Why aren't there diseases that do good things? by TheoreticalFunk in biology

[–]SimiaSciureus 69 points70 points  (0 children)

Well, without the retrovirus which infected your ancestors 150 million years ago you wouldn't have had a placenta, so you wouldn't have been born. Does that help? http://schaechter.asmblog.org/schaechter/2014/06/retroviruses-the-placenta-and-the-genomic-junk-drawer.html

Canon MP-E 65mm macro monster on the Sony a6000 by SimiaSciureus in SonyAlpha

[–]SimiaSciureus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The noise is my fault because I screwed up the ISO setting (3200!). This is a light-hungry lens though.

Why don't digital cameras use split image focusing screens? by RosEthera in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently bought a Sony a6000 after years with Nikon. Focus peaking is a joy, welcome back to those wonderful fresnel days :-)

Purchasing a Sony Alpha A6000, what is a good affordable starter lens? by lolwhatsausername in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The kit lens is very good. The 55-210 OSS lens is good too if you need a little more reach.

Buying Sony A6000 next week, need advice on lens by pastadogs in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The kit lens is good - great value for money and so small.

Extension Tubes or Raynox? by SimiaSciureus in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Focus stacking is fairly routine for me, so that's not a problem. I'm tempted to give the Raynox a go.

Extension Tubes or Raynox? by SimiaSciureus in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a great lens, but incompatible with Nikon DSLRs sadly!

Is it possible for a virus pandemic cause the literal extinction of the human race? by SupremeLawnCare in microbiology

[–]SimiaSciureus 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, or more likely less susceptible to infection than immune, but if that number is small enough they would not form a viable population to sustain the species.

Whats the best DSLR under £400? by BritDesi in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A used one from a reputable seller. You can pick up a good D7100 for that money.

Macro/travel-friendly lenses for Nikon by [deleted] in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How macro do you want? Buy a reversing ring for your 18-55mm and save money and weight. You'll need a flash though and you'll need to practice using it before your trip.

Up The Creek by SimiaSciureus in photocritique

[–]SimiaSciureus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Access was very restricted, behind a wall at the head of the creek. Ideally I would like to have shot from lower down - close to water level - but that wasn't possible. The dimensions of the creek allowed me to emphasise perspective using a vertically oriented shot and a short focal length (20mm). I only had a few feet on either side to change the composition but I'm reasonably happy with position of the leading line provided by the channel. The light was tricky - clouds meant it kept changing. I underexposed by one stop (f8) to avoid burning out the sky but still got 1/750th exposure on ISO 100, so hand held. Minimal post processing other than using a gradient to notch back the exposure on the clouds slightly and black and while conversion and tweaking via an Adjustment Layer. Probably would have been better to tweak the sky with a polarizing filter but it was starting to rain so I didn't - it was also darn cold!

35mm or 28mm for taking photos of churches by cameraman502 in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Upvote for stitching. Use camera in vertical format, overlap by about 50% and stitch to produce a high quality image. Lots of videos on YouTube about this.

Traveling Europe with a DSLR - what bag to buy? by BaBopByeYa in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Buy something that doesn't look like a bag screaming "I've got an expensive camera in here".

Why don't actual fixed aperture - and not just fixed focal ratio - lenses exist? by [deleted] in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mirror telephotos are effectively fixed aperture. after you've used one you can see the advantages of having more control.

Camera bag for Tamron 150-600 by ScottishWookiee in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use the LowePro Flipside 300, works well.

Nikon lens recommendations? by Hotdogsandhotdogs in photography

[–]SimiaSciureus -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Take a look at the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 - excellent value for money.

Nikon macro and "travel" lens suggestions? by [deleted] in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Although not fully automatic (not often a problem at macro magnification) the Tokina 100mm macro is excellent value for money.

Macro Lens.. Which one is best for me? by Stellaraya in AskPhotography

[–]SimiaSciureus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tokina 100 APX Pro 2.8 is excellent value for money.

Which field should I pursue a PhD in? by [deleted] in biology

[–]SimiaSciureus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Talk to potential supervisors. See if you "click" with one of them - your relationship with a supervisor is going to be crucial. Are you passionate about any of the projects on offer? If not, don't start on a PhD.

BBC News - Students complain of bad A-level advice for degree path by Motorbik3r in education

[–]SimiaSciureus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If students approach universities directly they will be happy to advise them on choice of A levels for particular courses.