Photography – My technical blog

June 19, 2010

sony handycam DCR-HC96E

notes for transferring photos from my handycam to the computer:

– the original software supplied (called picture package) DOESN’T WORK any longer. Says it requires macromedia flash but doesn’t accept the latest flash version. So it is totally USELESS!

– So I went to http://www.sony.com.au/support/download/333420/product/dcr-hc96e
and install “PMB (Picture Motion Browser) Ver.4.3.03” is an alternative software to “Picture Package”. EVEN DOWNLOADING THIS WAS A NIGHTMARE. And it requires the original CD of Picture Packager to install!! Do Sony NOT HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR THEIR CLIENT’S TIME??? in my case the number is SPVD -012.1 usb DRIVER 2-666-755-01.

But that’s not enough. I must learn to STRICLTY AVOID sONY products which are so heavily “protected” that even customers can’t access them. And they don’t work! (orignal software didn’t accept flash).

FINALLY THAT DIDN’T WORK EITHER. I now have to buy a card reader for memory pro-duo, a system that is patented by Sony and hence doesn’t work with ordinary SD card readers. Time to stop buying Sony products. That’s it.

December 25, 2009

K 100D pentax camera � personal notes

The Sigma 70-300 lens often ‘freezes up’ on K100D without warning. That is because some mishanding has loosened the aperture ring. The camera simply won’t recognise the lens when that happens.

Go to page 139 of the manual (softcopy available here) and look at the last paragraph on the page. The aperture ring is the first ring from the point where the lens is connected to the camera. The ring must not move (if it does, that means its setting is no longer working).

If the ring is moving, press the little black knob and move it so that the little white mark (peer below the ‘PENTAX’ flash system that over-hands this mark) is facing Number 22. At that point release the black knob. The aperture ring should become firm and stop moving. Now the camera is ready to work again.

Some guidance also available here: http://www.grimes.nildram.co.uk/book/chapter_six/chapter_six.htm (Using Your Pentax K100D by Richard Grimes).