Albedo

Thanks again H, and for the ID as it didn't get ID'd earlier in the thread. Does it have a common name? ....and which bits are the velum remants and which the stipe please?

By the way H. Panasonic are quite well known for dropping the pixel count deliberately as there comes a point where the sensor doesn't benefit from it, or something like that. I gather it was a conscious decision on their part to drop out of the pixel race, and it wasn't for cost cutting, it was regarded by the reviewers as a brave but sensible move for these levels of sensors. I think your'e used to thinking in SLR sensor and pixel land, and not so much the high end compacts.

I googled the D5 last night and my thoughts on the matter are that, you'll easily spend 2k + to be in that league and youv'e still got a big lump to carry around, whilst for £350ish you can get going straight away with less (but highly acceptable) quality but more portability. Heres one I took today on a wee flexy tripod thing with aperture cranked up again for DOF, trying to get the stem in focus. Dont forget you can shoot in raw and with the software that comes with it you can tweak slightly washed out bits etc. This one straight out of camera though.

While the threads bumped, here's another pick or two from Delamere. And also, thanks for your post Bart, how about some more of your picks. You have one of the best eyes for a photo I have ever seen, would love to see a few more.

I dunno H. I see what your’e asking but I don’t think that way and I haven’t done the research on SLRs I used to be really into my photography years ago. I converted a bathroom in a rented place in london into a little black and white darkroom. I was mostly into portrait stuff, and did a lot around the free party scene with spiral tribe in the early 90s. Then I gave it up apart from a cheapyish nickon coolpix which did all the snaps till I killed it. Did all my current research on compacts as I wanted the best quality and versatility I could get in a go anywhere do anything in yer pocket thing. I reckon I’ve got that now in the LX5 althought the G11 or S90 / S95 would have done the trick as well. I would always buy the best equipment I could afford for the job I want it to do. Most things that I need I knock up out of whats around and available. It’s the way I like to do things. Unfortunately I cant weld up a digital camera, or knock it up out of bits of wood and twine, If I could I would. I wouldn’t want a money no object SLR, I’d want what does the job I want it to do if you see what I mean. I’d guess your choice is pretty good but I’ll have to let you know if and when I go down the DSLR route a bit later on. Edit - I ended up with a cannon eos 300 and sigma 28 - 200mm film SLR by the way I might start looking at the latest EOS range in DSLRs with flasher glass

I concur H. Don't you and me just love derailing things, In fact I started this thread in the fungi forum hopeing (not so secretly) that it would become about cameras. I did only have pics of fungi though in my defence you honour:biggrin:

Your cannon will whoop the butt of my LX5 and rightly so. This is just a posh point and shoot, or an entry level DSLR, in that you learn how to control aperture, ISO etc and don't have to carry loads of lenses around. I'm delighted that you approve of my choice, but I think you NEEEEEEEEEEEEEED your cannon:001_smile: Haven't you heard the pixel race is over by the way mate?

I was gonna put this in the stunt fell thread but here we go, nice water droplet:001_smile:

You can't change lenses as its a compact. Its 24mm to 90mm with a bit of extra digital zoom added. So 3.8 x zoom plus up to approx x 5.8 with the digital zoom without loss of quality. To change lenses, its the panasonic GF1 (micro 4/3rds) which would be about 400 quid for the body and the 20mm. This would be a possible as it has stunning macro. but add about 180 quid per lense after that. I'll troll thru the picks for more examples but haven't done any zoom stuff yet really. I'd love the GF1 but am too lazy for all the lenses. LX5does shoot raw and have full manual etc

OK not so secretly, can't get away with aut on ere:biggrin:

Cool, I was secretly hopeing you'd get interested hama:001_smile: It was 400 squids from wildings but you can get it for 50 quid less online. I prefer bricks and mortar stores for these type of things. Its only been out since August so the price may drop a little in a few months. It is sweeeeeeet tho:thumbup1:

The stand of dead birch had all this going on

Thanks Sean, appreciated comeing from yourself as a bit of a photographer. I lost/killed my old snappy camera in Spain in Feb this year and have spent ages researching it. I had given up (info overload) then Panasonic launched this beastie. Its good in macro and low light. I might keep sticking stuff in this thread as I learn how to use it. Only had it a week and been working so not much chance to experiment as yet. The spider's a bit soft on focus but thought I'd chuck it in:001_smile:

No more pics of the first but will dig up some more of the second. Thanks for the critique and ID. (didn't notice stripes) I'm happy to go anywhere with this thread, particularly in the direction of photo technical advice from yourself and others. Edit: just noticed you said stipe and not stripes, What are stipe?

Here's a wasp on a pear and another shroom from some of my earlier efforts

Its a Panasonic Lumix LX5. Steep learning curve for me. I found the depth of field very shallow in macro in auto so went out today to practice with different aperture settings to increase DOF and this is the result. (this, after teaching myself about DOF thru google, then wadeing through the camera instructions) I am deeply, deeply pleased with it so far.

Thanks for the ID, loads of birch polypore around today so the last is that. Thanks for the ID on the spikey shroom as I dont know the others.

Finally got a new camera and went for a walk in the rain in Delamere forest to check it out. Hunting for fungi is fun, and here's some of my snaps.

Bloody good well thought out post catweazle. Edit: my mood may be affected by an hour on the phone to a difficult client and some wine hence the 'bloody' ... needed to swear mildly

AS an afterthought, I see you'e in Machynlleth. Do you have any kind of working relationship with the CAT ? (centre for alternative technology). I bet they'd be a mine of information for you.

Just gave it a quick scan as its my area of interest. It states correctly that you can't plant enough trees to solve emission problems and that the phrase 'carbon neutral' gets missused but it overlooks the main point when comparing coal to wood fuel. Coal is locked up for geological time scales unless we dig it up - long cycle carbon. Wood is on a shorter scale - the life of the tree - so when its CO2 is emitted it is deemed (by whom I hear you ask) not to effect the net carbon balance - short cycle carbon. Theres more to it than this but you get the idea. Hope this helps, I know you have an interest from the firewood industry point of view. maybe a bit of googling of short/long cycle carbon will get a better explanation. my initial suspicion is that this research is a fight back on the marketing front from fossil fuel people. I have no axe to grind either way, just find it all interesting.

Yip Steve may have been shouting 'hurry up I want my tea' . Also nearly added an edit as thats a major flaw in my little tale. Bits of wood can kill someone so I always clock the groundies whereabouts and shout 'below' before dropping anything that might hurt a lot. Needed to be pointed out though Andy .. Cheers.

I once dropped a wee hand held chog in a flippant, nonchalent, almost carefree kind of way. I turned to look where it might land, puffing on me rolly as is my want, and to my horror there was Steve Bullman, helmet off and looking up into the canopy, blinded by the setting sun and shouting something about a cup of tea. I tried to warn him, but as I opened my mouth to shout, dropping me rolly in the process, it was too late. Square between the eyes it got him and he went down like a poleaxed thingy. Andy Collins was groundying and he rushed to his aid, muttering something about, hippy climbers and rollups. When I reached the ground, Steve was comeing too a bit, though he had a bit of a nasty gash. He shook his head a few times and said…. I’ve got an idea ……. the rest is history:001_smile:

inertia + brakes > gravity + friction

Hi bobby. Just looked at your profile to see if your'e a young'un but theres no info there. I was a bit miffed at your comment to Taupotreeman as you said his view made 'no sense'. for what I considered to be tenuous reasons. Taupo man has emigrated to the other side of the world and set up a business. I value his contributions and would really like to see him treated with a little more respect than your comment accorded him. I was glad when 18stoner picked you up on your comment, although from a different angle. I believe he too is a tree man of some considerable experience. I think you have apologised already for any offence caused in your post so all is good, but why not just let it lie now mate. What is your experience by the way, mines in my profile?