Just ordered new hardware and Operating Systems. There are lots of reports about the drivers, even for new hardware, not being available in Vista, so the machine will be dual boot, with XP Home and Vista Premium. Didn't think it worth going to XP Pro and Vista Ultimate.

I'm expecting to put all my photo editing stuff on the Vista installation, with document handling, publishing, pdf and such like on XP. Don't know whether both sides will support the film scanner, flat bed scanner and printer yet, just have to try it and see.

Hoping that when I've completed it, I'll be able to deal with my RAW files. The current machine either grinds to a halt or the program stops responding, Photo Laboratory does that, and Browser just takes an age.

Are both your USB and Firewire ports on the MB or a separate card? If they're both the same, then it's probably a common driver, like the North Bridge or somesuch. Caan you get updated bios and MB drivers? I'll let you know if I get the same problem, but I probably won't be there until late next week.

Just trying to show my first picture on the Web. I did manage to capture a few images of the eclipsed moon. I'm having a bit of computer trouble with RAW images, so this was the last one I took, but enhanced slightly from the jpeg. It looks pretty blurred, although I took all the precautions I could think of, including use a tripod; No Anti-Shake; mirror lock up and remote release. I'd previously read that a good rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed of 600/Focal length of lens. As I was using a 500mm lens, this gave 0.8s. This was shot at 0.7s. I'll have a closer look at the previous shot at 0.5s, but this was only marginally off having total dark bits even at 1600ASA.

Just to add a couple of doom and gloom points.

RAID has a couple of problems:
1. is understanding that RAID 1 only gives increased performance, but doubles the chance that you'll lose your data through a hard drive crash, since either drive failing will cause total data loss.
2. Mirroring only protects against data corruption. If a file is accidentally overwritten, then the mirror also overwrites the file. This can occur because of an operator error, but it can occur due to a system curruption or failure.

CD/DVD can be damaged by exposure to light (I've had one damaged). Their long term retention is not known, but it's generally assumed that the data is good for about 10-15years. They are not thought to provide permanent data retention.

So, if you want to retain your data for long periods, store the CD/DVDs in the cool and dark, and copy them every few years. I would start with two copies and keep them in different locations, as already mentioned.

I don't think that keeping data on the computer on hard disk, RAID or not, should be regarded as a safe place to keep it. It always pays to keep an external backup. I wouldn't delete them from my memory card until I have a copy in two other places, HDD and CD or two CDs.

I don't always follow my advice, but this is what I always intend

As part of the C&G course I'm doing, we had to submit a 10 photo assignment of "faces, places and events" or "motion". My wife chose F,P & E at the Market, and I chose Motion about town. Both involved taking a lot of pictures of people and public places. Most people and public places presented no problem.

We had to get permission to take photos in the local shopping mall from the marketing manager, and I got stopped (quite rightly) for taking pictures of a kiddy's roundabout. After explaining what it was for, that the roundabout would be blurred out and the kids not identifyable, and producing a college headed note, I was allowed to continue. It was getting quite dark by then.

I also took some photos of the Town Hall at dusk with light streams from the traffic. With a full load of equipment, I fealt very vulnerable, and kept my backpack on whilst backed up to a large letter box to protect me. On the way back to the centre to meet the wife, there was a disturbance, which I thought I would capture. However, after a drunken threat, I headed off quite rapidly before I became a focus of attention.

I tried to get one of these a while back, but after scanning e-bay and local camera shops for sometime, gave up. By then, I had the *ist which is reasonably fast.

If you do find them advertised, the seller doesn't always know the difference between the two, and will sometimes advertise the winder wrongly as a motor drive. This happened to me, but the picture gave it away, and I asked the seller, who amended the description

It's worth noting that the motor drive will only give the rated speed when the shutter sped is sufficiently high (5fps isn't it?). I guess it's still faster than my K10D, but the K10D is cheaper to run off 36 exposures at once

Hey, is it really that bad :

I have booked some time off to go on the Monday, with the better half. If any more of you say "don't bother", then I'll save my leave for something better.

Hi Graham,

I think you're misunderstanding what's being said. Yes "flash compensation" on the K10 does change the power of the flash.

If you are using it as fill in, then the natural lighting must be sufficient to give full exposure without the flash. If it isn't, you'll probably end up with a picture which is underexposed by the flash compensation you dialled in.

If you are relying on the flash for full or a substantial part of the exposure, then the camera will use both the power of the flash and the aperture to adjust the exposure.

I started on a Brownie 127, but the lens fell out at some point. After that, I didn't do any photography until I met my wife.

I always fancied a Pentax SLR, but couldn't afford it in my youth. My introduction to 35mm film was my girl friend's Halina (now my wife (the Girl-Friend, not the Halina)). After a clumsy exit from a boat onto the quay, the Halina suffered a topectomy. We then used my Father-in-law's Ilford Sportsman, complete with Hanimex Sektronic light meter, until eventually I bought an ME Super in the States. I've just discovered the Ilford still has a film in it! No idea what's on it, and it probably won't develop very well, but it'll be interesting to find out.

When I dropped the ME, and it suffered shutter and meter failure, I acquired a Canon AE-1 but this suffers from light leakage (must find a source of gasket foam).

My first digital camera was an Olympus 3Mp 3xzoom, which my daughter is still using.

My wife used a Samsung compact for a long time, but now has a Pentax S5n, and also uses the Pentax film and K10D SLRs.

I have also got a Kodak 66 Model M (bellows camera), but this is a bit of a curiosity. I have put a 120 film in it, and shot 6 frames, but never had a film developed from it.

It'll take me an hour to get there, as it probably will for Liam, so a late Brunch would probably suffice. I just thought that it would be easier to say hello, and establish a connection if we were to sit over a bite (or a pint ), before wandering off into the park, or wherever.

Just a minor point, since food is fairly important to me, do we intend to pub eat and meet, or should I come prefuelled ready for a photo foray :