I use the following in creating sittingstill.net and recommend them highly:
Cameras:
Panasonic Lumix FZ30 (the big guy)
Panasonic Lumix FZ5 (the baby)
I prefer cameras that are shaped like cameras, not little square or rectangular boxes--
and I strongly prefer using the viewfinder to the LCD screen. Last year I got my DMC-FZ5,
which is an extraordinary camera in a very small package. This is a compact, lightweight
model with a 12x optical zoom. Basically everything on sittingstill.net taken from
July 1, 2005 through the end of that year was taken with this camera. However, when I made
my spring training plans for this year, Panasonic brought out the DMC-FZ30, an 8 megapixel
model which also offers manual focus (unlike the baby). It is quite a lot larger, and
heavier, but I've become very much accustomed to it now and it's the one I grab when I know
I'm going to take a lot of pictures. Both cameras have excellent image stabilization
programs. Both are not great in low light but excel in good outdoor light. Both come with
hilariously inadequate memory cards (should you consider either camera be sure to budget for
memory!). They also come with proprietary batteries, so you might invest in an extra
battery--I did manage to kill a battery for the first time in Philly. Now, neither one of
these is a digital SLR. However, they are cheaper than most entry digital SLRs, and
there's no need to swap lenses on them. The FZ30 set me back about $500 at Beach Camera,
and that's about as much as I want to spend on a machine that I'm toting around in close
proximity to beer... and the truth is, I'm not a very good photographer. ;) I think I'm
a good *observer*, but I never even really learned how to use my old film SLR. So
believe me when I tell you that these are good cameras!
Software:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0
Actually most photos were edited in the basic version of Photoshop 5.0,
but Elements gets the nod for its Lighten Shadows adjustment--very useful
when wrangling midsummer photos!
Uploading:
Ipswitch WS_FTP
Page coding:
HTML-Kit
Video capture:
Net Transport
Video encoding:
WinAVI Video Encoder and Tsunami MPEG Video Encoder Xpress
Web hosting:
pair.com
Please feel free to ask me about my experiences with any of these companies and products!