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Thursday, January 08, 2004
11:57 PM      

The Big Upgrade
The D100 arrived this afternoon and my Coolpix 990 is about to get some well-earned rest. I've taken nearly 6500 pics with it, many of them very good, and I've come to know its personality well. But, after realizing that I missed the feel of an SLR camera, finding frustration with some of the limitations of the 990, and seeing what the D100 offers, it was time to move on.

Some of the hot-button issues that sold me:

• RESPONSIVENESS
• Super-fast autofocus
• No power-up delay
• 6.1 MegaPx instead of 3.34 (way more dots = larger prints)
• Richer control features (e.g. fast shutter speeds!)
• Built like a truck
• Long battery life
• Interchangeable lenses

I've already taken some shots (below) with it. Denise noticed that I had no problem taking several shots in quick succession, something that was difficult at best with the 990. I even like the first results I got with the on-camera flash. It seems that red-eye may be a bit less of a problem because of the position of the flash relative to the lens.


Friday offers advice on warranty registration


...by any other name...

In August 2000, Kodak was selling 6 MegaPx cameras for $16,000. The D100 is a better camera for $2,000. Technology always moves that way, but the difference is impressive, nonetheless. This from the conclusions section of one thorough and glowing review:

“Ergonomics, balance and control layout are excellent, the D100 feels both professional enough to be used on the most important days, yet small and light enough to be taken out on the most casual outing. Build and finish quality are second to none, you really are getting $2,000 worth of camera.”

Wanna see more of what it can do? Here are some other people's samples.

The uncompressed NEF (raw) format is intriguing to me. It's the way to go for the highest-quality final result. Shooting in that format also allows the greatest flexibility and control over sharpness, white balance, and many other factors after shooting. Nikon sells a separate app, Nikon Capture, for the ultimate control over the format. I didn't bite for that yet. I'll see how it is to work with raw files in Photoshop first.

The review points out that I can get about 51 NEF images on a 512MB Compact Flash card, and I have two. That's a good day's shooting, in most cases.

I plan to get a Crumpler bag to carry my camera. Crumpler is a maker of camera, messenger, and other bags from Australia, with a cheeky attitude. Clearly, these guys know how to make excellent bags, while not taking themselves too seriously. Check out the out-of-stock message:


Definitely not corporate, but then they're Aussies

I ordered a “Stamp Claimer” model, but it was too small. The description said it would hold a camera with one lens and a couple of accessories. Well, it might, but I don't want to have to take the lens off to put the camera in the bag.

I'll head over to Alkit and exchange it soon. I got excellent service from Vance Morris at the Park Avenue South store, so I don't expect any problems.

:::

I had to chuckle when I heard Bush was running afoul of some of his conservative buddies on this temporary legal status for illegal aliens thing. Seems they hate anything that smacks of amnesty. What are the chances that the motivation for this legislation has something to do with all those illegal aliens who were caught cleaning Wal-Mart's toilets? Now there's a a job your everyday American wants to do.

:::

Trippy Trivia
44 million Americans can't read and write above a fourth grade level. The Average American reads a mere 99 hours per year, but watches 1,460 hours of TV.
- From “Stupid White Men,” chapter 5: “Idiot Nation”

Wow.

:::

Passing the Union Square subway station the other day, I heard a guy standing out in the rain repeating “Four dollar Metrocards - three bucks... Four dollar Metrocards - three bucks... ” I wonder what kind of scam that was.



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Tuesday, January 06, 2004
12:26 PM      

Having a nice time. Wish u were here.
Well, the US Mars Rover is sending back pictures from the surface of the Red Planet. I think that's pretty cool.

Too bad the Brits had to time their ill-fated attempt so close to ours, though JPL's not always been so lucky, either. Not too long ago, we crashed a probe because somebody did a critical calculation in pounds when they should have been working in kilograms. I guess that's one more reason we should have gone ahead with the metric conversion. :-)

:::

Trending Color
A grade school friend of mine once told me that the colors that turn up in furniture and carpets one year appear in clothing a year or so later. If you think about it, somebody decides what colors to dye the yarns and fibers that cloth is made from, and so the colors go from there.

It makes sense, then, that it might be useful for folks in the industry to try and anticipate trends in consumer tastes; that way you don't end up manufacturing piles of unsalable neo-chartreuse yarn, for example. Enter the Color Marketing Group – “The Premier International Association for Color and Design Professionals.” Their 2003 Consumer Color Directions summary says that blues dominate, and that “Silger” – silver with a gold overlay – will be strong in fashion. They also say that a more energized dusty rose form of Mauve and also Violet will return. Other colors to look out for: Currant, Pinkle, Iron Ore-ange, Shimma, Soda Green, Root Beer, Gargoyle, and more.

:::

United Cheats of America
The Cheating Culture” looks like a must-read. With a prognosis like this, honest guys seem likely to finish last along with the nice guys.

Excerpts from a 5-star review on Amazon:

David Callahan manages to explain [the] contemporary ethical malaise in the context of a society embodying ever-increasing disparities between rich and poor, continued consolidation of wealth, a threatened and less-secure (unstable?) middle class, and corresponding declines in both quantity and quality of opportunities for the many. ...

Callahan portrays both a privileged "Winning Class" and an endangered, increasingly cynical "Anxious Class," from which... it might often be unreasonable even to expect minimal standards of competent and consistent performance. ...

The Cheating Culture site is rich with info. The “Domestic Diva” (Mothra herself) even has a section of her very own.



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