Digital advice please?

Digital is definitely the wave of the future. I've been selling my
photos to publishers for more than 20 years - mostly slides and bw
prints - and my 35s have been collecting dust since I went digital two
years ago. No photo lab needed, I can change elements of the photo
with a keystroke to make many bad photos publishable, then send them
directly to an editor from my home here in the boondocks of Paradise,
Michigan. If I need another copy - or a hundred - it's just another
keystroke.
I don't have a high-end SLR yet (I'm drooling after a Pentax ist*D),
but I do own an HP 945 5.1Mp with 7x optical zoom, a Kodak DX7590 5.1Mp
with 10x optical zoom, and a Kodak 2.0Mp point-n-shoot. Even the 2.0Mp
camera's photos have been published in numerous magazine features and
one of my books. Disregard so-called "digital zoom" features, only
optical magnification counts. Editors tell me that 4.0 megapixel is as
much as you need for publishing high quality prints in a magazine, so
5.0Mp or higher is more than adequate for media photogs and writers.
Still, I want a higher-res camera because more megapixels allows you
digitally zoom-in on a detail with greater clarity than lower
megapixels.

Len McDougall, author of the books: The Encyclopedia of Tracks & Scats
* The Log Cabin: An Adventure in Self Reliance, Individualism, and
Cabin Building * The Field & Stream Wilderness Survival Handbook * The
Complete Tracker * Practical Outdoor Projects * Practical Outdoor
Survival * The Snowshoe Handbook * The Outdoors Almanac * Made for the
Outdoors

Wilderness Guide/Survival Instructor for Timberwolf Wilderness
Adventures, Paradise, Michigan USA

"Len McDougall, Outdoor Writer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Digital is definitely the wave of the future. I've been selling my
photos to publishers for more than 20 years - mostly slides and bw
prints - and my 35s have been collecting dust since I went digital
two
years ago. No photo lab needed, I can change elements of the photo
with a keystroke to make many bad photos publishable, then send them
directly to an editor from my home here in the boondocks of
Paradise,
Michigan. If I need another copy - or a hundred - it's just another
keystroke.
I don't have a high-end SLR yet (I'm drooling after a Pentax
ist*D),
but I do own an HP 945 5.1Mp with 7x optical zoom, a Kodak DX7590
5.1Mp
with 10x optical zoom, and a Kodak 2.0Mp point-n-shoot. Even the
2.0Mp
camera's photos have been published in numerous magazine features
and
one of my books. Disregard so-called "digital zoom" features, only
optical magnification counts. Editors tell me that 4.0 megapixel is
as
much as you need for publishing high quality prints in a magazine,
so
5.0Mp or higher is more than adequate for media photogs and writers.
Still, I want a higher-res camera because more megapixels allows you
digitally zoom-in on a detail with greater clarity than lower
megapixels.

Len McDougall, author of the books: The Encyclopedia of Tracks &
Scats
* The Log Cabin: An Adventure in Self Reliance, Individualism, and
Cabin Building * The Field & Stream Wilderness Survival Handbook *
The
Complete Tracker * Practical Outdoor Projects * Practical Outdoor
Survival * The Snowshoe Handbook * The Outdoors Almanac * Made for
the
Outdoors

Wilderness Guide/Survival Instructor for Timberwolf Wilderness
Adventures, Paradise, Michigan USA


Thanks, Len, I'm learning a lot from everyone's advice! I'll have to
check out your books as well!
Jo

"Jo" wrote:
"Len McDougall, Outdoor Writer" wrote:
Digital is definitely the wave of the future. I've been selling my
....

Thanks, Len, I'm learning a lot from everyone's advice! I'll have to
check out your books as well!
Jo

Before checking out his books, you might want to check his
credentials. Do a google search in the alt.backcountry
newsgroup. Len gets pretty well panned on a regular basis when
he posts where there are people who really do spend time in the
"Outdoors".

Perhaps he knows more about photography than he does about
wilderness...

--
FloydL. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)

Yes, Jo, please do check out my credentials - I've spent more time in
a wilderness peeing on trees than davidson will spend there in his
life. My hundreds of published photos are proof enough that I walk the
walk - after all, you've gotta be there to photograph it. Just type my
name into the search engine of your choice, or go to www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com www.booksamillion.com www.outdoorsmansedge.com
www.militarybookclub.com , etc., or check local bookstores and public
libraries.

Len McDougall is author of the books: The Encyclopedia of Tracks &
Scats, The Log Cabin: An Adventure in Self Reliance, Individualism, and
Cabin Building, The Field & Stream Wilderness Survival Handbook, The
Complete Tracker, Practical Outdoor Projects, Practical Outdoor
Survival, The Snowshoe Handbook, The Outdoors Almanac, and Made for the
Outdoors. He resides in Paradise, Michigan

http://www.modernsurvival.net/art3pre.cfm

"Len McDougall, Outdoor Writer" wrote:
Yes, Jo, please do check out my credentials - I've spent more time in
a wilderness peeing on trees than davidson will spend there in his
life.

Sure Len. Try proving that to be true though... ;-)

Len gets dump on pretty bad over in rec.backcountry, where
many of us aren't peeing into the wind about "wilderness" are
available. He's probably never been anywhere that wasn't within
15 miles of a road... or 50 from a MacDonalds! ;-)

[I snipped the rest of his self advertizing.]

--
FloydL. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)

Read the book recommendations closely on www.amazon.com . You will
discover that Len's girlfriend writes glowing reviews on the book's Len
wrote. I would question the quality of his books if he has to have his
girlfriend praise them. What other less than ethical things does he
attempt to pass off??

Speaking of peeing on trees, I didn't mean to start a ****ing contest!
Sorry, guys!
Anyway, I think I've found my camera - it's the Canon PowerShot 7.1
megapixel Digital Model A620 for about $400. It's that vs. the Canon
PowerShot 5.0 Mp Model A610 for $299. I think the better one might be
worth the extra buck. Feedback on this decision welcome!


jo


"Len McDougall, Outdoor Writer" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yes, Jo, please do check out my credentials - I've spent more time
in
a wilderness peeing on trees than davidson will spend there in his
life. My hundreds of published photos are proof enough that I walk
the
walk - after all, you've gotta be there to photograph it. Just type
my
name into the search engine of your choice, or go to www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com www.booksamillion.com
www.outdoorsmansedge.com
www.militarybookclub.com , etc., or check local bookstores and
public
libraries.

Len McDougall is author of the books: The Encyclopedia of Tracks &
Scats, The Log Cabin: An Adventure in Self Reliance, Individualism,
and
Cabin Building, The Field & Stream Wilderness Survival Handbook, The
Complete Tracker, Practical Outdoor Projects, Practical Outdoor
Survival, The Snowshoe Handbook, The Outdoors Almanac, and Made for
the
Outdoors. He resides in Paradise, Michigan

http://www.modernsurvival.net/art3pre.cfm