Mmmm. Photo challenges.

[kyrielle]

You know, my favorite part about photo challenge sites isn't even entering my photos. Nor yet is it the encouragement to use my camera more, which I love.

It's seeing the other photos. These are pretty. And dramatic, in some cases. (Of course, "magazine cover" as a topic - taking a photo suitable for the cover of a magazine - is much safer than "liquid" was....)

Comments

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

Coolness! I still hope you win, though. ^-^;;

What kind of camera have you got, and would you recommend it?

[kyrielle]

I won't - I knew that when I entered this photo, it was a "best effort" that I knew would not win. I wish it would do a little better while losing but, having seen the other entries, can't say I think it really deserves to, either.

I use a Ricoh RDC-5300. Whether or not I recommend it depends on what you want from a camera. I adore it, but I know people who find it not sophisticated enough and others for whom it's more than they want (still usable, but there's no point paying for features you don't value).

Pros:

• Uses SmartMedia memory cards, one of the common standards and very easy to read into your computer (I got a USB device that reads them - you can hook the camera direct to your USB or serial port, either one, but I really prefer the reader which is faster and doesn't require me to power on the camera.)
• Capable of up to 3x optical zoom (digital zoom is not so good - you can always do THAT, or close, in your image programs later).
• Lightweight (most are, though).
• Capable of up to 1600x1200 in what they call "fine" resolution - it's a 2.3 megapixel camera, and this is in theory sufficient to produce a good 16x20 or 20x30 print. (I've only gone up to an 8x10, where it was freaking gorgeous.)
• Flash options. Flash off, auto-flash, flash on, or fill (slow exposure to get the background, flash to bring out the foreground more strongly).
• Slow exposure - automatic only.
• Macro mode, and autofocus in general - sometimes very impressive, sometimes focuses on the wrong thing.
• Manual focus mode, for when you get annoyed at the bad habit mentioned previously.
• White balance. Automatic, or you can switch it and tell it what the light is when you don't like how it's figuring it out.
• Optional remote control, which costs money and I don't have yet....
• LCD screen to see the shot you will take.
• Monochrome, sepia, and color modes. This can all be done later in image editing software, but doing it in the camera lets you see what you'll get (or have gotten) on the aforementioned LCD screen.
• Burst mode. Turn it to this, and as long as you hold down the shutter release, it keeps taking shots close together - at least till it runs out of memory and has to stop and record to the card.
• Timer! You can set it to take shots over long or short (no shorter than 30 seconds) intervals. Good for getting shots of yourself; also good for watching things unfold, but you better have it plugged in.
• Power is 4 AA batteries (nice if you use rechargables and much more convenient than the custom size batteries, since you can always grab 4 normal AA batteries at the store if you run short, unlike folks with weird batteries who are out of luck when they're out of juice) and can also run off of AC power if you're near an outlet. Can get 40+ photos on the best resolution on one set of batteries, depending on how much you use the optical zoom (motor), how many times you turn the camera off and back on during the shooting, whether or not flash is on, and whether the batteries hate your guts today or not.
• Auto-bracket mode, where it takes the shot it thinks is right as far as light-levels, then takes it one step lighter and one step darker. One of them may be right....
• Can be set to beep when it gets the shot. Can be set NOT to beep when it gets the shot.
• Can be set to automatically power off after 1, 3, or 5 minutes of no use to preserve battires - and can be set to never automatically power off.
• Saves settings between uses based on your decisions: you can choose individually which of the settings you almost always leave the same (that should be saved) and which ones you change each session/picture (that should not).
• View mode includes zoom to see the picture in more detail on the LCD screen.
• Vaguely cool things I don't think about or use: ability to set password, sequentially number files (I have this on and have no cause to turn it off), turn the LCD off (preserves power, but at such a loss of functionality - I love me my LCD screen!), flash a confirmation image of the pic just taken on the LCD screen for 0, 1, 2, or 3 seconds (doesn't work in burst mode, of course!), and video out.

[kyrielle]

Cons (yes, there are some after all of that):

• Can't take attachment lenses - what you get is what you got.
• White balance tends to screw up if there's no white or near-white in the picture, unless you go in and manually thwack it.
• Ditto autofocus, except way, way less often. Still, sometimes it focuses on what you meant to be the background....
• Only handles cards up to 64 meg; can't handle the newer, larger ones (but can put 70 or so pictures at the largest size/best resolution on one 64 meg card, so...).
• Only records JPG, no TIFF. This is a space-saving feature on the cards and works well (JPG at max is something like 700k, a equivalent TIFF might be 3-4 meg, I think). But damnit, sometimes you want that sort of detail and fidelity, even at the space cost.
• The carry-case it comes with is soft. It's worth investing in a better bag or box to put it in. It does okay in the other, it just made me nervous.
• Dust, as with most digicams, can cause some odd behavior. My "favorite" is when the automagic lens cover can't close all the way. However, the pictures are fine during this and it causes no permanent damage and eventually goes away (I talked to their repair center the first time, and they very honestly told me that I would be wasting my money but they'd be happy to fix it for me if I was really that worried - I wasn't, after that!).
• There are days I'd really love 10x optical zoom, darnitall.
• Manual control of exposure time would be a sweet bonus.

And that's it in a nuthsell. *peers up* Rather large nut, that.

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

*WAILS* Want my camera BACK.

The one my parents got me is STUPID. HATE IT. Want my Ricoh.

*sobs bitterly*

[kyrielle]

Meep. *hugs* What did they get you again?

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

Um...some Toshiba piece of crap that doesn't focus properly, has NO idea what to do with a whitebalance, and has a mostly non-functional optical zoom function. Lemme check model...

PDR-M25

I suspect I wouldn't think it quite so crappy if the Ricoh didn't handle every single function better. I'm spoilt, I suppose.

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's quite a list! I'm very impressed. We (my sweetie and I) are always interested in buying one of these, and this will definitely makes its way onto our wish list. I currently have a non-digital Olympus myu, which has a lovely zoom lens, but is a bit finicky about the focus. My favourite thing to use is the black and white film that develops as colour. I think b/w is sorely neglected. Colour is wonderful, but b/w prints are so rich! Anyway, that's my $.02.

*hugs*

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

And may I ask you a possibly stupid question...how do you post to a community you're a member of? I cannot figure out how. @_@;;

[kyrielle]

Depends. In the Windows client (NOT Semagic), hit ctrl-J or go to LiveJournal->Select Active Journal. Choose the one you want to post to, then post as normal. (Make sure it got set back before you make your next post - if you kept the default settings, it should do this automatically.)

In Semagic, select it in the "journal" drop-down at the bottom. If you can't see that (on the same line as "post entry" in mine), go to "View" and check "Active Journal", then use that drop-down.

If posting from the web site, you need to be logged in to the site itself (not just inputting user name and password onto the form) and you need the full update page, not the quick update: http://www.livejournal.com/update.bml?mode=full - reached via the "..." next to Update Journal link, or at the "For more options, click here" link on the shorter update form.

On the full update form, if you are logged in when you load it, the "journal to post in" will be the first item in optional settings (below the main text box and first update button) and will be a drop-down with your journal and all the communities to which you have posting access.

There are some other considerations in the FAQ (which is a bit general about clients, blast it):

http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=76

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

OK, I'll give it a shot. I think I may try in GGOD to see if I'm doing it right, but will delete any dead space. Thanks for the information. It sounds easy, although usually this means it's the death knell for me. ;-)

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

And....it worked! Thanks! That was easy! ;-)