ryan_farabough

<p>If you are going to BUY anything I recommend just getting CS5. I think being able to use the Camera RAW editor is well worth it. I find myself doing as much or more work in Camera RAW than PS now. </p>

I just got into Digital from film and

picked up a 7D. I love it so far and I'm

adjusting to the crop sensor. I did all

my first few shoots in JPEG before

switching to RAW. It has made a big

difference to me as well as opening up

more opportunity in CS5.

 

I agree, try RAW first, if you are still not

satisfied, then you would certainly

enjoy a 7D (I can't comment on the

60D)

<p>I hate to suggest having multiple printers, but if you are going to be doing a number of 4x6 size prints, pick up the Canon Selphy CP300. I use it for all my family style snapshots and its works great, it pretty cheap, its small and the prints are durable. Buying supplies online gives you about a $0.23 cost per print ($0.32 if you go to Best Buy).<br>

I have a Inkjet photo printer for the bigger sizes, but cant recommend it and am saving for a Epson 3880 too. </p>

<p> </p>

I have the 10-20 ef-s and while happy

with the lens overall, I find the aperture

limiting in my work with it which is often

interior rooms with less than great

lighting. And it's not great with on

camera flash, I have tried it with my

580ex and the results have been

disappointing. I really wish I had one

that was constant and faster. F2.8

would be the slowest I would want if

making a purchase again.

Those are very cool pictures. I am sure

that requires some specialized and not

readily available equipment to make

those. I would sure love to know the

technique.

<p><strong>I suspect that somone with a little knowledge may even be able to hack the site and download the full size high-res images.</strong></p>

<p>Sadly, this is very true and actually not all that difficult. Doesn't really involve much hacking, just some figuring out where they are stored and then downloading them, not too many are encrypting their images. I have seen this done here to a Wedding photographer, the couple bought a few and then downloaded the rest on their own, even posting them on their facebook page. </p>

<p>Best way to combat this forces you to do more work by not having the full size or hi-res images on the web at all. And even this is not fool proof because you still have the risk of someone sharing or uploading one of your images after they have paid you for it. Its just the reality of the online, connected world today. The honest people will pay and rest will just take it and use it for free and most likely you wont even know they did. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, Kodak is done. I will miss them in a nostalgic sort of way, but the company has had no impact on me personally or professionally in years, and I have not been captivated by anything they have offered in years. <br>

They sold off all their valuable assets to prop up their dying ones and now I don't see a way forward for them unfortunately. </p>

<p>Lol! The filter /no filter debate lives on. It seems like to me, with computer post processing what it is now, I really need about 3 filters: A red, a polarizer, and a UV (yes, I do fall into the protect the element crowd, and when shooting in the bright sun, where glare may be likely, the odds are decent that I will have the polarizer on then - so yes, I said it!)</p>

@Tim, no I wish I would have kept all my old gear, but I sold it all 8 yrs ago along with the darkroom stuff. Would

love to have it and my film lenses back now.

 

And to the others, yes I do see some of those discussions on film vs. digital but they are sure different now that most

shoot digital, before it was the other way around.

 

And I see a lot less threads on Arca-swiss heads too, LOL! Those used to be on every page.

 

I need to pick up a couple of other lenses, I wasn't really ready for the 1.6x on the crop sensor. I "knew" about it but

dealing with it in real life situations feels different than I anticipated. 28mm is not so wide anymore. I just ordered a

10-22mm from a member here, so hopefully it gets here before NYE.

<p>Well, I finally did it. I bought a DSLR and came back to photography after about 8 years away. And what a different world it is. <br>

When I "quit" photography, which is not to say I stopped taking pictures, but got away from doing its seriously or even as a hobby, people were still having film vs. digital discussions and you could still purchase and process film locally at about every corner store. But life interveined and I had to move on to other things. I packed up and sold my darkroom setup, which I had only recently started in on color work, sold it all, sold my camera and lenses (Canon EOS 3 kit) and everything. I left myself a point and shoot and a Sigma SA-1 for family events and that was that. <br>

Well, something finally reignited that spark of interest in pictures and I decided to get back into it. I did some research and finally settled on sticking with Canon and purchased a EOS 7D with the 28-135mm lens yesterday. And of all places I bought it at Best Buy! That in itself made me a bit sad, but reflects how much photography has changed since I left. I first went to one of 2 local camera and photography shops left in town. I talked to them, and while I knew I would have to pay more, I was ok with that up to a point. But when it came down to the bottom line, I would have been paying $2065 and change out the door with the camera and lens only. That was the "best" they could do. I decided to wait and went to Best Buy to look at something else. While there I see not only the 7D, but also the 5D2 are available and much cheaper to start with. So I went and looked. And the clerk, who told me he doesn't work on commission, tells me that he knows where to get a better deal online, but that if I will pull it up on my phone, he can match it. So I did. I got the 7D kit with the 28-135 lens for $1499. And then got a Canon bag, while not my first choice, for $34, an 8GB SanDisk card for $31 and a UV filter, while mediocre, for $16. With tax I am out the door for just over $1700. I was shocked, the guy was very helpful, followed me around and helped shop for the accessories and walked me to a register to check out with no waiting in line. Its no wonder the local photo shops are hurting, when I can get better service and better pricing from the big box store. <br>

Anyways, I guess this is a long way of trying to say that I am back and look forward to the experience of everyone here to help me get reacquainted with the hobby that I fell in love with back in the day.<br>

So thanks to everyone in advance and Happy New Year.</p>