brianogilvie

When I think of all the time I wasted doing this…when I could have been wasting it on other things!

The Car Talk guys recommend that you learn to drive stick by starting up, putting the car in first, and then gradually easing out the clutch – very slowly – until it engages and the car starts rolling forward. The trick: keep your right foot off the accelerator while you’re doing it. Once you can engage smoothly without stalling, then it’s time to get the accelerator in play, just after you engage the clutch: accelerate smoothly as you release the clutch smoothly.

Try it in a parking lot, and make sure you’ve mastered it before making a left turn across traffic.

Two things led me to buy my Nikon D70 (after using a Coolpix 5700 for most of a year): (1) instant-on: flip the on switch and you’re shooting almost immediately, and (2) long battery life—hundreds or thousands of shots on one battery charge. I also appreciate the range of lenses, including fast lenses, and the lighting possibilities, but speed and battery life were the big sells for me.

A tip: if money is an issue, buy a model that is obsolete or soon will be. I got my D70 for a good price shortly after Nikon announced the D70s.