SANTAS BEEN (10/12/10)

Yesterday was an expensive day. So expensive that I just daren’t type the numbers. I update about every three years and this year is it. Out with the old and in with the new.

First expense was twenty kilos of wild bird food with loads of oily seed…………….reading from the sack here……I didn’t buy twenty kilos of meal worms as the feathered beggars go through them faster than I go through Marlboro. They can have twenty a day and be grateful.

New camera…………..well it’s now over twenty four hours old, looks like the old one but shiny. Adobe didn’t recognise it’s Raw format……………..bother, bother, blow!  I’ll be away to the bottom of me grandma’s alley!  Several similar expressions later…..which you don’t want to hear….Promise!  I’d downloaded adobes update.

Opened up Elements found the DNG exec files copied them to the desk top in case I’d got the wrong ones deleted them and pasted in the new files. Only afterwards did I think to open Elements , hit help and look for updates. What!…..Adobe can do it for you and in the blink of an eye….I’m going to swear…………..a Plonker!  I am. I’m so used to Adobe software being brilliant but not intuitive that I’ve stopped looking for the easy way. We are up and running and state of the art.

     Here it is the E-5 same body but everything has changed. It’s propped up on another purchase a Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro lens. I love the E-3 for it’s take anything that comes attitude but it had one big failing Noise at anything over 600 ISO. Look at this shot………………

        My mucky trainers and Alfies duck shot at 6,400 ISO. Okay there is noise but I didn’t use noise reduction on the camera. If I ever loose anything in the dark I’ll be able to find it. Assuming I can find  the camera.

I’m happy! Just as well considering the outlay. This is the first new camera I’ve purchased and Harrison Cameras did me proud. I checked on the internet and they beat every price by fifty pounds, plus I get shown how to navigate it’s complex menu. Forgot all that of course………….we men know it all……….maybe………….never listen…definitely!

It also has HD Video and loads of other features that I’ll get to and disseminate on as I find them. One is it can process bracketed exposures in camera. I’ll give that a whirl. I’ll see if it’s the answer to dynamic range.

I know the camera doesn’t make the photographer……………Good lenses help.

Help!……I want to be good.

We are back in Derbyshire for a couple of days, it’s warm and foggy. Generally vile, not winter but depressing.

You all have a good weekend.