Cameras, Lenses, Lighting, Accessories

Nikon D3X Details

Seb Rogers posted in his blog the specifications to the new Nikon D3X which he found just this morning in the Nikon Pro magazine that landed on his door step in the UK.

Leica S2 - 37MB DSLR w/ 30mm x 45mm sensor

Read more details in my Leica S2 blog entry.


Walter Rowe Photography
Columbia, Maryland - USA

D300 Quick Review

I just received a new D300, and here is my four-word concise review: "It's the sensor, stupid."

Don't get me wrong; the other features are great! But the high-ISO performance of the CMOS sensor is much better than I anticipated. The sensor is the heart of any digital SLR, and the CMOS sensor in the D300 is a big improvement over the CCD sensor in the D200.

Before buying, I read literally dozens of D300 reviews on the internet and in print.

Canon 5D Mark II Announced !

Today Canon officially announced the long awaited Canon 5D Mark II, the replacement for the wildly popular Canon 5D.

Canon's "Moon" ad:
http://www.canon.com/moon/en/index.html

Canon's 5D Mark II page:
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryi...

I do not yet see any retailers listing the camera, nor do I see any pricing yet. We will see it soon!

Basic specs:

21.1 MP
50 - 25,600 ISO
DIGIC 4 Processor
3.9 FPS
Full Frame Sensor
Self cleaning system
Live View Shooting
Live View HD Video

Reputable / Non-reputable Equipment Retailers

Don Wiss posted a great web page some time ago that I thought would be good to share. It shows you the storefront of so-called discount camera retailers in New York City. Most everyone knows that B&H Photo Video, Adorama, Calumet, Samy's, Berger Brothers, and Hunt's Photo-Video are all very reputable retailers here in the USA. There are also a number of very reputable retailers in Asia, Europe and Australia for our non-US members.

This website shows the names and storefronts of places that are NOT reputable.
Brooklyn Store Fronts: http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/

Four month old 40D with blown shutter????

I was shooting fireworks tonight with my 40D I bought in Mid-February and got the dreaded Err 99. Switched batteries, switched lens, cleaned contacts, etc. Nada!

Now I have argue with Best Buy (I was smart and bought the extended warranty) as I have a HUGE festival to shoot in less than 2 weeks and I really don't want to do so with my four-plus year old back-up body.

Question for Canon 20D users

My Canon 20D is 3 yrs old, has approximately 40K images taken. Lately it's been front-focusing pretty badly (very noticeable at wide open apertures), and is currently in the shop (along my most-used lens) for an alignment.

The shop said they might not be able to fix it, and some local photog friends have advised me that after 3yrs this camera may be near the end of its life. :(

Camera Custom Settings

Some camera makers are starting to include a feature where all of your custom settings can be saved to a file on your storage card and imported to other cameras. I have ordered a new Nikon D300 which supports this feature. What other cameras support this feature? Would you be willing to post a message with a Zipped copy of your custom settings file attached?

To Pocket Wizard or Not Pocket Wizard....

..that is the question haha. I am about to plead my case with the hubby about some lighting and was looking into the SU800 and the Pocket Wizard that Walter mentioned. I can probably squeeze 1-2 SB-600's and a commander out of the deal. I have a feeling I already know the answer to this but is the Pocket Wizard a better choice? I saw a few different ones on adorama.com but am unsure of the best bang for the buck or which one is really the best one for the job. What do most of you use? Can anyone shed any opinions or light on the subject? No pun intended lol. :)