The LowePro Fastpack 250
Because of the recent security issues at the airports and such, I decided that my trip to California in a few weeks would be a lot easier if I were to reduce the number of bags I have to two: my checked baggage and my camera bag. But I need to have my laptop because of work and school, so I had to go in search of a new bag.
After searching for four hours last week, I decided upon the Lowepro Fastpack 250.
Naturally, this bag would have to meet security standards of the airline (DELTA) and that of FAA. After finding out that the bag would fit comfortably under the seat of the larger planes and a little less under the CRJ’s of Delta’s fleet, the bag meet my required needs.
I loaded it up last Friday. It’s heavy. But not uncomfortable to carry around through Atlanta.
I’ll post a “review” of the pack when I get back.
My new camera
I don’t have it yet, hopefully later this week (crossing fingers, because I want to take it a baseball game on Sunday). It’s the new Canon Powershot SX1 IS. This camera has been available in Europe and elswhere for about six months. There was question as to whether or not it would make its way to the U.S.
In April, it finally landed on U.S. shelves.
Key Features:
* Digic 4 Processor
* CMOS (first in a Canon PowerShot)
* Full HD (1080 at 30 fps) movie capability
* RAW
* 25 shooting modes with 12 special scenic modes
* 10 megapixel
* 20x optical zoom with optical image stabilized (it’s 560 mm in the 35 mm terms)
* Av (F-stop) is 2.8 at wide and 5.7 at full telephoto
Other Features:
* The camera has a self-timer, continuous shooting (4 fps) as well as remote control capability.
* Hotshoe for extranal flashes
Canon’s new PowerShot!
I’ll be getting the new Canon PowerShot SX1 IS later this year. The camera comes out in April and the specs on this baby are simply awesome!
You get HD video at 30 fps and get this, it has a mini-HDMI plug that’ll allow you to plug into your HD TV!
It’s got 4 fps of continuous shooting.
It has RAW! Yes, you heard me. RAW!
And, for the first time ever, it has a CMOS sensor which gives you the crisp looking photos.
At 20x optical zoom, this makes it near the type of the line in the prosumer end of digital cameras. And at $600, you get virtually everything the 50D does (minus the 15 megapixels and lenses) and doesn’t require a lot of learning.
I’ll get it this summer, but before I go back to California in January.
Xena Convention Report
I’ll get back to posting some images when I get home from work. Anyways, I ended up changing my gear that I took to just my Rebel XSi, Canon A590 and Canon S5 IS. I really only used my Rebel and A590 for pictures. When I go back next year, I’ll only take my Rebel and A590.
I’ll get around to posting my advice on taking convention photos inside a convention hall. It was a lot of trial and error depending on the lighting, but I’m glad I did a custom white balance, it saved me a lot of post processing when I went to share some photos. You can see a sampling (about 500 photos) here.
I’m going Gold again next year (against my better judgment, ahem). However, I purchsed my ticket in the last row, which would be about four rows from the back of the theater. And it’s on aisle, so I could in theory stay in my seat. I’m gonna look around for a better monopod/tripod that won’t send me to the poor house.
More please
A cat. Not just any ordinary cat. He’s Lightning. A cat of which there is like no other. Don’t let his size fool you. He’s a loverboy. And he wants more…
Lightning Cat | © Whosyer Photography
Scenes around the IU South Bend Campus
Never take pictures in the cold without gloves on. Yikes! I took this photo on Thursday, Jan. 15 at the IU South Bend Campus.
We had about a foot of snow on the ground with temperatures in the single digits, even cold with the wind chill. This taken around 12:30 p.m.
The Grille at IU South Bend
Taking Convention Hall Photos
Taking pictures at a fan convention is a great way to remember your experience. While most tutorials focus on taking photos of the people who play dress up and getting unique shots, there is virtually nothing about how to take photos while from inside the convention hall where they lighting is problematic.
I’ll be doing a tutorial about how to take better photos from “inside” the convention hall during my trip to Los Angeles at the end of January when I attend a fan convention. This should be fun and I look forward to trying out some things I’ve learned over my winter break from school.
My Gear:
· A lens cap that is a white balance filter
· Canon 70-300 IS USM lens
· Canon 18-55 IS Kit lens
· Canon XSi (450D)
· Canon XT (350D)
· Canon PowerShot S5 IS
· Canon Powershot A590 IS
· 430EX Canon Speedlite
And if all goes well, the article could be published. We’ll see. 
My camera sucks, please help me
The other day I was at Circuit City looking at some computer stuff and overheard someone talking to an associate about how they always take horrible pictures. Their camera, from what I heard was a Canon PowerShot (don’t recall the model number), and the person’s pictures always turn out dark and grainy.
As I’m standing there thinking to myself that (1) camera’s rarely take lousy pictures and (2) it’s more about the skill of the person holding the camera and their ability to know the functions of said camera.
I admit, I’m a bad person when i comes to learning the functions of my many cameras. I’m allowed, I’m a busy college student. But, considering I’m making a return trip to California at the end of Januray, I shoould at least know the capabilities of my Canon XSi (450D international). But anways, back to the poor Circuit City associate.
So, this guy was like I want a camera that takes good photos in low-light with it out appearing grainy. The associate, points the guy to the higher end Canon 50D (the mid-level dSLR Canon makes). The customer scoffs, staying Canon sucks.
The associate replies: Sir, Canon is the top camera manufacturer in the United States.
The customer says Canon still sucks. He wants a Nikon. The associate points the customer toward the Nikons and they talk about Nikons briefly. Now, not only does the associate sell the guy an expensive dSLR camera, he also sells him a FireDog package that’ll teach the guy how to use his camera.
Too funny.
I wonder if the customer will return to Circuit after the holidays complaining his camera still takes crappy pictures.
Photo of the Day
Proud to be American
Shopping for a new camera
It never ceases to amaze me the reviews on Amazon.com about various cameras. Every so often you’ll find someone saying that “this camera doesn’t perform as well as my Mark 1″ or “the autofocus doesn’t work” or “this camera’s flash doesn’t peform well.”
One of things that I’ve learned is that crappy pictures are often the result of user error, not the camera’s inability to perform to expectations.
Granted, you pay for what you get. Naturally, a $9000 camera isn’t going to peform as well as a $600 camera. If you’re expecting the same quality, then you’re in for a real quick surprise. Or saying that the internal flash is slow to respond is pointless. You’ll get that with any camera. The best answer to a flash problem is to go to an external flash.
So, when you go out camera shopping, keep that in mind. Great photography is about 90% mental and 10% user.
