New user coming to the Gold Coast

[Bindii]

Yeh I'm here in Dialup hell.

I can't believe how backward internet is because of Telstra.


We went around Jacobs well on an orientation day at work. Is it really bad for mossies?

We've just bought behind pacific pines in maudsland.

Oooh you made it!! I wondered what happened to you... you stopped posting and pm'ing and stuff...

Glad to see you all got here okay... and yeah dial up is so a killer... I recently moved house and am also stuck with it... soooo not happy I can tell you! You should try and see if you can make it to the roma street parklands minimeet next saturday... its a good way to meet some of the members from the forum....

[EveyOz]

Yes I've dropped out of sight really on the internet, dialup makes me less likely to post.

Most of my internet time was spent looking on realestate.com for a rental then for a house to buy. We've sorted both of these now so now I'm trying to research pool fencing etc for the house I've bought. I have found that less of your retailers have websites anyway so it's back to the yellow pages and phone calls!!

I asked about snapper rocks because a colleague told me it was a great family place to swim. Some of the beaches are a bit exposed for a 2 year old and I'm having to hold him real tight so he doesn't get swept away.

Does anyone else know a great place to swim with kids?

I've been doing a photo diary for the folks back home but since we moved into the rental that has slowed. I'm having to take my photos to work on a mememory stick and upload there. I'm probably not supposed to do that (as they have rules about everything where I work ) but dialup is truly painful.

[Big Red]

did you know there is a netted swimming area at Jacobs Well beside the Marine Rescue place ?

no surf there though and its best at high tide.

[EveyOz]

did you know there is a netted swimming area at Jacobs Well beside the Marine Rescue place ?

no surf there though and its best at high tide.

We'll try it, is it a bit sludgy though?

Paradise point has swimming but after a few metres of sand you hit sediment which is like sludge.

[Big Red]

i would say it would be similar ... not too bad at high tide though.

[Bindii]

Yes I've dropped out of sight really on the internet, dialup makes me less likely to post.

Most of my internet time was spent looking on realestate.com for a rental then for a house to buy. We've sorted both of these now so now I'm trying to research pool fencing etc for the house I've bought. I have found that less of your retailers have websites anyway so it's back to the yellow pages and phone calls!!

I asked about snapper rocks because a colleague told me it was a great family place to swim. Some of the beaches are a bit exposed for a 2 year old and I'm having to hold him real tight so he doesn't get swept away.

Does anyone else know a great place to swim with kids?

I've been doing a photo diary for the folks back home but since we moved into the rental that has slowed. I'm having to take my photos to work on a mememory stick and upload there. I'm probably not supposed to do that (as they have rules about everything where I work ) but dialup is truly painful.

Yeah I totally agree about the whole dial up thing... if someone had of told me two months ago that I could move to a new estate that is less than 2 blocks from a major university and a hospital and not be able to get either cable or dslr I would have laughed.... soooo not laughing now though...

How far do you want to travel for this swim???.... and errrrrr.... its winter... please tell me you aint swimming... *faints*

[gstark]

if someone had of told me two months ago that I could move to a new estate that is less than 2 blocks from a major university and a hospital and not be able to get either cable or dslr I would have laughed....

I'm laughing ...

[Bindii]

I'm laughing ...

*doh*

Its been a long day...

someone shoot me now....

no wait...

shoot him...

[EveyOz]

How far do you want to travel for this swim???.... and errrrrr.... its winter... please tell me you aint swimming... *faints*

Anything up to 30 mins really. We'd travel further for a day out.

Yes we swim, it's not that cold. I've had PLENTY of "summer"holidays in the UK where it was colder and cloudier than this.




Come on, Harden up!!

[gstark]

Come on, Harden up!!

That's not the wisest thing to say around here.

Especially with Bindii around.

[Big Red]

Come on, Harden up!!

That's not the wisest thing to say around here.

Especially with Bindii around.

yeh, its usually Bindii saying that !!

[Bindii]

Come on, Harden up!!

That's not the wisest thing to say around here.

Especially with Bindii around.

yeh, its usually Bindii saying that !!

Errr... if I had to say it... I'd be disapointed...

[indigoreef]

Howdy EveyOz.
I read the first page of your post and then skipped to the end to reply, so not sure if you have found anyone on the Goldie (Gold Coast) yet who is a photographer. I live in Palm Beach which is on the Southern end of the Goldie and am happy to meet up with you to discuss photography and other related stuff. I also have a D200 like you and would be happy to catch up if you wanted. Good on you for seeing the light and moving to Nikon.

I will at some stage go back over the last couple of pages from your post, of which may find what I am saying is completely irrelevant.

By the way, I am from NSW, I have lived in the UK, Sydney and Brisbane so can help you out with any of the translation issues you might be having.

Regards
Chris

[EveyOz]

Thanks for the offer and sorry about the delay in answering as I've just moved house.

When I'm settled I'll take you uyp on the offer. Today I am putting in a pool fence and hanging pictures. I also need to take some photos or the folks back in Europe!

[EveyOz]

Hey I'm here, still busy renovating.

I've discovered the dangers of sand and lenses and I'm awaiting the shock for a repair of a 18-200 VR lens after a windy day on the beach.

[Big Red]

Hey I'm here, still busy renovating.

I've discovered the dangers of sand and lenses and I'm awaiting the shock for a repair of a 18-200 VR lens after a windy day on the beach.

bugger!!

sand killed two of my P&S's

[Grev]

I thought I saw something about avgas. Avgas + sand... Hmmm reminds me of racing at willowbank.

[Analog6]

I haven't received my posting from my employer (the ambulance service), all know is I am being posted to the Gold coast as yet. It all looks pretty good from here, I've been given a "buddy" to help me with the move by my boss over there, he's been helping me and will advise me on areas when I have a better idea of my workplace.

The lack of daylight savings means early nights which are a good thing for us at the moment, my two year old son gets up at 5 every day anyway. I think he's in Queensland mode already!

Doing internet searches from the UK means you get uk weighted results, I'm struggling to find any user galleries with images of Queensland. I've tried the google Australia site with limited success. I found this site by an Aussie on DPReviews forums pointing me here. I have since found http://www.digitalslr.com.au/forum/ from a thread on here.
Can you think of any more links I may enjoy?

One question which strikes me is where do you guys get your prints done? We have a couple of major online companies in the UK who you upload and store your images with who print and post your photo's back to you.

When you go to Google, go to advanced and in the box 'Search within a site or domain' type .au (for aaustralian based sites). Alternatively, go to google.com.au - it has a box for Australian sites.

You'll like it up here (or down for you!). I live on the Tweed Coast of NSW (just 13km south of the border by road or about 3 as the corw flies) and sionce moving up from Canberra 5 years ago never fail to sppreicate it's beauty. I have some local images on my zenfolio gallery (see siggy). I will send you a PM with my email and if you have any specific questions feel free to email.

Who do you recommend?

[EveyOz]

Yes, I'm here. Busy as ever with rellies coming over for for more than a month at a time!!

One drawback of living down under is increased time with the mother in law.



I'm still waiting to get my lens fixed though I also need to get a price off Poon for a new Nikon 18-200 VR lens in case Nikon Aus try to overcharge me for repair (blowing teh sand out of it).

I have a new daughter so my few recent photographs mostly have her in them though I have a few which I need to print and frame so I am busy researching cost here for printing/framing and even canvas prints.

Any ideas please let me know!

[big pix]

....... framed photographics on Chervon Island....... if they are still in business

[EveyOz]

I like fujifilm AU for my 6 by 4 so far, I saw officeworld do a canvas service today.

In the UK I used Ikea frames, printed online and used a framer to mount on card.

[big pix]

Harvey Norman on the Gold Coast at Benowa also has a canvas service for prints.......

[Analog6]

Hey I'm here, still busy renovating.

I've discovered the dangers of sand and lenses and I'm awaiting the shock for a repair of a 18-200 VR lens after a windy day on the beach.

M homemade (cheap) sand protector. Take a plastic supermarket bag. Put it over thecamera, handles towards you, lens at the bottom. Cut a SMALL hole just barely big enough to poke end of lens thjrough. Poke lens out and put a big flat rubber barnd around bag and lens. Fold back handles end till you can see the control panel of the camera. Shoot.

It's a bit annoying when zooming, the answer is to hold the cmaera INSIDE the bag, so the bag can rotate with the lens.

It does work, I've used it with all my lenses at the beach. Sure it looks a bit weird, but hey, I'm weird anyway.

I also invested in a set of paintbrushes from the discount shop and carefully whisk away every bit of sand that finds its way in before detaching lens from camera.

[oavs]

Hi,

We have just started a DSLR group on the Gold Coast. Those are interested may join. Details are on the site here http://www.meetup.com/The-Gold-Coast-Photography/

Hope to see you there

F

[gstark]

Has meetup changed their rules and protocols? Last time I looked, they charged you to belong, all to, do what? Organise a bloody meeting.

Personally, I can't see the point. Hell, our members do that, all the time, for free.

While I wish you well in your endeavours, a few pointers, if I may ...

Next time, please do not resurrect a thread that's about two years old. That's just plain wrong.

For doing something like this, it's probably courteous to read our forum rules, and to ask one of the admins or mods if it's ok to make such a post. Again, that's just courtesy. And respect. Especially when it's your very first post to our forum. Spend some time and get to know the place, rather than rushing in and breaking all of the artifacts on display.

And as I aleady noted, if you were to become a proper member here, and participate in our discussions and get to know people, allow yourself to become known amongst the other members, and join in (or <gasp!> organise) some local activities, then the suspected need for what you're proposing would be moot.

<housekeeping>Please also take a moment to review the forum rules. You do need to include your location in your profile. Please refer to the FAQ for details of what the location needs to include.</housekeeping>

[oavs]

Ouch that hurt.

My apologies for all my wrong doings

I think you have been little too harsh on your new member.

Let me explain.

I only placed the post on that thread as I find it would be most appropriate place since most members were talking about Gold Coast and looking for places or groups etc. I also have seen similar posts and thought would have been best interest to serve those who may have similar needs.

Meetup is free for members and users. Only Organizers pay annual hosting fees. I know this because I have read their terms and conditions and they clearly state on their website. We do not profit from our members but we do collect voluntary donation of $2 per event to cover the cost of annual hosting fee.

Please do not take this the wrong way but If you think that replying a old post was inappropriate then locking the 'old' thread/s would stop your members posting. Many forums including our Meetup does have that feature.

House keeping: I have now placed my location, but I advise strongly to improve some of your 'required ' fields during registrations. You also have "{ COUNTRY }:" with a drop down which can not be selected.

Please forgive me and may be it's my dumbness but I can not locate your "forum rules" on your forum website. As for the FAQ's page and as far as I know it is not mandatory to read FAQ's pages them unless one gets stuck or requires more information. Why should any member read your 'FAQ's ' to find out which fields in your registration forms are required or not required. That is ridiculous. We are in 2010. Learn to code and fix your forum website or learn to configure it well.

And finally next time you are going to pound on a new member, also remember to have respect and use your common courtesy to send your warning via private message to such members. After all you don't want to make them sound like an idiot, disrespectful and let everybody know that who is in charge here do you?

I think it is 'just plain wrong.

[gstark]

Ouch that hurt.

My apologies for all my wrong doings

I think you have been little too harsh on your new member.

Let me explain.

No real need to.

Apology accepted, by the way; thank you.

I only placed the post on that thread as I find it would be most appropriate place since most members were talking about Gold Coast and looking for places or groups etc.

Yes, I realise this.

However, if you look closely, you might notice that this thread is already within a section of the forum that is dedicated to Brisbane and the God coast and other nearby areas. A separate, brand new post, within this section, would have been far more appropriate, IMHO. That would already have met your stated objective of targeting the region, but without hijcaking a thread that is essentially unrelated to the activity you're suggesting.

Meetup is free for members and users. Only Organizers pay annual hosting fees.

In which case they have significantly changed their Ts&Cs, and for the better. That is good, but my original point remains: why bother, when, in reality, there are far better ways (IMHO) of achieving a "meetup" without their assistance.

My other experiences with them, in a professional related discipline, was actually very disappointing, and this is from a person who has been actively involved with user-based communities for in excess of thirty years.

Please do not take this the wrong way but If you think that replying a old post was inappropriate then locking the 'old' thread/s would stop your members posting. Many forums including our Meetup does have that feature.

Your comments are noted, and yes, we have that facility here as well. However, it is felt that it is not appropriate to lock most threads, as it has been established that action of that type often stifles discussion. Similarly, there are often good reasons why an older thread may be revisited; I saw one such example just a a day or two ago, when somebody sought a follow-up on a particular point that had been made in an older thread several months ago.

As a guide, it is perfectly acceptable to post to an older thread when the context and content are directly related to that original thread. By way of contrast, if a new topic or item is being established, which is what I believe to be the case in your post, a new thread is much more appropriate.

House keeping: I have now placed my location, but I advise strongly to improve some of your 'required ' fields during registrations. You also have "{ COUNTRY }:" with a drop down which can not be selected.

Thank you. I have not made that observation, and with over 4000 members here, nobody else seems to have made it either. With an earlier version of the software, we did in fact have the location field as compulsory, but (a) the newer version didn't support that facility at the time of the upgrade, and (b) the extensive notes that needed to accompany the compulsory field as well as the underlying code to support it within the terms of the FAQ made it quite an onerous task to implement.

Basically, as soon as you go down that path, you then need to code for rejecting input that is not valid. Otherwise, you are no further progressed than not having the compulsory field at all, because the input gathered will, too often, be invalid.

Bottom line is that if we're gong to have ask people to fix their broken input, then we may as well just ask them to put it in (hopefully correctly) and not be bothered with the compulsory field.

Please forgive me and may be it's my dumbness but I can not locate your "forum rules" on your forum website.

I would never accuse any person of "dumbness", or of anything like that. Seriously, I know how easy it is to not see things.

However, if you cast your eyes to the top of this very page ... the section in pink, where it says, in bold print, "Forum Rules" .... Please note that this suggests that you refer to the FAQ ....

Then, if you check the board index page, you might notice that the forum is divided into sections, one of which is described

Information
Forum rules and nettiquette, along with other items of general interest.

Looking at that section, the second post, a sticky, has the subject line "Forum Rules". I've even linked the post for you.

Why should any member read your 'FAQ's ' to find out which fields in your registration forms are required or not required.

Why should they not read them? We are a vigorous and active community, and many questions regarding the forum and our community are discussed there. Certainly, I think that almost every point that you have fallen foul of, and pretty well every issue that you have raised is covered there. That strongly suggests to me that the points raised are in fact questions that have been asked here before. Frequently, in fact.

Hence they appropriately appear in the FAQ, where every member is encouraged to review them.

That is ridiculous. We are in 2010. Learn to code and fix your forum website or learn to configure it well.

Many of us have lives. We work, we also like to take photographs. I would respectfully commend that to you as a worthwhile activity.

And finally next time you are going to pound on a new member,

With respect, I am not going to wander into your house and piss all over the carpet. When I visit new sites - which I do on a daily basis - I always take a few moments to review the rules and FAQ. Something that you have clearly failed to do, despite the facilities being plainly and clearly obvious to all concerned.

In point of fact, I have been very gentle with you, and I would, again with respect, strongly suggest that you take your ego and park it outside of this forum. Yes, that too is covered in the FAQ.

There certainly were a number of ways that I could have dealt with this issue, but the manner that I chose hopefully brings an awareness and a gentle reminder to all members of when to resurrect an older thread. Given that your post had already attracted a number of complaints from other members, I felt that a gentle reminder was more appropriate. You are welcome to your divergent view, and you are free to exercise that view in any forums that you own and manage.

After all you don't want to make them sound like an idiot

No, I would certainly not try to make anyone sound like an idiot.

I think it is 'just plain wrong.

As I said, you are welcome to your opinion, and you are free to express it, within the boundaries of this community's rules.

[oavs]

and I

[Mr Darcy]

Now that we've got that off our collective chest, Welcome. When are you going to post some piccies?

[oavs]

Long answer: Well believe or not I am a reborn photographer. Since I had sold my last Nikon F4 and the rest of it since more than 12 years ago, I have decided to go back into to. So my gear is all new for the first time and all digital. Although software like Photoshop (and most of Adobe software) is a second nature to me and my daily work, DSLR is all new to me. I just picked up my new lens 105 macro DX. Love it hate it? Love it all new, just found out that it is actually close to 200mm instead of 105mm . So as my 70-200mmf2.8 105 - 300 respectively. So annoying what they say is not what you are getting. I know they are actually a FX lens not DX..is that why?? If so does Dx 200mm on DX body equal to 200mm FX body? Love to know that.

Long answer: haven had the frigging chance. weather is so damn unpredictable these days. Hopefully my Meetup will force me to do something about it very soon.

I better read the FAQ's and find out where the member images are hiding and have a little peak.

[Mr Darcy]

just found out that it is actually close to 200mm instead of 105mm

No. It is 105mm. Any lens from the reputable manufacturers is quoting the focal length of the lens. This is a fixed physical thing (i.e. set by the laws of Physics.) I will grant strange things happen to Zoom lenses sometimes. This is because of the arcane things Lens designers do, not because the laws of Physics are violated.

However, the sensor size in the body is physically smaller than 35mm film, so what you are effectively getting is the 35mm photo cropped automatically to the centre of the image. Thus is is common practice to talk of the crop factor of the camera. Which for Nikons is 1.5. Thus a 100mm lens on a DX body will give roughly the same field of view that a 150mm lens will give on an FX (or film) body. The lens has NOT changed it's focal length. in any way.

This is a bonus of DX bodies if you are into telephoto work. It is a detriment if you are into Wide Angle. BTW if you are talking about the Nikkor 105 Macro lens, it is an FX lens, not a DX. All FX lenses work on DX bodies. The reverse is not true.

This situation is exactly the same as film bodies using different sized film. a 50mm lens on a 16mm camera is a telephoto. On a 35mm camera it is "normal". On a medium format camera, it is a wide angle.

Gary. This is getting way too far off topic. It may be an idea to split this off into a different thread.

[gstark]

just found out that it is actually close to 200mm instead of 105mm

No. It is 105mm. Any lens from the reputable manufacturers is quoting the focal length of the lens.

Greg is quite correct here.

In effect, if you're using a crop camera (DX in Nikon terminology, EFS glass in Canon's) then you're actually just taking an image that, in 35mm terms, has already been cropped.

Greg's comments regarding the field of view are most important here; it is the FoV that has been affected, not the focal length. Yes, the outcomes are effectively quite similar, but I think it's important to understand and appreciate the differences, and what is actually going on.

This is a bonus of DX bodies if you are into telephoto work. It is a detriment if you are into Wide Angle.

Again, an important factor to note.

All FX lenses work on DX bodies. The reverse is not true.

Greg, are you sure of this? My understanding is that all DX glass will work on all bodies (AF-S issues aside), but mostly you should engage the DX mode on the FX bodies in order to inimise any vignetting.

Which DX glass will not work on an FX body?

I know that with Canon glass, the EFS glass is not physically compatible with the Canon full frame bodies, but that's Canon, where the DX designation is not applicable.

Gary. This is getting way too far off topic. It may be an idea to split this off into a different thread.

Thanks Greg. Yes, I've been aware of the content drift on this one since the thread was resurrected. the problem is that if I split the thread off, how will the current participants identify it by any new name that I give it. I would be perfectly happy if our new member (do you have a name, please?) might care to start a new thread with some of his questions in, perhaps, the Nikon section.

Long answer: Well believe or not I am a reborn photographer.

And you will find that there are many here in a similar position. There are a great many similarities, and a great many differences. And the current crop of equipment, with the features offered, makes the F4, as good as it was, a very old camera.

Your questions are great points for discussion, but as Greg has pointed, they probably belong in a separate thread. I'm happy to split this off, or equally, for you to start a new one, perhaps in the Nikon section, presuming you're still a Nikon user.

I better read the FAQ's and find out where the member images are hiding and have a little peak.

Now there's a great idea!

[Mr Darcy]

All FX lenses work on DX bodies. The reverse is not true.

Greg, are you sure of this? My understanding is that all DX glass will work on all bodies (AF-S issues aside), but mostly you should engage the DX mode on the FX bodies in order to inimise any vignetting.

Which DX glass will not work on an FX body?

Gary. Sorry I wasn't precise here. Probably because I don't have an FX camera. The image produced by a DX lens will not completely cover the sensor of an FX body. so when used in FX mode, a DX lens will not work (Unless of course you want that arty look ) When you use the camera in DX mode, it WILL work but at reduced resolution as you are throwing away a lot of the pixels.

if I split the thread off, how will the current participants identify it by any new name that I give it.

You could always just PM us with the details and/or subscribe us to the topic. After all, we all know you have nothing better to do.

[oavs]

Ok I have restarted this topic here now http://www.dslrusers.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=39076

Please no more comments here otherwise you know who will get real cranky