Hey were did you get those plastic dog yard decorations they look so real - <br><br>

I got them at the fireplace andiron shop. <br><br>This set was called "Dumb Dog - Smart Dog"<br><br><br><br><br>

from our bike ride today . . . cheese!!!!<br><br><img src="http://homepage.mac.com/jayhawk/.Pictures/turtle_1.jpg" width="700" height="499" alt="cheese" /><br><br>a non zoomed, but cropped shot of a buddy (there were 4 of them):<br><br><img src="http://homepage.mac.com/jayhawk/.Pictures/turtle_2.jpg" width="650" height="487" alt="turtle_2" /><br><br>--<br>[color:red] Kansas Jayhawks -- 2008 National Champions </font color=red>

Cool, informative thread. The TZ5 looks like it could be a worthy replacement for my beyond aged CoolPix 990. The lack of manual setting might be an issue, but the aperture priority could work out ok. The lack of funds is my main obstacle now even though the Lumix is priced nice. Thanks for the inspiration.<br><br>Chris<br><br><a href="http://www.light-imagery.com/index.html"target="_blank"></a><br><br>

I didn't make that very clear. The TZ5 does not have aperture priority. That would be the one manual control I would like to add. But there seems to be a bunch of creative ways to jimmy the exposure without too much trouble.<br><br>The metering mode can be changed to spot metering. One can half button lock on a dark object and your pic will be over exposed. With a 1 f-stop bracketing over and under that will give you a decent spread. (If you do that locking of a dark object you also drag the focus with you especially if you are on spot focus so one has to watch out.) You could also do the opposite to force a short exposure, shoot something bright then frame.<br><br>Then there are menu items called "minimum shutter speed" and "ISO sensitivity" which I don't know how to activate yet so there might be other ways to jimmy the exposure. The depth of field looks to be the most jimmyable by using the zoom of course but there are other ways to skin that cat.<br><br>Camera lore always said a camera without manual controls is for wusses. I think that could be backwards. Wusses use manual while real he-men make their point and shoot dance the watusi. <br><br>For the complete bonehead there are these "scenes" settings from "party" , "starry night" "night scene" to "portrait". (There are a ton of them.) But these all have a group of settings which could be forced to do your bidding.<br><br>Fun Fact: this camera is so smart it knows what a face is. When it finds a face in the view it draws a green box around it. It can draw 15 face boxes! Not quite sure what it is really doing but it's weird to watch it figure out what a face is. Dog faces do not count. I'll try Bonobo Ape and salt marsh harbor mouse tomorrow and see how smart it really is. If it can't do Bonobo it probably cannot do George Bush. <br><br>The last time I really was into photography ASA was the setting not ISO so I am marveling at this technology. (We shoot a lot in the lab but it is straight cookbook by protocol only.)<br><br>

WOWZA!!! <br><br>(Just for Gizmo)<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>oh yeah, that's going in the blog

hooray for Iraq!!<br><br><br><br>--<br>[color:red] Kansas Jayhawks -- 2008 National Champions </font color=red>

Yes! Hurray for iRaq. I can tell that second shot you used zoom so the artemisia stelleriana is blurred while that petunia is clear as a bell. I have the same pot hanging on my porch minus the geraniums with some wrens nesting in it. I might get a picture of the baby wrens in a week or so.<br><br><br><br><br><br>

I also posted a couple of Lumic TZ5 pics in my Boston celtics thread.<br><br>The zoom and stabilization is nothing short of amazing. The shot below is zoomed 10X. Garnett is 30 yards away and the Apple store is another 30 yards beyond him. Hand held using the "Intelligent Auto" I let the camera decide everything else. The zoom really stacks it all up nicely while keeping KG in focus. I believe the IA even drew a green box around his head meaning the camera knew that it was a human head.<br><br>I also shot this in "infinite burst" mode so I practically have a movie of KG waving with about twenty sequential photos. Not bad for a little point and shoot.<br><br><br><br>

Thanks so much for tips. I just love this camera. A few more.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Oliver is always curious<br><br><br>Pepper Ann is just my little sweet girl.<br><br><br>This is great it's so nice outside. Rick and I are headed into the mountains of SW Washington for a bluegrass festival put on by a promoter from Portland. Some great acts as well as photo opportunities. Then I have a car event tomorrow so more there.<br><br>oh yeah, that's going in the blog