ed_v.

<p>I haven't been camera shopping in a while, but dpreview.com has good tools for sorting through all of them and doing comparisons. A couple of things I would look for if buying for a budding photographer:</p>

<p>- Image stabilization, to keep disappointment from blurry shots to a minimum<br>

- Ability to use standard (AA) batteries so that when the camera goes into a drawer for a couple of months it can be used again without having to wait for a Li-Ion battery to charge up</p>

<p>I'm with Matt--replaced the conventional HD with an SSD in my laptop back in March and the speed has been ludicrous...</p>

<p>From two weeks ago--did not get to process and post it last week.</p><div></div>

<p>Understood, Joe. I shouldn't have assumed--just asked. If you're using a 5D then the above advice from William and Sarah applies.</p>

<p>Hi Joe, you're being a little cryptic about your camera body (i.e. issues "cropping" up). Should we assume you're using a 1.6x body and are wondering if you can get away with the 77mm filter not vignetting due to the decreased field of view?</p>

<p>There are probably calculations you could do or mock-ups you could make that might approximate the situation. Worst case, you could try it out and return the items if it's a problem (and the shop has a good return policy). I'm not a pro photographer but that's my advice as an engineer.</p>

<p>Go to the control panels folder in Windows and find the "AutoPlay" control panel. In it you will see the default behaviors for many actions like inserting a blank CD, etc. There should be one for "Pictures". Change that to "take no action".</p>

<p>-Ed</p>

<p>Found some interesting fungus (I believe) growing on a fallen tree in upstate NY. Not sure what it is but perhaps Laura could help me out ;-). There was quite a bit of it around so I imagine it's pretty common, but eye-catching nonetheless.</p><div></div>

<p>There are a couple of templates on Photojojo, one for the timeline cover:</p>

<p><a href="http://content.photojojo.com/websites/make-an-epic-facebook-timeline-cover-photo/">http://content.photojojo.com/websites/make-an-epic-facebook-timeline-cover-photo/</a></p>

<p>And one for the profile pic:</p>

<p><a href="http://content.photojojo.com/websites/make-cut-up-facebook-profile-picture/">http://content.photojojo.com/websites/make-cut-up-facebook-profile-picture/</a></p>

<p>I haven't had the chance to try either out yet but they look fairly easy.</p>

<p>-Ed</p>

<p>John, I tried to print a contact sheet through Lightroom 3 using the bar code font but I could not find how to change the standard font in Lightroom. It may not be possible with that software (but may work in Photoshop). This might be only half the battle, though. You would need a way (a script or macro?) that takes input from a bar code scanner plugged into your PC and runs a search to find the right file. I'm sure it could be done but that's a bit out of my league.</p>

<p>John, I'm not sure if this will work for your situation, but you can download free barcode fonts (such as <strong>c39hrp36dltt</strong>). If you're using Windows, replace the ICON font in the display settings with the barcode font (at least temporarily). You can then see in the folder window the equivalent barcode for each file name like the screen capture below. If you're using a Mac, I can't help but there might be a way to change the system font. Hope this sparks something for you.</p><div></div>

<p>Hey, free shipping!</p>

<p>This one is from last week but I couldn't pull it together to post it last Thursday (sorry!).</p>

<p>I was working from home on my laptop at the dining room table when one of about 100 mocking birds that were in my yard came right up to the glass doors to grab this snack.</p>

<p>7D, 70-200 f/2.8L @ 200mm, f/3.5, 1/4000 sec., ISO-640</p><div></div>

<p>An interesting contraption--taking photos and/or videos at the soccer fields. My son, who was playing goalie at the time, was more interested in this "UFO" than the ball coming towards his net.</p><div></div>

<p>The "supermoon" as seen from Long Island, NY at about 8:30 PM. There were passing clouds, and of the several shots this was the least cloudy.</p><div></div>

<p>I just did the same thing a couple of weeks ago, though all I had to port were Lightroom and Photoshop. The latter is easier in my opinion since I manage my collection in LR. Only thing I had to remember with Photoshop was to deactivate the license on my old computer before uninstalling.</p>

<p>With Lightroom however, I had to export the catalog and import it into the new machine once LR was installed. Google "transfer lightroom to a new computer" for some good advice. It's easier than it sounds. I found good instructions including a page from Scott Kelby.</p>

<p>Good luck and hope this helps.</p>

<p>Alright! Sarah wins the stapler!</p>

<p>Well, it's breakfast time where I am so I guess that's where my mind is.</p>

<p>Here's one from me.</p><div></div>

<p>Mark, my guess is a waffle iron. It's tough to say if those features are pyramids or depressions, though, but I'm sticking with it.</p>

<p>Also a family photographer (with kids that do indoor sports) I cut down costs by buying used or refurbished equipment. Also, I opted for the non-IS version of Canon's 70-200 f/2.8. To get sharp images of fast-moving action you need higher shutter speeds, so you can get away with the non-IS version in those instances.</p>

<p>Photography is my one major hobby (cooking is the other, which can arguably be more expensive in the long run than photography but at least the family consumes most of the edible experiments). I own a 7D, 15-85, 70-200 f/2.8 non-IS and a few other lenses, most of which I either purchased used or refurbished to cut costs. I probably would have stuck with my Rebel XT if it weren't for those meddling kids and their indoor sports...</p>

<p>I made only one purchase at Abe's of Maine, but despite negative reviews I had no problem (bought a Tamron 24-135 and didn't like it, sent it back for a Canon 28-135 and had no trouble with the exchange).</p>

<p>I do most of my camera shopping at Cameta since they are local for me:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cameta.com/index.cfm?fa=display.search&page=1&keywords=Nikon%20D300S">http://www.cameta.com/index.cfm?fa=display.search&page=1&keywords=Nikon%20D300S</a></p>

<p>I shoot my son's basketball games with a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 on a 7D. Granted, he is still young (9 yrs.) so I can get courtside with no problem. The focus isn't very fast, but fast enough and the quality is good. I stop down a bit to f/3.2 or 3.5 and keep the ISO at 3200 letting the camera choose the shutter speed.</p>

<p>Paul, after re-reading your post I think you probably thought of my response already. I apologize in advance if that's the case.</p>

<p>I don't know of any cameras that will let you superimpose images on the back LCD, but one simple way I can think of right now is to use any good-quality camera with live view capability. Take a photo of the original photo as carefully as possible (you could google ways to do this properly) then proceed to the locations. Using the playback mode, view the "old" photo on the LCD screen and make your way around until your view is as close as possible in framing and perspective. You could toggle back and forth between playback mode and live view mode.</p>

<p>I like the shot as well. I'd like it a bit warmer and more saturated, also but my monitor here at work is not calibrated, so I can't criticize the photo for it. The only thing I might do is crop it differently, maybe leaving a little more room in front of the bird and placing it a little lower in the frame, but that's just me.</p>