My way of organising is basically by date:
F:/IMAGES/YEAR / DATE - DESCRIPTION

So, I'll have:
F:/Images/2009/2009-01-06 Test images/

Underneath that I'll have "/Silkypix" for TIFF & JPG outputs, "/Processed" for Photoshopped work, and "/Processed/Web" for web output.

Like Liam, I use Google's Picasa to organise and locate images. Unbelievably quick to find images and works a treat
(My wife likes using it for processing her *ist-DS RAW files too - nice and easy to use!).

I've used this organisation structure for years and have everything under control... except having to upgrade hard drives every couple of years (Currently on 750Mb LaCie Quadra).

Matt

Amin,
I make heavy use of Scooter Software's Beyond Compare.

A lifesaver for synchronising multiple drives
Matt

Ok folks, I've finished off the last bit of text (I hope!).


You can order here: http://www.mattmatic.co.uk/otheritems.html


Note: I will be manually emailing out the PDF e-book. I don't yet have an automated system in place. Please be patient with me

This is, as far as I can tell, a bug that affects all Pentax dSLRs. (I've informed Pentax, but no firmware updates have appeared, and no comments from them... so this is a "heads up")

When the ambient lighting requires a shutter speed higher than 1/180s and the flash is turned on the camera will be limited to 1/180s, no warning is given, and the shot will be overexposed.
(Does not occur when using the "HS" flash mode of the AF360/540)

The Pentax metering system will normally flash at you to indicate that the shot will be under or over exposed. Unfortunately when the flash is powered (pop-up or external) this warning doesn't happen!

To demonstrate:
* Turn off the flash
* Choose Av mode on the camera
* Pick a wide open aperture (e.g. f/1.4 is a good one)
* Choose a high ISO rating (like ISO1600)
* Make sure that the shutter speed is higher than 1/180s (e.g. 1/500) - you may need to use daylight or a constant light source.
* Now turn on the flash
* The shutter speed will be fixed at 1/180s with no warning
The shot will be overexposed!

Obviously the shutter speed cannot increase above 1/180s, but a warning in the viewfinder would have been extremely helpful!!!

Workaround: use the "HS" mode of the AF360/540 when in bright conditions.
Workaround: check that the ambient light with selected aperture & ISO does not go above 1/180 by temporarily turning off the flash (either power off the AF360/540 or push down the pop-up)

I've been caught out a couple of times...

Matt

Thanks for the kind words Mac, Terry & Tracey Much appreciated.

One thing I will add to the PDF is a small bug that seems to be in all Pentax dSLRs with flash. (I'll post it here as well in a minute!)

Terry,
As far as I am aware anyone can make a PayPal payment with a credit card.
Matt

Hi all,
Just a note to say that I'm getting to the end of the text for the dSLR Flash Guide
Unfortunately, it's not looking as though my health and time restraints will let me fill this document with images So, I thought I'd send out this "feeler" to see what the current mood is...

The document will be provided as a PDF. It's currently 28 pages long (including 3 pages of cover & contents). Main topics are:
* Flash Modes Explained (M, A, TTL, P-TTL, Wireless P-TTL)
* Flash Compatibility with Pentax dSLRs
* Situations:
- Function or Party
- Play or Concert
- Portrait with a black background
- Portrait with a white background
- Daylight fill-in flash (P-TTL and A mode)
* Problem situations
* Light modifiers
* Pentax AF360/540 flashguns (modes and tricks)
* Metz 50MZ5
* Lastly some info on useful custom functions for K20D/K10D, *ist-DS, and *ist-D

I was thinking of making this payable via PayPal (with a link from my www.mattmatic.co.uk website). Given that there are no images, I was thinking of £4.95 (although larger donations would be acceptable of course )

I'm open to suggestions of anything I've missed. Now some of the information is probably already known by you all, but there should be a few gems of information contained in the PDF

Let me know
Matt

Yes, absolutely.
You probably want to ring around the second hand shops to see what they've got - it would be quicker than from Hong Kong (probably) Try: www.mxv.co.uk , www.lcegroup.co.uk , www.ffordes.co.uk (though expensive). You may have local camera shops that have Pentax extension tubes lying around

EDIT: There's also - www.clocktowercameras.co.uk , and it's worth ringing Chris at SRS too

In the "non-electrical-contact" extension tube range there are two types: auto and manual. Manual is the cheapest (has no aperture "finger" that links the camera to the lens)... but with the dSLR you have to stop down manually anyway.

You have to enable the custom function to allow apertures other than "A". Then, open up the aperture to f/1.4 to see what you're doing, focus, then stop down to your required aperture and take the shot. You see, as you adjust the aperture the lens aperture will change and the camera will "see" the reduced amount of light and compensate appropriately.

It's fine as long as your subject doesn't move
(That's where electrical-contact-extension tubes come in handy, especially with flash )

Matt

There's always second hand stuff around, especially manual focus: http://www.lcegroup.co.uk/SHdetails.asp?Item=4505
EDIT: Think this is the M 135/3.5 - so no "A" on the aperture and you'd have to do stop-down-metering on the dSLRs.


Matt

Amin,
You can get very cheap extension tubes (e.g. eBay)
However, most of the cheapy-cheap ones have no electrical contacts - you can still use the SMC-FA 50/1.4 on it though (as you can manually stop down the aperture with the aperture ring).

Extension tubes with contacts do appear from time to time - personally I would expect to pay around £20 max

HTH!
Matt