@AdrianBool The link works on the iPhone, but the page has a link to order which goes to "File not found". No option on O2 site either. #

The Tethering option for the iPhone doesn't appear available on my O2 pay monthly account. #

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Getting keys to the apartment tomorrow. #

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Fixed flash issue on 500D. #

Hunting for info on a fault with my canon 500d. Internal and external flash weirdness. #

Salmon fillet in the oven. #

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Initially I suspected it was simply the batteries in my flash. I can’t remember the last time I changed them; but I’m sure it was before Australia in March/April! (for those wanting a battery recommendation for a flash – can’t go wrong with these Energizer Lithiums). Unfortunately I bought some spares which I lost on the camping trip in July, so I was without any to test my theory and I was in need of using a flash. So, I was left with the unfortunate need to use the built-in flash…

… which errored – “Err 05″ to be precise, which thought the flash hadn’t popped up (though it had) and was accompanied by a couple of clicks as it tried to release the already-free flash. It demanded I switch the camera off and on again. Which I did, same problem. I repeated this a few times and the problem went away, only to return again later when I wanted to see if I could replicate the problem.

I re-attached the 580EX II and found the camera wasn’t communicating with it – basically reporting the flash was either off or not compatible. Again, this issue came and went – with it mostly failing.

I did me some Googling and was unable to find anything that matched what I was experiencing, but there were plenty of mentions of issues with just the built-in flash not popping up. They attributed the problem with a microswitch on the hot-shoe which sometimes doesn’t pop up – and is a common issue on a number of different Canon models. I checked mine though, and it was up:

It’s the tiny black thing a finger-nail away from the white cable tie, underneath the metal track the cable tie is holding up. When an external flash is attached that will go down preventing the built-in flash from popping up. As can be seen though, no problem with it. Other Canon models have this switch in the same location, others on the opposite side (I think the 40D and 50D are on the opposite side, while the 350D is supposed to be the same as the 500D and I can confirm from my own 400D it is the same as the 500D).

I gave up looking last night as my attention was on Top Gear, Sherlock then ‘Coast’ in HD – which had a bit on the Isle of Man. Sleep then beckoned.

Today I picked up from where I left off and decided to take a look at the other side of the hot-shoe. There’s no switch there, but there is something – what, I’m not sure – but it looks metallic. Perhaps it’s literally nothing – a place holder for using the same hot-shoe construction on cameras with the switch on the opposite side? Alternatively is it some kind of contact which is used to recognise an external flash?

However, I got my cable tie and brushed it over it (plastic removed, so it’s basically a piece of wire) and since then I’ve not been able to recreate the issue which – previously – occurred after just a couple of attempt of popping the built-in flash, and occurred after just a couple of uses of the external 580EX II. I’ve taken around 50-ish photos, or more, since using built-in flash or external, no problems.

Maybe this is just random chance, or it’s genuinely fixed. All I know is it’s working, and nothing changed until my trusty cable-tie got involved. It’s now found a home in my camera bag, just-in-case. If anybody, who knows these cameras and how they’re built better than me, can explain what could have happened I’d welcome their input so I can figure out if this is going to occur again, or if there’s a more “robust” fix.

Even before the announcement of the iPad I figured on of the ‘killer apps’ for me would be a comic reader app. I’ve tried apps for the iPhone and there are two main problems – one, the size of the screen and two, the lack of any (legally available) content. All that changed a few months ago with Marvel entering the digital arena with their iPad/iPhone app based on the software of Comixology. As of last month DC Comics have followed their lead, and released their own app based on the same software.

The app includes both new releases and titles from the DC Comics back catalogue – with them currently releasing older issues of Batman and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. You can select from featured/new/popular/free or press ‘Browse’ to search the store, buying titles using in app purchasing with your iTunes account (the first time I’ve used it). Basically, my bank account isn’t gonna like me!

Overall it’s a very slick and well thought out app – and I’m happy that there’s now a convenient way to read comics legally, and without cluttering up my house.

The challenge here was light – the venue is a sports hall, and indoor lighting is pretty poor in terms of available light and colour.

To deal with the low light I cranked the ISO up to 1600, aperture down to f/2.8 (so wide open on the Canon 50-200mm L IS USM) but mostly shot at 1/320s to ‘freeze’ the action. I’ve cleaned up a lot of the noise in Lightroom once I got home.

In terms of colour- this particular lighting was kind of like tungsten, but I found the default white-balance options on my camera weren’t so great. I’d never used custom white balance before, so had no idea how to set it up. Thankfully a quick flick through the menu found the option to configure it – and there was a handy white banner that helped server as the image used to set and test the custom white balance.

Here’s an example of how it turned out:

I also took a few shots at a shutter speed of 1/50 and ISO 400, to capture some motion. As they’re going round a track, and moving limbs and head it was very hard to get shots that worked doing this; they frequently turned out blurred due to motion or out-of-focus, but I did get a couple I’m reasonable happy with, and here’s one of those:

The full set is here: Rainy City Roller Girls vs Stuttgart Valley Roller Girls

Rainy City won, by the way – 131 to 77.

I’m looking at somewhere within easy-reach of the centre of Manchester without the effort of taxis for part of the journey. However, I also need to avoid the mistake I made when I lived in the Greenquarter – where the tightly-packed development meant that if somebody was having a late night everybody was having a late night; sounds echoed loudly around the narrow spaces between buildings. I also seemed to have people living above me who enjoyed dragging furniture around from 10pm until 8am every night. I’ll be keeping the car this time too – so I’ll need a parking space. Add to that I’ve got a house-full of furniture and appliances to populate the place with and my list of possibilities is shrinking.

iPad Rightmove App

My efforts are being frustrated by a couple of factors;

1. Letting agents not getting back to me – I’ve asked to view a few places and dropped enquiries through to agents on Wednesday and Thursday. I figure these places are after business, so I’m disappointed that they aren’t getting back to me.

2. Search websites are mostly crap – filtering out furnished places, or getting the right area, has been really frustrating. Rightmove are pretty good with location but, more often than not, when you select ‘Unfurnished’ it continues to return properties which are actually furnished. I’ve tried their iPad app too – which simply doesn’t have the option to filter on furnishing, or parking.

I’ve also tried Zoopla which seems accurate in terms of furnishing, but is no good at narrowing down an area and – if you use the map view – it ignores all of the filters you’ve applied and so renders that function useless.

One potential silver-lining is there’s a few places in the ‘Chips’ development which I’m interested in – with canal-side views and a mate’s girlfriend works there so is chasing up my email enquiry to them.

Directed by Christopher Nolan, of Memento, Batman Begins,  and The Dark Knight fame, it stood a reasonable chance of being worth seeing.  I’d say it’s definitely fulfilled that expectation and then some.  It worked suspense and an intelligent theme expertly and – while a long film – it was never dull.

I won’t go in to the detail as I wouldn’t want to ruin it – all I’ll say is it’s a must see!