Roscoe - Lightroom 1.1 can be upgraded on line to version 1.4 for free if you visit Adobe's website. I like 1.4 but am sorely tempted to get L2 - the grad feature's a nice to have and it's easier to use than CS3E


Steve

George - one further point of advice - check the boot sequence after you have cloned your old drive and before you have removed the old drive. The boot sequence may use the make/manufacturer/size of the disc - so if its looking for a say, a Seagate 80GB and it can't find it, it won't go to look for the drive labelled "C" - it just hangs and leaves a message on screen which doesn't make any immediate sense. Change the boot sequence first - usually by holding down the F2 key (but it should tell you in the start up script) and follow the prompts when the menu comes up. Then remove the old drive.


Steve

Bob - thanks for the tip.

Relieved Waterstone's Bath branch of the only copy (left) on display yesterday . It's a monster in every respect!


Steve

Mike - another thing to bear in mind is the country you are visiting and the season. Kenya/Tanzania allow safari vehicles to roam at will (poss dust issue) whereas Zimbabwe (when it was open), Botswana (I think) and South Africa (definately) confine all vehilces to metalled tracks (no dust). Not sure about Numibia - suggest as SA

If its the rainy season (Kruger in Jan/Feb), then the undergrowth will be such that your 55-300 or an FA 80-320 will cover most circumstances. If it's the dry season, the veiwing range will be greater and a longer lens will be potentially better (though the guides will take you to the areas around the water holes where the game will gather).

I've got a Sigma 135-400 and have my sights on a 150-500. Both are quite heavy and may not be very user friendly in a safari vehicle, more so as the day wears on as using a monopod's not easy in a relatively confined space.

Oh and take 2 bodies if you can (1 with wide to medium zoom, other with medium to long zoom) as sometimes the game gets very close


Steve

I'd say -
1) use AP
2) shoot in raw
3) set up auto bracketing for 3 frames, +/1 0.5 stop. You can still shoot singles - just don't keep your finger on the trigger for long.

At the end of the day, its whose behind the lens that really matters and whether you have the eye for what makes a good shot special.


Steve

If you wait til the end of November (ish), Sigma should be releasing the Pentax fit versions of their 120-400 and 150-500mm zooms. Don't think Chris at SRS has given any indications of the price, but the C***n fit version is £650. Probably need a monopod with either of these.

I found the FA80-320 on a K10 gave me good results in the Kruger. I'd go for the extra length every time, especially for wild life.

For low mobility options, try to pick up a SMC K 135-600. It weighs 4kg, requires a very substantial tripod and a slave/lens bearer to carry it all .

Steve

Thanks for yours thoughts Mannesty.

B is least likely because you can take singles with bracketing enabled by a short duration press on the shutter release button and if I'd let go early, it would be the over exposed image that would be AWOL

If it was the the shutter release, then there would be a delay in actuation or none, can't see how it would have any other effect .

So perhaps its the bracketing function.

Steve

Files numbers were sequential.

Card's been in use for a while (at least a year). It's a 4Gb Ultra II. I've not used the card to the extent I did before though - changed at point where camera reckoned there were 40 frames left. Download was 3.11Gb. Previous max use before downloading/deleting would be around 2Gb mark.

Camera's done just under 3000 actuations - so not been hammered. Have the grip with an extra (Pentax) battery. Both batteries were OK ie not discharged or showing as being discharged. Set for grip battery as priority in custom settings

Must admit I wondered if it was the card - but bad sectors would be written around and you'd end up with a reduced capacity.

Second card (Kingston Class 4 4Gb) didn't have any faults - but didn't take many (40ish) as I'd more or less finished the lap around the lake. Colours were good but another week or so before they are at their best. Then may be the K20 as lead with the DA*16-50 and the K10 with the DA*50-135 .


Steve

I've kept to the default (0, -, +) with a half stop selected as the value.


Steve

Mannesty - it's 1.30.

Loss of the over exposed image could be down to early release - but that doesn't explain how I have 5 or 6 image sets missing the first image! I've also got one with only the over exposed version - it's not a setting I'd used normally - usually point camera at part of the scene I want with good mid tones and use AE-L.

Steve