What made you feel good today

[Oldboy]

WMMFGT
After chatting with one of the salesmen from my company last year about photography, I was given a film camera a few weeks back that belonged to his father and was languishing in his loft. My first few shots have been developed and scanned at a local lab in Balham have come back. I'm quite chuffed with them considering it's medium format and I have only dabbled a bit with 35mm and the results of that haven't been to clever. Having not been into photography before the digital age, I think I may try to find the time to explore this a bit more. Any advice is welcome.

  What is it? (Picture maybe?).
                 Graham.

It's a camera. 

[Graham]

WMMFGT
After chatting with one of the salesmen from my company last year about photography, I was given a film camera a few weeks back that belonged to his father and was languishing in his loft. My first few shots have been developed and scanned at a local lab in Balham have come back. I'm quite chuffed with them considering it's medium format and I have only dabbled a bit with 35mm and the results of that haven't been to clever. Having not been into photography before the digital age, I think I may try to find the time to explore this a bit more. Any advice is welcome.

  What is it? (Picture maybe?).
                 Graham.

It's a camera. 

  Kindly leave the stage.

[Hinfrance]

I'm probably way behind the curve on this one, having only come into ownership of a smartphone fairly recently, but what made me feel good today was Google Sky Maps.

Just pointing the 'phone at the sky and seeing all the clusters, stars and planets labeled right where it is pointing is so cool.

I know, I know, I'm easily impressed. 

[Oldboy]

I'm probably way behind the curve on this one, having only come into ownership of a smartphone fairly recently, but what made me feel good today was Google Sky Maps.

Just pointing the 'phone at the sky and seeing all the clusters, stars and planets labeled right where it is pointing is so cool.

I know, I know, I'm easily impressed. 

How do you know if it's correct? 

[Hinfrance]

I'm probably way behind the curve on this one, having only come into ownership of a smartphone fairly recently, but what made me feel good today was Google Sky Maps.

Just pointing the 'phone at the sky and seeing all the clusters, stars and planets labeled right where it is pointing is so cool.

I know, I know, I'm easily impressed. 

How do you know if it's correct? 

Oh it is. I have a telescope and some knowledge of the sky. I pointed it at things I knew the names and locations of without having to look at my planisphere, Jupiter, Venus, M42, Rigel etc, and it's bang on. Makes a smartphone actually worthwhile despite the battery life

[hevans]

I'm probably way behind the curve on this one, having only come into ownership of a smartphone fairly recently, but what made me feel good today was Google Sky Maps.

Just pointing the 'phone at the sky and seeing all the clusters, stars and planets labeled right where it is pointing is so cool.

I know, I know, I'm easily impressed. 

How do you know if it's correct? 

Umm... you hold it up and compare the sky with what's seen on the screen. If they match, then they're correct. If they don't match, then reality is out of order.

H.

[Hinfrance]

Umm... you hold it up and compare the sky with what's seen on the screen. If they match, then they're correct. If they don't match, then reality is out of order.

H.

I've double checked Hugh, the sky definitely hasn't got any labels on it - no text at all in fact. So I suppose reality really must be out of order . .   

[SimonW]

It sounds a very useful phone gadget. Mariners can now navigate by the stars even when they can't see them!

[Graham]

Umm... you hold it up and compare the sky with what's seen on the screen. If they match, then they're correct. If they don't match, then reality is out of order.

H.

I've double checked Hugh, the sky definitely hasn't got any labels on it - no text at all in fact. So I suppose reality really must be out of order . .   

  I find reality to be overrated.

[ABERS]

Just to put my mind at rest, is this the gear that Mystic Meg uses?

I get hammered to death by a mate that calls round for a cuppa, and without fail holds his iThingy up to the sky and say, "Bet you can't guess what stars are up there behind those clouds?". I think he's got the message now by the look on my face that I don't really care.

[hevans]

Just to put my mind at rest, is this the gear that Mystic Meg uses?

I get hammered to death by a mate that calls round for a cuppa, and without fail holds his iThingy up to the sky and say, "Bet you can't guess what stars are up there behind those clouds?". I think he's got the message now by the look on my face that I don't really care.

Well, if it's daytime, then you could answer "Sol". If it's nighttime then point at the ground and say you know which stars are below you, e.g. "Sol".

If you're in the UK and know where north is, then point roughly 53 degrees up to the north and say "Polaris" and the stars of Ursa minor.

[Oldboy]

Umm... you hold it up and compare the sky with what's seen on the screen. If they match, then they're correct. If they don't match, then reality is out of order.

H.

I've double checked Hugh, the sky definitely hasn't got any labels on it - no text at all in fact. So I suppose reality really must be out of order . .   

  I find reality to be overrated.

Unreal! 

[irv_b]

WMMFGT
After chatting with one of the salesmen from my company last year about photography, I was given a film camera a few weeks back that belonged to his father and was languishing in his loft. My first few shots have been developed and scanned at a local lab in Balham have come back. I'm quite chuffed with them considering it's medium format and I have only dabbled a bit with 35mm and the results of that haven't been to clever. Having not been into photography before the digital age, I think I may try to find the time to explore this a bit more. Any advice is welcome.

  What is it? (Picture maybe?).
                 Graham.

it's a Mamiya j 645

[Hinfrance]

You lucky man Irv.  I'm speechless. I always wanted one of these, not least because most of them can take a digital back . . .

[Graham]

  Lucky chap indeed. I presume you'll be putting some film through it?
                 Graham.