///M5

Bottom one is a bit overly processed too, but when trying to fix something that isn't stellar in the first place that happens.

Had I shot this on L glass it'd be just as clear

The last thing you want to do is miss something like this. Any shutter lag and you are effed. That is an pooperzoom lens at 5.6. Can't get much crappier on an SLR. Exposure wasn't nailed, but it is the only shot from his birthday worth a shit. Of course, I took not the w.

My wife wanted me to email her a pic from Tanner's bday since she is traveling. I almost puked when I saw the pics she took. Might go buy the 17-55 2.8 today. Ugh.

A lot of body for that, but I'd buy a lens.You mean that's a good price for the body? I'm trying to get an understanding of what a good deal really is. Also its hard to shop for a lens and all the ones you listed come in around $700 You referenced a budget of around $500. Should net you a $700 lens used with a rather old body.

People are the trick and kids are the hardest. Aidan just turned 4. I cooked, my wife shot pictures. MOST are blurred, out of focus and all have rather bad exposure. This is with an SLR. Operator is HUGE. Of course it is way worse with a P&S as then she also misses the expression she was going for.

Sweet. 16bit? WTF? Yep. Filemaker Pro 3. Required to install FMP 7. 3 is 16 bit, 7 32. Of course I can't install 3 since his machine is 64 bit. Tried to point it to the previously installed version 7 on the original drive, but it didn't want to update that. Think I'll mount a USB chip on my old laptop and install 3 on it and see if I can use that as the install or if it is smart enough to search somewhere else. The right click and selecting run program as 32bit doesn't work? That's nuts it's 16bit rofl. Nope, can't run 16 bit in 32bit emulation.

Sweet. 16bit? WTF? Yep. Filemaker Pro 3. Required to install FMP 7. 3 is 16 bit, 7 32. Of course I can't install 3 since his machine is 64 bit. Tried to point it to the previously installed version 7 on the original drive, but it didn't want to update that. Think I'll mount a USB chip on my old laptop and install 3 on it and see if I can use that as the install or if it is smart enough to search somewhere else.

Depends completely on the install. Mounting locations, aiming, musical preferences, processing, capability, yada yada. Either way, you need to make a plan on where.

Did you know that the grip extenders can hold AA batteries???? Damn brilliant. I am going to get one soon. Money well spent! 100 bucks for more grip for my fat hands and I can rock batteries I can find anywhere. Fucking sweeeeeet. Knew that, but I was at my beach. No batteries there

And no camera in the world would have saved the pics I missed tonight...unless there is one with dual batteries, lol.

Dad's computer is built, loaded full of all his software, all backed up, and imaged. Fucking bitch to get Outlook to work with AOL for email and ANYTHING to sync with the Google Calendar (& Contacts) on a Droid. End fix was to get an Outlook.com account for the Calendar & Contact sync and to IMAP the AOL. I'm not used to having an exchange server which is way nicer. Between that and a bunch of 32 bit programs (even a 16, lol) it completely was frustrating. Done now. He's happier than a pig in shit....or will be tomorrow. He came over for a test run and to check his other online accounts to make sure I have EVERYTHING setup.

My lens is better than the one in the video though. ROFL. That guy is a douche

Just needs an interesting sky. I don't really want to photoshop anything, but if I am going to print it I just might.

$500 lens is ruining the bottom pic too

For instance: Had I known I thought further ahead if he were randomly playing here so you didn't see him as much as a focal point it could work too. I really wish I realized this more clearly before I left.

That and both my wife and I suck at liking other peoples decorations. I've taken an approach I want to push further to solve this. I've built a few frames and am populating them with pictures I've taken. I have a new goal since we are listing our house as well. Pretty much golden rule of listing are NO photo's of people that look like family. Has to be their family, not yours. Best way to install the second part of that is for me to take pictures of really scenic things with my kids having their backturned doing something cute in a corner, or a scene with many people/tourists and my family hiding way in amongst them but with the resolution to still see them. Really caught the bug in Scandinavia. Wish however, I would have caught it BEFORE I went.

And Ryan your comments are 1000% valid; however, what I want to shoot only happens once in life. Having a tool that misfires or an operator who is unable to perform at that time completely destroys the purpose. Memories are better when you can not only remember them but see them clearly sa well.

I should wait for the next post....however, it is actually a worse deal IMO. The 18-55 is a throw away ie, you can't sell it for jack. There is a reason for that. I'd MUCH rather have an older body with a better piece of glass. At the same time, it is a reasonable start and better than you'd do buying new.

A lot of body for that, but I'd buy a lens.

I am pretty minimalist as well...but with a slightly different budget.

Ha, I take shitty pics even with an SLR. Put a P&S in front of me and I will miss absolutely everything cute my kids have ever done.

And much of the time a flash can't be used.

The photographer is ~14 too. For the most part I do think you guys are over complicating what you need to take quality pictures though. Sure, low light with digital is an issue, so you've got two options, faster lenses or bump up ISO, when you bump up ISO quit your pixel peeping! Forget autoISO, set that shit on at least 800 and go to town if you are in doors, you should be able to hand hold to 1/60th, moving shit, panning is your friend. You wouldn't fare so well in a museum. To get even a reasonable exposure in the vasa museum I was shooting 3 second exposures at ISO 400.

Actually yes you are. Go ahead, use milk. ROFL.