SMPhotography wrote:
This is my take on the evil, soon to wipe out all of mankind, coronavirus. And I spent the last 20 years as a clinical microbiologist so I am speaking from experience, not just through my butt like so many other "experts" have done. This whole "pandemic" thing is utter nonsense, most especially in this country. To date there have been less than 30 deaths from this virus. Compare and contrast to the Flu A/B virus mortality this year, which is now exceeding TWELVE THOUSAND by the latest CDC estimates. It does not take a masters level microbiologist like myself to figure out which is the far more pressing Public Health Threat. It is pure baseless Chicken Little hysteria.
And this is just my opinion, your may mileage may vary, but had this not been an election year, with huge implications at stake, this "pandemic viral infection" would have been barely mentioned. Regardless of what the talking heads on the Clown News Network tell you, coronavirus is NOT new. It was first isolated 40+ years ago and was most recently (before now) implicated in SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) over 17 years ago as well as MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. And there are numerous strains of coronavirus, the discussion of which is outside the scope of this forum. I could go into great detail but I would probably put myself to sleep. The left are using this "pandemic" as a weapon against President Trump's administration, which for someone who was in healthcare as long as I was, is simply beyond the pale. But never let a good crisis go to waste, even if you have to manufacture one. And much to my disgust, the CDC is falling right in line with it. Treatment of diseases should NEVER be political. The President was quick and decisive in actions to minimize the spread of this infection. President Trump could singlehandedly eradicate cancer in an afternoon and the left and totally disingenuous "media" would still brutally criticize him.
So what to do to minimize infection? First and foremost, use good hand washing technique and wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer. This virus can be viable outside the human body for up to 24 hours. If you use the rest room, wash your hands thoroughly and use a paper towel to open the doorknob. Try to keep your hands away from your mouth and nose as much as possible. If you are feeling ill and especially if you are febrile, STAY HOME. If you are sick and must venture out, wear a surgical mask, available at any CVS to contain any and all droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing. This is the main mechanism of spreading it. Maintain at least 8 feet between people who are actively coughing and/or sneezing and look at what they may touch and avoid it. Common sense prevails.
This is my take on the evil, soon to wipe out all ... (
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I think that you, our great dear leader, Trump, the self described medical savant, and his buddy Rush Limbaugh are DEAD wrong on this one. This virus is serious and we are far behind the curve in combating it here in the US. Experts in the CDC and other government have been tracking this virus for months and warning that it could get deadly, but they were ignored, silenced or dismissed from their jobs. Essentially nothing was done until it was here in the US and entrenched. Trump and Limbaugh, were telling everyone that Covid-19 was just like a cold, was nothing to be concerned about and was just something made up by the media to make him look bad. So, nothing was done, no preparations were made.
Trump, as always, pretending to know all, tried his best to "tweet" away the threat and blame the evil Democrats and the evil left media. He tried his best to convince everyone that things were great and soon would be "tremendous" and wonderful again. Trump being Trump, silenced, ignored or dismissed his real experts, disabled the mechanisms inside the government that would have organized efforts to fight the coming pandemic and all the while pretended he knew more than everyone around him about what was best.
Now that the markets are falling while sports activities, schools and many other public activities all over the US are being delayed, closed or canceled, the delay, false optimism and refusal to admit there was a problem will come home to roost.
While Trump did not cause the virus, his lack of leadership abilities to lead the country out of the crisis is on center stage. Tweets and blaming the media or the Democrats will not do it.
Oh by the way, before you dismiss me as a leftist liberal democrat. I am a lifelong conservative Republican, retired military with 26 years of service, a master's in engineering, AND an EX-Trump supporter.
It is Cades Cove. It was a small community many years ago until the Park Service took the land over and the people had to move out. A few cabins and churches were left and remain today. It is very photogenic with many open fields, cabins and often wildlife. There is an 11 mile loop road through the cove with pull offs if you want to stop. There is also an operating grist mill around the mid-point of the loop road.
However, it is one of the most popular spots in the Smokies and lots of traffic is the norm these days. On the weekends in the spring and fall it is often bumper to bumper. April will be very nice as the trees will be coming out and you even see some Dogwoods blooming.
You may also try Wears Valley. Lots of new development but there are some nice old churches and graveyards along this scenic drive.
Mac vs PC, Canon vs Nikon, Ford vs Chevy - nothing will be settled here or anyone convinced to change. Not enough difference between them to argue about.
TriX wrote:
Actually, you’ve hit on my biggest Mac issue - the fact that it is the ultimate closed system in an era where open systems have been the direction for all other non-embedded computers (not just PCs) for decades. It does give the manufacturer tight control, but the consumer pays the price, both in $ and in access to the core of the machine.
Great points! I think the closed system works for phones where reliability and safety may be paramount. But for PC's and computers you need the flexibility.
I worked for an industrial controls company and we designed electronic controls using various processors and software. PCs and Windows rules that world where flexibility and adaptability are crucial.
We always said that using a Mac was like sending your child outside with full length pants and shirt along with safety shoes and a helmet with a nanny holding their hand. With a PC you are sending him outside alone barefoot in swim trunks with a bag of broken glass and a loaded cross bow.
The majority of the time the intelligent, responsible PC kid will be fine with no problems.
TriX wrote:
If you like the Mac interface and OS better, go for it, but know that running Windows under bootcamp on a Mac is NOT the same as running it natively - comparisons based on that configuration are not really valid (lest others take that to be true in a native-to-native comparison).
I agree. I have both Macs and Win 10 machines and I have found Windows to outperform the Macs in many ways. It is much like Android vs Apple devices. Again I have both.
Apple does have good hardware and software, they just seem to be too controlling or "nanny state" to me. They have very rigid ways to doing things and allow little freedom to set up the computer and operate it the way I want to. It is either the Apple way or no way. Much like your parents when you were young Apple wants to hold your hand and guide your every movement and protect you. Win 10 sends you outside to play alone most of the time which works better for me.
Traveller_Jeff wrote:
So far, I've hit my shutter a bit over 40,000 times on my Nikon D500. The literature says most sub-professional Nikons are good for 150,000-200,000 shutter actuations, and the pro's are good up to about 400,000. My question is: Can the camera's shutter mechanism be replaced at that point? Is it like putting in a new set of tires on a car, or more like replacing the whole engine? Thanks in advance for any knowledgeable input you can offer.
I suspect that shutter life is very similar the the MTBF (maximum time between failures) of other mechanical and electronic devices. I used to build electronic controls and we calculated the MTBF of most of our equipment. Most of the time it is a near useless number as it is a calculated number based on factors such as failure history, materials used, environment and other variables. Based on statistics the given number is usually the statistical mean of these calculated failure times. This calculation usually yields a bell shaped curve that shows failures over time, hours of use, cycles etc.
Once calculated, looking at +/- 3 standard deviations, you could have an MTBF between 10,000 hours to 100,000 hours of operation or anything in between. The highest fatality rate of most devices, mechanical or electronic occurs soon after being built - called infant mortality. If it survives the first hours, days, months of its service life, it will most likely operate for some time usually following that standard bell shaped curve mentioned above. A device could fail early OR it could exceed its predicted fail time by significant margins. Manufacturers try to design their equipment to last past the warranty period thus reducing costs. That is one reason that if I purchase a new TV or electronic device I keep it on almost constantly for the first part of its life. Once past the infant mortality point, it will probably work for some time. If it fails early it will be in the warranty period.
Unless it is something life critical (passenger jet engines) or very expensive (power plant turbines) most users ignore all the above and just use it until it stops working. You could change out your shutter before its predicted fail time but you also run the risk of inducing other failures in you camera from the overhaul or the new shutter could be one that fails early in its life cycle.
Like others have mentioned, use it until it fails and then decide what to do.
Gyms can be a tough place to shoot. I have noticed that in many gyms, especially older ones, there can be a wide variety and mix of lighting is use. Often one will find mercury vapor, HID, florescent, maybe even some incandescent and now LED. Depending on the budget of the organization responsible for the gym anything is possible. I agree with solution to shoot raw, shoot some test shots and correct in post.
Someone addressed security and being able to access files away from home. I have perfect security and access away from home.
For security, I unplug my hard drive from the computer. For remote access, I unplug the hard drive and take it with me. It is a one Tb SSD, not much larger than a pack of cigarettes. If I am traveling I just plug it into the laptop and work away. Do not need wi-fi internet connection. When this one gets full I will update to a larger capacity drive. Also, these are backed up when I return home to other external hard drives. With the cost of storage per Terabyte dropping as it is, I cannot imagine spending money to store in the cloud.
One other issue. Several have mentioned they are using "Free" cloud storage. Remember the Economics 101 maxim, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." The companies offering this "free" storage is expecting something in return for you using their cloud storage. At the very least Amazon and Google has access to your internet surfing habits and favorite websites so they can better target ads to your computer. And someone here several months ago was complaining about how Google had the rights to access and use photos stored on their cloud in ads. So there is always a cost, it just is not always obvious what that cost is.
davidbrok5 wrote:
I’m looking to back up photos personal photos, both from my laptop and phone. I want to have folders I can neatly organize and access to them from an app at any time. I don’t want them using my phones storage and also don’t want every picture I take to automatically upload, only when I manually do it. I have an iPhone and a ten year old MacBook Pro that all my photos are currently on. I wouldn’t mind paying a small monthly fee.
With hard drives capable of storing 2+ terabytes of data available for around $100-$200, why even consider cloud storage? A couple of these would be able to store all your photo data for years. You could set us a system and have backups of your backups for a few hundred dollars and have it INSTANTLY available even during times of unavailable internet. Additionally, you can set up ANY file structure or organization scheme you desire because it all belongs to you.
billroach2717 wrote:
Hi everyone and thanks in advance for helping others on this forum.
I am about a year returned to photography after my retirement and very enthusiastic about it.
My biggest frustration is in using Adobe Lightroom (Classic and CC versions). I find the whole system more than I need and mystifying to use. Nonetheless, I have tried it for about a year now because it so clearly seemed to be the program that "good photographers" all used.
Most recently I saw a video about Photoscape X and I was impressed with its layout. It just seemed more natural and intuitive. (I have since learned that there are others such as Luminar.)
Question 1: What do you think about using an alternative such as Photoscape X instead of lightroom for a lower to mid level enthousiast?
Question 2: If I did change how much work would it be to retrieve all my photos out of Lightroom and put them into a new system.
Am I just making it harder for myself using Lightroom when I could be using another program.
Thanks.
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I went to Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 and have no regrets. Like you, I am a mid-level enthusiast with no plans to go "pro". I had and used the Adobe LR/PS subscription and even took several courses at the local university. I switched mostly for cost reasons. Elements 2020 is usually around $80 (one time) and is a simpler, less complex version of Photoshop. Even if I purchase a new copy every couple of years, it will still be cheaper than the subscription. However, adobe does update Elements on a regular basis. It uses Adobe Camera Raw which equates to Lightroom and has a guide to help you use the Photoshop section. So far it has been able to do everything I have asked of it.
Try it out, I think you will like it. Your previous use of LR and Photoshop will be a great help even if you were not a super user.
junglejim1949 wrote:
I made sure I was at home for my expected delivery today. I checked tracking and FedEx claims I was not home for signature @ 10:10 am... THIS WAS NOT TRUE. This is the 3rd time. I finally got FedEx's phone # and filed a formal complaint. I Can't stand it when they make up excuses! I hope others call so we can get better service.
One thing you need to look at is to see WHICH Fed EX is actually delivering the package. Fed Ex Express or Fed Ex Ground. These are two entirely different entities. Unlike UPS or even US Postal, Fed Ex Ground uses independent contracted drivers for Fed EX GROUND. These drivers do their own scheduling and routes. It is an odd arrangement, they are still part of the Fed Ex network but often operate quite independently. They drive Fed Ex themed trucks and wear the uniforms of Fed Ex but that is where the similarity ends. Fed Ex started as an express delivery company only. But to compete with UPS, they purchased various ground shipping companies in the U.S. They are cheaper than UPS and mostly they work OK but they are NOT the same caliber of Fed Ex Express or UPS.
I was in charge of shipping at the company I just retired from and we had deliveries every day from Fed Ex Express, UPS and Fed Ex Ground. You could almost set you watch with the UPS and Fed Ex Express drivers but the Fed Ex Ground guys could arrive anywhere from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm.
GregS wrote:
It amazes me to read here in a photography forum about " leave your toys at home". Do you leave your camera at home? Contrary to what most people think, drones are not used to spy on people. There are always those that abuse the rules, but really tired of hearing that spy thing. I have watched many with a camera and telephoto lens take photos of questionable content.
Take a photo at eye level, then take the same scene at 25, 50, or 100 feet, and each is a totally different.
I and the drone pilots I know take photos and videos at altitude, just like you do at eye level.
I take my professional "toy" with me all the time.
Try it, you might like it!
DJI Phantom 4 Pro, 4K Video, 22 Meg Photos
DJI Mavic Pro 4K Video, 12.5 Meg Photos
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As a certificated drone pilot and photographer I agree with most of what you say. However, due to the actions of a few bad drone operators, the perceptions of drones and their pilots have been damaged beyond repair.
As we know today, the public's PERCEPTIONS of the truth and reality are usually much more powerful than the real situation. So I expect more and more restrictions of drones along with more animosity from the general public who feel threatened by the mere presence of drones. For example, I have friends doing real estate photography who have been threatened by neighbors while taking photographs of the house being sold. The neighbors called police who then questioned his motives and told him to stop or face receiving a ticket for disturbing the peace.
tca2267 wrote:
We are going on the Pride of America cruise ship doing the islands of Hawaii.....some friends of ours just came back from the same cruise and they told me that there was a sign as your board the ship "No Drone's on the Ship"......Needless to say I am a little PO.........Does anyone know what Islands allow drones......one of our excursions told me to 'yes' bring your drone......Has anyone ran into this before .....if so what did you do....any suggestions.
Thanks
It appears to me that the sign was meant for the cruise ship to prevent drones being used on and around the ship during operations. This is perfectly understandable with people, antennas, and other obstructions sticking up from ship, not to mention the objections of the people on the ship.
There are also issues with shore use. Do you know exactly where you would operate? Are airports near the areas you intend to operate? National Parks? State parks? City/County parks? Military bases? Hospitals with helicopter landing areas? Airspace limitations? Local ordinances? I would guess that many if not all of the great scenic stops are located within a National or State park, where most drone operations are prohibited.
I have been a fixed wing pilot and instructor for 40 years and a certificated drone pilot for 3 years and the areas we can use drones are steadily being reduced and restricted, mostly due to people not following proper operating procedures and rules. It has actually been risky to fly drones almost anywhere due to fines and possible arrest if you are caught flying in certain restricted areas. There have also been reports of drone operators being attacked when flying in the vicinity of people at parks or at the beach.
Like you, I use drones mainly for photography. However, due the growing restrictions and resentment toward drones I am considering selling mine and using a Wonderpole. People who get very defensive of a drone with a camera often ignore someone with a camera on a long extended pole. I have seen this many times in real estate photography when trying to get outside shots. Most times it is simply easier and quicker to use the Wonderpole than the drone. You can get these in several sizes and most are fiberglass and can be packed and shipped as luggage.
Whatever you decide to do: DO YOUR RESEARCH! You need to make sure to check ALL the possible issues pertaining to drone use. You may save yourself from fines, possible arrest or worse.
yds0066 wrote:
Just got back from Disney World and all I saw was about 2 dozen digital DSLR’s including Mirrorless the entire time I was there. The park photographers all use Crop Sensor Nikon’s. EVERYBODY was using cell phones. I didn’t see a single point and shoot and only a few bridge type cameras. I was surprised.
My wife and I go to Disney at least twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. I took my dslr only once and it can be an issue. There is a lot to photograph especially if you have family with you. However, Disney can be a tough go if you are humping a lot of equipment and extra "stuff". It is not only tiring but it does limit what you can do and ride. I know use only a phone and occasionally my Sony RX100M3 in a small camera bag that will fit in any ride.
However, I am now retired and living (for the winter anyway) within 15 miles of Disney. I plan on going to the parks strictly for photo purposes and have a list of places and events that I want to shoot. We have annual passes so we can go every day if we wish and can concentrate on a particular event as we desire.
Despite what others have said, there is a lot to shoot and it constantly changes with the seasons and time.
bigtoxy69 wrote:
Looks like it would make a Good Shoulderable mount for a DSLR or Camcorder ? Without too much Trouble ? Can buy them off of Wish .com . It's a Knock off of a Mako/ Fab Defense. From what I can tell ? Not quite Identical but close ! Inexpensive Enough where it could be worth it if it Worked ? Will attach picture of it if I can ?
I think I would give this more thought. It is a good idea but it definitely would not go over with people involved with security. Locally we had a little boy that was expelled from the second grade for using his hand like an imaginary gun and making shooting noises. You know like all of us did on the playground when we were kids.
There is also the news article about the guy wearing one of those big rodeo cowboy belt buckles that looked like a six shooter and was not allowed to fly with because it may scare other passengers.
I can just imagine what they would say with a rifle stock sticking out of your carry on bag.