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"Neil Ellwood" wrote in message news On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 22:38:38 -0400, Don Wiss wrote: Carrying around a tripod is not feasible for me. I do not own a car. I get around bicycle. When I'm traveling often the bicycles I rent don't have back racks. I have had far too many pictures ruined because my 8400 has no IS and a high f/stop, just like this new Kodak. Which is a Nikon copycat. They could have done one better. Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom). My wife and I have no car but I carry a tripod around on my bike and for the times that my tripod is too bulky I slip my monopod into my panniers. The monopod is light and easily carried even attached to the camera case. There is no great effort involved and I am not a youngster (73) but the convenience of having a support far outweighs the energy cost. I love 73 year-olds who ride their bike... ....Seems a good way to someday be a 103-year-old to me. My dad's almost 70, but he still likes to go to batting practice at the big league park and dive for home-run balls in the stands... He's quite a sight to behold. |
#12
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Cardamon Dave wrote:
I disagree. Image-stabilized digital cameras are far outnumbered by very good 3X and 4X zoom-lens cameras. No image stabilization? Most photographers would just use a tripod or monopod, rather than rely on IS. OTOH, I love the IS on my Lumix FZ1. But the 12X zoom makes it essential. What happens in practice is that in poor lighting conditions, if you are near the tele end of the zoom, you end up with an exposure of 1/15s with an 85mm focal length. There are a number of cures for this - a tripod (which both Don and I would rule out - I want to just be able to carry my camera anywhere), increased sensitivity (which today means increased noise) and two solutions which the manufacturers could provide - larger aperture lenses (such as the constant f/2.8 zoom of the Panasonic FZ20 and similar), or image stabilisation. Unfortunately, the only two manufacturers of cameras with a 24mm wide-angle (Nikon 8400 and Kodak 880) both fail their users by providing neither a full aperture at the tele zoom end, nor image stabilisation. Kodak missed a chance to be a market leader here. David |
#13
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MarkČ wrote:
"Don Wiss" wrote in message ... On 25 Aug 2005 18:13:38 -0700, "Cardamon Dave" wrote: I disagree. Image-stabilized digital cameras are far outnumbered by very good 3X and 4X zoom-lens cameras. No image stabilization? Most photographers would just use a tripod or monopod, rather than rely on IS. Carrying around a tripod is not feasible for me. I do not own a car. I get around bicycle. When I'm traveling often the bicycles I rent don't have back racks. I have had far too many pictures ruined because my 8400 has no IS and a high f/stop, just like this new Kodak. Which is a Nikon copycat. They could have done one better. How about a light, compact monopod? That would really help a great deal, and would strap to nearly any bicycle frame. Consider it. It makes a HUGE difference. In fact, one thing many don't realize is that even if you have to (for some reason) lift a monopod off the ground while using it, it STILL has a surprisingly stabilizing effect, since your camera becomes a small part of a weighted structure hanging below it. -This removes all tiny hand-gitters, and reduces them to what is, at worst, very slow, steady motion...more steady than hand holding. I know it sounds strange, but doubters should try this for times when you don't have time to fully set up with teh monopod. Just having it attached--and even partially extended below your camera help--especially with smaller cameras that are more subject to hand-gitters. -Mark I'll second the stabilising effect a "non-grounded" mono pod has. I took apart an old tripod with cylindrical legs and turned it into a mono which slips into the front straps of my Tamrac 3 backpack. The camera actually feels steadier when the unextended legs are braced against my body. The bag's always ready to go, with camera, 2 lenses, a flash, mem cards, spare battery and mono pod ... right next to my desk. The tripod hangs on the wall and mostly gets a cursory glance as I head for the door. |
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David J Taylor wrote:
Cardamon Dave wrote: I disagree. Image-stabilized digital cameras are far outnumbered by very good 3X and 4X zoom-lens cameras. No image stabilization? Most photographers would just use a tripod or monopod, rather than rely on IS. OTOH, I love the IS on my Lumix FZ1. But the 12X zoom makes it essential. What happens in practice is that in poor lighting conditions, if you are near the tele end of the zoom, you end up with an exposure of 1/15s with an 85mm focal length. There are a number of cures for this - a tripod (which both Don and I would rule out - I want to just be able to carry my camera anywhere), increased sensitivity (which today means increased noise) and two solutions which the manufacturers could provide - larger aperture lenses (such as the constant f/2.8 zoom of the Panasonic FZ20 and similar), or image stabilisation. Unfortunately, the only two manufacturers of cameras with a 24mm wide-angle (Nikon 8400 and Kodak 880) both fail their users by providing neither a full aperture at the tele zoom end, nor image stabilisation. Kodak missed a chance to be a market leader here. David The trick is not to provide the IS, but to do it within the price target point, and still not dispense with other, more commonly needed, features. No one camera will satisfy the needs of every customer. -- Ron Hunter |
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#17
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Larry Lynch wrote:
[] A NEED for IS is a sure sign you haven't practiced good technique unless you go past about 400mm. Of course this is opinion, and not meant to be a statement of FACT except as an example of how I view the world. My view is slightly different - IS allows me to do things I haven't been able to before. I have used 400mm and 500mm lenses in my film SLR days and have been able to get good pictures with these lenses, but only under certain conditions and probably only with a tripod or other support. I now want a minimum photographic outfit and a tripod or monopod doesn't make it into the kit I want to carry around. Therefore having IS available extends the range of lenses I can use hand-held (at ISO 100 for low noise) from the 135mm region to the 400mm region, and therefore increases the scope of my photography generally. Yes, if you have a tripod it's different. Yes, if you have higher ISO available it's different. David |
#18
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I would seldom venture to correct you Ron, but I think "the trick" is for the photographer to learn technique, and stabilize the camera. Well heck... Even if they DO have IS, it helps to use basic stabilizing technique. Pretty much on point! IS makes it too easy to "blow off" the basics of bracing and stance, and using common objects to stabilize the shot. If you dont learn these things, you stand a good chance of "blowing" some good shots even if you do have IS, because IS is not the "be all" and "end all" of long lens photography. -- Larry Lynch Mystic, Ct. |
#19
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#20
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Larry Lynch wrote:
[] Generally, when out in the field, I find myself surrounded by tripods, monopods, and braces. They are, however disguised as fences, trees, rocks, car hoods (or bonnets), pick-up truck step bumpers, and more than once, the rump of a sleeping cow. Very much my philosophy as well - but even then it's nice to have the extra stability afforded by IS. Probably, if I inventory my life, the most often carried piece of "bracing gear" that I carry is a "bean bag" that fits across the bottom of my camera bag.. I dont know its weight, probably about a pound, but Im used to carrying it. For those longer exposures - say 1/4s or longer shutter opening time - I'll use tissues or a cloth to protect the camera while it's braced aginst a tree, railing or building. But for when you /must/ use pure hand-held, IS is a great benefit. David |
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