Cameras-n- Stuff

As I expected, the Nikon D3000 has received a “Highly Recommended” rating.

There is no doubt that the D3000 is an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary update, but the few features that have been added to the D3000 compared to the D60 are of real value, and the 11-point AF system alone makes the D3000 a bargain at its current asking price. It’s a shame that the bundled 18-55mm kit lens doesn’t show off the AF capabilities of the camera to a better extent, but the same is true of most kit lenses. A greater frustration – at least to anyone with a collection of older Nikon lenses – is that AF is unavailable with non AF-S optics. Fortunately, the D3000 does offer an effective (and very accurate) manual focusing rangefinder indicator in the viewfinder, but it’s of little help when you’re faced with a moving subject.

Conclusion – Pros

• Excellent detail and resolution at low ISO settings (especially in raw mode)
• Very capable AF system, including 3D AF tracking, on a par with much more expensive DSLRs
• Versatile and fun retouch options including in-camera raw processing
• Effectively unlimited shooting in JPEG mode (with ADL turned off)
• User-friendly ergonomics, without sacrificing control
• Good build quality for the price – no creaks
• Active D-Lighting helps recover the maximum tonal detail from tricky scenes
• Reliable exposures, with and without flash (albeit a little bright)
• Excellent exposure compensation range of -+5EV
• Good battery life for its class
• Refreshingly conservative approach to high ISO noise reduction (at default settings)
• View NX software hugely improved over Picture Project (Not as good as Capture NX2 though)
• Built-in AF assist lamp
• Competitive pricing

Conclusion – Cons

• Unreliable white balance under artificial lighting
• Slight tendency to overexpose in contrasty conditions
• No Live View
• Screen resolution slightly too low for checking accurate focus
• Very little control over high ISO noise reduction
• No front control dial
• No depth-of-field preview button
• No exposure bracketing
• No in-body stabilization (although VR is included in many of Nikon’s current entry-level lenses)
• Luminance noise becomes a problem above ISO 800
• Slightly soft JPEG output at default settings (but this is far from unusual)
• Screen-centric interface won’t appeal to everyone
• No AF support for non AF-S (or third-party equivalent) lenses
• No GPS (via Nikon’s GP-1 accessory) support

You can see the full review at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3000/
What about you? Are you convinced that the Nikon D3000 is the right entry level DSLR for you? You can see a comparison between the Canon XSi and D3000 here. This is really a great time to be buying a camera in this category. They have never been more affordable.
Happy Shooting!

I just came across this post at the DPreview forum (click here to see the whole thread):

100-400\L Examples. Help me convince my wife!
I really want a 100-400 L lens. Please post some of your photos taken with this lens so I can use them to convince my wife that I need one! (I have a 70-200 f/4 that she thinks is “good enough.”)
Cheers!
Jim

This just brings me back to Tim Allen in the old role on “Tool Time”. We always want (ok, we NEED) the newest and best tools. But let’s face it, sometime our wives don’t know the difference between a zoom lens and a socket wrench.

I can tell you this. Most women will not be impressed with pictures of the feather pattern of a heron in flight, at least not enough to say, “Oh, Jim, now I see that you really DO need this new Canon 100-400L lens.” But, did you notice the photos of the kids playing baseball and water skiing? Now those will help sell her on the deal.

My wife is awesome, and she is my main cheerleader when it comes to photography, but she is not always on board with the new purchases that over-extend our budget. And, quite honestly, I’m not even sure the family photo thing will work every time, but it sure is worth a try.

I must go on record here and say that aside from that new Canon EOS 7D that you really need prior to the acquisition of an additional DSLR lens, the Canon 100-400L lens is a worthy target for your next purchase. If you LOOK HERE, pay attention to the user reviews. Notice the 5 stars ? The ratings for this lens are the highest I have come across for any lens on Amazon.

Oh, I almost forgot. If you are still trying to decide which camera you absolutely need, make sure to visit www.digital-photographic-resources.com :=)

That’s it. Happy Shooting!

This is always an interesting discussion. I have mentioned it before in my blog here. I have also written a few articles about either the Canon Digital Rebels or the comparison between the Nikon D3000 and D5000. They are getting quite a few views at Ezine Articles.

There are also articles that compare the cheapest DSLRs from Canon and Nikon.

The bottom line is not really well defined. Nikon has the newest entry level DSLR in the Nikon D3000, but for just a bit more money, you can get a Canon T1i or a Nikon D5000. Both these cameras have HD Video, and the D5000 has that articulating LCD panel which is pretty cool for taking pictures at weird angles.

As I have mentioned before, I am using a Canon 30D, but if I was entering the DSLR market today, the decision would probably come down on the Nikon side for just one reason… make that one name – Moose Peterson. He uses Nikon products and he takes the very best nature shots in the world (my humble opinion, of course).

Today was a beautiful day in our neck of the woods (Woodstock, GA). It was a bit cool at 38, but the sun was gloriously shining after a few days of hiding.
So, as I was making breakfast, I took a few pictures of the birds that were dining at my feeders. With my new Sigma 18-250 all purpose walk around lens, of course.
Shot at about 8:30 AM using f/6.3 at ISO 400… hope you think the lens is as good as I do.

More about this excellent lens at http://www.squidoo.com/sigma18-250

Just wanted to share that others are as satisfied with their new Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF Lens Digital SLR Cameras
as I have been. It looks like the all purpose walk around lens that will meet most of your photo needs.
Here are the first 20 comments from the B&H Photo 18-250 web page:

• Heavy, but lighter than 2 lenses – 5 stars
• Great Lens – 5 stars
• It’s okay – 3 stars
• small package–big performer – 5 stars
• Nice Easy To Use Lense….. – 3 stars
• Love this lens! – 5 stars
• Great lens great buy greAT price – 5 stars
• I’m Lovin’ it! – 4 stars
• I Love This Lens – 5 stars
• Frustration Ended – 5 stars
• Nice all around lens – 4 stars
• Simply Amazing! – 5 stars
• Great lens! Reasonable cost – 5 stars
• Solid, Quality Lens – 4 stars
• Very Good–for the price – 4 stars
• The Lens I Will Wear Out! – 5 stars
• Excellent Value All Around Performer – 5 stars
• Versatility and Vibration Compensation – 5 stars
• Good value for the money – 4 stars
• LOVE This Lens SO WORTH THE MONEY!!!!! – 5 stars

Not one negative (I didn’t go past the first page on this quick check) – you can check for yourself at B & H Photo.
More about the Sigma 18-250 on my Squdioo lens.

I got my Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Zoom Lens a few days ago, but it has been really raining here.

So I did a really crude lens test. I have what I consider to be some excellent lenses in my arsenal. My normal walk around lens is a Tamron 28-75 f2.8. I bought this lens when I got my first Digital Rebel 300D, and it has proven to be all that I hoped for. It gives me wonderful photos.

I also have a Canon 70-200mm f/4 L that I got for doing telephoto work. I am just an amateur, and I can’t afford the really expensive glass that professional photographers use, but these lenses, as I said, are very good.

So, I took some pictures in my house using all three lenses, hand-held, in a dimly lit room. As I mentioned, this is a crude test, but the results surprised me. I was hoping that the new Sigma lens would do as well as the other two, but the new lens was head and shoulders better than either of the other lenses as you can see from the image on the right.

I attribute the success of the new Sigma lens to the Optical Stabilization, which neither of the other lenses has. These photos were taken at 1/4 second exposure time.. a fairly impossible shutter speed for me to avoid blurry pictures due to my inability to hold the camera steady.

I have taken a few other photos – displayed below. They are not contest winners, but a quick selection of unedited images to demonstrate that the Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Zoom Lens is fully capable of being your every day walk around lens. I am hoping to get some more comparison shots in the next few days to see how the Sigma matches up to my macro lens.

I was hesitant about ordering this lens, thinking I might be sending it back, but it is a keeper. I highly recommend it as an excellent all purpose walk around lens.
More about the Sigma 18-250 at www.digital-photographic-resources.

Nikon has come out with their newest challenger in the “cheap DSLR” market. The new Nikon D3000 is now on the scene.
This is really a great time to purchase your first DSLR, because the prices of new cameras are at an all time low.
You can get the new Nikon D3000 for about $599, or if you are a Canon fan, the Canon Rebel XSi can be had for about $629. Both of these would include the manufacturer’s kit lens, which in both cases is a 18-55mm IS or VR lens (IS is Canon’s terminology for “image stabilization” and VR is Nikon’s term for “vibration reduction”).
I have watched with amusement over the past few years as one camera buyer after the other asks the same question, “Which camera should I buy, the Canon or the Nikon?”
My response… DOESN’T MATTER!
Why? ‘Cause they are both excellent. I personally came down on the Canon side, but I am seriously thinking about getting the Nikon D3000 because I know it will be a fantastic camera.
I started with the first Canon Rebel – the 300D. I was pleased as punch with it. But at the time I spent months deciding whether the Nikon D40 was better. My friend has the D40 and loves it. I tried it out, and I loved it, too. Both were terrific for the type of camera that they are. They produced excellent prints of the photos (and still do).
By the way, you can still get a Nikon D40 even though Nikon has quit making them. There are still some new models on the warehouse shelves at great prices. You can also still purchase the Nikon D60 (also very cheap) which has many of the same specifications as the new Nikon D3000.
Make sure you check my comparison of the Canon Rebel XSi and the Nikon D3000 at www.digital-photographic-resources.com.

The digital camera review sites have all received their copy of the new Nikon D3000. Pre-test results are all pretty much the same. The comparison between the Nikon D40 and D3000 are predicting that the D3000 will replace the D40 in popularity.

So the question is (as it always has been), the Canon XSi or the Nikon D3000, how do I choose the right DSLR? The Canon/Nikon debate is pretty funny, really. The question pops up almost daily on one review forum or another. And there will be some hot discussions about the quality of one feature or another that boosts the camera proponents argument about why the Canon or the Nikon is the best camera manufacturer.

Here’s my take on it, because I did the same thing. I agonized over the purchase of a Canon Rebel or a Nikon D40 as my first DSLR.

Just buy one – either the Canon XSi or Nikon D3000! In this decision there are no losers. Both cameras are great. Both will give excellent photos. Both have a great feature set, allowing the photography to have plenty of control over the final photo.

The Nikon D3000 will be available on September 1, but you can preorder it now at one of the online camera stores.

For more information check the web site at www.digital-photographic-resources.com/cheap-dslr.html

Let me start by saying that the Canon Digital Rebel XSi is a great camera as an entry level DSLR.

Did you know that Canon comes out with newer, replacement models every couple of years?
It’s true. Most camera manufacturers do it. Especially if the camera has a fantastic track record, as the Digital Rebel certainly does. It was my very first DSLR, and I took many many wonderful photos with it. This woodpecker is one of them.

But I digress.

This year, Canon came out with a replacement for its Rebel series after only 1 year.
They did it to incorporate some features, such as video, so they could keep up with the Joneses (the “Joneses in this case are other camera manufacturers).

OK, so what does that have to do with anything?

It has a lot to do with price. All of a sudden the price of the Rebel 450D (aka Rebel XSi) dropped $200!

Has the feature package been upgraded enough for you to pay an additional $200 to get the latest model?

Only if you must have video. The video package is pretty good on the newer Rebel 500D (aka Rebel T1i).

Now, there are a couple of other upgrades in the newest release, and you can see the comparison at www.squidoo.com/canon-rebel-xsi-x1i. But the features on the Rebel 450D were already awesome, and the camera had only been on the consumer market for a year. When you consider the price difference and the quality of the camera along with its photographic output, I think you may agree that the 450-D is a fabulous deal.

The Canon Digital Rebel SXi really rocks!

More information about the two cameras is available HERE. Do yourself a favor, if you are interested in a truly great entry level DSLR and check it out.

Canon has released a new version of the Digital Rebel – it’s the T1i.

This comes only a year after a similar version (the Canon Digital Rebel XSi) was released.

So what’s up?

Well, this one has video capabilities, as well as, something called Creative Auto.

The pricetag is similar to new Rebel releases – $899 which includes a 18-55mm IS Kit lens.

This is not a bad deal. In fact every Digital Rebel that Canon has released has been a good deal.

It’s mainly because of the great product the Digital Rebel has been. This little entry level DSLR produces great photos. And now the sensor size is up to 15.1 megapixels!

But WAIT. Do you really want to take video footage with your DSLR?

Most folks buy a DSLR for the flexibility of lens choice and quality of still photos.

I have seen the video image quality of point and shoot cameras, and I have seen a video produced by the new Rebel T1i. It’s OK, but it’s definitely not Hollywood quality.

The price of the Digital Rebel XSi (in the $710 neighborhood) will save you almost $200. Image quality is just as good, and you get all the other features and controls you would get for the extra 200 bucks.

But, Oh, I forgot about the Creative Auto!

It turns out that Creative Auto is one of the features from compact point and shoot cameras that is not all that reliable. It’s for those who don’t want to learn how to use their camera to its fullest.

If you’re buying a DSLR, I think you should learn to use it. (just my opinion)

So, I still would go with the Canon Digital Rebel SXi.

At least that’s “the way eye see it”.

Want more of a comparison? I thought so.

Here it is: Compare the Canon Digital Rebel XSi and T1i.