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As already discussed via email - I'll be there.

Thanks Steve (and your long-suffering bride) for the generous offer.

Booya! I'm there with bells on (whatever the heck that means)!!

Should we bring a plate, slab, cookies or something?

Cheers,

Luke

Next time BigPix. I had to pick my moment when asking the long suffering.

For others that can make it some items which might be useful

Background of some sort
Light tent
Gel filter set for SB-800
Reflectors

If you are attending please let me know if you can help out with any of these items.


Steve

I should have the following with me-

* D70s + 18-70
* SB800 w. all the standard bits and spare batteries
* light tripod good for the flash
* Gossen LunaSix light meter (old, but still quite effective)
* 1.5m multi-sided (white screen, silver, gold, white solid, black) reflector disc

anyone happen to know where to get the SJ-1 filter set from and how much it may be? Birddog?

L.

What this the SJ-1 filter set does?

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/ha ... index5.htm

It's a set of 20 coloured gels that can be used with the SB-800, similar to the two that come with it, but a wider variety of colours.

You could just as easilly make your own, just cutting out a bit of celophane and putting it under the difusion flap, but the nikon ones would be nicer to use.

Ted's just quoted me $49 ... meep.

l.

I will have to see how I go I have Paid for a three day pass this weekend for the V8 Supercars.

Just bumping this topic to remind Brisbane people who want to come to this Mini-meet that it’s on this Sunday and to confirm your attendance with SteveGriffin

Cheers,

Luke

Very keen to attend but unfortunately have other commitments....

Enjoy the day!

Cheers
Gecko

Hello D70 brisbanites - have not been around much lately due to... well... we can all come up with any number of excuses can't we? Won't be able to make this Sunday but looking forward to regular meets!

Rebecca

I would love to attend, i very new but eager to meet some of yas and get to work out this SB 800 contraption of mine.

Where is the Rochedale Manor....

Hi Troppo, the meet is as at member SteveGriffin's place.. PM him and tell him you'd like to come and he'll email the street address.

I'll be heading there also,l so I'll see you there.

..........guys have a great mini meet, I wish I could be there, but I am glad I am with my son in London with the world going crazy...... how about another mini meet at the end of September, maybe down at the coast maybe......

Sounds good to me BP, when do you arrive back in Oz?

........ around early September subject to weather I extend my stay for an additional 2 weeks, then around mid to late September......

Enjoy your time with the lad Bernie - keep safe and we'll do that mini meet when you get back.

Interested to hear how your meet pans out & keen on details if another is held in the near future.

I'm joining thousands & I mean thousands of crazy music enthusiasts who have taken over my town for Splendor in the Grass music festival kicking off today & ending tomorrow.

Enjoy the weekend Tamara. Hope your wedding shoot went okay yesterday.

We'll save a spot at the Sensor Cleaning table for you at the next meet.

Well we had our meet today, and I would like to thank Steve for letting us gather in his house. None of us had ever cleaned our sensors before, so Manta volunteered to go first (using the gift of methanol and pecpads from Birddog *thanks*) afterwhich seeing it wasnt too painful we all had a go... it's not so scary now!
We then started to have a play with some lighting setup.. but I had to go before we finished... I'm sure manta will post some here soon.

A big thank you to Steve Griffin for hosting this afternoon’s event which, by all accounts, appeared to be a successful operation. Regardless of the quality, I was pleased to see ANY sort of image come out of my camera after my first foray into the dark world of CCD filter cleaning. My heart was in my mouth but it was great to have the support of my fellow D70-ers, even if their encouragement was purely based on the fact that it was me and not them taking the first plunge.

For someone who has never shot studio-style portraits before, today was a real voyage of discovery. Having all the extra SB units, tripods, reflectors, umbrellas and backdrops made Steve’s office look the real deal and hopefully some reasonable shots will come from the exercise. I’ve included some of my favourites below and would appreciate any comments – bearing in mind these represent my first ever shots taken in this environment.

I’d like to thank all those who made today a big success – Steve for providing his home, much of his equipment and his unbridled enthusiasm, Birddog for the cleaning materials we seem to have put to good use, Michael (Artorie) for bringing along his Spyder for us to calibrate our monitors, Narelle (BlacknStormy), Jacque (Troppo) and Luke Smith for all their assistance and last but by no means least, our models: Lucy, Sam, Sophie (Steve’s pooch), John from the Brisbane Camera Group and Steve’s lovely and very photogenic niece, Anna. She was a terrific sport and never complained once about dealing with amateurs. I think John may have also missed his calling – gotta watch those tall silent types…

If today’s meet is anything to go by, the D70 forum cameraderie is alive and well in the sunshine state and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get together again.

Click for larger images

Those shots came out excellent Manta.. shame i couldn't stick around any longer... how've you gone calibrating your monitor?

Manta,
Great works done! Hope there're more mini meets for people up North, I'll be continuing support if there's an opportunity.

I wish one day Steve take me up (airborne) in his mobile office.

First of all a big thanks to Steve and his family for allowing the D70 lunatics to invade their home and use their children as guinea pigs.

It was a great meet and i learned so much. Simon, i can't believe you tried a new cleaning method on YOUR camera, i thought it was Narell's...

Sad i had to leave early but it was for a good cause, the eagles lost.

The photo's are fantastic especially the last one, it looks like limited flash from the front only, great shot.

To every one there today, Simon, Micheal, Luke, John, Steve and of course Narelle.

ooops, should finish the last sentence... good to catch up with yall

Atorie wrote:Those shots came out excellent Manta.. shame i couldn't stick around any longer... how've you gone calibrating your monitor?

Haven't gotten around to doing it yet Michael. That'll be my project for tomorrow afternoon.

Birddog114 wrote:Hope there're more mini meets for people up North, I'll be continuing support if there's an opportunity. I wish one day Steve take me up (airborne) in his mobile office.

It's not a bad way to spend a morning Birdy - I can thoroughly recommend it!

Troppo - thank for the comments Jacque and nice meeting you today. Good job the football turned out okay!

The photos I've included here are only 5 out of more than 90. I'm still sifting through..

Love your borders Simon, how du do dat hu?

I've been stuffin around with photo shop for an hour so far...i know your going to tell me it's easy.

Sorry I could not make it, had to pick up family from the airport ggrrrr

Troppo wrote:Love your borders Simon, how du do dat hu?

I've been stuffin around with photo shop for an hour so far...i know your going to tell me it's easy.

Yep - it's easy Jacque. I'll PM you with the method.

Terrific that it finally happened (thanks to Steve & his family).

I was so disappointed to have to miss it at the 11th hour, but my wife is really quite miserable with the flu. She can hardly move now with back spasms from all the coughing. I didn't feel right about leaving her alone for an afternoon.

Great pix Simon - I'd like to see some more.

Well what a great afternoon! It was really good to put some faces to names and to play with all of the gear. Learnt heaps even though I hardly pressed the shutter button.

Thanks Birdy for sending up the PEC pads and methanol and to Manta for blazing the trail in the CCD cleaning stakes. I checked this morning and am down to one very minor bunny.

Anna had a great time and is very keen to model again if we have another get together. I would like to be part of an outdoor portrait session at some stage down the track if anyone else is keen.

Sophie is still wandering around looking for Narelle!! - more cuddles required it would seem.

Steve

Good to hear this meet was so successful
Grumpy that I could not make it - other commitments

Cheers
Gecko

cricketfan wrote:Terrific that it finally happened (thanks to Steve & his family).

I was so disappointed to have to miss it at the 11th hour, but my wife is really quite miserable with the flu. She can hardly move now with back spasms from all the coughing. I didn't feel right about leaving her alone for an afternoon.

Great pix Simon - I'd like to see some more.

We're sorry you couldn't be there Trevor but appreciate the reasons why. I hope Mrs Fan is on the mend and that you can come and play next time.

Manta wrote:We're sorry you couldn't be there Trevor but appreciate the reasons why. I hope Mrs Fan is on the mend and that you can come and play next time.

Thanx Simon. In fact Jo is still in bed - the back spasms are preventing her from getting up & walking around. Poor thing. But it does look as if the flu is finally lifting, so hopefully she'll be fully recoverd soon.

See ya

Hey guys I am new to this post. So please give me some useful information related to this so even I can be the part of this post.
Because I come from another planet (Spammon), I can travel through time. I also have the Spammon trait of wanting to waste any precious time that you have.

And, if you click on my link, you will be directed to Spammon where everyone has two heads and a really small dick - even the women!

So long. I'll never be back.

Spammy McSpam from Spamsville

I am not sure what I should be more shocked at...the spam or the fact that you guys had a SB800 minimeet...

biggerry wrote:I am not sure what I should be more shocked at...the spam or the fact that you guys had a SB800 minimeet...

Yeah, sooooo 2005

Reschsmooth wrote:2005

nope, thats still no excuse

Well, is anybody else looking for SB-800s in as new condition? I feel that Nikon short-changed us guide number wise with the huge SB-900. Why exactly would I want to buy a flash that's much bigger yet gives less light?

Cheers
Steffen.

I have 2x SB800 and 1xSB900.
I love the SB900 for its user interface. It is always the master in my multi flash setups, and is nearly always the one I grab when I just want one flash.

Yes I noticed the GN cheat too, but don't find it an issue in practice. It is partly offset by the extra reach (SB900: 17-200mm zoom range SB800: 24-105mm)

What does bug me with the SB900 is the heat algorithm. It shuts down because it thinks it is too hot way too early. I think that was fixed in a firmware update, but since I have a D200, I can't update it. This is only rarely an issue for me. I don't often blaze away with the flash. If I do, I grab an SB800.

I thought you would have done the firmware upgrade whilst you had my D300. Next time I'm up that way we can upgrade your SB900.

I have considered a second SB800 but since I got my SB900 i have not ben bothered by the GN difference.

Wasnt the SB800 very new back in 2005?

aim54x wrote:Wasnt the SB800 very new back in 2005?

According to Nikon Australia, it was announced in 2003. I guess that means they would have been available in 2003 or 2004.

Thanks for your replies re the SB-900, maybe I should just go with the times and stop longing for the past

According to Nikon the SB-900 gets as much life out of 4 batteries as the SB-800 out of 5. Is this true in your experience?

Cheers
Steffen.

Steffen wrote:According to Nikon the SB-900 gets as much life out of 4 batteries as the SB-800 out of 5. Is this true in your experience?

Cheers
Steffen.

I've never used my flashes enough to make a comment on this. Never used the 5th battery on my 800. But the 900 seems to recycle faster than the 800 by a tiny bit, and one set of Eneloops have gotten me through an entire wedding.

Oh, just found this: http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/speedlights/sb-910/

Looks like the update includes an improved GUI and operating system, better battery performance and changed temperature cut-out behaviour.

EDIT: They also have hard-plastic green and amber filters now, like the SB-700.

Cheers
Steffen.