October 2014

Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC Zoom lens: It’s a Keeper!

Submitted by David Cardinal on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 14:32

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD Lens for Nikon CamerasLike most of you, I’m always a bit skeptical of third party lenses until I get to give them a good workout. The need for a fast, but not insanely large, zoom for my recent gorilla trekking experience led me to the (newish) . The specs – lighter and smaller than the Nikon version, with Vibration Compensation included – were appealing. By themselves, that wouldn’t have convinced me to try it. Coupled with its off the charts performance when tested by DxOMark with the Nikon D800e (as close as test as I could find to the I’d be using it with), I was sold on the idea of using it as my go-to mid-range zoom in Africa. I wasn’t disappointed…


Sigma 24-70mm Lens
Review
Nikon 24-85mm Lens
News
Lens Review
Cardinal
2.8 Lens
2.8 Di VC Lens

Think Tank StreetWalker HardDrive: The Ultimate vehicle safari backpack

Submitted by David Cardinal on Sun, 10/19/2014 - 08:36

Think Tank Photo StreetWalker HardDrive (Black/Silver/Blue)Regular readers will know that for yours I’ve been searching for the perfect backpack for taking on African safaris – or to other locations where we shoot from vehicles. For international travel, the bag has to meet carry-on requirements, so it can’t be too long. It also needs to either be a roller, like the ThinkTank Airport Takeoff or the LowePro X200, or at least have really nice backpack straps for lugging through connecting airports. At the same time, it needs to be compact enough to fit on the seat in a vehicle and move around in potentially tight spaces on boats or trucks. Plus it needs to accommodate a couple bodies, several lenses including a long one, and a laptop. Enter the …

Wildlife Photography
Wildlife Photo Safari
Wildlife
Think Tank StreetWalker HardDrive
News
Lowepro X200 Roller
Lowepro Pro Roller X200
Lowepro Computrekker AW
Cardinal

The Great Migration: Anatomy of a Crossing

Submitted by David Cardinal on Tue, 10/14/2014 - 11:35

No matter how often you’ve watched it on video, or seen those amazing images of Wildebeest herds crashing down the bank of the Mara River, nothing is quite like the experience of watching it in person. Our group was fortunate enough to witness (and photograph) several crossings on our recent trip. Each one was different, of course, but there is much about crossings that isn’t obvious from the photos, and isn’t featured in most video documentaries that’s worth passing along…

Zebra
Wildlife Photo Safari
Wildlife
Wildebeest
tanzania
Sigma 120-300mm Lens
Nikon D810
News
Great Migration
DxO Optics Pro
Crocodile
Cardinal
Africa
2.8 Lens

The Nikon D750 should have been called the Nikon D650

Submitted by David Cardinal on Thu, 10/09/2014 - 07:25

Upon my return from Africa, I found my review waiting for me. As expected from the specs & early looks, it is a sweet (and relatively small) camera that I’ll have plenty of fun shooting with – and writing about -- over the coming weeks. However, it wasn’t quite what I expected from the model number. I was hoping it would be a real upgrade from the Nikon D700, and might make a good twin for my . However, it isn’t…


Nikon D810
Nikon D800e DSLR
Nikon D800 DSLR
Nikon D800
Nikon D750
Nikon D7100
Nikon D700
Nikon D650
Nikon D4S
Nikon D400
Nikon D4 DSLR
Nikon D4
News
DSLR
Cardinal
Camera Body