Even more toys

Things have been a little busy on the hardware front. Getting the Dell XPS 8700 set up has been a bit of a chore, from locating product keys and install files to getting the settings back to where they were before. But that's almost done. Maybe another week or so for the minor programs.

My 64GB Lexar Pro 1066x CF card finally arrived. The D3 would not fully recognize the card; I could format it in the camera (that takes a bit of time), but then the camera indicated zero remaining shots. A quick check of Nikon's website shows that I'm two revs behind on firmware updates. Another 10mins or so to download and update the camera, and I now have 1.7k (NEF + JPEG fine) remaining shots. Hopefully the buffer will clear up faster the next time I'm doing surfing shots.

My daily craigslist search has produced a Nikon LS-50/Coolscan  V scanner. Searching the interwebs gives me the drivers needed for Windows 8. The Nikon Scan software isn't too bad. Image quality of scanned Ektachrome results in vibrant colors. Sadly, the slides have some dirt on them that Digital ICE can't remove. Scanning film is a slow process, and requires quite a bit of patience. Well worth it to save those family moments.

New hardware time

For the past month or so, my primary computer (an eight year old Dell XPS 420) has been giving the BSOD on random occasions. I've tried everything (short of re-installing Windows) to stabilize the system, with little to no effect. So I bit the bullet and ordered a new Dell XPS 8700. I figured that since my old XPS lasted a good amount of time, a new XPS would do the same.

The new system arrived today, and it's a big disappointment, to say the least. The case doesn't have the elegance of the old XPS (and not even that of my older Dell 8400 that pre-dated the XPS 420). It looks just like any other case, and is actually on the cheap side. The cage for adding a hard drive didn't fit well, and I actually cut my finger trying to push it into place. The CPU fan is just a simple fan, with no shroud (unlike my other two Dell systems). There is no elegance to the design (and I say this having been a design engineer for test equipment). Sad cost-cutting measures. Hopefully this system will survive for eight years too.

XPS 8700

XPS 420

Inspiron 8400

I also got a new printer, a Canon Pro-100. My Epson Stylus Photo 2200 was in need of ink, and the $300 rebate (in the form of an Amex card) offer on the Canon (net cost of $35) made it a no-brainer to order a new printer. The Canon is surprisingly huge and heavy. It doesn't really fit on the Metro shelf that held the Epson. I thought of putting it on a bureau in my bedroom, but then I'd have to walk back and forth to get my prints (plus it negates the work-rest separation principle). So the Canon is jutting out of the shelf in the office for now.

I haven't printed anything on the Canon yet as the new computer arrived the next day after the Canon. Setting up a new PC is a pain; I don't want to migrate everything over as the older PC was having some issues.

It's going to be a long weekend.

Gallery software update

So my website host has required me to update to PHP v5. The Menalto Gallery software that I've been using on all my websites is version 1, and the latest is version 3. I decided to ugprade to version 2 as it's compatible with PHP 5 and should be more stable.

It took several days to do the upgrade, with multiple hiccups along the way. The template I'm using doesn't replicate the old look of my galleries, but it works for now.

Take a look and tell me what you think.

Jumping ahead

The World Cup in Brazil is coming up, so what better way to celebrate than with Carnaval SF. This year I had a scheduling conflict, so I went to the staging area instead of attending the actual parade (similar to the St. Patrick's Day parade earlier this year). It's a bit more fun as the parade participants are more willing to pose, and some actually practice their dancing.

I went with only one body and lens, the D3 + 28-70mm. I could have used a little more reach for some shots (not really the in-your-face type), and a little more FOV. Sounds like the 24-120VR would be a good fit for situations like this. I used the SB-800 for some shots, but I wasn't happy with the results (as usual).

Two issues: too many people taking selfies, and too many other photographers!

Hit rate: 261/1,059, or 25%

Complete set of photos here

State of the (hardware) nation

I said goodbye to an old friend today. After a few months of half-hearted craigslisting, my trusty D2H has gone on to another home. Digital cameras are not an investment as I sold it for 8% of its purchase price in 2003. But it has taken over 65k images, some of which are my favorites. The colors out of the camera are vibrant (more so than the typical Nikon body of the time), and the AF is fast and with great frame coverage (something the D3 lacks). I loved the portraits that came out of this camera, with a great balance of resolution and color.

On the other hand, the resolution and high ISO performance are sub-par compared to the current state of digital. I recently bought a D3200, so the D2H had to go. I still have the D1, but something is wrong with it as it won't take any photos with a card installed.

So what's my kit? The D3 (for low light and when I really, really need to get the shot), the V1 (for walking around, video and when I don't want something heavy), and the D3200 (for when I need 24MP). The D3 is the oldest of the bunch (85k shots in 6.5 years), but I don't see replacing it soon.

Godspeed D2H, may you find a second life with your new owner.