The Sony DSLR's have gotten good reviews, and the fact that you've already got glass that'll fit on it is great. I didn't get serious about photography until about 5 years ago, so I was starting from scratch. Rather than buy the big 70-200/2.8 though, I rent it when I need it from BorrowLenses.com I do own a 70-135/3.5 and a nifty 50/2.8, but on the 7D it's more like a nifty 85 (or so), but it makes a great portrait lens.

Yeah... I've been into photography since I was stationed in Korea back in 75. I had to find something to do to keep what little sanity I had at the time. I started with a Yashica 35mm that I picked up at the PX and with the help of one of the guys in my company and the people at the base craft shop I taught myself how to process B/W and color slides. It's been an obsession ever since. My personal record is shooting 43 rolls of film in a day at the races. Of course it took me a lot longer to process all those slides since I could only do 4 rolls at a time.

My wife has an enlarger she is looking at selling. It is a beseler color one with manuals and all. if anyone is interested...

Strictly digital here. Never did the darkroom processing, and never want to. But I have studied it. Shooting RAW and using the digital darkroom, is still just as time consuming in may respects, but it depends on what you're shooting, whether the lighting is constant (helps with batch processing), and what your final product is going to be. I spent 9 days at the 'Joe Nall' Fly In, and spent nearly two weeks processing images. When I shot the Jet World Masters last year, I worked a little each evening on images and still spent a week afterwards processing images.

I'm flying to Nashville to give a presentation at the Dell campus there. You all be nice while I'm gone .

Alright guys!!! Don is gone for a while. Sean... you get the beer I'll call the dancing girls and the Captain can bring the Captain Morgan Dark! Party Time!!!!!

"EDIT:" And well all post like crazy so Don will have several pages to catch up on when he gets back!

After a short hiatus from this hobby that I love (too long really), I found my way back into the shop today. A year (or more) ago, I was working on a Skybench Sky Bird and had framed up the inner portion and most of the outer portion of the starboard wing. It's now on a nearby table while I lay out the pieces for the inboard port wing. I do recall making some adjustments to the area where the instructions have you build in the wing tubes, then cut a gap for the plywood doublers. I'll have to go my old (practically non-existant) build thread to determine exactly what I did so I can replicate it on the other side. I also embedded a micro servo for actuating the spoiler blade, and remembered afterward to cut holes for the servo wire pigtail (In my best Homer Simpson, "Dope!"). I'm not sure if I'll resurrect the build thread, but from time to time I'll post images here on my progress. If for nothing more than to keep "woodies" in our discussions.

LOL.... Yeah that might be a good idea TJ. It has kind of become "Threads Gone Wild" around here lately. Not that I'd complain mind you, but since I currently don't have an area to build in I'm going more than a little crazy.

Either place TJ, I'm subscribed to both.

Threads Gone Wild Jeff? Where's the half nekkid college girls?



Yeah. let's really load up the thread with drama, totally unimportant crap, insults, insinuations, bawdy stories, subjects as off topic as possible and senseless filler so Don will get a headache when he gets back.

In other words................business as usual.


Good luck Don, have fun and be careful.

I dunno about the rest of y'all, but I've been spending parts of the last couple evenings searching for good knitted sweater patterns. I was thinking of making it with Merino wool, and getting some nice, shimmery silk blend yams and putting a birdwing butterfly on the back. Like this:




Or this:



Or maybe this:

There has got to be a canard on that Birdwing Butterflown!
I'm givin' "us this pic- seein's as Sir Darth duckinbox is hidin' out, and Old Jeff is as frustrated as me,concerning werkspacing- Compression mode maximus
I actually cut 20 lbs of steel- that is,made 20 lbs of chip shaped little pieces from a .710 thick X so and so big plate! Tomorrowwww is 40 lbs!

Someone in the Bay Area (RCG name Geode) once made a flying wing DLG modeled after that leafy-themed birdwing. Beautiful thing. I heard it flew well, right up till it flew away.

If I make another DLG, I might color one like that.

Hmmm. How to make a canard flutterby?

I think the top flutterby is my favorite. Here's why -- the bottom side:



I think I'll put him on the sweater, top a little smaller on the front, and the best side as big as I can on the back, and the leafy pattern from the second guy down the sleeves. I have a complete set of wings from one, I can scan them and blow up the scan for a pattern.

Cap'n, are Sir Regis' plans complete? I haven't downloaded the latest plans you posted, but I'd love to put a canard on my to-do list. I'd have a TON of fun flying a backward plane at the field. Heck, I'd have fun scooting around at a contest, too.

You could always do a plane in a butterfly theme. The DJ Aerotech Monarch HLG was painted like a Monarch butterfly.

Wayne

Got me a bunch o wood from Craigslist for $240