Posts written by Nature Sniper

This author has written 347 articles
Canon

Lens Test: Canon 50mm f/1.2L USM AF

This speedy full-frame 50mm f/1.2L ($1,400, street) fills a vacancy left by the demise of Canon's 50mm f/1.0L four years ago. The company's only L-series normal lens, it's the fastest normal AF lens on the planet.

 

canon-50mm-f1.2l-usm-af.jpg


The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM features

* Latest Ultrasonic Motor (USM) for fast and near silent auto focus
* Full-time manual focus override
* Super Spectra coatings and optimised lens element shaping to suppress flare and ghosting
* Environmental seals providing dust and moisture resistance
* Circular aperture diaphragm for beautifully even background bokeh and ‘removal’ of distracting backgrounds
* Distance information passed back to the new E-TTL II flash algorithm of all current model digital EOS cameras
* Minimum focus distance 45cm
* Lens hood and pouch included in the box.

 


 

Canon

Full Lab Test: Canon EOS 1D Mark III

Since Canon announced their new flagship 10.1 megapixel high-speed professional DSLR, the Canon EOS 1D Mark III (street: $4500) back in March, we've been itching to put it through our battery of lab tests. Photojournalists, sports photographers and hardcore enthusiasts, among others, have been chattering about this camera online, eagerly awaiting delivery of a promised unit, or complaining about being stuck in back-order hell.

 

canon_eos-1d_mark_iii_front.jpg


Perhaps you've already heard about the feature set of this camera: ISO 50-6400, 1.3x conversion factor, 10 frames per second with a JPEG burst of up to 110 full-resolution shots (or 22 RAW plus JPEG), Dual Digic III processors, 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion, live preview shooting on the 230,000 pixel 3 inch LCD, sensor-shake dust removal, and a host of other upgrades big and small.

 

 

Tutorial / Techniques

3 Ways to Get Good Sunset Exposures

Who doesn’t love to take pictures of sunrises and sunsets? The tricky part is getting the right exposure: The extremes of the dark ground, the bright sun, and the variations in clouds can confound your camera’s automatic metering system. A camera with exposure lock or manual aperture/ shutter control is invaluable. Here’s how to use them:

 

sunset-masterchong.jpg
Photo by Nature Sniper


 

Sigma

Camera Test: Sigma SD14

The long-awaited Sigma SD14 DSLR boasts a unique sensor and a whole lot of megapixels. But how well does it perform?

Image
If patience is a virtue, photographers shopping for a new Sigma DSLR are saints. After all, it’s been three years since the last Sigma digital (the SD10), and it was more than six months between the announcement and availability of the new Sigma SD14 ($1,600, street, body only).

Clearly, a truly unique camera takes time. And the SD14 is unique. It’s the first and only DSLR to use a second-generation Foveon X3 sensor, which has a 1.7X lens factor, boasts 14.1 megapixels, and is promoted as a color-accurate, detail-obsessed, low-noise alternative to the CMOS and CCD sensors used in other DSLRs.