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Panasonic announced its 12-35mm f/2.8 lens. It's the first fast, constant aperture "normal" zoom available for Micro 4/3. Here is a review of a pre-production system from a trustworthy source:
www.slrgear.com/review...518/cat/69

I am just afraid this lens is going to be quite expensive.

Massimo

We are HUGE fans of Lightroom 3. It has everything we need. It is very intuitive and simple to use.
We've been able to recover completely blown out skies in JPEGs with the recovery slider alone! Can't say enough about LR3.

We paid $99 (USD) for LR3, as we were registered users of Elements. Worth looking into if you're thinking of buying LR3.

Also, the Scott Kelby book on LR3 is terrific. Great info and funny too!

Cheers!

- TrevorLarkum

I use Photoshop Elements - it's not as fully featured as CS but considerably cheaper.

For our typical needs, Elements does the job just fine. Again, if I had to spend money, I would consider Adobe Lightroom first (trial is available)

Massimo

I use Photoshop Elements - it's not as fully featured as CS but considerably cheaper.

At my work I can now use Photoshop CS5, so I want to give it a try with some of my photo's

regards
Lesley

I use Photoshop since I get it for free, due to my professional work.
If I had to spend money, I would most likely get Adobe Lightroom instead.
Both Canon and Nikon offer free software for RAW editing, I would start from there.

Massimo

Massimo, (and others of course who do PS editing)

What program are you using for editing your photos and do you have a workflow for processing your photos?

For aircraft I have found some;

www.airliners.net/faq/..._guide.php

seahawkgfx.de/workflow.htm

I can image that tanks are a little different due to the darker colours.

Thanks in advance
Lesley

Of course I had no need for flash in Thun's Panzermuseum last month, but thanks to the "pole" I finally managed to take a look at Nahkampfkanone II's upper hull and its hatches. I wasn't even aware of their layout!

Then I went to Full last Sunday. I took over 600 shots with Canon G12 plus 270X flash using the monopod/cable-remote as a "pole". It's definitely better than the build-in flash and allows me to use the combo properly indoor. Now that I've added the external flash I am fully satisfied.

Quality is not reflex-like, but okay. In order to improve it I should take something like a Panasonic G-3 or the like. But that would be heavier, bigger and more expensive...

Massimo

Hi Massimo -

I do understand that you are using the G12.

All suggestions should apply to the G12 with & without the 270EX external flash.

A great diffuser for the built-in flash on the G12 (it fits in the hot shoe) is called "the Puffer" made by Gary Fong.

I found this post on the dpreview forums that might interest you regarding the G12 and flash exposure compensation:
forums.dpreview.com/fo...angemode=1

Cheers!
VB

Thanks for the tips, there is a lot to learn on using flash. In my specific case I am using a G12, not a DSLR, so not all the things I know, or all the things you suggested, apply to it.

I am still experimenting with this pole/G12 combo and I have yet to use it with an external flash. I'll keep you posting about it.

Massimo

Massimo -

Regarding flash:

If the closer-in shots are "washed out" you may need to underexpose.

Another trick is to use a diffuser - it will help to spread the light out more evenly and soften it a bit when shooting closeup. The Stofen company makes a diffuser to fit your Canon 270 EX flash. Retails for around $20 USD. If you use a diffuser, you may need to increase the power setting of the flash via the Flash Exposure Compensation menu.

Sometimes using the flash in the automatic mode (letting the flash decide how much power to use) will lead to overexposed shots. You may get better results by putting the external flash unit into manual mode and reducing the power to 1/2 or 1/4.

If you need the flash to reach further, you can increase the power of your flash (both onboard and external) via the Flash exposure compensation menu and/or change the zoom setting of the flash (on the external) to a higher number. The higher the zoom numbers, the more tightly focused the beam will be (just like the lens aperture). Conversely, the lower the zoom numbers, the wider the flash coverage.

So summing it up:
If the shots are too washed out, try using the diffuser. If that doesn’t improve the shot enough, try reducing the flash power via the Flash Exposure Compensation menu. If that doesn’t solve the problem, try setting the external flash to manual mode and reduce the power to 1/2 or 1/4 or 1/8.

Another trick to try is bouncing the flash off of the ceiling or wall. Tilt the flash head upwards at around a 45 degree angle. The indirect light will often light the scene more effectively than a direct flash.

Mrs VB has a nice trick where in she will shoot with camera upside down, to get the flash to light the lower tread area. Sometimes she will use a graduated neutral density filter on the top half of the AFV (to reduce the ambient light) and the flash on the treads to balance the lighting. She’s very good with flash – I’ve been trying to catch up to her!!

It took me a while to learn how to use flash effectively and I'm still learning on every shoot.
It can be tricky to learn, especially if one is feeling the pressure to perform well – ie visiting a museum for the “only” time!

Hope this helps!
Have fun on your adventures – safe travels!

VB

Yesterday I have been in Kradolf, my best shot of the day:



Massimo

Looking good!

Some shots from last's month visit to Full. All taken with G12 and build-in flash. I had to increase exposure here and there during post-processing because, as I said, build-in flash isn't powerful enough. I am positive I can do better with the 270EX external flash, but I am quite pleased anyway:







Massimo

I've got a good deal on a Canon 270EX flash. The new version "II" is hitting the shelves, so I managed to get a version "I" for almost half the price. Latest version offers some additional features, but I have no needs for them. The version I've got will have less resale value, since there is a newer version now, but I am fine with that.

It's a small unit, that fits well on Canon G12 on top of my "pole". I also got the longer cable remote from Satechi.
Hope I will be able to test the combination next month.

Massimo