As I’ve said before, I’m an enormous fan of photographing in bad weather, stormy weather often creates dramatic conditions, and lightning can be an incredible element in such scenes-if you can capture it-lightning is incredibly difficult to capture, even more so to capture well. (more…)
Since I started The Travel Photographer blog, I’ve come across a lot of photographers’ web sites, and found some that are excellent; some are sort of good, while others are, frankly, just hideous.
We all know that the main objective of a website for most photographers is to promote themselves, to sell and expand the reach of their photography to new clients, and certainly to internationalize their work. However, too many photographers forget that simplicity is always best in creating websites. Whether photo editors or just casual viewers, simple websites with killer images are those that work. (more…)
Recently I had a disk drive failure, but I didn’t lose any data at all. In part that’s because that disk was “mirrored” to another disk using “RAID 1” or “mirroring”. In mirroring, software or hardware keeps two identical copies of a disk up-to-date as you go about your work, if one goes, you can replace the failed disk and (within a few hours) you can rebuild the mirror. It’s a good technology,and it allows you to continue to work when failure happens. Even so, I moved quickly to replace the disk and restore the mirror, despite having additional backups. (more…)
If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below. Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon: Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
The Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED DX is a professional grade lens and it certainly shows up regarding its exceptionally high build quality as well as very fast AF speed. Optically it is, without doubt, a very good lens but it has a few issues. The center performance is nothing short of stellar but the borders are a little worse than desirable at 24mm @ f/2.8 and at 55mm (for such a lens). The level of CAs, distortions as well as vignetting is quite typical for a lens in this class but then thing aren’t substantially better either. So all-in-all there may be a few question marks regarding the price/performance ratio of this lens. It simply lacks the greatness suggested by its price tag. READ FULL REVIEW
If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below. Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon: Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
The Nikkor AF-S 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED DX proved to be a very good performer. Its center resolution figures are exceptionally high and apart from 12mm @ f/4 the border quality is also impressive though a little less field curvature may be desirable at 12mm. CAs as well as the distortion characteristic are very good for an ultra-wide zoom lens wMOREas vignetting is about average due to the reduced APS-C image circle. The build quality is, in principal, very fine but you would usually expect a little more from a lens in this price class. The primary competitor is probably the Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X Pro – a lens which is just as sharp but with a higher degree of CAs and worse flare in contra light – all at less than half the costs and combined with a better build quality. Costs aside it’s a close race between the two with a slight edge for the Nikkor regarding optical quality. When taking the very different price tags in account the decision may be a little more complicated. READ FULL REVIEW
If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below. Get more information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Regarding some glowing reviews available on the web the expectation were rather high. Unfortunately the (tested sample of the) Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR II DX wasn’t able to convince completely. Weak points are rather hefty distortions and high vignetting (@ f/3.5) at 18mm. Apart from a few weak spots the resolution figures are quite good though and it is possible to get very decent images from this lens under field conditions. The VR can surely help to save the day in situations where similar zooms must fail utterly The build quality is a little soso for a lens in this price class and probably the biggest disappointment. All in all the Nikkor is a highly interesting lens but not without flaws (hardly surprising for a 11x zoom). … READ FULL REVIEW
If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below. Get more information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Nikon 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
The Micro-Nikkor AF 105mm f/2.8 D may be a relatively old lens but it is still capable to deliver excellent results. Optically it is a near-flawless lens with high resolution figures, low vignetting, low CAs and non-existent distortions. The mechanical quality is very high but it also feels a little dated here with its independent AF-MF switch. Typical for most macro lenses it also suffers from a relatively slow AF speed. The new Micro-Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8 ED VR has been improved in both respects (with VR on top) and regarding its similar price tag there’re probably few reasons left to prefer the classic lens. Nonetheless it is still a very fine lens. READ FULL REVIEW
If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.
Shutterbug
Picking up a Nikon 300mm f/2.8 for the first time was certainly a humbling experience. This lens was not only large in physical size, it was heavy! Considering the larger 500mm and 600mm super telephotos have only one more lens element in roughly half again the overall length surely indicates this 300mm f/2.8 is one optically packed powerhouse. Would I recommend this new “II” for someone looking for a 300mm f/2.8 high-performance lens? Absolutely, and without reservations. READ FULL REVIEW
If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.
Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM IS is a very good lens but not a stellar one. The resolution characteristic is excellent at 70mm and 135mm but at 200mm it disappoints – more so regarding its price tag. The results are still very good here (just at f/2.8) but when putting things into perspective (e.g. vs the superb EF 70-200mm f/4 USM L IS) the delivered quality is not overly impressive. Based on the performance at 200mm the potential with tele converters seems “limited”. Lateral chromatic aberrations (CAs) are relatively well controlled but, again, inferior to the in-house competition (inc. its predecessor). Distortions are nothing to worry about as is vignetting. The build quality of the lens is superb and the IS as well as the very fast AF makes it a joy to use. If only it was better at 200mm. READ FULL REVIEW
I frequently get questions from folks looking to pursue a career in fine art nature photography, as with many forms of art, there are many who would love to pursue it, but few who do. While the primary reason for this is financial, another part of the barrier is simple fear. It is to this audience, the beginning or mid-career photographer (or other artist), that Bayles and Orland’s famous tiny ::amazon(“0961454733″,”Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils and Rewards of Artmaking”):: is addressed. While many books attempt to cover the particulars of pricing, of stock photography, of sales technique, few cover the inner hurdles real-world artists face in embarking on art as a career, and none do it so well as Art & Fear. (more…)