Jack Neubart

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5~4.5G ED Lens Review

A wide zoom when you need it, where you need it.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5~4.5G ED. Effectively a 15-36mm zoom (with 1.5X sensor factor), this lens is relatively compact and lightweight. It offers a choice between fully manual and AF with manual override via an onboard switch. And unlike a fisheye or even the 14-24, the front element is not bulbous enough to prevent use of a filter--77mm. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

Over the years, I’ve become enamored of wide zooms–the wider the better. One of my faves is a Tokina fisheye zoom that I practically take everywhere. But there’s only so much barrel distortion one person can take, and only so far that distortion correction can take an image–when you want to employ it, that is. Sometimes you just want to start out with straight lines wherever you can get them. So, when I heard that Nikon had a new 10-24mm lens, I was on it like an egret on a fish (hey, it’s the first metaphor that popped into my head).

I’d worked with Canon’s EF-S 10-22 mm lens–and simply loved it. At the time, I still had an APS-C Canon, but I was fast moving toward full-frame and knew the lens would not be long for this world if I bought it. So I tested it, and sadly said goodbye. Now that I’m back in the APS-C camp with the Nikon D300–and loving it!–it was time to examine yet another zoom in the ultra-wide dimension (super-wide? potato, potato–you get what I mean).

Making Choices

Okay, I know, this looks an awful lot like another lens from Nikon. But there is a difference. Considering that only a few dollars separates them, it really is a tough call choosing between the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5~4.5G ED and AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED.

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Canon PowerShot G10 Review

A 14.7 MP pocket-size point-and-shoot even the pros use.

I don’t know of any point-and-shoot camera that commercial advertising shooters have used more than Canon’s PowerShot G-series. Yes, there are other very capable point-and-shoots out there, but none has garnered the G-series’ rep. As with its predecessors, the G10 remains the flagship in Canon’s point-and-shoot lineup, and as such, this camera proudly carries the colors into the heat of battle.

Canon G10 (front). The compact Canon G10 features an equally compact 5X zoom. Startup is quite fast--fast enough so as not to miss a vital shot. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved. — Canon G10 (front). The compact Canon G10 features an equally compact 5X zoom. Start-up is quite fast. Fast enough so as not to miss a vital shot. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

The G10 ups the ante in resolution, compared with earlier models in the G-series, delivering 14.7 megapixels (MP). That gives you enough real estate for cropping. Granted, it’s a CCD chip. Chatter on the Net is that the next G will be the G-whiz wunderkind, with a CMOS sensor adding new vitality into this series. (With that said, should you buy the G10 or wait? Well, you’ll need to read further.) (more…)

Olympus E-620 Four Thirds DSLR Two-Lens Kit Review

A versatile, compact, and competent 12.3 MP Live MOS DSLR in the Four Thirds format, with lenses to match.

With the Olympus E-620 in hand, I combated intermittent bouts of pouring rain to photograph a league soccer game played in a local park. The rains here in New York had been incessant over the past few weeks, and who knew when I’d get another chance, since games are only played on weekends!

I began with the 40-150mm f/4~5.6 lens (= 80-300mm in 35mm format, given the 2X sensor factor)–one of two lenses that came in the kit. I progressed on to the 12-60mm f/2.8~4 SWD (= 24-120mm)–this one was added. SWD stands for Supersonic Wave Drive, designed as a faster and quieter technology driving AF functions. The other kit lens was a 14-42mm f/3.5~5.6 ( =28-84)–a lens I had little use for, given that this focal length range was covered by the more encompassing SWD zoom.

Olympus E-620 with 12-60mm SWD lens (front view). The E-620 proves that the Four Thirds format is not simply a fly-by-night attempt to improve the genre. This digital format will be here for a very long time. The 12-60mm SWD lens is a good choice as a first lens. But I do think it's overpriced. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

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Epson Stylus Photo R2880 Inkjet Printer

A 13×19″ pigment-ink printer that is a dream come true.

In the past, my purchase of printers was largely focused on dye-based inkjets. The dye-based (not to be confused with dye-sub) printer, you might say, is the consumer-friendly version: Dye-based ink technology is typically found in popular 8×10 and many snapshot printers. The technology is aimed at consumer-friendly papers, namely glossy, greeting cards, and the like.

Many snapshot printers employ dye-sublimation printing technology for longer-lasting prints, often on virtually indestructible paper-but with less punch and pizzazz than what we get off inkjet. Thermal ink technologies use preloaded cassettes loaded with a ribbon, and will deliver a number of prints matched to the number of sheets of paper provided in the package-in other words, when you buy a dye-sub pack, you’re getting the complete package–nothing more to buy in consumables. Do the math-you’ll see it’s simplified.

With inkjet snapshot printers, the ink comes in a cassette, along with paper, but it’s not an exact match-you may have a few sheets of paper left over when the ink runs out. And it’s a dye-based ink. (more…)

Alien Skin Software’s Photoshop Plug-ins

A wide range of add-ons to help you create sometimes startling, sometimes pretentious images.

Original. I made this f/4.5 exposure of these columbine blossoms with a Nikon D300 and Nikon 10-24mm lens (at 24mm), by available light. Breezy conditions dictated a fast shutter speed (1/500) and the shade mandated a high ISO (1600). Follow this image through its various iterations brought about though the use of Alien Skin Software's plug-ins. Photo ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

I’ve worked with Alien Skin Software plug-ins for years. As with other plug-ins, I at times became so enchanted by them that I lost sight of the original image or my purpose in using the plug-in. And once I realized that I was allowing myself to be swept up in this mania of adding effects just for the sake of doing so, without rhyme or reason, I pulled back and placed some restraints on myself– actually, it’s an ongoing process. (more…)

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Nikkor Review

This zoom has taken me far and wide, expanding my creative vision.

I wasn’t about to be swayed easily. Until now I was not a Nikon enthusiast–my camera allegiances lay elsewhere. So, if I was going to start using Nikon gear seriously, that gear had better prove itself. Accordingly, when I tested out the D300, I chose the one lens that I’d anticipated would either demonstrate the merits of this system or let it fall flat on its face. I wanted a lens wide enough for scenics and groups and long enough to capture people and wildlife unobtrusively. In an all-purpose lens, I also wanted image stabilization, or, as Nikon calls it, Vibration Reduction (VR)–or specifically second-gen Enhanced VR II Vibration Reduction–a nice adjunct when shooting by available light or stretching the limits of a low light-sensitivity rating (ISO).

What I really wanted was one lens that would do it all. I didn’t want to schlep around three or four lenses as I did with my other DSLR system. I wanted a compact solution, but one that would not involve compromise–at least, none that I would notice in everyday shooting.

And that search led me to Nikon’s 18-200 VR. Aside from a fisheye that I carry for an entirely different perspective on the world, this lens is all I’ve carried on recent trips to Germany, Miami, and Las Vegas. It has so much going for it that–well, maybe we should start at the beginning…

jn_01a-compact2 — THE LENS. The AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED is fairly lightweight, and relatively compact when not zoomed out. Note the three switches: one governs focusing (auto with manual override or full manual), VR on/off, and VR mode ("normal" for camera shake and smooth panning or "active" for shooting from a moving vehicle). Frankly, I rarely used this last feature, and when I did, I didn't notice a measurable difference. When fully extended, this lens becomes obvious for what it is: a zoom with telephoto reach. The petal-shaped lens shade may not seem deep enough, but it does the job well. Photo Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

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