I use a Pentax K20D with a battery grip attached. (Two batteries can be used at the same time.)

Both my genuine Pentax batteries have gold colored terminals. (Could be gold plating?)

Both my generic batteries have silver colored terminals. (Could be silver plating?)

I have noticed over the past two years that the Pentax batteries give my about 500 to 700 shots per battery. The generic batteries only seem to get 300 to 500 shots. This occours even when I use either type at the same time.

The advertising says the generics are better than the origionals but reality tells me the opposite.

If I need batteries in the future, it'll be the factory type.

Capture 1 is great with RAW files and for those who use GPS on their camera, check this out!
http://www.phaseone.com/tutorials-pro-6#4
(Reference the last quarter of the Utube flick about GPS.)

For me, I shoot RAW + Jpeg. My Jpeg is set to record at only 2MB. That saves memory and speeds up finding photos since most are not catagorized. I just look through the Jpeg shots and at 2MB they are very quick! Once found I process that one.

For what it matters, people using Windows 7, Vista, and I think XP with service pack 3, can use Microsoft's new RAW displayer.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/07/microsoft-adds-raw-support-to-windows-at-last/

Implications can hurt.
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When a local TV news station broadcast a report about a "local hooker" epidemic, they made a mistake by showing in clear view, a woman walking behind the reporter that was in front of an adult book store.

The TV station got sued for "implying" the the woman was a hooker.

The fact is, she was just returning from her work. Her home just happened to be near the store.

Thanks! I'll not be trying it soon but later on I likely will look into getting it going.

My bigest fear is any kind of short through my body. I've been zapped by several spark plugs and those are next to nothing compaired to the Honeywell Strobinar (SP?) that I used back in the 60's. That thing packed a punch!

Not really! Just stay out of harms way. Police only want to protect you!

Remember to ALWAYS respect them and don't interfere with their job. You will find that you have as much rights as the local TV or Newspaper to take photos. (Well almost as much.) LoL

Not really since you were not in her "tent". (She was just parinoid!) It's comon curtesy to not photograph her things when asked.

Many "city" shows do prohibit pro-like cameras at performance stages. If you wish to photograph a band or the likes, ask permission from the band to become their personal photographer. The promoters can still give you the boot!

Should you have any problems, have a policeman/person come over and protect you.

***At a fair, no one has the rights to conficate or destroy your camera or memory card!!!

Remember: The fair promoters are the ones who payed for the permit. When in doubt, play it cool and do as they say. We don't want to give other photographers a bad rap!

I've got a big strobe that was origionally intended for use on a service truck. It's got a bunch of output, probably around 300 or 400w/s.

I was thinking about modifing it for use on a camera. The only problem is that after contacting the manufacture, (Warn), I found they do not make them anymore and did not have a schematics for it. Since I don't feel confortable playing around with it without a schematic, I'm not inclinded to modify it right now.

Anyone else have any ideas?

----- Being that I see over seven pages on this subject and I haven't read them all, I'm sorry if someone else already said this! -----

When I went to a local mall to visit a camera store, I was told I could not take pictures and to put my camera away.

This rent-a cop was a photographer also, (after his work hours of course), and told me virtually ever advertisement photo in the stores were purchased from a pro photographer or an agency and every one of those had stipulations not to be reprinted in the contract.

If all the stores did or not, it had no bearing on the subject since many of them did. "All" stores were concidered to have one since it was so dificult to determine which did. The "NO Camera" rule was to be inforced inside the mall

When I asked about all the cell phones with camera abitities, he told me they technically weren't suppose to but since they only had questionable resolution, no one questioned them.

To honor the contract and respect the photographer and/or agency, all photographs were not allowed. The way he explained it to me sounded to be very plausable. I for one wouldn't like me hard work to be used by others. (Although some has been.)

when I explained that I was going to the camera store to check out camera bags, he totally understood and just told me to not carry my camera in a "to-be-used" position. I did not and we both parted in good spirits!

Try asking at a chain store thats not even in a mall and I'll bet a similar thing will told, at least if they know anything about contracts and things.

It's not really new. This is just another 4-Tops song! (...same 'ol song to a different tune...)

Just about everything they now have to redirect light, we used a similar contraption of it, some 50 years ago.

Only thing is, much of the material had to be made back then using things like wood, metal, paint, etc. (Don't think they had plastic though.)

BTW: I really like the way Plieber thinks!

LoL

Just about everything for the last few years has "Curves". If you play around with that portion, a simple HRD can be achieved.

I use Capture 1 program, (PS Elements 7 sometimes also). Capture 1 has something like that only mush easier to use. Just slide a mark to make the middle or upper portions lighter, the way you wish.

It doesn't work if you want to make the early "over done" HDR though. Those look pretty cheap anyway.

I really wouldn't worry about using a gary card unless your unhappy with the final print and have to have "gray". Generally todays cameras are pretty close on auto as long as you don't use really warm lighting like tungston etc.

Should you want to use a gray card, as a simple suggestion go to a store that sells paint and pick up something that is close. (I've found several close grays with the name including "smoke".

As another close "gray" you can use an old gray colored sweat shirt or a piece of a gray colored underground plastic pipe.

Your editing program will get you close.

One more thing. Check this out!
http://www.topazlabs.com/infocus/

John: With the Pentax Kr and the custom setting set for noise reduction at hi-ISO, you should have no problems with 2200 ISO and maybe 3200 ISO.

*It should be under "Noise Reduction" in the custom settings.

For your information: The Nikon D7000 and the Pentax K5 are very similar in their end results since they both use the same sensor. (Made by Sony BTW.)

You ask a common question but to a degree it really has no answer, unless your going purely technical.

Just take a lot of photos, look at them, and see what you prefer and see if others aggree with your opinion.

After all, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
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That said; my Pentax camera allows me to select how much noise reducing I want at a "high" ISO if any at all. Sony Alpha systems are using a couple noise reducing chips/filters built into the camera.

Nikon, Canon, and most of the other newer cameras are doing the same. (Competition has a funny way of keeping manufacturer's close together.)

Generally if you look at the year or generation the camera sensor was built, that will give you a basic guess as to where the upper ISO valus is accepted by most.

The Pentax K5 and I think the Nikon D7000 are using a newly built sensor that lets them use a higher ISO. Funny thing is that Sony makes the sensor for them.

Also figure that the new "mirrorless" cameras are said to have higher ISO abilities also. The Sony Alpha 77 (soon to hit the market), is suppose to be the newest high-ISO camera. At least for the midsize sensors.

Just remember... Your mileage may vary!