ron_karpel

<p>These are Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak. I have taken the photo in the link below from much closer, so a third picklet is seen in the foreground. Just focus on the 2 darker mountain on the far ridge. Ritter and Banner are very prominent on the sky line and can be seen from H/W 395 around Mammoth Lake. The shape of Banner in your photo is a very identifiable. Your picture was probably taken somewhere along the ridge which leads to San Joaquin Mountain. It is easily accessible from Agnew Meadow trail-head on the way to Devils Postpile. <br>

<a href="http://www.karpel.org/Ron/Peaks/BannerPeak00.html">http://www.karpel.org/Ron/Peaks/BannerPeak00.html</a></p>

My 45mm lens is smooth all around (except for the 82mm front thread). How does the bayonet mount on the lens?

I have successfully used 82mm polarizer or Cokin "P" holder with all but the first slot sawed off. I But mounting the Cokin holder over another filter, or any 2 filters for that matter, is a no-no.

To me, the biggest advantage of 35mm is flexibility. I like wide angle lenses, so I have a 16-35mm zoom for my Canon setup. I have been lucky enough on occasion to be able to get 20x30 inch prints which are tack sharp, but needed to get them scanned professionally at 6000 DPI. I get 18x24 inch prints most of the time with my 4000 DPI scanner.

I still am carrying my P67 around much of the time. With the P67 I can get 30x40 inch prints all the time (unless hand held). So the over all advantage is about 1.7 -- matches with your observation.

My biggest concern with my 45mm P67 lens is the poor sharpness at the edges. Here again, the Canon "L" far surpasses the P67.

Ron

<You can change between f/stop and frame number display by pressing both the ISO and the ML button simultaneously and moving the speed set lever>

I have tried that, but the display doesn't seem to change. Does the camera need to be set to a custom function for this to work?

Thanks,

Simon,

I just returned from a 2 weeks trip to Hawaii. I brought along my Pentax 67II including a 45mm and a 105mm lenses, EOS3 with 3 lenses, a digital P&S, and my PC (I needed the PC anyway). I used the Pentax for what it is best � short distance from the car. The EOS was for longer hikes, and rough (water, mud) trips.

I could only fit one tripod in my check in, and since part of the trip was hiking the Na Pali Coast, I brought my Gitzo G1127 with a Velborn PH-253 Magnesium ballhead. This is a 3 lb. setup which I use for long hiking and backpacking trips. While not ideal for the Pentax, it worked well.

I hope this helps,

Ron

Hi Sean,

This is a fine plan. There is going to be quite a bit of driving, but also lots of sights.

I recommend you take H/W 1 from San Diego to San Francisco, and try to spend some time in Big Sur, and Monterey. You can get from Yosemite to Mono Lake via H/W 88, which should take about 5 hours, or go up north to H/W 50 to Lake Tahoe (longer). Near Mono Lake, try to visit Bodie (if the snow didn't block the road), June Lake, and Mammoth Lakes. Should you decide to travel south along the west slops of the Sierra instead of crossing to Mono Lake, there are Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and there is Lake Isabella

You probably want to pre-book accommodation in Yosemite and in Death Valley. Mid to late winter is the high season in Death Valley.

Hope you have a great trip.

Ron

Excuse me for jumping in with an additional question.

How does the D60 compare with film body for ruggedness? I do a lot of climbing and sometime I am very rough with my gear.

The 100-300 is almost useless at the long end, so if you get the 70-200 you might as well dump the 100-300.

I like the 16-35, it's the sharpest glass I have seen, but then it's big $.

I haven't used the Cokin holder, but the 16-35 vignettes even with a single polarizer unless it's the thin version without the front thread, so I am not sure how you are going to get the cokin holder on that.

It has a rear filter holder which I have used for warming filters, but I am not sure how to use this with a ND grad.

Another thing to consider.

I figure I can purchase and develop a couple of years worth of film with the money I save with the EOS-3. By then the D60 will be obsolete, but the EOS-3 will live for a while.

The valley proper will be crowded. You need to book as soon as possible. You are better off flying into SFO since the East entrance will be closed. Weather and snow conditions vary significantly from year to year. It could be all covered with several feet of snow as it was this winter, or it could be bare ground as it was in 1999. One way or the other it will be cold. There may be ice on the trails even on the valley's floor.

In addition to some of the previous answers. The area north of the valley gets very little attention in general, and particularly in winter. The area around Crane flat is great for beginning skiing (if there is snow). Otherwise, you can just hike there. You may be able to hike the Yosemite Fall trail and get some interesting views into the valley.

Want to get a way from the crowd but still have the same scenery? Consider Sequoia NP.

A few weeks ago I hiked on a rainy day with my Yashica T4 and got

some very refreshing photos. While I was impressed with the results,

the lack of control, and the lack of a tripod certainly detracted

from the quality of the photos. Next Saturday is another rainy day,

and I am planning another hike, and I am wondering should I bring out

my big SLR/tripod. How about the Yashica and a monopod? The

difference is not just in equipment, but also in the length of time

required to use SLR/tripod vs. the point&shoot while it is purring.

Any suggestions?

I would recommend the Yashica T4s. It weight ~6 oz, it is weather tight, and it can take decent photos. No zoom though. But if the situation is so bad you can't take your SLR out, then maybe even a zoom would be too much.

The best thing about the Yashica is it is so simple to operate and so easy to carry, I can hand it over to my bodies with instruction to take pictures of ME. I personally rather use my EOS-3.