In article
,
Martin Brown writes

This is one situation where going to Jessops and playing with a few
likely candidates is more likely to get you what you want than
visiting any number of review sites. The spec may be fabulous, but if
the buttons are too close together and fiddly for you to use then it
doesn't really matter how good the optics are.

Regards,
Martin Brown


Thanks Martin, yes I will probably take your advice here.
I do visit a fair few gardens in the summer and like to take photos of
different plants/combinations of plantings, etc. With visits often up to
3 hours long heavy bulky cameras can weigh a fair bit.
I don't put it on video (have no idea how to!) but if I don't put it on
macro sometimes the close up is never as good as it should be.
I also use it to record flower shows and exhibits etc for the newsletter
ad some plants just look better with a darker background so a flash is
often useful.

Janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article et, Sally
Thompson writes

Whatever you get, it is worth its weight in gold to get a tripod. I have a
standard one and a mini, fold-up one which fits into a handbag. Also if you
are doing close-ups, get a friend to stand out of shot and hold the flower
still :-)



Don't think Glen Chantry etc would welcome clomping great feet on their
flower beds but I take your point
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Martin
writes


http://gorillapod.nl/

My brother would love one for taking pictures of races etc (he's a
trainer for Arena 80 athletics club in Brighton)
Do they sell them over here martin?

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Sacha
writes


amazon.co.uk sells them

Done. Very many thanks for that, Martin - those will make a good couple of
presents.



And same here! Thanks martin. Amazing how useful some threads become
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article
,
Dave Hill writes

I have asked Santa for a gorilla pod for Xmas
David Hill


Eoutlet is selling it for about £12.00. Only £9.50 via Amazon but it
charges for delivery etc. I've just ordered three!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Martin
writes


Stabilised bipod, surely?

Does she have extendable legs then ?

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article
, Dave
Hill writes

Strange that no one has mentioned a Mono Pod, a lot less to lug
around.
David Hill


Is that you on one leg David or an actual piece of equipment. Where or
how would you balance it so that the camera didn't tip it over?
I agree about having a remote control so you can photograph birds etc. I
was once going to photograph my red oak every month from the same
position. If I had had a tripod I could have left the tripod there and
just attached the camera. I never seemed to get the same angle. I have
seen a picture like that with an oak tree in a field taken every month
throughout a year. Sean Walters has it in his checkout shed at his Plant
Specialist nursery, it's very effective. Be nice to do one with the
garden.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Sacha
writes

I apologise for following my own post but I asked my son which is his camera
and his response was" Mine is a Nikkon D70 and the lens is the one that
comes with the camera. *If someone wants to do REALLY good photos, they need
to get a special macro lens." Being of the point and press brigade myself,
this means little to me but I hope it helps others. (And this new Mac
keyboard is going to gibber me into an early collapse!)


Some of us are still trying to get people's feet in the picture

I have been asked by one gardening Club member to print Christmas cards
from her photograph of her house in the snow last year.
However she had tried to change the sky colour deep blue by just , well
painting over the grey and the branches of their trees
I have had to ask for the original and carefully try and put in a
slightly bluer sky.(she wants it to be a sunny day with the snow!)
Oh and she would like the plants to look better, to tidy up the ivy on
the walls (probably easier via digital camera than climbing a ladder!)

Sometimes people expect too much from the 'tidying up ' process.

I use my camera to try and record actually what I have in the flower
beds. If not I ma constantly surprised through the year as things that I
had forgotten where there, suddenly burst into bloom, yet I never
remember to move them if they are in the wrong position until they are
actually in flower!

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Stuart Noble
writes

By way of illustration

http://i18.tinypic.com/82lcyky.jpg

where everything is out of focus apart from the subject

That's the way I'd like to record my flowers Stuart! What an effective
picture, almost 3d.

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , CWatters
writes

Here is one I took this summer although to be honest I'm not very happy with
it...

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8287/dragonvi0.jpg


Blimey! I'd be over the moon to get something in focus. I always get the
wrong part of the shrub or tree in focus and lose the bit that's
particularly attractive or distinctive!

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Stuart Noble
writes

By way of illustration

http://i18.tinypic.com/82lcyky.jpg

where everything is out of focus apart from the subject

That's the way I'd like to record my flowers Stuart! What an effective
picture, almost 3d.


I only took it so I could put it online and have someone identify it :-)
FWIW any cheapo camera has a spot focus option, but you usually have to
select it from the menu. I swear by the Minolta XG for run of the mill
stuff. Flat enough to fit in my jeans pocket, and no moving parts to
break. I really do take it everywhere, which is the proof of the pudding.

On 22/11/07 10:53, in article , "Janet
Tweedy" wrote:

In article , Stuart Noble
writes

By way of illustration

http://i18.tinypic.com/82lcyky.jpg

where everything is out of focus apart from the subject

That's the way I'd like to record my flowers Stuart! What an effective
picture, almost 3d.

I thought that was a terrific picture, too. I seem always to get the thing
behind the thing I want!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Martin" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:38:58 +0000, Sacha

wrote:

I have bad news. Somebody who has seen a Gorilla tripod thing says they
are
exceedingly small. I guess that bottle of Champagne was a miniature.

Martin


They come in three sizes.
http://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/findmygpod/

Bill

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , CWatters
writes

Here is one I took this summer although to be honest I'm not very happy
with
it...

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8287/dragonvi0.jpg


Blimey! I'd be over the moon to get something in focus. I always get the
wrong part of the shrub or tree in focus and lose the bit that's
particularly attractive or distinctive!


Thats might be because you have the camera set on auto focus. That's the
disadvantage of automatic point and shoot - they are apt to focus on the
wrong thing. Try it on manual and focus it yourself.

Having said that... my photo was taken on auto because I was in a hurry
(kids wanted to go to the beach). That's one reason it could be better. It's
not all in focus because the apature is wrong (gives the wrong depth of
field).

On 22/11/07 21:27, in article , "CWatters"
wrote:


"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , CWatters
writes

Here is one I took this summer although to be honest I'm not very happy
with
it...

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8287/dragonvi0.jpg


Blimey! I'd be over the moon to get something in focus. I always get the
wrong part of the shrub or tree in focus and lose the bit that's
particularly attractive or distinctive!


Thats might be because you have the camera set on auto focus. That's the
disadvantage of automatic point and shoot - they are apt to focus on the
wrong thing. Try it on manual and focus it yourself.

Having said that... my photo was taken on auto because I was in a hurry
(kids wanted to go to the beach). That's one reason it could be better. It's
not all in focus because the apature is wrong (gives the wrong depth of
field).



Er.....yes, okay. To be honest, I don't think our camera allows for any
manual fiddling about. It's either on, or it's off.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'