Grasshopper (one each, basic gray)

[rjlittlefield]

OK, I confess. I'm playing around with this little point-and-shoot camera that is so easy to carry while backpacking, trying to figure out what all I can get it to do.

There's nothing at all interesting about this image, except that it looks pretty good despite having been shot at about 1-1/2 feet with a camera held at arms length, kneeling down with a 64-pound training pack strapped to my back. That's a combo that I would not want to try with a DSLR.

Thanks, Nikola!

--Rik

Technical: Canon SD700 IS, auto-everything. The jpg file reports f/5.5 at 1/500, FL 23.2 mm (full telephoto). Cropped to about 50% of frame width, strongly filtered by USM at 0.7 pixel after resizing.

[Bruce Williams]

Some of these compacts do a great job with close-ups don't they. I had the 7mp Panasonic Lumix TZ3 on loan for a while and was just amazed at the quality of the results.

You did a good job spotting this little fellow as he's so well camouflaged against the background.

Ok Rik, you got me - I just can't figure your subject title "...one each, basic gray"?

Bruce

[beetleman]

A great shot Rik. I bet the 60lb pack helps you stay steady He looks cool in his desert camo.

[rjlittlefield]

Ok Rik, you got me - I just can't figure your subject title "...one each, basic gray"?

Oh, sorry! It was a take-off on how commodity items sometimes appear in parts lists: basic description, quantity, unit, more detailed specifications. "Grasshopper (one each, basic gray)" should be interpreted as "ho hum, another one of those ".

Thanks for the pointer about the Panasonic Lumix. It sounds like they put a pretty impressive lens on that thing! I'm bothered by the absence of manual controls, which has been frustrating with the SD700. (The advertising said it had a "manual" mode. But I didn't do my homework very well, and it never occurred to me that what they meant by "manual", was "and you can tell it which automatic mode to use"!) I have a Canon A710 on backorder that should fix that problem -- of course I'll let you see what it does, when it eventually comes.

Doug, the pack weight would help a lot if it were sitting under the camera, or better yet, on it. As it is, there seems to be some problem with slop, flex, and jitter in the mechanical linkage. I'm really very happy to have image stabilization with that setup.

--Rik

[MacroLuv]

You are absolutely right Rik!
I was carrying around my backpack, shoulder bag and weighty DSLR with lenses, about eight hours per day, listening Katydids (singing like making joke with me: Katy did, Katy didn't, Katy did, Katy didn't), sweating and getting muscles like Schwarzenegger, asking myself: Did the heck I need it?

Thanks, Nikola!

You are welcome Rik!