Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

Nikon DSLR and Lens Rebates Expiring Soon

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Nikon Rebates

Nikon’s Instant Rebates for select DSLR and lens combos is set to expire on May 1 (that’s next Saturday) May 29 (updated).  You can get some significant savings (up to $400) on these combos by taking advantage of the Instant Rebates.  One of the best things about the new Instant Rebate approach that Nikon and other camera manufacturers are taking is that there are no forms to mail in and wait 6-8 weeks for your check to show up in the mail.

Here’s the list of deals: [Read more…]

Carl Zeiss Lightweight Zoom LWZ.2 for APS-C Sensor HDSLRs

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Carl Zeiss Lightweight Zoom LWZ.2

Carl Zeiss has unveiled new Lightweight Zoom designed for PL cine cameras and HDSLRs with APS-C format sensors like the Canon 7D, Rebel T2i, Nikon D300s and D90.  While the press release from Zeiss does not provide a zoom range, it appears to be the same as the former LWZ-1 lens at 15.5-45mm.  The LWZ.2 comes with interchangeable mounts in PL, EF and F-mount flavors, which allows a triple purpose for those working with different cameras on a project or across projects.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Gura Gear Camera Bags

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Wildlife photographer, Andy Biggs, has launched a new camera bag line called Gura Gear.  Biggs designed the first bag in the line, the Kiboko, to his specifications based on his needs in the field.  The Kiboko weighs 4 pounds and is made from high-tech Dimension Polyant VX-21,which is a waterproof material used on sailboats. The Kiboko is fully customizable with extra dividers and a removable rain cover. It accommodates up to 500mm and 600mm lenses (both at the same time).

More on the new Gura Gear line in the press release below. [Read more…]

Finding the Sweet Spot

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The following post is by Ontario-based photographer, Steve Richardson, who explains how to find the “sweet spot” of your lenses. Learn more about Steve at the end of this post.

First let me say a special thanks for Eric Reagan for the opportunity to share with the Photography Bay community!

The focus (no pun intended!) of this article is how to find the “sweet spot” of a lens. The sweet spot refers to the aperture setting of a given lens that yields the best overall sharpness from the center to the edges. Most good quality lenses will give you good sharpness at the center regardless of what aperture you use, but for the best edge-to-edge sharpness we need to dig a little deeper. [Read more…]

Tamron Announces 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD Lens

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Tamron 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD

Tamron has announced the development of a new 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD for Nikon, Canon and Sony mounts. The new lens is the first from Tamron to incorporate Ultrasonic Silent Drive AF motor for faster autofocus.  Additionally, the lens will include Tamron’s Vibration Compensation (except for Sony mount) to reduce shake-induced blur in images.

Tamron will release the Nikon mount version first, and then follow on with Canon and Sony versions.  Tamron has not announced a price for the lens at this time; however, it matches up squarely against the Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4-5.6 VR and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, both of which are in the $500 range.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Samsung TL500 Reviews and Resources

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Samsung TL500

The Samsung TL500 (aka EX1) is a 10MP point and shoot camera with a 1/1.7-inch CCD image sensor, a 3x zoom f/1.8 lens and a 3-inch AMOLED swivel display.  The TL500 supports RAW file capture and offers optical image stabilization.

Samsung TL500

The Samsung TL500 should be available in Spring 2010 at an initial retail price of $449.99.

Samsung TL500 Availability

B&H Photo

Amazon.com

Adorama

Photography Bay Resources

Samsung TL500 Hands-On Review

Samsung TL500 Reviews

DP Review

Cnet Asia

[Read more…]

An Open Letter to Nikon re: the 50mm f/1.8 Lens

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Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Lens

Dear Nikon,

I think you are doing a great job with your cameras, lenses and accessories.  The entry-level series that started with the smaller form-factor Nikon D40 through the current D3000 and D5000 has been a real hit.  The D40 is a fantastic little camera that you have continued to build upon over the past several models in this line.  The D5000 is now one of the best bang-for-your-buck DSLR cameras on the market.

I understand that you needed to pull the AF motor out of these camera bodies in order to make them smaller.  I totally get that.  I will also say that you have done a good job with your lens selection since the D40 was introduced.  There are so many great AF-S lenses available now and you seem committed to continuing this trend.  To that end, kudos to you.

That said, we are all missing one crucial AF-S lens that is not in your lineup at this time – an AF-S 50mm f/1.8 lens. [Read more…]

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 and 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 Lenses

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Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 and 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 Lenses

Along with the E-PL1, Olympus has announced two new lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system – the 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 and 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 lenses.  With the 2x crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds system, these lenses are the equivalent of an 18-36mm and a 28-300mm lens, respectively, on a full frame camera.

The Olympus 9-18mm f/4-5.6 lens should be available in May 2010 at an initial retail price of $699.99.  Check availability on Amazon.com.

The Olympus 14-150mm f/4-5.6 lens should be available in June 2010 at an initial retail price of $599.99.  Check availability on Amazon.com.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]