I was riding with Keith today, and he said "I like these Nalini bibs, except the pad feels like a gigantic diaper." Please report back.

Also got my Dinotte 200L light. Had a choice between that one and the Niterider:

NiteRider MiNewt.X2
232g
$189.99 at Performance
150 lumens
High/low/flash
3:30-7 hour run time
Li-lon battery

DiNotte 200L
220g
$149.99 at Geoman (25% OFF)
200 Lumens
100%/50%/25%/pulse
2:00-8:00 hour run time
Uses AA rechargeable batteries with charger

I went with the DiNotte because:
• I was afraid a standard mount won't fit on my FSA K-Wings
• It had more lumens, and it was cheaper and lighter
• I don't need a light for more than a few hours at a time
• I've become terminally OCP and didn't want to scratch Sacha's carbon bars with a clamp

Very small, no frills:


Attaches easily, yet securely with elastic bands. (Anti-scratch rubber pad at the bottom of the light)


Fits on the K-Wings nicely:


Battery pack fits easily into a small-size Bento Bag, with plenty of room to spare:


Or put in a pack, straps easily onto your top tube:


Another thing I liked about this light... If I'm unsure I will be out so late it might get dark, I can pop the lightpiece (sans batteries) into my back pocket. It's so small and lightweight it won't be noticeable. Should I need it, I can always run into a convenience store and pick up a few AA batteries.

I don't like diaper butt, but I like bibs. I haven't gotten them in the mail yet, so I'll have to wait and see.

dinnotte lights are the greatest things ever!!!!! been using them for a couple of years now!!

very GU'D stuff!

Only slightly related to cycling (more triathlon related)



Desoto T1 Black Pearl Pullover

plus another10% off... $160...couldn't refuse the great deal on the Chorus brifters!


....why would anyone buy the Veloce when priced like this?

Indeed good deal. Are they the QS types?

Because the Veloce comes with extra power, says so right in the name.

Nope, they're the 06's.

I don't have any shopping needs for the bike but I feel left out.

Thomson Elite Seatpost. 27.2mm for my fixed gear. My saddle kept sliding back with the seatpost i got from IRO so i dropped by Incycle Chino yesterday while out on a ride and ordered one.

I bought a cheapy seatpost to replace the one I have on my mtb. Unfortunately, wrong size. 26.4 vs 26.8 (need the smaller one).

So...I'm in the market for a camera. I have a uber-small Canon SD600 Elph that works great for things like bike rides, day trips, or anywhere where I want a camera, but don't want to lug it around.

However, capturing two crazy kids indoors or at play is kind of sucky. Either I'm not working it right, or the camera isn't capable of the pictures I want. Things end up blurry, even with the highest ISO setting (800), when the subject is moving...and indoor, either the pics are too dark without the flash, or way too overexposed with the flash.

I just had my son's 1st birthday on Tuesday, and the pictures are okay...but kind of blah.

My in-laws also just paid $250 for a pro photographer session...and we get the price list, and it's something like $25 for a single 5"x7" print. Not being a photographer, that seems like robbery to me...but what're ya gon' do?

So, I'm in the market (I think) for a decent dSLR for when I want good pictures.

The Nikon D80 is a little out of my price range, but I like it...I may, however want to stay with Canon because my digicam and camcorder are both Canon.

Any suggestions from the Pro shutterbugs here? James and Luwin...I'm looking at you. Spend my money.

ps...I don't even know if an SLR is what I want...I know little about lenses, filters, and such...All I want is great pictures...maybe a Full-body, like the Canon Powershot S5 IS or Sony Cybershot DSC-H9

if it were my money, I'd get a Canon Digital Rebel or Nikon D40 with a fast prime less. A lens that is something like a 35mm f2.0 or f1.8.

For taking low light pictures (all pictures really), the lens matters more than the megapixels. You want an f2.0 or lower.

I heard that some Fuji's do a good job at high ISO settings though.

Totally agree on the Canon Digital Rebel XTI. I bought this a few months ago for the same reasons you are looking - trying to capture the kids playing indoors and outside - and we love it. It was about $700at Amazon.com so it's not the cheapest but it is really nice. https://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-...7970895&sr=8-2 If I were to do it again I might get the 8.1 megapixel camera (I think its is the Rebel XT) - it is about $150 cheaper and the quality is jsut as good. You probably only need the 10.1 mp if you're going to print poster size pictures!

Don't get the "kit" lens that it comes with as it is not a great all-around lens. Instead, save the hundred dollars or so and instead get a better quality, larger Canon lens. I've included a couple of links to some wesbites that were really helpful for me in identifying what lens to get. I think you'll really like the Canon.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/

https://philip.greenspun.com/photography/canon/system

https://pic.templetons.com/brad/photo/dslrlens.html

Why don't most of these cheap SLR's come with hard lenses? I take it that they are interchangeable??

For work, I use a Canon EF 70-200 F2.8 USM-IS lens, but I'm really jonesing for the 300 F2.8 with image stabilizer. I know I can write it off as a business expense but it's hard to justify Want vs. Need on such a big ticket item.

Damn – I had typed out a long reply to this and my IE closed on me.
So here goes again – I’ll shoot for a condensed version this time.

If you step up to a DSLR, the lenses are the biggest investment you’ll make,
IMHO. In terms of body, the Rebel XTi is a great one that won’t break the bank
(body itself can be found well under $1k). If you want to move up a little
or have more $$ to spend, the 30D is a great choice. (But it’s soon going
to be replaced by the 40D, which is looking great on paper, but the 30D itself is
already a great camera). I had the chance to borrow my friend’s 20D (the
predecessor to the 30D) for a few days, and really liked it and felt comfortable
with it. The advantage of going DSLR of course is the capability to utilize
various lenses for your specific intents and purposes, as well as the manual
functions that allow you to tweak things to get the desired result.

I currently use the Canon G5 that I’ve had since 2004. The Canon G-series is
a great choice for someone like me, who wanted the manual capabilities but
wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge into a DSLR. The current G-series
offering is the G7, which I had just recommended to a coworker and her and
her husband just received it and are delight with it. It allows you to adjust
the shutter speed, which will help with reducing/eliminating the motion blur
of kids playing, etc. – (quick note – when you turn up the ISO in low light
conditions, you’ll most likely get a lot of digital “noise” in the picture), and
it also allows you to adjust things like aperture, etc. – basically it has the
manual capabilities of a DSLR with the exception of no shutter lag and using
various lenses. There are limited lens attachments you can use with the
G-series, but I haven’t found the need to do so. I do always have an
adapter tube on (it allows you to put different attachments over the lens),
and have a UV and polarizing filter on it.

Not sure if you’ve tried using a DSLR before, but please note that with SLR’s,
you have to frame/capture your pics using the viewfinder. With the G-series,
as it is not an SLR, you can use the LCD screen to frame and look at what
you’re taking. It’s helpful to me when I shoot things like cars where sometimes
I want a really low angle from the ground, and I can swivel the LCD screen
on my G5 so I don’t have to press my cheek to the dirty asphalt.

Another concern you had was the quality of the pictures using flash. What I find
also appealing with the G-series is that it allows you to use an external flash
(mounted on top of the camera). With the onboard flash, you get the harsh
lighting as the flash fires right at the subject. With the external flash, you can
bounce the flash off the ceiling or an adjacent wall, which makes a world of
difference. Of course, if you go the DSLR route, I would HIGHLY recommend
an external flash as well. I have the Canon 420EX, which has since been
replaced by the 430EX. It’s a simple, easy to use, no-brainer unit. You can
also opt for the more fancy-schmancy Canon 580EX with an LCD readout,
but I didn’t feel it was necessary for my specific purposes.

I’ve also borrowed another friend’s Nikon D70 and liked it – but I just have a
personal preference and past good experience with Canon. You can look at
places like Costco, which sometimes has good deals on these cameras as well
as great package bundles.

Here’s a quick summary:

If you want to go DSLR on a smaller budget, Canon Rebel XTi
If you want to go DSLR and have more $$ to toss around: Canon 30D
If you aren’t quite sure you want to go the DSLR route but want
something more capable: Canon G7

Hope that helps! I included a few pics so you can visualize what I’m trying
to say – holler at me if you have any other questions!


Rebel XTi (also comes in silver, but I prefer black bodies)




Canon 30D -




Canon G7 -




A shot of an adapter tube for the G-series to kinda give you an idea of different filters/lens hoods/etc. you can run on it -




And a pic of the external flashes I recommend (Left is 580EX, right is 430EX)

Which Canon body do you have, Joy?

I have an older Canon 20D which I've been using for years, Paul. It kinda bummed me out since I paid about $1500 for the body. Soon after, the 30D came out and the 20D price was slashed to $850. Oh well, at least I got a lot of good years of work out of it. It has been very reliable.

Wow! Thanks Luwin...I knew you'd come through. I've always admired your pictures...and am jealous that, in 50 years, you'll have these awesome pictures of your daughter, and I'll have some crappy ones of my boys. I want to change that.

After thinking some more, I highly doubt that I'd have the patience for changing lenses out...and don't really think I need a telephoto, or fisheye, or a few others. I think I prefer just one do-all lens that is of extra-decent quality, and doesn't necessarily need to be replaceable. I also didn't think of the viewfinder versus LCD screen picture framing aspect. There are times when I'm shooting low-angle stuff as well.

I'm guessing my maximum budget (body & lens, or all-in-one) is in the neighborhood of $600-$800. If'n I go with a body & lens, I'd need two or more lenses, right?

ps. I'll also say that having flexibility and the option to change lenses out when I become more experienced is appealing...


pps. Thanks Joy!