Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with indoor

First-time DSLR buyer looking for advice

kampken — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:46:36 -0800

What camera and lens combinations would you suggest for a DSLR for macro/indoor photography (without flash) for a newbie? Price range around 1200 USD. I'm looking to buy a good DSLR camera (not exactly pro but not too cheap either) but I'm fairly confused as to what to choose. Mostly because i don't know exactly what values i should look for and also lens incompatibilities (really don't wanna be stuck with a model where i can't get any proper lenses) - A fairly easy to use and light camera would be preferred, but i am willing to study the user manual or other instructions for as long as it takes.

I am planning to do macro-photography with it, so i guess i need something with live-view, so i can check the focus before taking the photo. I can't find anything about macro-specific cameras as such, so i guess it's just about finding a good lens?
Also i plan to do much indoor photography without using a flash, so i will need a good light-strong lens of a sort, however these are quite expensive so a wrong buy would be costly.

And what about the new 4/3 cameras? I like their size and design, but would they be any good for my purposes?

So in short, what camera and lens combinations would you suggest for a DSLR for macro/indoor photo for a newbie? Price range around 1200 USD.

tall, cat-safe indoor plants?

sentient — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:40:34 -0800

Wanted: recommendations for tall, indoor, cat-safe plants/trees. Superior, NASA-approved air-filtering and oxygen-producing properties are a plus. I've looked the previous askme and have seen the ASPCA list of cat-safe plants, as well as a helpful post on Apartment Therapy (last comment the page), which has some good prospects. But perhaps there are some others.

I'm looking for an indoor floor plant that's more tree-like than bush/shrub like -- maybe five feet tall, or so. It can't be toxic to cats, and being exceptional in the air-filtering department would be nice. Any recommendations?

Rain, rain, go away!

kenbennedy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:50:06 -0800

I need a good rainy day photography related activity. I live in Annapolis MD, and have the day off this Friday (9/80 work schedule FTW). I usually like to go on a photography field trip of some sort, but the local forecast (including everywhere within ~2 hours) predicts 70-100% precipitation. Bummer. I wanted to go to the DC zoo to take some bird photos (one of the things I like taking pictures of).

I have some previous photos I can fiddle/work/practice with on my computer to hone my postprocessing skills, but I really look forward to new shooting opportunities, and the 9/80 Friday is A WHOLE DAY OFF!

Any suggestions? Maybe I should find some indoor activities or locations I can take pictures (I am not totally a museum person, and museums are pretty hit or miss with photography being allowed inside). Maybe I should still go to the zoo but stick to indoors? I did the Monterey Aquarium earlier this year on a separate trip, and am not in a rush to do another aquarium soon (Baltimore/DC aquariums are within driving distance). Should I stay local and just venture around town when the weather breaks (my gear is not waterproof)?

I have a 10-22mm lens, 100mm f/2.8 macro, and 100-400 lens (obviously a big gap between 22-100mm at the moment).

Can I justify taking my cat back from my parents?

Hactar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:17:30 -0800

Can I move my cat from a house and supervised outdoor walks to a Brooklyn apparment? I adopted a stray and perhaps feral cat when I was living in rural Ohio. When I moved to Brooklyn, I left her with my parents. The condition was that she was to become an indoor cat, but my parents had the bright idea of allowing her out under supervised conditions. She isn't leashed, but she is watched whenever she is outside. They live in the suburbs, but off the beaten track and near the woods. She's a rather good hunter who has finally mastered the trick of not killing anything she catches.

To complicate matters, my parents have three dogs who she gets along with quite well. (I've been sent pictures of her sleeping curled up in the legs of the sleeping german shepard.)

I'm living in a decent apparment in Brooklyn with two roommates and a cat-friendly landlady. Both roommates are ok with a cat, although I think that one is more enthusiastic about the idea than the other. However, if I moved her here, she'd be indoor only and without the other animals she's used to. She'd get much more human attention- I don't think my parents play with her at all.

So, do you think I can move her here? It's not a safety issue, I trust my parents to take good care of her. I just miss my cat. Or should I give up and look into adopting a cat who's not tied to the outdoors and three dogs?

From what I've read, it's possible to make her indoors, but I don't want an unhappy indoor cat who's longing for the outdoor area and larger indoor area.

TV-Cycle please!

mittenbex — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 08:27:08 -0800

I want to exercise while watching TV. Help me pick out an exercise bike. I've been dieting full-time and exercising sporadically for the past six months.

Fall is almost here and I'm in NY so it will turn cold before two months is up. I want to start looking for an exercise bike so I can set it up and exercise while watching my lovely-cannot-be-given-up television programs. I know, pathetic. For exercise before, I was walking... lots. But cannot imagine going out for walks during the winter - EVER.

I don't know anything about exercise bikes. Do you have one? Love it? Hate it? Tell me about it. I'd like to keep it under $500.

Also, I've heard there's a way to finagle a regular outdoor bike into a stationary bike by some sort of contraption. Anyone have experience with one of these?

Thanks!

How do I grow rosa rugosa indoors?

Salvor Hardin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:27:18 -0800

Oh hive mind: wield your mighty collective horticulture-fu to help me bring the seashore to my apartment! Help me figure out how to grow Rosa Rugosa inside and make my sweetheart happy! The beach rose is my SO's (mefi's own Cygnet) favorite flower in the world, largely because of the smell. However, I can't find any resources for learning how to grow it inside. I know it's a little crazy, and that it isn't the sort of plant that one usually grows inside. But is it totally impossible? What will it take?

I have read that it requires well-drained sandy soil, that it doesn't tolerate fertilizer, and that it needs partial to full sun. I've found companies that will sell me either seeds or bare-root plants. I'm pretty good with plants, but I'm no expert, so I'm not very confident in my ability to improvise this.

My Cambridge, MA apartment gets some sun, but not a lot. We have windows with southeastern and southwestern exposure, including one bay window.

I would also appreciate any other general gardening tips regarding Japanese roses. Thanks!

need some ideas for indoor exercise

helios — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:31:21 -0800

I'm looking for advice on getting aerobic exercise indoors.. I'm trying to figure out what I can do for (fairly strenuous) aerobic exercise indoors.

Jogging in place is strenuous enough, but I've tried it and it puts far too much strain on my joints. Is there a method of jogging in place that doesn't put as much strain on my feet?

Alternatively, is there another exercise that is as strenuous, but with less risk of long-term strain?

Due to my living situation (renting a short-term furnished apartment) I can't buy anything bulky like an exercise bike. I could buy weights or other small things, though.

I've also tried the Wii Fit, and once I got used to the aerobic exerices, I found none of them to be strenuous enough except... jogging in place.

Can a grow light save my plants?

washburn — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:43:33 -0800

I'd like to hang a small screw-in type grow light (not a giant florescent tube) above my plants to help them out. Possible? I'm tired of watching my plants die! A few months ago, I moved into an apartment with north-facing windows, and my plants have been slowly languishing ever since (my plants are standard pothos and other hardy purchases from big chain-stores that have managed to survive). It occurred to me today that it might be an interesting idea to hang a light-bulb sized grow light (i.e. not a long florescent tube), perhaps with an aluminum hood, a few feet above my plants to supplement the indirect light from the window. Then I could set a timer to supply some extra light for a few hours of the day.

But this is sort of tricky, it turns out. I'm not sure about a number of things:

1) Are small screw-in (compact florescent or other) grow lights very good? They seem hard to find--chain stores usually carry only the big florescent ones that aren't too viable for the average living room. What about LED grow lights, or etc.? (This thread seems to indicate that plain-old normal florescent lighting (even from a compact bulb?) can be helpful to plants--is that true?)

2) If there are small grow lights that really work, what is the best source for these in terms of price (and quality)?

3) I'd like to hang a light maybe between 3 or 4 feet above the plants. Is that too high for it to provide significant benefit?

Hopefully I can get some advice about using a small grow light to help with growing normal foliage-type plants, rather than for the intense cultivation of tomatoes or, umm, other things.

Blooming indoor plants

that girl — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:29:13 -0800

What kind of flowering indoor plants will keep flowering? I'm interested in trying to grow some hopefully-happy indoor plants, and am looking for something to branch out of the leafy-green indoor plant standard (or at least the standard found at my office). Are there any flowering plants that a normal human can get to flower on a semi-regular basis, indoors?

Also, I'm interested to hear if you have any suggestions for indoor plants that can do well with minimal sunlight (irrespective of flowering ability). I live in Pittsburgh, which means that it can be hard to get high-sunlight conditions for plants.

A week's worth of cat questions

any portmanteau in a storm — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:07:06 -0800

We've had our cats for a year-and-a-half now. Things have been great. Things have also been very stable for the cats and that is about to change majorly in a couple of months. With that in mind help answer some of my (many) cat questions. OK, we're moving back home with our 2 2-year-old cats. First off, this requires us being in an airplane for 2-3 hours. Are the cats better off going in soft carriers in the cabin or a hard carrier in the hold? Some recommendations for specific carriers would be great.

I'd imagine that having to live in a new house will be stressful for them. What behaviours can I expect and what can I do to make them more comfortable with their new surroundings?

Hair is going to be a bigger issue at home. I've read about the furminator (not least on askme) but my wife is skeptical. Does it do the job and is it worth the money?

Can we train our cats to use the toilet? If so, any tips? This might just be wishful thinking on our part.

Otherwise they have been fine with a shared litterbox (just a standard plastic litterbox) using clumping litter but there is dust and litter tracked around the area (even with a tracking pad). Are we better off changing to crystals/corn/sawdust/etc and getting a fancy litterbox?

Up to now they've lived in an apartment, only going out when we've taken them to the vet. At home there'll be a backyard. I'd like to let them experience the outside world, am I crazy for this? We live on a busy side-street. Should I let them outside at all? Only when supervised and on a harness? Give them free reign?

What else am I missing here?

Toxic Inhahler

glibhamdreck — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:22:02 -0800

Where can I learn more about professional (or semi-professional) equipment for testing the levels of indoor air toxins like carbon monoxide, radon, mold, VOCs, etc.? Here's a Talk of the Nation show that addresses the need, if it helps.

My indoor cat wants out.

anotherpanacea — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:21:40 -0800

Our indoor cat desperately wants to go outside. Help! We've had him for five years, and he's always been a bit zany, but this is new. He spends all his time by the door, yowling and scratching at the nob. I swear he tries to turn it. When I enter or leave the house, he tries to slip past me, and sometimes succeeds in making brief escapes. Lately, he's taking to yowling at the door throughout the night, which is not okay: sleep is not optional. We're at the end of out rope!

I need a new cast iron electric bbq

phirleh — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:26:30 -0800

Can anyone recommend an indoor electric bbq grill with cast iron or stainless steel grill? I'm looking for a stand alone model without a teflon coating, the only one I've really seen is this type . Does the hive mind have any experience with any other types that they are happy with? I'm looking to spend under $200.

Suggestions for veggies I can grow on a deck or inside?

Rosie M. Banks — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:02:53 -0800

I'd love to grow some vegetables this year. However, I don't have much in the way of outdoor space OR sunlight. What are my best bets? I live in a condo. I have a deck, but it doesn't get much sun. I do have some space inside, but not much, and nothing with oodles of sun - it's not dark at all, but I don't get tons of direct sunlight; most of my windows face east or north.

So what are my best bets for growing my own vegetables? I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area (East Bay); frost/snow is not an issue but summer heat can be. I need something that will happily grow in a container and in at least partial shade. Or, alternatively, one of those "Aero-Garden" indoor planters; my mom is growing cherry tomatoes in one of those now, but they've yet to ripen. Anyone grow vegetables or herbs indoors? I'd at least like to get a pot or two of basil going for homemade pesto!

Nutritious and Delicious??

mu~ha~ha~ha~har — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:54:59 -0800

Fake and edible indoor plants? For my Kittys... Does anyone even make such a thing? If not, what could I make it out of?? Or if anyone knows of any tough non-toxic indoor plants that will cope with feasting, possibly air con and shitty light but definitely the feasting! What would you recommend? (A roster/tag team basis would be perfectly understandable and acceptable...)

Lamps for the plants and SAD?

a robot made out of meat — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:21:42 -0800

Lamps for the plants and me? Having recently moved to a high-rise, my trees (miniature bald cypress) are starting to show that they’re unhappy with the amount of light they receive. They’re facing south, but only get direct light for a fraction of the day thanks to some nearby buildings. My apartment isn’t bright enough as it is (moving from lower latitudes, the SAD is apparent), so here is what I’m looking for your recommendations on:
*light spectrum good for trees
*light spectrum attractive to people, helpful for the winter darkness/depression
*can be easily mounted to something mobile so that in the day they face the trees and at night can be bent to face the room
*energy efficiency always a plus

Bald cypress lose their needles in the winter, so during the worst months I won’t have to supplement them at all. There are only 4 bonzai-style trees, so the total quantity that I need won’t be too much hopefully. If you think that the requirements are mutually exclusive (eg, the best lighting for mood just won’t cut it for plants) tell me so and I’ll split it up!

What (tradionally outdoor) plants should I have in my apartment?

ArgentCorvid — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 08:56:59 -0800

What kind of plants should I grow in my apartment? Bonus points for traditionally outdoor plants. During my visit to the Badlands last summer, I was suprised to see a little Prickly Pear cactus hanging out in the the northern prarie. A few months later I noticed that my local grocery store carries Nopalitos, which while not the same species, are a kind of prickly pear. This coincidence, some research, and my own cheapass-ness inspired me to buy a nopalito (instead of the smaller, rarer, more northerly kind), and plant it in a pot. So far it seems to be doing fine, and I was wondering what other weird plants I could have in my apartment.

Some more info:

I have already started a garlic plant.

I know tomatoes/peppers are easy to grow, but I'm not really a fan of them.

Perennials are preferred, I guess, but I'm not too picky.

I don't have a balcony, and I don't think a window box will work with my windows; they are the horizontal sliding kind, with screen.

My apartment is on the corner of the building, with Eastern and Southern facing windows.

Low-light photography with an old digital camera?

the_bone — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 23:35:40 -0800

Please help me make the most of my old point-and-shoot digital camera in low light situations! I have an old Nikon CoolPix 2100. It's a 2 megapixel camera (buying a better camera won't be an option for a couple of months), but I was getting some decent shots with it three years ago. I haven't done much photography in the past couple of years though, so I'm very rusty.

Next week, a friend and I are taking pictures around Hollywood and Silverlake... we're making pilgrimages to sites mentioned in Tom Waits's songs and photographing them. To really capture that Waits-ian ambiance, we'll probably end up taking a lot of shots at night (I'm looking forward to photographing neon lights on Hollywood Boulevard) as well as indoors. I need some tricks to help make this work. Camera settings, tips to get motion effects with light using my gear, and any ideas you have to create good shots in the evening/indoors with less-than-ideal equipment will be appreciated! Don't be afraid to give basic tips, as I am woefully out of practice and want these photographs to be as good as possible.

Are there any open indoor track meets in the St. Louis area?

chuckforthought.com — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:14:43 -0800

Are there any open indoor track meets in the St. Louis area? I go to college in PA but will be spending winter break (Dec 16 - Jan 15) in the St. Louis area and I would like to compete at least once unattached.

Any open indoor meets or facilities where I could train would be great. I run the 800 which is at most meets, but I'm open to the 400 and 600 too.

Rain, rain, go away!

genefinder — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 05:51:15 -0800

Do you have any fun (and able to be put together in one day) ideas for a 10 year old's birthday party that is being moved indoors due to the weather? We had planned on having a bunch of kids over for pizza, a few rounds of mini-golf, and a trip to the local soft serve ice cream place. Given weather reports of moderate to severe thunderstorms tonight, we thought it best not to have the kids out with long metal poles in their hands. We have no rain date, so we are moving indoors.

We can still do the pizza, and we switched to a make your own sundae dessert. We need interesting activities for them to do though. Any ideas that we can make happen by tonight?

Cat wants OUT

rio — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 09:22:23 -0800

My indoor-only cat meows like CRAZY every time I go near my front door. Does my cat hate me and want to escape? Or, is it separation anxiety?? AskMe cat experts, please please help... My cat Milo is 2 years old. He is an indoor-only cat in our decent-sized apartment with an enclosed patio, so he gets a taste of outside air and can see birds and other cats. He is neutered. He is the purringest cat I've ever seen, very loving and sweet. HOWEVER...lately he is driving me nuts with a certain behavior: every time I go near my front door, he meows like crazy and it seems like he wants desperately to get out! He gets all agitated, rubs my legs and the door and paces back and forth right in front of the door. If I'm going outside just for a little while (to take out the trash or get the laundry), when I come back he is waiting RIGHT at the door and meows long and loud when I noodge him with my foot out of the way.

A couple of months ago this behavior got even worse after my husband and I got back from our honeymoon -- we were gone for 3 weeks and left Milo and our other cat Spike with my parents. My parents said that Milo was very quiet and timid while we were gone, and didn't come out from behind their couch for the entire first day (Spike was perfectly fine, and still is). After we came back, Milo's door-freaking-outedness got worse, and now sometimes he'll suddenly race over to the door even when no one is going out, and start meowing and pawing the door like mad. And recently, we were leaving for a short weekend trip, and while we were packing, Milo peed on a blanket on our bed, which he has never done before!

And now for my barrage of questions: What the heck is going on? Separation anxiety? Is he trying to escape? Should I just get him a collar and let him be an outdoor cat now? We live near a pretty busy street in Los Angeles and I'm afraid he'll get hit by a car or maybe join a cat gang and never come back. Oh, and he actually managed to get out twice now through a window with a broken screen...I came home from work and found him just outside the window, meowing to get back in! Crazy freakin' cat. Has anyone here had this problem? Did you figure out what it was? What should I do?

Home Air Conditioning: Can the defrosting of the indoor coil cause water damage?

worstkidever — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 08:17:17 -0800

Home Air Conditioning: Can the defrosting of the indoor coil cause water damage? I have new CACH in my house, and stupidly forgot to change the air filter. Service poeple came out to repair it. The major charge for the visit was $90.00 to "defrost indoor coil". When I asked if that wasn't something that could have resolved itself, I was told that if left alone, it might have caused water damage. Can anyone verify if this is a factual statement?

Help save my venus flytrap!

tomble — Mon, 21 Feb 2005 21:28:52 -0800

I have a venus fly trap which seems to be sickening and dying, and I'd love to save it. I've had it for a couple of years now, and recently repotted it. For a while it seemed happy, putting out lots of leaves, and slowly growing, but since then the new traps have been getting smaller and smaller, and now the leaves are looking sick and wilted despite having plenty of water and the same amount of sun as before.

I have good soil in the pot, and I added a light splash of liquid fertiliser (the type made from seaweed and carp).

Have I doomed it to a slow death?

What are some good books about growing orchids indoors?

gesamtkunstwerk — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 16:34:16 -0800

New orchid grower seeks advice as he hunkers down for yet another Canadian winter! Can any mefites recommend good books on growing orchids indoors? Actually, any advice about orchids, grow-lights and other tropicals that might grow well in my urban apartment would be very much appreciated.

Healthy Plants

brownpau — Sun, 11 Jul 2004 11:21:41 -0800

Plantfilter. And I mean that literally. I seek recommendations for my next potted plant, and I want one which can filter the air. More inside. I have two empty pots at home, former abodes of two kalanchoes who met an untimely violent end, and now I feel ready to plant something new in their place. I'm looking for something which is (1) safe for a cat who might nibble, (2) able to survive indoors on relatively low maintenance, (3) an air toxin filter to aid my downtown studio life. I currently have a Norfolk Island Pine, a coleus, an african violet, some catnip, and a tiny new kalanchoe growing from a salvaged cutting, well out of the cat's reach.

(Oh, and no spider plants, please; I know they're filters, but their cat-safeness is dubious, and their propensity for propagation is problematic.)

MeFi Green Thumbs, got any recommendations?