June 2012

Nikon D4: First impressions–Hands-on

Submitted by David Cardinal on Tue, 06/26/2012 - 13:34

I knew when I first shot with an early at CES in January that it would be an amazing camera. After spending some time shooting with a production model over the weekend, I’m definitely a believer. The Nikon D4 is a no-compromise beast of a DSLR, capable of shooting 10fps at ISOs up into the six-digit range. It tips the scales at a hefty 3 lbs., and will empty your wallet of $6K. It’s not the resolution champion, as we all know the Nikon D800 is, but for many of us who shoot action or wildlife, it’s 16MP of clean, sharp images is plenty.

DPS 10-05: Photo Walk with B&H, Superzoom Faceoff, Sigma 50-500, Scene Modes, Memorial Day plus designing Bird Blinds

Submitted by David Cardinal on Fri, 06/15/2012 - 00:00

Welcome to DPS 10-05 -- June, 2012: B&H Photo Walk at the Bronx Zoo, Superzoom faceoff and Sigma 50-500mm lens review, plus Celebrating Memorial Day, Scene Modes, and designing Bird Blinds.

Superzoom faceoff: Canon PowerShot SX260 HS versus Nikon Coolpix S9300

Submitted by David Cardinal on Thu, 06/14/2012 - 14:52

[NOTE: If you're looking for the Sigma 50-500mm lens review, . Sorry about that]

As impressive as improvements have been across the board in point and shoot cameras over the last few years, none have made greater strides than the superzooms. Formerly more of a novelty and avoided by anyone serious about performance or image quality, new models are finally worth serious consideration for anyone needing to isolate subjects with a small, light camera. For this project I borrowed a and a and carried both around for a few weeks as my point and shoot camera. I knew that neither would live up to the speed or image quality of my personal favorite point and shoot, the , but of course that isn’t the point. These models have amazing zoom ranges, and actually cost less. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found…

Sigma 50-500mm Lens: Is it the Ultimate Superzoom? Field test on B&H Photo Walk at the Zoo

Submitted by David Cardinal on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 15:43

Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM APO Autofocus LensSuperzooms have been the poor stepchildren of lenses nearly forever. Typically under-performing models sold to people uninterested in worrying about multiple lenses or great quality, using one was a great way to mark yourself as an amateur. So it took quite a bit of convincing – in the form of happy success stories and awesome images taken by my clients on various safaris with the – for me to decide to shoot with this latest entry in the “all-in-one” superzoom category. I’m glad I did….

Canon EOS Rebel T4i DSLR ups the entry-level ante–Optimized for silent video operation

Submitted by David Cardinal on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 07:02

Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital Camera with EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM LensIn the continuing game of leapfrog between Canon and Nikon at all levels, Canon has fired the latest salvo in entry level DSLRs with the Rebel T4i. In addition to the now expected upgrades to the camera’s image-capture ability – 18MP sensor, DIGIC 5 processor, ISOs to 12800 and full 1080p HD Canon is trumpeting two new features optimized for video…

Canon Powershot SX260 HS: Superzoom day at the Zoo

Submitted by David Cardinal on Wed, 06/06/2012 - 15:01

Lorrie and I spent yesterday scouting out the current exhibits at the Bronx Zoo for the B&H photo walk we are leading in the morning. It was fun, but since we wanted to cover the entire zoo we were moving quickly and didn’t have time to shoot as much as we would have liked. Since I’m in the middle of doing a face off of the new “super-zoom” point and shoots from Canon and Nikon I figured I’d spend the day shooting with the . After getting back to our friends’ apartment, I reviewed the images and found a lot to like, and a little disappointment…