Last week a book I made and printed using blurb.com arrived. It’s one of many photo books I’ve made (see qoop books), but my first using blurb. I liked the control i had when making it - There’s an app for the mac that lets you pick a template for each page and add pictures and text accordingly. It took me a while to figure out what pictures to put in there, plus write text for each one.
I ordered a 7×7 book, 200 pages, Hardcover with image wrap (no dust jacket). It was $48 + $8 shipping. see more blurb prices.
I am quite satisfied, the quality is close to that of regular books. My only complaint is that a couple of my pages didnt’ print - the inside flap - I assume its because i opted for no dust jacket. Sigh. Compare cover to blurb preview, also compare to Qoop Books.
That’s right. The 3rd in Canon’s Digital Rebel XT series, this one called the Digital Rebel XTi in the USA, but i like to call it the Canon 400D - less confusing. Why? For me, the main reason is to get 25% more megapixels - it has 10MP instead of 8MP. Also, i like the bigger LCD screen on back, auto-dust cleaner on the internal lens, and improved 9-point Auto-Focus system. Read more about it on digital photography review. For the record, i bought it used off of craigslist for $700 - that price includes all accessories and a 18-55mm lens, which i plan on selling with my 350D. I figure this upgrade costs me about $200.
I got a third lens for my collection - this one is a NICE. The 70-300mm DO IS USM Lens. This is a bad boy. First, on the techie tip, the DO indicates Canon’s new Diffractive Optics technology, which means i can have a 300mm lens in a tiny little package (great for travelling, why i bought it). Also, the IS (Image Stabilization) is improved so much that its equivalent to 3 f-stops when hand-holding. You can really notice this - makes taking pics much easier. This will be a great compliment to my 17-85mm lens. I can now take pics of somebody’s face from a hundred feet away (like this). Hurray.
I got my new pocket-size digital camera, the SD600 today. 
I bought the SD450 only a few months ago, but on my recent trip to New York and Philly, I smashed the LCD screen. I’m not sure how, but i prolly put my keys and the camera in my pocket together, and i think the keys applied pressure to that huge 2.5″ LCD screen. But the SD450 was great, so i wanted another one. I spent a few more bucks this time and got the SD600, which is pretty much identical to the SD450 except its 6 megapixel instead of 5, and takes better shots in low light (due to ISO 800).
Also, I’ve been enjoying my Canon 350d that i got a few weeks ago, so i decided to get a second lens - the 50mm F/1.4 lens. 
My friend dennis has one, he loves it, as do most people. I chose the 50mm because it is quality yet affordable, does great portraits and works well in low light without flash (gotta love that f1.4 aperture). I’ve found that my 17-85mm does a good job all-around - the 17mm is enough wide angle for me for indoor room shots, and the 85mm has enuf zoom to get decent shots from far away. However, i do want to get another telephoto type lens, but i’m not sure if i want a zoom lens, like the 70-200mm($600), or a fixed-focal length (prime) lens, like the 135mm($800) or 200mm($600).
Yep, today I dropped a grand on a camera and lens. Took the plunge into the Digital SLR world. With all my free time and travel coming up, i needed a nicer camera, and after a bit of research, i went for the 350D. I’m not going to bore you with how i picked, but basically the 350D is arguably the best value under $1K. You can compare canons or compare 350D to Nikon D70 for yourself.
As you probably know, nice cameras sell lenses separately. Deciding which lens is right depends on what ya gonna use it for. I’m still not sure what i want, but at a high level, i want to take
- panaramic shots of nature - beaches, mountains, lakes, etc.
- wide angle shots indoors - dinner table, people in small rooms, etc.
- low-light situations - night sky, no-flash shots of people at bars/restaraunts
- macro - close-ups of flowers, jewelry, etc
- normal shots of everything in between
Today I just got one lens in addition to the 350D body, both from craigslist. The body was $550, and i got a 17-85mm like-new lens from his buddy for $450. A good intro lens - not too expensivve, a little bit of macro (1.2 feet), a bit of telephoto, got the IS (Image-Stabilization) for low-light. So Thats $1,000 total. One grand. Lets see if i really use this and want to spend more on even nicer lenses.
