kalniel

Another 'subtle' HDR photo: -- OLD IMAGE REMOVED (imageshack) -- and then for the hell of it, a deliberately unsubtle one :D -- OLD IMAGE REMOVED (imageshack) --

Ok well general pointers include: -Go for a dual core Intel CPU for best performance/money. Quad core if you've got extra. -Get either an AMD 4850 or nVidia 9800GTX graphics card for best performance/money. 4870 if you've got extra. -The best performance/money motherboards for Intel CPUs are the P35 chipset ones. P45 if you've got extra. -4gb RAM requires a 64bit operating system, so don't forget to get Vista Premium 64bit (if you don't get this right away you can upgrade from the 32bit one by asking MS to send you the 64bit disc for a few quid). -You don't need a separate sound card these days - most motherboards come with HD quality chips and you'll have more than enough spare CPU to drive it. -You'll only need around 400W at most, so don't go for a mega watt PSU, instead go for a good make like Seasonic, Corsair, OCZ etc. and aim for around the 520W mark. -14cm is an odd size for a case fan, might be better to go with a case that uses normal 12cm sized ones so you can replace the fans if the bearing get noisy.

Very tricky shooting conditions! Shot #1 is very good for the long exposure. There's a script for my camera that can tell it to take a photo when it detects motion - apparently it's good for capturing lightning strikes, but I haven't seen any to find out!

I'm normally hugely opposed to mucking about with photos in the development room as it were, but I made an exception this time to test out bracketing and how steady I could hold the camera (it's a multi-exposure composite, which some people call 'HDR'). -- OLD IMAGE REMOVED (imageshack) --

It would work together, but you've made a couple of poor choices IMHO - let us know if you'd like some advice in that respect.

Which is as good as the 8800GTS 512...which is what he bought. So no problems at all. The situation 2 months ago was: nVidia massive performance advantage, 8800GTS 512 a rocking chip. They'd just brought out the 9800GTX which was identical to the 8800GTS 512, but cost £200. Rip off. ATi had a new series coming, but everyone expected it to be slow and only about as fast as a 8800GT. What actually happened was the new ATi were way faster than expected, which caused nVidia to react and drop the price of the 9800GTX to a more reasonable level. At the end of the day you still couldn't have got a significantly faster card without paying more. The only thing you could have done was get the same performance for cheaper, but that is ALWAYS the case for the PC - any time you wait that can apply.

Well 2 months ago your card was a very good choice for the money - and the card hasn't gone off or anything so you don't need to worry. 2 months ago the 4800 series didn't exist - it just so happens that it came out after you'd asked for help, but that is just how computers go. No point worrying about it which is why I don't usually comment after someone's bought something.

Heh flowers are good macro + bokeh practise :) I always get dozens when I try out a new camera (hence the lavender/bee photo), but they usually end up quite boring.

I doubt you'll actually need it. Turbulence is the bane of good case airflow, and more fans usually means more turbulence. One rear-exhausting 120mm fan together with an exhausting PSU is all that most case layouts need.

You're all so old fashioned. I'm European of course - where's the option for that?? :p

With average use you probably need to replace the thermal compound after about 15 years.

That cooler comes with it preapplied. You just remove the plastic sheet and plonk it on. It'll cool well enough straight away, but a couple of weeks of use later and the compound tempers so the cooling will improve further. Unless someone's being an idiot then I don't usually comment on specs after they've been bought - no point really as what's bought is bought. I'm sure you'll be very happy with it anyway :)

Someone high up like Mr Mosley.. oh, wait a second.. :p

Heh I was only kidding about the plate. I also saw a dino 308 GT4 in blue on the same day, but it was so ugly I feared my lens would break so I didn't take a picture of it :p

You read the number plate too eh? ;)

Exactly - you don't expect cars to be coming from the wrong direction so I'm not surprised he wasn't looking.

Are there any photos under all that processing?! :p Very nice and only a small amount of parrallax bending, impressive. I've only got a compact digital (my SLR is still film). -- OLD IMAGE REMOVED (imageshack) -- edit: Oh just saw this: UV filters are needed for film cameras, because the UV exposes the film in addition to the visible light, so you can get a haze effect whenever you shoot in sunshine and also end up with a sky that looks turquoise rather than blue, hence why they're usually called skylight filters. Even though you don't need them on a digital camera, they're useful to stick on anyway because a filter is cheaper to replace when you scratch it than a lens :p

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Revs 4tracks

Finally. I might actually start buying GFW Live titles now, like Gears of War.

Oh so it's this thread's fault that we're now getting adverts to meet single Arabs...

Heh it's quite fun :) -- OLD IMAGE REMOVED (imageshack) --

;) Maybe you just need to delve deeper into my allegory :p

A supercar is like Superman. Only, a car, not a man. And minus the y-fronts.

I didn't want to, but I was moving back to the UK. I seriously considering importing it because it was such a great car, but I was really busy and it would have been a lot of hassle when I didn't really need a car in the UK.