I took this one today at sunset...I have three cats this is Beatrice.

Check this out, I have one and it is very handy...you don't need to open the computer case.

http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapter-Converter-Optical-External/dp/B002OV1VJW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326758769&sr=8-2

I prefer a pistol head and a tripod that has the option of braces from the center to the legs. I don't know how many times I have caught my camera in mid air because I was using a Slik tripod without the center braces.

Beatrice
1/125 f9 ISO640 Canon T2i, AV, Spot Metering, Canon 15-85is @ 85mm

The lens will work on any Canon DSLR. On a crop sensor C series it will be a 44.8-128 mm. Is the the I, II, III, or IV version?

I would not purchase the 55-250 lens. I bought one from Amazon on a Gold box deal for $149 in November. I thought for that kind of money how bad could it be. The pictures were okay but at the far end of the zoom they were unacceptable to me for moving subjects. So it went back. I am planning to purchase the 70-300is currently 464 on Amz later this month. If you plan to take wildlife or sporting event photos. You may want to step up to the 70-300is. I shoot a T2i and have the 15-85is zoom as my everyday lens. I shoot macro with my 50mm f2.5 and life size converter.

I have owned a Canon SD4000IS for about a year. It produces very nice photos in low light with its f2.0 lens and it fits in a pocket. Low light and portability are important to me when shooting with a P&S. Your friends need to determine what is important to them before they buy not after. There are many people who have purchased the incorrect point and shoot for their purposes.

The last time I painted with light with a film camera we used f8 and bulb. I bracketed the exposure using the light and literally counting the seconds the light was on. This was a project lighting architecture. We used a 150 watt flood light and moved the single light from place to place until the entire structure was illuminated all on a single negative.

I have used the Kenko extension tubes on both the T1i and T2i...works great

I just thought of another possible point. Check the metering mode and switch between evaluative and spot.

Did you buy this used?

I feel for you. I have purchased used merchandise and had it fail after some light use. I don't buy used any longer unless I will be paying 25% of the cost of a new item. Than and only then will I take a shot.
Look at the new Canons they perform very well. In fact, two camera buddies of mine have recently pitched their DSLRs in favor of the G series from Canon.

Check where the picture style is set. It should be set to standard. Additionally, make sure you are using the large fine setting Your lens is not very fast so I would suggest setting the ISO to 100 not Auto and taking some shots at the middle of the zoom range. If you are using Auto ISO the camera maybe defaulting to a higher ISO and you are picking up noise. Another issue could be a filter on the end of the lens. Remove all filters from the lens and if they were inexpensive toss them out. Cheap glass on an fine quality lens is not a good idea. Finally use a different lens. Get hold of a Canon 50mm f1.8 and take the same shot as with the Tamron. The chances of the camera being bad are slight. The chances of the settings being off or inappropriate for your subject are great.

This thread just seems a bit funny to me. If you must ask to define "anal" and "minor" then some would say you are being anal about a minor point.

I just got a very nice lens for Christmas, a Canon 15-85 Zoom. Canon only has a year warranty. I bought a three year warranty with accident protection for $100 from Square Trade. I have dropped things before and for $100 bucks I thought that was fair.