I’ve begun repurposing the old lens reviews that appeared on bythom.com prior to the Web site split. The problem with those old reviews is that many were done at a time when we had only 6mp cameras to test with. Thus, I haven’t put them on the dslrbodies.com site until I could do something about that. What I’m doing is taking the core of those old reviews and adding comments about current applicability to high megapixel count bodies to the Lens Database page for the lens. The first one of these I’ve completed is the 105mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor. As I add these “quick reviews” to the database pages, you can find them via the main lens review page itself.
October 27, 2014 ______
Fact Check on the Nikon Aisle, Please. From the Nikon Imaging site: "The image sensors used with Nikon cameras, including FX (36.0 x 23.9 mm), DX (13.2 x 8.2 mm)…" Article on dslrbodies.com.
Nikon’s Annual Report. Somehow I missed it when it came out (October 7th), but Nikon has issued its 2014 Annual Report. For those that follow Nikon, this particular annual report is of interest because it represents the first statements of the new management team, headed by Kazuo Ushida. Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 27, 2014 ______
Nikon Language. Nikon Europe posted an update to their warranty policies. Article on dslrbodies.com.
Leica T Mirrorless Camera Review. Likely the number one thing people say about the Leica T when they first learn about how it is made and how it operates is “this is the way Apple would have made a camera.” Article on sansmirror.com.
October 29, 2014 ______
The Big Nikon Leak. Updated In case you haven’t figured it out by now, the primary leak point in Nikon’s lineup is the D300. Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 28, 2014 ______
Nikon DSLR Prices. Just for fun I thought I’d put up a page this holiday buying season that tracks Nikon DSLR pricing. Article on dslrbodies.com.
Another FX Christmas. ”So go out and buy an FX camera.” Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 22, 2014 ______
Does Nikon Have a Future? (Middle Ground Part 2). Short answer: sure. Read on to see how the middle ground in cameras ought to play out. Article on dslrbodies.com.
The Aperture Debate. So here it is late October and Apple is shipping another new computer, the Retina iMac. Sure enough, just as with every other Macintosh you can buy today, you can get the Aperture program pre-loaded on it. Meanwhile, Adobe wants you to switch to Lightroom... Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 20, 2014 ______
Nikon EXPEED Variations. What you probably don’t realize is that your DSLR has CPUs in it. You don’t see the mad rush to change software when CPU’s are switched because it’s all done behind the scenes. Article on dslrbodies.com.
Middle Ground. Back in the heydays of the film SLR, the SLR was often considered “lower ground.” If you wanted to make the best possible images, the “higher ground” was always Medium Format (MF) or Large Format (LF). Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 16, 2014 ______
From DSLR to Mirrorless. Let’s make the assumption for the moment that I’m correct in believing that Canon and Nikon have to move at least their low end DSLR lineups to mirrorless. This is not a simple problem for either company, as Canon has already found out with the EOS M. Article on dslrbodies.com.
State of the Mirrorless DSLR. With Photokina behind us, I thought it might be fun to look at the current state of the market. In particular, mirrorless camera systems that someone might select instead of a DSLR. Article on sansmirror.com.
October 16, 2014 ______
A Nail in the DX Coffin? While I was wandering around in Africa in August, a much better known local photographer was outing himself. I’m talking about Bob Krist, long-time Nikon DX user, and his new affiliation with Sony. Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 15, 2014 ______
We’re Going Backwards. If you don’t have an imagination, then all you have is history to guide you. It appears that statement is more and more true of most of the camera industry. Article on dslrbodies.com.
- Accordion pages have now been removed from sansmirror.com, dslrbodies.com, and bythom.com. That means that everyone should be able to see every page on the sites again. As a reminder, ALL menu items on these sites (menu bar at top, below header) are active pages, and have pointers to all the pages below them, and often other useful information. Since my sites are broad and deep in terms of pages, sometimes the menus will be too long to display (especially on mobile devices). Thus sometimes you just need to drill down one menu at a time.
- As part of my removing the accordion pages on dslrbodies.com, I also updated the section on teleconverters, added more Nikon Repair Experiences, updated the announcements section, and cleaned up a lot of other bits and pieces.
October 13, 2014 ______
Workflow: Slow or Fast? I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get across the problems we photographers face in a more graphic way that’s easier to understand. Article on dslrbodies.com.
Nikon Software Updates. Capture NX-D and View NX2 get updates. Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 13, 2014 ______
Wait a Month. After having a very flat run through the first half of the year, the yen/dollar relationship is now once again changing as the yen loses value. Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 10, 2014 ______
Nikon 1 Lenses. I’ve posted two reviews of Nikon 1 (CX) lenses (18.5mm, 70-300mm) today. But in thinking about those lenses I’ve also realized that Nikon needs a slightly better lens plan than it has produced so far. Article on sansmirror.com.
Nikon 18.5mm f/1.8 Lens Review (CX). The 18.5mm f/1.8 for the Nikon 1 cameras (CX mount) is the “normal speed” lens for the system. Article on sansmirror.com.
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Lens Review (CX). The 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR ED is a very long telephoto zoom for the Nikon 1 cameras (CX mount). By very long, I mean 190-810mm equivalent. Article on sansmirror.com.
October 6, 2014 ______
D750 or D810? That’s the question I keep getting. It’s an interesting question, and one that that has a nuance to it: it’s not "should I get the D610, D750, or D810," is it? Article on dslrbodies.com.
Did We Hit the Bar? Following up on my last two articles on the subject of improving sensors and closing windows, let’s contemplate the following chart... Article on dslrbodies.com.
October 3, 2014 ______
Which Chart is Right? There’s a Panasonic presentation chart making the rounds at the moment that trumpets mirrorless camera growth. Article on sansmirror.com.
October 1, 2014 ______
Sensors Are a Moving Target. It’s really easy to graph an interesting subset of that using DxO’s data. Article on dslrbodies.com.
Help Save a Film Factory. FILM Ferrania has a unique Kickstarter project: fund them so that they can preserve Trixie, Walter, and Big Boy. Article on filmbodies.com.
October 1, 2014 ______
Why Are We Still Getting More Pixels? A quick comment I made in my article about the iPhone 6 got one reader with design experience in displays taking me to task. Yes, I have some explaining to do. Article on dslrbodies.com.
Olympus and Panasonic News. You might have noticed these smaller items, so I put them in one spot. Article on sansmirror.com.