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and it's a Sony Digital SLR-type 12X Optical 7.2 Megapixel. Lots of features but wanted to try just the "automatic" feature, the zooming and the cropping. Whatcha guys think? I think I still need to "crop" the pics more.

Oh, these are the only two not hybernating so I took shots of them. I got this sibling male and female from Mike Falcon last September and they are definite het anery also. Their parents were the one who actually produced (in 2005)the only known ghost extreme (so far). Hopefully in 2008, I'll be lucky as Mike was.

Shannon, good luck this year in producing a ghost extreme. If you are able to produce a tricolor extreme like what you posted below a few days ago, let me know. Thanks.

Ray

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RAY

pics seem smaller but i think it still can be cropped more.

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RAY

Ray,

Looking good man.I will let you know what I produce.I have some great possibilities this year.I could produce the first pearl and I could produce a extreme ghost also.
I should produce some extreme tri-colors.
This pic is washed out a little by the flash.

Shannon

Shannon,

I'll try to experiment on lighting this weekend, using natural light and less flash or no flash. I sincerely hope you produce and prove out the first triple homozygous. I think everyone is antsy about knowing what it will actually look like (even though we all suspect that it might be visually like a snow)..just like an albino vis-a-vis hybino. But honestly, I am hoping that somehow, the triple homozygous would look slightly different from a snow.

Also, the extreme ghost is really awesome. Clean ghosts are nice but the extreme ghost looks like a true "apparition" or a genuine "ghostly figure". It's almost like the bodies of those python womas...and I hope you produce that too.

Your collection is definitely top notch in my book.

Thanks... later...

Ray
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RAY

Thanks for the kind words Ray,
I will keep you updated and I agree it would be nice if the pearl is differen but I am afraid it won't be.

Yes,the extreme ghost is off the hook and super clean.I can't wait.

Shannon

Very nice Ray. Excellent pics and snakes. Randy

Thanks Randy, you have some of the nicest hondos as well. I certainly enjoy looking at the pics you posts in this forum.

Ray
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RAY

Looking great Ray, I just love Extremes.
Good luck with the breeding this year, and send my wishs to Lola

Nevo.S
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Soon will establish a new company. The company will be called "Kosher-Snakes.com".

Good to hear from you. How are the hondos doing that you got from Marc in 2005? Will you be able to breed any of them this coming spring/summer?

Ray
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RAY

Thank you Ray, unfortunately the project have stombed into a few obstacles. I lost one female, and one more is showing the signs of the same disease.

I'm hoping that things will improve soon, and hopefully start breeding next year.

Best of luck,
Nevo.S
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Soon will establish a new company. The company will be called "Kosher-Snakes.com".

oh no, I am so sorry to hear that. Did you know the cause or source of the disease? And is it contained now so that you do not get wiped out? What happened?

Email me.
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RAY

Ray:

I have that camera also, I love it. I recommend reading this article http://www.aakatz.com/h1whitepaper/homepage.htm to advance your knowledge of the camera and its operation.

your photos show how well the auto settings work, but the manual controls are where the H5 really shines. Once you are familiar with the way the camera meters, you will surprise yourself at how well you know which settings you will need BEFORE you even turn the camera on. I (almost) never take it out of M mode, except to use the 1/2000s that isn't available in M.

a few accessories that I can't live without: Orion telescope company makes a rubber accordian style eyecup that fits snuggly around the existing EVF cup, GREAT for taking shots outside. I think they are 3 for $12 shipped.

Pemaraal.com makes an adaptor lens ring (SA58 about $30) that is made of metal and replaces the flimsy plastic one that sony provides.

A cheap folding rubber lens hood from most camera stores will cost about 8$, a must for outdoors.

The accessory lenses VCL-M3358 and VCL-DH1758 are VERY nice lenses. The M3358 close-up lens costs under $75 and the DH1758 telephoto costs about $100. Both are steals at twice the price. I've heard the 0.7x wide angle lens is great too, but I haven't used it yet.

A diffuser that slides over the pop-up flash, or sits at the end of the lens barrel, to prevent lens shadow and make the flash less harsh. I keep one in my bag all the time, made it from a squeeze bottle like they use in restaurant kitchens. Cost me about $3, I use it for ALL my flashed herp shots.

Photoshop. it's great.

Good luck with it, hope you like it as much as I do!!
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Erik Williams

fattailed geckos, western hognoses, and a bunch of postage stamps.
Contact me
www.chicagoherp.org
Chicago Herpetological Society

Man, thank you so much for all this info about my camera. A lot of info to digest but I saved this posting as well as your email address if for some reason I need some advice from you on the camera. Sounds like you are so well-versed with it and photography in general and do appreciate the link that you sent me for my reading reference.

Can you post some of the pics you took with your camera ?

Thanks again !
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RAY

"Can you post some of the pics you took with your camera ?"

the native lens gets pretty close - you can focus so close to the lens, that you will have a hard time lighting the subject properly. Leaves a lot of room for creative lighting techniques.
here's one I just posted in the photography forum, but it's the H5 with just the native lens, EXIF embedded etc. None of these are significantly cropped, some are cropped to aspect ratio but that is it...

Natural light, VCL-M3358 attached, the H5 can get REALLY close with the close-up lens:


and of course you can back off a little if you need to:

but why bother?

Sorry that most of these have the M3358 close-up lens on, my personal photography style, as you can see, is usually portraits and macros so the lens has become my right hand. Hopefully this is a good example of what the H5 is capable of though. Please don't hesitate to contact me about it, nothing better than to talk shop!

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Erik Williams

fattailed geckos, western hognoses, and a bunch of postage stamps.
Contact me
www.chicagoherp.org
Chicago Herpetological Society

Super shots, especially the dragonfly...simply stunning and amazing pics!!!!!!

I will definitely be emailing you with some questions or input after I get a chance to read the link and start using some of your suggestions.

Thanks again,
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RAY

n/p
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

appreciate it.
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RAY

WOW Ray... love the pix... but love the snakes even more.

i have and old 4.1 MP sony i'm upgrading to the 7.2MP Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50 soon... i'm sure other cameras take really good shots but i love my Sony!

~Z
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Royal ReptileZ
Home of Bklyn's Finest Brooksi

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signature file edited 4/22/06; contact an admin.

Dang! Those are great shots Zenny. It's my first time to have a Sony digital and this SLR type digital is 12X optical...I'm just jazzed about it. Erik showed me the website I should go to in order to learn more about how to use it. So when my snakes get out of hibernation, I'd have some fun doing some photo shoots.

Thanks for your compliment on my extremes. Great to hear from you.
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RAY