Anyone else do the Magic Marker Mod as discussed in this thread?

I just did it, and though I haven't seen it in the sunlight yet, I think I like it.

Basically, I just used a black Sharpie-brand fine point permanent marker and colored the silver areas and circuit traces around the IR sensors. Then I used the edge of a small pad of note paper as a straightedge and colored some of the edges of the front of the VFD to cover the silver bits in there (being extremely careful of parallax for the viewing angles).

Now, with indoor lighting, it's nearly impossible to see anything but the VFD through the face. I wonder what it's going to look like in the sunlight?

If I get the digital camera I want for Christmas, I'll take pictures for the Riocar.org site.

Tony, what colour lens are you using on your empeg right now? I hope it's not a FAQ item... :)

I did read the other thread when it was originally posted, but under room lighting (this room anyway) and using the blue lens with my Mk2a, I can't see much of anything except the vfd. And if I look closer (change angle) I can see a glare of the bottom of the vfd cover glass. Moving the unit around now I can start to make out the silver around the IR sensor.

BTW, to save me starting a new topic, is there a convenient way to adjust/set the level of dimness when the dimmer circuit kicks on (when turning on headlights)? If it's in the FAQ, just say so. :)

Bruno

Its under dimmer. :-) I think its under settings, and you can only change it when the empeg is docked in car - or thinks so.

Sean

I had it docked today while installing. Under dimmer I set the display dimness setting for normal operation. Didn't see a setting for when the lights are on. Unless you first turn on the lights and then do the same operation for a different "setting" that gets tracked automatically?

Bruno

Correct :)

Hugo

Canon S300??
If so then I will be jealous!

That along with the waterproof case for it is high on my wish list and if I don't get it for Christmas then I will be buying one early in the new year!

You guys are sneaky bastards, I'll give you that. :) You're getting too intuitive for even me now.

Ok, get cracking on the next beta - I can't wait to see all the smallest of fixes and improvements.

Bruno

Canon S300??

Yup, that's the one I want. Think I might actually get it, too.

Although slightly more expensive, I would have to recommend the Canon G2. It's an awesome camera! It's about as close to an SLR camera (in terms of features) that you can find in a point-and-shoot camera.

I have a teleconverter lens, filters, and a 420EX Flash. Can't even begin to say how much I love the camera. My only disappointment is that I couldn't afford the D30.

If you want to see some pics, take a look at my site.
http://www.pbase.com/svferris

One of the primary reasons I want the s300 is because of its tiny size. I don't want something like an SLR, I want something that is incredibly easy to carry around. The smaller the camera, the more likely I am to be carrying it with me when a photo opp arises. Quality is important to me, too, and the s300 has a very high quality for something so small.

Tony, what colour lens are you using on your empeg right now?

Green.

is there a convenient way to adjust/set the level of dimness when the dimmer circuit kicks on (when turning on headlights)? If it's in the FAQ, just say so.

Yes, it's in the FAQ right here.

Quality wise, what's the major differences between it and the S110?

I've been super happy with the S110....

Quality wise, what's the major differences between it and the S110?

Http://www.dpreview.com has detailed reviews of both. They are under their european names there ("Canon Digital IXUS v" and "Canon Digital IXUS 300").

Very good site. It's what helped me decide on the s300.

The only major difference i see is that the s300 has a 3x optical zoom to the s110's 2x. I LOVE my s300, but sometimes wish i'd opted for the s110 simply because it's noticeably smaller. If you haven't already Tony, go to a Best Buy or similar outfit and hold them both in hand. I put my buddy's s100 in one hand and my s300 in the other, and was amazed at the difference. The s300 is tiny, but the s110 is unfreakinbelievably small.

Either way, you won't go wrong. The s300 rocks.

Damn, now you've got me second-guessing myself. I guess I'll have to look more closely at the 110.

Hmm. The 110 is $100.00 cheaper, and Amazon is offering them with a kit that includes a free second battery.

From the looks of it, they both have about the same image quality, and they both can do movie-mode with the same clip lengths.

It's hard to tell from reading the reviews which one I should get. Anyone have any more details on the differences between the 110 and the 300?

Anyone have any more details on the differences between the 110 and the 300?

Read this.

I also recommend checking the Canon Forum for any other Canon questions you have. Lots of VERY knowledgeable people there.

The only thing the 110 has over the 300 right now is that extra kit. Otherwise I would never (ever) consider the 110 over the 300. 2x zoom? What are you going to do with that? 3x is the bare minimum I would ever accept in a camera.

The Elph body is pretty nice for a compact. But do you necessarily want something so small? There are plenty of better cameras at a slightly larger size and higher resolutions and similar prices. Or of course similar specs (or better photo quality), larger and cheaper price.

This year has left me very underwhelmed as far as digicams go. I suppose the only things that really made me go "cool" were Contax's full-frame 6mp SLR and Minolta being the first (by far) to introduce a consumer camera with 5mp.

Hopefully storage will get cheaper and faster and we'll start to make some additional strides in both pixel resolution as well as dynamic range and CCD colour resolution. Not to mention larger-area CCDs for use in SLR bodies to maintain 100% lens usage and correct focal length factors.

Anyway, all things considered, if you can live without the 3x zoom, the price and extra stuff with the 110 is nice. I haven't read enough about the camera to know all the other possible differences. The 16MB card is laughable and so is the 8 it comes with. I don't use my 8MB card ever - I always keep my 64MB loaded. And for a long trip where you want to shoot a lot, you'll need a transfer device to unload on a daily basis (a laptop for instance or something smaller and more portable is even better).

/edit/ Also, just about the best camera site on the net is www.steves-digicams.com - I also read www.dcresource.com from time to time.

Bruno

Svferris, thanks for that link, I'm still just as confused as ever.

The 16MB card is laughable and so is the 8 it comes with. I don't use my 8MB card ever - I always keep my 64MB loaded.

Agreed. I was not planning on getting the unit unless I got at least a 64mb card to go with it and an extra battery. The extra battery that comes in the package kit is really the only main plus I would like about it. But the $100.00 cheaper, now that's a big deal.

Plus, the smaller size and weight is a big deal for me, too.

Which of the two cameras is newer? The 300?

I'm reasonably certain the "newness" goes S100, then S300, then S110. S110 is an update to the S100 if I remember right. I almost got the S300 but eventually chose quality over portability and went with the Olympus C-490UZ. The deciding factor was the fact that I take a lot of pictures of sporting events, and the 10X optical zoom and extremely versatile exposure options are important. When I just want to capture vacation photos or simple family get-togethers, I sometimes wish I had a smaller camera, though.

Olympus C-490UZ

Ok, I haven't been following digicams very much since the summer, but what model is that? Never heard of it. Is it branded something else in other countries? I have a small Oly D490Z which I think was an excellent bang for the buck. Its replacement with USB is even better. The 2000, 3000 and 4000 series are also quite nice.

I'm still waiting around for when I can invest in a very high quality SLR. The current ones are all targeted too much for journalism still - excellent image quality, but low resolutions, all things considered.

Bruno

I'm a dope. I meant C-700UZ. I had considered the 490Z as well as the 2100UZ.

I decided to go with the 2100UZ. Its a excellent camera. 10X optical zoom, image stabilization, and complete control over exposure and tons of other settings.

Sean

Yeah... The C-700 is basically a more compact 2100 without the image stabilization. I was turned off of the 2100 due to some stories I had heard about a "sudden death syndrome" which people on the DPreview forums were experiencing, and I also liked the 1/1000 shutter for action shots when there's enough light. The form factor of the 700 is a bit easier to deal with as well. When I bought my 700, the 2100's were coming down in price and approaching the same price I paid, but I really wanted the smaller form factor and didn't mind the lack of image stabilization.

My biggest disappointment is a problem that plagues almost all digital cameras, and that's the fact that when I click the shutter, there is a noticable delay between when the shutter actually releases. I came from a Canon AE-1 SLR and this concept is very foreign to me. You can reduce it by pre-focusing and some other settings, but you can never eliminate it. I have yet to find a digital camera with an instant shutter release... If I can find one that has decent features, I'll be all over it.

Heheh... I know the feeling. The only reason i mentioned anything is that i went with the s300 solely because it had a 3x zoom, while the s110 had the 2x. I tried 4 times to go to a store to compare them side by side, but every store i went to either had one or the other. I didn't realize the size difference until i had it in hand and got to put it next to my friends s110. The issue for me was pocketability. You notice the s300 bulging in your pocket (it's still WAY smaller than any others i've handled though) but the s110 fits perfectly and i could barely notice it. That's about it.

Not sure if you've checked there for prices... but computers.com has a really good cheap price finder for digi cams. I got mine for 100 less than from any of the big online stores.

Thanks for the info. Pocketability is important, and if the s110 is smaller but has the same image quality in an even smaller package, then it sounds like what I want.

You're talking about shutter lag, usually associated with AF. This is also present on non-digital cameras to some degree depending on make/model. My Oly D490 has very little shutter lag (next to no shutter lag when compared to so many other cameras). I believe either (or both?) Steve's and dcresource mention shutter lag in their reviews.

What you don't get with the smaller cameras often is fast shot-to-shot times because of small buffers - and of course the slow speed writing to flash.

I'm waiting for the day where I have 6000x4000 (approximately) with a full-frame (exact size of a 35mm frame) CCD. Writing to disk, not flash. And of course Nikon. :)

Bruno

According to the guys on the dpreview forum, the SDS was happening on older models and the problem has been fixed on the newer ones.

Sean

when I click the shutter, there is a noticable delay between when the shutter actually releases.

There are some cameras that allow for just about fully manual operation. The Oly C3030 is one. With manual setting of focus shutter and aperture, the shutter snaps instantly.

I have to agree with Tony about camera size, if you don't carry, it won't get used. I think that was the one key factor in USR's PalmPilot catching on.

Glenn

I'm still waiting around for when I can invest in a very high quality SLR.

Me too. My next camera (in a few years) will definitely be a digital SLR. I hope they get the CCD sensor reduced such that the focal length of the lens is not modified (multiplied).

But, depending on how much you're willing to spend, you can get some good deals. My friends at work got a deal with a Canadian photo shop. After the horrible US->Canadian money conversion (horrible for the shop, anyways), my friends got their Canon D30 body for $1700. It's regularly priced at $3000. After the additional accessories they got (battery grip, extra battery and 1GB Microdrive), I think final cost with shipping and whatnot was $2600.