Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok i just wanted topost all of my equiptment up here and see if there are any other things i should or shouldnt have along with me. Its kinda a long list and i am going to list everything! so here it goes!

1. Camera - Minolta X-700
2. Standard 50mm Lense (Dead Weight, i think im gonna sell it)
3. 28mm 1:4-Macro
4. 50mm 1:2-Macro w/ optional Extension tube making it a 1:1-Macro
5. 70-210mm 1:3.5-Macro Zoom Lense
6. Vivitar 2800 (Auto Thyristor[?]) Flash
7. A bunch of different colored filters for the flash
8. A Polarizer
9. 2 UV Haze Filters
10. 1 Skylight [1A] Filter
11. Cable Release
12. Tripod
13. Fujichrome Sensia ISO 100 Film (Yeah!)

I think thats about it. I dont know how to use my flash so anyone with info please post! and if anyone can shed light on the Photo Problems... thread below that would be great! I plan on heading out tommorrow (actually sunday, unless i can sneak away fom my party tommorrow, its my 16th B-day) And look for herps (which unfortunately arent plentiful in my area) i might head down to the local state park too i know a guy who says there are lots of garters and such there. Anyway thanks guys! Have a great weekend!
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-Doug Daly

"Aren't you two a little old to be drinking illegally?"

0.1.0 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta lindheimerii)

Doug,

Sounds like you are really amassing some equipment and getting into this. That is great.

A couple of things you should get are a good photography book and an off camera flash sync cable and hot shoe adapters for your flash.

Here's a site with some info about your flash - http://homepage.mac.com/mattdenton/photo/cameras/vivitar_2800.html

Your flash has a guide number of 80ft at ISO100. You can use this to figure out the maximum flash to subject distance.

Since you are using 50 speed film, you have to adjust the guide number for slower film.
The formula is

(the square root of (your film iso/guide # iso))
________________________________________________
the guide number.

So for your flash with GN = 80 @ 100iso,

new GN @ 50 = square root (50/100) x 80 = ~56

Therefore your real guide number is 56 with your film.

To figure out the maximum flash distance, you divide the guide number by the f/stop. You can also use this to figure out the correct f/stop for a given distance (GN/distance = f stop).

So, if you are two feet away, to get the correct exposure you divide 56/2 and get 28 so you want and f/stop of between 22 and 32 (29 if you camera marks it).

I usually make a little table in MS Excel and print it out small enough to tape to the head of my flash, if it doesn't have a table on there already.
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Chris Harrison
Does anyone else here think that these scrolling signature lines are stupid?

>>(the square root of (your film iso/guide # iso))
>>________________________________________________
>> the guide number.

This is wrong. You multiply by the guide number, not divide. the correct formula is -

Remember these are flash-subject distances, not camera/lens to subject distances. So one of the advantages to using an off camera flash is that when you are close, you can move the flash back to the appropriate distance to avoid overexposure while still keeping the camera close and vice versa (you can step back with the camera, but have the flash close enough to be able to use slow f/stops).

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Chris Harrison
Does anyone else here think that these scrolling signature lines are stupid?

Thanks Chris. I think im getting 2 books for my birthday in a couple days. John Shaw books - the field guide to nature photography and the closeups in nature. They were on sale if baught together so i told my mom to get them for me. And im still looking into the whole flash cord thing. Thanks again Chris!
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-Doug Daly

"Aren't you two a little old to be drinking illegally?"

0.1.0 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta lindheimerii)

"I think im getting 2 books for my birthday in a couple days. John Shaw books - the field guide to nature photography and the closeups in nature."

Those are two of the best books available, IMHO.
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Chris Harrison
Does anyone else here think that these scrolling signature lines are stupid?