rubiton

Hadnt thought about plugging the camera into the computer (yet have had friends need to access the images on raceday with a laptop and copy a few over). My last two computers have had a card slot in the front of them. I'd think camera body and twin lens kit then you would need extra memory card (if you will copy images to computer at end of day 2GB is fine but 4GB is a bonus HOWEVER if you dont have mega loads of memory the bigger the card the slower to download will be - my old computer struggled with 2GB cards). And a second battery and a bag to carry everything in and as a luxury a bouncy neck strap (mine is a lowerpro something but its more forgiving on your neck then the one that comes with the camera).

I like buying books from the US - but gear comes from here. I also like supporting businesses that are helpful and very quick delivery (my canon stuff comes from quality camera sales but you will find cheaper but not receive the advice he offers). QCS I had ordered a battery and when I got around to trying to charge it up it wouldn't charge and he sent me one that arrived next day - it was here before I'd had a chance to ask if he wanted the faulty one sent back. And located in perth gives you a little longer during the day (SA & otgher states time) to place an order that arrives the next day.

If you got Photoshop CS4 best to get a how to book for it. The program can do amazing things BUT its a bit hard to just muck about with a work out - much easier with a book to learn from.

OK - shooting in Manual photo taken at 1/1000th sec F8. Camera left to pick speed it took the photo on 1/640th. Horse jumping over fence in sunlight the 1/1000th was far clearer of the two. Aperture priority is very useful if you are changing between sun and shade such as after race presos where you are trying to get a head shot and rug shot as you dont have to muck about changing the speed BUT on either AV or TV if the camera spots something very bright and your subject is dark then it will automatically go with the lightand set for that (eg something that is backlit). The shutter 'lag' mentioned would not be all that noticable in AV but it would be caused with the camera trying to make adjustments (I noticed my camera was slower with one of my older lenses compared with a newer one - but 'slower' as in 10 shots in the space it would take 15 with the newer lens). At the finish of a horse race makes a diffence - with someone going at walking pace not so much. However if someone is taking action pics in sunlight and you want to control the speed your camera is taking pics at (and control DOF with teh aperture) you use manual and set on something like 1/1000th F8 and ISO 400 (and adjust accordingly - you dont adjust every second shot). Then you know what you are taking and you know it will use a high shutter speed and that you wont end up with a low DOF because the camera sensor spotted something in the background.

But the problem is you cannot upgrade - you cannot purchase/install a legit upgrade without a legit copy already.

I have to use my left - only place it would cause a problem (using left eye and being right handed) is shooting a rifle however for cameras it doesnt matter.

I also put a non slip mat in the bath and use a hose thing (probably came from Bunnings mat was Big W). Fidos Emu Oil - but she is an adult dog. The fidos is good though.

Thanks for all the advice - she only gets a biscuit for fetching the paper in the morning then a food ball so feeding once a day at night is far easier. Its a lot of powder at once to mix into the food but so far she's hoovered the lot. I guess for a dog not so keen twice a day may be easier for some but definately prefer just giving it to her once a day.

Just wondering about the dose timings. Assumed that the dog just gets one dose a day (amount as per weight guide) then read the packet and saw that its suppose to be given in morning and at night. Now since the dog only gets moist food at night (her actual big meal for the day) how are you suppose to feed it in the morning? Is it imperitave to feed it twice a day or can it be used once a day?

Agree with kja suggestionss. The on switch not being all thre way on can catch you out as the wheel doesnt work on the middle setting.

Try to find a sunny area outside. Put it in AV. Now go as low as the camera allows with your aperture setting (depending on the lens you are using this could be 5.6 or could be as low as 2.8). Setup a scene such as a pot or garden gnome (or something) about two metres from you and focus on that - set it up so there is another object or fence in the background say perhaps 4- 5 metres away (enough so that if you focus on close object on the low aperture setting the other object is out of focus. Then take a second photo with it set on say F11. Then a third one as high as the setting will go (if you can get F22 without the shutter speed being too low that would be ideal - this is where the sun can be handy). Idea is on a 2.8 or 5.6 setting the front object will be sharp but back object wont be. second setting the background wont be as blurred and the final shot should nearly have the background relatively in focus. Play around with the object as 4-5 metres may be too great 2-3 metres may be enough.

The one I bought as a backup to the card slot in the computer is a Kingston Media reader 19 in 1 - cost about $20 or $30 dollars online. I got it just in case the prongs in the computer one end up bent somehow so I have a back up right away. Havent used it yet though (hopefully I wont but I know its there)

Agree with kja - get a card reader - they come up as an extra drive on your computer and you just open and when they come up copy across.

I'd be wary of putting all your gear listed on every posting on the website but then thats the security/privacy worry of you never know who is looking on the web.

This is the lens I do most of my work with - its fantastic for action horse pics!

bulk of my stuff a 70-300mm IS but black lens, then a 100-400L IS lens then the 25-85 mm lens for the yearlings and closer stuff. I also have an older 70-210mm lens that did the bulk of the racing stuff for a couple of years and before that was a 90-300mm but the 40D didnt like it and was sluggish with the auto focus in race finishes.

Use either of the last two lenses. FOr action put it on the nikon equivalent of AI Servo for the auto focus. For a sunny day - make sure sun is behind you when you face the subject. Put it on ISO 400 PUt it on F8 and put the speed on 1/1000th. Pan with horse as it moves and gentley push the button. Keep centre focus point on horse. That should work For stil horse shots put the auto focus mode on the equivalent of One Shot (I only talk canon) and leave the rest the same. For distant paddock shots hold the camera very very still and hold your breathe when you gentley press the button. YOu should not need to 'upgrade' the camera to get good animal photos. The bigger zoom lenses are best as you dont want to go under 50 on a zoom for horse photos or if they are close to you you will end up with 'big head' syndrome.

The Pets Health one on Henley Beach Road at Brooklyn Park.

ah ok - been up very late and lack of sleep this week due to race sand horse event. Will look into it in next day or so

Photographic gear auctions can be good if you do your research and know what you want to pay. I picked up a 90-210 lens for $100 and its didnt my racing pics for about 18 months and the equestrian as well for a few months.

HI BB The file sizes would be way too big to go on the forum but the full body shot of TT is only slightly cropped to remove the edge of the strapper - the head shot is only slightly cropped as is the gallop one. I have the 4x6 lab prints now and at that size there is no grain on the trackwork shot - not sure if I would go poster sized but 8x12 looks like it would be fine with that one. The other two low light images of TT - I would have no problem printing them as poster size images - I may get the close up head shot blown up to the 8x12 inch size for myself. There were a lot of photos taken and used ISO between 400 and 800 (there is no 500 or 640 on the 350D). The slow shutter speed needed and the tiny amount of movement blur in some pics is far more obvious than any grain. I couldn't overcome the lowlight and sun glare combined at the stalls now those pics were very yukky blurry and grainy (people were taking video files with point and shoots of the horse standing there - take a pic for gawds sake people it will turn out better!! and the fact myself and another photographer were not permitted to that particular part of the stalls by some over zealous security bloke didn t help yet later TV cameras didnt seem to have any problems with access).

The image below was taken with the 350D in the dull low light conditions of the shadow.

I was only thinking today that the 40D is nearly 2 years old already and its still impressiing over what it can do. Another low light image below - well not darkness like the trackwork one but others were using a flash for pics

PLease look at the image below - it was taken on ISO 1250 (speed 1/400th and F5)- it was still not quite dawn this morning but even at that ISO not too grainy/noise at all (it was darker than the image appears). Very impressed with the low light capabilities of the 40D.

Always pan with the dog - staying still and clicking with cause the dog to be blurred. If you pan with the dog as it moves past the head and body should be fine and the legs will depend on how high the shutter speed is. Practice panning and freezing of movements on cars on a fairly busy road. That way you can practice getting the setting right for exposure and moving objects without the subject being something important.