Order nightmare is over.

Back on November 8th I ordered a Transcend 2gb 150X SD card to backup my cards I all ready have. On November 12 I sent the Amazon dealer a email request for the shipping information and later received a USPS delivery confirmation number. The USPS numbers are not tracking numbers like UPS or FedEx, so there is no way to track the shipment. A week went by and still no package, so I again contacted the company by phone and spoke to the owner who apologized and said he would reship the package again. Later that night I received another tracking number. Another 10 days passed and again no package so again I contacted the company who said they would ship out the package by 2 day air that day. Well that was the 27th and today I received the package. I have no doubt that the Amazon seller had none in stock, so they thought they would delay by saying the shipment was on it's way. You and I know that the USPS is not that inept to loose two packages to the same address. I have no way to prove my theory, but I am glad it has arrived. I will not be evil and give the company a perfect rating, but i will let it pass as all is well now.

On another subject! I have been hunting for a vertical shutter release for my Pentax and haven't found one that meets my requirements until now. Dicain will have their's available for sale sometime in December and I will chances are get it from them. The one they make for the DS is very nice, but I am hopping that this one has a USB connection so that I don't have to remove the SD card to off load my pictures, or remove the grip to connect the cable. Only time will tell. I will update this subject as time gets closer to delivery.

Below is a few photos from recent shoots. My granddaughter is below followed by my Desert Lynx Dylan.

A few weeks ago I wrote here that my router had failed and I ordered another to replace it. I was also concerned that this router might not be strong enough to reach the upper floors, but I am happy to report I get a "Very Good" signal on the third floor notebook computer.

I am unhappy to report that my Dell E510 the computer that I edit my photographs and most of my other work on crashed. The thing had a catastrophic hardware failure that caused Windows XP to crash. So far I have worked at least 30 hours on it and have it running, but I am positive it will crash at any time. I am able to do anything but edit photos as it seems to fail with heavy CPU and memory usage. My next computer will be an iMac 20", but it will have to wait until this system is no longer usable.

What next?

The other day while uploading photos to my gallery my Internet connection went dead, but it turned out to be the Linksys router. All other computers on the network were OK but mine, if I plugged the computer directly into the modem I had a great connection. Now I choose the least expensive route to fixing this and that was purchase a new router. I bought a Buffalo WHR-HP-G-54, which are very hard to get. I am hopping that this fixes the issue and it isn't my computer. If it turns out to be the computer, I don't think I will buy another PC. My next computer will be an Apple.

My main concern is will it have the range to reach the upstairs, I guess I will find out soon. I store many photos on a remote drive up stairs.

On another subject, here is a photo I did yesterday that has a lot of nice elements. It is a photo of glass oblong marbles in a oval container underwater. I like the ripple effect from a drop of a marble into the water while a piece of cardboard prevents splash.

My latest updates

This morning the S&W lens shade for my Pentax FA 50mm 1.7 came and I measured it in order to find the proper lens cap to go over the shade rather over the lens filter. Since the shade is a screw on type not a bayonet type it is extremely a pain to leave the shade on the lens, and still replace the cap. So by ordering a 58mm snap on lens cap it will go on over the shade. I found a Pentax 58mm on EBay for $7.00 shipped, which is a fair price.

Yesterday I placed an order for a 2gb Transcend 150x SD card as a second card for future use. I do think I will purchase a 4gb card in the future as the one to keep in the camera for the trip to Europe.

Tamrac Velocity 8x has arrived

Yesterday while I was seeing a Broadway show UPS dropped off my new sling pack. My first impressions is that the pack is well made, but the Velcro partitions are a pain to move about. But once they are positioned as I wanted they are fine. I would have liked the movable lens partitions to be easy to open and close as the lenses in the lower compartment might be hard to access. Not a big deal as I am only going to be carrying only the Tamron 18-250 mounted on the camera and the Pentax FA 50mm f1.7 in one lens compartment and the Pentax DA 18-50 in the other compartment. The three additional compartments will remain empty.

Wearing the sling pack is not uncomfortable while on my back. In order to pull the pack to my front to access the inside of the bag requires me to loosen the shoulder strap, which is very easy. Included is a waist belt that I don't see myself using as it is meant for use when on rough terrain or activities like biking. The pack can also be moved to one side making quick shots easy, while maintaining quick access to the inside of the pack. There are additional M.A.S. (Modular Accessory System) products available such as a filter pack and a accessory pocket.

Gear bag ordered

As I have a bad back and suffer when I am on my feet for long periods of time, I needed a gear bag for traveling. I at first thought I would get a belt mounted system, but after a lot of thought and after speaking to my friend who is an Orthopedic Surgeon i decided a sling bag is the only way to go. I ordered the Tamrac Velocity Sling Bag model number 5768 from Calumet Photo. It looks like it will hold my Pentax K100D Super and the Tamron 18-250 mounted on the lens, plus at least two additional lenses. I should have it this some time this week, and I will post my first impressions. The bag will allow me to carry my gear in the back, but swing it to my front in order to get to my camera. My next purchase will be a small case for the front strap to hold filters for quick availability.

I will also have to purchase an additional memory card and the adapter that allows me to transfer my photos to my Archos 504. This will allow me to off load my photos each night for safety.

I will also purchase on EBay a lens shade for my Pentax FA 50mm f1.7 lens, as I plan to use it often. A Pentax flash would also be nice, but that won't come so soon as I will need to save for this.

Benro Monopod has arrived

Yesterday I received my Benro Monopod as well as the Giottos Mini Ball Head model 1304-110C, and the Sima Quickonnect model SVR. I am very satisfied with the Monopod and the ball head, but not as much with the Quickonnect as it is about 2 1/2" diameter which makes the unit a little cumbersome. The Benro Monopod is well made and very light, even feels lighter when extended as the weight is spread out. It seemed very steady when held with one hand on the monopod and one hand on the camera. The Ball Head is very nice and easy to use, but I will have to be very aware of the level of the camera, no more than when not using the monopod. I could always add a level to the camera if necessary as they are small and clip into the hot flash bracket.

My next purchase is going to be a carry around camera bag which can hold my Camera with the Tamron 18-250 and one or two additional lenses. I am thinking about the Domke F6 shoulder bag or the Lowepro Off Trail 1 or 2 belt pack. I will try to see this combination somewhere so I can judge the size.