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AN UPDATED CANON BRIDGE CAMERA - NOW TO SHOOT RAW CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS ON THE CANON PowerShot SX1 IS
================================================================================================= NIKON ANNOUNCES NEW BRIDGE CAMERA CALLED THE NIKON P90 
Nikon has unveiled the Coolpix P90 superzoom with 24x optical zoom. With 26mm - 624mm (35mm equiv.) zoom range this superzoom camera sports a 12.1 MP sensor, 3.0 inch tilting LCD and includes manual and auto features such as Scene Auto Selector, Smile Mode, Blink warning and P/A/S/M exposure modes. In addition, continuous shooting mode can deliver 45 images at 15 fps, with images being recorded before pressing the shutter button. ================================================================================================= WHY OUR WORKSHOPS INVITE BRIDGE CAMERA USERS TO ENHANCE THEIR SKILLS AND GET MORE FROM THEIR CAMERA BRIDGE CAMERAS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT CAN SHOOT RAW FILES, LIKE THE CANON ABOVE, ARE EXTREMELY CAPABLE AND VERSATILE AND OFFER THEIR OWNERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHY ONCE PHOTOGRAPHIC CONCEPTS ARE MASTERED. WHILE THEY MAY NOT OFFER EVERYTHING THAT A DIGITAL SINGLE LENS REFLEX OFFERS, THEY DO COME WITH THEIR SET OF TOOLS IN A COMPACT EASY TO CARRY, CREATIVE PACKAGE. OF COURSE IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE CAMERA TO SHOOT RAW, BUT RAW IS THE BEST FILE TYPE TODAY.
LET BLUE RIDGE WORKSHOPS HELP YOU MASTER YOUR BRIDGE CAMERA AT OUR WORKSHOPS. WE HAVE 1/2 DAY, FULL DAY, AND MULTI DAY WORKSHOPS WHERE YOU CAN HONE YOUR SKILLS WITH YOUR CAMERA OF CHOICE. ======================================================================================= THE NEW POCKET WIZARDS USHER IN THE NEXT INCREDIBLE PROGRESSION FOR ON CAMERA FLASHES FOR NIKON AND CANON 
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WHY NOT LEARN SOMETHING NEW - WHY NOT REFRESH THINGS YOU LEARNED BEFORE - JOIN A BLUERIDGE WORKSHOPS GROUP, TAKE A CLASS, COME TO A LECTURE 
Our workshops are small. We accept 12 students of all levels to wonderful places to re learn what you may have already forgotten or not used in a long time, and of course to learn things that are new. All of this so you can continue to grow your skiils in a hobby or lively hood that you have a passion for. Photographing everything around you, and changing the way you see the image, how you light the image, how you approach the image are things you will learn in relaxing and beautiful locations. Come join us, sign up. ========================================================================== April 17,18,19 Shenandoah Photography Workshop Shenandoah and Surrounding area Click for details 2 OPENINGS ARE LEFT FOR THIS GREAT EARLY SPRING WORKSHOP Early Spring flowers awaken with beautiful rich colors, the grasses take back their color and the spring flow of the beautiful Shenandoah streams give birth once again to all shades of moss, the trees and shrubs are either budding or newly alive. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 openings left This is a wonderful place to learn how to deal with macro and closeup photography. The beautiful flower gardens, the landscapes, birds, insects, are all within easy walking distance making it easy, to comfortably get incredible photographs. You will not only have great subjects, you will be learning how to modify your light, with reflectors, diffusers, and flash and how to compose these beautiful subjects. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ May 22,23,24 Cape Charles & the Beauty of The Eastern Shore Click for details The eastern shore provides a multitude of shooting opportunities from incredible birding, to architecture and scenics, and always coupled with a chance to do macro. This workshop will allow you to work with your instructors to enhance your skills working with exposure, composition and technique. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ June 12,13,14 Macro/Closeup/Tabletop Photography, and image processing, Sperryville, Va. Click for details 4 openings are left We shall travel through Rappahannock county visiting some incredible areas where you can hone your skills over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ July 11th The Lilypons in Full Bloom Adamstown Maryland Click for details 8 openings left This area has been a favorite of photographers for many years. You will have the opportunity to photograph beautiful lillies, and lotus flowers as well as bees, frogs, birds, and scenics. This is a wonderful place to get around. There are wonderful images to be created from the fields of flowers to the virtually untouched wooded areas. Learn light modifying techniques including the use of fill flash, and how to compose your closeups and macro shots. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ July 18th Rappahannock-Just you and us on special private farm land Click for details 4 openings left This event was such a huge success last year that we are doing it again. This private farm land which has been cultivated back to original Virginia flowers and forests,gives our students to photograph the virginia mountains in their most natural state. Beautiful flowers and plants. Bumble bees, butterflies, humming bird moths, great scenics,will allow you to enhance your skills, while learning how to use the light, modify the light, and add your own light, to dramtically photograph your subjects.
==================================================================================== LOOK HERE. A NEW AND FUN WORKSHOP FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE THEIR DIGITAL SLR SKILLS TO BE CHALLENGED This coming September, we shall hold a one day workshop, which will challenge your skills as a photographer. It is going to be our PRIME LENS CHALLENGE. You will be allowed the use of only one PRIME lens. NO ZOOM LENSES ARE PERMITTED. We don't care what your favorite prime lens might be, but it will be the only one you can use for this CHALLENGE ASSIGNMENT. We shall travel to an undisclosed location, after meeting at a central point and spend an entire day shooting, a reviewing the images you created. The subject matter will highly varied and how you shoot will be dependent on your particular style. YOUR INSTRUCTORS WILL BE THERE TO GUIDE YOU IN REGARDS TO PROPER USE OF LIGHT AND DEPTH OF FIELD, AND CREATIVE ANGLES, but the captures will be yours to enhance based on your own abilities and knowledge. In photography, the 50mm lens has been considered the standard "NORMAL" lens for full frame (35mm format) cameras. For Aps size sensors which is the majority of the digital Slr cameras out there today, the normal would be considered about 31mm to 35mm, because of the 1.6 or 1.5 conversion factors for these cameras. 35mm being equal to about a 52mm lens. So lets have some fun. Let's learn about our cameras and our skills. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND SIGN UP AT OUR WEB SITE. ============================================================================================
No not from me, although this certainly goes along with my line of thinking. Missed opportunities are what I hear about all the time. "I SAW THIS INCREDIBLE SHOT, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAMERA." If I only had my camera? I have a camera in the car all the time. It may only be my Canon G10 point and shoot, or it might and usually is my Nikon D700 with a 24-70 Nikkor, or a 50mm 1.4 lens. Spontinaity and the concept of being ready has produced some of the most incredible photographs in the world for a great many photographers. An old friend of mine, used to sign off his correspondence, "f/8 AND BE THERE" I found this clip on UTUBE, and thought I would share it with you. It is from Jay Maisel, who is one of the most famous photographers in the world. HE HAS SOME GREAT WORDS OF WISDOM. It is worth viewing. ====================================================================================================== SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR NEXT NIKON CAPTURE NX2 CLASS COVERING FROM CAPTURE TO OUTPUT A WORKFLOW YOU CAN LIVE WITH Are you a Nikon photographer. Do you shoot Raw files. ((((IF NOT WHY NOT))))? Nikon's incredible software understands files from your Nikon camera better than any software out there. It is profiled to deal with every Nikon digital Slr camera ever made by Nikon, and its features and the benefits that those features offer are like no other software out there. We offer an 8 hour, $99.00 course for this software given by our Blue Ridge Workshops educator, Brian Zwit. His relaxed style, his passion for detail as well as photography, have won him lots of praise from our students. Click here to go to our site and learn more about what the couse is all about and then register today. There are no more than 15 students accepted. ADOBE LIGHTROOM 2 CLASS IS BEING HELD AGAIN ON MARCH 28TH. BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS COURSE WHICH OFFERERS THE ALL INCLUSIVE WORKFLOW SOLUTION 
Adobe Lightroom 2.0 has become an industry standard, much like Adobe Photoshop has. It has been designed from the bottom - up, to handle RAW FILES, from pretty much every camera manufacturer, and his wonderful micro adjustment controls to get your images just right. Besides being a wonderful raw processor, it can also work on Jpeg and Tiff files as well.
In this $99.00, 8 hour class Brian Zwit, will take you through all of the wonderful features and work with you with hands on experience, to understand and utilize the Library, Develope, Web, Slide Show and printing modules within this feature packed program.
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OUR FINE ART CLASSES BY BARBARA ELLISON ARE ALMOST FILLED. SIGN UP TODAY TO EXPAND YOUR TECHNIQUES AND VISIONS 
Barbara Ellison, who's creative talents we have been able to aquire will be doing one lecture and two workshops covering the many aspects of FINE ART PRINTING AND PRESENTATION. She will open your eyes and your mind to concepts that you didn't know were available to you and teach you through both lecture and hands on how to create your own personalized look.
YES I LOVE CAMERA BAGS, AND OH BOY DO I KEEP SEARCHING FOR INCREDIBLE CAMERA STRAPS - I HAVE FOUND ........... REALLY FOUND A GREAT STRAP 
I have written about straps before. I fell in love with the Upstrap because it was extremely well made, and had a unique shoulder pad that just would not slip off from your shoulder. But there were times when I needed to have that strap around my neck, and that was where the Upstrap was difficult to use. Because of the pad, which in reality was never designed to worn on ones neck, it was very uncomfortable, especially in warmer weather when the pad rested directly on the back of ones neck. It really hurt. Enter stage right. The WAPITI STRAP. I found it by accident while checking out some posts from sports photographers and I decided to try it. Boy am I glad I did. This strap is not only the most comfortable I have ever put against my skin, but it has a great gripping surface which you can learn about at their web site CLICK HERE FOR THEIR WEB SITE. I have learned that some leathers are smooth and slick and some like these straps, while ultra soft, holds on like they had a set of teeth. These straps come in several configurations. One configuration is a fully adjustable strap, that is beautifully made and another is a strap cut to what ever custom length you want. What more can you ask for? Check out these straps. You won't be disappointed. ================================================================================================= THIS LENS HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE SHARPEST NORMALS I HAVE EVER SHOT WITH - SIGMA 50MM 1.4 HSM - WOW From time to time some lenses come along that exceed ones wildest dreams. They are not always from the same folks who make the cameras but from an independent lens manufacturer. The Sigma 50mm 1.4 (75mm 1.4 approx. on an APS sensor camera), is one of those lenses. When this lens was no more than a rumor and the specs on it were out, I could not believe how big this lens was going to be with a 77mm filter size. It for sure appeared that it was one big chunk of glass. I have always loved "normal lenses" but they have for the most part been small and compace and easy to carry. This one is much bigger, but I have to tell you that this is one of THE SHARPEST LENSES I have ever shot with in a prime lens type. Even wide open this lens is wonderful. Check it out when you have a chance. WE'LL HAVE PICTURES ON DISPLAY TO SHOW WHAT THIS LENS IS CAPABLE OF AT THE MEADOWLARK PHOTO EXPO. If you would like to see a test review of this lens you can click right here. ================================================================================================= THERE IS A NEW PHOTO CONTEST IN TOWN I have recently read an ad in the Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine telling about a Penn Camera & Nikon Promotion where you can submit your photos of your Blue Ridge backyard and win a brand new Nikon D90. Why not log on the site (CLICK HERE) for all of the details.
A quick message to Blue Ridge Workshops attendees: I know for sure, that you have some incredible images you took at our Shenandoah Workshops. Be sure to submit them. ================================================================================================= LOCAL CAMERA STORES ARE YOUR REAL LINK TO UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND HELPING YOU THROUGH IMPORTANT CHOICES SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CAMERA STORES - SUPPORT THEM TODAY - SO THEY ARE HERE TOMORROW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEEDS
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| Adobe releases Photoshop CS4 update |
| Adobe has released an update for Photoshop CS4 on Mac and Windows. Version 11.0.1 primarily fixes bugs, and is available via the update mechanism within the program or as a standalone updater. |
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MIKE PARKER HAS DONE SOME RESEARCH FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR ON THE ROAD STORAGE-It's a long article but packed with lots of information
Although I am more disciplined now, than in the past, about the number of images I take on a given shoot, I can still fill up several Compact Flash (CF) cards pretty quickly. Carrying a large inventory of CF cards just does not seem to be a viable solution to me. I need(ed) a device to quickly store images from several 4GB CF cards, let me view and organize the contents, and offload them to my primary image editing system later.
Early last spring I bought an Epson P-3000, one of a number of multimedia image backup and viewing devices currently available for storing images from digital cameras. These devices are useful, convenient, very portable (since it fits easily in a pocket), and much better than the LCDs on the back of any digital SLR. I hit the wall with it pretty quickly. Creating slide shows (at least with this particular viewer) and performing other tasks I expected a unit like this to be able to do was too time consuming (read tedious). It became just an image warehouse. Still, I would not underestimate the usefulness of these devices, let’s call them Multimedia Storage Devices (MSVs), to some. They do have a legitimate place in a photographer’s kit if the need dictates. Their versatility is enhanced by the fact that they're small and easy to use‚ and much more convenient to carry than most notebook computers.
Then late last summer I came across a display of small notebook computers at a local big box store and was instantly taken with them though I was also a bit skeptical. Netbook has become the common term for them. The price was attractive. The relatively large hard drive was appealing. The small screen was very impressive. The whole package was about twice the size of my P-3000 but I knew immediately that it would fit in with my photo gear easily. I did some research for a few days and settled on the Acer Aspire One. I am not sure what impact the netbook will have on MSVs but they are having a huge impact on the notebook computer industry. We will discuss MSVs and netbooks here. Both are capable of providing a photographer with generous storage and high resolution viewing capabilities. It’s their differences that separate them and make one more attractive than the other to some of us. We’ll begin with MSVs.
Multimedia storage viewer (MSV) is one of the names for compact, handheld image viewers that have built-in, high-capacity hard drives and certain audio and video functions. They have been around for a few years now, and the latest of the many available are bigger and better than ever. Most photographers use them as a place to dump image files before reformatting a memory card while in the field, especially on extended shoots. The reliability of the latest models has improved to such a high level that, with reasonable care, they can deliver something close to true fail-safe performance. MSVs are popular accessories because they can do so much. These units provide a large, bright LCD screen to review images, so it’s possible to zoom in to check sharpness or delete poor shots as necessary. Photographers use them to organize and store image files while on the road, create albums and slideshows, and to share images with clients on the spot. Many now offer a variety of multimedia functions, including the ability to record directly from any video source. And, of course, they provide a handy way to enjoy movies and music while on the road; some even have built-in speakers.
Common Features. MSVs are most commonly found at retail and photography outlets where they can be purchased as accessories like lenses, bags, and straps. They vary more widely in size, shape, and feature set than netbooks. Street prices range from about $200 to about $799. Standard specifications seem to be:
• Screen resolution 640x480 high color
• RAW and JPG support
• Hard Drive storage (some are massive)
• Custom slide shows
• Multimedia card and USB input
• Audio and video input and output
• Headphone jack
Features Missing. Missing from MSVs that may be important to some advanced amateur and professional photographers.
• Limited (or no) interaction with the on-board OS
• Hard drive interchangeability although some units now allow this
Differentiation. Differences among makes and models are few but might be important to some.
• Physical formats vary widely and, like computers, size might matter or it might not, especially the screen.
• Battery life/power varies by manufacturer and model. The availability of high capacity batteries is not as prevalent as with notebook computers.
Multimedia Storage Devices
Manufacturer Name Street $ Screen Storage Card Slots Comments
Cowon A2 $199 4" color 20-30GB USB transfer only big
Cowon A3 $279 4" color 30-80GB USB transfer only big
Epson P-3000 $379-449 4" color 40GB CF and SD heavy
Epson P-6000 $599 4" color 80GB CF and SD great screen
Epson P-7000 $799 4" color 160GB CF and SD zoom and great battery life
Hyperdrive Space $99-139 1.8" mono 40-250GB All current card types Can buy case only and install your own HD up to 250GB
Hyperdrive Colorspace udma $199-699 3.2" color 40-500 GB All current card types Can buy case only and install your own HD up to 500GB
Verbatim SmartDisk $123+ 160x240 pixels mono 120-250GB USB transfer only
Vosonic VP5500 $179+ 3.5" color 40-500GB (detachable) All current card types
Vosonic VP5700 $295+ 3.5" color 40-500GB (detachable) All current card types
Vosonic VP8360 $450+ 3.6" color 20-160GB (detachable) All current card types voice recorder and FM radio
Vosonic VP8860 $300+ 4.3" color 40-320GB (detachable) All current card types external battery pack available
Vosonic VP8870 $395+ 4.3" color 40-500GB (detachable) All current card types
A netbook is a small inexpensive laptop (notebook) computer intended for wireless communications and internet access. By design they are not fully configured portable computers, especially compared to more robust laptops and desktops. They are not, however, crippled, despite what some may have you believe. Widely accepted as a notebook with a screen (display) size of ten (10) inches or smaller, the first true netbook release can probably be rightly claimed by ASUS when they brought the Eee PC 701 to market.
Common Features. Netbooks most commonly found at retail outlets and discounters are likely to be from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Samsung. Online there are dozens of brands, many of which are re-branded versions of major manufacturers. Despite a huge proliferation of Netbook models, these specifications seem to be standard:
• Screen resolution 1024x600
• Intel Atom CPU running at 1.6-GHz
• Wi-Fi B and G
• Ethernet at 100Mbps
• A slot for a flash RAM memory card (some have 2 but none have CF slots)
• External VGA output jack
• Integrated graphics
• Two or three USB ports
• Built-in camera
• Headphone and microphone jacks
Features Missing. What's missing from netbooks compared to most notebooks is interesting.
• No optical drive (CDs and DVDs)
• No Bluetooth
• No PC/Express Card
• Ethernet is not “gigabit”
• WiFi A and N are not available
• 3G support (some have room but have not implemented)
Differentiation. Differences among Netbook makes and models have more variability than MSVs but, might be important to some.
• Storage medium, some have spinning platter hard disks, other come with solid-state disks (SSDs). Acer and ASUS offer both. Frequently the Linux based Netbooks employ SSDs whereas the Windows XP models use a standard hard disk. The reasons for this include: Windows XP needs more storage space, SSDs are more expensive and Windows itself is more expensive than Linux. Another reason has to do with the speed of SSDs--the cheap models are very slow at writing, especially at random writes. There is a huge variation in SSDs, and I don't know if XP performs reasonably well on SSDs. You can buy an SSD that's faster than a spinning platter disk in all respects (including random reads and writes), but you may not want to pay the premium it would take to get it.
• Battery life/power, with low-end models having 3-cell batteries and higher-end models having 6 cells, is another difference. 9-cell batteries are being produced by third party makers.
• Screen surface - most netbooks seem to have glossy screens. An antiglare coating would be nice.
Netbook Computers
7-inch Systems
Manufacturer Name Street $ Screen Processor OS Memory Storage Card Slots
ASUS Eee PC 4G $275-350 7" Intel Mobile XP, Linux 512GB SSD - 4GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 4G Surf $275-350 7" Intel Mobile Linux 512GB SSD - 4GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 2G Surf Unknown 7" Intel Mobile Linux 512GB SSD - 2GB SD/MMC
CTL IL1 $250 7" Via C-7M or Intel Celeron XP, Linux 512MB or 1GB 40GB HD, 4GB SSD Unknown
Everex Cloudbook $400 7" Via C-7M gOS 512MB HD - 30GB Unknown
Sylvania G Netbook $249 7" Via C-7M gOS Escape Pod 1GB HD - 30GB Unknown
9-inch Systems
Manufacturer Name Street $ Screen Processor OS Memory Storage Card Slots
Acer Aspire One $250-399 8.9" Intel Atom N270 XP, Linux 512MB or 1GB SSD - 8, 16GB // HD - 120, 160GB 1 SD, 1 Multi
ASUS Eee PC 900 $299-399 8.9" Intel Mobile XP, Linux 1GB SSD - 12, 16, 20GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 901 $299-399 8.9" Intel Atom N270 XP, Linux 1GB SSD - 12, 20GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 904HA $299-399 8.9" Intel Atom N270 XP, Linux 1GB HD - 160GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 900HD $299-399 8.9" Intel Celeron M XP, Linux 1GB HD - 160GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 900HA $299-399 8.9" Intel Atom N270 XP, Linux 1GB HD - 160GB SD/MMC
Dell Inspiron Mini 9 $499 8.9" Intel Atom N270 XP, Linux 512MB or 1GB SSD - 4-32GB SD/MMC
Sylvania G Netbook Meso $399 8.9" Intel Atom N270 XP, Ubuntu Netbook Remix 1GB HD - 80GB SD/MMC
10-inch Systems
Manufacturer Name Street $ Screen Processor OS Memory Storage Card Slots
Archos 10 $399 10" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB 160GB HD Unknown
ASUS Eee PC 1000 $299-399 10" Intel Atom N270 Linux 1GB SSD - 20GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 1000H $299-399 10" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB HD - 80GB SD/MMC
ASUS Eee PC 1000HA $299-399 10" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB HD - 160GB 4-in-1
ASUS Eee PC 1002HA $299-399 10" Intel Atom N270 XP, Linux 1GB HD - 160GB 4-in-1
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE $299-399 10" Intel Atom N270 or N280 XP 1GB HD - 160GB 4-in-1
MSI Wind $329-419 10" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB HD - 80GB 4-in-1
Acer Aspire One NA 10.1" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB 160GB HD 1 Multi
HP 2140 Mini-Note $450-550 10.1" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB HD - 160GB 1 Multi
HP Mini 1000 $379-450 10.1" Intel Atom N270 Mobile Internet 1GB HD - 60GB 1 Multi
ASUS Eee PC S101 $550-699 10.2" Intel Atom N270 XP, Linux 1GB SSD - 16, 32, 64GB 4-in-1
ASUS N10J $650-989 10.2" Intel Atom N270 XP, Vista 2GB HD - 160-320GB ExpressCard 34, 8-in-1
Averatec Buddy $399 10.2" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB 160GB HD 1 Multi
Lenovo IdeaPad S10 $450 10.2" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB 160GB HD 1 Multi
Samsung NC10 $499 10.2" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB 120GB HD 1 Multi
Sylvania G MAGNI Elite $349 10.2" Intel Atom N270 XP 1GB 160GB HD 1 Multi
It is my contention that netbooks offer all convenience of the very popular multimedia image card backup and viewing devices, like the Epson P-3000, and more. Some considerations:
• How are you going to use your device? This may be the most important thing to determine. In addition to supporting photography in the field, you may want the built-in multi-purpose functionality of web surfing, email, and productivity applications. All netbooks can do this well and many of us want to do a lot of the same things we do on other computers too.
• How much screen do you need? Multimedia viewers aimed at photographers generally have 4” screens. Netbooks come with three different size screens, 7”, 8.9”, and 10” (usually 10.1 or 10.2) and is an important consideration. None of these netbooks can compete with image viewers for portability. However, if you’ve already decided that a netbook is a better solution for you then get the biggest screen you’re comfortable carrying around if you intend to be highly mobile.
• How small of a keyboard will you (can you) tolerate? Netbook keyboards are scaled to fit the width of the device and can have a tremendous impact on your ability to comfortably type for extended periods. 7-inch systems are very narrow and are not for touch typists. Still, they provide a nice small form factor as long as your keyboard needs are modest. The bigger systems (ones with 10 inch screens) are usually 90 percent the size of a full one, and the key spacing of most of these is fine for normal typing. Watch for non-standard key placement which can take some getting used to. MSVs do not have keyboards in the classic sense, and input other than images is limited.
• Do you require extended battery life? Netbooks usually ship with either a standard or extended batteries, which are usually 3-cell or 6-cell batteries respectively. Battery life can be as short as 2 hours or less with the standard batteries, so get the extended battery if at all possible. These can typically provide 4 hours of mobile juice which is a lot better than the 3-cells. Remember that the bigger the battery the heavier the netbook will be as you carry it around. An extra half pound of weight doesn’t seem like very much but when you add that to an already packed gear bag it can get awfully heavy by the end of a long day. Of course, your battery will last for more of that long day too. I use a 9-cell that gives me 8.5-9 hours reliably. Increased battery life for the small portable viewing devices are also sometime lacking and third party batteries often add increased life.
• Windows, Linux, or OS X? The first netbooks shipped with the Linux operating system. Customer demand forced a more familiar OS with Windows XP being the most popular. Syncing with iPods, iPhones, etc. makes XP the most attractive option for most. Hobbyists and Mac fans have been able to adapt netbooks to the Apple OS X operating system. MSV operating systems are embedded and do not allow modification.
Welcome to the February, 2009 newsletter.
In this Issue
THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
DID YOU MISS OUR LAST NEWSLETTER. CLICK HERE
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STAY ON TOP OF ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE UPCOMING PHOTO MARKETING ASSOCIATION CAMERA SHOW IN LAS VEGAS. CLICK HERE
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NEED A SPECIFIC PIECE OF GEAR BUT NOT READY TO BUY, THEN CALL PENN CAMERA RENTAL AT TYSONS AND ASK FOR JERRY SMITH. ALSO CHECK OUT THEIR E STREET STORE IF THAT IS CLOSER TO YOU. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
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CHECK OUT OUR APRIL SPRING WORKSHOP IN SHENANDOAH AREA & OUR MACRO WORKSHOP COMING IN JUNE. ISN'T IT TIME TO GET OUT AND ENJOY YOURSELF. CLICK HERE
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