Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

I'm still following the cruise ship Costa Concordia story closely, but I'm confused about some aspects.

For a start, according to reports, there are between 40 & 70 people still missing? how come they don't know exactly? Is there no passenger list?

What about that big rock that's stuck in her side? Was that what sunk her, or did she pick that up later when the Captain beached her?

Why have they found it necessary to arrest the Captain on suspicion of "Nautical Manslaughter" (Did they make that up?) Why can't he be just 'Helping the investigators with their enquiries' until they find out what happened?

[RED-DOG]

Tony wants to take wildlife pictures and perhaps pictures of aircraft. Both are subjects that will require use of a zoom lens and despite all that anyone may say about compacts with x14 or x18 or even x22 zooms you can't get away from the fact that a dslr zoom will give better quality.
Nor can you escape the issue of shutter lag on compacts.
In essence, a DSLR set on auto/program is Point & Shoot, and what you see throughout the viewfinder is what you get
A compact is more Shoot & Hope. Shutter lag, the smaller size and the fact that it has to be held so you can see the screen on the back makes camera-shake harder to avoid on images taken at the full extent of zoom range.

Thanks David.

Cost? Suggested make & model?

Where to buy - I don't really want to go into a Comet, or PC World, & be "processed" by them & their dreadful system. Is there somewhere I could go where the nice man would genuinely talk to me, give me advice, rather than just try to make a sale?

Oh God!

Tony doesn't do dabbling. If he gets the photography bit between his teeth, he will abandon poker and the next thing you know he will be picture editor at National Geographic.

I'm not kidding...

[kinboshi]

Tikay, get one with an image-stabilising lens for definite. At your age holding the camera steady will be half the battle...

[Karabiner]

Tikay, get one with an image-stabilising lens for definite. At your age holding the camera steady will be half the battle...

I can almost hear the sharp exhalation of breath as that blow to the solar-plexus landed.

[RED-DOG]

Tikay, get one with an image-stabilising lens for definite. At your age holding the camera steady will be half the battle...

Definitely this.

[Machka]

Really appreciate all the camera advice, guys, thank you.

Dino - what distance away from the subject were you when you took those photos?

I really want to do this bird/wildlife photography thing, & am prepared to invest time & the necessary cash.

My concern is that very wise & respected judges - as well as Tom - are saying "no point, a compact will suffice for your needs".

To be fair to Tom, (just this once), he knows me better than most, & his real point to me is that I don't have the patience to faff about changing lenses & stuff. An outrageously accurate summing up.

But it's like anything, if you want to do it well, a bit of effort is required. I want to do it well.

As well as birds & wildlife, I'd like to take photos of aircraft parked at Heathrow, or under the flight path at the end of the runway, when they are incoming, very low.

Obviously, no arty nonsense, just proper pictures.

Time for my quarterly post on your diary...

I am a very keen photographer, I've just checked and I have taken approximately 32,000 pictures since my first digital camera in 2001.  Well, I say taken, I have kept 32,000 of the photo's I have taken.  For each 'event' I go to, say my son's football match, an SPT weekend, a weekend away, I would probably take 500 photo's and keep 100-150 of the best ones (in focus, people facing the right way, eyes open, etc).

I would recommend starting with a decent super-zoom-compact which can be picked up for less than £200 and is pretty much point and shoot for 95% of situations.

The beauty of a super-zooom-compact is that you will take it with you everywhere you go.  There's no reason not to so you'll pretty much be in a position to never miss a photo opportunity.

I know so many people who have had kids or gone on a holiday of a lifetime and spent a small fortune on a Digital SLR and hardly used it because it's just not convenient to lug about.

I've been using a Canon SX 220 HS for the last 6 months or so and can't say there is much wrong with one of those.  Decent Zoom 14x, CMOS sensor so decent indoor non-flash pictures.

I'll have it at the Luton SPT if you want to play.

This is not his diary, it's mine, but your contribution is welcome all the same. 

Oops, I wondered why all the posts seemed so sensible. ;-)

[tikay]

I'm still following the cruise ship Costa Concordia story closely, but I'm confused about some aspects.

For a start, according to reports, there are between 40 & 70 people still missing? how come they don't know exactly? Is there no passenger list?

What about that big rock that's stuck in her side? Was that what sunk her, or did she pick that up later when the Captain beached her?

Why have they found it necessary to arrest the Captain on suspicion of "Nautical Manslaughter" (Did they make that up?) Why can't he be just 'Helping the investigators with their enquiries' until they find out what happened?

In a cultured diary, or "The Times", the expression "manifest" would have been used. Over here, it's more like the "Sun". "Passenger list" indeed........

[tikay]

I'm still following the cruise ship Costa Concordia story closely, but I'm confused about some aspects.

For a start, according to reports, there are between 40 & 70 people still missing? how come they don't know exactly? Is there no passenger list?

What about that big rock that's stuck in her side? Was that what sunk her, or did she pick that up later when the Captain beached her?

Why have they found it necessary to arrest the Captain on suspicion of "Nautical Manslaughter" (Did they make that up?) Why can't he be just 'Helping the investigators with their enquiries' until they find out what happened?

Italian Law works VERY different to English Law. It's as illogical as, say, Scottish law. (Pardon the mini-troll there....).

Did you know that when Ayrton Senna was, quite obviously to all, killed at San Marino, they had to make out he was still alive, & wait until he reached the hossie, 90 minutes later, before declaring him deceased. Failing that, the Circuit owners would have been snap-arrested & charged with causing his death.

[RED-DOG]

I'm still following the cruise ship Costa Concordia story closely, but I'm confused about some aspects.

For a start, according to reports, there are between 40 & 70 people still missing? how come they don't know exactly? Is there no passenger list?

What about that big rock that's stuck in her side? Was that what sunk her, or did she pick that up later when the Captain beached her?

Why have they found it necessary to arrest the Captain on suspicion of "Nautical Manslaughter" (Did they make that up?) Why can't he be just 'Helping the investigators with their enquiries' until they find out what happened?

Italian Law works VERY different to English Law. It's as illogical as, say, Scottish law. (Pardon the mini-troll there....).

Did you know that when Ayrton Senna was, quite obviously to all, killed at San Marino, they had to make out he was still alive, & wait until he reached the hossie, 90 minutes later, before declaring him deceased. Failing that, the Circuit owners would have been snap-arrested & charged with causing his death.

No. I didn't know. That's actually very interesting.


BTW- I thought a manifest applied to cargo, not to passengers. I stand corrected.

[RED-DOG]

Wiiiiiiii   

Done binked me a seat in the €190 + 10 €30k Gteed on Laddies.
 

[outragous76]

#nowwin

[RED-DOG]

#nowwin

I've been running & playing better over the last few weeks Guy, and that in turn has lead to sort of poker epiphany. In fact come to think about it, perhaps it's the other way around.

I feel a philosophical post coming on....

[RED-DOG]

I wasn't sure that 'Epiphany' was quite the word I wanted, so I looked it up.

Here's wiki's definition. It suits my purpose perfectly.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_%28feeling%29

[david3103]

Tony wants to take wildlife pictures and perhaps pictures of aircraft. Both are subjects that will require use of a zoom lens and despite all that anyone may say about compacts with x14 or x18 or even x22 zooms you can't get away from the fact that a dslr zoom will give better quality.
Nor can you escape the issue of shutter lag on compacts.
In essence, a DSLR set on auto/program is Point & Shoot, and what you see throughout the viewfinder is what you get
A compact is more Shoot & Hope. Shutter lag, the smaller size and the fact that it has to be held so you can see the screen on the back makes camera-shake harder to avoid on images taken at the full extent of zoom range.

Thanks David.

Cost? Suggested make & model?

Where to buy - I don't really want to go into a Comet, or PC World, & be "processed" by them & their dreadful system. Is there somewhere I could go where the nice man would genuinely talk to me, give me advice, rather than just try to make a sale?

Your local independent camera shop if you have one. Jessops if not. Long time since I lived close enough to know what the original store in Leicester is like these days, probably overlarge and underpersonal.

I've had Canon cameras for years - the EOS 35mm was replaced by the 300D I now have and in time I'll replace that with something more up to date but for all that it's now around 10 yrs old the 300 still does pretty much all i want it to. I have no desire to record video on it for instance. There may still be stock around of some of the pre-video versions if you share that view.

Other makes are available and the Nikon range gets good mention as do Sony.

Hold some, try them with the sort of lenses you'll need for widlife -  a 55-250 zoom is pretty versatile and can probably be left on the camera for most of the time. My 75-300 is a bit too long at the short end so swaps on and off with the 18-55 that came with the original camera.

It needs to feel balanced and you need to feel comfortable with holding it at your eye for a while while you wait for the moneyshot moment.

Someone mentioned using a monopod earlier itt, and that's a great suggestion. As we get older it gets harder to avoid the airly mature shakes... (I speak from personal experience here, not as a rub)

Around £5-600 should get you a decent camera and pair of lenses it seems. If you can't get an independent shop to throw in a monopod and a decent bag then you're not trying hard enough!

[gatso]

jessops is a good call. it's staffed by camera nerds. one of very few high street brands where the staff are employed based on their interest in and knowledge of the products on sale