PossumCorner

Gapvic she is just lovely, look at the long legs! And sorry but I absolutely love her head, - I just don't like dished (punched in) faces that much. More photos of her would be welcome, and oh gee I hope she is okay and the vet doesn't see any problems, fingers so crossed for her.

Congratulations on the new camera, and we now need photos, and did you trade the D50 or will you keep it or sell it, and what lens did you get or is it body only and you will keep the lenses. Is this a model without a focus motor, so you need the AF lenses - not that it makes a difference, there are so many good ones. Can't say re changing the DSC or whatever prefix, it should be do-able, I forgot to ask OH last night, he's more onto techy things like that. I seem to always have Nikons running duplicated numbers, never been a problem, just in different folders and it's fine. But I will ask him. Thanks for reminding me to look at my D50, I took it out of its two-year storage yesterday, re-charged battery inadvertently left in it, what an idiot! Absentmindedly then popped in an 8gig card. D50 said I don't do 8 gig are you mad? Found a 2 and it was fine, must look at a firmware upgrade though. It was a happy little camper and tried its best. Found Pekin rooster, a lavender bush with bees, and a spider. Two bees were caught in the web but both escaped, spider most pissed off. And my roses are now in bud and some flower Persephone, and covered in fat smug aphids, they will need a bit of help. I'd say keep your D50 SF, it's always handy to have an extra body in an emergency.

That's a bit of a generalising comment, and would be an unusual combination (Hasselblad have never had a poor quality lens). I don't agree, not in the context of EF's post which is about a D50 and Nikon lenses. None of which is crap. They simply have limitations which can be worked around. An up-market lens won't compensate for an older technology body: and the potential of a new high-features body would still be limited using cheaper lenses. As EF has said, the D50 isn't capable of 5 or 7 frames per second. Which means for flyball or agility dogs you have to nail the moment instead of relying on multi shots (which can still lose the moment). And it definitely has the older sensor which means some noise/grain at high ISO - something else that a new classy lens is not going to change. If the only lenses used on the D50 are the kit lenses they will be slower focussing, and a body upgrade would need a lens upgrade also to make the change worthwhile. SF if frames per second is an important requirement for you, do have a look at the Sony A55 - they blitz most cameras in the same general price range for fps. And they also take the beautiful older Minolta lenses which can be picked up second hand in good nick for a fraction of new Nikon/Canon of the same quality. I'm still a Nikon user for preference, but we get a lot of use out of the Sony and love it for some of its clever features.

They were a great entry-level camera - and mostly used with cheap kit-type lenses of the day - so the slow focusing was more down to the lens than the body. Circular problem - if you spend on a good fast lens, might as well have a more current body with more bells/whistles to put it onto. But I won't sell my 'old' D50, it's worth more to me than the $2-3-400 I would get for it, and it doesn't take up much space. You'll notice not that many come up for sale, they have a very strong body build, can take knocks that some newer builds cannot cope with. So people do tend to hang on to that model rather than sell it. There are generally a lot more of the D70 and D80 offered: they cost more when new, yet now sell for less than the D50. I know - not helping. (Edit to fix punctuation, still stuffed it).

And then just another quick wipe like this one in the apple tree - hanging out with his mates the bees -

It is one of those things once you start using it you'd never go back - love it.

Having said that, our local Ag Show has a good photography comp, entries close tomorrow, and dumbo thought it was closing date next week. So I've missed out, I haven't the energy to get something ready and drive into town to get printed, and matt it, and take to the Comp organiser tomorrow. I'll go along on Show Day just to make myself feel worse.

heh heh - you mean wide or very wide? (I think just slightly wide and in close but it's guesswork without knowing the crop). Advertising - I think most photographers who enter comps search them out - google photographic competition they are there, add subject wildlife for instance they pop up - in the UK it was in the papers, Kennel Club website, Flickr threads etc. (Entry form fine print indicates where publishing rights and copyright are required, or retained by photographer etc).

Understand Snook, but I wouldn't take anything away from them. The difference is that the winners got off their butts and entered the competition against thousands of entries. It was open free entry and well advertised, and last year's winners are on Flickr to give an idea of the standard. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thekennelclub/sets/72157627675892818/

Lovely spider shots tlc, sorry no bees to send. Gapvic it took all b/y day to finally get the hive and face veil etc, and had to queue at the bank and post office forever, and when I got home the swarm had moved on. Just saw the last of them zoom off for the horizon. Quite disappointed, but at least I've got all the "stuff" now to go on with. And found out about registration needs and local bee keepers and clubs, co-op use honey extractors and so on, all good. Didn't get to Lavandula today - urgent vet call for a crook pony (all okay now) so might try again tomorrow if OH not too caught up with Bathhurst. Bees aren't difficult, you won't get stung if you wear the right things if handling the hive. Come up to Marong (just near Bendigo) next Sunday and have a look at the information field day/seminar, will be some good demonstrations of bee handling and basic management and so on for people just thinking about starting off.

If the repair is under warranty, you are constrained to go along with whatever, overseas or wherever. If a repair is not under warranty and you want the best assessment and work, bookmark this: http://www.iserver01.com/shutterbox/index.html John and Mei are both brilliant - any camera, lens etc. Very highly recommended.

Yes know what you mean, it's impossible to run with the fox and hunt with the hounds, or be all things to all people. Whichever way you handle it there are teensy problems. Just put a strong watermark with visible contact detail and see what people say.

Agreed - anyone serious about buying doesn't need to see it with bare minimum watermark, they still know what they are choosing. If watermark is watered down it is too easily obliterated/removed/edited out. You are under no obligation to the general public to display images, they can choose whether to look at a gallery or not, whether your own website or the Club page. The potential customers will definitely look: they are the ones who matter. It is a sales site, not an exhibition or competition. If you were selling a car you wouldn't leave it on the street with the keys in the ignition, you'd lock it and wait for potention buyer to ask about it. Sort of the same, no point dropping temptation in front of people.

I'll still send you some tlc. I just weakened, I called a collector but it was obvious it was their intention to destroy the swarm rather than keep or re-home. So I delved in the store shed and found a useable smoker, so just need to buy a hive, and a bit of safety gear, not much, yet all-up near $100 so not real happy. It will be nice to have a hive started though. The good bit: I found someone who is running a bee-keeping seminar locally in a couple of weeks, so can go along and get some refresher info on management, rego etc, and link up with small-time keepers who get their honey extraction done at a co-op so no need to invest in more 'stuff''. And need to find a spot to put them the furtherest from potential annoyance from animals. And work out how the hell to get them off the split fence and into box, wish me luck.

Don't need these, I could mail you some tlc - today was calm, first non-gale-force-wind day for ages. This lot must have been waiting for the first nice sunny still day to swarm. Might account for some of the aggro in the pear blossom. 90 Tamron macro lens, and no I was not going any closer, they are not happy campers.

The building is interesting, but a bit PJ for a comp unless the category is more tailored to it (doesn't sound like it). It needs a good caption to keep the interest, rightly or wrongly supporting or contributing captions do have an influence. "It's the old slaughterhouse in Bourke" needs some tuning: there is a story there to make them take a second look.

They have more sense this week, it is just too damned cold and windy for them to be out and about unless they are desperate. The few at my Nashi pear were as cranky as, and usually the bees around here are so placid. When the flowering euc on the back 'lawn' was bringing them in thousands, I was some worried about the dogs and ponies being bitten, but it was all sweetness and light. Except some dirty temper just between the gangs from some different hives. They can pick a stranger right away, and have some fierce fights.

Can I play here - I was going to open a canola thread (though I don't know the Canola Joke) but two is confusing. So ... Black swans first - love your close-up FF, this family are on a wetland reserve down the road from us in Eastville (Vic) and very nervy, couldn't get anything closer and even this is cropped. The old farm fences are still submerged from the floods. Canola is everywhere and one of our guinea fowl hops on the front gate to eye off the paddock across the road - thinking of field mice, it is usually a crop of oats planted there. The same Shelbourne canola field, two swifts (or swallows) showing off. Baringhup West sunset, it only lasted a moment then went grey, unusual clouds and it did look terrific over the canola. This is straight from camera, the Sony A55, but it has a "sunset" setting which is, ummm, just slightly poetic licence. (Re lens, this one taken with the Tamron 90 macro lens).

Very nice - both good (prefer the original for Hamlet, swivel and all, but the edit effect for the roses). And p'd off with the roses here, makes me feel like we are in a parallel universe, 20 roses all kinds, climbers bush miniatures etc. But not a bloom in sight, not even a bud, they have only just set leaves. - Takes some regions a little longer.

Looks superb Gapvic, and I love your bluestone outbuilding with the gorgeous roof too - jealous heaps!! What was it, an original house or stable or dairy? We're going to Lavandula (near Daylesord) next weekend, as much to see the buildings as the lavender.

TLC - every time I put a card in the camera I re-format, even if it has only had three shots on it from the previous use. I don't "know" that it is best practice, but it is how I was taught so I go with it. Gapvic - plugging camera into computer is not a crime against electronics, but the camera is expensive and full of them, and the computer is subject to power surges or cuts, distant lightning strikes, hard-drive crash, whatever. This risk to a cameral costing say $1000-7000 whatever isn't worth playing roulette that it won't happen to me - stuff happens to everybody. And what does a card reader cost - about $10-15, maybe $35 tops. It's just basically a risk management decision, same as always carrying your camera in a bag or round your neck (not swinging it by the strap from one hand).

Lovely clipping job Woof, you've done that before! Glad I didn't clip, we are just getting the freezing wind and heavy rain again, and they are hanging onto their winter coats still. OSS, with clipping and mane pulling for miniature ponies, it's another of those Shetland/Mini complicated rules areas, you can't show as a Shetland in the same year that you do as a Miniature (assuming dual registration). And I think with a Miniature Pony anything goes with grooming presentation, it's up to the judge: but in Shetland classes there is no clipping or mane/tail pulling allowed. Yet a Shetland in a miniature class is generally shown "all natural" against clipped miniatures without prejudice. But if they are not under APSB or AMHA rules, say in colour classes or open, then again anything goes for the show-ring.

Don't know - an IT work colleague used to say things like that are like traffic lights, a general guide but not to be taken too seriously. I do have a card "like this" and don't know why I just don't bin it and forget it. It always works eventually, but need to kid to it. Sometimes take the battery out of the camera and replace sorts it, but that's not convenient. And yes I think it mucks up more when I use a newish Sigma lens, but the lens is one made for SLR (not DSLR) and the auto focus will not work with it, so that might be part of the problem. I've just bought a few of the cheap ($9) 8 gig SanDisk SD cards at Aldis - so far so good can't fault them, and good for HD video (Ultra not Supreme). (My card that mucks up is CF not SD). (And I could never on pain of death hook a camera to a computer, not worth the risk).

Apostlebirds are great, we don't have them here, but can't complain it is good birdlife, the black swans the other day were a bonus. These don't belong here, they not stand-outish enough but guessing your Apostles are a SageLight process. I downloaded it for a look after your mentions, and it is interesting. This white bearded iris was so dark, the original was puzzle find the flower (or anything in focus, or anything at all). Anyway Sage found an image, which I thought was clever of it for a rubbish shot. Sony A55, 18-55 Minolta lens, in shade, 60th @ 4.5 ISO200 handheld, camera shake. Then the purple-mauve iris, Sagelight didn't want to do anything automatic to it, just sulked and said well what do you want, blood? So it is from camera as Sagelight wasn't interested and I didn't play with sliders. Sony A55, Minolta 55-200 lens, 320 @ 5.6 ISO 100 handheld early morning sun. I'd say I prefer Photoshop, but won't rule out buying Sage when the trial period finishes.

Swallows and Swifts are good obsessions but they pretty much defeat me. My obsess just now is canola fields - they won't be around long so trying to get a collection. And to use it as a backdrop. Catching a bird against it is a challenge, at least the dogs sit and stay, well sort of. The fields might suit better as textures - something to work on. Piper Frodo and Piper