The D40 is an excellent camera and those are great shots
There are those who would disparage its ("mere") 6.1mp resolution. I've been
buoyed by some praise given the mere-er 4.1mp D2Hs, AND liked the simple
response in a forum to one questioner of the D40 by Brit architect Ian Bramham:
"Here's what it can do" -- to which he presents some lovely, lovely shots.
http://ianbramham.aminus3.com/ (Noting that this is well Off-Topic!)
The D40 suits for knots in that I can set it quickly to lowest file-size/resolution,
Nikon's "JPEG-BASIC + SMALL" (Basic/Normal/Fine + Small/Medium/Large: NINE combos,
where B+L = M+N = F+S = 0.8mb, roughly). A quick check on a few of the
cleat-hitch pics shows the captured file size = 0.3mb.
I should add: optional kit (I suppose "package" is apt) lens 55-200 VR here;
no PP (post-processing -- an entire world of options).
What software are you using to reduced the files sizes ? it has done a good job without any of the typical jpeg halo effect.
Apple OS X 5.6 Leopard's iPhoto offers similar JPEG-quality & file-size options,
and my suffix denotes my choice ("MM") of : Low/Med/High/Max + Small/Med/Large/Full .
(But I couldn't quote pixel dimensions for these.) -- AND "custom" in size, which IIRC from
one use takes BOTH dimensions in pixel count, rather than one and then auto-calculating
the other by aspect ratio !? -- don't know if this implies ability to distort a dimension or
some kind of truncation.
.:. So, in these cleat-hitch images you have the baby Nikon shooting its lowest
setting in resolution+size and that reduced to (mostly) Medium/Medium to keep
things <100kb (depends on image -- some can go MLarge).
I'll attach a night scene -- much solid color and so little need for file size --
rendered in Panasonic LX3 16:9 aspect full size (~10mp) and in LowLarge & MM.
(Often "low" does show its lowliness, alas.)
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In any case, as remarked in my
Towards a Science of Knots , building the record
of knotting usage is something increasingly easy to do this modern 21st century day,
with even just your cell phone, or pocket camera ("The Best Camera" is the one you have
with you!). And I'm aiming this point directly at a couple of IGKT events on the near
calendar -- Seattle & New Bedford. Seek and ye shall find. Photograph & share!
(And not from within the church (our own doings) or just a museum (NewBedford),
but also from the active world.)
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I feel that this record demonstrates that even in an field where people might be expected to understand rope and knot functionality,
today, even that group are now divorced from such understanding, showing no comprehension beyond the 'man on the street'.
And where there seems to be ample instruction offered for just such knots
-- clove hitch, cleat hitch, bowline, squaREef knot, sheet bend, fig.8 stopper. !?
In my childhood, every kid in the village knew a handfull of knots, but more importantly, they knew
when and why you should use them - EVERYONE knew their knots, just as every boy had a penknife.
One might suggest that this knowledge --such as it was-- was aided by a smaller
domain of cordage in which the known knot-schemas were supposed to work. !?
This little catalogue tends to suggest that in just a couple of generations we can now presume
that virtually NO-ONE knows how to tie and use knots and cord.
The embers grow ever dimmer - alternatively, one might think that the opportunity is even greater ??
One might think we're near enough to the nadir of knot knowledge,
and that thus opportunity is great, esp. with the Net.
--dl*
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attch'd : diff. sized (MM & LL) Panasonic Lumix LX3 pics of Lobster House docks at night w/trawlers.
adding : hand-held, f/2.0 (wide open), 5.1mm=24mm@35mmEquiv (also "wide" open),
ISO 400 (my set limit), 1/4 sec. (But a 2nd shot, in 4:3 aspect focusing on reflection
and righthand clump of boats, was less sharp, alas.)
(LX3 has a neat "Dynamic B&W" "film mode", among many.)
Oh, and for the heck of it, another use for minimal photo-image size: camera qua
photocopier -- here, of a ca. 1935 photo of "pound boats"(? maybe) featuring one
loosely set
Round Turn & Two Half-hitches and an unfigured structure with tight
two turns (bottom right, on dock), AND marvelous thick wicker baskets! (Today's
ComFishers use something I liken to laundry baskets -- also used by farmers --,
and as you'd guess far sturdier (and costlier), among other containers.
[D40 w/18-55 II kit lens, which I just realized gets the biggest close-up (55-200 is
next, then 18-70 -- old D70 kit ; LX3 though does super close-up (1cm) @5.1mm]