Glad you liked the photos!

You are located pretty close to Tampa right? If I remember correctly anyway.

I'm moving there in 2 weeks! So, if you need photos of your car, hello there!

 

None other than the swirls. I wish I did. I shot for a solid 1 1/2 hours or so but I'll be damned! They never truly surfaced much more than the swirls. I saw a fin every now and then but that was a rarity.

My luck, oh well, I tried! :P

 

No filters other than the obligatory UV filters. All photos were hand held as I didn't want to chance taking my $500 Bogen tripod on my trip and having security spazz out somewhere along the line not letting me take it back home or something.

It was way too dark outside for me to even consider using a filter. Mind you, the photos were taken around 11-12 at night. We had 20 hours of sunlight. It got dark around 12 and sunrise was at 3:30-4.

Pretty wild.

 

Canon 30D - it gets the job done.

The 30D suits my needs fine. I have always been more concerned about buying quality glass more so than camera. My lens line up is pretty solid.

I have zero complaints. I have over 13,000 actuations with my personal 30D and the camera has never flinched.

I just bought my friend's 30D as a back up camera for $375. Talk about a steal. That's what happens when you have photographer friends who like to upgrade their equipment all the time. I love it!

 

Wow that's a sweet deal! The reason I asked was because I'm trying to decide on an SLR (pretty just between the XTi, XS and XSI).

 

Great pictures, enjoyed looking at them.

 

Awesome shots, Chris. Thanks for sharing.

 

I was initially in that same predicament when I started out in photography. I think you'll get this argument A LOT here on the forum as well.

I was fixated on the Xti for months; tinkering back and forth and then used my friend's 20D at the time. Went and looked at a 30D and never looked back since.

The Xti was too small for my hands. The 30D always felt very capable and sturdy. Since then I've added a battery pack on mine and it's fantastic. It suits all of my needs and then some. I can whip out a couple thousand photos on a full charge between both of the batteries with no questions asked.

If you shoot a lot of automotive or track days this becomes invaluable. The last thing you need is 40 car enthusiasts waiting for photos of their prized toys and a dead camera to show for it.

You get my point. If you are truly fixated on one of those three then obviously they will serve you well but if you're like a lot of us, you get into this "hobby" for fun and then end up enjoying it in astronomical amounts when you see yourself progressing in time wishing you bought a more capable camera from the beginning.

Be smart about your purchase, I bought my 30D and the 40D came out a week later. Talk about a kick in the balls. That's what I get for not doing MY homework. Don't be a fool like me!

Keep us updated on what you end up buying!

- Chris

 

I was set on the XS at first because the price difference between it and the XTi is not that much (something like $70). Then I found some deals on Amazon and US1Photo that would put the XSi only about $40-70 more than the XS. So then I was set on the XSi but wasn't sure if I really needed all the features because from what I've heard, it's better to spend money on good lenses than the body itself.

I'm sure the XTi will go down in price when the XS comes out in less than 2 weeks. I'm trying out an XTi right now with the 18-55mm IS lens and the 55-250mm IS lens and have been happy with them. However, for another $150 or so I would much rather go with the XSi (even though it will essentially double what I was planning to spend at first-lol).

-Ken

 

very nice chris. alaska has some beautiful scenery.