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The Pearl of Great Price (Best Navigation, Active TOC)

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The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Latter Day Saint denominations.
The first paragraph of the Introductory Note in the LDS edition of the Pearl of Great Price reads:

The Pearl of Great Price is a selection of choice materials touching many significant aspects of the faith and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These items were produced by Joseph Smith Jr. and were published in the Church periodicals of his day.

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The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Latter Day Saint denominations.
The first paragraph of the Introductory Note in the LDS edition of the Pearl of Great Price reads:

The Pearl of Great Price is a selection of choice materials touching many significant aspects of the faith and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These items were produced by Joseph Smith Jr. and were published in the Church periodicals of his day.

Tamron 28-300VC on Canon 10D, ISO400 dcraw F8 1/1000s 375mm effective.

...I took this about a year and a half ago, just getting around to posting some of these shots...

This is H7 for highlight recovery then a 1.25eV push in software. I didn't even adjust the levels or contrast because I wanted to preserve the color of the rocks. Ok maybe I could have used a selective push here, but still. As far as relative intensity, "brightness", whatever, this is "au natural". Besides there are just trees behind the rocks, anyway. And this way they stand-out better :)

Anyway the point that I would make here is that ignoring the weak AF on the 10D (it worked ok here) it is clear that the G9 at 12MP has much more fine-detail than the 6MP 10D. The 10D is "adequate" in terms of resolution but the higher-MP cameras are clearly much better at putting pixels on the scene, assuming, of course, that you shoot raw and don't let the camera throw the fine-detail away before you even see it.

Even if you want to go with a cheap subframe for effective focal-length (it's much shorter to say "FOV" but not quite clear what I mean...I mean the FOV that you get with the FOV crop on a subframe) I'd still have to go with an A200 or 30D to start with, as the AF is just much better on both cameras than on the 10D. The 10D may be cleaner than the A200 and free of streak-noise in continuous-drive at high ISO unlike the 30D, but it just misses focus too easily too often especially at longer focal-lengths. Were it not for that, it would make a decent "beater" DSLR. And not to ride the point into the ground a decent subframe and decent IS superzoom can "pick -out" a lot of good shots in open spaces, like I did here, just standing on the bank of the Potomac shooting up and down the river, without being too slow & too noisy for most of the shots that I'd want to take, in at least halfway-decent light. Of course, once the sun goes down below the horizon it's going to get slow and/or noisy real fast while with a fullframe you'd still have a stop of light left to shoot handheld. Technically as long as you can find a focus and hold the camera steady you can take shots handheld in the dark with any camera, but what you will get as a result will clearly be better with a fullframe than a p&s. Doesn't matter how fast the lens is or how low the resolution, a p&s is still going to be more noisy in the dark than a DSLR and a subframe is still going to be more noisy than a fullframe. Again, as always when I talk about shots in the abstract, when shooting raw. I rarely if ever, ever ever use NR on my shots. I'd rather come back with a tripod.

Now, I suppose, there are a lot of people out there wondering whether they should shelve their 28-70 and 18-55 F2.8 IS lenses and get a LX3. I say "go for it, go out and take some shots, come back and tell me how you like them". It doesn't matter what you buy, there will be a point at which you have enough light to shoot handheld & get the shot that you want and have it look decent, and below that point it will be too dark and the shot will come out looking like shit. Likewise, any given lens will at times be just right and at times either too slow, too long or too short. There is no "one size fits all" solution. the main things are to a) get a camera that focuses reliably b) know your gear and c) shoot within the limits of your gear and technique. And that means *pushing* the limits of your gear *and* your technique and making sure that you get up to those limits and get the best shot that you can get.

You and only you are the only one who can truly decide whether you need a lens that's a stop faster or one that has a focal-length range that's 3x longer. I left the 24-70 and 17-55 F2.8 IS lenses behind a long time ago, to me the extra stop of speed was very-clearly not worth that massive compromise in terms of focal-length. It essentially turned that big-ass heavy-ass expensive lens on top of a big, expensive DSLR into a big-ass, heavy-ass expensive p&s (and I'm thinking Fuji A350). Compare the LX3 to an A350, it's got a slightly-bigger sensor with twice the MP and a lens that's 1 stop faster at the wide-end and 24-70mm effective (with IS) vs 35-105 mm effective (without IS). Oh and it costs 5x as much, even more than a G9 or G10. Does that make sense to you? It doesn't make sense to me.

I would take a 24-125mm effective F2.8-F5 IS p&s with 5MP that can shoot raw, though, especially with a flip LCD, and that's pretty-much what the G11 is. I would *definitely* take a 28-125mm effective F2.8-F5 IS p&s with 15MP *without* the flip-LCD, which is *exactly* what the G10 is. And I'm not entirely sure that I prefer that to the G9. But you have to admit is neat is that you could buy an LX3 and a G10 off eBay for the retail price of just one and shoot them both and see which one you really like. Unlike with a fullframe

[D700/Tamron 28-300VC handheld ISO6400 1/20s 240mm F6.3 ->dcraw-ufraw linear 0.01 gamma 0.55 > gimp usm r1.0-s0.80-t15]

This was an experiment to see if I could see any real difference from processing in "16-bit mode" on a 24-bit display. So I found out that ufraw is 16-bit native, and can save files out in 16-bit uncompressed tiff format. I used it to convert the 14-bit NEF file [is there a way to tell if the file is compressed, in software?] and focused on getting the deep-shadow information with the above mods to the gamma-curve. I kept the contrast reasonably good in UFraw knowing that in the end it would need contrast, then saving to jpeg and continuing on in Gimp for alignment. After that and after playing around with pushing it even more in Gimp, I ended-up just leaving the exposure there and adding a touch of contrast and a mild USM.

Actually this isn't bad...you can see that it's a little soft away from center but this is hardly bad at all for these shooting-parameters...HANDHELD. It wasn't like I was standing there with an effing tripod taking this shot. You could hardly do better than this with this lens, except to shoot it at F11 ISO400 maybe. And sorry there's almost no light here. I've tried that and it really doesn't look a whole-lot better, just slightly less soft away from center. Assuming there's no wind, a good focus and no drift in the tripod. but yes I definitely intend to try this once more with my G9 on a tripod even though it will be diffraction-limited at this focal-length. One thing I expect is that I can get "near-daylight" exposures (not to mention HDR) if I use a tripod.

Combine the D700 with the ability to push the shots on-computer, and it will give you shots that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The big disadvantage is in the lens and linear-resolution, it will never be as sharp or have the same resolution as human vision. Not to mention the effects of the stupid 500x400 pixel format above. So it's not like the D700 isn't an awesome tool (though it might be even better with body-IS), it's more of a question of how good of a shot do you need. If this isn't good enough for you then you're going to have to use, at least, a 70-200 F4 VR...the list goes on and on...I could probably get this handheld with a 70-200 F2.8 VR... :)

But really the question is whether you are into photography to torture yourself buying and carrying expensive, heavy gear to get your shots, or just to "get around", have fun and take some good pics along the way. There definitely are lenses that can get this shot and get it well on the D700, and certainly a tripod could be used.

Is this sort of scene worth all that?

Or is it better to just not try to take pictures of every damm thing that looks interesting? This scene is actually very nice, really, when seen in person. With a wider lens, the ability to walk around the trees, and turn your head...very nice. A devil to shoot well, though. And yes, I will have to shoot it once more with my G9 on a tripod, just to see how good a shot a relatively-cheap camera can produce in ideal conditions.
Just for the record. Because I want to know. And I suspect that a lot of this is pure "geekness". Guys constantly researching, buying and testing expensive hardware and shooting it under awkward conditions. Instead of just taking interesting shots, that are interesting for reasons other than how complex and difficult the shots were, or how expensive, complex and difficult to master the gear was that they used. Meanwhile we don't want to just carry a tripod and use it with our little p&s cameras, even if that would actually give us the best shot, because that would make us look like nerds even more, on top of the fact that tripods are annoying to carry & use. And then we rationalize buying DSLRs and big expensive lenses anyway because they are cleaner and hypothetically sharper with better optical properties than a p&s so "technically" the shots would be better.

But what percentage of the IQ comes from just using a tripod and making good choices with the camera settings and in post-processing, and what percentage comes from using a high-quality DSLR and lens? We can't know this unless we are at least willing to try our sophisticated shooting and PP techniques with relatively "cheap" gear. Only then can we really know the price/performance advantages of expensive gear. If there are any, for the shots that we want to take.

Oh and there's one other question: what if Canon or Nikon or someone made a p&s around a 1/1.6" sensor that *otherwise* was just as good, quality-wise, as their top-of-the-line DSLR and lenses? What if there was an "L" equivalent? Would you happily shoot that with a tripod, or prefer instead to send the extra money just so you could be seen shooting their 1DsMk4 and L lenses...on a tripod if necessary? :) Do those "rinky-dink" little

This Ingersoll Rand air hammer makes fast work of body panel crimping and cutting, bushing driving, shearing and front end work. Blows Per Minute (BPM): 3,000, Air Consumption (CFM): 3, Stroke Length (in.): 2 29/32, Bore Diameter (in.): 3/4, Shank Diameter (in.): 0.401, Air Inlet Size (in. NPT): 1/4, Min. Hose Size (in.): 3/8, Chisels Included: Yes, Case Included: Yes

Ingersoll Rand’s 121K6 super-duty air hammer with six-piece chisel kit makes fast work of body panel crimping and cutting, bushing driving, shearing, and general front-end work.

121K6 Air Hammer
With 6-Piece Chisel Kit
At a Glance:
Professional touch trigger for total control


Long-life tool with a tough one-piece alloy barrel


Easy to maintain, with an easy-out throttle valve assembly


Complete with six assorted steel chisels


Kit dimensions: 3.9 inches by 12.7 inches by 9.7 inches; weighs 4.2 pounds





Ingersoll Rand's 121K6 kit includes the 121 super-duty air hammer, six durable steel chisels, and a sturdy blow-molded case. View larger

Features
The 121K6 kit combines Ingersoll Rand’s 121 super-duty pneumatic hammer with six assorted high-quality steel chisels that have been tested to meet the harshest of job environments and tasks. The hammer comes with a coil-spring retainer for fast and easy chisel changes, and the kit’s included chisels are: one 3/4-inch flat-blade chisel, one punch chisel, one claw ripper-edging tool, one single-blade cutter, one kwik cutter, and one vee chisel-spot welder breaker. The 121 hammer reaches 3,000 blows per minute at 90 PSI and has a 2.28-inch stroke length—and its light weight (3.5 pounds) aids in user comfort, making it easier to work through longer jobs more quickly. Whether chipping, punching, or cutting, the tools provided in this kit—which also includes a sturdy black blow-molded storage and carrying case—increase productivity thanks to powerful and sturdy construction.

About Ingersoll Rand
With a history dating back to 1871, Ingersoll Rand and its family of brands represents a proven history in construction, mining, industrial, and commercial markets. Through acquisitions, innovations, and customer focus, today's Ingersoll Rand offers market-leading solutions and services that enable customers to create progress through a variety of industries and markets that touch everyday life.
What's in the Box
One Ingersoll Rand 121K6 super-duty air hammer with six chisels and one storage/carrying case.

Ingersoll Rand's 121K6 kit features the compact but powerful 121 air hammer. (Click to enlarge)