Tour de California and Lance Armstrong PERMALINK

My friend Blake Shaw has some great coverage of the Tour de California and Lance Armstrong. Check out his site.

Lance Armstrong in the 2008 Tour de California
© 2009 Blake Shaw

Zeiss ZF Lenses upate PERMALINK

I’ve updated Zeiss ZF Lenses to include a test comparing the Leica 100mm f/2.8 APO-macro-Elmarit-R to the Zeiss ZF 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar. Read it (login required). Both lenses are superb; no disappointment here.

Both lenses can be used on Nikon or Canon; on Canon a lens adapter can be used, and on Nikon the Leica lens can be adapted with a Leitax conversion kit.

Voigtlander 180/4 APO Lanthar on Nikon D3x PERMALINK

By popular request, I’ve added the Voigtlander 180/4 APO Lanthar to my DAP review of 180mm lenses on the Nikon D3x.

Choke it Down
Nikon D3x + Voigtlander 180/4 APO Lanthar

Leica 100mm f/2.8 APO-macro-Elmarit-R on Canon 5D Mark II PERMALINK

I’ve added 10 new examples to my Canon 5D Mark II review in DAP, all shot with the Leica 100mm f/2.8 APO-macro-Elmarit-R using the Novoflex lens adapter. I’ve confirmed that optically it’s a stunning lens and I’m very glad to now own one for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

See also my previous comments.

Roses
Canon 5D Mark II + Leica 100/2.8 APO-macro-Elmarit-R

Mac Performance Guide PERMALINK

If you’re a Photoshop user, or are using or considering a Mac, check out my Mac Performance Guide. In it, I’ve distilled years of experience as a software developer, photographer and Mac user. Below is what one reader thinks, unsolicited feedback out of the blue.

Dear Mr. Chambers,

I was looking all over the place for the kind of information that you have on your site, and it took me almost a week to find your site.

By that time, I had almost given up hope on ever understanding how to chose and set up a Mac for high performance with Photoshop CS4.

I could not obtain much useful information from either Apple or Adobe.

Your information is so complete, so authoritative, so up to date, and so useful, I can not honestly think of another web site that compares to it.

Thank you ever so much for your generosity in making this information available to all.

All the best,
Jonathan M

Mac Performance Guide is made possible as a free resource by Other World Computing— please give them your business, highly recommended.

NANPA musings PERMALINK

A great way to see all the Zeiss offerings is to stop by their booth at a show like NANPA, where every one of the lovely ZM (rangefinder) and ZF lenses are on display, as well as some stunning binoculars, showing incredible clarity, just as with the camera lenses.

I was hoping to see the new ZF 21mm f/2.8 Distagon, but it is getting particular attention from Zeiss before release, because it has a stellar optical reputation to uphold, and is a challenging lens to assemble/build to deliver on that reputation. It’s likely to be one of the more sought-after lenses from Zeiss, given that its allegedly improved over its outstanding Conax predecessor.

Richard Schleuning and Stephen Ingraham the NANPA summit
NIkon D3x + Zeiss ZF 35/2 Distagon

Sometimes mistakes are interesting visually, and are definitely a worthwhile experiment.

Light saber

Bosque del Apache empty — some attendees scheduled time at Bosque del Apache, but according to Art Wolfe, the cranes and other species all left in a hurry at the conclusion of the summit, just prior to the beginning of the post-summit workshop with Arthur Morris (“Birds as Art”)!

I had some good sushi in Albuquerque, but the Mexican food sucked, go figure. The best sushi place is just down the street (same street to the north) as the convention center. The other sushi place on Center is a dump. Convention-center food is godawful, but included with the NANPA registration, so 99% of the attendees ate there, a testimony to the fiscal challenges of being a photographer. I gave it a good effort, but couldn’t stomach it by the 3rd day.

And what’s with the building lighting in Albuquerque? I found green, I found blue, but no red building. A bit weird (8 of them). (That’s a nerd joke).

Doubletree Hotel
NIkon D3x + Zeiss ZF 85/1.4 Planar @ f/5.6

One word of warning on the Hyatt Regency hotel: the AT&T cell tower sits on the building next door, but most of the Hyatt gets no cell phone coverage! They won’t tell you that on the web site or even at checkin. I was able to get a weak signal by moving up to the 19th floor and moving near the window. The pimply-faced hotel clerk justified the problem by telling me that they could not control where AT&T put their towers, as if that made it all right. At least for me, my cell phone is my means of communication when traveling.

So near, yet so far (from the 19th floor)

Leica 100/2.8 APO macro vs Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar PERMALINK

It’s hardly fair to compare a $1582 f/2 lens to a $4000 f/2.8 lens, but inquiring minds want to know how those two lenses compare, especially since both can be used on Nikon (Leitax conversion) and Canon (adapter). And so that comparison is now on the to-do list, probably as an addition to Zeiss ZF Lenses.

The Leica APO lenses can take time to find on the used market, but I just acquired what appears to be a very nice sample, at a 70% discount to the new price, which means it cost significantly less than a new Zeiss ZF 100/2! First I’ll have to verify its optical behavior, one never knows with a used lens that’s been shipped from Europe to America. However, I have full confidence in Leica’s service just in case.

I consider Leica’s four APO lenses to be stunning examples of the lens-maker’s art, part of my long-term strategy of shooting the best, especially when 60 megapixel DSLRs arrive. Patience in finding used lenses pays off.

See also my comments on the Leica 180/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R.

180mm lenses on Nikon PERMALINK

I was surprised at how many readers emailed to inquire about the Voigtlander 180/4 APO which I had not included in my test of 180mm lenses on the Nikon D3x.

Accordingly, I shot the Leica 180/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R, the Nikon 180/2.8D ED and the Voigtlander 180/4 tonight, and I’ll update the report within this week with the results.

A tale of two gamuts PERMALINK

Note: if you’re running Mac OS X SNow Leopard, Version 1.1.00 works perfectly with Snow Leopard. Download the latest version of SpectraView II software for NEC displays.

One lens I enjoy shooting at night on the D3x is the Zeiss ZF 85/1.4 Planar. The 85mm focal length works well for city shooting too, just slightly “long”. I like shooting it at f/1.4 - f/2.8 at night, and on the D3x one can blast away at ISO 1600-3200 with fantastic results.

By chance I came across the Color of Money in Albuquerque, shown below. The lighting is very “stimulating”, is it not? Funny how red ink results in green.

The color gamut of the NEC 30" LCD 3090WQXi is far larger than the sRGB color space, as I discussed on Feb 17. It’s also larger than the gamut of my Apple Cinema Display. One wouldn’t realize this without seeing it—the full-gamut image is actually an intense garish green, probably not displayable on most monitors.

When imaging into sRGB and viewing the results on an ordinary monitor, that’s dumbing down the color to the least common denominator of both sRGB and the screen. Use of sRGB destroys the image color, whereas display limitations are just that.

The Nikon D3x has a very wide color gamut, and never before have I seen so many images that not only are out of gamut in sRGB, but even out of gamut in Adobe RGB, though usually in minor ways, with intense reds being the exception. The sRGB color space should be avoided like the plague with the D3x; RAW with a wide-gamut color space into 16-bit TIF is the way to go for optimal results.

The pair of images below differs only in the color space: sRGB for the first one and AdobeWideRGB for the second (AdobeWideRGB is a color space supplied by Nikon Capture NX2). The sRGB results have resulted in a yellowish and desaturated approximation of the original. The image is mostly in-gamut in standard AdobeRGB however.

On the NEC 30" display, there is an obvious difference in color between the two images below; the NEC display can show the intense saturated greens, which were what attracted me to this building at night. What’s interesting is that converting to sRGB shows almost no visible change in color on the Apple Cinema Display, but a pronounced change on the NEC, another way of demonstrating the latter’s wider gamut.

You’ll need a color-aware browser to make this comparison, or open the images in Photoshop.

Color of Money
Greens severely affected by limited sRGB gamut

Color of Money
Image in AdobeWideRGB from Nikon Capture NX2
(color aware browser required for correct display)

Back from NANPA PERMALINK

I’m back from the annual NANPA summit. I saw some wonderful presentations from Art Wolfe, Norbert Rosing, Bill Fortney and others. This is a great group for anyone working in nature photography to meet others (the reason I went) as well as for picking up new knowledge about the business and practice of photography.

Everyone who purchased DAP or Zeiss ZF Lenses or Guide to Digital Infrared Photography should have received their permanent login username/password email by late last night (early this morning!).

I kept so busy during the day that in spite of lugging my gear along I had little time to shoot.

Some attendees schedule time at Bosque del Apache following the summit, a strategy that didn’t connect this year: the thousands of cranes and other geese flew the coop on Sunday for more northerly accommodations.

At NANPA Feb 18-22PERMALINK

I’m at NANPA in Albuquerque, NM from Feb 18-22 and will not be answering emails during that time.

However, I will be responding to purchases of DAP, Zeiss ZF Lenses, etc late each day.

NEC 30" LCD 3090WQXi color gamut PERMALINK

I’ve set up my new NEC 30" LCD 3090WQXi. I like everything about it except a low hum it makes, very irritating since I asked about this explicitly before purchase back in January at MacWorld Expo. I’ll see what NEC has to say about it.

I got my display with the bundled calibrator, on the theory that any random calibrator is not the best idea. I got my 3090WQXi with or without the calibrator from OWC (also available from B&H Photo).

Check out the color gamut on this thing. I’ve already noticed a startling improvement in the rendition of reds compared to the Apple 30" Cinema Display, where the NEC can display well beyond AdobeRGB, very useful with the Nikon D3x, which seems to have quite a wide gamut. In fact, the reds now have so much better display that at first I thought I had not calibrated properly—it‘s that startling a difference! The NEC can’t quite show some intense greens in AdobeRGB but it’s almost there, a very impressive performance.

The images shown below are in ProPhotoRGB color space; they’ll look totally wrong (washed out) in a non-color aware browser, and even Safari and Firefox do not display them correctly (they look very “hot”). That is a puzzle—a bug in those browsers which are supposed to display correctly with other color spaces. I recently discovered another color display bug in Safari for JPEG files, so this comes as no big surprise.

Open them in Photoshop and you can see them correctly insofar as a JPEG can provide. Make sure your Photoshop settings preserve ProPhotoRGB as the working space).

Color gamut of NEC LCD 3090WQXi
(yellow triangle delimits the AdobeRGB color space)

Now compare the pathetic color gamut of sRGB below (blue triangle). Huge chunks of green and red go missing in sRGB, a problem I’ve seen increasingly with the Nikon D3x.

Color gamut of NEC LCD 3090WQXi
(blue triangle delimits the sRGB color space)

Canon announces wide-angle tilt/shift lenses PERMALINK

Hot on the heels of my recent report on tilt/shift lenses in DAP, Canon has announced two new tilt/shift lenses: the TS-E 24/3.5L II and the (wow!) TS-E 17/4L. If these two lenses match or exceed the build quality of the existing TS-E lenses, this will certainly be a good reason to consider the body an accessory, given the build quality issues with the Nikon PC-E lenses.

The specifications of the new TS-E lenses are impressive: 12mm of shift even for the 17/4L, along with ample tilt, use of special glasses and aspherics and Canon’s new sub-wavelength coatings, especially important for lenses with such wide coverage, which can’t use lens shades effectively. With an image circle diameter of 67mm, these lenses sound very promising, and of course Nikon has nothing to match the 17mm Canon offering.

Note well: the ability to operate shift and tilt at right angles or in parallel, something impossible with the Nikon design without a screwdriver and patience. That’s a “first” on a DSLR lens from Canon or Nikon, though the new Hartblei 40/80/120 tilt/shift lenses also offer the feature.

Now the bad news: pricing might leave you faint-hearted: $2199 for the 24mm and $2499 for the 17mm. Ouch. Almost makes the D3x pricing seem friendly.

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 17, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging and optics, today introduced two new Tilt-Shift lenses, the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L. These two new L series lenses expand the Company’s extensive lens line-up of TS-E lenses giving photographers creative control over perspective and depth of field in their images. Both the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L are specialty lenses ideal for landscape and architectural photography and are compatible with all Canon EOS system single lens reflex cameras[1]. The TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, a replacement for Canon’s TS-E 24mm f/3.5L introduced in 1991, has significantly improved operability with low distortion when photographing buildings, consistent image quality throughout the image and reduced chromatic aberration when shooting at ultra-wide angles. The TS-E 17mm f/4L is the world’s shortest focal length Tilt-Shift lens with full-frame 35mm coverage.
 
“These two new lenses are Canon’s answer to photographers who have requested wider angle Tilt-Shift lenses, with the new TS-E 24mm for wide angles and the all new TS-E 17mm for ultra-wide angles. We continually seek to expand our optics portfolio to meet the demands of our photographers to ensure that they have the best tools available to capture some of the most stunning images on the planet,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.  
 
An innovative feature on both the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L lenses is Canon’s new TS Revolving System. This feature allows tilting and shifting lens movements to be adjusted in parallel or at right angles to each other, with detents at 45˚ intervals. Additionally, once the TS Revolving System has been set, the orientation of the entire lens can be rotated freely through a range of ±90˚, with detents at 30˚ intervals. The amount of tilt is ±8.5˚ for the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and ±6.5˚ for the TS-E 17mm f/4L. The amount of shift is ±12mm for both lenses. The image circle diameter for both lenses is an impressive 67.2mm. (The diagonal measurement of the full-frame 35mm format is only 43.2mm.)
 
The high-precision glass molded aspherical and UD glass lens elements and accurate aspherical GMo along with a large diameter in new TS-E lenses deliver outstanding image quality, high resolution and super-low distortion to all edges of the image. Each lens incorporates a new type of anti-reflection coating, Canon’s SubWavelength structure Coating (SWC) that continuously changes the refractive index on the lens surface via wedge-shaped structures more minute than wavelength of visible light. Canon’s SWC helps minimize flare and ghosting caused by bright light from large angles of incidence. The new TS-E lenses are the 2nd and 3rd Canon EF series lenses with SWC, following the EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM that was introduced in 2008.
 
Pricing and Availability
The TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II is expected to ship in May for an estimated retail price of $2,199.00*. The TS-E 17mm f/4L is expected to ship in May for an estimated retail price of $2,499.00*.

Follow-up on Nikon PC-E build quality PERMALINK

See my Feb 4 blog entry on Nikon PC-E build quality.

Photographer Max P wrote to me after reading my full DAP report on Nikon’s PC-E lenses. I’m sorry to respond to Max that I’m unaware of any Nikon effort to rectify the disappointing build quality of the PC-E lenses. At US$2000 (roughly), plastic sloppy build is something I’ve decided not to invest in—I’ll keep my PC-E 45/2.8 and my years-old original PC 85/2.8, but that’s it—I’m simply not going to spend US$2K on a lens that out of the box is loosy-goosey.

I am a professional photographer in Stockholm - mostly occupied with architectural photography (still working on film for the most demanding tasks). I bought the D3X with the PC/E 24/45 mm late last year as I thought they could be helpful in my
work (as the light kit...).

Indeed they are but I do recognize the problem you describe in DAP. Both 24 and 45 suffers from this problem. 50-60% of the image area is sharp.Even stopped down 2-3 steps.
Better— but not good enough.

Do you know if there some kind of pressure on Nikon USA to rebuild these lenses? Nikon (Sweden) claims the lenses are within their tolerances (as they may be in a way - but the locking knobs in plastic material are awful) And the tighter you screw them the sooner they will collapse.

Thanks a lot for your informative and helpful article. (I know I am not the only one...)

180mm lenses on Nikon D3x PERMALINK

Added to DAP is my report on how 180mm lenses perform on the Nikon D3x. I previously reported on troublesome issues with the Nikon 70-200VR in Mush in the Corners.

Lenses tested include the Leica 180/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R, Nikon 180/2.8D ED, Nikon 70-200/2.8 VR, Nikon 70-300/4.5-5.6 VR, and Tamron 70-200/2.8, the latter two courtesy of LensRentals.com.

And yes, that’s a Leica 180/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R shown below, which I’ve converted to Nikon mount using the Leitax conversion kit—more on that another day. The 90/2 APO unfortunately has a mechanical issue that won’t allow it, and the 280/4 APO has an issue as well, so I’ll have to be content with the 180/2.8 APO.

Leica 180/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R on Nikon D3x

That’s the petite little Voigtlander 40/2 Ultron ASPH posing underneath the Leica 180.

Canon 5D Mark II review examples PERMALINK

Added to my DAP review of the Canon 5D Mark II are eight new examples, including night shooting with the Leica 90/2 APO-Summicron-R and the Zeiss ZE 50/1.4 Planar. Incidentally, the Leica 90/2 APO makes a stunning lens for night-time shooting.

Canon 5D Mark II + Leica 90/2 APO-Summicron-R

Getting the best performance from Photoshop PERMALINK

Be sure you’re getting the best performance you can in Photoshop. I’ve reorganized and expanded my tips page.

If you’re using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, read about using multiple batch workers to use all the CPU cores to the fullest.

This is what you want to see on an 8-core Mac Pro: all 8 cores gainfully employed (green and red indicate usage, black areas are idle time).

Canon 5D Mark II Live View vignetting PERMALINK

I learned about a Live View vignetting problem with the Canon 5D Mark II from several readers pointing me at a discussion forum at fredmiranda.com.

I have investigated with my own 5D Mark II, and I’m disappointed to report that the problem is indeed present, serious, and affects the three lenses I’ve tried so far. I hadn’t seen it because I rarely make my exposures in Live View mode; I switch out of it first.

Lopsided vignetting with Canon 5D Mark II

There are white balance issues as well. My full report is in DAP, which also comments on how the Auto Lighting Optimizer feature exacerbates the problem.

It does not affect the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III and does not appear to affect any “chipped” lenses, including the Zeiss ZE 50/1.4 Planar, only lenses used with a lens adapter (Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Zeiss). Furthermore, it does not affect normal exposures—only those in Live View mode. This leaves hope for a software fix.

As I said in November 2007, “Canon does it first, Nikon does it right”. This is yet another glaring problem for Canon to fix, following closely on the heels of the “black dot” problem and the 1D Mark III focusing fiasco (sub-mirror fix). Perhaps Nikon users hoping for 24 megapixels in a D700x should count their blessings.

Of course, Canon users do enjoy the ability to mount Nikon, Leica, Contax, Olympus lenses using adapters, something Nikon user do not enjoy without modifying lenses, so perhaps the issue is a wash from a brand perspective, since there is a workaround (using Live View for focus but not exposure).

Intel X25-M in a Mac Pro with RAID PERMALINK

Especially on the road with a laptop, the high performance, high reliability and low power consumption of the Intel X25-M solid state drive (SSD) is worth considering. It’s now available in a 160GB version (or 80GB).

I previously reviewed the X25-M in a MacBook Pro, and now I evaluate how a pair of X25-M drives perform in a Mac Pro as a striped RAID.

Performance and reliability: no moving parts in a Solid State Drive (SSD)!

New Voigtlander 20mm f/3.5 coming?PERMALINK

Reader Jeff K points me at mapcamera.com which shows a Voigtlander SL II 20mm f/3.5 Color Skopar ASPH. Looks small and light, let’s hope it’s coming soon! As readers know, I’m a big fan of the Voigtlander 40/2.

New Voigtlander 20mm f/3.5 Color Skopar?

Cleaning your digital camera sensor PERMALINK

A friend of mine new to digital asked me how I cleaned the sensor in my D3x. My response was that I avoid cleaning whenever possible—it makes me nervous, as I’ve been a klutz more than once. In fact, I haven’t needed to clean my Nikon D3 sensor in over a year with anything other than air.

Brushes run the risk of scratching, liquids can leave residue, which all makes me prefer to avoid it. Most particles can be blown away with air, but compressed air carries its own risks (oil, freezing the sensor), as well as being problematic for airline travel.

The solution? Air from a blower. The Giotto Rocket Air emits a powerful stream of air (it’s great for startling kids who won’t pay attention, too!). After opening the shutter with your camera’s sensor cleaning feature, insert the tip and blow away. I blow from all four corners/angles, multiple times, and this is usually sufficient to get rid of 90% of the crud—good enough for me.

The blower is also good for blowing dust off lens elements, lens caps, etc.

The Giotto Rocket Air is only about $15 and it can be carried onboard an airplane, squashes down nicely and lasts a long time. Get the largest model (7.5"), because it can emit the most powerful blast.

Keep it clean: keep the blower in its own sealed plastic bag so that it does not get contaminated.

A safe way to clean your sensor

Recommended 24mm lens for Nikon D3x PERMALINK

A formal writeup will be forthcoming at some point in DAP, but here’s a tip on 24mm lenses for the Nikon D3x, with a caveat: this was not a full-blown lens test, I tested at two distances (infinity and about 2 meters), enough to satisfy myself that I was seeing consistent performance.

At 24mm, I tested the Nikon 14-24/2.8G, the Nikon 24-70/2.8G, the Nikon 24/2 AI-S, and two samples of the Nikon PC-E 24/3.5. The clear winner for consistent sharpness across the frame was the Nikon 14-24/2.8G, a lens I’ve felt is the world’s best ultra-wide zoom for some time now. Sharpness/contrast, flat field, color and uniform illumination are outstanding. Even wide open performance is impressive, where I would use it without hesitation, though f/4 is a worthwhile pick-up over f/2.8.

The PC-E 24/3.5 tilt/shift also fared very well, and in fact has more appealing distortion characteristics as the corners are approached. But neither sample could match the 14-24/2.8G for overall performance. The 24/2 and 23-70/2.8G performed well, but with some drawbacks that will be explained in my formal writeup in DAP.

Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G

See also my previous comments on the 14-24/2.8G.

See my gear page for the 14-24/2.8G and other lenses, and as always, buying through diglloyd links is much appreciated (at no cost to yourself). Get the Nikon 14-24/2.8G at B&H Photo or Amazon.

Reader showcase PERMALINK

As promised, here is the reader showcase— three readers responded with some outstanding work, and each with his own perspective, showing just how incredibly individual photography can be! The most important expression of photography is being yourself!

Michael Stirling-Aird — Scottish Landscape Photography: gorgeous work, I’m itching to jump on a plane and see Scotland!

Michael Stirling-Aird: Cul Beag from the slopes of Stac Pollaidh, North West Highlands of Scotland

Stephen Starkman — Images from Antarctica: Reminds me of my trips to Alaska, I am itching to go whenever I see such beauty!

Stephen Starkman, Antarctica

Jack Plater-Zyberk: Visual Excursions: Crisp and refreshing, I’m almost ready to move to a cold climate! (All seasons covered). Great marriage of black and white and color images.

Jack Plater-Zyberk: Frost

Lens robustness — Nikon 24-70PERMALINK

I like well-made lenses that are fundamentally robust, like the Zeiss ZF line. A lens that can literally fall apart is not on my short list. This is a big deal if you aren’t close to a dealer (consider an involved trip to Antarctica or Africa for example). It’s also a reason I always carry at least one manual focus non-electronic lens with me on trips.

Apparently the new Nikon 24-70 might not be so robust. Reader Jaka S writes:

I was using my Nikon 24-70 in the cold weather (more than -20 degrees Celsius in Moscow), it simply broke close to bayonet ring.... I was totally disappointed, I am an engineer and really take care about my equipment. Lens and camera were in my Tamrac 5 Pro backpack and when taking out my D3 with 24-70 on I saw the terrible scene. Was using 28-70 in different weather conditions, even at -53 degrees Celsius on my F5 on Lake Baykal in Siberia and was OK.

Nikon AF-S 24-70/2.8G

We wish Jaka the best of luck in persuading Nikon to fix this lens at no charge.

Booted off striped RAID-0 Solid State drives PERMALINK

UPDATE: Solid State Drive price drop of about 30%! See the full range of Intel X25 SSD drives at OWC. All of the Intel X25 series are blazingly fast at reads, but the Extreme X25-E models (lower capacity) offer 2.4X faster write speeds of 170MB/sec vs 70MB/sec. Read speed is usually most important, but the write speed matters most for Photoshop scratch volume.

...

I have on loan from Intel two of the 80GB X25-M solid state drives (see my review), which I’ve turned into a single striped RAID volume. I’ve now tested them for speed in general (about 500MB/sec for reads, 150MB/sec for write), and with Photoshop—results to come in my Optimizing Photoshop page in MacPerformanceGuide.com.

Intel X25-M

Intel is now shipping 160GB models of the same performance as the 80GB models, and there is a substantial price drop coming very soon (though they’ll still be expensive). Those two factors may make them very appealing for notebook users, especially pilots and Tibetans (hard drives are rated only to 10,000' or about 3000 meters).

As a striped (RAID 0) boot drive, they provide a very responsive experience on the Mac Pro, but it’s a fleeting advantage once the system has started up and Mac OS X has cached things, and assuming you have some kind of efficient system setup. I explain why a fast boot drive is usually mental masturbation in Boot Drive Dogma. However, there are use cases where SSD can be a solid strategy.

Over the new few weeks as I gain more experience with these drives, I’ll offer practical tips for making use of them.

If you’re setting up workstations that demand ultra-high performance, contact me to arrange consulting, but first take advantage of my free Mac Performance Guide.

Bush-fires in Australia PERMALINK

Reader Peter D from Down Under points me to an ABC news page there documenting the terrible tragedy in the past week. I’ll take California earthquakes any day over the terror of a raging inferno.

Remember, some passengers on the Titanic skipped dessert. Food for thought.

Upgrade your MacBook Pro to 6GB PERMALINK

A great way to get more performance out of your existing MacBook Pro, especially for Photoshop, is to upgrade to 6GB total memory. An extra 2GB makes all the difference with applications like Photoshop, as shown with my extensive Photoshop testing with large files. More than that, Mac OS X aggressively uses extra memory for caching, which makes the whole system more responsive.

Other World Computing (OWC) 4GB module

Price was an issue until recently, but memory prices for the prior-generation MacBook Pro models just took a big drop, so that you can now get a 4GB module for $159 or 6GB kit (4GB + 2GB) for $180. See my review of the OWC kit. The 6GB config is what I tested in my Optimizing Photoshop series.

My extensive testing of the OWC kit over several weeks showed rock-solid operation even under the massive stress of a diglloydTools stress test. Please note that I am not recommending 4GB modules in general, only the OWC kit, because it is the one I’ve tested and found to be bullet-proof. Heat and reliability are critical issues with the 4GB modules in a MacBook Pro—choose your vendor carefully.

Pricing for the DDR3 memory for the late 2008 MacBook Pro “unibody” is higher (about $389 vs $189 for a 4GB module), another good reason to stick with the older MacBook Pro. However, the new 17" unibody MacBook Pro (only) can be upgraded to 8GB via 4GB modules, which might be a compelling advantage for those who want to use a MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement.

See my review of late 2008 unibody MacBook Pro 2.8GHz (it’s a step backward in several ways). The MacBook Pro models prior to the late 2008 unibody model are bargains, and by stuffing them with 6GB memory and a fast 500GB 7200 rpm drive (or solid state drive), they can perform every bit as well as the same clock speed new models, without the hassles, and at far lower cost.

Memory install on the MacBook Pro is literally a 5 minute job, so have no concern about the mechanics.

Sardines — my wife calls ’em cat food PERMALINK

I love seafood, but with deadly methyl mercury contaminating species such as tuna (don’t risk it with your kids!), I’ll look elsewhere for more regular eating. Sardines are supposed to be quite healthy, and far enough down the food chain that mercury hasn’t accumulated.

Some sardines can be pretty disgusting, but I’ve settled on two brands that I like and here they are for your enjoyment, or for that pampered cat (outdoor cat if you’re not careful feeding it!). I like them in olive oil, the water ones are too dry with not enough flavor. I don’t recommend the flavored ones on the theory that’s where yesterday’s baitfish are disguised!

Click either image to see them at amazon.com. If the Roland ones are out, search for “Roland sardines” once you’re at amazon for some other varieties.

Big, meaty bait-sized ones, yum.

Smaller, sweeter-tasting, really good!

What hasn’t gone up PERMALINK

Nikon lens prices are up, especially on the big super-teles. That’s due to very damaging exchange rate changes between the Dollar and the Yen.

One wonders if Canon will be next with price increases, or perhaps Zeiss? Fortunately, the Dollar vs Euro is a less clear trend.

But it still might be worth picking up some German glass if you’re on the fence about it. See my Gear page for ideas, especially the world-class Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar. See my previous comments.

Leica rebates PERMALINK

I was a little surprised to see the aggressive price cut being offered by Leica on the M8: it has dropped by $1500 to $3995, almost certainly indicating a new model soon. (See my review of the M8 in infrared). Or perhaps it’s just that the original M8 pipeline needs to be flushed clean with the M8.2 looking slightly more appealing, but also at a $2000 premium.

We can hope for a full-frame M9 with Live View: one can carry in a small hip pack an M8 and six lenses in what would take a small backpack for a DSLR (and they need not be ultra expensive Leica lenses, what with some excellent Zeiss ZM and Voigtlander alternatives out there).

Leica 50mm f/1.0 Summilux-M Special Edition

There are US$300 mail-in rebates on many Leica M lenses, though a $300 rebate on the $14995 special edition 50/1.0 Noctilux-M kind of misses the mark. Darn, if only it was a $600 rebate maybe I’d have gone for it! Can’t Leica throw in a free BMW with it or something? Only 100 copies made of the special edition, but you do get a nice little wooden box and book with it. And B&H Photo does have it in stock! Then again, hard goods like this little M-gem may well prove as good as gold—the Fed can’t print them!

Nikon lens price increases PERMALINK

Do you like higher prices? I certainly don’t. So if you want a deal, check out the rebates and promotions at B&H Photo.

High prices cure high prices. Low prices cure low prices.

Prices have now gone up on Nikon lenses, as I warned back in January. One reader emailed me, expressing outrage (“rape” was one word used), here is the note he says he sent to Nikon and B&H Photo:

“Your attempt to raise Nikon lens prices by such an outrageous amount is amazingly arrogant and truly out of line in today's economic environment. As your lenses collect dust on the shelves you will regret your egregious decision”.

He requested I publish this, and so I have. And I don’t blame him—it’s shocking. But my view is rather different.

First, it’s not an “attempt” to raise prices—it’s a fait accompli. Nikon has raised prices in dollars, but the price in Yen is more or less the same. This is a matter of fairness and economics: the Dollar has collapsed against the Yen by 20% in just five months.

Nikon won’t stay in business selling products for 20% less (and probably at a loss at that). That is “today’s economic environment”. Stay in the High State of Objective Observation, and look for the Truth.

Second, “rape” (not shown in the quote above) is an act of violence. Nikon can’t force anyone to buy their products. If Canon doesn’t follow suit and continues to eat Yen/Dollar losses on US sales, Nikon will lose sales (probably to Canon), and might have to lower prices.

The D3x has apparently not risen in price (in US dollars). This is likely because the Yen was even lower at the D3x’s debut in December. Had it been priced in September, it would have been around $6400—the same price as the Canon 1Ds Mark III street price.

There’s lots more to say on the fascinating interplay of mass fear, fiat currencies, deflation and inflation, and exchange rates, but this is a photography blog. Read The Creature, more relevant than any time in history.

Helicon focus example PERMALINK

This image was assembled using Helicon Focus using twelve (12) focus-bracketed frames. There are some artifacts, but the depth of field is truly amazing; remember this is a 280mm lens at close range, and at f/5.6!

DAP subscribers can download a 5.5MB full-resolution high quality JPEG by clicking on the image below (saved as quality 70 via Save For Web in Photoshop CS4).

Image was not sharpened after the merge in Helicon Focus. In Photoshop, try Smart Sharpen {50, 0.3, Lens Blur} in Lab mode on the L channel. Please note that the full-res image is in Wide Gamut RGB; open it in Photoshop or a color-aware browser.

Canon 5D Mark II + Leica 280/4 APO @ f/5.6, 12 frames in Helicon Focus

The streaking noise in the shadowed wheel shows just how crappy the Canon 5D Mark II (more) is at controlling read noise in dark areas (ISO 100). But convert to sRGB color space and that all gets pinned to black, which is probably why many users think the 5D Mark II is just peachy for noise. I like the 5D Mark II, I just wish it wasn’t so “dirty” in the dark areas. To be fair, the 5D Mark II is 1/3 the price of the amazing Nikon D3x, so I suppose one cannot expect perfection. Why didn’t I shoot this on the D3x? Because the Leica 280 can’t be used on the D3x, at least not until I convert it somehow.

Reader showcase PERMALINK

Reader Jack asked if I would provide a link to his visual arts portfolio since I had “dedicated a lot of space to technical issues” recently.

Sounds like fun, a nice community sharing project, so here’s the offer:
(1) You must be a subscriber to DAP or Zeiss ZF Lenses or Digital Infrared (my time is limited);
(2) Provide a link to exactly one page. No pages with ads, commercial annoyances. If it’s a long URL, make a tinyurl. If the page loads slowly or is Flash-based I might just skip the hassle.
(3) Provide a concise 1-sentence or smaller summary of what it’s about. Think slogan. Too long and it gets skipped.
(4) Email subject line must include “READER SHOWCASE” (all caps); I don't have time to collate beyond a quick sort. Keep the email short and concise please.

I'll collect these and make a post when the time is right.

Nikon PC-E 45/2.8 D E on Nikon D700 — build quality PERMALINK

Following up on my previous report, reader Peter D reports using a dial gauge to measure the gap on his PC-E 45/2.8D ED at 0.12mm, which sounds small, but is still substantial in optical terms. I’m told that this is termed “piss poor” Down Under.

Both Peter and I have low serial number units, mine in the 400's and his in the 700's. Perhaps the really bad cases are with the earliest builds? So far, the sample size is too small to say. If you have any Nikon PC-E lens, please estimate the gap and send that and the focal length and serial number to me, and we’ll see if we can establish a pattern.

Full rise on the Nikon D700 with the PC-E 45/2.8D ED

Nikon PC-E lenses on D200, D300PERMALINK

Updated in DAP: my clearance issue summary for the Nikon D200, D300 and Canon 5D Mark II.

A friend came over with his Nikon D200 and D300. While very close, there is no clearance issue with the D200 or D300 with any of the PC-E lenses, even at full rise. Reader Peter D from Down Under confirms (via picture) that there is no problem using full rise with the PC-E 45/2.8 and the Nikon D700.

Full rise on the Nikon D200

I have also added photos with the Canon 5D Mark II—no issues there with Canon’s TS-E lenses.

Flash exposure compensation with the SB-400 UPDATE PERMALINK

Update from yesterday’s discussion on the SB-400 flash and exposure compensation with the Nikon D3x. First let me thank all the helpful readers who have emailed with quotes from manuals, etc.

NIkon SB-400 flash

Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any solution on the D3x, though it’s clear that a firmware update could offer a solution: pressing the little flash button on the top of the D3x allows the choice of sync mode with one dial, and there is no reason the other dial could not allow exposure compensation. Is this an oversight, or a deliberate Nikon ploy to sell more expensive and huge/heavy flash units? I’m very disappointed because the SB-400 is perfect in size and weight for carry-around shooting.

A friend came over with his Nikon D300 and it’s a wonderful match—highly recommended on the D300. And while I don’t have a D700, it’s probably a great choice there, also.

The SB-400 not only can be used with the exposure compensation available on the D300, but its raised position means that shadows cast by certain lenses/lens shades are not the problem they are with the built-in flash. So I highly recommend the SB-400 for D300 users.

Get the SB-400 through my Gear page (B&H or Amazon). At about $110, it’s much more reasonable than its supersized siblings.

Flash exposure compensation with the SB-400PERMALINK

I noticed NIkon’s diminutive and relatively inexpensive SB-400 flash and it looked great—I’ve wanted something that size for a while. I have three of the monster SB-800 units (519g with batteries) which I hate carrying; they're big and heavy and klunky to carry around. So they sit in a drawer.

NIkon SB-400 flash

I ordered the SB-400 and it arrived today. But there is one show-stopper problem: I cannot figure out how to dial in flash exposure compensation, specifically -1 2/3 stops for fill flash, as any consumer-grade DSLR with a popup flash can do. That’s all I want to do with the SB-400, I don’t want to use it as a trigger or blast someone blind with it.

I’ve read the inscrutable D3x manual, the SB-400 manual and not a peep on this very basic function. I did find the CV function for locking flash output, but that’s of little use in varying situations. On the SB-800, one dials in compensation on the flash itself. Is this another brain-dead Nikon thing, like whacking the mirror up and down in Live View mode?

If there is a way to use flash exposure compensation with the D3x, I’d appreciate hearing how—thank you. Otherwise the cute little SB-400 is going back to toyland where it belongs.

Canon TS-E 24/3.5L on 5D Mark II PERMALINK

Added to DAP: an evaluation of the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L on the Canon 5D Mark II. Strong color fringing...but as good or better than the Nikon 24/3.5, a big surprise.

Results with the Canon 24/3.5L aren’t bad, aren’t great either, and yet were better than Nikon’s PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED, which led me to investigate.

I now believe that my brand-new Nikon PC-E 24/3.5 is a bad sample. Between crappy Nikon build quality and now the hours of wasted work with my brand-new 24/3.5, I’m not pleased at all. Buyer beware. I could be wrong of course (maybe the lens was performing as designed), in which case I’ll have to withdraw my recommendation for the PC-E 24/3.5, which performed very nicely on the 12.1MP Nikon D3 last summer (different sample).

Forever focus PERMALINK

Both of these images are at f/8 with the Zeiss ZF 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar on the Canon 5D Mark II with exactly the same focus and exposure and processing through DPP...well I’m omitting some details that come after that, but take a closer look (click for larger). Check out the depth of field, then head on over to HeliconSoft.com com and try out this amazing software, Helicon Focus, for yourself.

11-frames for depth of field near to far
Canon 5D Mark II + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f/8

I’ve just barely started using Helicon Focus (10 minutes), and the results aren’t perfect (looking into that), but I have lots of things I want to say about it going forward.

The main issue I see (perhaps some kind of user error) is the halos near sharp/unsharp areas, front to back, like this (actual pixels):

Canon 5D Mark II + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f/8

Helicon Focus does a great job using all eight cores of my 2.8GHz 8-core Mac Pro, which is a refreshing thing with all the lame software out there that uses 1 or 2 cores.

Nikon PC-E lenses shifted: viewfinder clearance PERMALINK

Some of the Nikon camera bodies like the D300 and D700 reportedly can have clearance issues with the Nikon PC-E lenses. To my DAP shift lenses page I’ve added pictures showing how this might be a problem for some equipment combinations. The good news is that full rise (upwards shift) appears to NOT be a problem with the D200/D300/D700.

Shown below is the Nikon D3x with the PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED at full rise.

Nikon D3x + PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED

Nikon D3x in stock at B&H PERMALINK

The Nikon D3x is finally back in stock at B&H Photo. Its fabulous image quality is reviewed in DAP.

At 3X the price of the Canon 5D Mark II it comes at a premium, but there is no better DSLR today, and it compares favorably to medium format in several ways. Always take the long-term view, which includes the lens(es) to be used which can end up costing far more than the camera body: that might drive your choice of Nikon or Canon, and surely Canon will have a retort to the D3x before long.

Nikon D3x

Presbyopia, bright light and Live View PERMALINK

I’m now in my mid-40’s and I can’t focus so closely any more. This first became a problem a few years ago with my 4X5 view camera’s ground glass.

But now it means that Live View requires that I stand back 12" or so for a clear view. It gets worse each year, and it happens to everyone, it‘s presbyopia. And no, Lasik won’t fix it—it will make it worse.

Even if you have younger eyes, bright light can make the LCD screen on today’s cameras difficult to see.

The solution to both issues: get a loupe like the Hoodman HoodLoupe Professional. For it and other accessories that I highly recommend, see my Gear page.

Hoodman HoodLoupe

See my previous comments, and Hoodman now has a new and improved 3" version, even better!

Voigtlander 40/2 Ultron update PERMALINK

The Voigtlander 40/2 Ultron ASPH that I recommended two days ago still is out of stock at B&H, but you can put yourself on the “notify me when in stock” list.

Voigtlander 40mm f/2 Ultron ASPH SL II

However, it is in stock at Amazon.com through several vendors. Cosina Voigtlander has a tendency to discontinue lenses (like the highly sought-after 125/2.5 APO, still kicking myself on missing that one), so if it has any appeal, I recommend ordering one sometime soon.

Recommended tripod head — Arca Swiss Cube geared head PERMALINK

Looking for a precision tripod head? Look no further than the Arca Swiss Cube, available at B&H Photo. It used to be special order, but it’s now in stock.

The Arca Swiss Cube is not small, not inexpensive and it’s not a ballhead. Rather, it’s precision equipment that allows geared leveling in two directions, rotation top and bottom and all sorts of orientations. Invest in it, and you won’t regret it.

Arca Swiss Cube w/ Really Right Stuff B2-Pro-II-M6

While at first The Cube seems slower-working than a ballhead, such as my favored Burzynski, in fact it becomes very efficient to use in terms of precise framing and leveling: I love the ability to get the frame “just so” with no frustrating ballhead try-and-try-again-oops-it-moved-slightly nonsense. The cube is also fantastic for making rotational panoramas, because it is so conveniently leveled left/right and up/down.

One gotcha: the Arca-supplied clamp is too small, with a tiny lever, and definitely incompatible with the L-brackets from Really Right Stuff. Worse, it is not captive, and can literally fall off if loosened a bit too far, and “boing!” there goes the spring with it. The shittiest design I’ve yet seen for a clamp, really bizarre given the quality of the rest of the head. You have been warned!

Remove the asinine Arca-supplied clamp and install a Really Right Stuff B2-Pro II with Metric 6 Screw with a screw knob. Avoid the lever clamps from RRS (or anyone), they are incompatible with some L-brackets and bottom plates. The big knob is super easy to use, especially with gloves. And it won’t snap your half-frozen fingers, like the lever clamps can.

Update Jan 12, 2010: the Cube has been revised and one reader reports that the new model might have a clamp that works well.

Below is what I ordered from Really Right Stuff, the B2-Pro II with Metric 6 Screw. If in doubt ask for Carla, and tell her you want what Lloyd Chambers of diglloyd.com ordered in Feb 2008. And be sure you have the tool to remove the existing Arca Swiss plate (an 11mm box socket 1/4" drive, according to Carla Geyer of Really Right Stuff).

The replacement clamp order for RRS B2-Pro-II

I use The Cube in preference to all other tripod heads now (and I have the wondrous Burzynski, the RRS BH-55, the Arca Swiss B1 and more). I got my Cube after the price went up, but before it went up even more. Get yours at B&H Photo.

Arca Swiss Cube w/ Really Right Stuff B2-Pro-II-M6

Microscopic photography PERMALINK

Reader Peter M sent me this tip on a new Nikon product, the Fabre Photo EX, allowing the pairing of a DSLR and their DSLR cameras with the “NAS-L1 digital SLR camera attachment”. The microscope and attachment are reportedly to be available Feb 20 at the price of US$1214.

Voigtlander 40mm f/2 Ultron ASPH SL II

Note that the photo include a remote release, my #1 used accessory on Nikon and Canon, because it’s the only practical way to use mirror lockup without disturbing the camera.

Nikon PC-E severe build quality problem PERMALINK

Added to DAP: an evaluation of build quality with the Nikon PC-E 24/45/85mm models, along with Canon TS-E models as well.

Bottom line: there is a serious problem with the 45mm and 85mm offerings. Whether it’s a design flaw, or simply the worst assembly tolerances I’ve ever seen is something Nikon will have to answer.

The full story is in DAP, including pictures showing the issue, along with shots of the lenses themselves. The short story: watch that lock knob for the shift mechanism, it had better be locked down!

  
Locked vs unlocked: lens sag

Canon TS-E 45mm, 90mm on EOS 5D Mark II PERMALINK

Added to DAP: evaluations of two Canon tilt/shift lenses: the TS-E 45mm f/2.8 and TS-E 90mm f/2.8.

Results for the Canon TS-E 24/3.5L are being prepared, as are results on the D3x with the Nikon PC-E 85/2.8D and PC-E 24/3.5.

DxO and medium format PERMALINK

The DxOMark site has published results for various medium format digital backs including Hasselblad, Leaf, Mamiya and PhaseOne.

The results don’t come as a big surprise to me—while medium format is exceptional in some ways, it’s not so exceptional in others.

Lost in the numbers is the crucial fact that medium format in most cases skips the anti-aliasing filter, and this alone makes it look so much better for many types of images. Numbers are useful, but remember, there is no family which has 2.5 children!

Lens recommendation: Voigtlander 40/2 Ultron ASPH PERMALINK

In a field shot comparison today (at infinity focus) on the D3x, I came away very impressed with the Voigtlander 40mm f/2 Ultron ASPH. It handily beats the Nikon 24-70 zoom, and by f/5.6 offers corner-to-corner sharpness across the frame. It’s one of my Great Value lenses on my Gear page. (If it’s out of stock at B&H, try Amazon.com, and I appreciate the use of my links—thank you). You can also get it at CameraQuest.com.

Amazon.com: in stock at Amazon.com as of Feb 5.

At $379, which includes the shade and a close-up lens, it’s a bargain! Add in the build quality (very similar to Zeiss ZF build), and it’s a little jewel.

The 40/2 Ultron is the smallest “pancake” lens you can put on your Nikon, which for me is a huge plus for some outings. On Nikon it’s fully “chipped” (though manual focus), meaning you can control the aperture via the camera in 1/3 stop increments. Canon EOS users can shoot it with a lens adapter, see my Gear page.

A full review of the 40/2 Ultron is in DAP, though DAP does not yet include D3x results for it. See also my May 18, 2008 comments.

Voigtlander 40mm f/2 Ultron ASPH SL II

Nikon D3x with Nikon 85mm f/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkor PERMALINK

I’ve updated my DAP shift lens review with results from the D3x and the Nikon 85mm f/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkor (original model). What a great performer—sharp right to the extreme shifted corners!

Nikon 85mm f/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkkor tilt/shift lens

Results with the new PC-E version should be available later this week. The big plus of the original model is that it can also be used on Canon with a basic lens adapter. It’s also a favorite lens of mine for infrared work.

Leica R lenses on Nikon PERMALINK

Thanks to readers Bob G and Robert M who passed on this tip about Leitax Leica R lenses to Nikon conversion kits (fully reversible) for many (but not all) Leica R lenses to Nikon mount. This is informational only, not a recommendation, as I have not yet used the kit (but one is on the way).

Priced at most at 75 Euros, these conversion kits might be a good bet for Leica fans, and there is a lot of very good used Leica glass on the market at reasonable prices. Operation on Nikon requires manual stop-down of the aperture, not an issue for me, as I’ve shot that way for years on Canon EOS using lens adapters for Nikon and Leica.

I have a Leitax kit on the way—if there are any readers out there, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area with a Leica 100mm f/2.8 APO macro they want to test this kit with, please contact me and we’ll try the conversion together (and I’d like to borrow it!).

My primary concern is that certain longer lenses apparently lose some barrel baffling (but not the 100/2.8 APO it seems). Loss of optical baffling is dubious to me, at least with ultra-expensive APO lenses that rely on everything exactly as designed to extract their high performance. However, there are numerous lenses of shorter focal lengths which don’t have such potential issues.

Leica 100mm f/2.8 APO macro on Nikon D700

Shift lens stitching PERMALINK

Did you know you can quickly and easily make ~47 megapixel images with the Nikon D3x and ~40 megapixel images with the Canon 5D Mark II? That’s right up there in US$40K medium format back territory!

I’ll be covering the optical performance of many more shift lenses over the next month, including all Canon TS-E models, so subscribe now to DAP. And I have a few surprises coming as soon as they can be arranged!

I’ll also be including an introductory tutorial on shift-lens stitched images, along with the gear to do it perfectly, and the tips/tricks I’ve learned over the years!

~47 megapixel stitched image, Nikon D3x + Nikon PC-E 45/2.8D

Nikon D3x with Schneider 28mm f/2.8 PC-Super-Angulon PERMALINK

I’ve updated my DAP shift lens review with results from the D3x and the Schneider 28mm f/2.8 PC-Super-Angulon.

28mm shift lenses

Gear page PERMALINK

I have launched a Gear page listing top equipment and accessories for Nikon and Canon, along with lens ratings. Your purchase through these links is greatly appreciated.

Gear page

Blast from the past — 32GB CF card PERMALINK

I thought it funny to remember what we worked with not so long ago. This card shipped with some Canon camera—I forget which one. The Canon 5D Mark II formats it, but then just says “card full”. The Nikon D3x formats it, and allows one high-quality JPEG exposure to be made. It’s still good for a firmware update though.

Today we have 32GB cards, 1000X larger than this pipsqueak 32MB card. And presumably the day is not too far off when we’ll have 32TB cards.

A few years ago...32 megabytes!