|
I will leave lengthy, detailed reviews to others .What follows are mini-reviews of cameras and lenses that serve me well. They may or may not meet your needs. Canon 5D Mark II After living and travelling with this full-frame digital SLR for several months, I offer these observations. The images it produces have a depth I don't have the technological expertise to explain. It may be greater gradation between tones. Your legacy wide-angles really are wide-angles, because of the 35mm frame-size sensor. Lenses that do justice to this sensor's capabilities include: Canon EF 50mm f 2.5 macro, my travel 50, distortion-free and extremely sharp. Olympus OM 24mm f 2.8 with the Leitax adapter - absolutely faultless at f 5.6 and f8. It costs one-fifth of what the Canon "L" 24mm f 1.4 costs and comes very close to the L in sharpness. Setting hyperfocal distances works fine, but the rather loose focusing ring is easily knocked off kilter. Consider gaffer's tape to hold it at hyperfocal f 5.6. Barrel distortion is terrible up close, but at normal wide-angle distance, is easily handled in post-processing. Keep the Olympus shade on and and cover it with a Hood Hat. Nikkor 28mm f 2.8 AI. I have always liked the 28mm focal length. The AI version is much maligned (AIS is preferred by many), but my particular sample is sharp corner-to-corner and has only slight barrel distortion. I use the Fotodiox adapter. Keep the shade on and cover with a Hood Hat. Leica R 35mm, 55 filter-size. I use the Leitax adapter with the optional Dandelion chip, providing focus confirmation on the 5D2. I suppose there are sharper 35's, but I love the way this one renders colors and I like the corner sharpness at f 5.6. You can use Live View for precise focus. If you MUST have autofocus, the unheralded little EF 35mm f2 is not a bad lens, just not as sharp in the center as the ridiculously expensive 35 "L" f 1.4. Canon EF 85mm f 1.8, one of the best bargains in the Canon line-up, and my companion to the Leica 35 for light carry. It is sharp, offers beautiful out-of-focus rendition for isolating a subject, and is reasonably light. EF 70-200 f4 IS "L" is for when I want the best in sharpness and for isolating part of a scene. The zoom offers great framing flexibility. Any distortion at either end of the zoom range is easily dealt with in post processing. If you encounter horizon line problems, frame a little more generously or get a focusing screen with grid lines. The Pentax K-r is my choice for APS-C sensor light carry. I don't like the term "entry-level". All DSLR's, regardless of maker, are competent. The K-r is light, without seeming flimsy, compact and a perfect companion for the DA-series very compact Pentax lenses. Pentax DSLR's can use every Pentax lens since the 1960's (with the screw-to-K adapter). The interface is absolutely the simplest and best thought-out I have encountered. It is like driving my Toyota Corolla manual shift after learning to drive in an Army jeep. DA 21mm f3.2 wide angle. On the APS-C sensor, this crops to about a 32mm, right between my favorite 28 and 35 focal lengths on full-frame. Barrel distortion is handled in the camera's software (jpg only). The lens is sharp in the center, but don't expect the edges and corners to catch up. They never do. It's no biggie, but it is a reason I don't put a lot of money into Pentax APS-C. FA 35mm f2, a big reason I stay with Pentax. This is a great 35 (crops to about a 52) with very smooth out-of-focus rendition and very sharp, even in the center. Barrel distortion is minimal, and easily dealt with if you even notice it. SMC-A 50mm f 1.7 It's my cheapest lens and one of my very sharpest. A 50mm crops to about a 75 with the APS-C sensor. DA 70mm f 2.4, my isolating lens for Pentax. It is VERY sharp, and throws the background out of focus nicely. The DA 21 and DA 70 are great uber-compact companions. Canon S95, our family point 'n shoot I like the straightforward controls, with minimal menu-diving. Above all, I like the clean images this little guy produces. I have never liked holding the camera away from me, like holding one of my little kids when they had a dirty diaper. For the easy carry and compactness, coupled with really decent image quality, I can put up with the lack of a viewfinder. However, I dislike extreme miniaturization that interferes with functionality. I cannot pick this little guy up without hitting the Playback button. Surely, for all the people in Europe, North and South America and Africa with fairly large hands, the product engineers would keep the upper right rear corner free of buttons. My advice for users of the S90, S95 and S100 is to use the hand strap. It is all to easy to drop this camera. Also, Franiec and Flipbac make stick-on grips for the front side that make holding easier and more comfortable. Enjoy the image quality; it is worth the bother.
|
