May 6, 2007
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Two things:
Two things: First, Adobe’s photo downloader is a joke- it crashes if I try and download more than a gig or so of images off my memory cards. I had gotten all excited after I saw an online video about it, and how you can automatically perform a handful of tasks as you download your images from your computer. Buuuut, if the programa crashes under too much workload, I guess good old drag-and-drop with finder will have to do. I’ve always preferred manual control over downloading images off my memory cards, because then I can see which folders I’m copying to where, and KNOW I’ve got them all downloaded to my computer.
In fact that’s one reason I prefer Adobe Bridge above other image browsing software. You see, Adobe Bridge is just that, a browser and processor. A lot of other softwares, like Lightroom, iPhoto, etc. are more like stand-alone photo albums, in that they require you to IMPORT everything you want to browse and process. You don’t get to just view folders where they are on your computer, you have to make albums, or projects or collections or whatever, within that software. I think that’s just too much. I don’t want to have a photo album on my computer organzied all one way and then have everything organized another way on my hard drive. I want to have four folders right on my desktop- one for engagements, one for weddings, one for albums, and one for events. I don’t want to have to go into a library somewhere and then sift through a ton of folders that were created automatically. That works great for iTunes, (actually for music it’s BRILLIANT) …but not for my photos!
Second, ROFL, I have to admit something slightly embarrasing: I was actually running Photoshop CS3 IN ROSETTA for as long as I’ve had it. (Rosetta, for you non-Mac users, is the “translation” software that allowed non-Intel based programs to operate on the new Intel Macs.)
As you should know, Photoshop CS3′s main highlight for Mac users was that it CAN run native on the Intel platform. Of course you can still force programs to load through Rosetta, and for some reason that little box was checked in the CS3 application info. OOPS!
Well, now it’s running truly natively, and I’m experiencing a substantial speed increase. I stitched a 6 image panorama incredibly quickly just now, it was amazing. I didn’t clock it, but it might have taken less than half a minute to spit it out. Compare that to the 15+ minutes that CS2 and my PC took. WOW.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Later!
-Matt-
Comments (5)
from 15+ to under 1? WOW
i gotta check that out some time..
I hate to admit it but I have walked away from the Apple Path. I haven’t owned a Mac in almost 5 years. I hesitate to say that I will never go back but I don’t see it happening anytime soon. I miss somethings about my Mac but Hubby built my awsome computer for 1/2 the price of a Mac with twice the power. He is amazing. I guess I use what I can get.
Interesting stuff though.
Hi mrshasee,
You’re right! I’ve done the math and priced the PC stuff; I could build something faster for less. It’s kind of discouraging if you think only in those terms, but the reason I absolutely love to use my Apple is that it’s simply more simple. It’s far less prone to driving me insane with incompatibility or programming errors.
I’ve posted before concerning the details on this, but basically- I’m a camera geek, not a computer geek, and I can’t afford the TIME it takes to build, set up, start up, trouble shoot, and up-keep / update a PC. I’d rather pay more and stress less. While many other people out there can easily do the PC thing, I can’t. I’m a camera geek and a photoshop geek, but that’s as far as I go, hehe.
Of course I do own a PC desktop, and I’m perfectly adept at using it, and I’m computer savvy enough to get around and even help other people out here and there. I used them for work CONSTANTLY, (thinkpad, oohhh) …buuut for photography and for all the stuff I need to do at home, I like to keep it simple…
Take care,
-Matt-
Hey Matt, I am looking for advice on buying a camera, and Dan Arroyo pointed me in your direction. I am looking at buying an entry-level SLR, I think. I love photography, but never got into the technical side of it. The specific camera I’m looking at is the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (The 10.1 Megapixel one). I tried it out in the store, and it feels amazing. It’s $1000 CAD here, and although that is at the high end of my price range, I would be open for any alternative suggestions you might have.
Can’t wait to hear from you,
Kelly (Church in Surrey, BC Canada)
Hi Kelly! I’m so glad you’re getting into photography and are interested in learning the technical side! (you are interested in that, right?)
Here’s the deal: You probably don’t need 10.1 megapixels. If $1,000 is way above your budget then trust me, you can spend a lot less and still get “so much camera” for your money that it takes you years to figure it all out.
What you buy depends on what you plan on photographing, and how much you want to learn about camera control etc.
If for example you really want to learn a lot about camera control and operate the camera in the manual or priority modes a lot, AND you plan on taking pictures to print them HUGE like 16×20″, then I’d suggest saving up and getting a used Canon 20D, 30D, or Nikon D80. They have the most manual control and the best resolution.
If you really want to learn a lot about camera control etc, but don’t see yourself ever printing larger than 8×10 or 11×14, then I’d recommend getting a used Nikon D70 or Canon 20D. They have about the same level of fully manual camera control, but without the expensive sensors…
If you just want to learn basic camera control and take better pics than you could with a P&S camera, and you don’t see yourself printing that large, then get a used Canon XT, a new Nikon D40, a new / used Nikon D50, or a used D70 / D70s. They have manual control (although some are limited slightly) and decent resolution for most print sizes.
If you want to have a basic camera with an outrageous sensor that can print huge, then the most affordable cameras are going to be the XTi and the Nikon D40X. 10 megapixels, yet limited manual control…
I’d like to offer two other bits of input- First, there really is not much difference, at the amateur / advanced amateur level, between Canon and NIkon right now, so don’t believe any salesperson if they’re trying to push one brand or another on you. Personally, I simply prefer the Nikon control layout and I think the Canon control layout, for amateur / advanced amateur cameras, is not optimal. That’s personal preference, and nothing more. Second, don’t just consider Canon and Nikon. Pentax and Olympus (and Sony and Samsung) make great beginner/ intermediate DSLR’s too. (Fuji and Sigma and Panasonic also make DSLR’s, but they’re more professional) You MUST hold as many as you can, and see how your brain jives (or doesn’t) with each one. Certain camera operations are just NOT intuitive to some people, while they’re ingenious to others. The latest cameras to check out are the Olympus E-410 and E-510, which I think are two of the most innovative cameras out there…
Again, I want to emphasize that handling the camera and liking the way it operates is the most important thing. The camera operation will hopefully become second-nature to you, and every operation should be very easy to perform. If you want full and complete manual control for example, (meaning one dial for shutter speed, and another for apeture) …then you’re going to have a hard time with the Canon XT / XTi and the Nikon D40, D40x and D50, because they all have just one command dial, forcing you to hold a button while you dial to access the other control… Not the end of the world, (I do it all the time with my automatic film SLR) …but definitely not easy to do quickly…
Alright, now you’ll never forget me, the “ask a simple question and get an essay for an answer” guy…
Take care,
-Matt-
PS: Scared of buying used? Well, ease your fear by shopping at KEH.com. It is like Ebay prices but with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed, no questions asked return policy. I’ve spent hundreds there; I buy their EX, EX+ or LN- condition gear and it’s like it was brand new…