Since the announcement of the Leica M9, there has been much interest in the powerful but little camera. The main reason for this is the full frame sensor in such a small body. I had the pleasure and opportunity to finally fondle the Leica M9. I previously brought up the issue of really needing a rangefinder for street photography, and while I have not solved that question yet, I can tell you that the M9 has characteristics that surely can help with doing such things even at close range. However, it is not perfect. [Read more…]
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS Lens Hands-on Review
The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS lens is a consumer-oriented lens and is available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Sigma DSLRs. This lens is one that is relatively compact for its abilities. It feels very light in your hands and should be very enjoyable for amateurs, enthusiasts, etc. Granted, the lens is not an EX (Sigma’s top of the line) and it surely shows it. I received some brief hands-on time with the lens and was able to judge the Canon version’s abilities vs. something like my much older Canon 80-200mm F2.8 L.
Sony A850 Hands-On Review
The Sony A850 has no differences from the flagship Sony A900 besides a slower rate of fire, a slightly smaller viewfinder and $700. For the money, it is the best bang-for-your buck value out there right now for full frame photographers. Put some nice Minolta or Zeiss glass in front of that sensor and you’ll begin to see some very nice results. During my hands-on time, I noticed some other slight differences in handling.
Canon 1D Mark IV Hands-On Review
After getting some hands on time with the 7D before, my impressions going into Photo Plus with the 1D Mark IV were that it was basically a “grown up” version of that camera. In some ways I’m wrong, and in some ways I’m right. The 1D Mark IV is a camera that Canon users of all types and backgrounds will drool over. From the amazing high ISO photos to the lovely HD video modes, there is lots to love in this camera.
Hands On: Phase One 645DF, P 65+ and P 40+
During a quick visit to the Digital Transitions store in NYC, I got to spend some personal hands on time with some of Phase One’s newest products in a studio environment. Being medium format, the images are really quite spectacular. On top of this, using the equipment was very simple to do but is very much different from using traditional DSLR cameras. The experience is something that photographers would truly love.
Hands-On: Canon 7D and 100mm F2.8 L Macro Hybrid IS
After some personal fondling time with the Canon 7D and 100mm F2.8 L Macro Hybrid IS lens at Pepcom, I expect that those who pre-ordered the camera will likely not be disappointed – so long as the image quality lives up to the expectations once we see results from a production model.
Right off the bat, it’s clear that the 7D adds a bit of twist in terms of buttons, which may require a bit of a learning curve if you’re used to the 5D Mk II and 50D. However, the buttons are all laid out very well and it just takes a bit more memorization.
On the lens front, the 100mm Macro lens takes some very amazing photos and doubles as an excellent portrait lens, albeit a bit long when paired with the 7D’s APS-C sensor. How does it stack up against the Nikon D300s, a camera that wasn’t too far away from it (as Canon and Nikon always seem to be placed right across from one another at events)? Keep on reading for more of my hands-on report on the Canon 7D.