Tokina 12-24mm lens tested

The Tokina AT-X Pro SD 12-24mm F4 (IF) DX is a lens that could easily be overlooked by buyers considering a wideangle zoom, simply because of its more limited angle of view compared to most similar lenses on the market. But perhaps because of its more modest aspirations, it comprehensively outperforms the other third party APS-C wideangle zooms we’ve tested recently, i.e. the Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM and the Tamron 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 Di-II. It’s simply a much sharper lens, especially wide open, delivering consistently good results at almost all settings; it also scores well with respect to its distortion and falloff characteristics. These characteristics, coupled with the constant F4 maximum aperture, makes it much better suited to shooting interiors or in low light than similar lenses (with the exception of Tokina’s own 11-16mm F2.8), adding to its overall versatility. This from an extremely solid, well-built lens which feels like it would shrug off knocks capable of breaking less rugged designs, and which also has excellent operational characteristics; the zoom and focus rings are impressively smooth, and the focus clutch system is one of the better-implemented of its kind.

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digital camera resource page reviews the panasonic lumix DMC-ZS3/TZ7

From DCRP:

It’s no secret that I really liked last year’s Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. Its replacement — the Lumix DMC-ZS3 (also known as the TZ7) — is even better, in most respects. I love the new lens and its very versatile focal range, and the Intelligent Auto Mode and face detection functions have been nicely enhanced. And that’s on top of the amazing 3-inch LCD, easy-to-use interface, and snappy performance that the ZS3 inherited from the TZ5. While I like the ZS3’s ability to record longer movies than its predecessor, the new ADCHD Lite codec is a pain to work with. The ZS3 is also in desperate need of some manual controls — I was really hoping they’d appear on this model, but no luck. Despite these and a few other shortcomings, the DMC-ZS3 remains an excellent travel camera, and one that I can highly recommend.

The Lumix DMC-ZS3 is a compact ultra zoom camera made mostly of metal. Construction is solid in most areas, save for the somewhat flimsy door over the memory card/battery compartment. Controls are well-placed (though it’s pretty easy to block the AF-assist lamp), and you don’t need to read the manual to get started with the camera (though it certainly wouldn’t hurt). The ZS3 is available in silver, black, blue, and red. The lens on the DMC-TZ5 was nice, but the one on the ZS3 is even better. Panasonic and Leica have produced a 12X, 25 - 300 mm lens with excellent sharpness and minimal barrel distortion. Sure, it could be a little faster at the wide-angle end of things, but that’s the trade-off for having a big zoom in a small package. Inside the lens is Panasonic’s excellent optical image stabilization system, which reduces the risk of blurry photos and smoothes out your video recordings. The LCD on the back of the camera hasn’t changed since the TZ5, and I honestly don’t know what Panasonic could’ve done to improve it. The screen is easily the best you’ll find on a compact camera, with excellent sharpness (thanks to its 460,000 pixels), stunning outdoor visibility, and automatic brightness adjustment. As with all cameras in its class, the DMC-ZS3 lacks an optical viewfinder.

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Olympus intros the E-450, the 'improved' e-420

Olympus today introduced the E-450 which, as you might’ve guessed, is just a tweaked E-420. Here’s a rundown of all the specs on this compact, entry-level digital SLR:

• 10 Megapixel Live MOS sensor
• Supports all FourThirds lenses with 2X focal length conversion ratio
• Compact body (by D-SLR standards)
• 2.7” HyperCrystal II LCD display (230k pixels) has improved contrast and viewing angle
• Live view with contrast detect AF (with select lenses) and face detection; Perfect Shot Preview feature lets you compare the effects of different exposure compensation or white balance settings in real time
• Optical viewfinder has 95% coverage and 0.92X magnification
• Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system
• Full manual controls; ISO range of 100 - 1600; white balance can be set by color temperature and fine-tuned
• Plenty of scene modes, plus three Art Filters (pop art, soft focus, and pin hole)
• Continuous shooting at 3.5 frames/second
• Built-in wireless flash support
• CompactFlash + xD Picture Card slots
• Uses BLS-1 lithium-ion battery; 500 shots per charge
• Includes the F3.5-5.6, 14 - 42 mm and F4.0-5.6, 40 - 150 mm lenses
• Priced at $699; will be sold exclusively through QVC starting May 9th. Widespread availability in July.

Hit the read more for the full press release from Olympus

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Mamiya announces DL33 for when you need more than 28 megapixels

Facing a little bit of competition from the hands of Nikon, and finding its earlier 28 megapixel D28 to be something of a success (despite its $15,000 price tag), medium format master Mamiya is introducing a new model set to drive the megapixel wars to new heights. The DL33 sports similar specs to the DL28, including a 3.5-inch touchscreen on the back, but bests its successor with a 36 x 44-millimeter, 33 megapixel sensor. That means 16-bit capture, 12-stop dynamic range, and ISO settings from 50 to 800.

Other tweaks include a faster autofocus motor and an improved UI, but with image files clocking in at 67 - 190MB you’ll probably need some improved storage, too. The camera will be available starting next month for $19,999 including a 55mm f2.8 or 150mm f3.5 lens — but only if you act now.

source[engadget]

Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Review

Digital Camera Resource just completed a thorough review of the new camera:

“The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is a very capable and compact ultra zoom camera. It offers very good photo quality, a 28 - 336 mm lens, a nice combination of automatic and manual controls, a large LCD, and a HD movie mode. It’s not perfect though; it has a weak, slow-to-charge flash, battery life is below average, and you can’t zoom while recording a movie mode. Despite that, the PowerShot SX200 is a good choice for a travel camera, and it earns my recommendation.

It’s pretty obvious from the design of the PowerShot SX200 what camera it’s going after: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. The SX200 has a compact body (by ultra zoom standards, at least), made almost entirely of metal. The camera is a bit unusual in that its flash pops up automatically when the camera is turned on, not closing until it’s powered off. Thankfully, Canon designed the SX200 in such a way that the flash doesn’t block your fingers, so it’s easy to hold the camera. The flash is quite weak, however. Canon didn’t go overboard with controls, either — you can figure out the SX200 without having to read the manual first. The highlight of the camera is probably its F3.4-5.3, 12X optical zoom lens. The range of the lens is 28 - 336 mm, which should cover nearly any shooting situation that may come up in your travels. The SX200 has Canon’s optical image stabilization system, which effectively reduces blur in still photos, and “shake” in your videos. On the back of the camera is a sharp 3-inch LCD display, with very good outdoor and low light visibility. Like all of the compact ultra zooms, the SX200 does not have an optical or electronic viewfinder.”

For the complete review, hit the source link below.

source[dcresource]

Dpreview has E-620 Preview Samples Gallery

Today dpreview has posted the first samples from the new Olympus E-620.

“Our preview sample gallery from the Olympus E-620. London can be quite gray at this time of year, so we thought we’d capitalize on our time in the US by putting together a sample gallery with a final production version of the new upper entry-level DSLR from Olympus. We’ve included a mixture of ISO settings and a couple of shots using the camera’s Pin Hole art filter.

All shots taken with the Zuiko Digital 12-60mm F2.8 - F4 (there’ll be shots taken with the kit lens when we publish our review), with noise filter ‘high’ and gradation set to auto, unless otherwise specified. All variations from default settings are marked in the notes field.”

source[dpreview]

Have You Seen Gigapan In Action?

Here is an example of a Gigapan from the Geneva Motor Show. This image shows the main hall show floor. This type of Gigapan is similar to the image produced for the Barack Obama Inauguration. To see specific details in the image, double-click anywhere or use the navigator in the top left of the image.

source[imageengineers]

The Classics on your iPhone

I know there are thousands of cool apps you can download, but this one is pretty sweet. You get 18 books currently with more books coming via a free app update. This from the developer:

“Escape into some of the greatest stories ever written. Experience digital reading in a way that is so natural, and so obvious, it just feels right. It begins with a collection of over a dozen hand-picked, literary masterpieces..”

The Collection:

• The Count of Monte Cristo
• Frankenstein
• Dracula
• Treasure Island
• Pride & Prejudice
• A Christmas Carol
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• Gulliver’s Travels
• The Time Machine
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• The Call of the Wild
• Flatland
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
• Robinson Crusoe
• The Jungle Book
• The metamorphosis
• Paradise Lost
• Hound of the Baskervilles
• More books coming via free app updates!

You can download the app here, and no I don’t get any cut of the sales. The only money I get on the blog would be if you clicked on any of the Google ads placed strategically along the sides:)

Free photoshop like tool on the web

Pixlr is a free online photo editor, jump in and start edit, adjust, filter. It’s just what you imagine!
Here is the link to the editor. If you want the home page, it’s here. I found this great site when watching TWIT this afternoon.