Copyright 2008 DIGLLOYD INC. 360 Diglloyd.com blog: expert advice on digital photography issues http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/blog.html en-us human-generated http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/images/logos/diglloyd72.gif http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/blog.html 114 70 diglloyd.com: Expert information for digital photographers My latest addition to DAP delves into the sharpness differences between the 21.1-megapixel Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III and 12.1-megapixel Nikon D3... 11 Oct 2008 23:16:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081011RealWorldSharpness Although I use tripods regularly (preferring the Gitzo GT 3540 XLS with the Arca Swiss C1 Cube Geared head), I greatly prefer handheld shooting for its creative freedom... 11 Oct 2008 21:05:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081011Handheld Following up on my Nikon D3/Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III noise evaluation on Oct 7, my latest addition to DAP delves into Canon's Highlight Tone Priority mode, which subdues the contrast of highlights... 10 Oct 2008 19:02:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081010HighlightTonePriority The tourists are gone, the high country amenities are shuttered (this keeps the tourists away, no coffee or junk food or gas). October is the time to see Yosemite National Park in its full autumn glory... 09 Oct 2008 17:30:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081009VisitYosemiteNow Life is precious and precarious. Why should a road-kill squirrel merit notice?... 09 Oct 2008 17:31:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081009LifeForce The Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED has been out of stock and hard to find. It’s in stock at B&H Photo as I write this for $1899. The PC-E 24/3.5D ED is reviewed in DAP and I also cover it in my July 10 blog entry... 08 Oct 2008 22:10:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081008Nikon24PC With Nikon's 12-megapixel D700 available for some time now (a lovely camera), and Canon's 21-megapixel 5D Mark II just around the corner (less lovely perhaps, but still lusted after), which should you buy?... 08 Oct 2008 22:05:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081008SameOld Readers have noticed a focus on diglloyd's Advanced Photography (DAP) lately. DAP already contains a large amount of content including The Sharpest Image and other past Pro Reviews. But because I’ve just launched DAP, I'm putting intensive effort into adding content, and in the short term this means less time available for preparing blog content. I'm aware of that drought... 07 Oct 2008 17:51:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081008BlogContent --> I commented on Canon 1DsM3 noise in my June June 14, 2008 blog entry. My latest addition to DAP delves into the noise behavior throughout the ISO range with the Nikon D3 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III... 07 Oct 2008 17:51:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081007Noise Following up on my review of the Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED, I’ve now published in DAP my review of the Nikon 35mm f/2.8 PC-Nikkor, along with a comparison on the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III against the Olympus Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 PC. Nikon D3 results are also included... 04 Oct 2008 18:51:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081004Nikon35PC Following up on my review of the Nikon PC-E Micro Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED, I've now published in DAP my review of the Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED.... 03 Oct 2008 23:34:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081003Nikon24PC To my Zeiss ZF Lenses review are added a revealing comparison of color uniformity across the frame between the Zeiss ZF 18/3.5 Distagon and the Nikon 14-24/2.8G zoom (Nikon D3) and Canon EF 16-35/2.8L II (EOS 1Ds Mark III). Also... 03 Oct 2008 12:15:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081003Zeiss18Distagon Now published in DAP (subscription required): my review of the Nikon PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED... 01 Oct 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081001Nikon45PC I've added some examples and commentary on how I like to process images in Nikon Capture NX 2 to my Nikon Capture NX 2 article. I've also added a preferred settings section... 01 Oct 2008 11:50:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081001NikonCaptureNX My review of the Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon is now complete, though I plan to add additional material for it and the other ZF lenses on a continuing basis, not to mention the ZF 21mm f/2.8 Distagon when it arrives on our shores... 01 Oct 2008 08:20:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-10-blog.html#_20081001Zeiss18Distagon It's rebate time again at SanDisk. Rebates are available on many sizes of Compact Flash and SDHC cards, and per-card rebates rise for buying more... 29 Sept 2008 17:20:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080929SanDisk DiskTester (hard drive performance and reliability testing) and diglloydTools (memory reliability testng) are now included free to diglloyd's Advanced Photography (DAP) subscribers... 26 Sept 2008 21:25:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080926Software Prices have dropped with the imminent arrival of 1.5GB models. While I prefer the NS version... 26 Sept 2008 21:25:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080926Seagate1TB I'm nuts about the buckeye and perhaps someday will document it fully... 25 Sept 2008 17:43:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080925CaliforniaBuckeye Photokina is well along, and no word from Nikon on the long-rumored leap from 12 to 24 megapixels in a D3x... 25 Sept 2008 17:44:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080925NikonD3x I've been writing about focus accuracy for some time now. No lens test is any good unless it’s checked and cross-checked, and it’s one reason that more and more I use field shots in judging lens performance... 24 Sept 2008 13:03:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080924FocusAccuracy In yesterday's entry, I called Canon’s 1Ds Mark III and 5D Mark II 'lukewarm' but didn’t explain what I meant... 24 Sept 2008 13:03:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080924Canon5DMarkII It's great to see Leica back in the game with the newly-announced 37.5 megapixel Leica S2, and a whole lens system to boot... 22 Sept 2008 21:01:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080922LeicaS2 Just added to DAP is coverage on the Olympus/Sinaron Digital Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 shift lens on the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III... 21 Sept 2008 12:50:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080921Oly35Shift Reader Jim N pointed me to the incredible Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC). Included are a wealth of historical images, many of which can be downloaded as high resolution TIF files... 21 Sept 2008 12:500 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080921Library Just added to DAP is a supplement to 28mm Shift Lenses, covering performance on full-frame cameras... 20 Sept 2008 20:55:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080920Shift28 Scared by what’s going on in Washington/Wall Street, with the printing presses running at capacity to avert a worldwide financial meltdown?.... 19 Sept 2008 22:51:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080919Fiat Part 3 of my review of the Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon is now online (ZF subscription required with or without DAP). Please see the revision history for details on what’s been added: comparisons with the Nikon 14-24/2.8 and Canon 16-35/2.8L II, bokeh, examples, vignetting on the Canon 1Ds Mark III and more.... 19 Sept 2008 22:12:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080919ZFLensReview There are many aspects to lens performance, some subtle, and some not so. One aspect is clearly evident in the image below (distortion)... 16 Sept 2008 21:31:00 EST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080916LensPerformance Some readers have asked about inclusion of the 18/3.5 Distagon in my Zeiss ZF Lenses review (it’s already there, about 2/3 complete). And the next question is what about the 21/2.8 Distagon.. 16 Sept 2008 12:01:00 EST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080916ZFLensReview Carl Zeiss has announced the 21mm f/2.8 Distagon in Nikon, Canon and Pentax mounts. It’s unclear how its pedigree relates to the Contax 21mm.. 16 Sept 2008 12:01:00 EST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080916Zeiss21 DigitalKamera.de reports on a new Zeiss ZF/ZE/ZK 21mm f/2.8 Distagon. Specifications include.. 15 Sept 2008 09:21:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080915Zeiss21 Carl Zeiss has announced that it is expanding its line of SLR lenses to Canon EF mount. The big plus for Canon users is that the lenses are electronic mount... 15 Sept 2008 09:21:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080915Zeiss I've added new material on Nokton 58/1.4 sample variation, ergonomics, and more details on alternatives... 14 Sept 2008 12:25:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080914Voigtlander Part 2 of my review of the Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon is now online (ZF subscription required with or without DAP). Please see the revision history for details on what’s been added: resolution charts with comparisons to the Nikon 14-24 and Canon 16-35, more examples, bokeh and more.... 13 Sept 2008 23:10:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080913ZF18 The previous-customer discount for diglloyd’s Advanced Photography (DAP) ends Monday September 15..... 13 Sept 2008 23:10:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080913SpecialPricing It's a brand-new lens, right out of the box. It should be perfect optically. If only real life worked that way!... 12 Sept 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080912TipOfTheDay Just added to DAP is my extensive review of the Voigtlander SL II 58mm f/1.4 Nokton and 40mm f/2 Ultron Aspherical (DAP subscription required)... 10 Sept 2008 16:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080910Voigtlander Question: Should i get a dual core or a quad core for RAW processing? I have found your article Digital Photo Professional Batch Processing Performance Tip when i was doing searches about that... 05 Sept 2008 18:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080905QOTD You shoot a _____ (fill in the blank). Go rent... 04 Sept 2008 20:58:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080904TipOfTheDay Corn has one season*, we have many. Make the most of them.... 04 Sept 2008 20:57:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080904Harvest Question: My interest is photography of places and things, i.e. outdoor and landscapes. I was under the impression that a wide would give great DOF from close up to infinity, would you choose this above a 25 or 28 mm for that application or do I just not get it?... 03 Sept 2008 23:40:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080903QOTD Perspective (the relative size of objects in relation to each other) is governed only by the distance to the subject. The image of my mailbox below is not deformed... 03 Sept 2008 22:40:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080903TipOfTheDay Just added to DAP is my special report on the Nikon AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF, including a comparison to the Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF... 02 Sept 2008 22:40:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080903Nikon70_200VR The last of the three new Nikon PC-E tilt/shift lenses is now appearing in stores. I've previously discussed the 24mm f/3.5 and the PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D. The PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D completes the trio.... 02 Sept 2008 22:40:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080902NikonPC_E Murphy's Law says that as soon as you travel more than 100 miles from a camera store, your camera’s chance of failure quintuples! This happened to me... 01 Sept 2008 14:11:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080901TipOfTheDay If you purchase or have previously purchased any diglloyd Pro Reviews, be sure to take advantage of the special limited-time pricing on diglloyd's Advanced Photography (DAP) by the cutoff date... 01 Sept 2008 14:10:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-09-blog.html#_20080901SpecialPricing I’ve just added the first chunk of insights on the Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon to my Zeiss ZF Lenses review... 31 Aug 2008 15:55:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080831Zeiss18 I've apparently induced some confusion over DAP (diglloyd's Advanced Photography). I was certainly exhausted on Wednesday after an unrelenting 9 days of effort to do some behind-the-scenes work for it. In a nutshell, here is what’s happening... 29 Aug 2008 22:11:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080829DAP Check out DAP, eg diglloyd's Advanced Photography... 27 Aug 2008 18:11:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080827DAP I would love to shoot one of the fotoman cameras of various shapes and sizes. but this handheld 8X10 unit would surely be fun... 26 Aug 2008 20:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080826Fotoman I've been using the SanDisk 16GB cards since they came out in both Canon and Nikon DSLRs. They work great (I've had not a single problem). Right now, BH Photo has them for $95.95 after a $90 rebate... 26 Aug 2008 18:20:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080826SanDisk16GB Test a lens not optimized for close up (Zeiss ZF 50/1.4 Planar) using small test charts (where it’s at its worst), and what do you have?... 25 Aug 2008 21:46:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080825ReviewsByTheNumbers Blurry mush in the corners of the frame at any aperture might work for the “emperor’s clothes” crowd, but it doesn’t appeal to me... 24 Aug 2008 11:42:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080824Nikon70_200VR When I go out for a shoot on foot or bicycle, I want to travel light. For that, there’s no better daypack than the North Face Recon. Can you believe this 18 ounce pack can carry... 24 Aug 2008 11:14:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080824HowICarry The Red 4K video camera (twice the linear resolution of HDTV) has many photographers interested in Nikon, Canon and Zeiss ZF lenses... 24 Aug 2008 11:14:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080824Red Reader Leping Zha (a superb photographer), sent me a link for the Nikon optional picture control downloads. The downloads are for both the camera and for Nikon Capture NX... 24 Aug 2008 11:14:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080824PictureControl The Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon (see July 7 details) arrived yesterday. It shares the same build quality and ergonomics as the other 7 ZF lenses, but its oddball shape... 22 Aug 2008 16:20:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080822ZeissZF18 Stay tuned for intial impressions on the highly anticipated over the next few days on the Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon... 20 Aug 2008 07:50:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080820ZeissZF18 I previously commented and wrote about the CPU usage of multi-core systems. I'm pleased to report that DXO Optics Pro 5.2 makes full use of all four cores of my 3GHz Mac Pro... 19 Aug 2008 14:05:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080819CPUUsage --> Why shoot older lenses which might test as inferior to newer ones?... 19 Aug 2008 13:30:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080819TipOfTheDay Adorama is now a diglloyd.com recommended vendor... 19 Aug 2008 12:30:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080819Adorama Pick one subject, not allowing yourself to move more than a fixed distance (eg a 20-foot radius in a garden). The subject should be a challenge... 17 Aug 2008 11:02:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080817TipOfTheDay For many users, manual focus is simply not feasible, due to subject matter, eyesight issues, etc. So what lenses should you buy to cover the bases?... 16 Aug 2008 18:31:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080816LensesILike Confine your shooting to one and only one lens today. Do this for as many days as you have lenses... 16 Aug 2008 17:24:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080816TipOfTheDay Reader’s have asked me what I think about Ken Rockwell's web site. Ken is a 30-year veteran photographer, with a compelling take on the world, both in terms of imagery and perspective. One of his most useful articles is... 16 Aug 2008 13:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080816Rockwell Take an f/1.2, f/1.4 or f/2 lens, and go out at dusk or just before dawn. Shooting without a tripod, make as many creative images as you can... 15 Aug 2008 17:24:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080815TipOfTheDay Reader Don K wrote to express his satisfaction with a focusing screen for the Nikon D3 from Brightscreen.com... 14 Aug 2008 18:20:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080814FocusingScreens While I prefer vignetting for many photos, it’s often considered a defect... 14 Aug 2008 18:20:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080814Vignetting Make all your exposures manually today, preferably recording to RAW. Use the camera’s R/G/B histogram... 15 Aug 2008 17:24:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080812TipOfTheDay Reader Gary S sent me a link to a puff-piece extraordinaire in (of all places) Rangefinder Magazine. This one takes the cake, reviewing the Nikon 24-70/2.8 AF-S... 12 Aug 2008 18:20:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080812RangefinderMag I use manual focus lenses a great deal; any visual help is a big plus. If you’re a Nikon shooter I recommend... 11 Aug 2008 21:54:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080811Eyepiece With the high price of fuel these days, even short trips are very expensive—and it’s not just the fuel, it's the depreciation on the vehicle. One solution... 11 Aug 2008 21:21:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080811Fuel While greased palms are a fact of life, misleading readers is a journalistic sin which is intolerable... 09 Aug 2008 10:07:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080809Shutterbug Today I shot the 45/2.8 PC on my most demanding outdoor test target: the mural at Stanford Memorial Church. I'll work up a detailed lens review over the next month or so, but let's just say that ... 08 Aug 2008 23:59:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080808Nikon45PC Among other things the plane of sharp focus can be tilted to be non-parallel to the sensor... 07 Aug 2008 17:30:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080807Nikon45PC It's rare to see these highly intelligent birds come within camera range, and so I sensed that s/he must not have been far from his/her demise... 04 Aug 2008 21:12:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080805TiredOldCrow The crop below was approximately 9 megapixels of a 21 megapixel image from the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III... 04 Aug 2008 21:12:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080804Cropping Now is never a better time to read The Creature From Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve... 04 Aug 2008 18:18:18 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080804Jekyll As I write this, the newly-released Nikon PC-E Micro-Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED is in stock at B&H Photo. It's a must-have for evading the diffraction/contrast/sharpness issue with today’s high resolution cameras... 03 Aug 2008 10:07:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080803Nikon45PC A brief followup on my March Wither the Honeybees commentary—I learned recently that large numbers of hives are now imported from Australia... 03 Aug 2008 09:42:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080803BeeColony This shot might look innocent enough, but it puts severe strain on the imaging capabilities of the Canon’s flagship EOS 1Ds Mark III... 01 Aug 2008 23:59:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080801Canon1DsM3ISO200 I've commented previously on digicam-like noise at ISO 200 with the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. But there is a solution... 01 Aug 2008 23:03:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-08-blog.html#_20080801Canon1DsM3ISO50 If only my neighborhood cats were more effective doing what cats ought to do well: catching and eating gophers. It’s always a battle making sure the pumpkin vines survive to mature their fruit.... 30 Jul 2008 22:32:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080730CrepuscularCat In the latest salvo in the medium format digital back wars, Leaf has announced it’s 56 megapixel AFi 10 digital back, with an interesting twist... 30 Jul 2008 16:16:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080730Leaf Judging by all the gripes one sees online, Apple pushed the me.com launch out to make the iPhone date, with bug fixes to come later. My own usage has been frustrating enough... 27 Jul 2008 17:56:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080727ApplesMe One thing to keep in mind for those who frequently shoot handheld at low shutter speeds (1/4 - 1/60): is there a difference in “keeper” rate between smaller and lighter cameras and their larger brethren?... 27 Jul 2008 9:56:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080727NikonD700_D3 The breakthrough (price and performance) Nikon D700 is now available at BH Photo. Both the body only and 24-120 kit were in stock as of this morning. How does it compare to the Nikon D3?... 27 Jul 2008 8:52:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080727NikonD700 The newly-annnounced Panasonic DMC-LX3 suggests the beginning of a long overdue correction of the more-megapixels trend, with “focus” going to other features that make the camera more useful for actual photography.... 23 Jul 2008 11:43:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080723Trend I love watching sunflowers bloom and mature. They offer such exquisite detail, detail I’d love to capture on a 60MP back. But 21MP will do... 18 Jul 2008 23:10:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080718Sunflower Today I shot an indoor play (children’s theatre) using the Nikon D3 and the wonderful (but heavy) Nikon AF-S 24-70 f/2.8G ED [specs]. Normally I shoot Zeiss ZF lenses... 18 Jul 2008 19:21:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080718LowLight I've received some information from my local dealer on the PhaseOne medium format monochrome back... 18 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080718Monochrome Nudes have been part of photography forever it seems, with such masters as Edward Weston being one notable creative force in this area. Tastes change over time and with cultures and religions, with nudity being either celebrated or the cause for the ultimate penalty, and everything in-between. 18 Jul 2008 7:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080718Domai The Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt/shift is now in stock at BH Photo (as I write this). This lens still sells out quickly as Nikon has apparently not yet caught up with demand. 16 Jul 2008 20:45:00 PST http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/545664-USA/Nikon_2168_Wide_Angle_PC_E_Nikkor.html/BI/1498/KBID/2013 Looking for the world’s best headlamp or bike light?... 16 Jul 2008 10:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080716TimGrey Looking for the world’s best headlamp or bike light?... 15 Jul 2008 22:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080715Lupine A mm or so shy of true “full frame” 645 format, the newly-announced but not yet available PhaseOne P65+ offers sixty (60) megapixels... 14 Jul 2008 22:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080714PhaseOneP65 Wondering about useful (albeit specialized) applications for ultraviolet light? Greek sculptures were painted in vivid color... 13 Jul 2008 22:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080710GreekSculptures The Nikon 24 T/S is a very nice handling lens and built to similar standards as the several-year old 85 f/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkor... 10 Jul 2008 22:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080710Nikon24TS Don’t even try to white balance something like this... 09 Jul 2008 22:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080709NightScenes I learned indirectly today (not through Hasselblad, which has never contacted me), that the review I wrote on the Hasselblad H3D-39 has earned me Hasselblad’s enmity... 09 Jul 2008 22:05:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080709Hasselblad I really enjoy talking to interesting photographers, so on a trial basis I’m making the following offer: purchase my excellent Zeiss ZF Lenses review and we can arrange (via email) a 15-minute phone conversation to discuss your particular lens needs... 09 Jul 2008 17:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080709SpecialOfferZF I have a new addition to my Recommended Vendors page: Bear Images Photographic of Palo Alto, CA... 09 Jul 2008 16:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080709BearImages A bit less than a year ago I tried to arrange a group buy of a monochrome PhaseOne medium format digital back. If you were one of the interested parties, now is the time to act... 09 Jul 2008 16:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080709DigitalMonochrome As regular diglloyd blog readers know, manual focus accuracy can be tricky, which gave me fits with the Nikon D3. Read about my findings, and how I finally resolved the problem.... 09 Jul 2008 16:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080709NikonD3ManualFocusing As I’ve begun to shoot more and more top-notch lenses, I’ve stopped using filters except when there is sand/dust and/or salt spray or similar hazards. Especially with stellar “glass” like the Zeiss ZF Lenses and Leica APO lenses and Coastal Optics 60/4 APO,... 09 Jul 2008 00:01:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080709Filters A friend of mine detests blurry images. Some of my favorites he dismisses as “not sharp.” We all have strong and different reactions to image rendition... 08 Jul 2008 00:05:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080708Blur Long, but worth reading, Vincent LaForet writes The Cloud is Falling at SportsShooter.com, a commentary on the newspaper and magazine industry... 07 Jul 2008 22:05:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080707FeeBasedAccess Long, but worth reading, Vincent LaForet writes The Cloud is Falling at SportsShooter.com, a commentary on the newspaper and magazine industry... 07 Jul 2008 22:05:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080707CloudIsFalling Hasselblad has announced their 50 megapixel H3D II (see the PDF system sheet). If it works as well as the H3D (see quirks and noise in my review), then I don’t want one... 07 Jul 2008 22:01:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080707Hasselblad50 MTF, distortion and vignetting data are now available in the Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon datasheet... 07 Jul 2008 09:25:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080707Zeiss18Data Looking for an incredible set of tilt/shift lenses for Nikon or Canon? Check out the Hartblei/Zeiss 40mm, 80mm, and 120mm tilt/shift offerings, available individually or as a set... 07 Jul 2008 08:31:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080707HartbleiZeiss How big can a 21MP Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III image be enlarged? To test that theory, I “rezzed up” a highly detailed image using Genuine Fractals. Read about it in Good Pixels Go Big.... 06 Jul 2008 19:01:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080706Canon1DsM3_88MP When you shoot a lens like the Leica 90/2 APO-Summicron-R ASPH (or many Zeiss ZF lenses) on the 21 megapixel Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, it does leave you wondering how deep the well really is... 06 Jul 2008 00:37:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080705WhatTheLensDelivers Attending the 4th of July concert and fireworks show last night at Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View, CA, I was denied entrance because my Nikon D3 was deemed a professional camera..... 05 Jul 2008 14:15:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080705NoProfessionalCameras I’ve added two filters to my UV/VIS/IR Spectral Transmission Graphs page... 05 Jul 2008 14:14:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080705Spectral I use filters less and less these days, excepting situations involving sand/dust, salt spray, rain and or other hazards, like ankle-biters (children). So when I do use them, I like them to be pristine..... 05 Jul 2008 14:13:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080705CleaningFilters Tonight, municipalities throughout the United States will be exploding their “bombs bursting in air”. But none of it compares to the natural stuff—I’ve added a few images to my Thelon Wilderness travel article..... Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:15:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080704NaturalFireworks How do you know the memory works reliably? How do you know the disks are delivering the expected performance don’t have sporadic errors? Save yourself a lot of grief by testing before you go into "production".... Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:15:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080704TestingNewMemoryAndDisks With a 21MP Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, forget the marginal EF 24-105 f/4L crapola zoom and put some real glass on it, like the Leica 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-R ASPH... Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:57:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080703LeicaOnCanon Here are some tips for fireworks that work for me. Serious student of fireworks will have more to offer, but this approach produced quite nice results for those of us with family obligations and/or “no tripods” restrictions at public events... Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:25:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080703Fireworks I’ve updated my Nikon D3’s firmware successfully, downloading it from Nikon USA. I’ll report on any glitches that I might encounter. But the main glitch... Mon, 01 Jul 2008 17:15:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080701NikonD3FirmwareUpdate The new Nikon D700 offers “only” 12 megapixels, allegedly with the same image quality as the D3. Is that enough, or must we long for more (and more)? Mon, 01 Jul 2008 12:45:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-07-blog.html#_20080701MegapixelsEnough Nikon has announced the little brother to the D3, the D700 (see the PDF brochure). With the same full-frame sensor and electronics, the D700 is sure to be a huge hit—who can argue with the stellar image quality of a Nikon D3 in a much more compact package for US$2000 less? At US $2999, the D700 is out of reach for many, but... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:49:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080630NikonD700 As the digital world moves towards ever more absurd megapixel counts, one inconvenient truth will (very) slowly sink in: the depth of field required to exploit the sensor resolution becomes so narrow as to render the megapixel count meaningless unless... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:49:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080629SunflowerBeauty As the digital world moves towards ever more absurd megapixel counts, one inconvenient truth will (very) slowly sink in: the depth of field required to exploit the sensor resolution becomes so narrow as to render the megapixel count meaningless unless... Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:15:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080628DepthOfField A friend of mine is intrigued by the 10,000 RPM Western Digital 300GB VelociRaptor hard drives, which offer blazing seek times and fast data transfer rates, the idea being that using a RAID pair of such drives would make an excellent Photoshop scratch disk... Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:56:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080628PhotoshopScratchDisks http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080625Zeiss18mm Carl Zeiss AG has announced the latest addition to its ZF/ZK line, the 18mm f/3.5 Distagon, a derivative of the Contax RTS design. The new lens promises exemplary color correction. 25 Jun 2008 10:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080625Zeiss18mm This bovine sends greetings from Pt Reyes National Seashore... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080623NikonD3WhiteBalance I've had generally excellent or at least pleasing results with the auto white balance of the Nikon D3. But in spite of its large built-in database of scenes... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080614Canon1DsM3Noise With dust chunkies up to 14 pixels in diameter, the anti-dust feature of the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III has some obvious limitations.... 14 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080614DigitalInfrared The July/August 2008 Photo Techniques publishes part 1 of my two-part series on digital infrared photography: Digital Infrared -- Making Images.... 14 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080614Vignetting Is vignetting good or bad? Read my thoughts in Vignetting.... 14 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080614Leica90 This is a follow-up to my previous comments on Leica's service turnaround time for my 90/2 APO Summicron-R ASPH.... 14 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080610D3Variants I'm a huge fan of the low-light capabilities of the Nikon D3 (see the entry below). Which makes me wonder whether "progress" in the DSLR market could mean much more than ever-higher megapixels counts... 10 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080610Voigtlander58 I've been shooting the Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 58/1.4, and recently made some careful A/B comparisons with the NOCT-Nikkor 58/1.2 for overall image quality... 08 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080608OilPrices Many people in the US are really hurting from $4/gallon gasoline, but I'd be delighted to pay that much at my neighborhood station, which briefly hit $4.99 9/10... 08 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080604WorkingInBadLight Ever attend a social gathering where there are harsh overhead incandescent lights, some garish lights of other kinds scattered around the room, and fluorescent fixtures thrown in for good measure?... 04 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080604CaptureNX2 I tried using Nikon Capture NX 2's batch processing facility today. There are numerous issues... 04 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080603NikonCaptureNX2 Read my article on three terrific new features and other improvements... 04 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080601Mirror Today diglloyd.com was down briefly while the server was moved. When it rebooted, one of the hard drives did not spin up, simulating a disk failure... 01 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/2008-06-blog.html#_20080601Voigtlander I've now explored the Cosina Voigtlander Ultron 40/2 SL II enough to say it's a lens I recommend to anyone who wants an extremely compact DSLR setup... 01 Jun 2008 22:00:00 PST