Just got my 10D - initial thoughts

Thanks all for your inputs on whether or not to get a 10D so close to
Photokina (where a Mk 2 might be released).

In the end, I needed a DSLR now, and the decision sort of made itself.
I picked up a 10D, a 1GB CF card (another 1 on the way) and a
Smartdisk Flashtrax 30 GB portable data storage device.

I've been playing with the camera a little bit and some initial
thoughts, in no particular order:

- that viewfinder sure is small, compared even to the EOS 7

- using this camera is a lot less spontaneuous: make sure the
batteries are charged, make sure the spare batteries are charged. The
battery grip and 2 BP-511s make this less of an issue but in a few
weeks, as I head for 5,000m + mountain climes, this is going to be
come a more important issue.

- histogram: I love it! What a great tool.

- also like: ability to change compensation from 1/2 stops to 1/3
stops, knowing what those damn CF functions are and ability to assign
FEL and AE lock to different buttons

- biggest bummer: my current laptop and home PC are proving to be
woefully inadequate. I think a new PC is on the cards. I knew I'd
have to do this anyway, so it isnt unexpected.

- long-term storage of data: this is still an open concern. After my
own experiences with CD-Rs, not to mention the various bits of info on
the web, the idea of burning all my precious images onto CDs makes me
shudder in horror. I guess I'll be making a lot of triplicates. Are
DVD-Rs any more reliable for long-term storage?

I also picked up a few rolls of Velvia... film and digital are going
to have to learn to live together in my camera bag

Cheers,
Vandit

From: (Vinnie)

- long-term storage of data: this is still an open concern. After my
own experiences with CD-Rs, not to mention the various bits of info on
the web, the idea of burning all my precious images onto CDs makes me
shudder in horror.

Pick up two external hard drives ... you can find them on sale for around 50-60
cents/GB right now, which is comparable to the better CD-R disks. Archive all
your shots on them, keeping one off-site for safety, and running Scan Disk
occasionally to catch any possible (inevitable) disk errors.

You can get around 20,000 RAW 10D files on a 120 GB drive ...

Verbatim Datalife should be the minimum you'd consider, once you handle a few
of them you'll immensely dislike other common CDs and their bad quality. Avoid
all others at any cost, even if you trust the brand, as most now outsource and
rebadge; i had trouble a couple of days ago with JVC and Samsung i burned just
a few months ago and haven't even used. And no, DVDs aren't better than CDs,
I'd stick with CDs and burn at the lowest possible speed your drive can
write... avoid 40x/52x and stick to x2 if that's your lowest.

Then avoid CD labels at any cost... buy one of those CD marker pens like the
ones made by 3M and use that. Don't use CD labels, avoid them like the plague.

As for storage, personally i prefer to buy Spindles with an axial shaft, the
Verbatim Datalife line does so, and i find this the most convenient option for
CD storage.

Burn at least two CDs, preferably 3, one you can use and two you don't. Keep
one of the two offsite like Bill said

more things to come.

dust on ccd, picture improvements using software,......
"Sabineellen" wrote in message
...


Verbatim Datalife should be the minimum you'd consider, once you handle a
few
of them you'll immensely dislike other common CDs and their bad quality.
Avoid
all others at any cost, even if you trust the brand, as most now outsource
and
rebadge; i had trouble a couple of days ago with JVC and Samsung i burned
just
a few months ago and haven't even used. And no, DVDs aren't better than
CDs,
I'd stick with CDs and burn at the lowest possible speed your drive can
write... avoid 40x/52x and stick to x2 if that's your lowest.

Then avoid CD labels at any cost... buy one of those CD marker pens like
the
ones made by 3M and use that. Don't use CD labels, avoid them like the
plague.

As for storage, personally i prefer to buy Spindles with an axial shaft,
the
Verbatim Datalife line does so, and i find this the most convenient option
for
CD storage.

Burn at least two CDs, preferably 3, one you can use and two you don't.
Keep
one of the two offsite like Bill said

I haven't had a cd-r fail in 5 years of burning them. I do dupilcates and
have a hard drive full of my finished pictures too. Sweat it not - if you
are careful with your stuff you are safer with cds than with film.

--
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com
home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from my novel "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html
"Vinnie" wrote in message
om...
Thanks all for your inputs on whether or not to get a 10D so close to
Photokina (where a Mk 2 might be released).

In the end, I needed a DSLR now, and the decision sort of made itself.
I picked up a 10D, a 1GB CF card (another 1 on the way) and a
Smartdisk Flashtrax 30 GB portable data storage device.

I've been playing with the camera a little bit and some initial
thoughts, in no particular order:

- that viewfinder sure is small, compared even to the EOS 7

- using this camera is a lot less spontaneuous: make sure the
batteries are charged, make sure the spare batteries are charged. The
battery grip and 2 BP-511s make this less of an issue but in a few
weeks, as I head for 5,000m + mountain climes, this is going to be
come a more important issue.

- histogram: I love it! What a great tool.

- also like: ability to change compensation from 1/2 stops to 1/3
stops, knowing what those damn CF functions are and ability to assign
FEL and AE lock to different buttons

- biggest bummer: my current laptop and home PC are proving to be
woefully inadequate. I think a new PC is on the cards. I knew I'd
have to do this anyway, so it isnt unexpected.

- long-term storage of data: this is still an open concern. After my
own experiences with CD-Rs, not to mention the various bits of info on
the web, the idea of burning all my precious images onto CDs makes me
shudder in horror. I guess I'll be making a lot of triplicates. Are
DVD-Rs any more reliable for long-term storage?

I also picked up a few rolls of Velvia... film and digital are going
to have to learn to live together in my camera bag

Cheers,
Vandit

I haven't had a cd-r fail in 5 years of burning them.

You've been exceptionally lucky then. That's not the experience of most people.

"Sabineellen" wrote in message
...

I haven't had a cd-r fail in 5 years of burning them.

You've been exceptionally lucky then. That's not the experience of most
people.


It has been my experience, too. And, no, I'm not just being difficult.

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

No one I personally know has ever had a CD-R fail --- except while
writing --- either. I think there are some people out there in usenet land
who like to scare people.

--
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com
home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from my novel "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html
"Matt Clara" wrote in message
.. .
"Sabineellen" wrote in message
...

I haven't had a cd-r fail in 5 years of burning them.

You've been exceptionally lucky then. That's not the experience of most
people.


It has been my experience, too. And, no, I'm not just being difficult.

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

I've never seen one fail either, and I use a large amount of them and have
done for 7 years or so.
Of course, it'll happen now that I've said that....

--
Colm


"Tony Spadaro" wrote in message
news
No one I personally know has ever had a CD-R fail --- except while
writing --- either. I think there are some people out there in usenet land
who like to scare people.

Colm wrote

I've never seen one fail either, and I use a large amount of them and have
done for 7 years or so.

The only time CD-Rs have failed for me was when I tried multi-
sessioning. At the time I was working with people who were keen on
recycling; I was able to report that trying to re-use CD-Rs was a waste
of my time, their money, and had a very high risk of data loss.
(Subsequently I've not done it with my own data, and not had a
failure...

Of course, it'll happen now that I've said that....

....so far! :-))

--
Hil