New! Nikon D7100 Review , available for pre-order

NIKON D7100 Announced...
NIKON'S ANSWER AND UPGRADE FROM THE D7000.
Photo's seen below are the last photos taken June 2011 on my D7000 before upgrading to my D3s. Model: Tina Bertelli

D7000, 70-200mm f2.8 VRII @ 70mm ISO 100, f7.1 1/500

There wasn't much to dislike about the D7000. It was a quality solid reliable breakthrough into the DX sensor size field. I had mine for over a year before I switched everything to full frame FX and still have fond memories of the camera. Perfect for the hobbiest, amateur, pro or new mother looking for quality pictures of her kids.  With digital technology improving each and every day, so does the cameras sensors. In fact, comparing image quality from sensor to sensor is minimal. Rather what varies is the glass / lens you put in front of it. That said the camera does still play a significant role in the handling and how the picture is taken.

The D7000 boasted a ground breaking 18mp sensor at 6fps which most DSLR's had about 12mp.  I saw nothing wrong with this but in Nikon's never ending pursuit of more megapixels they've upgraded the new D7100 to 24 megapixels still at 6 frames per second on continuous. That just means you better be buying some more hard drive space. The extra 6mp won't be making a huge difference to existing D7000 users as 18mp is way more than enough for most people and applications. Take for instance, if your main purpose is to share with others and friends on facebook. Those images are being viewed on a computer or handheld device that displays at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Approximately 2mp, 3-4mp at best!!! Never the less, I've printed many shots taken with the D7000 larger than 2 feet by 3 feet no problem and zero pixelation.

The D7000 had much going for it but still had its drawbacks. Autofocus was the main one. It was inaccurate at times and slightly unreliable. It's 39 point AF would often backfocus on many occasions and on different modes. So bad at times you'd completely miss shots and be left scratching your head. When I say backfocus, I don't mean slightly miss focus by a centimetre or two, which it also did, but rather focus on the background 20ft behind the subject. This was a major issue and complaint of D7000 users. Nikon claims to have fixed this with the new 51 point autofocus system in the D7100. If its anything like or is the same as the autofocus in the D800,  D4 or even the D3s then they will have succeeded. Just for the improvement in autofocus alone makes this camera desirable.

Video capabilities have also been upgraded on the D7100. You will now be able to film 1080p @30fps and 1080i @60fps for a little slow-motion or higher frame rate compared to the D7000 which maxed out at 1080p @24fps.

Most every other specification on the D7100 is identical to the D7000. Aside from minor upgrades such as HDR and time-lapse shooting modes, they've upgraded, or allowed bracketing to shoot up to 5 shots. The previous D7000 only allowed for 3 shots which is the bare minimum needed to create a proper HDR image (I find 5 shot HDR ideal for most situations). The ISO remains a respectable 100-6400 expandable to Hi2 25600 with a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000. Dual SD slots for back-up or overflow and ergonomics remain nearly mirrored.

If your waiting for a D300 replacement, this is it. This is and will be a great choice for a wide variety of people. The full auto and scene modes make it suitable for the average person not into photography just looking for nice photos.  As well as the season photographers perhaps looking for a smaller package for travel or just to gain some range on there lenses by using a DX format. The Nikon D7100 has the power and capabilities to keep up with most any situation.

Recently announced, Nikon's D7100 is available for pre-order with an expected delivery of March 31, 2013. At a cost of $1200 for body only or $1600 with kit lens 18-105mm (which I don't recommend, the extra $400 could be much better spent on a better lens) , expect to wait on your copy unless you pre-order soon as I expect a long list of excited customers.

D7000, 24-70mm f2.8 @ISO 400, f6.3, 1/60

The Nikon 50mm 1.4G Review

Third times not always a charm...
Nikon 50mm 1.4G vs 1.8D

Optically, this is not a pro lens.  I've owned two 50mm F1.4G's in the past and sold them both. I borrowed my friends to give it a third chance. To begin with the 50mm prime is not my favourite range to rock on full frame FX. I prefer something wider like my 35mm and or tighter like 85mm. It's right in that middle awkward range that I find limiting and not useful enough.  On DX sensors the 50mm is a nice portrait lens as it is the equivalent of 75mm on FX. You can buy a new Nikon 50mm F1.4G for about $550 new or $400 on the used market. The lens I will be comparing it to is the Nikon 50mm F1.8D. Only costs about $150 new and $100 used but will not work with cheaper Nikon DSLR's that don't have AF motors.

The first lens I ever bought was the $150 Nikon 50mm F1.8D which I rocked as my one and only lens with first DSLR, the D90. The combo was stelar. Later down the road I wanted an upgrade and purchased the newer 50mm F1.4G which I sold a while later. I decided to give it another chance and picked up another about a year later. I ended up selling it within a week... 

IMAGE SHARPNESS
I've always felt that the Nikon 50mm F1.4G produced soft images and after testing my third version, although this one being the best of the three, I can now say without hesitation. At 1.4 its not overly sharp.. It's a little soft! It gets marginally better by 1.8 but doesn't really become decent until F2. Now whats the good of a F1.4 lens if you can't confidently shoot at 1.4????  

NIKON 50mm F1.4G vs F1.8D SHARPNESS
At 1.8 the 1.4G takes the edge. Not surprising since the 1.8D is wide open where lenses are usually weakest. Surprisingly by 2.2, the 1.8D takes the lead and holds as the sharper image as we stop down. Check out these direct comparisons. The focus point is the top of the "i".

BOKEH
The out of focus areas are a little harsh and a little unpleasant. Not great, but not too bad either.  That said it is much much better than the 50mm F1.8D in this characteristic.

CHROMATIC ABERRATION 
The green and purple fringing is very noticeable and hard to miss on both the 1.4G and 1.8D. Check out the back edge of the cup. Even the front edge has a slight purple fringe as my focus point is the top of the letter "i" and the edge of the brim is slightly closer

DISTORTION  
none

LENS FALLOFF
Or Lens vignetting, is not bad at all on this lens. Worst at f1.4 and completely gone by f4.0.
The effects are greatly exaggerated by shooting on a grey background. Even at 1.4 it's only about a 1/3 stop of falloff.

AUTO FOCUS
Focusing is fast, and quite. A little faster than the 1.8D but a ton quieter and smoother due to the internal silent wave motor. 
All three 50mm 1.4G lenses I've tested slightly back focus and require auto focus fine tuning within the camera. Each was slightly different but required a adjustment of +5 to +10. This bugs me, as you would think Nikon would calibrate them more constantly accurate.

COMPARED to the 50mm F1.8D. Images from the 50mm 1.4G have a much richer saturation.  As well it is more contrasty. 

CONCLUSION
I don't recommend this lens for pro's as its optics are not pro quality. The build quality is cheap and plasticy and so far all my tests and experiences have rendered this lens unreliable. Just not something I'd trust to pull out on a job. Its just fine for amateurs or hobbyists as you most likely won't be pixel counting. If your camera has a AF motor, and your on a budget, pick up a 50mm 1.8D. It's the best bang for the buck at $100-$150 and you'll never be disappointed. 

Sigma 35mm 1.4 DG Review

THE SIGMA STIGMA...
Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG Hands on

The Sigma 35 1.4 Nikon versions only been out for a month or so and go for around $950 new. Compared to the Nikon 35mm 1.4G which retails for around $1850. There aren't too many used Sigma's on the market due to its age, but used Nikon 35mm 1.4G's are hard to come buy and sell quick. Usually selling for around $1600
Designed for full frame DSLR's this is not for DX or APS-C sized sensors. For DX rather pick up Nikon's 35mm 1.8G for $250

I have always been a Nikon guy and had bought nothing but Nikon lenses, with the exception of a Tokina 12-24mm F4 DX lens I had used and later sold early on in my career. (Which was great btw).
Sigma was just a brand that I steered clear of for obvious reason. I was surprised when I went to pick up a Nikon 35mm 1.4 at my regular camera store and my guy recommended the New Sigma 35mm 1.4. To say the least, I was a little taken back that he would suggest it to me. It was still in the pre-order stage and he said he would bring one in for me to try out. He guaranteed me it was not like the other Sigma's. When the lens came in I went to the store with no bias armed with both my D800 and D3s ready for a thorough examination. Needless to say I bought the lens. I was impressed... and still am.

I've had the Sigma 35mm f1.4 for just over a month now and it continues to wow me. I love the build quality which is actually slightly heavier and longer in length than the Nikon 35mm 1.4G. In direct comparison the Sigma feels more solid and the Nikon more plasticy. Which seems to be a sad trend with Nikon's G series using more plastic nowadays. The focus ring is nice and large and stiffer than the Nikon. Not problem stiff but smooth with a quality glide. The overall ergonomics are very nice across the board. You can tell Sigma spent some quality time redesigning the look and feel. Not that the exterior matters towards the pictures it takes, but this is a nice looking lens. After all, I'll have to walk around with this lens hanging off my body! 

It has become my goto, never leave behind, single lens D800 combo. The image quality paired with the Nikon D800 is all I ever need in most situations.  The biggest test for me was how it performed at 1.4 after all, any lens can be sharp at f5.6 and this ain't the F64 club!  If it's not sharp and usable wide open then whats the point! Let me tell you it did not disappoint. 




Image sharpness is excellent and focus is fast and precise. Even at 1.4 the in focus areas are crisp! Compared directly to the Nikon 35mm 1.4G, there are on par and I can't say which is sharper when side by side 100% crops. If you can tell me which is Nikon or Sigma without reading the caption I call bullshit. 

Sigma's field of view is a little wider as you can see from these shots taken on a tripod. Why? I have no idea.

Left: Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG @ 1.4    -    Right: Nikon 35mm 1.4G @ 1.4

Vignetting is heavy at 1.4 as expected and pretty much identical to Nikon's. It's barely noticeable by f2.8, the slightest hint at f4 if side by side, and completely gone at f5.6. If you shoot 1.4 you've come to expect this and many like the look it brings. There are also many ways to reduce the effect of vignetting in the camera or in processing after the fact. Nikon 35mm 1.4G vignetting is about the same and no better.

Here's samples shot on Grey to exaggerate the effects 

Distortion is there is none

Bokeh (or out of focus characteristic) are very creamy. Bokehlisious!  This is a shot of my friends dog @ f1.4 Gorgeous George! This is also a vertical crop which was taken horizonally on my D800 @ 20mp Jpeg. The eyes are super sharp without any sharpening or post editing

Sigma 35mm @ f1.4

Both Nikon's and Sigma have notable Chromatic Abberation. Also know as color fringing with the areas behind the point of focus having a greenish outline and the foreground having a purple edge. This has never really bothered me as no one ever looks a photo and says "Holy crap, look at that Chromatic Aberration!!" 

The coloration between the two are slightly different with the Nikon being slightly saturated and the Sigma more realistic. I could say which I liked better just that they were different.

FLAWS - There is one thing that really bugs me. Being new to the Sigma world, I don't know if this is an common Sigma focus problem. I noticed that on Nikon's focus mode AF-C. The manual focus override doesn't take over. Rather fights the camera's focus which continues to try and focus.  The manual override works fine on AF-S.

CONCLUSION - This is a professional grade lens. A huge step in the right direction for Sigma lenses. I had to constantly check the metadata to see which shot was taken with my Sigma and which was Nikon. So at half the price or Nikon's 35mm F1.4 its a bargain. Personally I like the look and build quality of this Sigma better than Nikon's.

Fujifilm X100 Hands On Review

THE PERFECT TRAVEL SIZED COMPANION FOR THE PRO OR AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER

Fujifilm X100 Front
The Fujifilm x100 packs a 12.3 mp APS-C sized sensor behind a fixed 23mm F2.0 lens (34.5mm equivalent on a 35mm full frame sensor) all incased in a retro and stylish packaging. Priced around $1200 new or $800 used, It offers all the manual controls with a large sensor while remaining sleek and compact. This camera has a lot to offer and definitely fills a void in many photographers bags. 

Fujifilm X100 Back

The Fuji X100 has been out for over a year now and is soon to be replaced by the new X100s. Basically the identical plus a few tweaks and improvements. Overall this is a great addition to any pros arsenal. Its a perfect travel, evening or everyday camera without packing a 20 lbs bag around or sacrificing for a miniature point & shoot with crappy results.

The 23mm, 34.5mm equivalent is a great range for almost any situation. The F/2 lens allows for lowlight photography and offers a shallow enough depth of field to keep me happy. It's well built of metal with solid weight and smooth turning dials. An electronic eye-sensor that activates it very cool and useful hybrid LCD / optical viewfinder.  

Fujifilm X100 Top

I really enjoy this cameras functionality with almost everything readily available with the turn of a dial. The aperture ring is especially nice, it allows for quick to change from F2 - F16 in full stop increments and then to auto.

As well as the large shutter dial on top which effortlessly allows you to go from bulb to 1/2 second up to 1/4000 in full stop increments then auto.  The exposure compensation is right on top ranging from -2 to +2 in third stop increments. It works great on A,S or P. I often shoot manual shutter / aperture with auto ISO on and found that the exposure compensation doesn't work in manual mode. Whether or not Fuji will address this problem is yet to be seen but could definitely be in the form of a firmware update.

ISO is hidden in the menu, but you can simply set the function button to ISO which I would highly suggest. Only drawback is that the Auto ISO is not accessible from here. 

You can also set the RAW button on the back of the camera to a variety of functions for fast access. I prefer it set to ND filter rather than the default RAW. I like to shoot wide open in full daylight where the ND is needed. Most everything else you need has a button on the back of the camera to open in the menu. The in camera menu is a little confusing at first, like any new OS, but becomes quite simple and easy to navigate once to get used to it.

I recently took nothing but the X100 on a trip to Vegas. No chance I was going to pack around a camera bag with all the activities associated with going to Vegas with friends. I literally wore the camera all weekend from gambling at the Cosmopolitan to clubbing at XS. Hung over my shoulder it never seemed to get in the way. The supplied strap is unassuming and comfortable, although a tad short. The built in flash seemed to nail the exposure at almost any light. Great as a daytime fill flash and never looked too harsh. 

F2-F16 23mm Aspherical Lens

The native ISO is 200-6400 expandable to Lo100 & Hi12800. Overall it performed about average. Not quite as good as I hoped and mostly unusable after 3200. Even at 3200 I was finding way to much noise and evidence of noise reduction for my liking. 

Sharpness is quite good all around. Its a touch softer wide open at F2 with the slightest of vignetting. Nothing to complain about. The Bokeh is nice, no harsh edges in the out of focus areas. Distortion is minimal and not worth discussing on this type of camera. If you want super straight lines, draw them!

So far so good,  although this camera is not for everyone. It does require a basic knowledge of photography ie: aperture, shutter speeds & ISO since there is no dedicated full auto mode or button. It also has a fixed lens which won't suffice for the zoom obsessed public. It also won't cut it for sports as the auto focus and trigger delay won't keep up with your needs. You'd also have to be on the field with the subject to get any type of usable framing with a 35mm equivalent focal range.

The auto focus is not quite as smart as some of the point and shoots but its very accurate on single point. I found it best to use the center point, focus and recompose. The focus time can  be a little on the slower side and sometimes search even on single point, but seems to have sped up a lot with the latest firmware update 1.30.  The manual focus ring located outside the aperture ring is not nearly as responsive enough and somewhat unusable. Rumour has it this is one of the upgrades to the X100s along with faster focus speed. Currently you have to spin and spin and spin it to even get a slight change in focus in manual mode.  

In the studio it can be quite useful. Why would I ever choose the X100 over my D800 or D3s in a studio setting??? Shutter sync speed! Because its mirrorless its capable of syncing at 1/1000 when shooting with strobes compared to 1/250.

If your considering the Fujifilm X100 or X100s I'd say its a no brainer. The Pros far outweigh the Cons. If you pick up a new or used X100 first thing I'd recommend is updating the firmware.