you know right after I got my Nikon D3100, I had some buyer's remorse about not getting a 4/3rds (for the smaller size, a few nicer features and its a bit easier on the pocketbook) but then I realized over the course of the last month that I made a good choice for the kinds of pictures I like to take
@JayLancePhotography ya, thats why I like getting involved with a "community" here instead of random boards around the internet. Its easier to get a sense of who knows what they're talking about and whose just saying whatever.
LUA is yet another programming language that attempts to do what PERL, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, PHP, and a host of others have attempted to do over the years... I've drawn the line at PERL, JavaScript and PHP just because I'm tired of yet another author of a programming language because he felt like it.
The approach you take will probably depend on whether you wish to photograph star trails, do short-exposure astrophotography, or long-exposure astrophotography. Star trails are relatively easy to capture, however short and long exposure astrophotography must be done with a little more care. These...
What temperatures can consumer-level DSLRs and lenses typically handle? Are there any precautions one should take too minimize potential problems (e.g. condensating water)? What about moving in and out of the cold multiple times a day?
@Shizam Hmm, I guess my experiences, or perhaps just my approach, was different than yours. I bought a cheap $80 tripod with a pan/tilt fluid head as my first tripod. Very similar to @garikapati, I was very novice at the time, and did not want to spend a lot of money on a tripod.
@jrista - I agree, but if the $60 tripod influences the decision more than it should... In other words, if you buy junk and it, well, behaves like junk, did you learn that you don't like using tripods or that you don't like using bad tripods. :) Of course, one option is to borrow or rent, if possible, just to find out.
@garikapati - I saw that, which is why I think a cheapie may not solve it for you, but a tripod is a necessity for this sort of thing. A cheaper one will improve things, certainly, but you still may not be happy if the tripod isn't really up to the task.
I have two pods, one lightweight one for long hiking, one heavier one for short hikes or shots near my car. I have a couple heads, one Gitzo ball head when I need flexibility, a flat panning head for when I want to shoot easy panoramics. Eventually I'm going to get a Custom Brackets modular gymbal head for use with my telephoto lens.
there are dozens of different kinds of tripod heads...some flat for panning, some with panning and tilt, some with a full six degrees of freedom, some are ball heads, some have joystick control, some are gymbal style and designed for very heavy gear
"Nowadays people have digital SLRs with self-timers, and it's still not enough for them. When we were young, all we had was brown paper and piece of chalk!"
I figure its good to get some rep, and reach 200 so you can be a usefully functioning member of the community (before that, its difficult to do anything). From 500 rep on, by putting effort and thought into your answers, you gain on multiple fronts. You build true reputation with the members here, you gain some number rep on the site that reflects your real-world rep, and you gain some badges.
The more truly helpful you are, the more badges you are likely to earn...but again, they are ultimately really just a reflection of your service to the community, not an end in an of themselves (at least, thats how rep and badges should be seen.)
What temperatures can consumer-level DSLRs and lenses typically handle? Are there any precautions one should take too minimize potential problems (e.g. condensating water)? What about moving in and out of the cold multiple times a day?
