nsmheralds@netzero.net on thu 24 nov 05
Greetings unto the list. I am once again revisiting the subject of digi=
tal photography. Although there's some good material in the archives, m=
ost of it is at least a couple of years old. Many of you will be aware =
of the fairly rapid changes in digital photographic technology that have=
made some of the archived material somewhat obsolete. Having decided t=
o enter the world of digital photography, I now face the formidable task=
of choosing from the confusing array of cameras available. I'm looking=
for recommendations. In regard to the ability to photograph pots, I'll=
need something that'll do that reasonably well. Aside from that, I'm n=
ot too horribly picky. In a best-case scenario, I'd probably at some po=
int have my pots professionally photographed. Unfortunately, this is no=
t always possible. In fact, for me it seems nearly impossible, as I've =
faced several situations over the past several months in which I needed =
images of my work almost immediately--I didn't have time to have my most=
recent work photographed, nor did I feel I really had time to do it mys=
elf (take the pictures, develop the film, take them again [because, of c=
ourse, photos never come out well enough when you really need to get it =
right the first time], make sure I fill the whole roll [I can't quite br=
ing myself to develop a partial roll--what if I only need a dozen or so =
shots? That's wasting half a roll of film! Although I'm well aware of =
the trade-offs, I still can't bring myself to do it.], etc.). I'll stil=
l need to take slides with my film camera for those shows that require t=
hem. I can get CDs when I develop my film, but that only addresses the =
"gee-gotta-email-a-photo-of-that-pot-to-so-and-so" issue and not the res=
t of it and may leave me with a CD half-full of out-of-focus, poorly-exp=
osed shots, which doesn't do much for PR if I need to send it to someone=
(which I've had to do recently).
Price is, as always, a consideration, but let's omit that for now. I'd =
rather it not override technical considerations at this juncture--I'll d=
eal with it later.
What have y'all been using? What's good and not-so-good about it? Is it=
still available? Are the newer models of what you've been using worth =
investigating and why?
Y'all may e-mail me offlist if y'all want. Thanks.
Nathan Miller
Thistillium Pottery
Newberg, OR
Gary Navarre on fri 25 nov 05
Hay Nathan, Crew,
Well I finally took the leap, after reading the archives and following
this last years postings on photography in general, and got the Pentax Optio
60. I was waiting for something at least 6 MP to go under $200 that would be
suitable for me as a beginer. About all it seems to lack is image
stablization, whatever that is, and has some sort of default contrast
setting but that can be adjusted. The longest time exposure is limited to 1
second. Another slight drawback at the moment is my computer is only a
Pentium 2 and I need at least a 3 to upload from the camera. P4's or = will
be on sale next week at work and I'm about ready to upgrade this part of the
pottery studio. For the time being I made CD's at Wally's keosk to keep
working on the evolution of my work in clay and seasonal non-timber forest
products. Here are a few links to some of my results with the Optio so far;
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/ggm/wa/
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/ggm/poplar/
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/po60tps/
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/gf/balsam/
I just saw on TV a Kodak 6 MP is going for >$200 at Wally World in the
"Blitz" starting on the 25th. I'm not plugging my employer, I'm just saying
you can now get 6 MP for less then $200. Hope that helps as a start, stay in
there!
G in da U.P.
Navarre Pottery
Norway, Michigan, USA
Bobbruch1@AOL.COM on fri 25 nov 05
Digital photography re-revisited
If you are still using film and are
comfortable with it, one option
is to keeping shooting slides and
get a slide scanner of reasonable
quality to put your photos on
your compouter so you can make
your own CD's.
Bob Bruch
<<<<with my film camera for those=20
shows that require them.=A0 I can
get CDs when I develop my film,=20
but that only addresses the=20
"gee-gotta-email-a-photo-of-
that-pot-to-so-and-so" issue=20
and not the rest of it and may=20
leave me with a CD half-full of=20
out-of-focus, poorly-exposed=20
shots, which doesn't do much=20
for PR if I need to send it to=20
someone (which I've had to=20
do recently).
John Jensen on fri 25 nov 05
After a bit of research I decided on the Nikon D-70 and have been very =
happy
with my decision. There's a lifetime of study and learning in just that
camera, but it is easy to use. One factor which influenced my decision =
was
the vast availability of Nikon AF lenses at reasonable prices on E-bay.
There are also a lot of film bodies available at low prices, so you can =
have
a film/digital system. Since I got the D-70 I haven't shot a single =
roll of
film, but I've shot about 40 gigabytes worth of digital images. The =
D-70 is
not a cheap camera, but I noticed that Nikon has come out with a less
expensive model, the D-50. The D-50 may be better in some ways and more
limited in others; but worth looking into.
One thing I've learned about digital photography is that half the work =
is
done on the computer. Your computer is your darkroom, design studio, =
and
print shop. If you have a digital camera it seems like a waste not to =
also
have a decent computer with a decent image program. I use Adobe =
Elements 3,
which will keep me busy for a few years learning the basics.
My neighbor up the street is an amateur photographer, very good; and =
he
uses Canon equipment. He seems happy.
I have the impression that the big decision is Nikon vs. Canon. I'm =
happy
with my choice.=20
John Jensen, Mudbug Pottery
John Jensen@mudbugpottery.com
http://www.toadhouse.com www://www.mudbugpottery.com
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 26 nov 05
Dear Nathan Miller,=20
A year ago I bought my second Digital Camera, a Canon Powershot Pro 1. =
It had the largest pixel count I could afford at 8 Mpxl and a lens with =
very few vices. The Software is easy to handle. Back up with one of the =
Photoshop style programs.
As always, Lens Quality and Resolution are paramount. Ignore Digital =
Zoom values, they are a red herring.Then you think about digital quality =
and colour rendition. There are some good Review sites on the Web.
Try to chose a camera that is not linked to buying "Our Accessories" =
including memory cards and batteries. Get extra memory and a spare set =
of batteries which are kept ready charged.
Pay attention to your own Computer. Have a fast chipset, a lot of RAM (I =
upgraded recently to 2 Gig) and a lot of memory (I started with 120 Gig =
and will get an external drive with another 300 Gig). Use your own =
DVD/CD burner to make discs. You can record a commentary when you do =
this.
Do not be in a hurry to get there.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
Steve Irvine on sat 26 nov 05
Nathan,
I'm happy with the digital camera I'm using, a Canon EOS 350D SLR. It has a couple of features
that are useful with studio type photography of pottery.
It has automatic bracketing that can be set from 1/3 of a stop to 2 full stops on either side of the
metered reading. If I use the continuous shooting mode I can get all three bracketed images in
one second.
Along with high res .jpg files, it also gives me .raw files to work with. It will even produce a .jpg
and .raw file automatically of each image if needed. Many magazines and book publishers are
requesting .raw files now because of the huge scope of possibilities when it comes to editing the
images.
This is an 8-megapixal camera. There is something to keep in mind when considering megapixals
and that is that all megapixals are not created equal. For instance, an 8-megapixal point and
shoot camera will typically have an imaging sensor that is 8.8mm x 6.6mm. The digital SLR
sensors are significantly larger, i.e. the 8-megapixal sensor in the 350D SLR is 22.2 x 14.8mm.
Although both are 8-megapixal, the DSLR sensor is about 6 times larger than the point and shoot
camera. This means that each pixel in the DSLR collects about 6 times as much light (information)
compared to the non-DSLR. In very bright, sunny situations the difference is not noticeable, but in
lower light studio situations the DSLR can perform significantly better.
The DSLR cameras were originally developed for photo journalists who often work in lower light
situations (buildings, sports events, cloudy weather) and this technological feature can be a real
advantage in studio work.
Hope this helps.
Steve
http://www.steveirvine.com
Gordon Ward on sat 26 nov 05
Nathan and others looking at digital cameras,
One option which may or may not have been mentioned is a slide scanner.
If you routinely take slides of your work for shows or just a high
quality record of what you are doing, and you are happy with your 25
year old Nikon, a slide scanner might be a good option. For about $200
you can get a slide scanner that will give you the equivalent of about
a 14 mega pixel digital camera. It's not as convenient as just taking
digital shots, but the quality is certainly right up there with the
best digital cameras.
Gordon
On Nov 25, 2005, at 5:22 PM, Ivor and Olive Lewis wrote:
> A year ago I bought my second Digital Camera, a Canon Powershot Pro 1.
> It had the largest pixel count I could afford at 8 Mpxl and a lens
> with very few vices.
Gordon Ward on sat 26 nov 05
When you get past a certain point, there seems to be grain in the film
picked up by the slide scanner, so maybe, in a practical sense, more
like a 5 or 6 mega pixel digital camera.
Gordon
On Nov 26, 2005, at 9:34 AM, Gordon Ward wrote:
> For about $200
> you can get a slide scanner that will give you the equivalent of about
> a 14 mega pixel digital camera.
Lee Love on sat 26 nov 05
On 2005/11/26 1:57:45, mudbug@toad.net wrote:
> not a cheap camera, but I noticed that Nikon has come out with a less
> expensive model, the D-50. The D-50 may be better in some ways and more
> limited in others; but worth looking into.
The D50 is comparably improved over the D70, in the same way the D70
improved over the D100:
PC magazine review:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1848401,00.asp
By Terry Sullivan
When it comes to the digital SLR market, Nikon has always focused on
high-end, professional models like the D2X. While the company has not
ignored consumer D-SLRs, its primary mission has always been serving pro
shooters. That is why we were pleasantly surprised by the introduction
of the D50 and what seems to be more of a commitment to the consumer.
The D50 has a great price and includes helpful, user-friendly features.
These, combined with excellent quality and performance, made it easy to
single out this camera as our new Editors' Choice for D-SLRs.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0504/05042004nikond50.asp
Nikon D50 and exclusive preview Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:00 GMT
Nikon has today announced their new affordable and easier to use D50
digital SLR. The D50 has the appearance and control layout of the D70,
the major physical differences are size, weight and control layout.
Under the skin the D50 has the same six megapixel CCD sensor as the D70
(and the D70s announced today). The D50 will be available in black and
silver bodies and as a kit with the new AF-S DX 18-55 mm lens. The D50
Kit (including the 18-55 mm lens) will cost around US$899 (£649.99/€971)
when it's available in June.
--
李 Lee Love 大
愛 鱗
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/ My Photo Logs
http://ikiru.blogspot.com/ Zen and Craft
"With Humans it's what's here (he points to his heart) that makes the
difference. If you don't have it in the heart, nothing you make will
make a difference."
~~Bernard Leach~~ (As told to Dean Schwarz)
Arnold Howard on mon 28 nov 05
My first digital camera was the Nikon Coolpix 990 3-megapixel. I just
purchased a Canon Rebel 8-megapixel.
The Coolpix 990 lens is razor sharp and superior to the lens that comes with
the Canon Rebel.
But in every other way, the Rebel far surpasses the Coolpix 990. The Rebel
is easier to use. I use the Manual mode with external studio flash. I've
found that for best results, flood the scene with as much light as you can
get. Then use f-stops and shutter speed to avoid over-exposure.
If you are serious about digital photos, get a camera with at least 8
megapixels. That will give you enough resolution for an 8 1/2" x 11" image
published in a magazine.
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "nsmheralds@netzero.net"
What have y'all been using? What's good and not-so-good about it? Is it
still available? Are the newer models of what you've been using worth
investigating and why?
denny means on mon 28 nov 05
Nathan,
I faced the same decision a year ago, after spending nearly $500 and getting ten slides shot professionally.
I went with the Nikon D70.
It really hurt me to write that big check. But, it only hurt once.
Now, I smile every time I use the camera. The D70 is a pleasure to use; it make the most of an amatuer's skill and less than professional lighting. The camera can take a photo and save it to a big jpeg file, or save it in the RAW mode for maximum adjustment and later software tweaking. The D70 takes digital photos as fast as you can punch the shutter button, a great boon at family events. It is a quality machine with great capabilities. The ccd image collector is larger than on many digital cameras, so each pixel packs more data, I'm told. The single lens reflex format and the ability to interchange lenses are also good features. Once you get the basic operation down, you will be able to improve pictures of your pots by tweaking the custom white balance on the camera, a valuble feature for pottery slides. One can also use the display to show a graph of the exposure peaks (a histogram) interpreting this graph can help you adjust lighting for the best pot photo.
My wife can use it as a simple point and shoot camera. I can use it as point and shoot, or with some of the more advanced, professional level features to make better pot photos. It's all good.
Given the same circumstance, I would make the decision to get the D70 again.
I see they have come out with the Nikon D50 and that camera bears consideration, if it has the same family traits as the D70.
There are other good digital cameras, but my experience with the Nikon D70 has been very positive.
A point to consider in digital photography is photo editing software. Once you start into digital, you will be well served to get photo editing software - ask what software, if any, comes with the camera. There is a learning curve on photo editing, but the fundamentals are not that hard to learn, and it can help you improve marginal photos. (We all know that marginal pots can only be improved by David's quality control hammer.)
Regards,
Denny Means
http://home.earthlink.net/~crookedtreepots/
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