Chris Christoff

Nikon D80 Review Round-Up

nikon-d80 If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-135mm AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Imaging Resource

The new Nikon D80’s combination of high-end features and its 18-135mm DX kit lens make a killer photographic tool for the amateur and intermediate photographer who can’t afford or justify the extra cost of the Nikon D200. By any measure, the Nikon D80 is a superb photographic tool, offering value well beyond its relatively modest price point. … It’s solidly built, well-balanced in the hand, highly responsive, and delivers excellent image quality. The Nikon D80’s combination of build quality, image quality, extensive configurability, rich post-capture processing features, and excellent kit lens make it a genuine bargain. This is a camera that’s quite approachable for complete novices, thanks to a very capable fully automated “Green” zone and handful of Scene modes, yet offers the serious amateur a range of creative control and sophisticated operating features unparalleled in its price class. Very highly recommended, and a slam-dunk as one of the better cameras on the market. READ FULL REVIEW

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Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Review Round-Up

sigma-af-50-500mm-f4-63-ex-dg-hsm Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon: Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM APO RF Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sigma SLR Cameras

Digital Picture

Any 10x SLR zoom lens (50mm x10 = 500mm) is going to be attractive, but one that ends with a 500mm focal length is going to get an especially high amount of attention. … AF is accomplished via Sigma’s HSM (Hypersonic Motor). It is quiet, does not extend (rear-focusing), fast and has proven accurate to me even in AI Servo mode shooting sports. Colors appear accurate, but contrast is not as good as some of the other options – none of which have this focal length range of course. Vignetting is well controlled through the middle focal length ranges, but will be noticeable at 50mm and from 300-500mm with a wide open aperture. CA (Chromatic Aberration) is well controlled with some showing in corners at 50mm and from 400-500mm. The Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM Lens shows a little barrel distortion at 50mm and moderate pincushion distortion over most of the rest of the focal length range. … The Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM Lens is not cheap, but it is a decent value. And nothing else gives you 50-500mm in one lens. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon D40X Review Round-Up

nikon-d40x If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews on this camera from Amazon: Nikon D40x 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Camera Labs

The Nikon D40x is a 10.2 Megapixel entry-level digital SLR aimed at general consumers, family users and photographic students. … The Nikon D40x is one of the more interesting DSLRs around right now because it clearly illustrates both the marketing and monetary value of a 10 Megapixel model over an otherwise identical 6 Megapixel version. By inheriting the D80’s sensor and shutter mechanism the D40x was always assured of great quality output, but the subsequent increase in cost makes you look more critically at some of the weaker aspects … For example at the D40’s low asking price, we could just about forgive its basic 3-point AF, lack of depth-of-field preview and a reliance on modern lenses for auto focusing. Unfortunately for the Nikon D40x though, it inherits all of these but is now priced virtually the same as Canon’s EOS 400D/XTi which boasts 9-point AF, anti-dust features, RAW processing software, DOF preview and compatibility with both new and old lenses. So can the D40x really compete against better-featured cameras? READ FULL REVIEW

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Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM APO Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Digital Picture

The Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Lens is unique in it’s capabilities – at this time, no other Canon-mount zoom lens can maintain an action-stopping f/2.8 aperture beyond 200mm. This lens has action-sports written all over it. Unfortunately, the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Lens has a significant shortcoming that affects action sports photography – Autofocus can’t keep up with action rapidly moving toward or away from the camera. Image quality from the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Lens is decent. It has decent sharpness wide open and gets really nice stopped down a stop or so. Sports photography is the primary market for the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Lens, but there are other good uses for it. … Basically, any requirement met by the 120-300mm focal length range with a fast aperture and not-extremely fast AF where size and weight are not an issue can be met. Though not a cheap lens, it is a decent value. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon 35-70mm f/3.5 AI Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Ken Rockwell

It is very sharp at every setting and has a constant f/3.5 aperture. It has less distortion than any of Nikon’s f/2.8 zooms. This lens is a joy to use. It just works, never gets in the way, and yields great results. Just be careful not to let the sun shine into it for fear of veiling flare. As a two-ring zoom it’s best for use on a tripod. Hand-held, I constantly need to grab zoom, then focus, then zoom, then focus, etc. I can’t do both at once as I can with a one-touch zoom. READ FULL REVIEW

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Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM APO Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

SLR Gear

Sigma has produced a nice telephoto zoom here, and the inclusion of optical image stabilization will be a welcome upgrade from its previous offerings in the similar range. This stabilization is necessary, as good image sharpness in the telephoto range is only obtained when stopped down to Æ’/8 or Æ’/11. Using a smaller aperture in this range usually demands a slower shutter speed, which is usually a recipe for blurry images when using long-zoom lenses. With image stabilization, you get a steadier platform. In the final analysis, it becomes fairly obvious whether this lens is for you; Pentax and Sony users really don’t have any comparable options in this range, and while the Nikon and Canon offerings are slightly better choices optically, they’re more expensive. If absolute image quality at full telephoto is your objective, you may have to invest slightly more money into a telephoto prime, but shooting stopped down to Æ’/8 or Æ’/11, you can get fairly good images out of this lens, and with image stabilization, you don’t even need a sunny day or a tripod anymore. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon D200 Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below. Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm AF-S DX f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF Nikkor Zoom Lens

Imaging Resource

The D200 really goes far beyond what would normally be considered as a prosumer model. In virtually every detail, the Nikon D200 creates a new category, that of a compact professional SLR. The Nikon D200 consistently impressed us with its ruggedness (including full environmental seals, a first on a camera selling for less than $4,000), excellent user interface, exceptional feature set, and sure-footed performance. One of the D200’s weak points is clearly that it uses so much antialiasing and so little in-camera sharpening. …Another weak point is high-ISO image noise. … Its few shortcomings aside, the Nikon D200 truly does establish a new level of performance, functionality, and ruggedness at a competitive price point. … Bottom line… highly recommended. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Ken Rockwell

If you are looking for a cheap, lightweight zoom for film or FX this is excellent for the price. I can’t see any reason to buy the so-called ED version over this except for the metal mount and compatibility with my manual focus cameras. On my D70 I can hand-hold it fine down to about 1/125 at 300 mm, at which point only about 50% of my shots are clear. Light weight works against you here, since a heavier lens would do a better job of stabilizing the setup. If you stop it down a little or don’t zoom beyond 200 mm its images look the same as the $1,000 lenses. Just don’t expect it to last in heavy, daily professional abuse. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon D40 Review Round-UP

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon:

Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Imaging Resource

While geared for the entry-level market the D40 packs enough features into its diminutive frame to keep serious enthusiasts interested as well. It’s also the smallest and lightest Nikon DSLR to date, so the point & shoot photographer looking to move up to a real SLR, can do so without having to put up with the heft and bulk that the genre usually dictates. I can tell you that the Nikon D40 is one of the finest family cameras on the market. I’ve really enjoyed shooting with it, and would seriously consider it as a second camera to something like a D80, D200, or 30D. If you’re just getting started in SLR photography and want a light, sweet, competent, and simultaneously friendly digital SLR, the Nikon D40 is a superb choice. READ FULL REVIEW

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Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DC AF Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DC is a budget lens and it shows in some aspects such as small max. aperture combined with a limited zoom range and some mechanical shortcomings (rotating front element and coupled focus ring). Nonetheless the lens is also capable to deliver quite impressive resolution results. So if you can live with its shortcomings and you just can’t spend more for a faster or longer tele zoom the Sigma is a viable option. READ FULL REVIEW

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