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I suspect a liquid future isn't too far off if the price of 3M Novec drops just a little bit more

Whoosh. The website lists those when you search for "specials," and has "Product Details at Checkout" right under the listed prices. I didn't check every one, but it looks like there are "Special Prices" shown directly in red, and "add to cart to see the real price" shown in black and tagged with "Product Details at Checkout".

As I already said, this appears to be to avoid problems with manufacturer requirements for minimum advertised pricing. The special pricing is no doubt made available when going through the normal search process (e.g. not just searching for specials), to avoid upsetting people who may later learn of the special offer.

Maybe you are thinking of UV filters? I was referring to lens filters like this - http://www.adorama.com/HY58RM72.html which only allow infrared rays above 720nm to pass through the glass.

You've nailed this one.

When I can purchase something from overseas for quite literally half the retail price here in Australia, then add a bit of shipping and it's still significantly cheaper, I'd actually be happy to pay another 10% on top as it's STILL cheaper than purchasing the item here in Oz.

This leads to the situation of some large brand names - Canon and Nikon spring to mind, that take advantage of their market position to do everything they can to kill the grey market. If you buy, for example, a Canon DSLR here in Australia, if it's a grey market import (ie, not imported directly by Canon Australia) then Canon will not only refuse to service it under warranty (fair enough I suppose as the product doesn't have an international warranty) but they will actively refuse to perform any work on it whatsoever, even if you want to pay to have it serviced. If it's not an Oz serial number they simply will not touch it.

Now, this is a big deal as I can get a Canon EOS 5D MkII camera body in the USA for $2499 (I'm assuming for the purpose of this exercise that $1AUD = $1USD)
Were I to purchase that very same camera here in Australia, from Canon, for $3599. If I were to turn to eBay instead and get one from Hong Kong, I can get this very same camera for $2300 with free shipping.

Well-respected USA online store: http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM2.html
Canon Australia: http://www.canon.com.au/en-AU/For-You/Digital-Cameras/EOS-Digital-SLR-Cameras/5D

There have even been times where if you wanted a mid-range or high-end MacBook Pro, it'd be cheaper to fly to the USA, walk into an Apple store, buy the computer and fly home than it would have been to purchase the same machine here in Australia.

The pattern to really high local prices seems to be when the parent company controls the importation and distribution, we all get reamed.

Evidently you've not shopped for a laser printer recently. Toner isn't any cheaper. I think they migrated the laser printers to inkjet printer model some time ago. Cost of toner cartridge today can go over a hundred dollars easily. Some manufacturers even have built in page counters on toner cartridges that would refuse to print once certain page count is reached, irrespective of the actual amount of toner remaining in the cartridge.

The cost per page for toner is less than the cost per page for ink. For example, this HP ink cartridge costs 4.4 cents per page, while this HP toner cartridge costs 1.3 cents per page.

Evidently you've not shopped for a laser printer recently. Toner isn't any cheaper. I think they migrated the laser printers to inkjet printer model some time ago. Cost of toner cartridge today can go over a hundred dollars easily. Some manufacturers even have built in page counters on toner cartridges that would refuse to print once certain page count is reached, irrespective of the actual amount of toner remaining in the cartridge.

The cost per page for toner is less than the cost per page for ink. For example, this HP ink cartridge costs 4.4 cents per page, while this HP toner cartridge costs 1.3 cents per page.

But to develop said roll of film, will cost you another $5 roughly, $4 if you're just getting processing which you want if you're scanning.

A decent medium format scanner (that will give you the quality of a digital back) runs you $2,200 + S&H that's assuming you can even get them! Film scanners, aside from the cheap crap, are getting harder and harder to come by. Flatbed scanner kind of suck and get you no where near the quality of a digital back especially a 39 MP one.

So, for the price of a digital back: $14,000 - $2200 = $11,800. $11,800/ 8 per roll = 1475 rolls of film - doesn't include postage.

That medium format back can shoot hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pictures before shitting the bed. So, each shot is less than a penny. Even if you can only get 300,000 shots of a typical pro level DSLR, that's $0.05 per shot.

Digital wins!

Yup it's cool, but...

if you are a indie film maker, why are you using a DSLR instead of a HD video camera that will shoot better video for less money?

I don't think there is any "HD video camera that will shoot better video for less money". Do you know of any that costs $2,500 and has a sensor even close to as big and good-in-low-light as the Canon 5D Mark II? Or as many affordable lens choices?

I recently particpated in the 48 Hour Film Project in Washington, DC. A few of the submitted films were shot on the Canon 5D Mark II DSLR. The image quality was phenomenal, blowing away MiniDV and as good as some of the groups that had $10k+ of pro equipment.

Personally, I'm a Pentax guy, and really excited about the new Pentax K7 DSLR with HD video capability. Unlike the Canon 5D, it allows aperture control during filming... which should allow for some cool effects. And it only costs about $1,200 for a 14 megapixel weather-sealed camera with 720p and 1080i movie modes, half the price of the 5D.

I'd rather have XLR mic in and record real audio than use a DSLR as a video camera.

I'm not enough of an A/V aficionado to really appreciate the advantages of XLR, but it looks like this issue has already been addressed. There's an add-on unit ($375, it ain't cheap) to add XLR and all kind of other audio gizmos to the Canon 5D. I wouldn't be surprised if we see DSLRs with built-in XLR in a year or two.

AFAIK the cheapest P&S with RAW from the factory are the Powershot G10 which will run you ~$450 new from a reputable dealer. Of course for much less you can get a D40 with the 18-55 kit lens ($375 at Adorama.

And of course, none of those analog-to-digital converter boxes can be battery powered,

Sure they can. If they're powered by a DC wall-wart, then just replace that with a suitably sized battery. If not, plug them into a UPS.

so a battery-powered TV (yes, they do exist, generally in analog B&W) doesn't help.

Mine does. Actually, I have an older Insignia 7" ATSC TV. Plugged into a proper antenna, it works just fine (alas, like most TVs in this form factor, the whip antenna it comes with is entirely useless).

Nikon has this, but it's kind of fail.
http://www.adorama.com/INKWT4A.html
Don't think cell data networks would work that well for large images - RAW on some cameras is 14-18 megs a shot.

Actually, connecting via a cable is not that common at all as there is already a way to transmit images via wireless for professionals using Nikon or Canon equipment.

The purpose of transferring the images in this manner is to 1) eliminate the time involved downloading cards (time is money) 2) allow you to double check exposure and white balance on a color managed device (your environment is color managed I hope) and 3) allows your assistants to get to work on the final images before you've even finished shooting.

If you're using this because you need to check what's in focus after you take the shot, I suggest you work on your basic skills.

Actually, connecting via a cable is not that common at all as there is already a way to transmit images via wireless for professionals using Nikon or Canon equipment.

The purpose of transferring the images in this manner is to 1) eliminate the time involved downloading cards (time is money) 2) allow you to double check exposure and white balance on a color managed device (your environment is color managed I hope) and 3) allows your assistants to get to work on the final images before you've even finished shooting.

If you're using this because you need to check what's in focus after you take the shot, I suggest you work on your basic skills.

> This] would be the equivalent of all of the information in all of the university
> libraries in the United States seven times over. It would be the equivalent of
> 22 Internets, or more than 1,000 Libraries of Congress.

$349,000, though I'm sure you'd get a decent volume discount for a thousand of these.

Oh wait, it won't be needed for a year. Halve that.

The factors involved seem to be being present when a photo opportunity happens, recognizing a photo opportunity, having a half-decent camera, and having the skill to produce a well composed photograph (instead of a blurry mess with half a thumb).

Being present is somewhat a matter of luck. However, photojournalists (like other journalists) spend more time than most people in many areas where "newsworthy" (IE: "I can turn that into a story!") events are more frequent. This improves their chances.

Recognizing a photo opportunity is a learned skill. Unsubtle ones like the collapse of the World Trade Center can be recognized by any moron with a pulse and an IQ higher than room temperature. However, such moments may be hard to pick out of the crowd of moments around us, as the current Wikipedia example image for Eisenstaedt suggests. The kiss is one amoung millions, probably even millions that day; but capturing it has elevated it. Would you have stopped and taken the shot, or merely smiled kindly at the happy couple and wandered on past? (I don't think "Get a room!" was a current expression at the time; anyone know?)

The ubiquity of cameras has reduced the importance of merely having a camera on the scene. However, all cameras are not created equal. No matter how lucky you are, you won't get the same quality shots with a keychain toy as with a fully kitted Hasselblad. Professionals put serious money into having the best gear, since they can get a return on the investment (and often a tax write-off). The barrier isn't absolute, since the availability of quality and affordable digital camera gear has gone up over the last couple years; there's a lot of "prosumer" grade cameras about. However, the ubiquitous cell phone camera is a lot closer to my first example for quality.

The last element is skill. With the cost of "developing" digital shots so low, it's a lot cheaper to develop the skill of photo composition than it used to be. However, since developing such skill also takes effort, most people still use a RFC 2795-styled approach, taking shots and picking the best afterwards. While a professional does this too, the expert knowlege they possess means they have a higher starting point, and an easier time finding that one utterly outstanding shot.

As Heinlein observed in Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, "There is no such thing as luck; there is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe." I wouldn't be too shocked if an "amateur" ended up with a Pulitzer within the next 20 years, but I don't expect the professional photojournalists to die out any time soon.

The only time you want a DSLR is if you want to take professional pics.

What I've done (at least I've done for a trial 50 CDs) is replace the jewel case with archival photo polypropylene plastic. The jewel case is an awkward size and yet I wanted to keep the back paper because it contains useful track information that I can refer to easily. So far I've been very happy with the solution although I'm thinking now that thicker plastic may be better.

In order to get the plastic sleeves to the correct size I bought a food bag sealer and 25 binder sheets of 5"x7" photograph plastic pages which I cut in half. Next I made a jig for the bag sealer to trim the 3rd side down to just large enough to fit the jewel case back paper (about 153 mm) which can be done by quickly tearing off the plastic from the front of the sealer while the seal is still hot. At first I wasn't sure how this system would work but the sealer when the plastic is torn off makes a very clean edge, so much so that I sealed the other two sides as well leaving the top open. Finally, I put each CD in its own envelope between the front booklet and the back paper.

For my next batch I'm thinking of buying a box of these.

For the first 50 jewel cases that I've replaced with these photograph sleeves I've saved nearly a meter of shelf space even though more than a third of those jewel cases were single width but double hinged, therefore containing two CDs. Although the side tabs on the end papers are not as easy to glance across as with jewel cases when on the shelf they are still moderately visible and it's definitely a tradeoff worth the space saved.

Don't scan printed copies. Scan the negatives instead, using a film scanner. You can scan a whole strip in a batch; depending on the model, you can scan 4 to 6 pictures in one strip, or even a whole roll, if the film is uncut.

The price of a good film scanner is less than you might think. I would recommend the Nikon Coolscan V if you want something reliable and affordable. Those gadgets are not generally available in the tech shop next door. Look for them in stores that sell photographic equipment. You can also purchase them over the internet on stores like Adorama or BHPhoto.

http://www.adorama.com/INKCSVED.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O= productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=310476&is=REG&addedTr oughType=categoryNavigation

I just buy from B&H Photo or Adorama. They've been around for years and their prices are as low as you'll usually find. I've never had any problems ordering or returning merchandise and they don't pressure you.

http://www.bhphoto.com/
http://www.adorama.com/

The markups on electronics are very slim. If someone is selling you an electronic product for hundreds below everyone else you're being ripped off.

...the same rules apply now that applied 35 years ago when I started buying photo equipment. Most are places that will screw you one way or another. Some are downright crooks. And there are a few gems that stay in business year after year, garnering more and more loyal customers even though their prices aren't rock bottom.

Personally, I use BHPhotoVideo.com for darn near everything photographic. Some things, like flash brackets, are personal taste problems. You just gotta touch and feel before buying. But for everything else, B&H is either the best or so close I can't tell the difference. They're businesslike (even brusque, sometimes) on the phone but they're also professional and reliable. The number of similarly high-quality online dealers in this market segment can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Actually, you only need two - B&H and Adorama. There are a few specialty dealers who are good for other things and if you need what they sell, they're wonderful. But for the full line of general photo gear available online, it's B&H and Adorama.

The best guidance I know of for buying a camera or related equipment in the U.S. is at photo.net.

There are a few fine NY stores: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ http://www.adorama.com/ http://www.jandr.com/ In particular, B&H tends to carry everything photo related. Adorama carries almost as much as B&H. I've seen people happy with J&R, and I think 17th Street Photo (but I'm not sure of the last one), but they don't tend to have the depth B&H and Adorama has. So if you need say an Olympus 35-100mm f/2 lens, they will carry it, but you will get the glazed eye look if you ask for it at Best Buy. My one beef with B&H is they don't want to ship to maildrop places like The UPS store (I've had problems with delivery to the house, and prefer to get things delivered to the UPS store where somebody will sign for it, and I can pick it up at my leisure). So I tend to order from Adorama more often. Note that the price on these stores tends to be a fair price, but it isn't a 'deal' that the scam sites pretend to have.

OK, so call me an idiot for 3 useless posts. Here's a link to the m:robe 100. I wish I had recalled this thing when I went to replace my nomad -- it really is sleek I think.

And it also happens in the current Canon lineup (Canon EOS-1Ds, EOS-1D MkII, EOS 20D as per this magazine). On my 20D it's under "Custom Function 18: Add original decision data." The Canon Data Verification Kit DVK-E2 (Windows only, sadly) is used to verify such images.

A hobbyist wants a DSLR and is willing to buy accessories and learn to use it.

By this definition a hobbyist also has much deeper pockets! Enthusiasts do pay a premium, but you don't need to go DSLR necessarily.

I chose the Nikon CP 8800 (point-n-shoot) over the D70 or 20D because it's less than $800 (street) and has 10x zoom w/ IS. That is hundreds less than the D70.

Sure, the D70 is, in most technical respects, a better camera, but to take complete advantage of its strengths you need to spend another grip of money on lenses. And then you need to carry the lenses around with you in a big heavy bag, or compromise and mount one lens for a trip.

I know I am not the kind of guy who is interested in changing lenses all the time. I also know that I am not willing to spend a lot on new lenses, even if they are nice. Instead, I got a high-end point-n-shoot type camera, because it is cheaper and very flexible out of the box. I am willing to live with the lesser quality pictures. (though if you check the reviews and sample pics you will see it's still quite nice. good enough for this hobbyist, anyway.)

With the money I saved on the camera I was able to get some high-quality support equipment, too: Bogen-Manfrotto 3021 Pro tripod with a Kirk BH-3 ball head/quick release plate.

other good links:

KenRockwell.com -- lots of good info on Nikon DSLRs and lenses. Be warned though, this guy has a very heavy DSLR bias and thinks you are a chump for getting a "prosumer" camera. If you are a pro, you probably are. If you are a hobbyist, maybe not, depending on your needs and budget. (If you only have about $1000 to spend and you want 10x zoom, you ain't getting a DSLR.)

DPReview.com -- Good reviews. Active forums, though they are mostly full of 1) whining and 2) pictures of cats.

Butterfly Photo -- Good prices and a real manufacturer's warranty. Be warned, they WILL call to upsell you accessories before they finalize your web order, but if you don't want any they do ship the camera: it's not a NYC bait & switch.

I too tried dcraw and among other things (file size?), I never really liked the white balance afterward.

Vuescan on the other hand, is very well built. It has a linux version and was made for film and flatbed scanners (some of which have little to no linux support otherwise), but it can also scan from CRW files (canon raws). It still has all the flexibility you get with film scanners when you scan from raws (gamma, white balance, etc), and it does ICC profiles, too. You can even calibrate using your IT8 target if you have one.

Sure it's not free, but I think they deserve $60-$80 for their work.

My suggestion is to buy an entry-level SLR of Canon or Nikon that has a full manual mode.

Both Canon and Nikon's SLR lenses can be used on their digital SLR lines and Nikon lenses can also be used on D-SLRs from Fujifilm and Kodak.

Your idea of a manual focus camera might be OK from a creative viewpoint, but when you are taking party pictures or want to take some quick shots without a lot of fuss, I've found autofocus useful and necessary in order to capture the moment. Both Nikon and Canon allow you to defeat AF and switch the lenses to manual focus when you need to.

For Canon SLRs, look at http://www.canoneos.com/index.html
For Nikon, look at http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp =6

Another important thing is to buy from a fairly reputed dealer who won't try to bait-and-switch you or saddle you down with low quality 'accessories' as part of your special purchase deal.
I recommend B & H Photo and Video or Adorama

B & H has the Canon EOS Rebel GII with a beginner's lens on sale for $199.95, and the
Nikon N55 with a slightly better lens for $229.95

If you have a little more money to spend, I'd recommend you get one of these SLR bodies with a slightly more decent lens, such as a 28-105 F3.5-4.5. In my experience I've found that my lenses are the bottleneck rather than the capabilities of the body. Invest in a decent lens or lenses up-front and you can be a lot more productive and creative from the start.

Krishna