ted_raper1

<p>I don't see the problem here. In product photography, you are trying to convey an image of what the product looks like. On EBay, all you need is a small photograph showing the design of the shirt - the one you submitted here looks fine to me. People who are buying items on EBay do not care about the ultimate quality of the photograph as long as they can see what they are buying!<br>

But if you insist on making a "better photo", use the lowest possible ISO, the best camera setting (fine), a tripod, proper light, and shoot them in RAW (if your camera has that capability), which will give you more control in post processing.</p>

<p>What do the images look like on the camera's LCD preview? Do they have the banding/magenta issues as you preview them? If not, I'd try a different memory card and transfer method as stated above. If the preview shows the same problem, you surely do need to send the thing back for repair.</p>

<p>I have been to Mexico (the Mayan Riviera, Cozumel, Cancun) many times and have never had any safety issues as long as common sense is excercised, and proper respect is shown to the Mexican people. Remember that Mexico is a male dominated, family oriented society, so don't do anything to insult anyone's family!<br>

As far as photographs, Mexico is a very COLORFUL place and slide film is great. On all my trips there except the last (summer of 2007)I have shot slides - mostly Kodachrome and Fujichrome (summer of '07 I shot digital). The early morning and late evening light is fantastic there (at least where I was) and the old and colorful buildings make wonderful subjects.</p>

<p>As Mark says, it looks cool! Seriously, the shade prevents flare when the sun is off to one side when you're shooting. It doesn't help if the sun is in front or behind, but if it's off to the left - or right - at an angle, the shade will prevent flare, which can really mess up an otherwise good photograph.</p>

Check the DPreview waterproof camera group test.

<p>I've found that most of the security people in airports will hand check film for you. What I do is take it out of the box and put it in a clear plastic bag, then very politely ask for it not to be run through the scanner. Works for me. </p>

I've shot fireworks at night with auto WB on my D200 and they came out fine. I don't generally use the auto WB setting, I prefer to tailor it to the specific light conditions with one of the presets. What I'd do, if time and conditions permit, is try a couple shots with auto WB, then with a couple of the other presets and compare them and see which one works best. Then shoot the rest of the fiesta with that setting. Or just shoot the whole thing in RAW and fine tune it on the computer.

<p>You can go to Photozone, which I believe has tests of both the lenses you mention, and look at their sharpness charts. If that is your main concern, the graphs will show you the sharpest aperture for your lenses (at least as measured in their lab).</p>

<p>I'm not a fan of Ken Rockwell, but if you go to his site he does a review of the Pentax 645 with a pretty good explanantion of how to use it, if you can't find the manual.</p>

<p>WAY too much! I agree w/Juergen. I was just out there for 9 days, visited Page, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and rafted down the Colorado (left from Glen Canyon Dam in Page). If you try to do all you say in 4 days you won't enjoy any of it because you'll be so rushed. Maybe cut that itenerary in half. Bryce and Zion are the most photo friendly because you can get down into the canyons (and therefore take better pictures than the standard looking-out-over-the-canyon shots).</p>

<p>I've shot a lot of photos on the beaches of the NC Outer Banks, where it is always very windy. I'd say that sand will be a bigger problem than moisture...so, protect the lens with some sort of a filter, keep sand off your hands since you'll be handling the camera, and when it's windy (blowing sand!) put something over the camera to protect it. And as Dan says above, take a rocket blower - if you get sand on the lens blow it off. If you try to wipe it off you'll likely scratch the lens.<br>

And yes, I runied a lens (sand!) while doing all those windy beach shots.</p>

<p>You can find information about the collection/payment of sales tax, etc. from your state's (Texas) Department of Revenue. And you will need a tax ID number, yes. I live in North Carolina, and the NC DOR has a packet called "New Business Info" or something like that which they'll send out on request. So check out the Texas DOR (or whatever they call it over there) website under business and see what you can find.</p>

<p>You say you have tried a "couple of media cards". Try a different TYPE or BRAND of card - it really does sound like a card issue to me. I have two Fujis - E900 and S6000 and never had any problems like what you're discussing.</p>

<p>As already mentioned, the D100 is a fine camera. I used one for many years. You will need to tweak the in cameras settings (contrast, sharpness, color mode, etc) to get the best out of it, though. My biggest gripes with it were two: one, you had to take it out of shooting mode with the dial to change the white balance, and two, the auto white balance was not good. In my opinion, more accurate white balance and better high ISO performance are what more modern cameras will do for you. On my D100, I was constantly searching for the right WB when shooting JPEGS. Shooting RAW will of course eliminate the WB issue. So try some tweaks and experiments with settings before you give up on the camera.</p>

<p>If you can't shoot RAW, then shoot a couple of different shots with different white balance (white balance bracketing is a feature on some cameras but I don't know about yours). I never use auto WB, always set it manually if I'm shooting JPGs. I have three different brands of cameras, and none of them really satisfy me with auto WB (at least not in end-of-day light, which is when I like to shoot). </p>

<p>I've been looking for a popup flash diffuser for this camera - and this morning, out of desperation, tried something that worked extrtemely well. Promise not to laugh - but I taped a small piece of toilet paper over the flash, made the shot, and it worked extremely well. The photograph (distance about 4 feet) came out just right. The flash did its thing and the tp diffused it just perfectly. Can't upload the shot because I'm at work.</p>

<p>I have an FZ28 and I have to say that for what it is, it's a superb camera. Feature rich, to be sure, but my primary concern is always IQ and the FZ28 delivers - once it is set up properly. Mine is set (always) at base ISO, NR to lowest level, RAW, 1/3 stop negative exposure comp. I would assume the FZ35 would be even better.<br>

Set up that way it delivers excellent IQ. I also have a Fuji E900, and the main difference is the Fuji is better at higher ISOs, and the Fuji color is stronger than the FZ28. The IQ is only slightly less than the Panasonic. <br>

So in a nutshell, get the Fuji if high ISO low light stuff is important to you, but if you mostly shoot in good light go for the Panasonic.</p>

<p>I doubt the problem lies with either the camera or the cards - it seems more like an issue with your computer. Are you maybe running out of hard drive space? See if you can borrow a different camera/card setup and try downloading that and see if you have the same issue. If you have the same problem, then it is surely something with your computer. If the PC is older it just may not have the space to dowload all the photos. Some cameras, like my Fuji E900, can have huge files (up to 18 MB each) which, when dowloading hundreds of them, can really clog up a hard drive quickly.</p>

There are two buttons, I believe, on the D80 that are marked "format". If I recall correctly, you press them both simultaneously to format the memory card. Double check your manual.

<p>Just picked up an E900 cheap - can't resist a bargain. The RAW conversion software that comes with it is next to worthless. Does anyone know if Photoshop Elements 7 supports the RAW files from this camera?</p>

<p>I used to shoot a lot of butterflies, and as noted above they are hard to track because they fly erratically. Here's what worked for me: I found a spot known to attract them, set the camera on a tripod with a cable release. Prefocused on a particular flower (I usually used a pretty long lens, 200 mm or so), then parked myself in a lawn chair several feet away with a rum and coke. When a butterfly landed on my prefocused flower, I took the shot. Yeah, it takes a fair chunk of time to do this, but for me it beat trying to follow them around.</p>

<p>A Lumix LZ8 has tested very well at DPReview, and it has some manual control. Uses SD cards, I think, and can be had for right around $100. Image quality is prretty good for a cheap camera. 8 MP.</p>

<p>Shoot a lot of different exposures, and with different white balance settings. Shoot the same scene with four or five exposures a second or two apart - or maybe one at two seconds and one at ten seconds. Use the tripod, or as i have done, sit it on a beanbag or something and fire the shutter with the remote. Experiment!</p>

<p>Actually the kit 18-105 will probably suffice for what you want to do. It's always nice to have a lens for every situation but we can't all afford to do that. Spend the $120 on a polarizer and an ND grad filter and enjoy yourself!</p>

<p>I just got back from exactly the places you're talking about - Vegas, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon. You surely do need a wide angle of some sort, and a tripod to do the Vegas pictures. A word about Vegas: it's CROWDED all the time, 24 hours a day, so if you want to get photos with no people in them you'll have to get out there sometime around 2, 3 AM. I was out intending to shoot at 4:30 AM and there were traffic jams and people all over (going to the early shift at the casinos, I assume).<br>

My best photos from the trip were from Bryce. The Grand Canyon is wonderful, but unless you hike down into it (a tough hike back up) you'll get the same kind of photos as everyone else. At Bryce, the canyon is only 1,000 feet deep and you can get down into it and get some great photos. Lake Powell is boring unless you get on a boat and go out into some of the canyons. Another great place is Valley of Fire, about 50 miles SE of Las Vegas. <br>

My most used stuff on the trip: Nikon 16-85 lens, tripod, grad ND filter, and my old Fuji E900 P&S. Did a lot of hiking and didn't always want to lug the D200/16-85 with me.<br>

And last but not least - it was HOT (saw 118 degrees on the car thermometer at Valley of Fire) so prepare for extremely hot weather.</p>