The Photocrati Blog

Think Tank Rotation 360 Review Round-Up

At first glance, this new model doesn’t appear dramatically different from other full-size camera backpacks. When you take a closer look, though, it’s really quite amazing in the innovation it brings to bag design.

The basics: Think Tank’s Rotation360 ° is big enough to hold a fast 300mm f/2.8 supertele and a pro-class D-SLR, or two, in its upper compartment; a couple of compact lenses and a spare body fit comfortably in the lower compartment.

Need to haul more gear? Expand your storage space by adding a Think Tank “Modulus” (there are at least a dozen) either to the upper half’s side rails or to the waist belt’s rails. Another option: Haul a ton of lenses inside the bag, and attach two SLRs to the shoulder straps. …

Beautifully built, the Rotation360 ° also has a hidden tripod pocket, integrated rain covers, and tons of small details that impressed us. … About $290. READ FULL REVIEW AT POPPHOTO

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

Get information and user reviews for this bag from Amazon: Think Tank Rotation 360 °, Two Section Convertable Photo Backpack.

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Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6D AF Nikkor Review Round-Up

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

Photo Zone

The Nikkor AF 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 D IF was a popular lens during the film era but on APS-C DSLRs the focal length range isn’t all that attractive anymore. The performance of the lens is generally good with a high center resolution throughout the focal length range. Unfortunately the border quality is just so so at the extreme ends at large aperture settings. Apparently the contrast level is somewhat low at wide-open aperture so stopping down seems generally advisable. The distortion and vignetting characteristic is about average for a lens in this class. CAs are surprisingly low. Mechanically the lens feels generally fine but the rotating front element leaves something to be desired. The AF-S 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR felt more convincing during the local tests. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC AF Review Round-Up

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: Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC Aspherical Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC is an budget lens which comes with a couple of weaknesses but also surprising strengths. At 18mm the level of distortions and CAs is quite extreme. Vignetting is also an issue at 18mm and 50mm – the latter is quite unusual especially because it doesn’t really help much to stop down here. However, if you limit your aperture settings to f/5.6 and smaller the resolution figures are pretty impressive and comparable to much more pricey zooms out there. Regarding the extremely low price tag Sigma had to implement some compromises on the mechanical side like a rotating front element and a rotating focus ring in AF mode but other than that the build quality of this little lens is actually quite decent. Regarding its weaknesses the corresponding Nikkor AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED DX may be a better choice though. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G AF Nikkor Review Round-Up

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

Pop Photo

Remarkable lens at a low price. Even close focusing is good, but stop lens down to f/11 and beyond for superior corner sharpness at 80mm. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 5D Mark II Review Round-Up

Check out Jack Neubart’s recent review of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II on Photocrati.

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 Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

The Canon EOS-5D Mark II raises the standards of the entire EOS line, as it is the first EOS digital SLR camera to offer both still and video capture. That’s right, this high-end digital SLR can capture movies at 1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The Canon 5D Mark II is quite a camera, one that seems to trump the other two full-frame digital SLR cameras in this price range. Canon is making some very impressive claims about the EOS-5D Mark II, describing it to us as offering the highest image quality of any EOS digital SLR released to date, and noting that it offers noise levels significantly lower than those of the original 5D. Whether the Canon 5D Mark II’s high ISO performance will be as good as the 1Ds Mark III remains to be seen. So far, though, the Canon 5D Mark II has all that Canon needed to bring their consumer flagship camera back to the top of the heap. READ FULL REVIEW

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Think Tank Airport International Review Round-Up

A smaller version of the “domestic” Airport, Think Tank’s first bag, this roller meets international carry-on regulations and features TSA-approved locks on the main compartment. An integrated wrapped-steel cable lets you lock it to something nonremovable in a press room or hotel — or to a tree. The supplied dividers can be swapped out for the low divider kit, which leaves enough space for most laptops inside the locked main compartment.

A retractable handle, in-line wheels, and a subdued black-on-black design make the Airport International look much like a regular carry-on bag — but it’s all business for the frequent-flyer photographer. About $320. READ FULL REVIEW AT POPPHOTO

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

Get information and user reviews for this bag from Amazon: Think Tank Airport International 2.0, Medium Size Airline Carry On Photo Roller Luggage

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Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO Aspherical RF AF Review Round-Up

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: Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG Aspherical AF Zoom Telephoto Lens for Nikon AF

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO Aspherical RF is not a perfect lens nor can you expect that a budget lens reaches high end quality levels. Nonetheless it is capable to provide very decent results especially in the 135-300mm range. At 400mm @ f/5.6 the quality is quite soft but from f/8 and up the quality is very respectable. The distortion characteristic is almost perfect and vignetting isn’t really field relevant on an APS-C DSLR. CAs are a quite pronounced at 135mm but the overall level is still acceptable. Mechanically the lens leaves more to be desired. The quality of the used materials is fine but the friction of the zoom ring is way too high and the worst implementation that I’ve seen so far. There’s no such thing as a free lunch but admittedly the Sigma offers quite a bit of possibilities for your bucks. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor Review Round-Up

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 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor Zoom Lens

Ken Rockwell

This early AF lens was my favorite midrange zoom until the autofocus became sticky. I replaced it with the 24-85 AFS. I can’t be sure if it’s just the luck of sample-to-sample variation or a truth valid for all lenses, but this old lens for me and my F100 is much better than any of the newer and similar 24-120, 24-85 f/2.8-4, 28-70 f/3.5-4.5 or 28-105 lenses I have tried and reviewed. READ FULL REVIEW

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Lowepro Primus AW Review Round-Up

Lowepro is celebrating its 40th birthday with this bag, a weatherproof backpack that as far as we know is the first ever manufactured partially (51 percent) from post-consumer recycled material. Though eco-friendly, the Primus lives up to Lowepro’s high standards of performance and design innovation. Its eight-point adjustment system lets you customize the fit to your individual frame, while a smart reverse-opening system lessens the need to remove the bag and put it strap-side down to get to your gear. About $250. A full 51 percent of Lowepro’s eco-friendly Primus AW pack ($200, street) is made with post-consumer materials, without sacrificing comfort and functionality. Strap-side main compartment zippers add security and keep the dirt off your back. And Lowepro gives 10 percent of the proceeds to Polar Bears International, so you can make a statement with your bag, as well as your photos. READ FULL REVIEW AT POPPHOTO

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

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Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Add your own review or comments to this article. We welcome your views.

Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

The full-frame digital SLR megapixel race has a new champion: the 21.1-megapixel Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. Its new 36x24mm sensor records images that measure 5,632 x 3,750 pixels, with a pitch of 6.4 microns. Next to its higher resolution, the other significant feature in the 1Ds Mark III is its faster five frames per second. The 1Ds Mark III can shoot up to 56 large/fine JPEG images or 12 RAW images before the buffer fills. 1Ds is also built a little more rugged, the 1Ds will make Canon’s highest resolution digital SLR more accessible than the last offering. Though it’s still too big and heavy for most shooters, it’s much easier to use. READ FULL REVIEW

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