creative-Techniques-Photographers/dp/1584289929/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312412350&sr=8-2">Off-Camera Flash: Creative Techniques for Digital Photographers</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Multiple-Flash-Photography-Off-Camera-Photographers/dp/1608952304/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1312412350&sr=8-3">Multiple Flash Photography: Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Painting-Lens-Photographers-Designing--Camera/dp/1608952371/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1312412350&sr=8-4">Painting with a Lens: The Digital Photographer's Guide to Designing Artistic Images In-Camera</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Techniques-Macro-Close-Up-Photography/dp/1608952908/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1312412350&sr=8-5">Flash Techniques for Macro and Close-Up Photography: A Guide for Digital Photographers</a></p>

Thanks,

David

<p>I have the same question as Kimberly but with the added constraint that I must use distance learning; I cannot up and move to another city for any length with a family at home.</p>

<p>I'm particularly interested in hearing feedback about NYIP. Any others schools operate according to the same model as NYIP (distance learning)?</p>

<p>Thanks for any advice,</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>I appreciate all your responses and am inclined to not bring five lenses (even if I do buy the four additional lenses I discussed). So, I'll bring the 14-45 and either the 45-200 or the 100-300. It's hard to decide whether I want the reach of 600mm (with crop factor) and have nothing between 45 and 100 versus getting the 45-200 and hope that 400mm (with crop factor) is long enough for animals in trees.</p>

<p>Keith, you're the only one who even mentioned the 7-14 which, on paper, is enticing. Is it worth $900? Is that what you paid?</p>

<p>Thanks again,</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>My wife and I are going to Costa Rica for two weeks and I've decided to take the GF1 instead of my DSLR. At the moment, I have only the kit lens, 14-45, and want to get additional lenses. What gets frustrating is that one can easily accumulate lots of lenses, thereby undermining the appeal of the GF1 as a small, light, travel camera.</p>

<p>The 45-200 looks like a good idea -- it complements the 14-45 at the long end. If I want to spend $900, the 7-14 complements the 14-45 at the wide end. With these three lenses, and applying the crop factor, I have the 35mm equivalent of 14-400.</p>

<p>Additionally, the 100-300 might be nice so that I can get the 35mm equivalent all the way up to 600.</p>

<p>And who can resist the 20mm f/1.7; gotta have it.</p>

<p>Now, my light travel kit has 5 lenses. Repeating what I said above, this undermines the purpose of a small, light, travel camera. What I'm looking for is advice on which of these 5 lenses to forgo so the kit is manageable. Would any of you with micro-4/3 cameras go for all 5 and take all 5 with you traveling? Thanks for any commentary.</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>Thanks Jim.</p>

<p>My apologies to those who noticed that the question of step-up rings with polarizers had been discussed already at some length.</p>

<p>Currently, I have a 77mm, a 67mm, and two 58mm lenses. Since I, too, am klutzy, I decided on a compromise. Since I'll be using the Canon 24-105L f/4.0 IS (77) and 70-200L f/4.0 IS (67) more frequently than the others (macros), I bought 67mm and 77mm polarizers. Then, I purchased 58-67 and 58-77 step up rings. I can't imagine that this will be too inconvenient.</p>

<p>A related question: is it a bad idea to "share" a large diameter polarizer among lenses with step-down rings? I have a 77 mm CP (B+W) to use with a Canon 24-105L f/4.0 (77 mm), a Canon 70-200L f/4.0 (67 mm, 67-77 step-down ring), and a Canon 100 f/2.8 macro (58 mm, 58-77 step-down ring).</p>

<p>Even if this <em>is</em> acceptable, I wonder whether it's worth the extra cost to have the convenience of a CP for each lens. Any thoughts on this?</p>

<p>Thanks, all!</p>

<p>It looks like Think Tank comes well-recommended, although no one directly compares it with Tamrac. I'll look at TT's components and, likely, order the belt, et al.</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>Anyone out there familiar with either the <strong>Tamrac</strong> or the <strong>Think Tank Photo</strong> belt systems? I want one of these systems but cannot find a comparison of them, nor can I find a review of either.</p>

<p>Thanks for any feedback.</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>I'll join this discussion with a question about focusing rails. First, I assume that "focusing rail" is synonymous with rack-and-pinion.</p>

<p>Is Adorama's focusing rail "good enough" or do you all recommend others?</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>I'm going on a photo trip which, for the first time, requires that I get a tripod that is lighter than the 6- or 7-pounder I now have. Searching for this has become frustrating, keeping track of weight, price, and manufacturer, as well as determining whether it's sturdy enough, sight unseen.</p>

<p>Tentatively, I have settled on Vanguard Alta + 254CT Carbon Fiber Tripod which is about 2.6 pounds and $229 at Adorama. Does anyone know anything about this or want to recommend an alternative? Provided that I don't sacrifice sturdyness (too much), my main concern is to keep the weight to a minimum since I am just not able to carry something heavy for too long. It's also important that I don't spend a small fortune on a tripod. In short, I want everything to be great at a very low price. ;)</p>

<p>Thanks for your advice.</p>

<p>David</p>

<p>I'm going on a week-long photo trip to Olympia National Park in June. One of the techniques I want to work on is that of low-to-the ground, close focus, wide angle, shots of flowers, insects, etc.</p>

<p>The June issue of Popular Photography briefly discusses this technique (and, as examples, a couple of Sigma, close focusing, zoom lenses: 10-20, 17-70). I'd appreciate recommendations on this kind of lens. I'm interested in hearing about both Canon L and non-L, as well as third-party lenses. I'm using a 50D and an EOS 630.</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>David</p>