lightcastle

As always, tech is something I need and yet I have my love/hate relationship with it.

This year, the list of NumberSeeress-related things is pretty focused.

A videocam and a good headset with mic combo so I can Skype with people. I may or may not renew the Skype phone number for US calling, but I will find these things useful. (I actually know nothing about good brands here, so cannot offer advice on the subject.)

A decent Netbook. With the Laptop having given up the ghost, that seems the way to go.
I've heard good things about the new Asus and the Toshiba 410. I also have friends who swear by the Aspire and the HP Mini.

It straddles the computer/photography line, but a monitor calibration unit like the iOne Display 2 would be awesome. Hell, a new high-end monitor would be fantastic, too.

I suspect a new laptop is in order as well, since I've been nursing the Vostro 200 slim for a while and it definitely chokes on serious picture editing.

I'm a fool and forgot a whole section when I wrote this this morning. Therefore, a new one.

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Not that anybody I know has money to buy me things (even if they pooled money together) but I am still doing the Veruca Salt exercise for Yule. :-)

As always, food, drink, company and maybe decent books are always appreciated.


Lighting: Yeah, there's lots of other equipment I'd like, but I do intend to one day have a job and an apartment again. When I do, I want to put aside a little corner for a studio and have real lighting to light things and people with. After all, it is called "lightwriting", isn't it? Lights that aren't cobbled together things out of work lights and sheets are expensive though. It would be nice to have them, however.

Lightroom and/or Photoshop Having the trial version of Lightroom 2.5 has convinced me I want the program in a full paid version. I probably don't need much more than Photoshop 7 (and I can probably use my mom's copy, although the all French menus are annoying) for anything I would do. Obviously, CS3 or 4 would be delightful, as I understand it integrates well with Lightroom.


Camera Lens: I'd like to add to my options for my DSLR, since I like shooting with it. Suggestions other than the ones here are welcome from people more knowledgeable than me. I got the 35mm f/1.8, although I may want a 50mm for portraits where I am closer to head shots. Sadly, the 50mm I can find seem not to autofocus with a D40. (Well, this one will but it is twice as expensive.)

Given I have the fast 35mm, I'm probably ok.

I'd like the 18-200mm VR as a do-everything lens, but it's quite expensive. The 55-200 VR would probably do fine for me in cases I need a zoom lens (like Derby shooting although given the crappy lighting in the arena, it might be too slow).

Clothing. I can always use new and better clothing, as I haven't had money to buy new clothes in forever.

Digital Camcorder: What the hell, I've always wanted one of these. I haven't done nearly enough research to know what kind I would want. I suspect I'd prefer one that records to a memory card or some such rather than a tape, but I think those are a lot more expensive. I don't really care about HD.

Makeup Sure, I intend to make my models bring their own makeup, but I am also trying to learn enough to do basics myself and having a stock of decent stuff on hand can't hurt.

e-book reader: I have enough friends in love with the Kindle to be toying with the idea of getting something like it. Mind you, I'd probably lean towards something like the EZReader, as I am not a fand of proprietary formats, and it's a bit cheaper. Kindle is only now becoming useful in Canada, and I am sure my tech friends here have done vastly more research on what is good.

Netbook: I still haven't found my perfect version of one of these, although Maery's Aspire is very cute. I've been talked out of solid-state as a serious advantage.

Kitchen Aid: Even if I don't have my own place to use it, something so obviously good for making food is bound to appeal. I'm sure I'd use a stand mxer quite a bit.