An interesting point of view.

I look at all camera's as an adjunct to lenses (unless the camera and lens are integrated and inseparable) like my iPhone.

I think you right about the space constraints. It will be interesting to see where Sony goes with their full frame cameras. I have a very large collection of Alpha and other lenses. That is how we all tend to become Chauvinist about our chosen brand of camera. We have a lot vested in our lenses. I think Sony is attempting to steal everyone's lunch with the Nex camera line and they just might succeed!

Konica managed to pull this off years ago with short focal length lenses and adapters for their competitors lenses. I think we are about to see history repeat it's self with a digital version, but I'm getting off the topic.

I have been using the Sony A900 for years. Yes, Sony recommends that you turn "IS" off when the camera is mounted on a tripod and I have noticed that it's best turned off on a sturdy tripod. Sony recommends to keep it on when using a mono-pod.

Personally, I tend to brace the camera and hold my breath and would not miss it terribly if I did not have it. High shutter speeds work best to eliminate blur.

It's interesting to note that Sony reverted back to in-lens stabilization when they introduced the newer "Nex" line of cameras.

Dave

I assume your a Mac user, so am I. I use both Aperture 3 and and PhotoShop CS5. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses. I also use Nik filters. The Aperture version of Nik filters cost half of what the PhotoShop version does.

PhotoShop is VERY powerful but has long, steep learning curve. Aperture is less expensive and more user friendly. That said, there have been some photos that I was unable to optimize and get what I was after in PS while it just popped for me in Aperture. Also if you qualify for the teacher's discount and have the needed proof, PS's price drops drastically! My wife bought me CS5 for my last birthday. She is an art teacher.

The two programs work well together. It's true that Aperture has a very elaborate cataloging feature, (that I have yet to master) that include face recognition, that provides a way to save RAW and finished files. My work flow has become an elaborate but very effective procedure, that starts with Aperture to keep track of everything, goes into DxO to optimize my RAW files and pull the most out of my lenses, back to Aperture with with side trips to Nix filters and often PS.

Nix filters provides a way to quickly make skin look less blemished and younger.

I hope I did not confuse you. This Christmas I asked my wife for a 2 TB hard Drive that I intend to wirelessly hookup to my Mac so I can store my every-growing library of photo files off the computer and not bog down my little Mac lap top.

[/quote]

This is all over my head...but I must add, we use Nikon D3X cameras - 25 mp and we also have Canon 1ds Mark III equally sized. We use Nikon D3s, D3, and D700 cameras all full frame and the failure rate is much less than the smaller cameras.[/quote]

Now we are confusing "reliability" with "yield". It's reasonable to expect a high end camera to last longer than an inexpensive one, for many reasons.

I can speak with a degree of authority on this topic having worked in the semiconductor industry for most of my life.

The more complex a semiconductor device is, the more difficult it is to make with out flaws. We would make a wafer that was comprised of scores of semiconductor devices. The wafer would then be cut up to free each of the devices. Each device would then be tested to see if it worked as it was designed to do. We would talk about "yield". Typical a big complex device would have low yields, for example 5% yield means that if you made 100 devices you could only expect 5 of them to work. (It was my job to test them) If we were making simple devices the yield would could climb to 98%.

A 25 MP imaging array is a complex device. Both size and component count contribute the expected failure rate. The higher the failure rate the more we would need to charge for each part. When we had the luxury of make large number of the same device, we could fine tune the manufacturing line and get ever higher yields.

I hope this helps answer your question.

Think of this way:
It is easier to make a tray of brownies than a single ten layer wedding cake.
Dave :-D

PhotoShop from CS4 on, provides an automatic an automatic way of doing it. You can Google it and find tutorials. I have read that there are other programs that also do it.

Here is a good tutorial:
http://www.photofacts.net/photography/topic/tips_and_tricks/focus_stacking_creating_a_large_depth_of_field.asp

LOL!!

I can believe you used PhotoShop to put yourself in the same bathroom, but how did you manage to squeeze into the same shirt!?!?!?!

Only in my memory, does my first camera survive (along with my first girlfriend). I found an image of it on the Internet. I bought it myself with hard earned money in 1958. I'm afraid if I found the girlfriend she would not have held up so well with time.

Before that I used a Russian copy of a German Leica that a friend lent me.

Douglass,
Here is my re-posting. Not much better really. The bug seems to need a bath, there is a lot of stuff stuck to her. Maybe this is because I had her her trapped in a tiny cup in the refrigerator, in a futile attempt to slow her Metabolism down so I could use focus stacking on her. I had to turn on a bright light above her so I could see to focus. The stimulus or heat from the light woke her up and she started to move.

I think I see some condensation on her because I chilled her then moved her into a warmer room.

Another problem with focus stacking is that lens moves in and out when the focus changes, changing the viewing perspective. I'm not sure if the auto align can correct for that?

Thank you for so generously sharing your knowledge. It was because of you that I ended up buying a "Ray Flash" and enjoy it very much. There are many other things I want to try but I'm waiting until I get my hands on a Nex-7 and start using a bunch of old Konica lens and reversing rings.

This photo was taken with my full frame 24.7 MP Sony A900 using my 100mm macro and extension tubes. The Nex-7 will have the same resolution but on an APS-C imaging array. It also has better focusing aids.

I don't expect to be able to buy the Nex-7 until January after they recover from the flooding at their manufacturing plant. Then you will see a flurry of activity from me.

Dave

That's very generous of you Tad. Thank you. I'm blown away by what others are doing with focus stacking. I'm mystified on how they can do it with anything alive.

Thanks again for the links. I will read them. I found my lost ladybug. She was walking across the floor in the same bathroom! This time I put her in paper cup with another cup trapping her within. I then chilled her in the refrigerator for a few hours while I got my camera and flashes ready. I used three powerful flashes. One was a Ray Flash (Ring Light). This one was shot at f/32. My plan was to use focus stacking. The problem that she started to move her legs making each picture a little different. I'm still no where as good as the big boys but I'm trying. What am I doing wrong?! This is NOT focused stacked. After I Photographed her I opened the door and set her free.

Thank you Nikonian72. I just downloaded all three. God knows I need help.

I have been wishing for a bug so a could play with focus stacking. Today I found a ladybug trapped behind a screen in my bathroom window. She was still alive so I put her in a paper cup and carried it to the room with my photo equipment. By the time I got my equipment ready to take a macro, the ladybug got tired of waiting for me and flew off. I was desperately searching for the ladybug when I found a dead fly on a window sill. Oh well, I'm not proud. I practiced on this dead bug. They stay still better.

I asked my Barber who lives just up the hill from it. He informed me that is an abandoned asphalt paving plant.

This should end the rumors that this is an actual photo of the economic recovery plan.

For those so inclined, it's still open and you are free to dump as much of your money as you care to into the top of the hopper.

I got a chuckle from all your responses. Thanks.

And the winner is:
SODAPOP!

That makes sense Bob. I noticed puddles of hardened asphalt in the parking lot near the broken tanks. Oil, gas and coal are big industries in this part of PA.

Cows and hay to feed them.

I have often seen this thing as I drive to my barber's shop. Today I brought my camera so I could photograph it. Talk about an attractive nuisance! I found I could drive from a main road down a short driveway and parked next to this plant. I thought of what my eight year old inner child would do at a place like this. I would have been climbing this thing like a monkey! Even at my current advanced age of 72 the ladders and stairs looked very inviting. Common sense prevailed (for the most part) as I satisfied myself by taking this photo while keeping an eye out for a cop who might ask what I'm dong here. I never saw a "keep out" sign. The place is fenced in but the gate was wide open.