Category: Camera Ramblings

Well, I can’t exactly call it shopping as I only visited one shop. However, web only prices is the subject of todays rant.

Jacobs, have a bag I’m interested in for £69.99 on their website. Now you’d think you could buy it in store for this price, but no you cannot. It’s web only. Why the fuck don’t they shut up all the shops then. After all a sale is a sale, I refuse to buy it from the store when it’s £89.99 when I can save £20 buy going online.

I didn’t try Jessops as they are shit.

(I have been on Vodka this evening)

So, thinking about it.  If I’m going for a walk I need a better bag.  Not that the Mini Trekker or the Vertex 200 are bad bags, they are great but aren’t really a combi camera/clothes bag.  Seems the Lowepro Rover AW2 is more what I need.

Looks like a trip to Jacobs soon to check it out.  Really don’t need a great capacity for a camera.  Probably enough space for the 5D, 15mm, 17-40 and the 25-105.  Other than that I don’t really need much else when shooting landscape.  Looking at the Lowepro site it seems to have the capacity for my requirements, though artisit impressions of capacity always seem to neglect a camera with a battery pack.  That said it claims to handle a pro size SLR (which in size terms matches the 5D + Battery grip).  Just as important as the camera compartment is the top.  This compartment needs to hold some clothing, food and water.   Should be a bit easier than trying to cram all sorts of bits in the Vertex bag (Laptop compartment is really only for laptops!).

Hoping Jacobs will match their web prices, as their website is £20 cheaper than supposed store price.

(apologies for any grammatical errors – Vodka is back)

Canon teaser ads are about.

This image from Canon Japan…

After about 2 days of the trial I decided that I would purchase the update to LR2.  Though I had my initial rant about the AdobeShaftEuropean pricing policy (http://www.kebablog.co.uk/?p=260) I thought I would order it.

Of course I could have got it from Adobe.  But they charged a few quid more and wanted to charge postage.  So In the end Amazon came to the rescue, well eventually they did (took a week or so to list it).  But it was on the site for a few quid less and free postage.

Problem with Amazon was the stock.  It seems not to be in stock until 15th September.  Now, my trial ran out today.  But I’d logged a support call to request a serial extension.  This of course was never actioned, so I rang them.  They acknowledged there was a supply issue with boxed copies (strange they managed to supply themself).  So a request as an existing LR1 user for an extension was met with a No.  I can understand that everyone would try this, but as they realised they fucked up on the supply you’d think they had a backup plan.

But no, nothing they could do.  I had a plan to install the trial on my Macbook and run the app that way.  It would have been fine.  However google found my solution.  It seems several serials are floating round the net, now I’m fairly sure this is dodgy ground but I tried one and it worked fine.  This is a temporary solution until my boxed copy arrives, so I can actually use the product I have tried.

Piracy? probably.  But it’s ordered so I really don’t give a shit.  When the upgrade arrives I’ll remove the dodgy number and register the bought one.  I’m fairly sure this ‘hack’ will be closed once 2.1 comes out.  But until then, thanks Adobe for nothing.  You have a great product, pity the customer support/distribution channel is shite.

Unless of course you’re deliberate in the withholding of boxed copies forcing people to buy direct.  I’m sure they couldn’t be that devious, could they……..

….seems to be the thoughts of the internet at present.

• 15.1 MP (APS-C) CMOS sensor
• 6.3 fps with up to 90 JPEG image burst
• DIGIC 4 processor
• ISO range up to 12800
• 3.0” VGA LCD with Live View
• High precision wide area AF
• Magnesium alloy body
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• EF/EF-S lens and EX Speedlite compatibility

Now the discussion is 15mp will be shit on a APS-C sensor.  Probably true with what we know today, but as no one has actually seen the camera then it’s fairly hard to judge.  Seems some were expecting a 1DS in a 50D shell.

One person complained all non 1series bodies were faulty by design because the 2x converter won’t autofocus on some slower lenses.  Other wish lists included faster fps (cos 6.3 isn’t faster enough), better iso (which it has) and Wifi.  The latter still is an expensive option.  But to be honest I doubt many would use it, so why include it.

We’ll wait and see, seems Canon cannot do anything right at the moment (in some eyes).  Really the biggest failure of late was the poor response to the 1D MkIII.  Nikon releasing the D3 has meant some have jumped ship.  Whilst the D700 is the 5D killer cos for some the built in flash is superb (Ken Rockwell is a twat).

BTW, Nikon announce the D90, update of the D80 with the ability to record video for 20 minutes or so.  Apparantly it’ll enrich your life too, fellate you, make toast and it’ll take pictures with every Nikon lens made since 1407.  So it’s better already.

See you all when the 5D mkII is released for no doubt another it’s Canon, it’s shit shitfest.