johnny_anderson

<p>My grandson learned how to use Powerpoint in his 6th grade class. They took the best 6 students, he was one of them, and they got to spend a day with a Microsoft Powerpoint Mentor. The Mentor had to call back to Redmond to find out the answers to questions that the 6 students asked on how to do advanced Powerpoint presentations. The kids also taught the Mentor several new and easier ways to do presentations. The kids of today are sharp on computers and software!</p>

<p>I just got back into photography 1.5 years ago after a 14 year break. When I decided to go digital I spent a lot of time reading the Canon and Nikon threads on 6 different sites. I decided to go Nikon, I shot Canon film cameras for nearly 35 years so if anything I was a Canon fan. I read of the problems with Canon autofocus, front and back focusing lens issues, and inaccurate flash exposure problems and that turned me off to Canon gear. While Nikon has it's problems also they're not nearly as many as Canon gear. And I realise that people don't post when their gear works correctly, but there seems to be more problems with the Canon gear from what I was reading.</p>

<p>I have a D80 and love the camera, does an excellent job and I haven't had any problem with the matrix metering over exposing either (one of the problems with some of the Nikon cameras). If you have the money go with the D300, it's a terrific camera. But the D90 is a great alternative camera that will serve you well for many years. It's got great high ISO performance which would come in handy no matter what you photograph.</p>

<p>I was a model railroader and started taking pictures of cars and engines, back in the early 70's. That lead to other types of photography. I wound up being a weekend pro for about 6 years doing weddings, model portfolios, and portraits. I got out of photography about 15 years ago and just got re-interested about a year ago. Now I just do photography for myself as a hobby. I love the new digital cameras (have a D80). It's great to be able to check your shot if necessary to see that it was exposed correctly. I can now afford to take as many pictures as I want, something I couldn't afford to do with film!</p>

<p>The 50mm will put you very close to the insect and probably scare it away. The 90 - 105mm lenses work better and a lot of people use 150 - 200 mm macro lenses. It gives you some distance from the subject so you don't scare it off. I have a Nikon 28-105 zoom with macao 1:2 that works ok but my goal is to get a 150 or 180 mm macro lens.</p>

<p>Kentucky windage is an old shooting term meaning you have to take your best guess at the elevation and windage of your rifle or pistol to put the bullet where you want it to hit. Used regarding cameras it means take you best guess at exposure and adjust as needed. Of course if you have a light meter you can take much of the guess work out of the shot.</p>

<p>Why not upgrade to a D80 for now, they are selling new and used for great prices. They will work fine with any of the AF lenses. While not the newest tech they work just fine, I love mine. I upgraded (or downgraded however you look at it) from a D60 a few months ago. While the D60 has better high ISO performance, IMO, I like the extra control I have with the D80. The dedicated buttons make usage a whole lot easier. Just another option to look at.</p>

<p>I have used the spyder2express and now use the spyder3pro. They both work just fine and do an excellent job.</p>

<p>I shot with Canon 35mm film cameras for 35 years but chose Nikon when I went to DSLR. I found the Nikon UI much more intuitive for <strong>me</strong> . I had a Canon S3IS and it took great pictures but the UI drove me nuts, too many menues. The Nikon cameras also felt better in my hands, the ergonomics suited me better. Both systems will produce excellent quality photos. But if it doesn't feel good in your hands you'll be looking to sell it in short order. I am totally pleased with my D80 and it helps make great photos when I do my part.</p>

<p>My favorite street/walk around lens at this point is my Nikon 16-85. Very sharp, VR works great, has the focal lenth that I like. Works great on my D80.</p>

<p>My first DSLR changed my photography because I can now afford to take as many shots as I want. I've shot 35mm film for over 35 years but had to limit my shots because of the expense of processing and printing. For the first time I can now experiment to my hearts content. I am finally able to try all the different views, settings, and lighting that I've always wanted to do. It's a very liberating feeling. I have always gotten good photos but went for the "money" shot. Now I can go for the experimental shots!</p>

<p>I use 4GB class 6 cards in my D80 and they work just fine. Class 6 is a standard for the <strong>minimum</strong> write and read speeds. The cards can go faster if the manufacture builds them that way, they just can't go slower. I don't think the D80 can even come close to maxing out a class 6 card. The speed of the card is more relavent to the speed at which it can download the images to your computer. The faster the card the quicker is will download images.</p>

<p>After shooting film for over 30 years, I love digital. I can shoot as many shots as I have memory space for and that's something I couldn't afford to do with film. But the one thing that carried over from my film days was make every shot count. While I do shoot more with digital, I still try to get the shot the first time. But if I miss I can retake the shot and hopefully get it right. With film all I could do was bracket and hope.</p>

<p>Is film better than digital, I can't see it with my D80. My pictures come out as good or better than they did with film. I don't really care which is better since I am getting great results with digital. Shoot what you like, it's your choice (at least until they discontinue film).</p>

<p>You really can't use the LCD screen to judge your pictures. Especially if you are pushing the magnify button on the back of the camera. The LCD panel is a low resolution display and as you found, when viewed on your computer they came out fine. At most the LCD will give you some idea of the framing/compositon of the shot and also an idea of how well the exposure did. But that's about all it's good for. Use the histogram for exposure info, much more accurate.</p>

<p>Hi Ray,<br>

Bad choice of words on my part. I actually folded the paper towel so that it had a sharp edge and touched the pec pad on it very briefly. The first time I tried it I did get a fiber from the paper towel, rubbed the whole length of the pec pad on it. The second time I just touched the sharp edge of the paper towel and it wicked away some of the fluid and it worked ok. But I know what you are saying, you don't want to pick up fibers as they could scratch the IR filter or at least add more stuff to clean off. My concern was not to get too much fluid on the IR filter. But as I watched it evaporate extremely quickly, I was being overly cautious. With practice I'll get better and more relaxed about cleaning it.</p>

<p>This is a used camera and it had a bunch of dust on the filter. I tried my rocket blower but there was just too much dust. I shouldn't have to clean it again for a good long time. I am anal about changing my lenses so as to prevent dust from blowing into the sensor area. The guy that owned the camera before me wasn't as concerned.</p>

<p>If it were me (and it's not my trip) I'd go 16-85VR and 70-300VR. Both lenses are lightweight and have very good to great IQ and the build quality is very good on both lenses. While they're not F2.8 lenses your D300 is capable of using a higher ISOs without noise issues. The VRII on both of these lenses works superbly. The 70-300 would give you some extra reach for critter shots in the trees. Just something to think about.</p>

<p>I just cleaned the sensor in my D80 for the first time last week. I used ECLIPSE E2 and PEC pads and a SensorSwipe from Copper Hill Images. The first and second times I tried I didn't use enough fluid (afraid of soaking the sensor) only used 1 drop. The third time I used 2 drops on the pec pad and quickly blotted it on a paper towel. That time it got the dust off the sensor with no problems.<br>

Like everyone else that's done it, it's a little scary at first but it really isn't that hard to do correctly. Copper Hill has some excellent instructions on their site. Sensor and camera are doing just fine and all but one dust/oil spot is gone.</p>

<p>http://www.copperhillimages.com/index.php?pr=Copper_Hill_Products</p>

<p>I'd go with the SB600 flash, a circular polarizer, and you might want to take a look at a compact monopod. Since it may be dark/overcast a monopod could be of great use. It will let you take longer exposures/slower shutter speeds. It's not as good as a tripod but much better than nothing and much easier to travel with. Tripods are not allowed in a lot of areas. Another lens you might want to get is the 50m 1.8D AF, while it won't autofocus on the D60, manual focus isn't that hard to do. It's a great low light lens and they can be purchased for around $110 USD nib.</p>

<p>Nikon never did make a vertical battery grip for the D40-D40x-D60 series cameras. I had the Opteka battery grip for my D60 and liked it very much. The Opteka and Targus look like the same grip, if not they're very close to the same. The Opteka was very sturdy and fit the camera with no gaps. I liked having a bigger grip for my big hands to hang on to. It also helped with lens balance and it was nice to have the extra battery capacity. I've read a number of user reviews on the different camera forums about the Targus grip, some liked them and some didn't. They seemed to function ok, just a matter of personal preference.</p>

<p>I have a Canon IP4500 that I really like. It was about $130.00 when I bought it earlier last year. It uses 2 black ink and 3 color ink cartridges. Makes great prints.</p>

<p>You might think about picking up a used D80. Since the D90 came out D80s have been going for $400 - $500 USD. A big plus for the D80 is the built in focus motor, that way you can use AFD lenses.</p>

<p>I use GGS glass screen protectors. They are thin, tempered glass, multi coated to prevent glare, and they give a very clear view of the LCD screen. I get them from <a href="http://www.goshotcamera.com">www.goshotcamera.com</a> (search for ggs screen protectors) and they run about $12.00 to $14.00 plus USPS shipping.</p>

<p>I use GGS multi coated glass protectors on my cameras. I get them from Go Shot Cameras in California. (I don't like ordering from China but that's just me.) They run about $12.00 to $14.00 plus USPS shipping. <a href="http://www.goshotcamera.com">www.goshotcamera.com</a> search on ggs screen protector</p>

<p>Bright sun or light ISO 200, overcast/dim light ISO 400. Like others here I use whatever ISO I need to get the photo but 200 and 400 are my starting points. Coming from 30 years of 35mm film, the freedom to use whatever ISO from picture to picture is absolutely fantastic!</p>

<p>I was a model railroader for about 30 years and got started with photography taking pictures of old railroad equipment. I needed documentation photos for scratch building model railroad cars and structures. I used a bunch of different cameras both 35mm and 21/4 pro gear. But eventually settled on Canon SLRs and used them for nearly 30 years.</p>

<p>A few friends saw my work and liked it and asked if I could take pictures of their kids. That lead to taking school pictures for my daughters 3rd grade class. That lead to doing some wedding photography, which then lead to doing some model portfolio work. Word of mouth was the cheapest and best reference that I ever had. 40 years later I'm still taking pictures but now just for my pleasure. </p>

<p>My wife has Parkinsons Disease and I'm her 24/7 caregiver, plus I work a full time job managing a Self Storage Facility. We have an apartment attached to the office, so it allows me to fulfill both rolls. I needed something to get away from the caregiver roll for a little R&R. I had quit photography about 14 years ago and my wife was always after me top start doing it again. So last year I bought a Canon S3IS and then got the urge to get a DSLR. Bought a D60 this summer and just sold it and bought a very nice used D80. Photography is a great stress reliever for me and I really like taking pictures again. The benefit of DSLRs is that I can shoot as many pictures as I want, something I couldn't afford to do with my film SLRs. I am enjoying the learning process with both the camera and PSE6. Learning keeps you young!</p>

<p>After everyone recommends their particular brand of camera, go to a photo shop and handle the major brands. All of the name brand cameras will take extremely good pictures. What you will find is one that, for you, handles better than the rest. That's the one you'll want to take a serious look at. Also take into consideration how many lenses and accessories are available for the brand, it's an important consideration. If you get serious about photography and buy into the wrong system with few lenses and accessories it will be a costly mistake! You don't want to know how much that lesson cost me.</p>

<p>I like Nikons because they just feel right in my hands. I also like their menu system better than the other major brands. Nikons reputation for top quality lenses is legendary but the other makers have great lenses also. I shot with Canon 35mm film cameras for almost 40 years and loved them. When I went digital Nikons were what worked best for me. Whichever brand you buy have fun, photography is a fun hobby.</p>