Thanks

Steve Linebaugh

Hi Steven, love the long reply, no worries. I love the idea of picking a different state every year, that’s an awesome idea. Also, silence is a great pick. I totally get the thing about leaving some sort of noise on in the house when you’re alone. I’ve done that forever. Music sometimes, but a lot of time just letting the tv run just for background noise. I listen to audiobooks when I go to sleep a lot, but sometimes I just don’t want any more noise so I try to turn everything off and it is a nice break. I wonder how much just noise we have in our lives now compared to 50-60 years ago. Would be interesting if that could be measured. I think that’s one reason I like hiking and whatnot. The forest is nice and quiet.

Next- The gardening-I collect passionvine and like your social media avenues-this year, I’m just going to do it better-learn more, plant more and avoid the overwhelming state I tend to run in.

Road trip-absolutely my favorite undertaking-my son and I-before he went to the army-not doing well with that….We would take a state every year- California, Texas-hill country, coast, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Florida- we go from one end of the state to the other and visit caverns, zoos, dig for gems, pan for topaz, ghost tours, aquariums and FOOD-lots of great food-he actually became the navigator as he got older-Guss chicken in Tennessee!!

Last but not least cooking- This year I have cooked breast of lamb, shrimp toast, crab toast, shrimp roll=all from a seafood tray that didn’t get used for the holiday, chicken cordon blue, chicken and rice and a prime rib….I’ve rediscovered my joy for cooking.

One last thing- Silence! I learned that I started to enjoy the things a child tends to get excited about when I stopped and allowed silence in my life. I suffer from depression and turning off the tv in the house would cause me anxiousness, so it was always in the background-I’ve started turning it off, I’ve started birdwatching again, relaxing in silence and I’ve learned that I am more present because of it, just a small change like silence has literally changed my life- check me out on Linkedin- I write about creativity, depression, travel, art-https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenlinebaugh/ and check out the website if you get a chance. Really enjoyed your post, sorry for the long reply. Steve

Very eloquently put

Hi Stewart, this would be an educated guess because I haven’t used the HS30, but I would think you’d get better quality with it? It might be a little bit of a toss up because with the Opteka you get the option to use a more advanced/better quality camera body, but with the HS30 you’re getting the whole camera body/lens in one, and it’s much smaller, obviously, than the giant Opteka. Another issue though is price since the HS30 will be a bit pricier. My guess is either will do a decent job, just depends on what matters to you – price, having an extra camera body vs having a giant lens, convenience (the Opteka lens is a chonk and requires some getting used to), what environment you plan to use it in – I’ve heard the HS30 can have some noticeable noise at higher ISOs, which is something you might avoid with a better camera body like what you’d use with the Opteka.

I hope that helps a bit, sorry I can’t give more specific insights but I don’t want to steer your choice too much without having used both.

Hi Jenny! Sorry for the delay in response I’ve been sick for a couple weeks. It’s a little hard for me to say without having used the tripod you’re talking about, but from what I understand there’s no way for that particular tripod to allow the camera to point straight up? No matter which way you adjust it? I had a tripod with a similar issues a while back. The tripod I currently use which does allow that sort of rotation is what’s called a ballhead tripod. They do make versions of the ballhead attachment that would fit onto a current tripod without the ballhead, adding flexibility – see this one for reference: https://amzn.to/2TVf1nD (affiliate link fyi). I’m not sure if that particular one would fit your tripod so you may have to check around to be sure you can attach it, but that sort of thing would be an alternative to having to buy a whole different tripod.

You can see a tripod I use with the ballhead built-in here: http://www.curiouswriter.com/look-inside-camera-bag/

I def wouldn’t use a monopod, it would be less stable than the regular tripod (you’d have to hold it all the time) and a total pain with that big lens. They’re good for getting a little more stability when you don’t want to carry around a full-blown tripod, but def not for this lens.

I hope that helps answer some of your questions and thanks so much for the kind words, you’re a gem!

I also have the same lens and as well i have a T ring adaprter. As well a Canon EOS 70D though (dont forget there will be a 90D this year. Who knows how much and what price willthe 70D and the 80D will be. Though it would had been nice to have 4K but anyhow the camera does what i want at least.

I brought a nice Tripod but i was in a little bit of a rushed to buy it. (with little research 🙁
I have VELBON SHERPA 300 TRIPOD WITH 3-WAY HEAD it cost me under 200 dollars.
It looks and feels great and heavyness (not like a toy feel)

But here is the problem now.. I wanted to view the Moon and stars to pint point the stars i want.
As the big lens is connected to this tripod with the Canon 70D. I can not lift all the way facing up to the sky. It does lift up to the sky but it can not reach as in a straight I line straight up. It seems that the hand handle on the tripod it blocking it as it can not go facing straight up like a straight I. Instead it just goes up but not straight line up. So it was dificult to make the tripod legs one smaller while the other one higher and it was just simply time consuming and corrections..

Then i heard there is this Monopods ? Never heard such thing until i looked aroumd.. But i think Monopods doesnt have a stand like a normal Tripod with the 3 legs. Monopods just seems like a long selfie stick stand but doesnt look like a normal tripod with the hand handle stick.

So i don’t no. There was a few variety tripods and some most expensive with more options. But i guess i was ain a rush now its too late to buy another lens or just a waste of money for what i paid for. I mean the tripod i brought is very good. Just doesnt do what i wanted only 1 simple thing and that is point the lens in a straight line straight up to the sky like a I. But to do that i have to make one leg smaller the other taller and so on and it just makes it look weird and or not very stabled.

So what should i need.. Yes i am on a budget but same time dont want something that breaks easy.. Just something durable strong perhaps heavy since the lens is already heavy but dont want to spent so much money for it.

Now im clueless what to do as im unable to return it back to think other tripods in the market. As i broguht it at a camera house.

So yeah what is your options tips on this? I always thought just recently that Monopods tripods are just 1 stand mainly for holding the monopod on your hand while it is standing on the ground which i think that be bad because you will still end up shaking the tripod if you where to look at the moon with this big lens.. there for you requier a normal tripod with the 3 legs so that you don’t touch the tripod as anything will shake when viewing what you want to see thru the camera and the lens itself.

So any tips ?

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About this x2 converter lens that you folks are talking about. I saw it at the store for around 500 dollars but it is a brand such as Canon or Sigma or other brands. But then if you look on Ebay you can find the same x2 converter lens but without a branding name. And it shows it cost under 40.00 dollars. So that make a huge diferences one that is a canon brand costing 500 dollars while the other is a nonbranding and it cost under 40.00 so what diferences does it make?

I dont think it would be good to spent 500 dollars on a brand x2 converter lens while at the same time you have a cheap big lens like you have 650-1300mm Or cheap brand. So i dont think the picture quality will make any diferences if you where to spent one that is 500dollars vs a 40.00 dollar X2 converter lens. Because the big lens you already have is not a expensive lens lik these you see in the market costing 10.000 dollars. So its not like a 500 dollars x2 converter will make it all look quality over the cheap 650-1300mm lens. But i could be simply wrong. Should you correct me as i don’t no the diferences.

Maybe the most expensive x2 converter lens are design for expensive lenses in the market so if you have a expensive big lens by canon.. then you might as well buy the expensive x2 converter lens for it. But it wont make no higher quality over a cheap lens. But i could be wrong.

But the main principle is the issue of the tripod. I like the tripod to have a hand handle like mine does… but it just doesnt do what i wanted which is point the big lens straight up like a I to the sky.. it just does it almost but not quite.
So maybe i need to rethink of a new tripod i guess.. Not sure what im suppose to do with the 200 dollar tripod i just brought. Unfortunately i cant return it back.

Anyways i so much love your review and information. I think your the only first person on the internet who gives better information for the whole thing for Cameras like this 😉 take care