The important thing is it works.

on the positive side, there is little chance you'll go too far overboard on image manipulations, considering the slower processors and possible crashes, you'll be very conservative....

Kinda' reminds me of my Grandma....she used to give us kids Buckley's cough syrop when we were sick. It worked alright, but nobody in my family ever faked being sick! (truth is we faked being well to avoid it).

Windows ME.

Windoze M(asochist) E(dition).

At this point I'd be tempted to post my reciepts and proof of payment on flicker and post another negative feedback on his ebay account with a link, and a note warning others.

true, but I have yet to see any stores in my area, that sell the bits seperately.

you get the short cord with one kit (you CAN get the long cord seperately, or as part of a kit).

quickflip makes nice brackets.

the (5p?)off camera hotshoe adapter and cord an you can use any flash bracket.

of course you guys are right..
blown highlights....bad.
getting midtones closer to the right third is better for midtones and shadow detial.

a true conflict.

there's only one answer for a camera maker....
err on the side of caution and underexpose.

for amatuers that equates to many savable shots that can be recovered in computer or more likely by the photofinisher.

for the advanced shooter, it means careful metering and or more advanced tools in computer.

either way it was the right choice.

I have both the af and m version of the 50mm 1.4.
astounding quality...best value in photography for anybody that works in low light.

I used to love my mz5.
got dof by pushing the lens release and partially rotating the lens.
not exactly push button ease, but worked when needed.

set them both to "A" mode. or manual.
Works for me.
on my ds2 I, put the 500 on camera and the 360 to A or M.... for faster set up..

The first mistake many novices make is thinking that they can buy thier way to great photos. "what equipment should I buy?" (wrong question more often than not)

You can of course, buy perfect shots if you hire a pro to take the photos for you.

Failing that, just take your time, and learn to use what you got. "I shot this image, under these circumstances, with this equipment, at these settings, and was dissapointed because of this...What can I do to improve on these results?" (right question, more often than not).

Learn as much about photography, as you can and develop the skills and eye of a pro. As you get from where you are now to where you want to be, you will find the limits and faults of the equipment you now have, and you'll know what your specific needs are when making your next purchase.