pixelPERFEXION™
pixelPERFEXION.net
Site contents ©2019 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • News/Views
  • About
  • Contact

Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro Lens Review

4/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Posted Apr 4, 2016 on www.shutterbug.com.

I’ve always preferred longer focal-length macro lenses in the 90-100mm range because they give you more breathing room between the camera and skittish subjects than do standard (50/60mm) macros. No wonder, then, that one of my earliest lenses ​was the original Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 macro, which I first 
paired with a Minolta SR-T 102. I burned plenty of Kodachrome with that glass.
​​
​That 90mm macro lens focused to half life-size (1:2 reproduction ratio) but required an adapter—a multi-element extension tube in this case—to go to life-size (1:1). What’s more, the Vivitar lacked internal focusing, so as you focused closer, the lens barrel extended out awkwardly.
Many newer macro lenses thankfully offer internal focusing, making them easier to handle. Case in point, the Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 VC macro model F004 and the brand–new F017 90mm macro.
When the new Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro (Model F017) arrived, I was really eager to see the what this updated model brings to the table. The new lens is currently available for Canon and Nikon, with the Sony Alpha mount on pre-order at retailers.  READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
0 Comments

Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Review

1/31/2016

0 Comments

 
By Jack Neubart • Posted on www.shutterbug.com Jan 6, 2016
Picture
Call them what you will – ultra-wides or super-wides – I love ‘em. By covering a breathtaking expanse, these types of extreme wide-angle lenses are not only capable of capturing most landscapes, they also help sweep you into that landscape, making you feel a part of the scene in the process.

Of course, not every ultra-wide shot has to be expansive. Sometimes we just want to capture the full scope of a structure or geologic form or even a tree without having to step back more and more until we find ourselves on the edge of a precipice—or standing in the middle of traffic. And of course there’s always that in-your-face forced perspective that lends a dramatic flair to any subject photographed close up with these lenses.

Normally, I’d say, go with an ultra-wide zoom. But zooms, even at f/2.8, can be considered slow when we’re shooting at dawn or dusk, and especially after nightfall or in a dimly lit interior, without cranking ISO all the way up. What about using a tripod? I often prefer to leave my tripod at home, opting instead to shoot with the camera handheld. This way I’m free to move about, without worrying about the attached tripod bumping into people on a crowded street, or catching it in brambles or scraping against rock along the side of a trail, or having to take everything apart and set it up from scratch each time the tripod is needed.

Enter the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art lens. This lens, which Sigma is calling "the world's first" 20mm f/1.4 lens for full frame digital SLRs, is eminently suited to handheld photography. That said, it would work just as nicely seated on your favorite pod. In fact, it has one advantage for tripod users. You know how you always forget to disengage the image-stabilization (IS) mechanism on a lens equipped with this tech when the camera is on a tripod? Well, I always do. (That can result in blurred shots.) This lens does not feature IS, or OS (optical stabilizer) in Sigma parlance, so no worries. Now, is that entirely a good thing? Let’s find out.
​
Read the full review here, at shutterbug.com.


0 Comments

Affinity Photo Software Review: Has Photoshop Met Its Match?

8/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Posted 7/22/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

I’ve worked with Adobe Photoshop since it was first introduced. While it wasn’t my favorite image editing software initially, Photoshop grew on me as its capabilities grew, and it has become my go-to editor outside Lightroom.

In fact, Photoshop has led the field among image editors for as long as I can remember. It’s a robust package with an array of tools that far surpasses what many of us would normally use—although, granted, it’s nice to know they’re there when needed. And no pro photographer I know would consider abandoning Photoshop in favor of a fledgling software application. Not just yet, anyway.

However, for the many photo enthusiasts who have yet to dabble in Photoshop or who find it too unwieldy or intimidating, or downright too expensive, something new is always an enticement. This is especially true in light of Adobe’s recent and controversial subscription-based Creative Cloud service, which many photographers balk at. Even some pros I know prefer to stick with the tried-and-true, standard desktop versions to the Cloud-based subscription versions.

Well, Affinity Photo from Serif Labs is here to address the naysayers among us. First of all, it’s available at a one-time price, and a very inviting one at that: for $49.99, you get not only the software, but also all future updates and releases. Affinity Photo is available from the Mac App Store—currently (and likely for the foreseeable future) Mac OS X only, 10.7 or later, 64-bit processor—courtesy of Serif Labs. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
Picture
DEVELOP PERSONA. Open a Raw file and you’re immediately taken to this module, where you’ll find all the classic Raw processing tools. In this image, I used the WB picker icon (on the far left, looks like Saturn) to read white balance, and the app responded nicely. I then corrected converging verticals in the Lens panel, added a grid, and engaged cropping. It would have been nice if I’d had the option for automatic cropping (they’re considering it). ©Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
0 Comments

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Software Review

8/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Posted 7/7/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

Lightroom has always been available as retail standalone software that you buy, install, update, and pay to upgrade when applicable. Well, that has changed, in part, thanks to the Adobe Creative Cloud, which unleashed a torrent of cloud-integrated apps, among them Lightroom CC.

I wasn’t convinced of the necessity to dive into the cloud when Photoshop CC was first introduced, choosing instead to remain firmly grounded with CS6. But things took a turn that would force my hand when Adobe chose to no longer support Lightroom 5 with updates. When testing new cameras and lenses, I found myself resorting to Photoshop CS6 so I’d have access to the latest Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). I was at a crossroads. Creative Cloud, show me what you’ve got. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
Picture
Vertical panorama created in Lightroom CC. Original images shot with Samsung NX500, in Hawaii.
0 Comments

Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR First Look Review

8/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Posted 5/28/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

Shutterbug was fortunate enough to secure a loan of a pre-production version of the much-anticipated EOS 5DS R DSLR for testing and we were off and running with it as soon as it arrived. You’ve no doubt read our earlier report about this camera and its nearly identical twin the 5DS, each boasting a whopping 50.6MP full-frame sensor, which makes them the world’s highest resolution full-frame DSLRs

And undoubtedly your mouth started watering.

Face it, everyone is always clambering to buy the latest and the greatest, but you should also ask yourself, what will I use it for and what will it add to my photography? And perhaps the bigger question, is it time to switch (or switch back) to Canon?

Ever since medium format digital cameras and backs have been hitting us with pixel counts in the stratosphere, the DSLR world has been scrambling to catch up. But those medium-format backs have a purpose: they meet client needs, usually high-end advertising. And it’s not only the high resolution, which sits on a larger sensor, no less. These larger cameras also offer 16-bit color depth, in contrast to the 14-bit capture typically available to our higher-end 35mm style cameras.  But there are many more applications that are not as demanding or that require high mobility, and that is where a 50MP DSLR will find its niche. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.


Picture
0 Comments

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens Review

8/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Posted 5/20/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

There was a time when I’d avoid a zoom lens as much as I’d avoid a swarm of midges. But in the digital age, the zoom lens has taken on new purpose, at least for me. Midges, however, are still a pest that is best avoided—especially when you’re changing lenses. And if you’re out in a marsh shooting spectacular scenic views, the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens gives you the needed range of focal lengths so you can reign supreme over any landscape, as you avoid changing lenses while sidestepping concern that those midges will infiltrate your camera. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.

Picture
0 Comments

Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Lens Review

8/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Posted 5/13/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

I thought that Tamron had outdone itself first with its 70-300mm lens and then with the 24-70mm f/2.8  and 90mm f/2.8 Macro lenses: all bearing the SP (super performance), VC (vibration compensation), Di (digitally integrated primarily for full-frame sensors), and USD (ultrasonic silent drive) monikers. There are of course other noteworthy lenses in the lineup, but these are the ones I tested for Shutterbug. Now comes the impressive Tamron SP15-30mm f/2.8 Di FC USD, which the company first previewed way back at photokina 2014. With this lens Tamron has created a near-flawless masterpiece in optics that simply blew me away!

I tested this full-frame Tamron SP15-30mm f/2.8 lens on a Nikon D610, with Picture Control set to Standard (default settings). Raw images were processed first in Adobe Lightroom and, because Lightroom 5 doesn’t yet directly support this lens with a specific profile, I post-processed the files in Adobe Photoshop, which does offer a profile for this glass. Processing was carried out with sharpness at the default settings in each application. (Note: Lightroom CC now supports this lens.) READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.

Picture
0 Comments

Nikon Coolpix P900 Superzoom Camera Review 

8/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Posted 5/11/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

I’ve often wished I had a camera that could go from 24mm to 2000mm at the touch of a button and without being weighed down by a ton of glass. Okay, maybe not all the way to 2000mm and perhaps not in a power zoom, but you get my point. The Nikon Coolpix P900 superzoom (super-duper-zoom?) camera gives you that reach in a fairly compact body, relative to a lens with such a broad range of focal lengths.

And the Nikon P900 does so in a camera build that looks and feels like a lightweight DSLR, more or less. This combination is what initially enticed me to take a closer look at this new Cooplix model from Nikon. But are the Nikon P900’s eye-popping zoom specs just glitz or is there a substantial picture-taking machine underneath this façade? READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
0 Comments

First Look Review: Testing the Samsung NX500 Mirrorless Camera in Hawaii

8/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Posted 4/1/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

If you’re going to test a new camera, I can think of few places better suited than the Big Island of Hawaii. And that’s precisely what I, and a number of my colleagues in the photo press, had a chance to do recently with the new 28-megapixel Samsung NX500 camera. We put Samsung’s newest mirrorless compact system camera (CSC) through its paces in diverse settings on the island, each designed to challenge the NX500 and ourselves. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
Picture
Humpback Whale breaching (Samsung NX500 w/50-150mm S-series lens). Inset shows uncropped image.
0 Comments

Nikon D5500 DSLR Review

8/7/2015

0 Comments

 
Posted 4/15/2015 on www.shutterbug.com.

The first question I’d ask of any camera is this: Is this camera a good fit for me—for my hand, for my style of shooting, for what I want to shoot?

I’ve been looking for a compact interchangeable-lens camera that I could easily carry around when I didn’t need my full-bodied Nikon D610. Yet, I don’t want to compromise image quality or the versatility that my D610 system affords me. So the obvious choices are a mirrorless compact system camera or just a smaller DSLR.

With mirrorless, I’d have to invest in a whole new system. And with DSLRs, well, we have the same cost involvement—unless I remain faithful to the Nikon system. Which led me to the Nikon D5500 compact DSLR. This camera features an articulated touch screen for Live View movie shooting and still captures, along with a typical optical viewfinder for the bulk of my still photography—I like optical finders.

And with its 24MP, albeit APS-C  (cropped), CMOS sensor, I have the real estate to crop or print large. Moreover, the D5500 lacks an optical low-pass filter, which is a step toward capturing sharper images, a feature found in much more expensive cameras, such as the D810, as well as the new D7200. And the D5500 has the grit to tackle low light levels with its top ISO of 25,600. What’s more, wireless enthusiasts will welcome the built-in Wi-Fi, and video lovers will appreciate its full HD capture. And all this and more is driven by the EXPEED 4 image-processing engine.

Still, that’s all well and good, but would the D5500 allow me to effectively respond to my subject and would it impinge on my shooting style? READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
Picture
0 Comments

First Look Review: Nikon’s 36.3MP D810 Full-Frame Pro DSLR

8/1/2015

0 Comments

 
PicturePhoto courtesy Nikon Inc.
Posted 9/14/2014 on www.shutterbug.com.

(Editor’s Note: Shutterbug contributor Jack Neubart has been testing the new Nikon D810 pro digital SLR. Here’s his hands-on “first look” at the camera. His full review of the D810 will appear in an upcoming issue of Shutterbug magazine.)

I became a Nikon convert back when the D300 was first introduced in 2007. I appreciated the camera’s handling, but mostly they got me with the Creative Lighting System, or CLS. Specifically, on the D300 it was the fully integrated wireless Commander mode via the built-in flash that grabbed my attention.

But I wasn’t entirely happy in the APS-C sensor realm. I wanted a full-frame DSLR and the affordable D600 made that possible. With it’s built-in flash, the D600 let me continue to enjoy wireless flash photography sans peripherals, other than an SB-900 Speedlight.

The new 36.3-megapixel Nikon D810 ($3,296) full-frame pro DSLR builds on that, sporting its own pop-up flash. I even built up my arsenal of FX-compatible lenses. I was largely done with having to extrapolate focal lengths and handholdable shutter speeds around a cropped sensor.

More importantly, with the full-frame sensor, especially the one in the D810, I have the real estate to crop and still have plenty of image to play with. That’s especially relevant when correcting perspective in architectural shots in Lightroom. With the D810’s 36.3 million pixels occupying a CMOS sensor measuring 35.9 x 24mm (FX-format), you can take in the entire structure with plenty of room to spare to fully correct for converging verticals without fear of chopping off vital structural elements, such as the top of a bell tower. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.

Picture
0 Comments

Metz Mecablitz 64 AF-1 Flash Review

12/20/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
A DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS. I photographed this male white-tail deer with a Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-300mm zoom, shooting handheld at 300mm with VC engaged. Direct on-camera flash resulted in a red-eye-like effect in the eyes. That aside, the flash brings out considerable detail that’s lacking in exposures made by available light. In Lightroom, I edited the image in Nik Silver Efex Pro, filtering out cyan in the eyes to lessen the “red-eye” effect. (ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/125.) ©Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Posted 12/19/2014 on www.shutterbug.com.
Shoe-mounted flashes are handy tools. Where space or weight is a concern, a kit with two or three shoe-mounted flashes is much easier to carry than even the smallest power pack/head combo or a low-output monolight, and more versatile.

Case in point, on two separate photography assignments I employed no more than two shoe-mount strobes to light-paint the huge blue whale model exhibited at New York’s American Museum of Natural History (in collaboration with museum photo staff). In fact, there is an entire subculture among pros that favors shoe-mount strobes – aka “strobists” – over bulky and expensive studio lighting gear for location work and even in the studio.

The dedication to the shoe-mounted flash for other than run-and-gun photography is largely centered on finding portable lighting gear that will reliably deliver the kind of results we expect of larger strobes.

Among the “third party” shoe-mount strobes I’ve come to trust is the Metz brand. Reliable German engineering and a long-standing reputation reinforce that trust. And the company’s new flagship Mecablitz 64 AF-1 digital flash promises to keep that reputation intact. Metz also makes my favorite ring flash, the wireless and ultra-compact Mecablitz 15 MS-1, which also played a part in this review.

The Mecablitz 64 AF-1 retails for $449 and is available in versions for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, and Pentax cameras. I tested the Nikon version of the flash. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
0 Comments

Software Review: DxO OpticsPro 10 Elite By Jack Neubart

12/13/2014

0 Comments

 
Posted Dec. 12, 2014 on Shutterbug.com.

I’ve worked with DxO's OpticsPro imaging software for several years and have watched this program evolve and make great strides as a Raw image converter. What the new DxO Optics Pro 10 version of the software brings to the table is a cadre of new features and improvements. But are these enough to catapult this software into the top tier, or is it still playing catch-up? READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.



Picture
Read my online review at Shutterbug.com to see the original JPEG image and RAW/DNG before-and-after shots processed in DxO Optics Pro 10.
0 Comments

    Reviews

    TECHNICAL EDITOR
    Jack Neubart

     

    Archives

    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    13x19-inch Printers
    35mm-style Digital Cameras
    Acratech
    Adobe Software
    Austin
    Backpacks
    Ballheads
    Camera Backpacks
    Camera Bags
    Camera Cases
    Camera Holsters
    Camera Luggage
    Camera Supports
    Canon Cameras
    Canon Lenses
    Compact DSLRs
    Compact Photo Printer
    Compact System Cameras
    Desktop Printers
    Digital Projectors
    Digital Retouching
    Digital SLR
    DSLR
    Epson
    Exposure Control
    Fashionable Bags
    Fast Lenses
    Film Emulation
    Flash Photography
    Hawaii
    HDR Plug-in
    HDR Software
    HD SLR
    HD-SLR
    High-resolution DSLR
    Holster Bags
    Image-editing Software
    Image-stabilized Lenses
    Inkjet Printers
    L Bracket
    L-bracket
    Lens Cases
    Lenses
    Lens Pouches
    Leveling Base
    Long-lens Bags
    Macphun
    Macro
    Macro Flash
    Manfrotto
    Mega-zoom Digital Camera
    MindShift Gear
    Mirrorless Cameras
    Nikon Cameras
    Nikon Digital Cameras
    Nikon Mirrorless
    Nikon Pro Digital Cameras
    Nissin
    Nodal Rail
    Nodal Slide
    Olympus
    Outdoor Photography
    Panorama Head
    Panoramas
    Panoramic Photography
    Photo Accessories
    Photo Backpacks
    Photo Belts
    Photo Luggage
    Photo Rollers
    Plug-ins
    Point-and-shoot Zoom
    Portrait Retouching Software
    Printer
    Pro Cameras
    Pro Digital Cameras
    Radio Remote Flash
    Radio TTL Wireless Flash
    Rain Covers
    Rain Hoods
    RAW Conversion Software
    Review: Photo Accessories
    Review: Phottix Odin Radio Remote
    Review: PocketWizard ControlTL
    Review: Software
    Ring Flash
    Rolling Cases
    Samsung Cameras
    Shimoda Designs
    Shoe Mount Flash
    Shoulder Bags
    Shutterbug.com Review
    Shutterbug Magazine
    Sigma Lenses
    SKB Cases
    Sling Bag
    Sling Bags
    Sling Pack
    Snapshot Printer
    Software
    Software Effects
    Super Wide Lenses
    Super-wide Lenses
    Superzoom
    Tamron Lenses
    Telephoto Zooms
    Tenba
    Texas
    Think Tank Photo
    Tripod Heads
    Tripods: Carbon Fiber
    TTL Radio Wireless Flash
    TTL Wireless Flash
    Ultra Wide Lenses
    Ultra-wide Lenses
    Ultra-zoom Digital Camera
    Wide Format Printers
    Wireless Flash
    Zoom Lenses

    RSS Feed

    All products and services are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
    Use or mention of any product or service is not an endorsement - compensated or otherwise.
    However, manufacturers, distributors, vendors & services may provide products or services for use.

    Your purchase and/or use of any product or service tested, reviewed, listed or mentioned is solely at your discretion and you release us from any and all liability associated with such purchase and/or use.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.