Re: Blogging soon...

[Michael Chan]

On Thu, 2007-04-19 at 13:50 -0400, Mark Roberts wrote:
> Michael Chan wrote:
> 
> >Wordpress is _great_.  I admin it for a couple of sites; it's so much
> >easier to support than the Typepad sites I do maintenance for.
> 
> Cool. I'm still working customizing it at the moment - editing the 
> stylesheet and creating new images, backgrounds, etc.
> 
> >People seem to really like the live comment preview plugin:
> >
> >http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/live-comment-preview/
> 
> What exactly does that do?

It uses javascript to display content of a comment that a person is
typing in real-time, in the space below the comment entry box, negating
the need for a "preview comment" button, which Wordpress doesn't have by
default, though there is a plugin for that as well.  I like it because
it is a quick way to double check the accuracy of URLs that commentators
are embedding in a post.


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Re: Blogging soon...

[Michael Chan]

On Wed, 2007-04-18 at 22:41 -0400, Mark Roberts wrote:
> I just installed WordPress on my web server. Not too difficult, really. 
> Had to create a new SQL database, upload a bunch of files (all it one 
> fell swoop, so it was utterly simple) and cut-and-paste 3 or 4 
> site-specific details into one file. Shoulda done this long ago.
> 
> I'm going to customize the page appearance before posting anything, but 
> that won't take too long (since I'm now a university professor who 
> teaches web design, you know).
> 
> The blog is tentatively titled "Errata" because... well, mainly because 
> I've had two beers on an empty stomach. Perhaps I'll change it later.

Hi Mark,

Wordpress is _great_.  I admin it for a couple of sites; it's so much
easier to support than the Typepad sites I do maintenance for.

People seem to really like the live comment preview plugin:

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/live-comment-preview/




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Re: OT: MacBook

[Michael Chan]

On Wed, 2007-04-18 at 22:22 +0100, Bob W wrote:
> The children of one of my friends want a laptop, and more particularly
> they want a MacBook. My friend knows nothing about computers, but she
> needs to be able to run Windows software for a course she'll be taking
> later this year. 
> 
> What extras are required to be able to run Windows software on a Mac,
> and what is the performance of Windows software like when run this
> way?

There are three options to run Windows on an Intel-based Mac.  Each
option requires a valid Windows 2000/XP/Vista install disk and license
which is a separate purchase from the software listed below.

1) BootCamp http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

2) Parallels www.parallels.com

3) VMWare Fusion http://www.vmware.com/products/beta/fusion/

Bootcamp boots straight into windows or into OSX from cold start.
Parallels/VMWare run Windows in a virtual machine within OSX.
Performance does not take too much of a hit when virtualized; in any of
the options it's mostly based on the hardware in the MacBook and will be
comparable to a non-Apple hardware macine of similar specifications, but
you will want to have a lot of memory in any case; 1 Gig at least; 2
Gigs would be better.

Apple currently doesn't charge for BootCamp.  Parallels costs money.
VMWare currently doesn't charge for Fusion but probably will once it
comes out of beta.

I've seen all three in action.  Parallels is my favorite solution
currently.

Michael


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Re: CS3 ready for ordering.????????

[Michael Chan]

On Mar 30, 2007, at 2:32 PM, Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:

>
> On Mar 30, 2007, at 2:19 PM, Michael Chan wrote:
>
>>> Adobe allows two copies to be active per license, and the License is
>>> cross-platform (Windows & Mac OS X).
>>>
>>> Read the email I sent a while back, which includes an extraction
>>> directly from their FAQ.
>>
>> Fair enough: I stand corrected and did not mean (by error of
>> omission) to misinform, but it's the Linux/Mac compatibility along
>> with the (more) liberal (than Adobe's) usage policy with Bibble that
>> I find particularly helpful.
>
> I understand. But Adobe doesn't do Linux products at all, they either
> don't find it profitable enough to do so or staff up for it. Such it
> is ...
>
> While it sounds like the use is more restrictive, it is in reality
> quite liberal and similar to what you've stated with Bibble.
>
> With Photoshop CS2 I've got it installed on several computers, only
> two of which I use frequently. If I need to use one of the others
> (both are off site from where I do most of my work), I simply de-
> activate the one on my desktop machine and activate the one on the
> machine I'm going to work on ... there's a menu item to do so and it
> takes less than a second.
>
> Lightroom doesn't have the "Transfer Activation..." command in its
> menus so I suspect that it is 'honor system' as well. I haven't had
> occasion to install it on more than my laptop and desktop to see for
> sure, however.
>
> Godfrey


Running PS under WINE has not proved successful for me.  I must admit  
that I really like Lightroom's interface.  I look forward to the day  
when Adobe's principle applications might be available on Linux in  
some sense, but I realize this is a stretch to expect.  Fortunately  
for me, I'm completely happy with the workflow that Bibble affords.  
Thanks for the insight regarding Lightroom and PS.

Best regards,

Michael Chan

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Re: CS3 ready for ordering.????????

[Michael Chan]

>
> On Mar 30, 2007, at 1:36 PM, Michael Chan wrote:
>
>>>> I imagine you have to pay for a copy for each computer you run it
>>>> on.
>>>> Otherwise you are a dirty no good thief.
>>
>> That's one reason, at least as far as RAW converters/workflow
>> managers go, why BibblePro makes me happy.  One license, install on
>> your Windows/Mac/Linux machines as you see fit, so long as you are
>> only user and you are actively using one copy at a given moment
>> (honor system).
>

On Mar 30, 2007, at 2:06 PM, Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:

> Adobe allows two copies to be active per license, and the License is
> cross-platform (Windows & Mac OS X).
>
> Read the email I sent a while back, which includes an extraction
> directly from their FAQ.
>
> G

Fair enough: I stand corrected and did not mean (by error of  
omission) to misinform, but it's the Linux/Mac compatibility along  
with the (more) liberal (than Adobe's) usage policy with Bibble that  
I find particularly helpful.

Best regards,

Michael Chan

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Re: CS3 ready for ordering.????????

[Michael Chan]

>> I imagine you have to pay for a copy for each computer you run it on.
>> Otherwise you are a dirty no good thief.

That's one reason, at least as far as RAW converters/workflow  
managers go, why BibblePro makes me happy.  One license, install on  
your Windows/Mac/Linux machines as you see fit, so long as you are  
only user and you are actively using one copy at a given moment  
(honor system).

Best regards,

Michael Chan

On Mar 30, 2007, at 12:24 PM, David J Brooks wrote:

> Then i best order the CD and get them both.
>
> Don't forget he'll have to talk to me at least once. The GFM official
> beer cooler is in my truck.
>
> LOL
>
> Dave
>
> On 3/30/07, graywolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> I imagine you have to pay for a copy for each computer you run it on.
>> Otherwise you are a dirty no good thief. And, Bill Robb will no  
>> longer
>> talk to you .
>>
>> -graywolf
>>
>>
>> David J Brooks wrote:
>>> http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/productinfo/ 
>>> features/
>>>
>>> Do i have to downaload and pay twice or pay once for the two
>>> downloads. I cannt seem to see anything on the site.
>>>
>>> I would not mind haveing it on the ibook and the PC.
>>>
>>> I can wait, maybe i';ll order the CD
>>>
>>>
>>> Dave
>>> On 3/30/07, Godfrey DiGiorgi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>>>>> Adobe has gone to a unified licensing model with Lightroom: one
>>>>>>> package, one license. Both Mac OS X and Windows versions are
>>>>>>> included
>>>>>>> in the purchase package on CD. I'm not sure about the  
>>>>>>> download ...
>>>>>>> they probably have separate downloads to save time.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But the download is only 20Mbytes or so, IIRC, so it's not  
>>>>>>> too big a
>>>>>>> deal to download it twice.
>>>>>> The Mac version won't install on a Windows machine &
>>>>>> visa versa.
>>>>>
>>>>> Are you really sure about that?
>>>> I checked:
>>>>
>>>> Both versions are on the CD when you buy the hard copy package. One
>>>> license covers both products. They are downloaded separately  
>>>> from the
>>>> website.
>>>>
>>>> The Mac OS X version is packaged as a disk image, approximately
>>>> 35Mbytes to download.
>>>> The Windows version is packaged as an executable install archive,
>>>> approximately 45Mbytes to download.
>>>>
>>>> Godfrey
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
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> www.caughtinmotion.com
> http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/
> Ontario Canada
>
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Re: Human bone? 800x533-IMGP8963.jpg (JPEG Image, 800x533 pixels)

[Michael Chan]

On Thu, 2007-03-29 at 13:12 -0400, Mark Roberts wrote:
> >>> >>
> >>> >>>Gee,  I'm gone for a while and I come back and see its the same old
> >>> >>>thing  everyone has a bone to pick
> >>> >>>
> >>> >>>Not to mention skeletons in their  closets.
> >>> >>>
> >>> >>>Yeah, and with no sense of humerus.
> >>> >>>
> >>> >>You don't  cut this out I may have to get femur with you.
> >
> >>> > I just couldn't help ribbing you all
> >>>
> >>> This thread just fractures me.
> >>
> >> You guy's need to knuckle down and think up something a little less 
> >> obvious.
> >
> >Are you saying we aren't hip enough?
> 
> Well, time to bust out of this joint, then.

Hey, there's no need to compound the problem, but break a leg, Mark.


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K10D defect and repair

[Michael Chan]

My K10D malfunctioned and required factory repair.  I'll document the  
problem here in case other people have a similar issue and will know  
what they might expect regarding turnaround, mitigation, and results.

When the built-in flash was raised, AF ceased functioning and the  
shutter would not release, even in MF with confirmation of focus.   
Using different lenses did not matter.  The flash did not appear to  
charge, as the indicator was showing not ready (bad cap, maybe).   
Burst flash AF assist did not function either.  Battery tested as  
okay.  No other problems were apparent, and the camera functioned  
properly in non-flash mode or with an external flash.  To the best of  
my knowledge, the malfunction is not impact/fluid-related.  The body  
has been in use since December 2006.  I'm not sure about the number  
of exposures so far, but I'd guess ~5000.

I paid for 2nd day shipping each way to Pentax (Colorado?) from  
Oregon on March 23rd; Pentax does not cover shipping.  Bob at the  
camera shop (Citizen's Photo of Portland; nice guys, good shop) said  
this is the first manufacturer's defect he has had on a K10D to  
date.  In his recent experience, he said Pentax has been requiring  
approximately 10 business days turnaround.  I'm glad I never got  
around to selling my DL.

Best regards,

Michael Chan



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Re: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 7, 2006, at 1:42 PM, Mark Roberts wrote:

> Michael Chan wrote:
>
>> William's right.  It's Bernese Mountain Dog, and it's frequently
>> shortened to "Berner".  Common mispronunciations include "Burmese"
>> Mountain Dogs.  On one occasion I ran with that gaffe and said  
>> they got
>> their names from the fighting "Burmese" monks who trained them to  
>> guard
>> Buddhist temples, and that they are the only breed known that could
>> actually be trained to fight in Bando Tiger form.
>
> And was your explanation accepted?
> Inquiring minds, and all that...

For a bit, the ruse held.  Fortunately, the person I was talking with  
was just smart enough to see through such an obvious pile of BS when  
I said they could be trained in martial arts.  Besides, it's really  
hard for me to keep a straight face when spinning such bunk.  I  
sometimes wish I was a better fibber, but it's usually pretty obvious  
when I've got my tongue in my cheek.  I don't know how people can  
keep a deadpan face when trolling; I get a smirk and a glint in my  
eye that is a dead giveaway (I hate people who laugh at their own  
jokes, and therefore hate myself). I can't conceal a winner in hold- 
em either.

>
>> Berner Sennenhund is the original name.  They are closely related  
>> to the
>> Greater Swiss, as well as somewhat related to the St. Bernard, Great
>> Pyrenees, and Newfoundland, all of whom trace their roots to the
>> Molosser dogs of the Romans.  The breed was developed in the  
>> canton of
>> Berne, Switzerland and is named after the canton as well as the  
>> "senner"
>> or cattleman he worked for, and "hund" (dog).  The breed were  
>> originally
>> working dogs, used principally as carters, herders/drovers, and watch
>> dogs.
>
> My S.O. isn't much of a dog enthusiast, but when she met one of her
> colleagues' Bernese Mountain Dog she fell instantly in love. Those  
> dogs
> have such sweet dispositions. If we ever get lifestyles that are slow
> enough to permit dog ownership Lisa and I will likely look at a
> "Berner".

Sweet is exactly what they are.  It's touching, and hard to  
describe.  There's also the funny thing that they get perturbed when  
their environment changes (nothing like watching a "supposedly smart"  
BMD bark angrily at a yard debris can that has been relocated from  
where it was supposed to be).  There are many health concerns that  
one should investigate before considering a BMD.  Also, be prepared  
to live a life where your house is never without hair, or "Berner- 
bunnies" as some (not me) are fond of calling them.

There's a saying amongst Bernese Mountain Dog owners:  you know you  
have a Bernese when you bite into an apple and find a hair in the  
middle.

That said, they are truly great companions.  Intelligent, eager to be  
trained and please, and devoted.  I originally got into the breed  
because they are so good on trail when hiking.

Michael

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Re: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 7, 2006, at 1:55 PM, John Francis wrote:

> On Thu, Dec 07, 2006 at 04:42:13PM -0500, Mark Roberts wrote:
>> Michael Chan wrote:
>>
>>> William's right.  It's Bernese Mountain Dog, and it's frequently
>>> shortened to "Berner".  Common mispronunciations include "Burmese"
>>> Mountain Dogs.  On one occasion I ran with that gaffe and said  
>>> they got
>>> their names from the fighting "Burmese" monks who trained them to  
>>> guard
>>> Buddhist temples, and that they are the only breed known that could
>>> actually be trained to fight in Bando Tiger form.
>>
>> And was your explanation accepted?
>> Inquiring minds, and all that...
>>
>>> Berner Sennenhund is the original name.  They are closely related  
>>> to the
>>> Greater Swiss, as well as somewhat related to the St. Bernard, Great
>>> Pyrenees, and Newfoundland, all of whom trace their roots to the
>>> Molosser dogs of the Romans.  The breed was developed in the  
>>> canton of
>>> Berne, Switzerland and is named after the canton as well as the  
>>> "senner"
>>> or cattleman he worked for, and "hund" (dog).  The breed were  
>>> originally
>>> working dogs, used principally as carters, herders/drovers, and  
>>> watch
>>> dogs.
>>
>> My S.O. isn't much of a dog enthusiast, but when she met one of her
>> colleagues' Bernese Mountain Dog she fell instantly in love. Those  
>> dogs
>> have such sweet dispositions. If we ever get lifestyles that are slow
>> enough to permit dog ownership Lisa and I will likely look at a
>> "Berner".
>
> A friend of mine back in the northeast raises (and shows) Berners.
> There's nothing quite like going round to visit and being  
> enthusiastically
> greeted by half-a-dozen 25lb puppies scrabbling across a hardwood  
> floor...
>
> One drawback is that, like most large purebreeds, they have a fairly
> short life expectancy.  That means you lose friends far too quickly.

John,

You're correct.  I remember when my ex-wife and I went to visit our  
second Bernese (one went with each of us upon separation); there's  
nothing like rolling around with eleven Bernese puppies.  As far as  
too soon to lose a friend, it's always too soon.

Michael Chan


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Re: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Thu, 2006-12-07 at 00:42 -0600, William Robb wrote:
> - Original Message - 
> From: "Markus Maurer"
> Subject: RE: My Next Dog?
> 
> 
> > Hi William
> > why is the dog called "Burnese" in english when it is a "Berner 
> > Sennenhund"
> > from "Berne" in Switzerland ?
> >
> 
> The Canadian Kennel Club calls them
> Bernese Mountain Dog
> I know a couple of people who have them, and they often shorten the name 
> to "Berner"
> 
> William Robb 

William's right.  It's Bernese Mountain Dog, and it's frequently
shortened to "Berner".  Common mispronunciations include "Burmese"
Mountain Dogs.  On one occasion I ran with that gaffe and said they got
their names from the fighting "Burmese" monks who trained them to guard
Buddhist temples, and that they are the only breed known that could
actually be trained to fight in Bando Tiger form.

Berner Sennenhund is the original name.  They are closely related to the
Greater Swiss, as well as somewhat related to the St. Bernard, Great
Pyrenees, and Newfoundland, all of whom trace their roots to the
Molosser dogs of the Romans.  The breed was developed in the canton of
Berne, Switzerland and is named after the canton as well as the "senner"
or cattleman he worked for, and "hund" (dog).  The breed were originally
working dogs, used principally as carters, herders/drovers, and watch
dogs.

Michael Chan


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Re: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 23:39 -0600, William Robb wrote:
> - Original Message - 
> From: "Michael Chan" 
> Subject: Re: My Next Dog?
> 
> I humbly introduce my friend, The Griffin:
> 
> <http://www.mcmm.net/albums/20040203_snowshoe/img_1724_m.jpg>
> <http://www.mcmm.net/albums/20040210_snowshoe/img_1764_m.jpg>
> <http://www.mcmm.net/albums/200308_Lincoln_City/img_0688_m.jpg>
> <http://www.mcmm.net/albums/200305_Oregon_Vacation/img_0171_m.jpg>
> 
> To watch my friend, who has lived with me for six years, interact  
> with my newborn son is a thing of wonder.  How does he know how  
> important my son is to us?  He just knows.  I wish you and your  
> potential new friend great joy, should you choose to take up the  
> responsibility of caring for each other.
> 
> 
> That is a gorgeous Burnese.
> You can teach them to pull a cart, you know.
> 
> William Robb

I thought about carting him when he was younger, but he had an issue with a 
foreleg at one point that prevented me from doing so.  He does carry a pack 
when we are on extended hikes.

Michael Chan


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Re: Another interview articles

[Michael Chan]

On Thu, 2006-12-07 at 10:12 +1100, Digital Image Studio wrote:
> On 07/12/06, Mark Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> > Actually, it seems to be best "price-to-features" ratio. One of my
> > private clients whom I tutor recently bought her first digital camera -
> > without consulting me. She ended up with a 4 megapixel Canon. She could
> > have afforded one with More Megapixels [TM], but she (or the salesman
> > who sold her the camera) gave more weight to features and the ability
> > to fit more shots on any given memory card. I really have seen plenty
> > of people buying cameras this way and I've noticed even Best Buy
> > salesdroids telling people that they shouldn't necessarily buy because
> > of pixel count. The cynic in me suspects this sales tactic is probably
> > a ploy to appear more expert than they really are, but it's certainly
> > happening. The image quality of many 10-megapixel p-n-s cameras is so
> > poor that they just can't hide the truth much longer.
> 
> Yes I suspect 10MP in P&S will be the break point. And I have heard a
> sales person argue that a high MP P^S wasn't necessary, the gist of
> the argument was that even a large print can't hold that many colours
> :-)

The optimist in me hopes that your friend found a sales person who
actually genuinely cared that she got the product best for her purpose.
The cynic in me thinks that maybe that camera had an rewards program
attached to the sale for the salesperson.

Back when I was a drone in the camera retail industry, manufacturer
spiffs were commonplace and would sway some less scrupulous sales
person's recommendation to a customer as to what camera would be the
best for them.  Are spiffs still common in camera retail?

Michael Chan


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Re: OT: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 6, 2006, at 7:03 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote:

> Jack, my terrier mutt, who my daughter saved from a dumpster one
> January:
> http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3023179
> On Dec 6, 2006, at 8:52 PM, Christian wrote:
>

Gorgeous dog.

>> Mike Hamilton wrote:
>>> Well, Heck!  We're posting dog photos, are we now?
>>>
>>> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=63
>>> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=138
>>
>> Bill wrote:
>> http://www.spiritusdogs.ca/bella.html
>>
>> Ok then!  here is Clancy, my dear departed GSP (German Shorthaired
>> Pointer)
>> http://photography2.skofteland.net:8080/clancy01c_resize.jpg
>>
>> World class nose and a super-retriever to boot.  Greatest dog I ever
>> had.  Honestly, irreplaceable; I don't think I'll ever own another
>> dog.
>>
>> Bill, the Belgian looks beautiful.  I prefer the Malanois to the
>> Tervuren
>>
>> Christian
>>
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Re: OT: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 6, 2006, at 5:52 PM, Christian wrote:

> Mike Hamilton wrote:
>> Well, Heck!  We're posting dog photos, are we now?
>>
>> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=63
>> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=138
>
> Bill wrote:
> http://www.spiritusdogs.ca/bella.html
>
> Ok then!  here is Clancy, my dear departed GSP (German Shorthaired  
> Pointer)
> a
> World class nose and a super-retriever to boot.  Greatest dog I ever
> had.  Honestly, irreplaceable; I don't think I'll ever own another  
> dog.
>
> Bill, the Belgian looks beautiful.  I prefer the Malanois to the  
> Tervuren
>
> Christian

I'm sorry that Clancy is no longer with you, Christian.

Michael

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Re: OT: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 6, 2006, at 7:00 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote:

> Willy, my springer spaniel:
> http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id

He looks like a sweetheart.

> =3152929
> On Dec 6, 2006, at 8:52 PM, Christian wrote:
>
>> Mike Hamilton wrote:
>>> Well, Heck!  We're posting dog photos, are we now?
>>>
>>> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=63
>>> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=138
>>
>> Bill wrote:
>> http://www.spiritusdogs.ca/bella.html
>>
>> Ok then!  here is Clancy, my dear departed GSP (German Shorthaired
>> Pointer)
>> http://photography2.skofteland.net:8080/clancy01c_resize.jpg
>>
>> World class nose and a super-retriever to boot.  Greatest dog I ever
>> had.  Honestly, irreplaceable; I don't think I'll ever own another
>> dog.
>>
>> Bill, the Belgian looks beautiful.  I prefer the Malanois to the
>> Tervuren
>>
>> Christian
>>
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Re: OT: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 6, 2006, at 5:30 PM, Mike Hamilton wrote:
> Well, Heck!  We're posting dog photos, are we now?
> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=63
> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca/?p=138
> Meet Alexa.  Needs some dominance training... Would you say she's a
> Catahoula, Mr. Robb?
>
> Michael Hamilton
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://www.michaelhamilton.ca
>
> On 12/6/06, William Robb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Bob Sullivan"
>> Subject: Re: OT: My Next Dog?
>>
>>
>>> Beautiful dog, rare (obscure?) breed.  Regards,  Bob S.
>>
>>>> http://www.spiritusdogs.ca/bella.html
>>
>> Belgians are certainly less common than Alsatians, I suspect because
>> they are a somewhat smaller, and therefore less intimidating.
>> GSDs are becoming four legged train wrecks as time passes, I  
>> anticipate
>> you will start seeing Belgians being used more and more in police  
>> work.
>> There are four varieties of Belgian Shepherd, personally, I like the
>> Turverans the best.
>> We confirmed with the breeder last night, it's just a matter of  
>> when, I
>> expect sooner rather than later as she really wants this dog  
>> placed in a
>> good home.

Dog photos are *almost* always post-worthy.

Michael Chan

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Re: Peso: Looking

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 5, 2006, at 9:45 PM, William Robb wrote:

> This fellow haunts the cafe I have breakfast at from time to time.
> I'm not sure what he was looking for today, he mentioned yesterday  
> that
> a job and place to live would be nice.
> http://users.accesscomm.ca/wrobb/pictures/peso/k10_0335.html
>
> K10, A50/1.4, iso400, 1/15sec at f/2, SR activated.
>
> William Robb

The color is quite subtle.  Did you desaturate this shot?

Michael


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Re: My Next Dog?

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 6, 2006, at 4:13 PM, Manuel Magalhães wrote:

> Hi Robb,
>
> Have to come out of lurking mode to congratulate you for that  
> wonderful dog.
> Here is my friend Alexander Von Riesen, a two year old Giant  
> Schnauser.
> www.flickr.com/photos/manumag_photos/316040513/
> Regards,
>
> Manuel
>
> -Mensagem original-
> De: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Em nome de  
> William
> Robb
> Enviada: quarta-feira, 6 de Dezembro de 2006 6:20
> Para: Pentax Discuss
> Assunto: OT: My Next Dog?
>
> I've been offered co-ownership of this girl.
> http://www.spiritusdogs.ca/bella.html
> She is a gorgeous animal.
>
> William Robb

Hi William,

Beautiful creature.  Dogs, when well-cared for, prove regularly that  
they are the among the most benevolent creatures on the planet.  The  
desperately touching thing is that they prove it when they aren't  
well-cared for either.

I humbly introduce my friend, The Griffin:

<http://www.mcmm.net/albums/20040203_snowshoe/img_1724_m.jpg>
<http://www.mcmm.net/albums/20040210_snowshoe/img_1764_m.jpg>
<http://www.mcmm.net/albums/200308_Lincoln_City/img_0688_m.jpg>
<http://www.mcmm.net/albums/200305_Oregon_Vacation/img_0171_m.jpg>

To watch my friend, who has lived with me for six years, interact  
with my newborn son is a thing of wonder.  How does he know how  
important my son is to us?  He just knows.  I wish you and your  
potential new friend great joy, should you choose to take up the  
responsibility of caring for each other.

Michael Chan
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Re: OT: Guide to archival CD/DVD media

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 5, 2006, at 2:33 PM, Mark Roberts wrote:

> Charles Robinson wrote:
>
>> On Dec 5, 2006, at 12:46, Jostein Øksne wrote:
>>
>>> Next time you buy a PC, you may need a separate PCI card for floppy
>>> support. Many of the current motherboards don't have that circuitry
>>> anymore.
>>>
>>
>> USB-based floppy drives are, however, still fairly plentiful.  But
>> not for 5.25" floppies!
>
> Yeah, but you can fold those ones up to get them in the slot, right?
> ;-)

Or hold a 3.5" disk with your arm partially extended in your left  
hand, the 5.25", arm fully extended in your right hand.  When they  
appear the same size, jam the 5.25" inch into the drive before the  
universe figures out your clever trick.

Michael
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Re: PESO: Sac. River Fall

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 5, 2006, at 10:31 AM, Jack Davis wrote:

> K10D (w/16x45 f/4) and I drove along the Sacramento River levee just
> after sunrise this morning, waiting for the fog to lift or thin. Came
> upon this bend which was just becoming partially visible. I stood on
> the levee (Thinsulate lined jacket on) for about 20 mins, during which
> I did some serious shivering.
> Had the K10D on a 3021 Manfrotto tripod w/pro ball head, 2 sec/mirror
> up pre-release with cable switch. Shutter and aperture unrecorded.
> Gave it a click of auto sharpen, a nudge of contrast, and a small
> amount of red and yellow juice.
>
> Would appreciate all comments.
>
> Jack
>
> http://photolightimages.com/aspupload/detail.asp?ID=205

Overall a lovely image.  Nicely done.

There is a small, dark smudge on the top edge, left center (the tip  
of an tree branch perhaps?) that is a bit distracting.

Michael

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Re: OT: external hard drive with RAID 1

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 5, 2006, at 9:58 AM, Eric Featherstone wrote:

> On 05/12/06, Mike Hamilton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> On 12/4/06, Michael Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>> Apologies if I mis-characterize, but I do not think that you are
>>> fully in comprehension of what a RAID 1 storage scenario implies.
>>
>> You're right.  That's partly why I was asking these questions.   
>> Thanks
>> for your help!
>>
>> Looks like I will just use backup software to copy the data to both
>> external hard drives and use my present setup with a third hard  
>> drive.
>
> rsync is already built into OSX 10.4 and is designed to keep a
> separate or remote disk synced. It can be made to run automatically
> each day/week/hour/whatever, and even keep grandfather-father-son
> bakcups if you really want to (I've never tried this though.)
>
> If you want an easy to use graphical interface for rsync (instead of a
> terminal window) then google for rsyncx. From my very limited
> experience the rsyncx installer downgrades the OSX version of rsync by
> one minor revision number :-(

Eric is right.  I use rsync extensively for backing up everything.   
There's also a very nifty program called Unison (not the news group  
reader from Panic Software), and someone supplies a pre-compiled  
binary if you don't want to build it yourself or use Fink to build  
it, etc.

http://www.cs.haifa.ac.il/%7Eshuly/unison/

Basically, Unison is similar to rsync in concept but has a GUI with  
easier conflict resolution as well as more easily created profiles.   
I have used it a few times, but rsync does everything I need.

Michael


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Re: OT: Guide to archival CD/DVD media

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 5, 2006, at 8:35 AM, Rick Womer wrote:

> How about stripping JPGs out of old CDs in another 10
> or 20 years?  The formatting is rather important with
> photos...
>
> --- Mark Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>>
>> As for software compatibility, I think it would be
>> pretty easy to strip
>> the ASCII text out of most old formats.

What's a CD?

Michael


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Re: OT: external hard drive with RAID 1

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 5:38 PM, Mike Hamilton wrote:

> On 12/4/06, Michael Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>
>> On Dec 4, 2006, at 3:33 PM, Mike Hamilton wrote:
>>
>>> My current setup for image storage is as follows:
>>>
>>> working images on my internal hard drive (Powerbook) (60gb hard  
>>> drive)
>>> occaisional backup on a 160gb external hard drive and,
>>> also on DVD+R.
>>>
>>> I'd like to improve that by setting up a RAID 1 system with two
>>> external hard drives.  The laptop is normally plugged into the
>>> external drives, but on occaision i take it travelling, without the
>>> external drives.
>>>
>>> Is this practical with a RAID 1 system?  Does anyone have any
>>> experience with this setup?  Other recommendations?
>>>
>
>> I'm not sure what you mean what is "practical" regarding a RAID 1
>> system.  Do you mean portable, convenient, or something else?
>
> I will elaborate more on that, and also post a couple more questions
> in the process.
>
> If i made a mirror of my system disk on one hard drive (external
> firewire), then wipe the internal disk (using the external to boot the
> computer temporarily), could i link all three hard drives in a RAID 1
> array?  Alternatively, could I simply use the externals as the RAID 1
> array, having the system disk independent?
>
> My main question is regarding the feasability of RAID with a laptop
> and external drives.  What happens when i disconnect the laptop from
> the RAID, do some work, then reconnect them?

Apologies if I mis-characterize, but I do not think that you are  
fully in comprehension of what a RAID 1 storage scenario implies.   
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) has many possible  
permutations.  The one to which are referring, RAID 1, describes a  
situation where what appears as a single volume to the operating  
system is actually multiple disks wherein an identical set of data is  
written to each drive in said array.  Example: two 40GB drives are  
set up as a RAID 1 array.  To the OS, it appears as one single, 40GB  
drive when actuality it is two (or perhaps more) drives where each  
write operation is committed in effective tandem to each drive.  The  
transport layer can be accomplished in software or hardware, but in  
essence, if one drive fails, the data is complete form on the other  
drive; in the event of a failure the failed drive can be replaced  
(sometimes in real-time, sometimes after reboot) to restore the  
redundancy of the data.

The short answer to your question is no, laptops can not practically  
from an end user standpoint establish what you are talking about  
which is an flexible array within their own operating system  
environment (it can be done, but it's not really practical for the a  
laptop environment).  You say a mirror of your system disk; I think  
you are actually thinking of a copy.  A mirror, hardware or software,  
is constantly maintained.  My comments were that as an external  
backup medium, RAID 1 affords you another level of protection over a  
straight disk-to-disk backup.

Michael Chan

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Re: PESO- Ann Sanfedele @ Casa Belinkoff

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 5:29 PM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:

> http://home.earthlink.net/~my-pics/ann_03.html
>
> Finally, after three years, Ann has given me permission to post  
> this little
> snap taken @ Casa Belinkoff.
>
> Pentax LX, K85/1.8, hand held 1/60sec @ F5.6, Fuji Reala converted  
> to warm
> tone B&W in PS 7.0 using Double Hue/Sat method.  Film scanned on Nikon
> Coolscan V.
>
>
> Shel

Great picture.  It holds great character and interest.

Michael

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Re: GFM galleries

[Michael Chan]

Mark,

'cause I'm too lazy to look it up (and you know how lazy I am),  
what's GFM?

Michael

On Dec 4, 2006, at 5:22 PM, Mark Roberts wrote:

> Anyone got a list of the various GFM galleries that have been put up
> over the past couple of years? I was just looking through Cottys' 2004
> gallery and kept thinking of shots that weren't there. So they must be
> on other people's galleries. It would be nice to collect a set of  
> links
> to all the ones that are still on line.
>
>
>
>
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Re: OT - What sells

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 5:19 PM, P. J. Alling wrote:

> Link?
>

Hah!  :)


> William Robb wrote:
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Kenneth Waller"
>> Subject: OT - What sells
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Wondering what other subjects have sold multiple times for other  
>>> list
>>> members?
>>>
>>
>> Good porn always fetches top dollar.
>>
>> William Robb


>>
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Re: OT - What sells

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 4:28 PM, Michael Chan wrote:

>
> On Dec 4, 2006, at 4:11 PM, William Robb wrote:
>
>>
>> - Original Message -----
>> From: "Michael Chan"
>> Subject: Re: OT - What sells
>>
>>
>>
>>> And the not-so good porn fetches the other dollar.
>>>
>>
>> Geeze Mike, I feel like I should buy you a beer.
>>
>> William Robb
>
> Just riding your coattails, Rob. :)

erm.. Robb.   Or William.  sorry.

Michael


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Re: OT: external hard drive with RAID 1

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 3:33 PM, Mike Hamilton wrote:

> My current setup for image storage is as follows:
>
> working images on my internal hard drive (Powerbook) (60gb hard drive)
> occaisional backup on a 160gb external hard drive and,
> also on DVD+R.
>
> I'd like to improve that by setting up a RAID 1 system with two
> external hard drives.  The laptop is normally plugged into the
> external drives, but on occaision i take it travelling, without the
> external drives.
>
> Is this practical with a RAID 1 system?  Does anyone have any
> experience with this setup?  Other recommendations?
>
> Mike

Hello Mike,

I'm not sure what you mean what is "practical" regarding a RAID 1  
system.  Do you mean portable, convenient, or something else?  To  
infer and extend, I do know that one of the most exciting features of  
the next rev of OS X is "Time Machine", which is essentially a  
retrospective incremental backup that will allow a user to have an  
extremely user-friendly variant of a Grandfather-Father-Son  backup schema,  
something that I currently have to accomplish through hand-tailored  
scripts and diligence on my systems.

Anyway, RAID 1 is a good idea, considering the relative affordability  
of 3.5" drives these days and the fact there is the age-old axiom  
that there are only two types of people: those who have had a disk  
fail and those that will (Chan's corollary: You will forget to  
perform the primary backup of your drive precisely in the interval  
between the committal a very important piece of data to that drive  
and it's next failure). I've seen out-of-box FW 800/400/USB2.0 OS X/ 
HFS-ready 500 GB RAID 1 (that optionally also do 1TB RAID 0)  
enclosure/system for less than 500 dollars.

Two caveats:

First: I've built many servers with a variety of hardware/OS/data  
configurations that have run fine with no major integrity problems,  
but on one occasion, I built a RAID 1 SMB server (Linux, software- 
based RAID 1) using hard drives that were sequentially manufactured  
(Seagate 160GB SATA drives for anyone who cares) where both drives  
failed within a very short time span a few months after deployment.   
In that case, one drive started reporting failure.  It had failed  
completely by the time I finished backing the data off the array.   
The other drive failed prior to the completion of the rebuild process  
of the array after I replaced the first bad drive.  Elapsed time:  
less than three hours.  The lesson learned to me was that although  
it's arguably a good idea to use drives of identical manufacture, it  
also may be a good idea to source those drives from different  
purveyors.  I would imagine that prefab enclosures that provide RAID  
functionality are likely using drives that are out of the same  
manufacturing batch, increasing the likelihood if one is a lemon,  
both are, and you can't make lemonade from that pair of lemons.

Second: RAID does nothing to protect you from fire/flood/theft/plague  
of metal-eating locusts, of which you probably already are aware, so  
occasional-to-frequent backup and removal to an off-site location by  
way of tape/DVD/what-have-you is an important part of your plan.

Michael Chan

P.S. - Since I'm new here, question to the long-timers.  On self- 
described OT posts, is it appropriate to go into such detail on list,  
or should I be replying off list?  Thanks and apologies if I'm out-of- 
bounds. mc

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Re: OT - What sells

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 4:11 PM, William Robb wrote:

>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Michael Chan"
> Subject: Re: OT - What sells
>
>
>
>> And the not-so good porn fetches the other dollar.
>>
>
> Geeze Mike, I feel like I should buy you a beer.
>
> William Robb

Just riding your coattails, Rob. :)


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Re: PESO - Ugly

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 2:07 PM, Bruce Dayton wrote:

> I have posted this partly to show SR on the K10D.  So this is shot
> with the 400/5.6 half a stop from wide open with the 1.4x converter
> for an effective 600mm focal length.  This was shot handheld with the
> SR system activated.
>
> As for the shot, this guy was feeding on something - I couldn't get
> very close to really check it out, hence the long lens setup.
>
>
> Pentax K10D, Tokina 400/5.6 ATX-SD, Sigma 1.4X EX Converter
> ISO 800, 1/350 sec @ f/6.7, SR on
> Partial crop
>
> http://www.daytonphoto.com/PAW/ggpark_065a.htm
>
> Comments welcome
>
> --  
> Bruce

Hi Bruce, that's a really neat shot.  I would be curious if next time  
you would be able to take a similar one without SR to see what  
differences may present themselves if you find yourself in a similar  
situation.  My longest lens is only 210 mm. I have had good results  
with SR so far, but I've only had a few opportunities to shoot as of  
yet.  Stupid obligations getting in the way of my burning desire to  
shoot with the new camera.  :)

Michael Chan

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Re: Cheap SD Card Performance

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 3:56 PM, Mark Cassino wrote:

> Michael Chan wrote:
>> Agreed on the Transcend.  I also have had good luck with RIData's
>> high-speed cards.
>>
>> I would NOT recommend AData.  Cheap shell, broke easily.
>>
>> Michael
> Thanks for the vote on the Transcend.
>
> WRT the ADate, like I said, all these SD cards feel like a potato chip
> when I'm handling them. I hope they are really not as fragile as they
> feel...

The AData certainly was.  Felt flimsy when I bought it.  When someone  
broke it (the casing) later, it was confirmed.  But, to the credit of  
the card, it technically still does work.  I just am waiting for an  
application in which I can leave it plugged into something all the  
time.  Then again, it was a 1 gig card, which is below $20 now.

I'm sorry to go on a "back in the day, uphill in the snow, both ways"  
riff, but I will anyway 'cause I feel punchy.  :)  IIRC, The type III  
hard drives that stored 260 Meg ran about $400 when I originally  
purchased them to go with the $10,000 Kodak DCS 420 (1524 X 1016) a  
decade ago for my company.  Wasn't my money, but still, wow.  Now 4G  
cards are 80 bucks?  What a fun, affordable (in perspective) time to  
work in digital.

I still have that 420 on my shelf (It's an N90s with a Kodak back).   
I wonder if the battery still holds a charge?  I should go out and  
shoot with it some time soon just for fun/nostalgia.  For some  
reason, I doubt it will inspire the same sort of nostalgia I feel  
when I shoot with a Spotmatic or a TLR.

Michael Chan

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Re: OT - What sells

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 3:46 PM, William Robb wrote:

>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Kenneth Waller"
> Subject: OT - What sells
>
>
>
>> Wondering what other subjects have sold multiple times for other list
>> members?
>
> Good porn always fetches top dollar.
>
> William Robb

And the not-so good porn fetches the other dollar.

Michael Chan

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Re: Cheap SD Card Performance

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 4:00 PM, Mark Cassino wrote:

> Shel Belinkoff wrote:
>> And perhaps quite a bit less expensive as well.  I've not checked the
>> prices recently on the Sandisl Extreme III.  Transcend prices have  
>> gone up
>> and down over the last 30 days or so @ newegg, not by much, but  
>> from $39.00
>> - $44.00.  Don't know why there is such a fluctuation.
>
> I too wonder about the price fluctuation for memory or all sorts -  
> maybe
> its the exchange rate. The Extreme III is a nice card but the stand
> alone price is a bit high - especially if there is a comparable
> replacement at the less $50 for 2 gigs price.

Is it true that there are only really a couple of true players left  
in the memory manufacturing market, of the actual chips themselves?   
I seem to recall reading this at some point, but don't really  
remember for sure.  I imagine there must be a sort of cartel-ish  
behavior in the industry to some extent, but I don't know.

Michael Chan

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Re: K-10 comments

[Michael Chan]

Shel,

Re-reading my posts in this thread, I realize they are somewhat  
misleading and also just plain wrong in at least one statement.  I  
hope to be more accurate and clear in this post, at least as much as  
my understanding of the systems involved may allow.

FAT 12/16/32 file systems were originally designed for magnetic  
disks.  As such, the control structures, which are the boot record,  
the File Allocation Table (there's actually two) and the root  
directory are always written in that order, and in the same physical  
place on the first sectors of a volume.  In FAT32, the root directory  
is actually treated like any ordinary data structure, but even then  
it typically follows the FATs.  The data area fills the rest of the  
volume.

In a flash device, repeated writing to a particular address increases  
the risk that that area will fail.  However, in flash, the media can  
only be in the state of erased or non-erased.  Only erased blocks can  
have data bits written to them; you can't actually twiddle individual  
bits or bytes.  So when a change is requested for commitment to an  
existing cluster at the File System level, the Flash Translation  
Layer (which is below the FS) actually looks for a free (erased)  
block and writes the data there, which is then marked as dirty/ 
allocated (unless that block fails, which then gets marked as bad/ 
unusable and it seeks another free block).  The old block is marked  
as deleted.  The FTL virtually maps memory addresses to what the FS  
expects, preserving the illusion to the FS that data has been  
modified when actually it has been written to a new location.  Blocks  
are organized into erase units, which are erased (written to all  
zeroes or ones depending on the device) as a group when needed, which  
happens when the card eventually runs out of free blocks.  In some  
cases, the lowest virtual address are actually created and modified  
in system memory on card insertion due to the frequency of changes  
made by FAT.

In summary, every time any "change" is made to data stored in flash  
media, it is actually written as new data to a new location on the  
device.  Obviously, this includes control structures.

As I understand it, more advanced wear-leveling systems in things  
such as ATA flash drives as well as wear-level aware file systems  
track the usage patterns of addresses at the media level to maximize  
the potential lifespan of the media.  This is beyond the scope of  
cameras and thumb drives.

Michael

On Dec 4, 2006, at 11:29 AM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:

> You lost me on that one.  Care to explain?
>
> Shel
>
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Godfrey DiGiorgi
>
>> they also reposition the directory
>> tables as time goes on if the
>> media is used a lot, again to preserve
>> and extend the media's lifespan.
>
>
>
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Re: How Long ...

[Michael Chan]

Since Friday December 1st 2006.

(two days after my k10d arrived).  I did lurk for a couple of months  
back in March on a tip from this fellow I know from when I used to  
live back east.  Claims he isn't a post-modern bard.

Michael

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Re: 16-50 f2.8

[Michael Chan]

Lovely galleries; thanks for the link.

Michael

On Dec 3, 2006, at 11:06 AM, Cotty wrote:

> On 3/12/06, Michael Chan, discombobulated, unleashed:
>
>> Laura idly mentioned she wanted to vacation someplace warm,
>> preferably near an ocean.  I immediately brightened and replied, "How
>> about Scotland?"  Withering glare.
>
> Ask her to look at the 'Hebrides' and 'Isle of Coll' galleries  
> here. My
> sister and her bloke live on Coll, and this is his site
>
> <http://www.colldigital.co.uk/photo-library.php>
>
> -- 
>
>
> Cheers,
>   Cotty
>
>
> ___/\__
> ||   (O)   | People, Places, Pastiche
> ||=|http://www.cottysnaps.com
> _
>
>
>
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Re: PESO - Big Brother

[Michael Chan]

Chiming in with the rest: GREAT shot.

Michael

On Dec 4, 2006, at 1:03 AM, DagT wrote:

> ...is watching you:
>
> http://foto.no/cgi-bin/bildekritikk/vis_bilde.cgi?id=276424
>
> DagT
>
>
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Re: K-10 comments

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 4, 2006, at 10:23 AM, Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:

> another reason why you want to do formats with the camera is that
> with flash media you want to avoid writing to media needlessly ... it
> has a finite lifespan. This is why formatters for flash media
> typically do not zero the files, just replace the directory tables.
> they also reposition the directory tables as time goes on if the
> media is used a lot, again to preserve and extend the media's  
> lifespan.

The number of times you can flip a bit on a modern NAND cell is  
supposed to be somewhere around 1,000,000 times.  My understanding is  
that the wear-level functionality of a flash device is internal to  
the flash device itself; when the flash device tries to write to a  
bad block and fails, it automatically allocates a different block and  
marks the bad block as unavailable.  The electronic device accessing  
the flash chip is unaware that this happens.  According to the  
device, whether it be a camera or otherwise, it appears to be a FAT  
disk, when actually there is a translation layer in the flash device  
that handles the lifting behind the scenes.

Michael

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Re: Cheap SD Card Performance

[Michael Chan]

Agreed on the Transcend.  I also have had good luck with RIData's  
high-speed cards.

I would NOT recommend AData.  Cheap shell, broke easily.

Michael

On Dec 4, 2006, at 6:47 AM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:

> I'll cast my vote for the Transcend/newegg combo as well.  Bought a  
> couple
> of cards from newegg, have two or three Transcend cards.  Learned  
> about
> them years ago from a GF in Tel Aviv, so when I bought the DS it  
> was on the
> "A" list as a card choice.
>
> Shel
>
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Mark Cassino
>
>>> I've been using Transcend 150x 2G SD cards. Cost about $40 from
>>> Newegg.com.
>
>> I think Paul mentioned that card as well - looks like a good way  
>> to go.
>
>
>
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Re: K-10 comments

[Michael Chan]

The reason why people are advised to format in camera as opposed to  
in pc is to avoid the end user having to know to use FAT 12/16/32  
(and cluster size) for whatever that camera/card's particular flavor  
of vodka is.  In-camera formats are quicker in that all they do is  
overwrite the existing file allocation table(s)/directory structure  
and that there's less labor involved (moving the card back and forth,  
clicking through the options or typing at the cli on the PC).  A (non- 
quick) PC format does a chkdsk for bad sectors.  Time consuming and  
pointless for flash media.  Quick-format, whether pc or in-camera, is  
largely write-speed-bound.  In-camera "Delete all" takes longer than  
formatting due to the fact the camera is serially deleting each  
directory entry, the process of which is potentially a significant  
number of writes.  Neither a "delete all" or "format" inside a camera  
actually removes user data, be it image or otherwise, from the card.   
It's all still there, but with no pointers to tell an OS what blocks  
make up what files; blocks are overwritten at some point when  
needed.  I do not see how formatting twice in succession would have  
any discernible effect, other than time consumption.  That's really a  
"pregnancy" question: either one formatted it or they didn't.   
Multiple passes won't make it any "more formatted."  It won't hurt  
much either since life cycles of NAND-based media are quite robust  
and wear-leveling with modern flash memory means you won't end up  
with your FATs and directory structures being re-written over and  
over again on the same block.

In personal use, I've never had any memory card go bad. In work use,  
over the past ten years, I have had many type III hard drives and  
many CF cards go bad.  I'm not sure how many pictures our shooters  
take each year; never tried to count, but if I had to take a WAG,  
maybe 35k?   Several of my cameras now use SD and none have yet  
failed internally but this is the first year of SD being in use; one  
fell victim to a careless handler; the card still worked, but was  
essentially finished due to the cracked chassis.  I fear this will  
happen more often, as SD cards are fragile compared to CF cards.  The  
hard drive failures were always a head crash. With the CF cards, some  
times it's general wear and tear from the frequent removal/insertion,  
but five or so have failed due to some sort of internal corruption.   
Flash memories are supposed to automagically mark blocks as "bad"  
when they encounter troublesome ones (aforementioned wear-leveling),  
but in practice, as soon as a card gives us any beef, I toss it.   
It's remarkable how many failed shortly after warranty.  I'm sure  
someone knows the axiom for that phenomena.

The current workflow for our shooters is to do a format in camera  
because it's fastest, though I know that some do an erase all  
instead, or erase the images while the card is in the reader attached  
to the pc.  In the end I think it works out to six of one, half dozen  
of the other regarding the effect on the card.

Michael Chan

On Dec 3, 2006, at 9:55 PM, Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:

> I've made perhaps 70,000 exposures in digital cameras since 2002.
> I've used both delete all and format, with no pattern. Never lost an
> image, have not had a card go bad or be unreadable yet.
>
> G
>
> On Dec 3, 2006, at 9:12 PM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:
>
>> According to the various articles I read, it's suggested to never
>> format
>> your card in the computer, only in the camera in which it will be
>> used.
>> Amongst all the articles and comments that I read, someone - I
>> forget who -
>> suggested formatting twice.  This was someone whose work and
>> expertise I
>> generally respect - of course, I can no longer recall who - maybe
>> Bruce
>> Fraser? - and so I just got in the habit of formatting twice.  NBD,
>> especially with a fast card matched to the capabilitiy of the
>> istDS.  Do I
>> need to do it?  Perhaps not, but it makes me feel good and secure,
>> so I do
>> it.  And maybe it does help, and maybe some day it will save an
>> image or
>> two, so for the expenditure of an additional 1.5 seconds per day,  
>> I'll
>> format twice.
>
>
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Re: Airborne!

[Michael Chan]

SWEET shot.  Gives me the jumpies.


On Dec 3, 2006, at 11:34 AM, Patrick Genovese wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> Have'nt posted anything recently. So here goes:
>
> http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=5287610&size=lg
>
> Comments / critique welcome.
>
> Regards
>
> Patrick Genovese
>
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Re: PESO: Grace Today

[Michael Chan]

Very nice.  Grace is quite photogenic.  Sharp, and the noise is not  
obtrusive to me; it provides a nice texture.

In the first shot, something happened with the image compression of  
the green tabletop that is distracting to me.  I wonder if it might  
look more interesting if the bottom edge of the image was cropped  
slightly below her left hand.

In the second, there is a halo in a spectral off of one of her toys  
just to the right of the shoulder of the chair that distracts.  It's  
curious to me that the carpet is tack-sharp, as is her shirt, where  
she is slightly blurred.  Kids are so quick!

But nice shots.

On Dec 3, 2006, at 12:47 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote:

> Both are ISO 800 with the K10 and the FA 50/1.4. The first is f4 @
> 1/45th. The second is f2 @ 1/125th. Probably could have shot at ISO
> 400 here. Rendered on my laptop, so I'm not absolutely sure about the
> levels.
> Paul
> http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=5288004
> http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=5287990
>
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Re: OT: Internet exploder problem

[Michael Chan]

I'm a programmer/sysadmin, and will try to offer a couple suggestions  
off list regarding your predicament, but I heartily recommend that in  
the future, just say no to DRM-based music purchase sites.  If you  
feel the itch to buy your music online, you may want to try eMusic  
for a bit.  No, they don't have a completely "mainstream" catalog and  
it is subscription-based.  However, I find their library refreshing  
and far more interesting.  Also, the downloads are unencumbered (MP3s  
ripped with LAME's alt-standard encoding), which runs rings around  
iTunes and most every other online music store regarding digital  
quality FWIW, and the price is reasonable.  Another option is  
Magantune, where you pay what you think you want to; the catalog is  
sparse and eclectic, but I like that.  You can also give your money  
to the Russian online music company allofmp3.com and get lossless  
(FLAC, and well, actually, just about any encoding such as OGG, MP3,  
whatcha want?) files, but there's a chance they will go away soon due  
to legislative pressure.  Also, the RIAA wants me to believe that I  
am funding the mob/terrorists/forces of evil, because the RIAA isn't  
a mob and has my best interests at heart.  Bless their benevolent souls.

On Dec 3, 2006, at 11:25 AM, cbwaters wrote:

> Several weeks ago, for no apparent reason, all the little HTML  
> pictures in
> my email quit showing up in Outlook Express.
> I KNOW, HTML and photos are bad juju but lets set that aside for now.
> It didn't really bother me.
> Except when it did.
> I figured something was aims in Internet Explorer and it'd get  
> fixed...or
> not.  I don't use IE so no real harm.
>
> Fast forward a few weeks and I found a new CPU that would work in  
> my PC for
> only a few dollars and I made the swap from a  P41.7-400MHz fsb to  
> a P4
> 3.0 -8ooMHz chip with Hyper Threading.
>
> Bonus:  My RAM I purchased several weeks ago seems to be working  
> now and it
> didn't like running at 400 MHz AT ALL.
>
> Bummer:  None of the downloaded music I have in Media Player works  
> anymore.
> The licenses are no good, I need to re-authorize this computer.
>
> I purchased several albums worth of tracks from MSN Music store and  
> now they
> won't play because of the damned DRM BS.
>
> To fix this, I need to get I.E. to work.  amazingly, MSN's web  
> tools for
> re-authorizing computers don't work with Firefox.
>
> Uninstalled-re-installed IE6 several times.  It seemed to work  
> once, but not
> for long.
> Tried uninstalling IE6 and installing IE7 but it's not working  
> either.It
> opens and hangs at "connecting".  I think it's not shaking hands  
> with my DSL
> modem for whatever reason.
>
> Anybody care to take a stab at this OFF LIST?
>
> Guess I'll be buying my music from Amazon now :(
>
> Cory
> the afflicted.
>
>
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Re: PESO: Flower photo!

[Michael Chan]

Beautiful.  Nicely done.

Michael

On Dec 3, 2006, at 9:50 AM, Mark Roberts wrote:

> So busy with school that I've hardly had a chance to use the K10D at
> all, much less get out and do some serious shooting with it. So this
> morning I grabbed a few shots of some orchids we have in the kitchen.
>
> http://www.robertstech.com/temp/orchids.jpg
>
> K10D, 77 Ltd, 2.5s at f/20, ISO 400

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Re: 16-50 f2.8

[Michael Chan]

Laura idly mentioned she wanted to vacation someplace warm,  
preferably near an ocean.  I immediately brightened and replied, "How  
about Scotland?"  Withering glare.  But I think I may convince her  
yet.  I hadn't thought about Wales.  Scotland is the top of my  
currently imagined five outside-of-the-U.S. trips.

That's fantastic about visiting the pub where your father was born.   
I didn't know that story.  His mom must have been caught up in a  
really fierce leg of darts.  ;)

On Dec 3, 2006, at 6:47 AM, Mark Roberts wrote:

> Michael Chan wrote:
>
>> My lady and I want to go to the UK.  I need to talk with you soon
>> about travel ideas. Big plus: she digs motorcycles.  *grin*
>
> You can rent a motorcycle in London (fortunately away from the center
> of the city!) and travel pretty cheap that way. I did that a few years
> ago. Big fun.
>
> Lisa and I are going over next year in late June. Tentatively planning
> on doing Scotland and the far north - Orkney, for hiking &
> archaeological explorations.
>
> I recommend north Wales. We went there last year and had a great time.
> My parents came over at the same time and we got to do some
> reminiscing. Even visited the pub where my father was born(!)
>
> If you go, avoid Oxford at all costs. Too many loonies there ;-)
>
>
> Oh, and speaking of reminiscing..
> http://www.robertstech.com/temp/fringe.jpg
>
> L-R:
> Mike "The guy with the Beads" Chan

Damned hippy.

> Mark "Not a Post-Modern Bard" Roberts

In almost every picture I have of you from that era you are wearing  
that coat.

> Bond, Bobby Bond
> Jeff "Now Vice President of Specialty Products at Fender" Cary

That's interesting news.  I haven't seen Jeff in about forever.


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Re: Some random thoughts on my K10D

[Michael Chan]

I offer this as proof of what SR can do; it's a partial repost from  
another thread earlier, but the point is that SR is a boon, not a bane.

(.. omitted .. )

(re-posted begins)


The exif data is partially wrong because it's a non-recognized lens.

SR is on, ISO 200, 1/90th at f13 dialed through hyper-program, focal:  
210mm (Vivitar Series 1 70-210 circa 1989),

PEF > JPG through photobrowser 3 (hope bibble updates soon); no post- 
processing _at all_, full-quality jpeg (~4M download) for peepers.

Under the circumstances, I'm really darn impressed (you can read the  
brass "watch step" plate that is in shadow through the window) Can't  
wait to do some work with this baby.

Michael
(re-post ends)

:: addendum:  I focused manually; it was infinity minus a notch on my  
MF lens, I knew where it would land; SR was ready as soon as I  
acquired focus, and clicked.  It was a one-off shot.  I really just  
wanted to do a "street-snap" and run back inside to view the  
results.  I was pleased.  My experience only.

On Dec 2, 2006, at 4:59 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote:

> I can't believe this. How depressing.
> Paul
> On Dec 2, 2006, at 2:08 PM, J. C. O'Connell wrote:
>
>> No, its time for you to shut the hell up.
>> I didnt say this was something to not
>> buy the camera for because SR is a bonus
>> feature that can be turned off or just
>> go ahead and shoot quick without it, but it
>> would be a lot better if you could turn
>> it on prior to pressing the shutter button
>> so there would be no wait. Your stupid
>> "welcome to modern cameras" comments are
>> absurd as usual. Not surprising coming
>> from you.
>> jco
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
>> Behalf Of
>> William Robb
>> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 11:48 AM
>> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List
>> Subject: Re: Some random thoughts on my K10D
>>
>>
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "J. C. O'Connell"
>> Subject: RE: Some random thoughts on my K10D
>>
>>
>>> Still sucks compared to not having
>>> to do half shutter presses and having
>>> the SR ready to go instantly by enabling
>>> it ahead of time. I really hate ANY
>>> half presses to take a picture. I dont
>>> mind it for metering or other features
>>> but to take a picture, I want to just
>>> press the button fast without any half
>>> presses on the shutter release at all.
>>
>> Welcome to the world of modern cameras.
>> Are you going to hijack this thread to vent your spleen about that
>> which
>>
>> you will not ever buy?
>> You've made your point, it's time to shut up now.
>>
>> William Robb
>>
>>
>>
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Re: One more thing I like about the K10D

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 2, 2006, at 4:46 PM, Juan Buhler wrote:

> I had wished for this here on the pdml, about the istD, a couple of  
> years ago:
>
> The front (index) wheel will advance through pictures when in "play"
> mode. No need to use the joystick thing to do that if you don't feel
> like it.
>
> It's a trivial thing, but shows a level of attention to detail that  
> I like.

Juan, I agree that it's the Pentax Engineers/Interface designer's  
attention to "trivial" that makes it such a joyous, seamless  
experience in which to work/play.


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Re: 16-50 f2.8

[Michael Chan]

Mark,

My lady and I want to go to the UK.  I need to talk with you soon  
about travel ideas. Big plus: she digs motorcycles.  *grin*
On Dec 2, 2006, at 4:07 PM, Mark Roberts wrote:

> Michael Chan wrote:
>
>> I have a 10-17 and love shooting with it.  It's an awesome lens.  I'm
>> continually impressed with what it produces, but it is a fish with
>> all it's corresponding caveats.   Here are several images shot with
>> the Pentax 10-17 fish on the ist-DL:
>
> Many of those remind me a lot of Wales. I'm going to have to get out
> there before too long...
>
>
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Re: 16-50 f2.8

[Michael Chan]

Good point Tim.  I don't use tinyurl as often as I should.  I should  
also rewrite my php photo album program to be more url friendly.

Michael


On Dec 2, 2006, at 5:39 PM, Tim Øsleby wrote:

> TinyURL.com is the answer. Pretty strait forward to use.
>
>
> Tim
> Mostly harmless (just plain Norwegian)
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On  
> Behalf Of
> Michael Chan
> Sent: 3. desember 2006 00:40
> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List
> Subject: Re: 16-50 f2.8
>
> Sorry about the chopped URLs; if someone wants to tell me how to
> embed them properly so they don't line break that, I'd appreciate
> it.  Also, if you see the dust spots, so did I. I performed my first
> sensor cleaning (heart-attack, but successful) after seeing those  
> spots.
>
> On Dec 2, 2006, at 3:29 PM, Michael Chan wrote:
>
>> John,
>>
>> I have a 10-17 and love shooting with it.  It's an awesome lens.  I'm
>> continually impressed with what it produces, but it is a fish with
>> all it's corresponding caveats.   Here are several images shot with
>> the Pentax 10-17 fish on the ist-DL:
>>
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
>> set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1428.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
>> set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1429.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
>> set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1430.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
>> set=oceanside_20060722&i=IMGP1604.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
>> set=oceanside_20060722&i=IMGP1601.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
>> set=Yankees_Seattle_20060824&i=IMGP2058.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
>> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1752.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
>> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1753.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
>> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1759.jpg&s=m
>> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
>> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1773.jpg&s=m
>>
>> I have decided to buy the 16-45 and hope I get the rebate fulfilled
>> (though I do not have faith in rebates), and then see what price the
>> 16-50 comes out at, and sell the 16-45 if it seems like the thing to
>> do.  I really like the kit lens; I'm not really all that disappointed
>> in it at all despite my earlier comment, but when I want _sharp_ I
>> use my 28-m or 50-m normal (50 FA is finally on it's way from BH).
>>
>> Michael
>>
>> On Dec 2, 2006, at 11:12 AM, John Francis wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I was almost convinced I wanted the 16-45 until the announcement
>>> of the 16-50/f2.8.  I never got round to buying the previous
>>> (film-camera) short zoom to go with my 80-200, but this time I'm
>>> probably going to get both of them.
>>>
>>> My problem is what to do until the 16-50 is available, especially
>>> since I might want something wide before then for a couple of  
>>> events.
>>> I've got an old Vivitar manual focus zoom, but that's only a 21-35.
>>> I'm considering picking up the fisheye 10-17 (especially with the
>>> rebates extended until Jan 9th.), but that leaves me with a bit of
>>> a gap in the mid-wide-angle range.  I suppose I could buy the 18-55
>>> kit lens with a K10D, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it once the
>>> 16-50 comes along.  The size isn't likely to matter much on a K10D,
>>> especially with the grip, but I suppose I could hang on to it as a
>>> walkaround lens to keep on the *ist-D.
>>>
>>> Decisions, decisions ...What would you do?
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Dec 02, 2006 at 07:48:57AM -0800, Michael Chan wrote:
>>>> I have been restraining myself from buying the 16-45 for months  
>>>> now,
>>>> anticipating the weather-sealed lenses.  I had not heard about a
>>>> 16-50 2.8, which would likely be out of my budget range anyway, and
>>>> with the rebate it's getting really difficult for me to control my
>>>> LBA shakes.  Is the 16-45 that far head and shoulder above the kit
>>>> lens?  I've been pretty impressed with the kit, but it definitely
>>>> has
>>>> its shortcomings.
>>>>
>>>> On Dec 2, 2006, at 7:20 AM, David J Brooks wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Quoting John Francis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>>>>>
>>>>>&g

Re: PESO forest long exposure

[Michael Chan]

Hi Brian,

Yes, it was dusk and I was under canopy; the lighting in the shot  
turned out significantly brighter than my perception of the  
environment at the time.  Good point about the foliage.  I will  
consider that when I print this shot next time.


On Dec 1, 2006, at 6:33 PM, Brian Walters wrote:

> Hi Michael
>
>
> 10 sec at f8 - must have been really dark in there!
>
> I like the balance of the lower foliage with the water reflections  
> but I'm not sure about the out of focus weeping foliage at the  
> top.  I think I prefer it cropped out.
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Brian
>
> ++
> Brian Walters
> Western Sydney Australia
>
>
> Quoting Michael Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
>> Shot with my ist DL; 10s/f8.  Kit 10-55.  The forest stayed
>> wonderfully still for me, or at least my tripod.
>>
>> http://mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1352.jpg&s=m
>>
>> Comments appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Michael Chan
>
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Re: 16-50 f2.8

[Michael Chan]

Sorry about the chopped URLs; if someone wants to tell me how to  
embed them properly so they don't line break that, I'd appreciate  
it.  Also, if you see the dust spots, so did I. I performed my first  
sensor cleaning (heart-attack, but successful) after seeing those spots.

On Dec 2, 2006, at 3:29 PM, Michael Chan wrote:

> John,
>
> I have a 10-17 and love shooting with it.  It's an awesome lens.  I'm
> continually impressed with what it produces, but it is a fish with
> all it's corresponding caveats.   Here are several images shot with
> the Pentax 10-17 fish on the ist-DL:
>
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1428.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1429.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1430.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
> set=oceanside_20060722&i=IMGP1604.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
> set=oceanside_20060722&i=IMGP1601.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
> set=Yankees_Seattle_20060824&i=IMGP2058.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1752.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1753.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1759.jpg&s=m
> http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?
> set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1773.jpg&s=m
>
> I have decided to buy the 16-45 and hope I get the rebate fulfilled
> (though I do not have faith in rebates), and then see what price the
> 16-50 comes out at, and sell the 16-45 if it seems like the thing to
> do.  I really like the kit lens; I'm not really all that disappointed
> in it at all despite my earlier comment, but when I want _sharp_ I
> use my 28-m or 50-m normal (50 FA is finally on it's way from BH).
>
> Michael
>
> On Dec 2, 2006, at 11:12 AM, John Francis wrote:
>
>>
>> I was almost convinced I wanted the 16-45 until the announcement
>> of the 16-50/f2.8.  I never got round to buying the previous
>> (film-camera) short zoom to go with my 80-200, but this time I'm
>> probably going to get both of them.
>>
>> My problem is what to do until the 16-50 is available, especially
>> since I might want something wide before then for a couple of events.
>> I've got an old Vivitar manual focus zoom, but that's only a 21-35.
>> I'm considering picking up the fisheye 10-17 (especially with the
>> rebates extended until Jan 9th.), but that leaves me with a bit of
>> a gap in the mid-wide-angle range.  I suppose I could buy the 18-55
>> kit lens with a K10D, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it once the
>> 16-50 comes along.  The size isn't likely to matter much on a K10D,
>> especially with the grip, but I suppose I could hang on to it as a
>> walkaround lens to keep on the *ist-D.
>>
>> Decisions, decisions ...What would you do?
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Dec 02, 2006 at 07:48:57AM -0800, Michael Chan wrote:
>>> I have been restraining myself from buying the 16-45 for months now,
>>> anticipating the weather-sealed lenses.  I had not heard about a
>>> 16-50 2.8, which would likely be out of my budget range anyway, and
>>> with the rebate it's getting really difficult for me to control my
>>> LBA shakes.  Is the 16-45 that far head and shoulder above the kit
>>> lens?  I've been pretty impressed with the kit, but it definitely  
>>> has
>>> its shortcomings.
>>>
>>> On Dec 2, 2006, at 7:20 AM, David J Brooks wrote:
>>>
>>>> Quoting John Francis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, Dec 01, 2006 at 08:11:40PM -0500, David J Brooks wrote:
>>>>>> Anyone heard if its happining.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I would love to get this lens and the K10d
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Dave
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Equine Photography in York Region
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> The new lenses aren't due until March of next year.
>>>>> Realistically this probably means I won't be able to get my
>>>>> hands on one before my Las Vegas trip in early April :-(
>>>>
>>>> We are heading there in late April for our 25th wedding  
>>>> anniversary,
>>>> so maybe i'll be able to get one by then.
>>>>
>>>> Dave
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List
>>>>> PDML@pdml.net
>>>>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Equine Photography in York Region
>>>>
>>>> -- 
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>>>
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Re: 16-50 f2.8

[Michael Chan]

John,

I have a 10-17 and love shooting with it.  It's an awesome lens.  I'm  
continually impressed with what it produces, but it is a fish with  
all it's corresponding caveats.   Here are several images shot with  
the Pentax 10-17 fish on the ist-DL:

http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1428.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1429.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1430.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
set=oceanside_20060722&i=IMGP1604.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
set=oceanside_20060722&i=IMGP1601.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
set=Yankees_Seattle_20060824&i=IMGP2058.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1752.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1753.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1759.jpg&s=m
http://www.mcmm.net/viewimage.php? 
set=lost_lake_august_2006&i=IMGP1773.jpg&s=m

I have decided to buy the 16-45 and hope I get the rebate fulfilled  
(though I do not have faith in rebates), and then see what price the  
16-50 comes out at, and sell the 16-45 if it seems like the thing to  
do.  I really like the kit lens; I'm not really all that disappointed  
in it at all despite my earlier comment, but when I want _sharp_ I  
use my 28-m or 50-m normal (50 FA is finally on it's way from BH).

Michael

On Dec 2, 2006, at 11:12 AM, John Francis wrote:

>
> I was almost convinced I wanted the 16-45 until the announcement
> of the 16-50/f2.8.  I never got round to buying the previous
> (film-camera) short zoom to go with my 80-200, but this time I'm
> probably going to get both of them.
>
> My problem is what to do until the 16-50 is available, especially
> since I might want something wide before then for a couple of events.
> I've got an old Vivitar manual focus zoom, but that's only a 21-35.
> I'm considering picking up the fisheye 10-17 (especially with the
> rebates extended until Jan 9th.), but that leaves me with a bit of
> a gap in the mid-wide-angle range.  I suppose I could buy the 18-55
> kit lens with a K10D, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it once the
> 16-50 comes along.  The size isn't likely to matter much on a K10D,
> especially with the grip, but I suppose I could hang on to it as a
> walkaround lens to keep on the *ist-D.
>
> Decisions, decisions ...What would you do?
>
>
> On Sat, Dec 02, 2006 at 07:48:57AM -0800, Michael Chan wrote:
>> I have been restraining myself from buying the 16-45 for months now,
>> anticipating the weather-sealed lenses.  I had not heard about a
>> 16-50 2.8, which would likely be out of my budget range anyway, and
>> with the rebate it's getting really difficult for me to control my
>> LBA shakes.  Is the 16-45 that far head and shoulder above the kit
>> lens?  I've been pretty impressed with the kit, but it definitely has
>> its shortcomings.
>>
>> On Dec 2, 2006, at 7:20 AM, David J Brooks wrote:
>>
>>> Quoting John Francis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>>>
>>>> On Fri, Dec 01, 2006 at 08:11:40PM -0500, David J Brooks wrote:
>>>>> Anyone heard if its happining.
>>>>>
>>>>> I would love to get this lens and the K10d
>>>>>
>>>>> Dave
>>>>>
>>>>> Equine Photography in York Region
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The new lenses aren't due until March of next year.
>>>> Realistically this probably means I won't be able to get my
>>>> hands on one before my Las Vegas trip in early April :-(
>>>
>>> We are heading there in late April for our 25th wedding anniversary,
>>> so maybe i'll be able to get one by then.
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
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>>>> PDML@pdml.net
>>>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Equine Photography in York Region
>>>
>>> -- 
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>>
>>
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Re: Paypal for my sales

[Michael Chan]

Graywolf is correct that Paypal is rather competitive in the points  
it charges versus my merchant account, and that they make things  
extremely convenient, plus have a (perhaps undeserved) level of trust  
with the general buying public that people may not have with a direct  
purchase method.  From a personal and a business standpoint, I have  
never had any problems with PayPal in and of itself.  However I would  
offer a different experience regarding people cheating with their  
credit cards, (not necessarily Paypal); my company loses tens of  
thousands of dollars per year in contested charges when a service/ 
product rendered is contested by the buyer at some future point.  In  
almost every such case, the card company finds for the customer.   
(I'm in the dinner boat business, so think restaurants.)  In a few  
cases, I think it's possible they honestly forgot purchasing some  
item while on board one of our boats or at one of our land-based  
facilities, but in almost every case, it is fraud.  It is  
infuriating.  It is the cost of doing business.

Michael

On Dec 2, 2006, at 8:07 AM, graywolf wrote:

> Lots of answers, huh, Dave?  I especially like the ones that say I  
> have
> heard bad things about paypal so I don't use it, they seem the most
> emphatic.
>
> I have used paypal for several years. I do not do a lot of dollars
> through my account so just have the basic dealer setup where I can
> accept payments from credit cards. Yes paypal charges for that  
> service,
> why shouldn't they, they are nice enough to only change per  
> transaction
> instead of having a monthly service charge whether you use them or  
> not.
>
> If I did a lot of transactions I would probably have two paypal  
> accounts
> as a couple of folks have mentioned they do. One setup to a separate
> checking account to accept credit cards, and one setup to a credit  
> card
> only for buying stuff for the simple reason it is easier to do credit
> card purchases if there is no balance in that paypal account. As it is
> mine is simply connected to my regular checking account.
>
> Which brings up the point that paypal takes the money back if the  
> buyer
> makes a complaint. Not always, but the credit card company will  
> usually
> find for the buyer unless the seller can prove he is lying, and takes
> the money from paypal, paypal should eat the loss? That is standard
> credit card company practice, and US law anyway, do some people use  
> that
> to cheat other people? I guess it happens, but not too often.  
> Mostly it
> is the sellers fault in not making things clear up front.
>
> Paypal is convenient as hell, I do not know how one can do business  
> over
> the internet without it unless one has their own credit card merchant
> account, and that is more expensive unless you are doing a lot of  
> business.
>
> --graywolf
>
>
> David J Brooks wrote:
>> Hi All.
>>
>> I have had  a nunmber of clients ask if i take paypal. At this time
>> only cash or cheque.
>>
>> I am just setting up for online banking,i;m paranoid still:-),but
>> unsure whats involved with paypal.
>>
>> How do people access my account. I don;t want my visa or bank account
>> numbers out there for the taking.
>>
>> Can those that accept paypal give me an idea of what to do/expect.
>>
>> Dave, sir paranoid, Brooks
>>
>> Equine Photography in York Region
>>
>
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Re: Some random thoughts on my K10D

[Michael Chan]

Shel,

In my experience with the K10 so far, SR is active and ready as  
quickly or faster than focus is acquired, which should mitigate your  
concerns regarding the situation you are describing.

Michael

On Dec 2, 2006, at 8:01 AM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:

> That's not quite the same as quickly lifting the camera to the eye and
> making a quick "street shot".  In those situations there's little
> opportunity to do what you suggest.  It may be possible to walk  
> around with
> one's finger half-depressing the shutter all day, but that seems  
> somewhat
> tiresome and annoying.
>
> Shel
>
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Paul Stenquist
>
>> I find, for example, that when tracking Grace as she charges  
>> around the
>> room, I can easily keep the shutter release in the halfway  
>> position, so
>> I don't miss a beat. I would guess that's what the sports photogs do
>> when shooting with their long Canon IS glass.
>
>
>> On Dec 2, 2006, at 9:49 AM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:
>>
>>> If that's the case, then SR is mostly useless
>>>  for quick shooting ...  
>>>
>>> Shel
>>>
>>>
>>>
 [Original Message]
 From: David Bliss
>>>
 One thing that I didn't figure out until I'd read the manual ten or
 twelve
 times is that SR does not work unless you hold the shutter release
 half-
 pressed for a few seconds, until the SR (hand) icon shows in the  
 lower
>>> left of the viewfinder.  If you just fire the shutter all the  
>>> way, no
> SR.
 Might explain the behavior you're seeing.

 At least, this is my understanding from the bottom grey box on  
 p. 68
 of the manual and from my K10D's behavior.

 I find SR works **GREAT**.  I regularly get shots at
 210mm at 1/15 that show no signs of motion blur.
>
>
>
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Re: Paypal for my sales

[Michael Chan]

There isn't really any reason to do so as long as your checking  
accounts are insulated, but some people like the idea that if they  
get in a squabble with a financial institution over a sticky matter,  
it's easier to shut that account and move on without having to move  
_all_ accounts.  I have fired banks severa times over the years for  
what I considered unscrupulous practices, and it's just tedious to  
reset all the accounts elsewhere.

Michael

On Dec 2, 2006, at 7:46 AM, David Savage wrote:

> Why set up an account with a completely different bank? Do you think
> the funds could be sucked out of your primary accounts?
>
> I'd recommend setting up a separate account with low fees/minimum
> balance amount as a temporary location & transfer fund's in and out
> as, come in or need to go out.
>
> To make, or request, a payment, you log in to your Pay Pal account and
> send the person an email through the payment (or funds request)
> section and the amount you wish to send, or receive.
>
> Personally I'd prefer to do without Paypal, and use direct bank
> transfers, but people are more paranoid about them than they are about
> PayPal, and the banks sting you with international transaction fees,
> about AU$20 each, local.direct deposits are free though.
>
> Dave
>
> On 12/2/06, David J Brooks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> Good idea. We have a new bank in town now, so i could open an account
>> with them.
>>
>> I assume you are given somesort of account number or id from  paypal,
>> so people can make a payment.
>>
>> Is that correct.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> Quoting Amita Guha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>>
>>> On 12/1/06, Michael Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>> For the (realistically) cautious, I offer this advice:
>>>>
>>>> Set up a secondary (or tertiary/quadrant) account to your principle
>>>> account for online transactions for vendors such as PayPal that
>>>> really push a checking authorization.  Limit the funds available to
>>>> what you are trying to move, with a little wiggle.
>>>
>>> That's exactly what we did - we opened an account with a different
>>> bank from the bank where we keep our "real" money. We started the
>>> account with a small amount of money and linked it to Paypal. It's
>>> worked out fine so far.
>>>
>>> Amita
>
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Re: Paypal for my sales

[Michael Chan]

Yes, you are issued a user account id for paypal acts as the  
clearinghouse for the transaction on purchases or sales.  If I recall  
correctly, Paypal initially verifies your checking account by making  
a small (5 cent or so) deposit to your checking account.  Your  
account is then "verified", which some transactions require. When you  
purchase an item with paypal, you select your funding source (you can  
have multiple funding sources including fail-over should one source  
be insufficient, but Paypal always pushes you to use checking; I use  
credit for the incentives tied to that card and the fact I have a  
better protection on purchases).  The seller pays the fee of the  
transaction.


On Dec 2, 2006, at 7:24 AM, David J Brooks wrote:

> Good idea. We have a new bank in town now, so i could open an account
> with them.
>
> I assume you are given somesort of account number or id from  paypal,
> so people can make a payment.
>
> Is that correct.
>
> Dave
>
> Quoting Amita Guha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
>> On 12/1/06, Michael Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>> For the (realistically) cautious, I offer this advice:
>>>
>>> Set up a secondary (or tertiary/quadrant) account to your principle
>>> account for online transactions for vendors such as PayPal that
>>> really push a checking authorization.  Limit the funds available to
>>> what you are trying to move, with a little wiggle.
>>
>> That's exactly what we did - we opened an account with a different
>> bank from the bank where we keep our "real" money. We started the
>> account with a small amount of money and linked it to Paypal. It's
>> worked out fine so far.
>>
>> Amita
>>
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>
>
>
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>
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Re: 16-50 f2.8

[Michael Chan]

I have been restraining myself from buying the 16-45 for months now,  
anticipating the weather-sealed lenses.  I had not heard about a  
16-50 2.8, which would likely be out of my budget range anyway, and  
with the rebate it's getting really difficult for me to control my  
LBA shakes.  Is the 16-45 that far head and shoulder above the kit  
lens?  I've been pretty impressed with the kit, but it definitely has  
its shortcomings.

On Dec 2, 2006, at 7:20 AM, David J Brooks wrote:

> Quoting John Francis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
>> On Fri, Dec 01, 2006 at 08:11:40PM -0500, David J Brooks wrote:
>>> Anyone heard if its happining.
>>>
>>> I would love to get this lens and the K10d
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> Equine Photography in York Region
>>
>>
>> The new lenses aren't due until March of next year.
>> Realistically this probably means I won't be able to get my
>> hands on one before my Las Vegas trip in early April :-(
>
> We are heading there in late April for our 25th wedding anniversary,
> so maybe i'll be able to get one by then.
>
> Dave
>>
>>
>> --
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>>
>
>
>
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>
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Re: GESO - A few Winter Shots (with the K10D)

[Michael Chan]

I particularly enjoy the "Swan Creek" shot.

On Dec 1, 2006, at 9:54 PM, Mark Cassino wrote:

> Despite the bad weather (which never was as bad as predicted) I did my
> best to run the K10D through its paces today. Overall I'm quite happy.
> The snow fooled the camera's meter (as expected) and I wound up  
> shooting
> at +1 compensations most of the day.  The shots that didn't benefit  
> from
> the compensation adjustment show a good degree of noise after being
> 'pushed' in ACW.
>
> All shots were taken in DNG RAW mode. And they all all color shots  
> (even
> if they don't look it.)
>
> The images are dated 12/106 on this page (for now they are the  
> first 8)
>
> http://www.markcassino.com/galleries/stream/stream04.htm
>
> More detailed comments about the days shoot can be found here:
>
> http://markcassino.com/b2evolution/index.php? 
> title=first_shots_with_the_pentax_k10d&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
>
> I knocked out a 12 x 18 print of this one:
>
> http://www.markcassino.com/galleries/stream/061201/_IGP0058.htm
>
> And I'm pretty impressed by the increase in resolution - its more  
> than I
> would have expected from going only up to 10.2 Megapixels.


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Re: K10D: Pourquoi Department

[Michael Chan]

Most everyone probably knows this already, but when I stumbled across  
it yesterday on the k10, I was quite happy, so I will share just in  
case one hasn't caught this yet; when you press the OK button the  
"remaining shot counter" in the viewfinder will switch to display the  
iso that the camera is currently using.

Michael

On Dec 1, 2006, at 11:39 PM, Bruce Dayton wrote:

> Joe,
>
> When I put a 1 gb card in set to Raw PEF, it shows 61 images
> available.  I shot a session that way and the card ran out of space
> after 92 images were actually shot.  I'm sure some of the issue is the
> amount of compression for the embedded jpg takes.  So the available
> count is a guess.
>
> No idea why the other mode changes things - only idea might be the
> algorithm for figuring out that compression takes into account higher
> ISO (noise doesn't compress as well).
>
> -- 
> Bruce
>
>
> Friday, December 1, 2006, 7:23:05 PM, you wrote:
>
> JT> I have my K10D set for RAW only, DNG format. Formatting a 2 GB  
> card
> JT> gives me the possibility of shooting 123 images...in P, Tv, Av,  
> or M
> JT> modes. But when I set the mode to Sv, it says only 100 images. Can
> JT> anyone figure out why?
>
> JT> This evening I went out and took three night shots with the  
> K10D. The
> JT> card now says 120 images in P, Tv, Av, or M modes. But it still  
> says 100
> JT> images in Sv.
>
> JT> Thanks,
>
> JT> Joe
>
>
>
>
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Re: Paypal for my sales

[Michael Chan]

For the (realistically) cautious, I offer this advice:

Set up a secondary (or tertiary/quadrant) account to your principle  
account for online transactions for vendors such as PayPal that  
really push a checking authorization.  Limit the funds available to  
what you are trying to move, with a little wiggle.  Make sure the  
conditions of your account provide protection to "unauthorized  
transactions" but realize that even then you may have to battle to  
protect your credit in the event of a larceny.

Just make your exposure is minimal, and you will be fine.  If you tie  
your pay-pal (or other online pay-service) to your principal  
checking, it is most likely you won't be victimized, but it may  
happen.  Summary: if you want to take extra measures, open an account  
in another bank for your online transactions and don't tie it to your  
principle repository.  Banks make it easy to protect yourself if you  
investigate an automatic shutdown on withdrawals.

 From the seller's side, be wary that such protections make it really  
really tough to pursue non-payers when they challenge a charge.   
Unfortunately from a respectable merchant's perspective, it's _very_  
difficult to recover contested transactions, and that is a shame,  
because it is what makes merchant fees so astronomical that credit  
purchases kill the retail vendor in service fees and man-hours on  
recovery.

Michael

Hang the thieves.

On Dec 1, 2006, at 5:33 PM, Mark Cassino wrote:

> Paypal acts as the middle man and they are the only ones that know  
> your
> account numbers etc. Similarly, when someone wants  to pay you they  
> give
> their info to paypal, you never see it.
>
> As a consumer, I try to use paypal vs direct online credit cards
> whenever possible. I figure that confining my data to the fewest  
> sources
> makes sense, so I try to keep as many transactions flowing through
> paypal vs a bunch of independent store credit card clearing areas.
>
> If you are truly paranoid read the TOS closely. To get a paypal  
> account
> you _have to_ give them access to your bank account. Both so they can
> pay you is via direct deposit, they also can debit your account to  
> make
> payments on your behalf.  They way it works is they make a small  
> deposit
> to your account (a few cents) and then withdraw it to verify that they
> have access.
>
> I haven't looked at the TOS closely in several years but they used to
> give PayPal the right to just go into your account and take what they
> think they are owed should you wind up in a disagreement with them.  
> I've
> talked with folks who have great anxiety over that, but I've never
> talked to anyone who ever had a problem with it.
>
> The only risk I ever saw was if someone I sold something to used a
> fraudulent credit card or other scam to pay for it. Possibly Paypal
> could grab that money back out of my account and leave me holding the
> bag. I don't do anything of such magnitude to warrant worries, and
> paypal has access only to my checking account, not an account with
> substantial balances.
>
> The other thing with paypal is the fees - the seller pays the paypal
> fees. The few times I've sold substantial commercial photo licenses,
> I've just asked for a check and send an invoice, because the paypal  
> fees
> can be notable on larger dollar (>1000) transactions. Unfortunately, I
> haven;t had to deal with that problem much.
>
> - MCC
>
> David J Brooks wrote:
>> Hi All.
>>
>> I have had  a nunmber of clients ask if i take paypal. At this time
>> only cash or cheque.
>>
>> I am just setting up for online banking,i;m paranoid still:-),but
>> unsure whats involved with paypal.
>>
>> How do people access my account. I don;t want my visa or bank account
>> numbers out there for the taking.
>>
>> Can those that accept paypal give me an idea of what to do/expect.
>>
>> Dave, sir paranoid, Brooks
>>
>> Equine Photography in York Region
>>
>
>
> -- 
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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> Kalamazoo
> www.markcassino.com
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Re: PESO forest long exposure

[Michael Chan]

> You suck!

Hah!  It's true!  I love how Pentax kit optics bring out the lovely  
detail in the garbage hung up in the roots above the tree in the stream!

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Re: First K10D Post: Trying to Stay Calm

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 1, 2006, at 4:34 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote:

> Make that "as long as they're saved as DNG format."

I've read some, but I'm still confused as to the apprehension about.   
It's an open format, correct?  Is there a risk of lock-in/betrothal  
to Adobe?  Forgive me for not searching the thread if I am risking a  
flame-war.  I have read that according to some claims, data is lost  
using Adobe's fooRAW>DNG converter, but I'm not adept enough to know  
what may be lost.  I do know that it's a one-way street if you don't  
encapsulate the original (space waste) or save the original  
alternatively.  Other than that, are there hidden downsides regarding  
DNG?

Michael

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Re: Pink Floyd, etc.

[Michael Chan]

Between the beautiful art (cover/inserts/labels/the disc itself: WAX  
TRAX!), the new world of mixology, and the audio "presence" of a  
record, the resurgence of vinyl is indeed a wonderful thing to see.   
Now if only I could figure an affordable way to move 1000 pounds of  
vinyl from my folk's house on the east coast to Oregon...

Michael

On Dec 1, 2006, at 4:43 PM, David J Brooks wrote:

> Quoting Bob Shell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
>
>> It was a whole lost art for photographers and designers.  You just
>> can't do much in the small space of a CD box.  And you always need a
>> magnifier to read anything in the booklets.  I still keep my vinyl LP
>> collection, and the cover art (and sometimes inserts) are one reason.
>
> Agreed Bob.
>
> I even have a few picture disk's still wrapped.:-)
>
> Here in the Toronto area,wax seems to be reapearing
>
> Dave
>>
>> One of my all-time favorite albums is Puzzle by Mandrake Memorial
>> from 1969.  Not only is the music spectacular, but inside the LP
>> sleeve was a round artwork inspired by Escher, a rollie-pollie that
>> you could put on your turntable and hypnotize yourself watching.
>>
>> Bob
>>
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>>
>
>
>
> Equine Photography in York Region
>
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Re: PESO: Two hours at f/8 - here's the link

[Michael Chan]

For what it's worth, I bought a 5.1 mix version of "Joshua Judges  
Ruth" from Lyle Lovett.  I far and away prefer the original stereo  
mix.  Perhaps it's because my time spent listening (I've heard that  
cd too many times to count) of the original had conditioned me to  
think that's how it "should" sound?  I don't know.  I haven't bought  
any SACD/DTS audio cds since, but maybe it is time that I revisit.

I'm way out of my league here (hear?) opining on this, but I think it  
must be a supremely difficult task to remaster truly good-sounding  
sources originally recorded for stereo listening to a surround  
environment.  Again, maybe this is my listening prejudice.  Also, my  
5.1 kit is a very nice amp/speaker combo but it is setup for home  
theater; it isn't in nearly as nice of a "music" environment as my 2  
speaker rig.

I remember many years ago listening to cds on Mark Robert's home  
setup; it sounded incredible.  His is basically the method I've tried  
to emulate since regarding stereo listening; "natural" speakers,  
"natural" amp, whereas my focus on the 5.1 theater was different, at  
least as far as I know what that means.

Michael

On Dec 1, 2006, at 4:17 PM, John Francis wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 01, 2006 at 11:02:26PM +, Peter Lacus wrote:
>> John,
>>
>>> The 30th anniversary SACD Dark Side was a significant factor
>>> in my decision to upgrade our home DVD player to the Sony 875V
>>> (a 5-disc DVD changer that also plays SACDs)
>>
>> can you hear any difference then? I've got the same SACD so I am  
>> in the
>> market for a SACD player now I guess.
>
> Even with my aged ears, and the onset of deafness, I can still hear
> the difference between a stereo mix and full 5.1 surround sound.


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PESO forest long exposure

[Michael Chan]

Shot with my ist DL; 10s/f8.  Kit 10-55.  The forest stayed  
wonderfully still for me, or at least my tripod.

http://mcmm.net/viewimage.php?set=CoastJuly2006&i=IMGP1352.jpg&s=m

Comments appreciated.

Thanks,

Michael Chan

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Re: PESO - Steamin' In

[Michael Chan]

Hi Bruce,

Nice light, and I like boats.  The defocussed trees add depth.  The  
water looks appears slightly over-sharp.

Michael Chan

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Re: Peso: Snowstorm

[Michael Chan]

On Dec 1, 2006, at 11:14 AM, Tom C wrote:

>
> What do you get at:
>
> http://picasaweb.google.com/ThomasCakalic

I can report that it renders properly on OmniWeb and Safari on OS X;  
also, right now, the site is extremely responsive.  Images are  
loading very quickly over my line.

Michael Chan

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K10D SR shots

[Michael Chan]

(Apologies if this goes to the list twice; I think I sent the first  
post from the wrong outgoing account.)

My K10D came Wednesday.  Unfortunately, I was very sick that day.  
Then it rained.  Then it was cloudy.  Finally, a little while ago  
today, the sun came out.  I'm at work and couldn't get fancy or waste  
much time, but I really wanted to try out the camera and the SR  
(especially since rain was returning shortly according to my trick  
knee, erm, doppler radar).  So, I dashed outside and quick-snapped a  
non-artistic shot in which I wanted to try out how well SR works as  
well as give the sensor something tricky to work with (nasty light,  
nasty fence).

<http://209.197.126.178/IMGP3102.jpg>

The exif data is partially wrong because it's a non-recognized lens.

SR is on, ISO 200, 1/90th at f13 dialed through hyper-program, focal:  
210mm (Vivitar Series 1 70-210 circa 1989),

PEF > JPG through photobrowser 3 (hope bibble updates soon); no post- 
processing _at all_, full-quality jpeg (~4M download) for peepers.

Under the circumstances, I'm really darn impressed (you can read the  
brass "watch step" plate that is in shadow through the window).  I  
was ~40 yards away from the bow of the pictured vessel; the opposite  
shore of the river is ~.3 - .5 mile.

_Love_ the feel of this camera.  Can't wait to do some work with this  
baby.

Michael Chan

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Re: Rebate posted today

[Michael Chan]

On Apr 1, 2006, at 9:43 AM, Mark Roberts wrote:


[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

http://www.pentaximaging.com/footer/news_media_article? 
ArticleId=7495423


May have already been reported here, but here it is anyway.
Lenses listed:



($100) smc P-FA 77mm F1.8 Limited Lens (black or silver)


Aaaagh!
Just what I needed. More temptation.


Mark, I yielded to temptation: Pentax 10-17 for $466.26 shipped,  
prior to the $100 rebate.  Now I can take really wide angle pictures  
of the Ramen noodles I will have to eat for the next month.


Michael

Flash question - AF400FTZ

[Michael Chan]

I am looking for a decent flash for my Pentax *ist DL.  I have an old  
Vivitar 383 super but I am ready to upgrade.  I am looking at the  
Sigma EF-500 DG Super based on a recommendation by Mark Roberts.  I  
am also looking at the Pentax AF400FTZ and was wondering if anyone  
had an opinion on that unit as I have a chance to pick one up for a  
rather low price.  I am having a hard time finding any reviews on the  
unit.  Will it fully support TTL fill and remote wireless TTL?  Any  
other thoughts?


Thanks and best regards,

Michael Chan