Chris Christoff

Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS Digital Rebel 300D

Digital Photography Review

The EOS 300D’s plastic body is just one of the elements used to reduce the cost of the camera, others include the use of a pentamirror in the viewfinder instead of a pentaprism, a reduction of features … and a shifting of manufacturing from Japan to Taiwan. … The EOS 300D’s sharpness is twice as strong as the EOS 10D. In addition to this the EOS 300D is the first Canon digital SLR to support a new lens called the EF-S (S = short back focus), this has the same mount and electrical contacts as an EF lens but has a rear element which fits further into the camera allowing it to be closer to the image sensor. … The EOS 300D is a formidable camera, not from a feature set point of view. Not from a body finish point of view … but rather for what it offers, for its value for money. … Almost laughably the majority of the EOS 300D’s limitations are ‘programmed in’… Obviously reducing the feature set leaves the EOS 300D weaker in some respects than many similarly priced prosumer digital cameras. Canon is clearly hoping that the speed, AF, lens choice and low noise high ISO trade-offs will be worth it for a considerable number of people, who will buy into EF lenses and work their way up to an EOS 10D priced digital SLR in the future. READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Nikon D100 Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Nikon D100 6MP Digital SLR Camera

Digital Photography Review

The D100 enters that new segment of the digital camera market, it’s the middle ground between the high end $1,000 prosumer digital cameras and professional D-SLR’s. The D100 has a six megapixel sensor, a body loosely based on the F80 … a Nikon F mount. … Nikon’s designers once more should take a lot of credit for producing a superbly well designed camera. Ergonomics, balance and control layout are excellent, the D100 feels both professional enough to be used on the most important days, yet small and light enough to be taken out on the most casual outing. …Image quality is also excellent, good color and metering, nice tonal balance… READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Canon EOS 350D Rebel XT Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Camera Labs

The 350D / Rebel XT delivers an almost unbeatable package of quality, speed, size and price. The most obvious selling point is of course its 8 megapixel resolution, and while the difference between this and its 6 megapixel rivals can be subtle, it’s certainly visible in real life results. Thankfully the smaller pixel pitch doesn’t compromise noise levels, and Canon’s DiG!C II processor ensures silky smooth results at standard ISO settings, while allowing the use of a smaller, lighter battery without affecting lifespan. … It’s not all good news though. The screen, especially today, is measly at just 1.8in, some re-positioned controls have become less convenient to use, the USM lens version would have made a preferable bundle and some may find the smaller body harder to hold. But that’s really about it. Overall the 350D/Rebel XT remains a tough camera to beat and the leader in the budget digital SLR market. READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Nikon D50 Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor Lens

Camera Labs

Launched at the same time as the D70s, the D50 will inevitably be viewed as a cut-down, beginners version of its more serious counterpart. But in use, the D50 rarely if ever feels compromised in any way. It starts instantly, responds quickly and delivers superb results in fully automatic modes, while offering sufficient manual control to keep most enthusiasts satisfied. Dig a little deeper on the basic specs and you’ll also find plenty of areas where the D50 excels over its rivals. Of course there’s equally areas where its rivals are better. At the end of the day, the choice of camera is a highly personal one. Once you’re sure it has all the features and delivers the quality you’re after, the choice boils down to look, feel and brand loyalty. Nikon’s D50 may not have 8 megapixels, but scores highly in every other respect. It looks smart, feels well built, responds quickly, delivers great pictures and is a joy to use. You can’t ask much more from a camera and as such it comes highly recommended. READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Canon EOS 400D Rebel XTi Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Imaging Resource

The new Rebel XTi has a 10.1 megapixel sensor, a 2.5 inch LCD screen, and a new dust cleaning system. Ultimately, the Canon Rebel XTi is an improvement of an already superb camera — the Rebel XT — with Canon’s latest and greatest innovations to make digital SLR photography more like you remember from the film days and more versatile to boot. For my money, the greatest improvement to the XTi is the addition of the 30D’s autofocus array. More pixels, a bigger LCD, and dust reduction are welcome, but faster AF is the true benefit to the Rebel XTi, because you can get shots that you couldn’t with the XT. Now I can say that Canon’s flagship consumer camera has it where it counts: fast, accurate autofocus and the best imager you can get for the money. All the rest is gravy. The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi is a fine digital SLR, an excellent choice for anyone wanting to improve their photography. READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Nikon D2X Review Round-Up

Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: NIKON D2X SLR 12.4 Megapixel Digital Camera

Digital Photography Review

With the D2X Nikon has shifted to a CMOS sensor, there’s no doubting the amount of detail captured combined with Nikon’s image processing can produce stunning results. … The advantage of only using the ‘sweet spot’ area of the lens is clear, full size 35 mm sensors may have long been the dream of the digital photographer but they do place much bigger demands on the lens. The D2X is a camera which grew on me the more I used it, its instant response and solid build instill a level of confidence unavailable in lesser cameras. You know that every time you press the shutter release the camera will respond instantly and you’ll get the shot. As a photographic tool it’s as close to perfection as I could imagine, there’s really very little else you could want from a camera. The D2X, is exactly what we expect Nikon to produce, a solid robust high performance digital SLR with superb image quality, build quality and a confidence inspiring sense of presence. READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Canon EOS 5D Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

Built around a 12.8-megapixel (effective) CMOS sensor, covering the same area as a 35mm film frame, the Canon EOS 5D provides “full frame” digital SLR technology at a much more affordable price point than ever before. The Canon 5D will deliver incredible image quality when paired with excellent lenses, but will quickly expose every flaw in lower-grade glass. As you’d expect of a high-end digital SLR from Canon, the EOS 5D boasts a full range of photographic controls and custom functions. READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Canon EOS 50D Review Round-Up

If you own, or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

Canon’s EOS 50D sticks with the conservative pattern that the company has established for their semi-pro digital SLR in terms of physical design, but now it also includes most of Canon’s cutting-edge digital SLR technology. … The story, though, is in the Canon 50D’s standard ISO range. Images from ISO 100 to 3,200 are quite usable at a wide range of sizes. I was happy with printed ISO 800 shots up to 13×19, and shots even at 3,200 produce good quality 8×10-inch prints. That’s what Canon intermediate fans rely on: JPEG and RAW images that they can believe in, time after time. Excellent low-light performance, impressive printed output, very fast shutter lag times, solid build, superb customization, and excellent image quality all add up to make the Canon EOS 50D a great choice for all types of photographers. READ FULL REVIEW

(more…)

Workflow processes and data management

Anyone in this business for a while will have to contend with storage, archiving and workflow of digital images. The system I’ve been using for the past 10 years or so has evolved, and continues to do so. It’s based on invoice numbers. For the past four or so years I’ve been using blinkbid to generate invoices and estimates. I like this particular program because it’s simple and was written specifically for photographers. I know many photographers that use quickbooks, quicken or MS Money. Which business software to use is a decision that you should make individually or perhaps with help from your accountant. (more…)

Book Review: The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book

Every quarter I teach a one-day workshop on optimizing images using ::amazon(“B0018VH8S2”, “Lightroom”):: at the local art league, and in doing so I’m often asked for a good book recommendation on Lighroom, and my usual recommendation is Martin Evening’s book ::amazon(“0321555619″,”The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers”)::. In short, Evening’s book provides a well-written, comprehensive look at using Lightroom, and mostly lives up to its name well. (more…)