Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DiII LD Review
26 September, 2008
Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DiII LD Asp (IF) Macro Interchangeable Lens ReviewThe popularity of Superzooms continues and Tamron have thrown this enormous 13.8x optic into the mix. With a 20% increase in the long focal length capabilities than your average superzoom, we take a look at how the Tamron 18-250mm performs.
An 18-250mm is an incredible range, taking the SLR superzoom, into new territory. This extremely versatile range will give you coverage for almost all subjects apart from the real extremes. But how does it perform? We are about to find out.
Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Build and Handling
From the wide-angle end, the front element extends almost 80mm on a double trombone to reach the longest focal length but the front element does not rotate during the process, which is smooth in operation. The extension does not show too much play but enables a compact build that is surprisingly small for it’s capabilities. The move in focal length is achieved by a well torqued and wide zoom ring sporting a decently ribbed gripping surface and manual focus is controlled by a much narrower ring forward of the main zoom ring. The AF does need turning off to be over-ridden but the lens was accurate in the Autofocus mode with little hunting on most subjects.The autofocus is relatively quiet and reacts quickly enough for the type of lens, producing a slight low pitched whine and keeping up with slow flying birds, although it may struggle somewhat with fast moving sports or action.
The overall quality and feel of the lens is certainly an improvement on what we have come to expect from Tamron, who seem to be moving away from that plasticy look without loosing their identity.
Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Optical Quality
Tamron are certainly pushing hard at the optical boundaries with a near enough 14x zoom ratio but under the circumstances have done surprisingly well! Yes, there are compromises in the lens, but they have been well controlled during the optic’s optimisation. Resolution is better at the wide end of the range with good levels and doesn’t drop off to the extent that we have seen with some other lenses in the class, keeping to respectable figures at the long end despite the extra range. Conversely, chromatic aberration is at a peak at the short end when the aperture is wide open but, even here, just manages to stay inside acceptable parameters. The phenomenon reduces as the focal length extends, but never to the negligible extent and it would become a visible concern if you were trying to produce prints at A3 or above.
Distortion though does become the place where the extreme capabilities do show up and although the -1.4% barrel is not really noticeable at the longest focal length, the increase to –6% barrel at the wide end does mean that it becomes a problem if many straight lines are included in the image. Fortunately this is one of the easier anomalies to correct in post processing.
Despite this, the lens produces crisp images that show good colour rendition and decent contrast. Good technique is required though, as 250mm is getting on the long side for hand holding and lugging around a tripod somewhat defeats the idea of a lightweight lens for all occasions. At those lengths, the f/6.3 widest aperture needs decent light or higher ISO’s to achieve the shutter speeds required to get sharp images consistently.
Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Verdict
As an extra long do-it-all lens this optic has a lot going for it, including decent close focus ability. The advantages of a single lens doing all have the plus points of keeping dust on sensors down as well as the weight saving over multi-lens kits and you still get the better image quality given by an SLR. Travellers will like it too.
More Tamron lenses visit http://astore.amazon.com/tamron.lenses.for.nikon.-20/
Labels: Digital camera, DSLR Camera, Tamron Lens for Nikon
posted by admin @ 15:15,
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Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR Review
24 September, 2008
15.1 megapixels, a 6.3 frames per second burst rate, a high-resolution LCD screen, and Digic 4 processing top the list of improvements on a new top-of-the-line APS-C EOS SLR.
While Nikon and Sony have been swinging for the fences with full-frame pro-level SLRs, Canon just seems to be swinging for a solid hit with its new mid-level DSLR, the EOS 50D.An upgrade of the 40D, this DSLR lands in early October with a body-only price of $1,399. Though Canon insists it doesn’t replace the 40D (which now drops to $1,099 street), the 50D has enough new imaging firepower to trim the 40D’s long-term prospects.
The chassis and body are familiar, but the 50D packs a new 15.1-megapixel APS-C format CMOS sensor (1.6x 35mm lens factor) as well as a next-generation Digic 4 processor and 14-bit A/D conversion.The implications are many. For starters, a w-i-d-e standard ISO range of 100 to 3200, along with expansion modes of ISO 6400 and 12,800. And, says Canon, despite the increase in megapixels, you can crank up the ISO and get less noise than you would with a 40D at a lower setting.
The large files don’t hinder the burst rate, either. Try 6.3 frames per second at up to 90 Large Fine JPEGs or 16 RAW files if you slip today’s fastest UDMA card into the CF slot. As faster cards come, expect this number to rise.
Shoot RAW? You’ll like new settings that let you choose from a large, medium, or small RAW file, expanding on the sRAW concept available in some current Canon models. And never fear, you can still set any of these for simultaeous RAW+JPEG capture.
Other new whiz-bang includes vignetting correction. Picked up from Canon’s Digital Photo Pro software, it uses an in-camera database to correct for aberrations in various Canon lenses.Fluorine coatings on the low-pass filter and the 3-inch, 920,000-dot LCD mean less dust on the sensor and fewer smudges on the display, says Canon. Want an even bigger view of your photos? Plug a high-def TV into the mini-HDMI port.
While much of the 50D is pro-caliber, there’s a lot for the move-up amateur, too. For instance, face detection in the live view. And the new “Creative Auto” setting that’s a cross between full Automatic and Program. It’s smart, but it lets you make exposure, ISO, white-balance, and other decisions with easy-to-grasp on-screen slider controls and explanations.
The 50D will be packaged with a 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 EF IS lens that boosts the base price by just $200. But for more range, consider the new $699 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 EF IS lens that debuted with the camera. It isn’t offered in a kit (yet), but say Canonites, it promises sharpness far above typical kit glass.
Stay tuned to PopPhoto.com for our full tests of the new camera and lens. But in the meantime, there’s no doubt that Canon has swung and connected.
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
•15.1MP CMOS sensor
•Up to ISO 12,800 (really!)
•6.3-fps burst
•In-camera vignetting fix
CONSIDER THIS IF…
•You shoot sports (love that burst rate), are a RAW fan (and who isn’t these days?), or you’ve merely decided to get serious without the bulk of a full-frame DSLR.
More Canon DSLR Camera at Canon Online Store
Reviewed by: John Owens (
Organic mattress
Labels: Canon 50D, Canon Camera, DSLR Camera
posted by admin @ 09:39,
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Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Full Review
21 September, 2008
The 6 Megapixel Nikon D40 is targeted for those who want a relatively compact and light camera yet having most of the important SLR features. The D40 is priced reasonably (cheaper than D50/D80 and Canon Rebel XTi). In my opinion, if you are still considering whether to get a point and shoot camera or a DSLR, the D40 will be a better choice than any point and shoot camera, by far, even those with 8MP or 10MP. But if you are already deciding to get a DSLR or you want more control of the picture taking experience, then I would recommend you to also test the D50 and/or D80 first before deciding to buy the D40. I want you to make sure that you know what you will get (and not get) with the D40. Don’t get me wrong though, the D40 is an awesome camera, and I don’t think you will regret buying one. There are some limitation with the D40 which shouldn’t bother most people, for example, the D40 doesn’t have dedicated button to change picture quality, white balance or ISO settings (which generally only professional/enthusiast will care). Once you understand (and accept) its limitation, the D40 is a potent and exciting photography machine.Just like all its (DSLR) siblings, the D40 powers on instantly and take pictures with almost no shutter lag which are the major advantages of a DSLR over a point and shoot camera. In addition to the P,S,A,M mode, the picture quality of the auto settings (auto, child mode, landscape etc) are also very good. With 2.5 frames per second you can capture movement progress in sports like football, basketball, baseball etc. Also great to photograph your family or child (child mode). The D40 is a great all around camera.Some notable new features:
1. Auto (no flash) mode. Without this mode the flash will pop-up (on all other pre-programmed mode) even when you don’t want to use flash (which can be annoying). The internal flash will not pop up automatically with the P,S,A,M settings.2. In camera editing capability such as black and white, sepia and some filter effects etc. While sounds gimmicky, these features are useful especially for those who doesn’t have Adobe Photoshop (or other image editing software).
To date, D40 is the smallest and lightest among all the Nikon DSLR (even smaller than the Canon Rebel XT/XTi, however the D40 is more ergonomics). I believe that choosing a camera that fits comfortably with your hands is important. Therefore, I recommend people to test the camera before buying (even if you want to buy online, please do go to a physical store and test the camera first whenever possible).
The D40 has only 3 (horizontal) autofocus point (5 for D50 and 11 for D80). If you know “The Rule of Thirds”, the additional AF points above and below the center focus point (available in D50 and D80) are handy to help create the horizontal third line. However, the 3 horizontal AF point in D40 is still helpful to create the vertical third line. Also one can focus with the middle AF point and after the focus is lock then move the frame upwards/downwards to create the horizontal third line. Just make sure the exposure level is still accurate when you move the frame after you lock the focus.About the 18-55mm II AF-S kit lens: A good lens producing sharp photos (though not a very fast lens). Also decent for close-up/macro photography. Lens uses internal focus technology and focusing operation is silent. A very decent kit lens.
Lens compatibility: Notice that with D40, autofocus function will not work for non AF-S/AF-I lens. If you already have non AF-S/AF-I Nikon lenses and want a backup or replacement camera, you will be better off buying D50, D70s or D80. If you buy the D40, it will be convenient to stick with AF-S and AF-I type lenses. I’m not sure why Nikon choose this route for the D40 (whether to enable smaller size camera or from now on Nikon will only make AF-S lens compatible camera). There are a lot of good Nikon AF-S lenses (price range added: low, medium, high) that are fully compatible with the D40 such as:
Lens compatibility: Notice that with D40, autofocus function will not work for non AF-S/AF-I lens. If you already have non AF-S/AF-I Nikon lenses and want a backup or replacement camera, you will be better off buying D50, D70s or D80. If you buy the D40, it will be convenient to stick with AF-S and AF-I type lenses. I’m not sure why Nikon choose this route for the D40 (whether to enable smaller size camera or from now on Nikon will only make AF-S lens compatible camera). There are a lot of good Nikon AF-S lenses (price range added: low, medium, high) that are fully compatible with the D40 such as:
- Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S DX VR (M)
- Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR (L)
- Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR (M)
- Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF AF-S DX (M)
- Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S (H)
- Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX (H)
- Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S (H)
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR (H)
- Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro (M)
- And several other expensive prime tele/zoom lens like 200-400mm, 300m, 400mm, 500mm, 600mm.
High priced lens ($1000+) are usually pro level lens which usually have better construction, faster (f-stop), and produce better quality picture. However, often times, lower price lens will serve your needs just fine. I think it is important to know what you want to use the camera for before deciding which camera and lens to buy.
Image quality of the D40 is very good which is #1 factor that I look for in a digital camera.
Here are the pros and cons of the D40 in my opinion:
Here are the pros and cons of the D40 in my opinion:
Pros:
1. Nice out of the camera result picture quality
2. Affordable price
3. Compact size and light weight
4. Large and bright 2.5 inch LCD
5. 2.5 frames per second
6. B/W, Sepia, several more in-camera editing features.
7. Instant power on, fast autofocus and no shutter lag
8. Noise is acceptable at high ISO settings. Auto ISO settings available.
9. Great 18-55mm II AF-S kit lens.
10. Great battery life (400+ on a single charge. 1000+ if flash is not used).
11. Auto (flash off) mode available
12. 1/500 flash sync
Cons:
1. No direct button to change QUAL, WB and ISO settings
2. Grip comfortably but might be a bit too small for some people
3. No top LCD and no front command dial
4. Autofocus will not work with non AF-S or non AF-I lenses (such as the 70-300m G and 50mm f/1.8D lens)
5. No AF/MF switch (have to use the switch on the lens)
6. Only 3 autofocus point
7. 6 Megapixel (More Megapixel needed to print larger than 12 X 18 at 300 dpi)
8. No night landscape mode in pre-programmed settings
9. No in camera image stabilization (like Sony and Pentax) but Nikon has lenses with it (VR).
10. No depth-of-field preview button
In conclusion, the D40 is perfect for those who want high quality pictures, more control (than a point and shoot camera), and have a DSLR experience (instant power on and no shutter lag), without having to carry a bulky camera. And unless you are shooting sports/actions professionaly (which faster focusing processor, faster frames per second and larger memory buffer might be needed), the D40 is pretty much all you will need.
Labels: Amazon Products, DSLR Camera, Nikon, Nikon D40
posted by admin @ 11:29,
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