BYCS...also, SYSHTUYCS!

Just a reminder for all of us, myself included. BYCS. Bring Your Camera, Stupid!


Last week, my wife and I took our 2.5 year old daughterto a sunset concert/museum benefit featuring [url="http://www.zydecochachas.com/]Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas[/url]. We figured she'd be bored, get antsy, and we'd end up leaving early. I considered taking my camera, but decided that since we probably wouldn't be there long, and we needed to carry a set of chairs, a picnic dinner, and a toddler, one more thing over my shoulder would be too much.


As it turned out, our little one loved the music, and had a great time. We bought one of the band's CDs at intermission, and lead-singer Nathan autographed it to her. When the next set started, she wandered her way up to the area in front of the stage, and since Nathan knew her name he worked it into the song as she danced solo in front of stage and crowd, and the song finished off with Nathan calling for a round of applause for her from the 700+ people in the audience. (Needless to say, our daughter doesn't have issues with shyness or self-esteem.)


But all I had to capture the moment was the camera on my iPhone... [:$]


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/...b11b0cf3_b.jpg


I recently got a Lowepro Toploader Pro 65AW - the perfect size for my gripped 7D with 17-55mm f/2.8 IS or 24-105mm f/4<span style="color: red;"]L IS. But even though that's a relatively compact kit (at least compared to a backpack full of lenses with a tripod strapped onto it), it's still a fair bit of bulk and weight. This has me considering a PowerShot S90, which seems to be a good, pocket-sizedblend of convenience and control with RAW capability.


In any event, the moral of the story is, if you want to take pictures, you need to bring your camera with you.


Happy shooting!


--John

I agree John! I was walking around today; I look to my left, and up a tree....and there's a bald eagle just begging for a photo. Thankfully my camera bag was in tow!

I'm glad you clarified BYCS early for me. Cool story (not the part about not having your camera of course).

[:O] All that beautiful equipment sitting at home when we have a budding star here!? Shame on you! [:P]

I hope you know I'm just giving you a hard time, John! [:)] I have a funny feeling youwillhave many morechances coming your way of catchingshots like this &amp; someday we are all going to be able to say "I remember when ..."!

She's just adorable!

Denise

Thanks, Denise! You're right - in fact, we had such a good time at that event that we'll be going to the next concert in the series as well.

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Just a reminder for all of us, myself included. BYCS. Bring Your Camera, Stupid!

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Right on John! [Y][Y]


I have a 570 IS for times when I cannot / do not want to take a larger camera. I was thinking of a Rebel series as a choice as well, my son would use it and I could "borrow" it for times I do not want to take the more expensive gear, ie -- theme parks, great pictures, not camera friendly if you are ridding also.


But with my new 5D II, my camera budget is a little low for a while. [:(]


Chris

You're so right John!


Yesterday there was some very heavy rainfall (like 30min) and I had set my mind on going mountainbiking earlier that day. I wondered, since I can't go full-power due to a shoulder injury, if I would take my camera along with me. My mother thought there was nothing special to see and said to me: just enjoy the biking, leave the camera at home, your stuff will only get very dirty..


So I rode my bike trough this hilly heathland I visit all the time. And because it is very warm the last week the water didn't get into the earth yet and there was an amazing low hanging mist over the entire area and the sun was just setting....arggg!! Never seen that place so beautiful and just now I didn't take my camera...choices choices [:(]


Anyway, you can't always have everything and in the end I enjoyed mountainbiking a lot and I really needed some exercise [:P] but in my mind I still think of the potential beautiful photos I missed...

Another reminder. SYSHTUYCS. Show Your Spouse How To Use Your Camera, Stupid!


This past Saturday afternoon, I was out shopping with our daughter - my wife stayed home, planning to relax out on the deck with a book. Late in the day, I got a call from my wife...there was a beautiful hawk on the power lines down the road from our house, and she couldn't get any good pictures with my camera! They were blurry and too far away. She'd pulled out the other lenses from the drawer, but didn't know how to change lenses on the camera.


Ok, so I have it set up for back-button AF, very non-intuituve for a casual user. The EF 24-105mm f/4<span style="color: red;"]L was mounted on the camera, and it turned out that changing to one of the other available lenses wouldn't have helped anyway, since she already had the longest one on (the other ones in the 'quick access' drawer were the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8, the EF 85mm f/1.2<span style="color: red;"]L II, and the EF 100mm f/2.8<span style="color: red;"]L Macro IS - the white zooms were in the camera bag in the closet).


Still, she had managed to catch a few interesting shots (despite being OOF even with minimal cropping, and more cropping would have been better with only a 105mm lens). Here's one of a mockingbird dive-bombing the red-tail (who apparently didn't care!).


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/...811fa09d_z.jpg





Fortunately, the red-tail was patient - almost too patient, since he hung out up on that wire long after I got home, finally flying off well after sunset. Here he is again, after I was able to put on the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6<span style="color: red;"]L IS.


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/...bef61f11_z.jpg





Fortuitously, that aggressive mockingbird (or maybe his cousin) put in another appearance just as the sun was setting.


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/...50cc8482_z.jpg


So, she now knows about the green square mode (which disables the back-button AF customization), and how to change a lens. [:)]

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Another reminder. SYSHTUYCS. Show Your Spouse How To Use Your Camera, Stupid!

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Easier said then done, John. My wife makes the green square look difficult. In addition, she is afraid to hold my new 5D II, the "new" has not worn off yet. Fortunately (I think), my ten year old son has no such fears. Of course, he makes me afraid sometimes....


He seems to think my 50D should pass right to him. I am not ready for that yet.


Chris

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Originally Posted by Chris White

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Another reminder. SYSHTUYCS. Show Your Spouse How To Use Your Camera, Stupid!

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Easier said then done, John. My wife makes the green square look difficult.

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Guess I'm lucky there, in two ways. First, my wife is a professor who's used to dealing with AV issues when going into a new lecture room. In fact, when we went to Africa a few years ago (sadly, that was pre-dSLR for me), I used the high-end P&amp;S and she used the DV camcorder and got some amazing footage. Second, although she can deal with the tech stuff, she doesn't have a strong desire to do so - meaning although she'll use my gear if needed for a specific purpose, I don't have to share, or buy two of everything... [;)]

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Guess I'm lucky there, in two ways. First, my wife is a professor who's used to dealing with AV issues when going into a new lecture room.

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And she doesn't know how to change a lens?[:P]

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Second, although she can deal with the tech stuff, she doesn't have a strong desire to do so - meaning although she'll use my gear if needed for a specific purpose, I don't have to share, or buy two of everything... [img]/emoticons/emotion-5.gif[/img]

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Lucky you...now my girlfriend has bought a 450D kit, she wants to use all my stuff and expects me to learn her everything [:P] Unfortunately I'm not the best in teaching...my patience runs out very quickly [:P]


Anyway that second shot is really nice! That 100-400 doesn't disappoint at all, or do you prefer your 70-200 with extender?

Yes John, lucky you! And lucky you too Jan!


My girlfriend still doesn't understand why I even spend money on camera equipment let alone carry it wherever I go...


Any suggestions? Oh, and I'm not allowed to take pictures of her unless I'm in them... grumble

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Originally Posted by Sheiky

Anyway that second shot is really nice! That 100-400 doesn't disappoint at all, or do you prefer your 70-200 with extender?

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Thanks, Jan! I wish he was perched on something more natural than a power line, though. Yes, I really like the 100-400mm lens, and generally use that more than the 70-200 II + 1.4x - that combo is great for rainy days, and when I need to take a more limited kit for most travel situations, I'll choose the 70-200 II + 1.4x over the 100-400mm, since the combo offers more versatility (low light performance, better OOF blur, etc.), and adequate reach.



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Originally Posted by mikehillman89

My girlfriend still doesn't understand why I even spend money on camera equipment let alone carry it wherever I go... Any suggestions? Oh, and I'm not allowed to take pictures of her unless I'm in them

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Have a kid. [:P]


Then, you'll have a good justification for all sorts of dSLR equipment (my wife was very frustrated by the slow AF of a P&amp;S - by the time it locked focus, the cute expression/action was inevitably over). Also, every mom will want pics of her with her child.


So, having a kid will solve all your (photography-related) problems... [A]
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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

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Have a kid. [img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img]

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Sounds good. I'll call her up right now. Oh, and I'll be sending you the care bills okay? [:)]


Any other less drastic suggestions? Haha
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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

I wish he was perched on something more natural than a power line, though.

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Well I guess it's just as natural as a piece of wood near a feeder? And these birds are kind of known for sitting on fencepoles, powerlines, near highways etc etc. There scavengers and pretty lazy most of times. If they don't need to hunt, they won't.

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Yes, I really like the 100-400mm lens, and generally use that more than the 70-200 II + 1.4x - that combo is great for rainy days, and when I need to take a more limited kit for most travel situations, I'll choose the 70-200 II + 1.4x over the 100-400mm, since the combo offers more versatility (low light performance, better OOF blur, etc.), and adequate reach.

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Sounds fair to me. They should make a 100-400 L II with max aperture of f4 and with weather-sealing, that would be awesome!

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Have a kid. [img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img]


Then, you'll have a good justification for all sorts of dSLR equipment (my wife was very frustrated by the slow AF of a P&amp;S - by the time it locked focus, the cute expression/action was inevitably over). Also, every mom will want pics of her with her child.


So, having a kid will solve all your (photography-related) problems... [img]/emoticons/emotion-13.gif[/img]

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Hihi!! The best advice ever!![:D]


If the 89 in his name relates to the year of his birth...it's kind of early I think, thinking that his girlfriend might be somewhat younger [:P]


And getting a kid costs a lot of money so it might take a while before he can exploit the kid story and buy expensive gear [:)]


I would look for a different solution [:P]

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Originally Posted by Sheiky

I would look for a different solution

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Hey, I didn't say it was the only solution, or that it would solve all his problems without generating a whole host of new ones... [:P]


I'm just sayin', is worked out that way for me. Of course, the other day my wife asked how much 'all that stuff' cost and I had to look a little sheepish as I told her, "Well, when you add it all up, notquite as much as your car..."

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Hey, I didn't say it was the only solution, or that it would solve all his problems without generating a whole host of new ones... [img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img]

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Haha! I bet it would generate quite a few new ones [:P]

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Of course, the other day my wife asked how much 'all that stuff' cost and I had to look a little sheepish as I told her, "Well, when you add it all up, notquite as much as your car..."

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Haha I know that feeling, when they ask me what it costs, I also like to say: the camera cost me .... euros and I don't mention the rest, since most of them don't even realize you buy them separately, they don't ask any further [:P]


But yes, I also could have bought a car for all that money [;)] which makes more sense for people my age [A]

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Originally Posted by Sheiky

Sounds fair to me. They should make a 100-400 L II with max aperture of f4 and with weather-sealing, that would be awesome!

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Pah! Who needs 100-400mm? I was thinking maybe a 16-740mm f/1.6L IS USM lens that weighs, say, 1.5 pounds. And 9-stop IS [:O][:P][:D]

Actually my girlfriend is 9mths older than me thank you very much haha.

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Originally Posted by Brendan7

Pah! Who needs 100-400mm? I was thinking maybe a 16-740mm f/1.6L IS USM lens that weighs, say, 1.5 pounds. And 9-stop IS [img]/emoticons/emotion-3.gif[/img][img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img][img]/emoticons/emotion-2.gif[/img]
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You really want that lens don't you Brendan. Well what are you waiting for??? Hurry up and win the lottery and call up Canon!

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Originally Posted by mikehillman89

Actually my girlfriend is 9mths older than me thank you very much haha.

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Well then I guess Johns solution doesn't sound that bad after all [A]

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Originally Posted by Brendan7

Pah! Who needs 100-400mm? I was thinking maybe a 16-740mm f/1.6L IS USM lens that weighs, say, 1.5 pounds. And 9-stop IS [img]/emoticons/emotion-3.gif[/img][img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img][img]/emoticons/emotion-2.gif[/img]

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Interesting...what would you want to do with such a focal length? First off, I would want it to be wider so it's more logical on either a full-frame or a crop-sensor. I guess if we're busy after all we could make it quite a bit longer?


Second, f1.6 sounds pretty cool! And very handy in low-light, but we could as well make it an f1 lens?


Third: to achieve proper focus, there must be a minimal focus distance. If it would be bases on the longer focal lengths to focus it would probably have a longer than 10m minimum focus distance, which would screw up the shorter focal distances. I mean: what's the use of 16mm when the closest you can focus on is at 10m.


If it was bases at the wide end of your lens it could have been like 0.25m? (considering the lens is very small, because it can only weigh 1,5 pounds :P) That would be great for a few purposes, usable focus on the wide end and n enormous magnification factor on the long end. Which of course would be great for macro-shooters, although even if it had 9-stop image stabilizer it still wouldn't help you enough [:P]


Brendan I truly believe that if you're putting your money into this one, when winning the lottery, think again about what you want. Really you could get much more out of it [;)]


A built in fish-eye converter would be great wouldn't it? I would also like a laser guided second focus-system for the longer focal lengths and I think I could come up with some more ideas [8-|]


By the way if you want a cheap solution to the longer focal lengths, check this one out: Walimex 650-1300mm f8-f16, it's only 260 euros!! And you can buy a 2x extender for it for just 23 euros extra [:O] This lens is also made by Samyang and it appears online under more factory names. I wonder if there are people seriously using these lenses [:#]

Oh, and it'll focus at 14''. That's like 7x magnification :)

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Originally Posted by Brendan7

16-740mm

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Don't forget that you'll need to have Canon design a motorized automatic zooming/telescoping/flaring lens hood for that extreme focal length range...that, or they can simply take the easy way out and make the hood a 2-foot long tube with a petal at the very end, and make the lens a reverse-zoom design like the 24-70mm.

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Don't forget that you'll need to have Canon design a motorized automatic zooming/telescoping/flaring lens hood for that extreme focal length range...that, or they can simply take the easy way out and make the hood a 2-foot long tube with a petal at the very end, and make the lens a reverse-zoom design like the 24-70mm.
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I like it!

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Originally Posted by mikehillman89

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Don't forget that you'll need to have Canon design a motorized automatic zooming/telescoping/flaring lens hood for that extreme focal length range...that, or they can simply take the easy way out and make the hood a 2-foot long tube with a petal at the very end, and make the lens a reverse-zoom design like the 24-70mm.

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I like it!

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Nah...I'd doubt that he'd want external zooming on his 16-740mm [;)]

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

...we had such a good time at that event that we'll be going to the next concert in the series as well.

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...and this time, I brought my camera. [:)]


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/...ea1b7749_b.jpg

AWWW!! Great Shot, John! This is what makes carrying that gear around at all times worth it!

Denise

Haha the energy of your girl is great! Very nice![:D]


I think the picture would be even better with some bouncing flash.


Anyway it looks like a lot of fun!

John, I bet you just went to the concert to get a picture of her showing her moves. This isn't a coincidence. ;-)


Hahah. Great!

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Originally Posted by Joel

John, I bet you just went to the concert to get a picture of her showing her moves. This isn't a coincidence. ;-)

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[A]

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

I recently got a Lowepro Toploader Pro 65AW - the perfect size for my gripped 7D with 17-55mm f/2.8 IS or 24-105mm f/4<span>LIS. But even though that's arelativelycompact kit (at least compared to a backpack full of lenses with a tripod strapped onto it), it's still a fair bit of bulk and weight. This has me considering a PowerShot S90, which seems to be a good, pocket-sizedblend of convenience and control with RAW capability.

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I ordered a new PowerShot S95 yesterday, and it's in my hands as of a few minutes ago. [:D]
<div>The battery is still charging, so I haven't powered it on yet...but wow, this thing is tiny! It's about the size of the LC-E6 battery charger for my 7D (smaller than mine and my wife's iPhones stacked together). 10 megapixels, a nice f/2 lens (at the wide end, and albeit limited a 4.6x crop sensor), good manual controls, shoots RAW,and fits quite easily in my pocket. Now I should never have an excuse to be without a camera!</div>
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Hi John:


My grandfather taught me that one of the best ways that we learn is from our mistakes, and it was a very sad day when we learned nothing.


Fred Sleeper


(as long as we are big enough to admit making mistakes) So we all learn from Johns mistake, at least he had his cell with him!





I'll tell ya John she is a keeper, and all of us should enjoy all the time we can spend with your children. Well at least until they become teenagers.


It was once said that Teens were Gods revenge for having sex...[:$] I never did believe that though, I figured it was the devil..... in all of us.[:D]





Godspeed


Wayne








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I hear you, Wayne. I considered the P&amp;S for quite a while (especially since we have an older Olympus 4 megapixel/10x optical zoom that does ok, and my wife has a waterproof Olympus Stylus). In fact, I considered long enough that the S95 was released in the meantime. I had pretty much decided to bring the 7D wherever I thought pictures were even remotely likely. But, my trip to your neck of the woods over the holiday is what changed my mind!


The proverbial straw that <s>broke the camel's back</s> got the camel stuck in a cave was a short spelunking adventure through some glacial caves - I tried that with the 7D and a few lenses in a Lowepro Primus AW on my back - it's a great pack, but a little bulky for the tight environs of a cave. I didn't literally get stuck, but it was unwieldy, to say the least! Although I don't plan on doing any more spelunking in the near future, that incident convinced me of the need for something with good IQ that could fit in my pocket. Thus the S95.


I'm definitely not ready for the teenage years... LOL.

Hi John:


So was it Lost River or Polar Caves?


"I'm definitely not ready for the teenage years... LOL."


You will enjoy all of the years until then and like most of us parents especially dads that are wound around our daughters little fingers she suddenly become a young teen/woman that would have grown up quickly and to soon. She will push the envelope like you never did as a child turning you hair gray before it's time. You will watch her grow while loving, cherishing and protecting her, then one day she will ask you for the keys to the car and you will be scared for her like you never knew you could be, but at the same time you will be proud of the young woman she is becoming. All of this as she needs you less and less in her everyday life, but will always require you and your gentle guidance even into adulthood.


There will be alot of great times between now and that time, BUT HOLD ON TIGHT BECAUSE YOUR IN FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE LIKE NO ONE EVER TOLD YOU AND YOU NEVER IMAGINED. It is all great so as you hold on enjoy all of it through the trials and tribulations.


Oh by the way did you have a great time this weekend? I hope so. That idea for a smaller camera makes great sense.


Godspeed


Wayne


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Hi Wayne,


Polar Caves - from the website images, I liked the fact that they had wire mesh along the boardwalks. The other venues seemed to just have a pair of rails which would not be much of a barrier to someone fast and barely taller than the lower rail.


We did have a great time, thanks! Also, thanks again for your tips on places and routes.


--John

Hi John:


N.P. Thanks. You are correct. Great.


GS


WAD


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