[binary visions]

Cool pictures, Toshi.

I wish I liked Canon ergonomics more... The 400mm f/5.6 is a beautiful lens for the price, and Nikon offers nothing like it.

These would have come out a lot better at an equivalent ~600mm FOV vs. my paltry 190mm - they're practically 100% crops.

The Canon ergonomics just don't feel that natural to me. Toshi, that secondary scroll wheel on the 20D, on the back... That functions like as a secondary adjustment for aperture/shutter (depending on which mode you are in), correct?

 

[Toshi]

yeah, the scroll wheel is useful. i don't like the ergonomics of the rebel either -- that's why i chose a D30 way back when. graduating to the 20D was natural.

 

[narlus]

what's the scroll wheel? is that the back dial?

i've never used another (D)SLR aside from the rebel, so i've got nothing to compare it to.

~1K for the 400 prime isn't a bad price at all, but for a lens that big i'd think they would add IS to it.

i am currently lusting after a 5D...some of my lenses wouldn't be compatible, but having a 1.6x CF body would still be useful.

 

[Toshi]

me too, but the 5D will have to wait until i get a job . and yes, we're talking about the wheel on the back.

 

[binary visions]

I have absolutely zero interest in a full frame body. I like taking pictures of wildlife and birds, so the 1.6x crop provides significant extra "reach". If the FF megapixel count was high enough that the cropped field of view contained the same amount of data, it'd be more tempting to me, but the 5D's 12mp doesn't do that.

narlus, there just isn't another lens that I know of that provides the level of optical quality & reach that 400mm f/5.6L does for the price. If lack of IS keeps the price at around a grand, I'm all for it. Being a high quality prime, a 1.4x TC isn't going to degrade the optical quality as much either.

I've still got a couple more years at least before I start an investment in a DSLR and good glass, so we'll see where the camera wars are at. I expect good things from Sony in the next few years.

 

[Barbaton]

So I took part in my first autocross event this weekend. In the mall parking lot in Santa Fe. As a passenger in a Mustang 5.0. Lots of fun, though I'd rather be driving . There seemed to be a rediculously large number of modded Miatas.

 

[narlus]

I have absolutely zero interest in a full frame body. I like taking pictures of wildlife and birds, so the 1.6x crop provides significant extra "reach". If the FF megapixel count was high enough that the cropped field of view contained the same amount of data, it'd be more tempting to me, but the 5D's 12mp doesn't do that.

yeah, i'm not a birder, and the 5D is probably the best lowlight camera around, which is why i'm interested. it'd probably be nice to have two backs (best of both worlds), but a pain to lug them around.

 

[Toshi]

sorry for the somewhat poor exposure. this is with a ton of tweaking to the raw file in conversion, too.

and here it is after 2 minutes more photoshop work. meh.

also, this is really sweet (stolen from DHS)

http://ueba.net/hosted_pages/Suspended-Honda-F1-Car-20060730

 

[Toshi]

cool, eh? mad max come to life...

http://www.robgray.com/motorhomes/

 

[Toshi]

http://tinyurl.com/fcl76

pics from the university museum. only a few more days in alaska so i figured i'd get some stereotypically alaska-y pics, and that i did:

on a photo-geek note, this represents the first time in a few months that i've busted out the 28/1.8. the first five shots in the gallery are with the 28, at f/1.8 to 2.2 depending on the shot. the others are with the 135/2L.

also of note is that the puffin shot (the last one inlined above) was at iso 3200, then pushed over a stop. saving that shot would have been impossible had it not been in raw -- the color balance was all over the place before conversion, required quite a bit of tweaking after the conversion in photoshop, and then pretty heavy noise reduction was applied. dSLR Tools for the win.

 

[Toshi]

 

[Toshi]

today's gallery actually has ride pics, living up to this thread's title! the rides are not bikes, however...

tanana valley fair

 

[Barbaton]

heh. "no fear"

 

[Toshi]

an alternative to biking?

http://www.segway.com/personal-transporter/model_x2.html

i'm now in pocatello, idaho for 6 weeks btw. brought the xc bike and am going to try to get out in the hills.

 

[Toshi]

i'm heading to yellowstone for the weekend after ditching clinic at 3 pm today! (the 3 pm early departure was actually suggested by my preceptor/"boss" doc )

 

[Toshi]

i'm heading to yellowstone for the weekend after ditching clinic at 3 pm today! (the 3 pm early departure was actually suggested by my preceptor/"boss" doc )

and the pics are up: http://tinyurl.com/qorlh

more pics at the gallery or in a pic-whoring thread i'm going to go post in the lounge:

pic-whoring thread as promised: http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164276

 

[Toshi]

oh, this shot is a good illustration of why to use a polarizer, even if it's not the most spectacular scene on its own. l/r differ by 90 degrees of polarizer turn (with pushing/pulling in conversion to make the "sand" in the foreground about equal intensity)

 

[Toshi]

keith, are you done with your mammoth biking adventure, or is that still off in the near future?

 

[WTGPhoben]

Yeah, I'm all done. Pics to come soon, but I'm in the middle of editing photos from my first wedding gig.

 

[narlus]

new canon lenses announced.

70-200L f/4 IS
50L f/1.2

edit - new body, too. 400D/rebel xti

sounds like it's taking over 30D territory w/ a lot of the advances and features...

 

[Toshi]

new canon lenses announced.

70-200L f/4 IS
50L f/1.2

edit - new body, too. 400D/rebel xti

sounds like it's taking over 30D territory w/ a lot of the advances and features...

those two lenses sound like winners. ring usm and environmental seals .

the 30D still has ergonomics, heft, iso 3200. but you're right: it will provide an attractive alternative for many who don't care about such things.

 

[narlus]

for existing DSLR body owners it's not gonna replace anything; i see it targeted at new purchasers moving from P&S, or as a 2nd body. it's still pretty decked out, but they removed the 2nd LCD screen (not the main one which shows the image).

after reading about some of AF advantages of the 20D/30D in lowlight w/ fast glass, i am having upgrade fever.

my wife will kill me.

 

[Toshi]

yeah, the center cross type sensor with fast lenses is nice...

 

[narlus]

i didn't realize that cross type AF sensor/fast lens thing...would make my life a TON easier for shooting gigs...

anyone want a used rebel XT body? i'm seriously thinking about upgrading now.

 

[Toshi]

i didn't realize that cross type AF sensor/fast lens thing...would make my life a TON easier for shooting gigs...

anyone want a used rebel XT body? i'm seriously thinking about upgrading now.

you should have listened to me :

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2049192&highlight=cross+sensor#post2049192

 

[narlus]

you should have listened to me :

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2049192&highlight=cross+sensor#post2049192

hahaha....what you fail to remember is that the camera was an xmas gift, and as my first SLR of any kind, i really had no idea what i wanted and i think it was the best move.

now that i know:

1) that i'll use the camera a lot
2) that i'll use it in low-light situations
3) the capabilities of the body

i'm more well positioned to make an educated purchase. so i guess i'll wait to see what the 400D does to the market price of the 30D; no sense in getting a 20D i would think; hell - the 30D's only been on the market since april, right?

 

[Toshi]

a new thread:

what car should my parents get?

 

[Toshi]

drove ~230ish miles each way to go autocrossing this weekend. 2 days, 12 runs, and i finished 28th/56 in "PAX", the index system that normalizes for how fast your car should be. this is quite good for me since i was on 400 treadwear all seasons (vs. 40 treadwear racing tires that are de rigeur in my class).

 

[gastro]

i finished 28th/56 in "PAX"

Well done, esp. on all-season tires!

 

[Toshi]

why thank you. the biggest highlight was staying ahead in raw time of a SM2 C6 corvette on kumho 710s until the last two runs... of course he pulled 2 seconds on me over those last two, but his index is also tougher. and i still have the tire excuse hehe.

good thing ski season is coming. i'll show those R compound folks what's up on the way up the snowy passes... neaky:

strange or otherwise novel cars spied this weekend:

- a turbocharged, intercooled Geo Metro on race tires. 1 liter of 3 cylinder fury!
- numerous karts: junior karts, shifter karts, B and F modified "cars", which are basically large karts...
- a couple of Vipers being driven poorly in the novice class
- numerous late model Corvettes of many flavors, including the Z06
- an E30 M3 with a twin-turboed 328i motor in it putting down 400 whp and some quick times
- a Supra with the requisite giant turbo-of-doom-and-slow-spoolage
- Porsches both old and new, from a fiberglass bodied 914 through several 993s
- a couple of AE86 Trueno Corollas that apparently lost their way to the drifting event
- a Dodge Dakota and a Grand Am being run in F Prepared, a class typically frequented by full on race cars: the real race car was overheating so these were the substitutes found in his driveway so as to not forfeit the entry fee
- one super ugly DSM Talon literally bouncing along on the bump stops
- a sweet, caged late 60s Camaro with a 503 (!!) cubic inch mill under the hood
- a VR6 VW Corrado with a turbo slapped on
- a 1993 Impreza L with a complete 1991 jdm Legacy drivetrain swapped in

 

[narlus]

the temptation was too great, and could not be squelched.

 

[binary visions]

edit: facking smilies

Good for you, narlus, never resist your impulses

Let us know how it works out for you!

Bigger viewfinders are always worth upgrading for...

 

[narlus]

after dropping very non-subtle hints for the last week, the wife asked me if she needed to hold my hand so i would just order the damn thing.



i think the timing is ok, because even if the 400D does erode the 30D's price tag (and there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't), i can still get a good price for my 350D via ebay.

and i'm shooting a bunch of gigs in the next 2+ weeks, so we'll see how it pans out.

 

[Toshi]

after dropping very non-subtle hints for the last week, the wife asked me if she needed to hold my hand so i would just order the damn thing.



i think the timing is ok, because even if the 400D does erode the 30D's price tag (and there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't), i can still get a good price for my 350D via ebay.

and i'm shooting a bunch of gigs in the next 2+ weeks, so we'll see how it pans out.

<-- why isn't this smilie restored?

i expect absolutely no unfocused shots now!

 

[narlus]

yeah, or else i will egg and TP yr and fraser's house.

if i was rational, i'd have just gotten the 400D...but part of me wanted to differentiate myself from an 'entry-level' camera body.

damn vanity.

 

[splat]

after dropping very non-subtle hints for the last week, the wife asked me if she needed to hold my hand so i would just order the damn thing.



i think the timing is ok, because even if the 400D does erode the 30D's price tag (and there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't), i can still get a good price for my 350D via ebay.

and i'm shooting a bunch of gigs in the next 2+ weeks, so we'll see how it pans out.

Very Nice !

So how much you want for the 350D's Body ?

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

why thank you. the biggest highlight was staying ahead in raw time of a SM2 C6 corvette on kumho 710s until the last two runs... of course he pulled 2 seconds on me over those last two, but his index is also tougher. and i still have the tire excuse hehe.

good thing ski season is coming. i'll show those R compound folks what's up on the way up the snowy passes... neaky:

strange or otherwise novel cars spied this weekend:

- a turbocharged, intercooled Geo Metro on race tires. 1 liter of 3 cylinder fury!
- numerous karts: junior karts, shifter karts, B and F modified "cars", which are basically large karts...
- a couple of Vipers being driven poorly in the novice class
- numerous late model Corvettes of many flavors, including the Z06
- an E30 M3 with a twin-turboed 328i motor in it putting down 400 whp and some quick times
- a Supra with the requisite giant turbo-of-doom-and-slow-spoolage
- Porsches both old and new, from a fiberglass bodied 914 through several 993s
- a couple of AE86 Trueno Corollas that apparently lost their way to the drifting event
- a Dodge Dakota and a Grand Am being run in F Prepared, a class typically frequented by full on race cars: the real race car was overheating so these were the substitutes found in his driveway so as to not forfeit the entry fee
- one super ugly DSM Talon literally bouncing along on the bump stops
- a sweet, caged late 60s Camaro with a 503 (!!) cubic inch mill under the hood
- a VR6 VW Corrado with a turbo slapped on
- a 1993 Impreza L with a complete 1991 jdm Legacy drivetrain swapped in

i haven´t autocrossed in months.

i´m thinking about getting my 68 camaro in the vintage class. i´d need to put better (working) brakes :biggrin: on it for that though and a few other bits.
a few pictures snapped by some guys from tha last autox.

almost in 3 wheels.

yes, you can tell imprezas own the local autox.

 

[Toshi]

"vintage class"? what sort of classes do you have? the usual SCCA Super Stock, A-H Stock, STS/X/U, prepared, modified hierarchy? over here the super stock cars are usually the fastest "real cars", a second or two behind the glorified karts in * Modified.

super stock = Z06 or GT3 depending on the day and level of spending desired, take your pick.

 

[Toshi]

random link of the day:

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/30_St_Mary_Axe.html

The Swiss Re tower, nicknamed the Gherkin for its tall, rounded, pickle-like shape

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

"vintage class"? what sort of classes do you have? the usual SCCA Super Stock, A-H Stock, STS/X/U, prepared, modified hierarchy? over here the super stock cars are usually the fastest "real cars", a second or two behind the glorified karts in * Modified.

super stock = Z06 or GT3 depending on the day and level of spending desired, take your pick.

its very informal around here, just a bunch of guys get together and rent an air base, until last year, we used to autox in the parking lot of a horsing club.
we have "peruvian" classes. "modified" being mostly the customary definition of "anything you cant replace in less than 5 minutes".

- 4x4 stock, japanese sti stomp.

- 4x4 modified, older (pre99) turbo imprezas stomp.

- 2wd stock. whoever drives best, lots of different cars.

- 2wd modified.

- vintage (cars 25 yeard old, or older). a real lotus super seven stomps the few times the owner registers.