The Big Upgrade
The D100 arrived this afternoon and my Coolpix 990 is about to get some well-earned
rest. I've taken nearly 6500 pics with it, many of them very good, and I've
come to know its personality
well. But, after realizing that I missed the feel of an SLR camera, finding
frustration with some of the limitations of the 990, and seeing what the
D100 offers, it was time to move on.
Some of the hot-button issues that sold me:
• RESPONSIVENESS
• Super-fast autofocus
• No power-up delay
•
6.1 MegaPx instead of 3.34 (way more dots = larger prints)
• Richer control features (e.g. fast shutter speeds!)
• Built like a truck
• Long battery life
• Interchangeable lenses
I've already taken some shots (below) with it. Denise noticed that I
had no problem taking several shots in quick succession, something that was
difficult
at best
with the 990. I even like the first results I got with the on-camera flash.
It seems that red-eye may be a bit less of a problem because of the position
of the flash relative to the lens.
Friday offers advice on warranty registration
...by any other name...
In August 2000, Kodak was selling 6 MegaPx cameras for $16,000. The D100 is
a better camera for $2,000. Technology always moves that way, but the difference
is impressive, nonetheless. This from the conclusions section
of one thorough and glowing review:
“Ergonomics, balance and control layout are excellent, the D100 feels
both professional enough to be used on the most important days, yet small
and light
enough to be taken out on the most casual outing. Build and finish quality
are second to none, you really are getting $2,000 worth of camera.”
Wanna see more of what it can do? Here are some other people's samples.
The uncompressed NEF (raw) format is intriguing to me. It's the way to go
for the highest-quality final result. Shooting in that format also allows the
greatest flexibility and control over sharpness, white balance, and many other
factors
after shooting. Nikon sells a separate app, Nikon
Capture, for the ultimate control over the format. I didn't bite for that
yet. I'll see how it is to work with raw files in Photoshop first.
The
review points out that I can get about 51 NEF images on a 512MB Compact
Flash
card,
and
I
have
two.
That's
a good day's shooting, in most cases.
I plan to get a Crumpler bag
to carry my camera. Crumpler is a maker of camera, messenger, and
other bags from Australia, with a cheeky attitude.
Clearly, these guys know how to make excellent bags, while not taking
themselves too seriously. Check out the out-of-stock message:
Definitely not corporate, but then they're Aussies
I ordered a “Stamp Claimer” model, but it was too small. The description said
it would hold a camera with one lens and a couple of accessories. Well, it
might, but I don't want to have to take the lens off to put the camera in the
bag.
I'll head over to Alkit and
exchange it soon. I got excellent service from Vance Morris at the Park Avenue
South store, so I don't expect any problems.
:::
I had to chuckle when I heard Bush was running afoul of some of his conservative
buddies on this temporary legal status for illegal aliens thing. Seems they
hate anything that smacks of amnesty. What are the chances that the motivation
for this legislation has something to do
with
all
those illegal aliens who were caught cleaning Wal-Mart's toilets? Now there's
a a job your everyday American wants to do.
:::
Trippy Trivia
44 million Americans can't read and write above a fourth grade level. The Average
American reads a mere 99 hours per year, but watches 1,460 hours of TV.
- From “Stupid
White Men,” chapter 5: “Idiot Nation”
Wow.
:::
Passing the Union Square subway station the other day, I heard a guy standing
out in the rain repeating “Four dollar Metrocards - three bucks... Four dollar
Metrocards - three bucks... ” I wonder what kind of scam that was.
Having a nice time. Wish u were here.
Well, the US Mars
Rover is sending back pictures from the surface of the Red
Planet. I think that's pretty cool.
Too bad the Brits had to time their
ill-fated attempt so close to ours, though JPL's not always been so lucky,
either. Not too long ago, we crashed a probe because somebody did a critical
calculation in pounds when they should have been working in kilograms. I guess
that's one
more reason we should have gone ahead with the metric conversion. :-)
:::
Trending Color
A
grade school friend of mine once told me that the colors that turn up in furniture
and carpets one year appear in clothing a year or so later. If you think about
it, somebody decides what colors to dye the yarns and fibers that cloth is
made from, and so the colors go from there.
It makes sense, then, that it might
be useful for folks in the industry to try and anticipate trends in consumer
tastes; that way you don't end up manufacturing piles of unsalable neo-chartreuse
yarn, for example. Enter
the
Color
Marketing
Group – “The Premier International Association for Color and Design Professionals.”
Their 2003
Consumer Color Directions summary says that blues dominate, and that
“Silger” – silver with a gold overlay – will be strong in fashion. They also
say that a more energized dusty rose form of Mauve and also Violet will
return. Other colors to look out for: Currant, Pinkle, Iron Ore-ange, Shimma,
Soda Green, Root Beer, Gargoyle, and more.
:::
United Cheats of America
“The Cheating Culture”
looks like a must-read. With
a
prognosis
like
this,
honest
guys seem likely to finish last along with the nice guys.
Excerpts from a 5-star review
on
Amazon:
David Callahan manages to explain [the] contemporary ethical malaise in
the context of a society embodying ever-increasing disparities between rich
and
poor,
continued consolidation of wealth, a threatened and less-secure (unstable?)
middle class, and corresponding declines in both quantity and quality of
opportunities
for the many. ...
Callahan portrays both a privileged "Winning Class" and an endangered,
increasingly cynical "Anxious Class," from which... it might often
be unreasonable even to expect minimal standards of competent and consistent
performance. ...
The Cheating Culture site is rich with info. The “Domestic Diva” (Mothra
herself) even has a section
of her very own.
