Hi robbie_d,

I have been looking at http://dhl.de/content/de/en.html and the rates for a package less than 2kgs, no side longer than 60cms, shipped to GB is EUR 8.60 without insurance/track+trace. With insurance and track+trace it seems to be EUR 17.

I think UPS works out costlier... suggestions welcome.

Hello folks,

Apologies that I joined 14th May and have been posting as well, without an introduction...

I have a beginner's kit, and am hoping to move up the ladder soon (some of you may have seen my 'on sale' post already)

Here's a link to my Flickr profile link... comments welcome!

Cheers,
Rohan

You could print it all out, and then carefully (as flat as you can, without wrinkles) paste it on a thin sheet of cardboard, and then it should probably work out ...

I had printed out focus-charts too, and then kept them as flat as I could on a table, and used a tripod to get a 45 degrees line of sight from the camera to the chart ...

Focus testing can be tedious, so do keep in mind stuff like subject-distance, aperture and what DOF you get for the combination ...

PM replied to ... thanks.

my '2 cents worth' ... laptop displays aren't too 'tune-able' ... laptops are not as flexible to upgrade (more RAM, HDD, graphics card, ports etc) ... laptops can be tedious (ergonomically) to edit on (though you could get a tablet, extra keyboard etc) ... but laptops can travel with you ...

if you don't travel a lot, or atleast don't intend to edit while traveling, then a PC/desktop is the best option, which you can keep upgrading and tweaking to match up to all new software (and their 'lean'(!!) requirements) in the future, incl. getting better screens etc as budget permits.

I also believe that PC are cheaper/easier to upgrade vs Apple...

Since you can download and try out Lightroom for free, you should probably give this a shot ... and then see if you can get a student license

There are several free tools too, and many are very capable as well, just that the integrated environment that a 'paid for' tool offers will need to be handled by the user ...

Check this link for a list of some of the free stuff available ...
link

I have a Lenovo S10, and am trying CS4 + Lightroom on it ... but it is best for backup and view/sort, since the editing can be a drag ... also, some plugins like those from Topaz flow off screen and you can't do much with them due to the screen resolution/size ... but i feel backup/sort/share is great enough when you are traveling ...

For P&S I would suggest Panasonic Lumix series ... you have several options ... for maximum zoom range you can check the TZ series ... for a larger than regular sensor, you have the LX series, with the LX3 getting very good reviews ... I have used a FZ5, TZ4, LX2 and now a LX3 ... TZ was the most convenient but till the latest ones, it was mostly automatic (the new ones have manual options) ... LX3 has great pictures and a fast lens (2.0 to 2.8 ) but a short zoom range ... you could look at the Canon S90 and G10/11 models, but the S90 is reviewed to be a 'slippery customer' handling-wise, while the G series are small bricks size-wise ...

I would recommend a LX3 (if low light photography matters, and you can live with less zoom) else the best TZ version you can settle for ...

I use Eneloops with K200D and am very satisfied ... had tried Hama 2700's but with limited success ... Eneloops supposedly retain the charge better during periods of low use as well (low discharge rate)...

Tamron 90mm is a great contender... and rated very well in reviews...
Check it at photozone.de...