now as anybody with a Sony DSLR will know the camera doesn't tell you what the total shutter count is so for quite a while it was impossible to tell. There is however a website that allows you to upload a photo to and it checks the exif data for you and gives you the total shutter count. My A450 is currently on 39165 photos.
link to the site http://tools.science.si/index.php
Saturday, 17 May 2014
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Tamron 70-300 USD
very impressed with this lens, AF is fast and image quality is excellent
this is one of the first photos taken with it
this is one of the first photos taken with it
Friday, 11 April 2014
Jessops, it's still not the best customer experiance
A while ago, before it shut down and re-opened I tried to order online from Jessops, the camera I tried to order wasn't in stock and there was no chance of getting it, Jessops didn't tell me this, I only found out when I contacted them a few days later and the camera was needed as a birthday present so I had no choice but to go out and buy one there and then, I then decided never to order online from them, since it's now quite famously under new ownership I thought I'd try again.
I needed a new telephoto zoom lens as my old one was broken (AF failed), I decided which one I wanted (Tamron 70-300 usd), Jessops had it listed and it was equally the cheapest I could find - my local camera shop doesn't stock this lens and given the choice between ordering from Amazon or a dedicated camera shop, I chose the camera shop - I figure by supporting the camera shop they will be more likely to survive and be there when I want to look at something in store.
So I ordered the lens on the Friday, on the item it said "special order - delivery usually within 30 days" and "free next day delivery". 30 days vs next day is quite a difference. The lens wasn't in stock, I only know this because I checked the online tracking and it told me it's on back order, it's a good job I don't need the lens in a hurry. How about changing the website so when an item isn't in stock it doesn't keep saying free next day delivery?
After a week I contacted them on their website using the click to chat instant messaging function, here I was told it will be up to 28 days from point of order, same as the email confirmation, he didn't check to see if there was any other information available, he just quoted the standard delivery times (which could be 28 days, could be 30 days - they say different things in different places). I made a suggestion they change the website and order confirmation so they no longer say conflicting things, I was polite about it, I was making what I think is a fairly straight forward and common sense suggestion, I didn't get a reply though, that's where the conversation just ended, after a while I closed down the web page.
So one week in, no lens and not the best customer service either - lets hope it gets better soon.
update, two weeks in and still no lens, I tried using the click to chat again only to be told that they can't check on the progress of an order and I was given a premium rate phone number to call or an email address to contact them on. Unfortunately as soon as they finish a click to chat it asks for feedback on the service, clearing the conversation including the contact details I'd just been given. I've found an email address on the website so I've emailed that.
update 2, so I've had a reply to the email, apparently my lens will be delivered to them later this week and delivered to me by the weekend.
update 3, lens still not here and it's showing as back ordered online still, it's three weeks since I ordered it
update 4, delivered, at last. Only a few days short of 4 weeks, I don't think I'll be ordering from Jessops again in the near future.
I needed a new telephoto zoom lens as my old one was broken (AF failed), I decided which one I wanted (Tamron 70-300 usd), Jessops had it listed and it was equally the cheapest I could find - my local camera shop doesn't stock this lens and given the choice between ordering from Amazon or a dedicated camera shop, I chose the camera shop - I figure by supporting the camera shop they will be more likely to survive and be there when I want to look at something in store.
So I ordered the lens on the Friday, on the item it said "special order - delivery usually within 30 days" and "free next day delivery". 30 days vs next day is quite a difference. The lens wasn't in stock, I only know this because I checked the online tracking and it told me it's on back order, it's a good job I don't need the lens in a hurry. How about changing the website so when an item isn't in stock it doesn't keep saying free next day delivery?
After a week I contacted them on their website using the click to chat instant messaging function, here I was told it will be up to 28 days from point of order, same as the email confirmation, he didn't check to see if there was any other information available, he just quoted the standard delivery times (which could be 28 days, could be 30 days - they say different things in different places). I made a suggestion they change the website and order confirmation so they no longer say conflicting things, I was polite about it, I was making what I think is a fairly straight forward and common sense suggestion, I didn't get a reply though, that's where the conversation just ended, after a while I closed down the web page.
So one week in, no lens and not the best customer service either - lets hope it gets better soon.
update, two weeks in and still no lens, I tried using the click to chat again only to be told that they can't check on the progress of an order and I was given a premium rate phone number to call or an email address to contact them on. Unfortunately as soon as they finish a click to chat it asks for feedback on the service, clearing the conversation including the contact details I'd just been given. I've found an email address on the website so I've emailed that.
update 2, so I've had a reply to the email, apparently my lens will be delivered to them later this week and delivered to me by the weekend.
update 3, lens still not here and it's showing as back ordered online still, it's three weeks since I ordered it
update 4, delivered, at last. Only a few days short of 4 weeks, I don't think I'll be ordering from Jessops again in the near future.
Saturday, 22 March 2014
Photowalk - Science and Technology Facilities Society buildings - choice of 4
The Science and Technology Facilities Society have organised a series of photo walks around some of their buildings in June and July of this year - more details are available at http://www.stfc.ac.uk/photowalk
there is also a competition that they are running along side this with a top prize of £750 or a trip to CERN
there is also a competition that they are running along side this with a top prize of £750 or a trip to CERN
minolta 100-200 f4.5 sample images
minolta 100-200 f4.5, a set on Flickr.
These were all taken with my minolta 100-200 f4.5 lens
tamron 10-24 sample images
tamron 10-24, a set on Flickr.
these were all taken with my tamron 10-24mm wide angle lens
sony 18-55 kit lens sample images
sony 18-55 kit lens, a set on Flickr.
these were all taken with the Sony 18-55 kit lens, the mk1 version
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