Disqus - Latest Comments for VolantGC8

Re: Painters

VolantGC8 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:39:01 -0000

What is your proposed budget and what kind of brush(es) are you looking for? (fan, flat, round, etc).
Would you be interested in a set perhaps?

~Erik

Re: Martial Arts

VolantGC8 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:58:56 -0000

Black is typically the highest ranking belt a student of martial arts can receive. In some forms of martial arts, they use the "degree" rankings to denote their level of mastery. Usually when a student obtains a black belt and is allowed to teach, he/she would become a *senior* student per se. When that teacher reaches the third degree black belt, that is when he/she is known as sensei.

~Erik

Re: Computer Science

VolantGC8 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:53:18 -0000

Are you looking for books that teach a broad scope of everything that Computer Science encompasses or more specific things like programming language, software or IT?

Re: History - Government

VolantGC8 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:14 -0000

Ah, that makes a lot more sense now. So it would be like the Franklin Institute with less Science, more History, and more outdoor activities. That's pretty cool.

~Erik

Re: Photographers

VolantGC8 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:48:17 -0000

Prepare for the DSLR to get out of hand :). A proper wide angle lens (prime or zoom) will run several hundred dollars, even used. Likewise, a proper telephoto (again, fixed or zoom) lens will cost a few hundred. Your best bet with DSLR is to get a zoom lens like the kit lens from the Nikon D90 which is an 18-105VR. So, say you bought a D40 used for about $300 and then bought the 18-105VR brand new for $275 or used for slightly less. With this simple package you're looking at around $600. If you're persistant you might be able to get that price down to $500, but remember that this is a very basic package so you'd probably have to buy a memory card yet. Also, if you're not satisfied with a zoom range of only 105mm, then you'd have to buy another zoom lens for longer distances. Some people try to make up for the lack of range by buying the 55-200mm. However, that lens has been received pretty poorly and I wouldn't recommend it.

Cliff notes: Going the DSLR route, expect to spend around 500-600 dollars on a used D40 and 18-105VR (probably your best bet). If it sounds overwhelming, you may be best suited with a prosumer camera since the body size doesn't seem to bother you, yet you want the controls, functionality, and zoom capabilities of a DSLR.

~Erik

Re: Photographers

VolantGC8 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:10:22 -0000

Cody,
The Canon is a good find. It's nice to see that some company's are infusing ultra-zooms in the compact body design. I've used a Canon SD790is and it takes great pictures for a compact camera. Canon would probably be my go to brand for quality pictures in the compact camera market. I'm interested in knowing what kind of camera body "Anonymous" is looking for since using the manual settings with a compact vs. prosumer camera are pretty different.

~Erik

Re: Photographers

VolantGC8 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:57:25 -0000

Hmm, you're kind of at a cross-roads with those parameters. A DSLR is a great investment, but it's something you'll probably end up spending more money than anticipated. Even if you bought a used DSLR, like a Nikon D40, you'll spend about $200-300 for just the camera body and then you'll spend additional money for all of the camera accessories (lenses, filters, cases, etc).

You seem like you want a camera that has manual controls, like a DSLR, so you can learn about the effects of such things like shutter speed and aperature. Also, I feel like optical zoom would be another important factor.

I started into photography a few years ago with a Sony DSC-H1 which was a great prosumer camera when it was introduced. The only thing with Sony's cameras is that they take a "Sony only" style memory card, not a SD card. This wasn't a big deal to me, but it is to some other people who like flexibility between cameras.

If you are interested in something like the Sony DSC-H1, or similar style by another manufacturer, the best thing to do is try them out before you make any purchases.

~Erik

Re: Feedback

VolantGC8 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:58:06 -0000

I definitely like all of the categories thus far; especially the photography section. Is the primary basis of this site going to focus on academics and the arts, or would you potentially expand to things like mechanics and technology?

~Erik