Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Sunday, November 30. 2008

Lumix TZ ("Travel Zoom")

Many are advising me to buy this camera, or one of their TZ line.

Why do people always want me to buy stuff? I like stuff but, being a stingy Yankee, I hate spending money, and I hate getting onto the mo bigga betta bandwagon. Well, more accurately, I should say that am ambivalent about it. (When it comes to guns, mo is betta until it's time to clean and oil them.)

Anyway, I saw they have them at Costco (where the optician is a heck of a nice fellow). I do not need a SLR, because I would never learn how to take advantage of its capacities because I have terminal ADD and, also, was dropped on my head too many times as a kid.

Maybe something for my Santa list...unless Obama gives me one first.

Posted by Bird Dog in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 12:21 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (0)

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We send the photos over to Walgreens, they print them out cheaper than we can when you figure the paper and color cartridges. They'll also put the photos on mugs and stuff.
#1 Santay on 2008-11-30 12:44 (Reply)
man I have seen your kennel.. you got all kinds of crap! stingy yankee... RIGHT....hehehe
#2 photog dog on 2008-11-30 12:54 (Reply)
get yourself an SLR and use it auto mode. You'll open up a whole new world.
#3 lonetown on 2008-11-30 13:57 (Reply)
You don't get the sense that it's pretty open to me already? Eyes are good things.

Instructions and manuals make me want to jump out of my skin.
#3.1 Bird Dog on 2008-11-30 14:08 (Reply)
Keeping the stuff you have is good, Bird Dog. We do it all the time. My lovely 18-year old Volvo station wagon is an example. But my husband was finally forced to get rid of his splendid film-camera bodies and lenses, after putting them to hard and successful use on many camera safaris, the pictures from which he subsequently sold, sometimes several times. But it has gotten increasingly difficult to get film, and get film developed. So two years ago, he bought a Nikon digital, with short, medium and long lenses, and has been learning the ins and outs of digital photography ever since.

Let me say here, that buying a digital camera is a great way to stave off Alzheimer's. Good digital cameras are not easy to use, and then to put the images into your computer and use software to refine the images. My husband has spent many long, profanity-laced hours working away at perfecting his digital camera skills. It's paid off though [not in money, silly] in challenge and satisfaction, and medals won in photo salons across the globe.

Why does he do it? For the same reason some folks climb mountains. Because the challenge is there, and he never can resist a challenge. "A man's reach must exceed his grasp" etc. etc.

Marianne
#4 Marianne Matthews on 2008-11-30 14:08 (Reply)
That particular point and shoot looks nice. My teen boy pup may be getting it for Xmas. Gave one pup (who is the best natural photographer in the family) an XTI w low end consumer zoom lenses that I bought deep discount (floor model at Costco). She borrowed my point and shoot to take to college and is now back to the SLR "Mom, there is just no comparison with the pictures!"

You can set everything on an SLR on auto while you are learning how to use it. Then practice with one thing at a time. I have never opened a manual for either my NIkon D80 or my D300 and I have got some decent shots (have to be a few good ones out of the 50,000 shot in the last year). The most traumatic part of photography for me is dealing with pushy male salesmen in the store who patronise. I have learned to bring in a few shots I have taken which usually shut them up. Not sure if it's with horrow or awe!

The point is, there is so much intimidating BS written and said about taking pictures...The best thing is go up to some more expert looking photographer at the zoo or boat show or whatever, and ask them politely if they will show you how to do something you are having trouble with. They are pretty kind usually (tho a few will sneer "Too much camera for you, eh?").

Of course, the better the photographer, the less good a camera you need. For myself, knowing my own limitations, I am glad of all the tech help I can get. And I agree about it being good for those of us over 40 to have to learn complicated new things, keeps one from getting stale....

All I want for Christmas is a Nikon 1.4e teleconverter to extend the reach of my 70 -200 f2.8 Nikkor lens. Costs more than the above point and shoot, alas.... I mean, I'd rather have the 200-400 but can't afford it....
#5 randolph on 2008-11-30 14:36 (Reply)
It appears to have a Leica lens, a big plus I would say. I was thinking I would buy a Leica for $500 but the Panasonic has the Leica lens for only $233 on Amazon. My big thing is uploading pictures to post on a website- is it easy to do with this camera? Can they be downsized so you don't create these big files? Anyone know?
#6 greenmtnpunter on 2008-11-30 16:01 (Reply)
Your computer's photo application can do that, or you can download GIMP. That's free and does what Photoshop does - to some, better, to others, not, but it's good. You can have lots of fun with either program.
`
#6.1 Meta on 2008-11-30 19:07 (Reply)
Thanks, Meta, I think I may give it a whirl. I have a web person who does this but I still have to upload the photos. The $500 Leica, as I recall, had an adjustment on the camera to size the photos for web use, i.e., small size, so a minimum of editing is needed. Size of 2" X 3", for example. I am not user friendly when it comes to photo editing, I want an idiot proof, one step upload and send! Be realistic, demand the impossible.
#7 greenmtnpunter on 2008-12-01 15:25 (Reply)

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