Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with equipment

What's a good sub-$500 digital camera for general use and macro work?

hjo3 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:43:22 -0800

What's a good digital camera for someone that wants to do long exposures, macro photography, and has roughly $500 to spend? Okay, so I want to get a new digital camera. Right now I have a Casio EX-Z50 and I hate it. Budget is ~$500. There are three things I especially want in a new camera:

The ability to do long exposures (>5 seconds).

The lowest noise I can afford.

Something that's good for, but not only for, macro photography.

Another cool feature would be the ability to take a picture every x minutes, but I don't even know if that exists. And an easy UI (like the one on Sony Cybershots) would be nice, but not critically important.

Can you recommend something for me? Or can you point me to a site or something that lets me compare lots of camera stats for various models at once?

My camera and me: one of us sucks, but which?

Bardolph — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:15:31 -0800

Photography-satisficing-filter: I would like to take family snapshots approximately as nice as this. Can it be done with my higher-end point-and-shoot (currently taking shots like this)? And if not, what's the minimum I'd need to spend on equipment to get there? For all my other very modest photography needs (sunsets, flowers, vacations, the usual), my two-year-old Olympus SP-550 UZ does me just fine. But I would really like to be able to take slightly better medium-to-close-range shots of people. What I especially like about her shot vs. mine:

1. Sharpness/clarity/crispness. No matter what the lighting's like, I feel as though my Olympus consistently produces pictures that are slightly "soft" or foggy. My messing around with the shutter priority mode has succeeded only in replacing blurriness with graininess.

2. Lack of distortion. Somehow, anyone I've photographed close up with my current camera ends up looking vaguely fishbowly and unlike themselves-- what's up with that?

3. Shallow depth of field. This is less critical, since I know it's hard to get in a point-and-click. Still, it'd be nice.

I know there's a school of thought that says you should just learn to work the camera you have-- and my Olympus has tons of complicated modes, including aperture priority, shutter priority, full-manual, and Scene, so it's entirely possible that I'm just not using it to best effect. (I also have Photoshop, so I'm fine with learning to fake stuff in post-production). On the other hand, I don't want to spend a ton of time trying to optimize my technique with this camera if in the end it's simply incapable of producing the shots I'd like.

So... do I need to buy a DSLR? If not, what should I work on, technique-wise? And if so, what's the (approximate) minimum I'd need to spend for something that would suit this particular, very specific purpose?

What uses have you found for your food scale?

markcmyers — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:18:29 -0800

What uses have you found for your food scale? I'm writing a cooking blog post, and looking for ideas.

Sound advice

Zenabi — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:55:12 -0800

I am looking for recommendations for a recording interface and self-powered monitors. The Firebox gets rave reviews but I recall reading somewhere that there are now newer/better alternatives. Is this the case?

Living in South Africa doesn't help as the price for the Presonus Firebox is truly insane ($250-00 in the US - $759-00 here!)

Equipment:

- Quad core Q9550 with 4 Gig DDR 3 RAM - Audigy 4 sound card (could this be used for anything later?) - SONAR 7 - Behringer Eurorack MX1604A - Rode NT1-A

Due to the pricing here, it looks as if purchasing in the US via credit card and having the items shipped over here seems to be the way to go - any dealer recommendations or advice? Also, any other advice regarding the equipment/assembly of a home studio would be most welcome.

At this stage, I am uncertain whether I should use the Behringer mixer or how best to wire it in to break the pure digital setup (more advice required!) TIA

I think the Pillsbury Doughboy could beat me up.

4ster — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:50:46 -0800

In high school, you (a dude) were an athlete, and in great shape. Then came college, and then graduate school, and then all of the busyness of career, marriage and two small children. Four years ago, you had a brief flare-up of athleticism (ran a 10k, two half-marathons, and a very slow full marathon). Now, things are worse then ever. You are heaver than you've ever been, have no energy, and are not looking so great. You know you need to work out, and watch what you eat, that this needs to be a way of life, no more excuses, there are no shortcuts, and all that. You also just found yourself in posession of a $100 gift card to Amazon.com. How do you spend it? Yes, I know that there is nothing I can buy that will magically solve my problems here. It just seems that since my physical and psychological health are the Most Major Issues in my life right now, I should invest this little windfall in something that will ultimately benefit my health.

Thanks for your help.

New Tennis Technology

corpse — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:56:29 -0800

What's new in tennis racquet technology? I've played tennis off and on for the last 15 years. For the last several years I've been playing in a weekly league, but I've been using the same racquet that I had in high school; a Prince Michael Chang Graphite Longbody. I have a Chang Titanium as my backup in case of a string break, but I've never really had to use it and never really liked the feel of it. I haven't been keeping up with equipment in awhile, but was wondering what is new in tennis racquet technology these days? Is anything worth a demo? Or should I just stick with my current one until it breaks in half (which it may very well do if I toss it around much more).

Buying a used air compressor

Jsn7821 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:47:17 -0800

I am thinking about buying a used one of these, and I need to get an air compressor for it. Where can I find used air compressors? What do I need to know about air compressors before buying? I know this much so far: I need a 110v or 220v electric compressor, capable of 110 psi and 22cfm (probably around 7.5hp).

I have been told to get an 80+ gallon tank, and 2-stage instead of 1-stage.

Noise is a potential issue, are certain compressors louder?

Any help locating one of these is greatly appreciated! (Also any operating or maintenance tips, horror stories, etc.)

Help a pimpled adolescent in her search for affordable technology.

mmmleaf — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:19:36 -0800

Help me find good quality sound recording equipment (radio-ish), on a budget. I'm a high schooler with no school tech programs or savvy teachers to turn to for advice and suggestions. Right now I'm trying to produce a radio story/podcast thing documenting the stories of illegal, undocumented students at my school and community, to eventually air on college campus radio stations and the like. We're trying to advocate a new act that was introduced to Congress, the DREAM/Student Adjustment Act, that would help a lot of people I know go to college.

Anyway, I have your traditional cassette-tape recorders but I don't think its of a high enough quality to air on radio. I need portable equipment to do street interviews, and to eventually upload to the computer to edit and the like.

As this is an unofficial school effort (the administration would frown if they knew), the only funds I have available are really my own. So I'm looking for a)portable digital recording equipment b)a user-friendly editing program c) general advice on radio/podcast production.

surfer-filter: First timer looking for noob advice and tips

brenton — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:38:10 -0800

surfer-filter: First timer looking for noob advice and tips. My complete surfing history: Two years ago, a friend took me surfing and on the first try I rode a wave until it ended. Then I got out of the water. Today I was given a 6' board, and I'm going into the water without an instructor or surfer friend. I feel fairly safe doing this since I live by the Carpinteria State Beach, just about the most mild and tranquil beach ever. Never big waves or currents, all sand, and it doesn't really have other surfers for me to get run over by (though I do see them sometimes). Also, I go swimming by myself here, and I see others swimming by themselves, I don't imagine it's much more dangerous to take a surfboard with you.

So I'm just wondering if anyone can give me some basic advice for my learning to surf. How should I approach this? What else do I need besides the board? Special stretches to do beforehand? Special foods to avoid? I'm looking for any and all tips.

I'm sure everyone is going to tell me I'm going to die and give me safety advice. Okay... I'll listen to, and appreciate, such advice. But I'd also like some non-safety advice, you know, just tips on how to get started, things to be aware of, basic stuff like that.

(By the way, I already know a bigger board would be better, but let's assume for the sake of this question that I'm going to keep the 6' board and that I'll be able to get up on it. If that turns out to be a false assumption, I'll deal with that later. :D )

You spin me right round, baby, right round

Chrischris — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:19:04 -0800

Due to a strange series of auction-related events, I am now the proud owner of a IEC clinical centrifuge (this model). it appears to be in good working order. I don't believe I have a use for such a piece of equipment. I'd prefer to send it on to a good home. Its been over 25 years since I was actually in a high school lab (and back then we certainly had nothing like this available to us) and I honestly have no clue if this would be appropriate (in terms of safety and usefulness) for such a setting.

My question: might this item be useful to a high school lab , and barring that, what other sorts of non-profit organizations would find such a thing to be a welcome addition?

Video Conferencing Solutions

simplethings — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:21:37 -0800

Help me learn more about video conferencing and the equipment I'll need. I was recently assigned the project of creating a video conference solution for 3 separate locations in the Midwest (2 in Illinois 1 in Wisconsin).
The rooms are all about the same size, large enough for a rectangle table that seats 10. Each room also is equipped with a video projector and telephone.
A preferred service provider had already been chosen; it looks like a web-based system. You log-in to their website, create a conference, and invite other locations. Pretty simple. Also provides a “see my desktop” service.
In order to use this I know I’ll need:
a PC at each location with an Internet connection – done
equipment to capture and output both audio and video – no idea.

The only specifications given to me are that we need a PTZ camera and it must be wall or ceiling mounted, which means no desktop web cams. We already have contractors who can install the cameras but don’t know enough to give hardware recommendations.
As for a microphone/speaker system they want to make sure it is “open audio.” I don’t know what that means. I tried searching google but couldn’t come up with anything. Would that be considered speaker phone-like technology?
I’m assuming the speakers in the PC wouldn’t be loud enough... but would a microphone connected to the PC be alright for a table of 10?

Any extra information I need or am missing, recommendations for equipment, or even recommendations for companies you’ve used that can provide estimates or assessments would really help.

*I've checked out some of the similar threads 1|2|3 but none have really awesome applicable answers.

How can A and B be connected if there's nothing to connect them?

pokeedog — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:58:21 -0800

When our pool equipment runs, it triggers the sound of a leaky pipe in a wall adjacent to our hot water heater. By triggering the valve on the hot water heater when the water to the house is off, I can stop the noise. How can I fix this? This is a very odd situation. So here's the detail:
1. House is slab foundation.
2. Pool equipment is outside kind of far from the hot water heater. No house plumbing connects to the pool equipment. The only common link between the pool equipment and rest of the house workings I can find is electricity, via a fuse box.
3. When the pool equipment goes on, it triggers the sound of a leaky pipe in the wall where the hot water heater is adjacent to. Minimal water appears on the floor after several hours on the hot water heater side of the wall, but no other water indicates any kind of leak.
4. If you turn off the water to the house at the street, the sound in the wall stops.
5. If you fiddle with the pressure release valve on the hot water heater while the water to the house is off, you stop the noise in the wall. Pool equipment must be off.
6. If you fiddle with the pressure release valve on the hot water heater while the water to the house is on, the noise doesn't stop.

We've had a plumber out, it's driving us a little crazy. These two things just don't seem connected. Am I grasping at straws? What other things should I check? It seems to coincidental to me, since the water system of the house isn't connected to the pool equipment.

Best camera setup for geo fieldwork?

fermion — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:46:58 -0800

What's the best digital camera and equipment to use for high-quality photography during geophysics fieldwork? I'm responsible for writing a proposal asking for more cameras for graduate student use, and I want to know what kind I should ask for. Is the image quality of a DSLR worth the extra expense and complexity, or would a high-quality non-SLR camera be better? What equipment will help make the best use of the camera in field conditions (e.g. carbon-fiber tripod, specialty camera case, additional lenses)?

Budget-wise, value-for-money is more important than hitting a specific number, although I think it would be difficult to get approval for more than a few thousand dollars.

Should be reasonably durable and low-maintenance, though it may not need to be actually "ruggedized." Should take good pictures in a variety of lighting conditions and not require too much fiddling. Probably does not need to be good at action shots.

Oscillating Video Tripod

Mckoan1 — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:24:06 -0800

I am giving my wife a video camera for Xmas. I was wondering if there exists an oscillating tripod or small pedestal that would pan 180 degrees and then reverse itself. This would be similar to an oscillating fan. So far I have only found small electric pedestals that rotate 360 degrees. Thanks in advance.

Throwing a party with bands playing and a dj. Need sound advice.

senterstyle — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:23:43 -0800

I am throwing a party for New Years in a large space that fits about 200 people comfortably (maybe 1000 sq ft). However, this place that I've rented has no sound system, so I'm in need of advice of what kind of equipment to rent. So I'll have a couple bands playing (2 mics max, 4 instruments max), but other than that I'll just need some kind of interface to connect computers/ipods too. I just want to make sure I have the right stuff for the bands that are playing, as well as loud enough speakers to fill the room.

Need a TV stand.

philad — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:24:29 -0800

Where can I find a TV stand for a Sharp 37inch LCD TV? Model# LC-37D6U. I've been given this TV but it doesn't have a stand with it. We've checked the Sharp website and called them but they don't have the stand. We've also poked around on Ebay and Craigslist. My wife doesn't want to mount it on the wall. She wants a stand for it. Any other sources for the stand? Any alternate ideas if we can't find a stand? Thanks in advance everyone.

I'm Not Going To Pay A Lot For This Video!

Mister_A — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:52:19 -0800

Calling all East Coast video production pros! Price check. My company has done a ton of video work, but usually fairly elaborate shoots where we work through a producer to get everything done. Now we're doing a very small-scale, one-day local (Philly area) indoor location shoot with a DP that we know and love. I want to get a baseline on what everything ought to cost. I have some numbers from old estimates and things from production companies we've used, but I want to see what the raw costs are (I assume they marked things up).

Here's what I'm looking for:
DP - 1 day PLUS 1/2 day pre-pro
HD cam + stock (not sure what kind we're using just yet)
Sound - 1 day
Lighting - 1 day
Makeup - 1 day

Please give me costs for associated equipment in cases where it is customary to charge, or where it's something that has to be rented. Just looking for ballpark costs here, I'm not going to hold you to any of this.

I'm pretty solid on post, but if any freelance editors want to weigh in with usual rates, BONUS POINTS!!!

PS Don't worry about talent.

Thanks hive mind!

Which pull-up bar should I buy?

nat — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:39:20 -0800

I need a pull up bar for home use. Which one should I get? I've looked at previous mentions of pull-up bars here, but no one talks about the pros or cons of which bar to get. There are so many available.

I live in a rental so I don't want to permanently damage anything and I can't do a major project. I have housemates so if I have to stick it in a door frame it should probably be really easy to remove and put back up as I don't want them upset about it.

I want a pretty stable bar with grips that don't hurt and don't decay into a neoprene-y mess either.

Reliable wireless networking equipment?

tkolar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:32:27 -0800

Reliable wireless networking gear? I'm looking to redo a small wireless installation (less than 10 APs total), starting with a no-name wireless bridge box that has to be reset every morning.

Given the budget it looks like I'm stuck with Linksys or Netgear equipment, both of which I've come to abhor over the years. I have yet to be burned by D-Link, but I've never used their wireless gear either.

So, I'm looking for people's experiences. Have you set up small low-maintainance wireless networks? Would you recommend the same gear to someone else?

Thanks.

For reference, the topology includes:

One wireless bridge hop to a nearby building
A small number of APs directly wired to a switch
Several range extenders

Throughput is not a significant issue.

How to rent out my video equipment?

JMB1138 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:45:19 -0800

Where to list my video equipment for rental? I've accumulated what I think would be a great equipment package for no-budget indie filmmakers to rent in the New York area. Canon HV20 and HV30 HDV video cameras, plus a dual-channel wireless lav microphone system that I used to shoot a big project recently. I was thinking of trying to rent it all out as a package at a competitive rate to earn some extra cash while it's just sitting around collecting dust. Where's the best place to list something like this?

Information on Shipping Large Items & the Best Rates

Audio Lover — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:22:17 -0800

I have a few large items that i would like to sell on eBay however the shipping charges are way to high, this is not due to weight but due to dimensional size. ie. 30" x 30" x 26" high or another item is a pair of speakers which are approx 50 lbs each and 20" x 24" x 34". The cost of shipping these items makes it impossible to sell them on eBay and get what they are worth. I hope some of you savvy sellers and shippers can help me out with this problem, i have many vintage items that are large and too expensive to ship via UPS, FedEx or Dhl. Thanks

You can lead a cat to water...

odayoday — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:53:47 -0800

I have two energetic one-year-old cats who love to knock over their water dish. I've tried several different types (at first they had a standard ceramic dish, into which they'd drop their stuffed toys until the toys absorbed all of the water (and got extremely gross), so I switched to a water-cooler-style dish, with a jug on top that fills to a dish in the bottom. That worked for a few weeks, but now the just play with it until it tips over, leaving my rug wet and them thirsty. What can I do to keep them from doing this? Is there a better (but still inexpensive) cat-watering system?

Podcasting Equipment

mpls2 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:31:02 -0800

Podcasting questions Yeah, there's a lot of how-to guides for podcasting out there, but it's scattered all over and confusing my ADD brain. Can someone tell me why I might want the following things, and what I should look for when buying them? (suggestions are also great)

Mic - yeah, I know I'll need one of these
Pre-amp
mixer
compressor
audio interface
digital recorder (? I've heard that it's good to record externally to spare your computer the burden of recording while its busy doing other things)

Do pros usually use more than one computer when creating a podcast? FYI, I have a MacBook pro, and will probably be getting a new iMac in the near future.

Thanks!

What band equipment do i need?

pencroft — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:41:41 -0800

My buddy and I are trying to figure out what we need so we can have amplification and recording capabilities when we jam in the basement. I've played acoustic guitar and drums for years but am an absolute n00b when it comes to next steps. Meaning, I don't know the difference between a PA or an amp (is a PA an amp?). What we have: acoustic guitar (w/pickup), electric guitar, electric bass, drumset. What we need:??

What we want: amplified vocals, guitar and bass. Some type of multiple track recording so we can record different parts at different times.

Basically, we're trying to make a mini-music studio.

I'd like to be all in for around $2k, if possible. Ideally, this would be equipment that we could take to smaller venues and play as well (coffee shops, etc)

What entry-level sampler/sequencer should I look at?

Picklegnome — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:49:33 -0800

I'm interested in sampling with hardware. What are some good entry-level samplers with decent sequencers? What are some low-end options for a limited budget? What older models might be worth it for the price? I've just been looking into this for a little while, and I think I'm looking for something along the lines of an MPC. The Yamaha SU10 looked like it might be useful for messing around with, but if I can find something that won't cost a lot, I'd like to be able to use it for more than just toying. Any suggestions whatsoever would be appreciated.