Personally I'd use Photoshop Elements. I've used version 2 then upgraded to full Photoshop (now on CS2 and the Creative Suite Premium). I have version 3 as well, and this isn't bad at all.
The benefit of using Elements is there's a whole heap of techniques for Photoshop that are equally applicable to Elements... and a reasonably common set of terminology and basic features. So upgrading to "pro" software isn't too painful.

But, then, as has been mentioned, there's plenty of image editing stuff out there. Don't forget Gimp2 (GNU software, so you can use it for free).

Best thing is to try as many as you can then stick with it

Matt

No problem Andy.
Park Cameras list them at £179.99
and Fotosense at £169.99 ( http://www.fotosense.co.uk/manufacturer_results.asp?oldID=17&ID=140 )

I have seen them crop up from time to time in the second hand places (www.ffordes.com , www.mxv.co.uk , www.lcegroup.co.uk)

Matt

Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply sooner

The AF360FGZ enables you to do decent fill in flash in daylight. It has high speed sync and exposure compensation. So, basically, you can do everything you need.

With the *ist-D and AF360FGZ you can use whatever exposure mode you want (even to having the camera in manual, but the flash in P-TTL!). I've never had a problem at all.

However, with the Z1 you cannot use the exposure compensation of the flash The Z1 will resort to straight "TTL" mode which will not allow compensation. The *ist-D will resort to "P-TTL" (where a preflash is fired) and will allow full compensation.

The new AF540FGZ will be able to do the same stuff, but with a higher guide number.

Unfortunately there's no exposure compensation with the pop-up flash, or any of the other pre-AF360FGZ flashes (or, as I mentioned, with the Z1). If you need to do that you have to resort to "A" or "M" mode on the flash and work it out yourself (though that's not that difficult). It depends largely on the conditions as to which mode you'd go for... but then the *ist-D makes it soooo much easier

Added to that is the fact that the *ist-D + AF360FGZ allows full wireless flash. I have found this unbelievably useful. For example, at a recent function where the lighting was incredibly bad I used the *ist-D+grip+50mm/f1.7 while holding the AF360FGZ+Stofen Omnibounce in the other hand - gave a flattering, wonderfully soft lighting. I've also used this for extreme macro closeups.

One final word - make sure the *ist-D has firmware 1.12 installed. Flash exposure was unpredictable (to say the least) prior to that version!

Hope that helps,
Matt

(Back on thread)

Park Cameras have listed the 12-24mm. At a pinch under £700.
Big ouch! That really smarts, especially as the Sigma 10-20mm can be had for around the £300 mark... but isn't available in PAF mount

Just hope the street price lowers (a lot!).
Matt

Sighted in stock at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&...

Not a very good deal at $899.95

Point taken George.
Let me know your experiences and I'll probably follow suit
Matt

Other sightings:
http://www.fotovideo.no/aspx/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2faspx%2fprdinfo.aspx%3fplid%...
http://www.heise.de/preisvergleich/a143836.html
(Including http://www.mindfactory.de/cgi-bin/MindStore.storefront/DE/Product/7781985?pid=ge... at €630)

Just looking for a UK supplier at around £450 and I'll be very happy

Matt

Yippeeeee!
(Now do they actually have them available..?)
Matt

Manual white balance is always more accurate.
In fact I've recently started using an Expodisc with my *ist-D and the results have been wonderful... and now I always shoot RAW with manual WB.

Matt

George - flash media is very different to magnetic media. It has limited endurance for writing, and so any format should perform the least amount of erase/writes to the device.

In fact, even Windows will not physically format a CF/SD card - again it will just erase the existing block that specifies size and directory and rewrite just that. The camera does the same, and that's why formatting in camera can resolve some issues.

Actually, it is often to your advantage If you format a card (in camera or on the PC), most of the images can be recovered!! (Things like Zero Assumption Recovery are free, and Lexar have one too.) In fact, someone once said if they get caught taking photos at an event, they format the card in front of the staff... then get home and recover them all

Don't forget though, that the more images you write to the card after formatting, the more you reduce your chances of recovering the old images (because the blocks that were holding the old image data eventually get reused for the new images.)

And, as Arthur Dent said, format in camera

Matt