What do you want to know when you ask, "Anyone have experi..

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Frank ess" <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote in message
news7adnWCmHqx_GyfcRVn-qA@giganews.com...

>I do expect to spend a number of fairly big chunks of my valuable
> and fast-depleting time putting the hardware through its paces

Like OUR time is not as valuable as yours?

Try reading the manual.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

A couple of images I would like to see is of a brick wall or a patterned
suit...things that might show a moiré pattern. And try a shot of a pole
going diagonal across the frame so we can judge sharpness. I like to
download original images...RAW if Photoshop will open them...Tiff otherwise.

"Frank ess" <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote in message
news7adnWCmHqx_GyfcRVn-qA@giganews.com...
> Suppose Santa grants my wish and brings me a new dSLR and a couple-three
> nice lenses. I don't have the expertise to do a full-on lp/mm
> exploration, nor a Web site to present results for public edification
> (yet). I do expect to spend a number of fairly big chunks of my valuable
> and fast-depleting time putting the hardware through its paces and
> learning how to get it near the hoops professional photographers make it
> jump through.
>
> I'm not as good at Menus as I am at Recipes. I'd appreciate guidance as
> to some (relatively) simple procedures to go through as a path to
> familiarization, with the added benefit of adding some (possibly) useful
> "data" to the pool.
>
> I have no illusions about authoritative, scientific rigor; however, I do
> have some skill at observing and recording events. I don't want to do a
> "review" - plenty of those out there already. Maybe I'm asking, "What do
> the reviews omit, and can I fill the blanks?"
>
> What events should I create, subject the machinery to, and be able to
> report on?
>
>
> I'm thinking:
>
> Out-of-box experience
>
> Some "standard" scene photographed under xxx conditions with each lens,
> at zoom limits and standard intermediate focal lengths, f-stops ...
>
> Real-life nature walk over the same course, photo-ing the same scenes
>
> Pictures of the equipment in familiar surroundings with objects of
> known, familiar size in the frame
>
> et cetera
>
>
> I don't really like those ideas. What can I do that would be of use to
> you? Go ahead and say, "Nothing," if that's your answer.
>
>
> --
> Frank ess
>
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:34:22 -0800, in rec.photo.digital "Frank ess"
<frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote:

>Suppose Santa grants my wish and brings me a new dSLR and a couple-three
>nice lenses.

Say it ain't so, Frank! You're not going/coming over to the enemy... :-)
Actually, hope you get what you wish, though I'm curious given your stance
in the P&S vs. dslr discussions and preference, what made you change you
mind? Or more likely you haven't, just opening up the options you have at
your avail.

>I don't have the expertise to do a full-on lp/mm
>exploration, nor a Web site to present results for public edification
>(yet).

If web space is an issue and this takes off, maybe I can lend a hand there
to start. I have plenty of free space on my site/host.


>What events should I create, subject the machinery to, and be able to
>report on?
>
>
>I'm thinking:

....snip snip

>I don't really like those ideas. What can I do that would be of use to
>you? Go ahead and say, "Nothing," if that's your answer.

I'll need to think..... No matter what the outcome your offer is
appreciated.
________________________________________________________
Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com)
http://EdwardGRuf.com

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Ed Ruf wrote:
> On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:34:22 -0800, in rec.photo.digital "Frank ess"
> <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote:
>
>> Suppose Santa grants my wish and brings me a new dSLR and a
>> couple-three nice lenses.
>
> Say it ain't so, Frank! You're not going/coming over to the enemy...
> :-) Actually, hope you get what you wish, though I'm curious given
> your stance in the P&S vs. dslr discussions and preference, what made
> you change you mind? Or more likely you haven't, just opening up the
> options you have at your avail.
>
>> I don't have the expertise to do a full-on lp/mm
>> exploration, nor a Web site to present results for public edification
>> (yet).
>
> If web space is an issue and this takes off, maybe I can lend a hand
> there to start. I have plenty of free space on my site/host.
>
>
>> What events should I create, subject the machinery to, and be able to
>> report on?
>>
>>
>> I'm thinking:
>
> ...snip snip
>
>> I don't really like those ideas. What can I do that would be of use
>> to you? Go ahead and say, "Nothing," if that's your answer.
>
> I'll need to think..... No matter what the outcome your offer is
> appreciated.

Thanks, Ed.

When I was the best third baseman in all of Junior High baseball, one of
my skills was switch-hitting. Above all, I seem to be a pragmatist:
loyalty to getting results and enjoying the process may be more
important than sticking to my guns, hardware-wise. Or it could be sloth:
I expect to discover it is a lot more work to achieve the same ends with
a "z-cam" than with a dSLR, given a similar level of familiarity with
the tools.

I looked over my past year's output, saw this: the good-or-better stuff
was where I could move myself around the subject, or move the subject
around and make considered choices more-or-less at my leisure; the
pedestrian-to-almost-good stuff was when the timing was not my choice,
when I had to catch something transient kind of on its terms, not mine.

I may discover the fault is in my eye or sensibility or some combination
of factors that doesn't include camera characteristics. I don't know,
but I reckon a concerted effort over a few months may just tell me.
Twenty years ago I was pretty good with film SLRs. If I can't get back
to that level with a modern camera, I'll still have had the opportunity,
and will no doubt enjoy it. There's a reasonable chance I'll discover
the physical work of toting and lifting the dSLR technology is not
justified by minor improvements in product. But I hope not.

Any road, I got to get out there in this delightful Spring-like day and
click a shutter or two: To paraphrase my Grandma, "Photography is like
shaving: if you don't do it every day, you're a bum".

Thanks again,

Frank


--
Frank ess

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

In fact, one of the main things we want to know is whether the manual is any
good... whether there is a good "quick start" and so forth.