Just reporting a happy event that I have received a Pentax DA 12-24mm f4 in my mailbox from ebay. I got it for the surprisingly low price of $360 CDN (180£) plus shipping. And because it was, like me, located in Canada I had to pay no taxes. I can tell I am going to have a LOT of fun with this new lens as it puts a whole new perspective on the world. I still however would like to one day own a fish eye but this lens knocks that priority well down my list of must-haves.

OK, enough with the gloating. The whole point of my post here is that it took a week to get it delivered and I was very nervous at every passing day that it may go astray in the mail and I would probably never run into a deal like that again. I got the package safe and sound yesterday and found it hilarious to see the seller cleverly disguised the valuable contents by packing it in a Canon 20D box. Hell, he totally wasted the money he spent on insurance dont you think?

Drew

Bugs are here http://tinyurl.com/2duoqg

Drew

hahaha Very funny Mannesty. If it had been Lightroom and Windows I know we would have heard from Don long before this.

WOW, that is the worst interview I have ever read. Even the interviewer seemed to tire of him near the end. At the start he is introduced as "John Carlson, Product Manager Imaging Systems, Pentax USA". More like a ski bum that found a Pentax T-shirt. He waffled on almost every question. There are more people on this forum that know (or claim to know :lol what Pentax has for the future and why the company is run as it is. I just hope he isn't one of the decision makers for Pentax.

Drew

That's what I love about this site. You share a little bit and you always get back more than you gave. Thanks for that Matt.

I see by what you found that other paint manufacturers have partnered with this software as well. Hopefully Kal 10 D can find a paint dealer in his area that embeds their own colour database into the software.

Drew

PS: Don't ya just LOVE the Internet?

Not sure how good you want it to be or what you would find expensive but is $20 CDN in your price range Kal 10 d?
I bought this software and I found it useful.


Info http://www.benjaminmoore.ca/colours/colour_viewer_info.aspx
Try it on-line http://www.eisoftwareapps.com/BMCANenWEBv2.00/main.asp

Hope it works for you because the price is certainly right.

Regards

Drew

This is a very serious matter these days and every photographer should be fully aware of their rights beforehand instead of just "thinking" they may be right. I had a similar confrontation to what Lilly did with a man on a public street. I already knew my rights well and I expressed them sternly to this very obnoxious and unreasonable jerk. It turns out I should have been a lot more diplomatic because a few hours later (4 to be exact) a policeman was at the front door of my home (via license plate #). He tried to intimidate me to show him my pictures and it was very obvious I knew much more about he law than he did in this matter. I did eventually voluntarily show him my pictures but the point is you must be fully prepared before you are confronted and, as I have learned, you must be tactful too.

Most people are terribly paranoid these days but they would be shocked to know (at least one policeman in Canada anyway) that anybody, even children, can have their pictures taken in most situations if they are in a public place. It is no different than just looking at them really. The important part of the law is not that you are photographing, or what you "might" do with the photograph, but what you actually do with it (i.e. publish) after that, and then it usually becomes a civil matter and not a criminal one.

Here is a link that contains the rights of photographers for several countries. http://www.photolawnews.com/index.html#photogrights . Sorry, same UK info as already linked to but I would suggest we should always carry some legitimate information and statute numbers in our camera bags. I would venture to say that most countries give photographers the near complete right to photograph in public places but do a search in your own country's Criminal Code and your Charter of Rights and Freedoms for actual statute numbers for ammunition. Pay particular attention to tresspassing. Also, check the webpage link for Canada on the above mentioned webpage. Near the bottom there are some good tips on myths and how to react when confronted.

Interesting sidenote: some surprising places here are not considered "public", like shopping malls and arenas for example.

Regards

Drew

BTW: "Shaken and stirred" very funny Lilly (and great photo and title too)


EDIT: Just re-read my post and it sounded a lot like I was confronted for taking pictures of children didn't it?
Nope, the subject was fallen cherry blossoms on a rusted car hood. My theme was "pretty ugly" and yes... it certainly turned into that alright.

I wouldn't say we are disproportionate, as we have just over half the population of the UK and I don't think half the members here are Canadian are they? Or by "disproportionate" did you mean our legs are short and our knuckles drag on the ground? (That's just an Eastern thing here)

I would say by the sound of things Pentax struggles for identity in Canada every bit as much as elsewhere in the world. Most retailers in and around Vancouver do at least stock a minimum number of Pentax items though and they always seem to be able to quickly get anything if they are out of stock. I do see a few large Pentax billboards on the highways here and there (one for an *ist D near me ) but there seems to be a downward trend to more conventional advertising lately and almost no trade show support compared to the past. I bought Pentax because of quality and features vs. price and size, and I actually care little if I am in the minority or not. (in fact I think most of us here secretly enjoy being black sheep don't we?) As far as the brand still going strong I think the product speaks for itself and as long as they keep doing what they do we'll all be OK.

Just so you have somewhere to shop when you do visit Vancouver, here are some popular bricks and mortar stores in Vancouver with websites and K10D (body only) retail prices. BC's provincial tax is 7% and Canada's GST (VAT) is 5% so add 12% to these prices.

Broadway Camera www.bcCamera.com $650
Kerrisdale Camera www.kerrisdaleCamera.com K10D not listed but has K20D at $1400
Lens & Shutter www.LensAndShutter.com $700
Leo's Camera's www.LeosCameras.com K10D listed but no prices.
London Drugs (my favourite) www.LondonDrugs.com K10D not listed at the moment and that surprises me.

Here are two great Canadian on-line sellers that would deliver to your Vancouver relatives place if you planned ahead.
http://www.cameracanada.com/index.asp
http://www.thecamerastore.com/


Hope that helps you iceblinker

Regards

Drew

I had recently spent a whole evening wading through reviews on dozens of CS3 books and I chose Photoshop CS3 for Nature Photographers http://tinyurl.com/2jvmkt (lots of explanation for real life corrections etc)and Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques http://tinyurl.com/2wykx4 (very detailed how's and why's - over 20 pages just on sharpening alone) Today both books arrived in my mailbox and although I have only had a very brief look at them so far, I must report I am very pleased and would recommend you have a look at the reviews and tables of contents if you haven't already made your purchase. (NOTE: for the CS3 version of Studio Techniques you will have to check out the CS2 version at http://tinyurl.com/374wtg to see a comparable TOC)

My opinions on two previously mentioned authors in previous posts:

I already had Photoshop 6.0 for Photographers by Martin Evening and I must agree with viewfinder that I did not find him very easy to read or follow sometimes and some explanations were quite brief. My Photoshop 6.0 book is still quite useful to me in CS3 though so I reasoned that a different author would be in order for me.

I know for sure Scott Kelby is not to my liking at all. I personally would not describe his stye "American" as mannesty did, it is just plain goofy. Waaaay too much joking and puns - just like all the "For Dummies" books. Very tiring after 10 minutes reading and who wants to read the same stupid jokes everytime you want to refresh your memory on a topic a few months down the road?

I will delve into both of my new books and give a more detailed review sometime in the future but so far, I already can tell that I am going to like both of my new books.

regards

Drew

Conrad Black gave up his Canadian citizenship in 2001 in order to get a seat in Britain's House of Lords. He called his status as a Canadian "an impediment to his progress in another more amenable jurisdiction". I'm afraid Lord Black of Crossharbour is your baby now Michael.

Drew