And in the end... Beatles 'Abbey Road' cover photo was shot 45 years ago today

I never thought of that. Thanks for the tip.

And don't restrict yourself to eBay. Shop around. Use Google or your favorite search engine. Stop by Goodwill, Salvation Army and other thrift store. Take your time, there maybe better and less expensive than the first three or four you see. Best of luck.

Loraine, do yourself a favour and buy a turntable. There are some fantastic, inexpensive record players out there by Music Hall, Pro-Ject and Rega. You can make an even better deal if you shop for second-hand turntables. Unlike CD and MP3 players, they last a lifetime. Who knows, you might be surprised at the sound quality you can extract from your albums...

this item can record to a cd from your cassette or vynil http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/844905-REG/Crosley_Radio_CR2413A_PA_CR2413A_MEMORY_MASTER_II.html

@JK - Agree. It is self-contained and is not too expensive either. I don't know the going rate now, around Christmas 2012, it was around $200. __ I'm holding on to my "ancient" Technics turntable, Pioneer amplifier, equalizer, dual cassette player, and monstrous speakers. Will pass the "components" and vinyl to my daughter. My nine and ten year old grandsons are fascinated by the technology.

I still have, in pristine condition, a Dual turntable with a Shure capsule/needle bought new in 1974. It's a real joy to hook it up once in a while to my Sony receiver and listen to original vinyl records ( including this Beatles' Abbey Road )!

I am the proud owner of a Rega Planar 3, Ortofon 2M Blue and Musical Fidelity X-LP. A combination that eats all but the most expensive CD players for breakfast. I use them as my primary source of listening. Digital music has made no progresses in terms of sound quality - on the contrary, the sound is getting more and more compressed and plain awful.

Good for you. Since this forum is about the Beatles, would you care to share how you fit your Rega Planar 3 etc. into your VW Beatle and play your records while cruising on the freeway?

ecube, thank you! I hadn't realized this was about the Beatles. As a matter of fact, I thought this was a comment box and failed to even realize I was in a forum, silly me...
Ignoring as much as possible the sheer stupidity of your question, I'll begin to say I don't have a VW Beetle (not "Beatle", mind you). When I'm cruising on the freeway in my Peugeot I mainly listen to radio, though I sometimes play CDs too.
You see, there are people who actually listen to music (rather than simply hear it). Some even do it at home. Some still love vinyl (can you believe it?), even though they have a CD collection and are capable of finding music videos on YouTube. I guess that must sound terribly strange to you, but who cares?
I also thought Loraine was expressing her sorrow for not being able to listen to her LPs. Unless you show me how to play (or record) an LP without a turntable, I'll just deem your reply as ridiculous.
Now, other than making a fool of yourself, what exactly was your point?

You can always buy a usb turntable for less money than it would have cost to buy a 128GB CF card.

In addition to the other replies, you can also get a USB turntable for fairly short money. You can hook it up to your computer directly and make digital files from your vinyl.

Back in the USSR we have er Lubitel and Lomo?

Nikon's pro DX line, The Long and Winding Road"

Uh huh! That's what I like about photography . . . recording the "Moment" in time and for eternity. How many people all over the world cares what camera, lens, film, setting was used? Does it matter?

Thank you - I am still dazed by our USA vacation - so fantastic! And hot, hot, dry - then Iceland so cold and interspaced with drizzles and fabulous photogenic rainbows.

Hehe.

I am curious. You must spend eternity in front of your computer working with LR. After all those work, do you share those photos with family and friends? If so, how? At least 18"x12" prints hung on the walls or High quality large screen (at least 40") HD?

Yes - a lot of work, however I love the end result or I don't post it. I am born a fox w. b/w eyesight if you wonder why I need so strong colours. I have only managed to process a couple of days of vacation up to now. https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107872732293560147841/albums/6043023509235507521

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107872732293560147841/albums/6042183248467622881

Hi again ecube - I am opting for 4K TV in the "near longterm" within a year or so @ the recommende 65" - just on the wish-list. I am not an oiligarc.

@Ryanshoots - It's my fault. It seems my sarcasm was interpreted as an encouragement. On the bright side, he enjoyed his visit to our country. Let's give him a break.

@Hasa - Thanks for the link to your photos in Google. Excellent shots. I have Google account but have never posted there. I'll take your lead. I was trying to contact you in Google but can't find your email. Feel free to contact me by email.

@Ryanshoots - Your comment arouse my curiosity to see your photos. Unfortunately, your profile had ZERO entry in your Gallery. Would you be kind enough to provide links to where you post your work? I assume you have photos form at least one of your MF digital cameras. How about posting same subject taken with your best FF/lens combination and your worst MF / lens combination, PLEASE.

You are right about Elvis. The people who listen to him today are mostly the same ones who listened back in the day. That's because his music, with a few notable exceptions, has not stood the test of time. The same can be said of almost all pop musicians of the past 75 years, and I have no doubt whatsoever that it will be true of today's teen idols. Their appeal is in the glitz and the spectacle that surrounds them, not in their music. Once the glitz fades, people will lose interest. Does anyone know where Britney Spears is today? Does anyone care?

My 11 yo daughter wants to go to London and Liverpool, that says it all. Probably, myself, the song that I used to listen over and over was Hey Jude. Still today, anytime it pkays, I stop whatever I'm doing and listen until the chorus fades away ...

@Robgo2: If it wasn't for Elvis there would be no Beatles. Elvis introduced rockabilly to the world and the Beatles were basically a rockabilly cover band in the early years.

If you think Elvis' music hasn't stood the test of time you're gravely mistaken. So much of today's rock and roll and country is influenced by the rockabilly sound that Elvis, Scotty Moore and Bill Black helped create.

@JDThomas: No doubt Elvis was highly influential, mainly through popularizing black music with white youth, including the British lads who became the Beatles. But my point was that Elvis's own recordings have not been embraced by succeeding generations. Granted, there are still some Elvis impersonators knocking around, but who goes to see them other than people above a certain age?

@Robgo2: Maybe you're not into the rockabilly scene. You don't come into contact with people that really dig Elvis. I'm not particularly old, just turned 40, but I have a collection of early Elvis records that's worth more than I'd like to say. I know tons of young kids that are really into Elvis. I know more kids that are into the Clash than the Beatles. You've got to look in the right places.

Ask Brian Setzer, who sells out every show he plays if he thinks Elvis' music hasn't stood the test of time. Ask the Reverend Horton Heat if Elvis' music hasn't influenced them and allowed them to tour the world for the past 30 years playing rockabilly songs.

It ain't all old dudes that listen to Elvis. His music is as relevant today as it has ever been.

I never said Elvis wasn't good or influential. I'm not knocking him at all as I love much of his music. Clearly he was a dominant force on the radio, TV, movies, newspapers, magazines, you name it for most of the latter half of the 20th century. His influence on music -- including the Beatles -- is undeniable.

But interest in his music is nowhere near the Beatles today. For the most part, his fans are the older generation. I often listen to oldies stations and you just don't hear Elvis tunes as much as the Beatles, and on a much wider variety of stations.

I don't know what places you are looking to find kids more into the Clash and Elvis than the Beatles, but it's not anywhere near where I am. My comment was based on viewing the Abbey Road webcam for about 10 minutes yesterday and seeing literally dozens of people walking back and forth taking pictures. Young people mostly. I can't imagine there are a lot of youngsters hanging out at Graceland these days.

You get a free tinfoil hat with the CD...

"the devil's message when you play the record backwards..."

Yeah, but what do you hear when you play the record upside down?

Film has dynamic range, but not where it counts. Digital has the dynamic range advantage in the shadows and low light. ISO 6400 film was never good enough for wide usage, but now everybody has that setting on their digital camera and it looks fine.

graybalanced:

Right but this album cover is daylight and shot with low ISO film.

That's where film is still strong in the year 2014. Unless you want to shoot Foveon and that new sensor still drops of in usefulness above ISO 400.

Yep, digital allows the shooting with no flash in much more varied circumstances than film. Has been true of APSC sensors since at least as far back as 2004, and there was big leap with the mass adoption of CMOS sensors and the introduction of the Nikon D3.

Still not much to to with why the colour in this photo is so good.

There are plenty of current, year 2014, ISO 6400 "capable" digital cameras that really shouldn't be used at ISO 6400, eg the Panasonic GH4.

So there are reasons to use film today in 2014, and one big one remains dynamic range. Most big budget movies are still film, which is then scanned for editing, so too many TV dramas in the US.

Here we go again. Some people wanting to impress with their "know it all". I shoot film and Polaroid during those times. Now and since 2004, I shot exclusively digital. Day or night, if the ambient light is not sufficient for my purpose, I use artificial light as needed. I prefer to enjoy and document the outdoors during the day that high ISO is irrelevant. There are more than one way to skin a cat, LET IT BE! To each his own, do and enjoy your toys and let me enjoy mine.

I was shooting about that time, and slide film was either ISO 5 or 10. It was a struggle to get a fast enough shutter speed to stop motion. Amazing how we have selective memories.

Out of step keeps the shot from looking like a military march. As the proud mom watching the parade, her son was the only one in step!

Ringo is also left handed.

Then why's the cig in his right hand?

Because he was DEAD! ;-)

I beg to differ, John, George and Ringo are out-of-step.

Planned and drawn before hand, by Paul

...and crazy people still are free to carry guns in this America...

...because stabbing him to death would have been so much better? It certainly would have been just as easy.

I heard Paul on the AR studio TV show playing and singing I've Got a Feeling, then I waited to hear John singing "Everybody had a good year ..." It never came. Yes, he's much missed.

A quick search on Wikpedia lists approximately 33 massacres by knives. And John Lenons death has nothing to do with a massacre and the person that shot him wanted him dead I am sure he would have stabbed him with that intent and probably many times.

33? How many gum massacres did google bring up?

I can only [in the UK] think of one massacre attempt by kinfe [machete actually which if you think about it would be far more effective as a fearsome weapon capable of more egregious physical harm]. Inevitably it was an attempt on the lives of infants. You know what? It was halted by a brave woman who whilst sustaining seriously injury did manage to protect many of her charges. What chance of that against a semi-automatic?

Lunatics will always be around and they'll always murder whatever the means - it's just that putting guns and bombs in their hands contributes to the insanity of these circumstances.

If she had defended the children with a semi-automatic, she would have been spared injury.

I see the error in my thinking - all nursery supervisors should be issued with machine guns in future.

You mean like they do in Israel?

Yeah, but under the proviso the tots get hand grenades to defend themselves if their carers lose it. Of course then you'd need flak jackets for their baby siblings in case you get a jealous and careless one and we'd have to work out some way of enabling infants to hold and aim bazookas.

To hell with all that - what we need is everyone to have a personal nuke. I can't see what could possibly go wrong. You're with me, right?

Everyone here knows the story.

I hate to burst your bubble but Paul was born in 1942. The shot was taken in 1969. He would have been 27... Not 28.