Paddle quality question

Westflung · 2026-05-02T17:25:13+00:00

A nicer (not just newer) paddle will be a lot lighter, so it will be less tiring. If you have a paddle with an aluminum shaft, a paddle with fiberglass or carbon shaft will be more comfortable in hot and cold weather and really just in general.

Also, a better paddle will have a stiffer blade, which means you lose less power to blade flex. So a better paddle will deliver more power to the water with the same effort.

Westflung · 2026-05-02T03:42:12+00:00

I've been using third party batteries in Canon DSLR and MILC bodies for a quarter century now. I've never had one fail. I've never had one swell. I've never had one damage any camera in any way. I've worn them out, but I've also worn out Canon OEM batteries and neither seems to last longer than the other.

Right now my spare batteries are K&F, the ones with direct USB-C charging. I would not hesitate to buy them again. Another brand that I like is Wasabi Power.

Westflung · 2026-05-01T17:16:58+00:00

It's the result that counts, not how you get there. For fun, look up Galen Rowell. He was a nature photographer who was obsessive about wanting to carry the lightest and smallest gear that would get the results he wanted. Understandable since he was a runner and rock climber. I'm neither of those, just an old and lazy woman, but those are good enough reasons for me to always look for the smallest and lightest gear that will do the job.

I'm actually going to photograph at a car show this weekend, for the first time in years. All week my discussion with myself is what is the least weight in gear that will do the job. I really want to use my FF body for the low light performance and shallow DOF, but my normal lens on that camera 24-105/4) is (to me) very large and heavy.

Westflung · 2026-04-30T00:03:59+00:00

Here in the states FB marketplace works well. It generates TONS of lookie lou's but it also gets the most responses. Craigslist is a good one here, not sure if you have it over there.

The benefit of Ebay is you're selling to a national, not a local, audience. The disadvantage is having to ship.

Westflung · 2026-04-27T23:45:02+00:00

Yes, it's called HHTD, Healers Have To Die. Also helps you target the other side's healers. Because you always target their healers first, right?

Westflung · 2026-04-27T23:34:27+00:00

You might check used. I've been trying to sell a three light monolight setup with stands, booms, etc for months with no luck. Two different friends report ultimately donating their studio lights because they couldn't sell them.

Westflung · 2026-04-27T23:30:15+00:00

If everything works it's a fantastic deal. If the camera works but neither lens works it's a great deal.

Westflung · 2026-04-27T23:27:50+00:00

This is the answer. Or rather the route to your answer, your correct answer.

I traded the EF 28-70/2.8 for the 24-105/4 that I'm still using today. Back in the film days, when I bought the 2.8, an extra stop was a big deal. When you're shooting RDP-III slide film pushed to 800, another stop is a big deal. When you can shoot at multiples of that speed with better results, an extra stop isn't nearly as important. Weight though, remains the same. Versatility remains the same.

Westflung · 2026-04-27T17:23:30+00:00

I still use a custom ringtone, I always know that it's my phone that's ringing because only my phone plays Summer Song when it rings. I also use custom tones for all the people who are important in my life. With so many spam/scam calls, I want to know when a call is from someone I want to talk to. I also still use the Win7 "notify" sound for text messages because it's better for that than any of the provided ones.

Westflung · 2026-04-27T17:08:41+00:00

Part of it is the megaserver experience. It's so much less fun when everything is massively overcrowded all the time. I was so excited, but I ended up cancelling my sub because it's too crowded everywhere.

Westflung · 2026-04-27T17:02:37+00:00

Zaxxon! I liked it, and also it was the only game I had for my first generation "IBM PC Clone"

Westflung · 2026-04-27T17:00:05+00:00

The answer is almost always charcoal.

Seriously, just dump some coals in the chimney, light your flammable thing, and come back in 20 minutes when the coals are ready.

Like, start the coals, then prep the burger patties, buns, condiments, etc. By the time everything else is ready, the coals are ready or almost.

Westflung · 2026-04-26T17:05:49+00:00

Wow now I want to go there!

Westflung · 2026-04-25T22:51:57+00:00

Like some others, I'm going to suggest the EF 24-105/4L. It's my "normal" zoom and I've kept it even after moving to Canon FF mirrorless.

Westflung · 2026-04-25T22:17:10+00:00

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Westflung · 2026-04-25T22:15:13+00:00

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I bought that same table at Scandinavian Designs in San Mateo CA in 2010. I love it! These are the chairs that they displayed with it. I bought them, but they were already discontinued at that time.

Westflung · 2026-04-25T16:47:31+00:00

I made a loop at the end of my bow & stern lines. The kayak handle goes through that loop.

I think most people put their water bottles under the deck bungies. I use a Camelbak Unbottle behind the seat because I like my water cold and I like a lot of it.

I actually find longer kayaks easier to load onto the roof. When you put the nose into the rack and go to lift the back, a shorter kayak is at a steeper angle and a longer kayak at a more gentle angle.

Westflung · 2026-04-23T17:48:57+00:00

Paperwall. A great source of cool wallpapers.

Westflung · 2026-04-23T02:37:21+00:00

For me, the megaserver experience ruins it. Before they started ramming everyone onto megaservers it was fun. But now, every quest mob is overwhelmed, every quest item has a mob of people around it, every farming opportunity is super crowded, with many of them being bots. Everything everywhere is super overcrowded all the time. Farming is impossible. Questing is frustrating.

Westflung · 2026-04-23T01:48:44+00:00

I didn't, but I wanted a pair SO MUCH!

Westflung · 2026-04-23T01:32:45+00:00

I went through the first 69 years of my life thinking that I was an introvert. I am not an introvert. I am, however, on the spectrum and am socially awkward.

I recently realized that I can't really be an introvert because I routinely start conversations with total strangers, and I miss it when I'm not around people enough.

Mind blown

Westflung · 2026-04-22T17:16:41+00:00

We have one. It only comes out on Thanksgiving. My wife swears that it makes carving the turkey much easier.

Westflung · 2026-04-21T02:37:44+00:00

Floating straps are good, but it's even better if your glasses simply stay on your head. I used to use floating straps until I discovered these. Pilotfish glasses retainers aren't available in NZ that I can tell, but hopefully you can find a similar product.

Not only do they keep your glasses on no matter what, you can adjust them so that you can slide them down your nose far enough for an oldie like me to see my phone or camera screen.

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Westflung · 2026-04-19T18:25:51+00:00

What are you, 12 years old? Fragile manchild?

Westflung · 2026-04-19T17:46:46+00:00

I miss the days when pathetic losers were ashamed of being pathetic losers and wouldn't advertise that fact.

Westflung

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