Sorry about my spelling Joe ,, should have checked that. Russell Reynolds ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Phillips" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 6:21 AM Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Ques. about Camera > Hi, > > Thank you all of you for your generous help and very useful advise. > > I am very encouraged to continue forward. > > very good help, > > thanx again, > > pax, > > joe d phillips > columbus, ohio > > -----Original Message----- > From: Matthew Valencic [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 10:16 PM > To: 'Joe Phillips' > Subject: RE: [Ohio-birds] Ques. about Camera > > > Hi Joe: > > Welcome to the fun and frustrating world of birding. I have been doing > this > on-and-off since 1974 but only got serious three years ago. > > Some good advice that came to me from 'varsity birders' is: > > STUDY THE BIRD THROUGH BINOCULARS BEFORE TAKING PICTURES. > > DESCRIBE IT TO YOURSELF 'OUT LOUD' so you get used to looking for features > that are diagnostic. Say something like this; "it is about the size of a > sparrow but is mostly dark gray, not brown like a sparrow. It's eye is > very dark. It has a white belly. The beak is like a sparrow but it is > light colored, sort of pinkish. It mostly eats seeds off the ground." > > NOW TAKE YOUR PICTURE(S)! THEN MAKE A FEW NOTES (I carry a pen and 3 x 5 > index cards in my shirt pocket). > > Get out your field guide and find the sparrows and start looking for your > bird (It should be the Dark-eyed Junco - formerly the Slate-colored > Junco). > > You learn your birds one at a time! Enjoy studying them because the > identifications will stay with you longer (involving more of the senses in > learning makes learning go faster!). The field guides (I have collected > several over the years) often describe behaviors as well as physical > characteristics. A bird that 'habitually bobs its tail while perched' is > probably an American Kestrel and not a Mourning Dove (both like to perch > on > telephone lines). > > My last thought for now is to try to find a tripod for your camera, even > an > inexpensive one. I looked at your new camera on-line and it seems like a > great camera. However, anti-shake (now called image stabilization in > other > cameras) is only so effective, especially at slower shutter speeds. We > have > a lot of cloudy days in Ohio and I have a lot of "Bigfoot" pictures from > my > 10MP Nikon that were taken off-hand at 1/60 second. The tripod will yield > much better pictures under those conditions. > > Again, welcome to the wonderful world of birding. I would be happy to > share > thoughts with you that others have imparted to me. I love the birds and > especially the habitats they take me to. > > Oh, one more thing. Keep a list of what you positively identify. It > gives > you a feeling of accomplishment. I would be happy to share my simple > EXCEL > sheet if you don't already have a system. > > Matt Valencic > Chagrin Falls, OH > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joe > Phillips > Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 8:47 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [Ohio-birds] Ques. about Camera > > Hi Bird Folks, > > I appreciate very much being on this active and helpful chatline. > > I am really struggling trying to learn how to be a Birder. > > So far it has been mostly frustrating. > > So I finally decided if I took a photo of the bird I was looking at I > could > find it in the books when I got home. > > I am really ignorant about birds but sincerely want to learn. > > Please advise me if you have experience with the camera that I have > purchased and is coming soon. > > It is: > > a Konica Minolta Dimage Z6 6MP Digital Camera with 12x Anti-Shake Zoom > > Hopefully, the 12X will be able to make close-up pics that I can improve > my > identifications. > > sincerely, > > joe d phillips > columbus, ohio > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 270.9.9/1808 - Release Date: 11/23/2008 > 6:59 PM > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at > www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 270.10.1/1867 - Release Date: > 12/28/2008 > 2:23 PM > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 270.10.1/1867 - Release Date: > 12/28/2008 > 2:23 PM > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at > www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]