Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Thanks for your advice Paul, I've only taken a few shots with the Cannon so far, today I managed one BF I don't know what they'll be like on my computer yet, but the clarity so far is great.

Thanks for the names of the Caterpillar and Fly I can can put it on their folder now.

I'm enjoying the camera already, every thing is automatic you just press the button, I'll investigate further as I go a long Goldie

[Debbie]

Hi,

Will your camera take a Tamron 70-300 with Macro setting. (you will need to check this out)

I have one that I started with on my (first) DSLR Canon.

It has the added advantage of Zoom and the Macro setting to.

I paid about £70 for it in the sale and it has often been on sale.

here are 2 pictures I have taken, my eye sight is terrible so for my capabilites I am pleased.

Debbie

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Goldie

Just keep on with enjoying your photography and don't rush into anything.

There are lots of lenses to choose from at lots of different prices. I use a Sigma Macro lens that I picked up second hand on EBay for £300. They now have a similar lens with image stabiliser but it costs much more.

I would put an SD card in your camera and go and try on some lenses in the shops and take loads of photos on your own card before making a decision. Just down load the photos and see which look best for what you want to use the camera for.

If you're ever up around Nottingham you're most welcome to try my lens out and if you know anyone with a lens you fancy just get them to let you have a go.

Good luck.

Paul

[Goldie M]

Hi! Debbie, I think it will , but I'll have to find out for sure.

I, like you haven't very good eye sight, your pictures look good to me though, I can't belief you only paid that for the lens, I'll have to look out for the sales

I also saw your posting about a Bridge Camera, I have one with a great zoom (Nikon Coolpix) it's great for Taking shots of birds. It also as a close up for micro shots which is very good, it's just the clarity i can't get to grips with and on very sunny days I've to a just the exposure compensation with every shot, at least with the Cannon it's all built in unless you go Manual.

Did you find a Bridge Camera you liked?

I'm no expert , I keep trying things and each time get a wee bit further I think with both camera's I may have a choice

I took a few shots yesterday, in the Garden mostly except for the BF which was in next doors I'm pleased with them to say their my first with the Cannon Goldie

[Debbie]

Hi Goldie,

I love your pictures, and thank you for your kind comments about mine. I wish I had more time to get out and take more pictures. I was happy that at £70 if it was a mistake, it was not too big and Jessops did let you take it back also withing 30 days if you did not like it. I have looked at bridge cameras and we are thinking of Canon SX range 40/50. Argos have some 40's but you cannot exchange it in the shop if you do not like it (but you can if you order it online) But hubby thinks the extra zoom of the sx50 will be good for birds. We hope to get one soon (however I did just buy a new dining room suite last week so maybe not just yet). I look forward to seeing more of your pictures, and as my mum would say to me 'if in doubt do nought'

Debbie

[Goldie M]

Hi! Debbie, we sound like a mutual admiration society

Jessops are on line still, I'll take a look, most of their shops have closed now which is a real shame.

Have you looked at Amazon? their prices are very good.

You can't have every thing (my husband keeps telling me that) But at £70 pounds may be you can Goldie

[MikeOxon]

The Tamron 70 - 300 described by Debbie sounded too good to be true but I looked it up and it gets a pretty good review at http://www.ephotozine.com/article/tamro ... view-13028

It seems to be light-weight and a reasonably good performer. If price is critical for you, this sounds a very versatile lens that will give the sort of breadth of capability that you are used to with a bridge camera.

A so-called 'macro-zoom' is really a zoom with close-focus ability and is not optimised for macro work, like a true macro lens. Similarly, at this price you should not expect really robust construction, so don't use it to hammer nails in

Current price seems to be just under £100 at Amazon or WEX.

Mike

[Goldie M]

Thanks Paul, Mike and Debbie, It's good to know about different micro lens, I plan to take a step at a time and get use to the camera. I put the soft ware up I got with it and it's going to take me quite a while I can see

Like you said Paul learn about the camera and take lots of shots.

I've taken your advice before Mike and always found it sound, my husband also thinks I should try the different modes the camera can do, so far I've just taken shots in the P or Auto Mode ,t he shots above I took close up in the P mode. So I'll continue to experiment and hope the Butterflies land close to me

The Tamron 70 - 300 sounds good, but I'll wait until I can get a proper micro lens I think. I saw one advertised on line at Jessop's
for about £327 , my Husband said to wait when we talked it over , so I'll work with this one for this year and use my Bridge Camera in between. ( I think )

Thanks Debbie for telling me about the Tamron , I still intend to look for it in the shops and to get them to show me what it's like Goldie

[Debbie]

Hi Goldie,

I agree Mike gives good sound advice as is Pauls, I look forward to seeing your photos with your new camera.

Debbie

[Goldie M]

I've not been too far a field this week still trying to get my back going, if I walk too far,I really know about it so I've been to local places for short times, it 's
given me a chance to get to know the new camera more.

Yesterday we went to Pilling, it's across the bay from Fleet Wood, good coastal path to Knot End.(not that we used it much )

There were plenty of Small Whites and Large Whites, also Common Blue, and I saw a Small Skipper who was too fast for me. Other than that nothing, but it gave me a chance to try the different modes on the camera, I found I'd to go much closer than with my Bridge Camera and the picture on one or two were not as sharp, also the colour seemed less stark on some shots more than other's, still it'll take time and I'm enjoying it. I've put a few shots on my posting

The Skipper I shot to day with the close up Mode. I struggled to get near him he was so quick, I followed him for a while in long grass Goldie

[Goldie M]

Seems a long time since I logged in but in that time I spent a few weeks in Kent, I was disapointed until the last day, that's when I saw the Heath Fritillary also the Marble White( one MBW ) and I was lucky to see that. There seemed to be no Butterflies at all. Usually I go down there the same time every year the last week in June 1st in July. In that time I see Ringlet, HF, MB, MW, etc this year because of the bad Spring nothing until the 2nd week in July. ( I wanted to try my new Camera out as well) Then I only managed about 4 or 5 different Butterflies.)

Since I've been home and the weather's been good it's been a bit too hot for them I think for they seem to be out very early morning round here then nothing much until after tea which is unusual. Any way I got shot's of the Heath Frit and whilst I've been home the Large Skipper. Goldie

[Pauline]

Hi Goldie

Very nice Heath Frit. I would agree that there are a lot of excellent photographers on this site and it is really worth while listening to them. One of the first things they told me about was exposure compensation. If you adjust this for a pale coloured butterfly then you will get a lot more detail in your shots but I can see you're enjoying it and that really is the most important thing

[Wurzel]

Alright Goldie? I like your Heath shot, it's not the usual posture you see them in which is great Plus it's a Heath Frit which is something I've yet to see

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Thanks for your comments Pauline and Wurzal, I find that I'm tending to use both camera's now ! funny I know But for shooting BF a distance a way you can't beat the Bridge cam, and for real close ups I like the cannon, luckily my long suffering Husband carries one whilst I have the other , he would sooner just watch the BF's he's not interested in taking shots, unless he spots some thing that takes his interest but we won't go there Needless to say it won't be BF's

Pauline, you take some lovely photo's , I'll have to try what you said, your right though' I'm enjoying myself really too much at present messing about seeing what the Cannon can do, I find it depends too much on different lenses, where as the Bridge Cam seems to have long distance and the Micro built in, Debbie has found this out as well she's just bought a Bridge Cam, any way i'll press on regardless

Wurzal , glad you like my HF and hope you get to Photograph it soon .

The photo I posted before was from my Cannon this shot was taken with the Bridge camera from a distance, I think you'll know why I've decided to use both

On the day I took my shots of the Heath Frit I thought I saw a Brown Hair Streak, I couldn't get a shot of it there was quite a few people filming and it got disturbed, the other's also saw something but weren't sure . Does anybody know if there are BHS in East Blean Woods? I thought it too early for them and with every thing so late thought it couldn't be, but it had the two large orange spots on each wing and no it wasn't a Meadow Brown it was much ,much, smaller I was really miffed I'd missed it. Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I find that I'm tending to use both camera's now ! funny I know

Not at all funny - I usually carry both a DSLR and a compact. I use the DSLR for 'specialist' subjects - birds, butterflies, etc., and the compact for general scenes, including habitat shots. Changing lenses (especially big ones) on a DSLR is a bit of a pain, so a second camera is always useful.

Mike

[dave brown]

Does anybody know if there are BHS in East Blean Woods?

Goldie,
Sorry to disappoint. I do East Blean a lot and there are no Brown Hairstreaks present, not even a release. To the best of my knowledge BHS is absent from Kent and has been for many years. It would be nice to see them back but with the nearest colony in West Sussex there is no chance of that.
Dave

[Goldie M]

Thanks for your postings, sorry to hear there are no BHS in East BW Dave, I'm sure I saw one you know. I've never seen one before so had to look up what I did see the only one nearest to it was the BH. It was in the car park nearest to where they'd chopped a log and put it at the entrance, I just wish I'd got a shot of it
never mind you should know you go there on a regular basis.

Mike I'm glad some one else carries two camera's besides me.

I was up at Gaits Barrow at the weekend, I saw what I thought was the DGF and the HBF but both were in the distance and they've now put a fence around where they are so I couldn't get near enough even to take shots with the Bridge Camera, I did get the Graylings though and the Ringlet which I'd missed in Kent. I also got a shot of a Brown Argus thought it was a Northern but no white spot on the wing so I guess not, I also got a shot of this caterpillar which i think is a moth but I've not done the pic's yet I was out yesterday taking shots of the Gate Keeper so I've to get it all together yet Goldie

I for got to congratulate the three, no four prize winner's in the Spring comp, Well done

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks for your postings, sorry to hear there are no BHS in East BW Dave, I'm sure I saw one you know. I've never seen one before so had to look up what I did see the only one nearest to it was the BH. It was in the car park nearest to where they'd chopped a log and put it at the entrance, I just wish I'd got a shot of it
never mind you should know you go there on a regular basis.

Hi Goldie,

I would think it is a good bet that your 'BHS' was a male Vapourer Moth. These fly during the day, often high up around various trees and can be mistaken for Brown Hairstreaks.

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=2026

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Mark Senior]

Does anybody know if there are BHS in East Blean Woods?

Goldie,
Sorry to disappoint. I do East Blean a lot and there are no Brown Hairstreaks present, not even a release. To the best of my knowledge BHS is absent from Kent and has been for many years. It would be nice to see them back but with the nearest colony in West Sussex there is no chance of that.
Dave

Extensive surveying particularly for eggs has extended the known range of BHS just into East Sussex for example around Plumpton . The deciding factor appears to be the soil has to be Wealden Clay .
There is an article on the web Another New World Mapping the Brown Hairstreak in Sussex by Michael Blencowe which has a distribution map showing the tetrads in which the butterfly and/or it's eggs have been found .

[Debbie]

Lovely pictues Goldie.

I am now enjoying having the DSLR and Bridge and using both.

So I can have Macro and Zoom.

Debs