Sigma AF 70-300mm f4-f5.6 APO DG Macro

Advantages: Decent quality on a budget but only for APS-C digital SLR's.
Disadvantages: Really quite poor when used with full-frame digital SLR's.

...of good quality. I don't know if it is simply a variation between samples but my own APO version appeared to have somewhat 'smoother' zooming than my friend's non APO one. As usual for Sigma, a decent lens hood (barrel type) and a soft case are included in the package. The lens sports a 58mm filter thread, so filters are relatively inexpensive to purchase. Being of more 'ordinary' status in the Sigma hierarchy, this AF 70-300mm f/4-f/5.6 DG APO Macro, has none of the more elaborate 'bells and whistles' evident on the more expensive EX range. What does this mean? Well, you don't get Sigma's superb HSM (Hypersonic Motor) AF (auto-focusing) for near silent and very fast AF, resulting in a somewhat more unsophisticated, noisy (although not overly so) and slightly 'harsh' action. It still works well however! Also, you get no FTM (full time manual...

davecham 29.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of Sigma telephoto zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm F/4.0-5.6

The Excellent Sigma EX 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 DG lens.

Advantages: Superb design, value for money and professional results.
Disadvantages: None

...Sigma EX 12-24mm F4.5-5,6 DG Nikon fit AF D. This a great wide-angle zoom lens offering professional performance, results and is a joy to use. It is suitable for both digital SLR's and 35mm Film cameras and focusing can be used manually or autofocus. This my first Sigma lens as I own only quality Nikon lenses so I was unsure at first about purchasing a brand and lens unknown to me. Any doubts or fears about quality were put to rest as soon as I took the lens out of it's box. It is as well crafted as any Nikon lens and a truly remarkable piece of design. It has an unusual appearance as instead of the usual glass flat surface lens it has a "bobble" or "ball" of glass which has a very alien look to it. I'm still not used to this and I feel that as it is sticking out so much that it may be a bit vulnerable to potential damage...

petermock 19.01.2008 (25.03.2008) · Read review
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Review of Sigma EX 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 DG

Sigma EX 10-20mm f4-f5.6 DC HSM

Advantages: Good quality results. Good build. Compact. Price.
Disadvantages: Distortion with architecture and interior shots.

...; Boats, boulders, trees or whatever in the corners of the frame, where it can make things appear just a little 'odd'. Vignetting is the other problem area. Although expected with such a lens, it is somewhat worse than the Canon equivalent. Vignetting is very obvious at 10mm and f/4 and remains so even at 14mm and f/4.5. It does get a little better at 20mm and f/5.6 but by this time, the best fun is over. Certainly, the problem is helped by stopping down but only to an 'acceptable' level in my opinion. Resolution or sharpness is really quite good for the price point of this lens, almost equalling the Canon lens in many respects. Even at the widest 10mm end, centre performance is really VERY GOOD although the edges are a little behind at VERY GOOD- while the corners only achieve GOOD levels. Performance is improved by stopping down, when...

davecham 27.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of Sigma EX zoom lens - 10 mm - 20 mm

Asus Xonar D1 - move over creative, your time is up.

Advantages: cheap, works in vista, does the job far better than the competition, optical output!
Disadvantages: limited inputs (see review)

...The souncard market has never really been swamped with options. For those of us who don't use onboard sound and demand a seperate sound card for our sorround sound/gaming/music needs theres never been much choice. Most people go with Creative as they are well known and apparently respectable. I did just that a few years ago, it was a mistake. Their driver and customer support, especially for Windows Vista users is seriously lacking. I was finding my games locking up, my computer suffering from fatal errors (aka Blue Screens of Death) and just general sound issues that were hindering my enjoyment. Research soon showed that the creative card was to blame. As a result i threw my old creative soundcard in the bin and opted for something new, the Asus Xonar D1. Simple, small and effective. Asus's card supports Vista and its drivers are...

AgeUK 27.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of ASUS Xonar D1

Nikkor 18-200mm VR zoom lens user review

Advantages: great zoom range, good build quality, image stabilization, universal
Disadvantages: maximum apertures only average, high price

...in or out of the lens body. The creep only occurs when lens is zoomed to some focal lenght between 70 and 135mm. The focus ring is located behind the zoom ring and can be used to manually tweak the focus in autofocus mode. The ring is a tiny bit loose, but moves smoothly and precisely. It does not rotate during autofocus. There is a distance scale marked both in feet and meters, but no depth of field scale. The images produced by the lens are of good quality, although there is noticeable vignetting (darkening of the corners) when zoomed to 200mm and using wide apertures. The lens has a variable aperture, the maximum aperture is F3.5 at 18mm and F5.6 at 200mm. It is bright enough for daytime photography but requires assistance from flash when taking pictures indoors to avoid blurs. Sharpness is good across the image, with little...

matipp 23.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of Nikon Zoom-Nikkor zoom lens - 18 mm - 200 mm F/3.5-5.6

Canon 75-300mm USM III - A good all-round lens but not perfect

Advantages: Speed, Appearance, Build quality, Price
Disadvantages: Picture quality at long focal distances

...I have read several positive reviews about the Canon 75-300mm USM III lens but I don't share other people's enthusiasm because it is not nearly as sharp as I would expect from a Canon lens. Of course, compared to the Canon L Series lenses, this is an incredibly inexpensive item and, in its defence, I do find that my Canon EOS 50D, with it's jam-packed 15mp APS-C sensor, is very difficult to marry up with a lense to get the most out of it (unless you are prepared to spend thousands). At the close end of the focal range, the picture is crisp and sharp but unfortunately this tails off quite noticeably as the lens is extended (as does the auto-focus accuracy) and I have even taken to focusing the lens manually when it is at full extent, using the camera's magnified live-view to ensure crisp results. It is also a little slow...

rabidbadger 01.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 USM MK III

8mm DVD Review

Advantages: Characters, Tension.
Disadvantages: Not for everyone.

...Secretary"- but he's so likeable. When he teams up with Cage, 8mm almost becomes a mismatched buddy movie (though, no where near as cheesy). The bottom line: I'd hardly call 8mm "feel-good entertainment", but it's definitely intriguing enough to warrant a watch. It's not a film for everyone, but, truth be told, the subject of the film is a reality in our world. Understandably, most people will not want to be exposed to this, if they can so help it. However, call me sick, and slightly disturbed, if you must, but sometimes, I like my movies quite depressing; and I was quite moved by 8mm. Tense stuff. Just don't show it to the kids....

andycarrington 01.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of 8MM (DVD)

Why 75-300mm?

Advantages: Great focusing length
Disadvantages: Price

...the lens with camera body the both dots must be opposite each other to avoid bad connection between them. The lens is connected to the power source (battery) through the lens. Considering modern compact digital cameras the EF 75-300 IS is heavy. The lens is heavier than my Samsung Digimax V6 digital camera. I use it (the lens) with my Canon 20D DSLR camera and Speedlite 420EX flashgun, all kit is not light (app. 1.5 kg) and handy but improvement in quality is incomparable. Features Modern lenses can be quite easily damaged, especially the ones from upper shelf. They are designed to be ultra fast and extremely quite. But in order to achieve this they are equipped with some gizmos, in our case: USM and IS. USM is an abbreviation for Ultrasonic Motor. This technology has been pioneered by Canon to produce a fast, near-silent focusing...

malekowie 05.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Canon EF zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm F/4.0-5.6

D1X. Too heavy to handle?

Advantages: This is a brilliant camera that copes well in most situations.
Disadvantages: The D1X is quite heavy and bulky, not recommended for occasional photographers!

...I have been using the D1X for about 2 years in my job as a military photographer. The basic package will come with the D1X body, a 35-70mm lens, and nikon battery and charger. The quality which this camera records information can be seen in the finished product. I have taken images of landscapes, aircraft, people, technical parts (including close-up's) and many other subjects. There are 4 modes for use with this camera, shutter priority, manual, apature priority and 'P' or 'automatic'. Along with this are subject settings, i.e: sunny; cloudy; florescent lighting; shadow; ect, all of which are excellent features. The D1X performs well in most circumstances, although it is not brilliant with skin tones. For every 6/10 photographs I take of people, I need to correct the colour slightly. Apart from this dissapointing feature...

sadies2005 08.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of Nikon D1X

Panasonic Lumix TZ6, Versatile compact with great image quality

Advantages: Fantastic little camera with 12 x zoom & 10.1MP (better than TZ5), but cheaper than TZ7
Disadvantages: No HD movie mode, not very cheap

...The Panasonic Lumix TZ6 is a great little camera that I have used to compliment my large DSLR (a Nikon D90 I have also reviewed), which is too big and expensive to be taken everywhere. Specification The TZ6 is compact camera with 10.1 MP, which is plenty of pixels for all but the larger prints and harshest crops. This means that in normal conditions there will never be pixelation, in fact too many megapixels squashed onto a sensor can actually reduce the image quality. The most important feature of this camera is the 12x zoom, 25mm wide angle, Leica lens. Leica is a quality brand, and this lens is no exception, it produces quality images and the lens slides out of the camera quickly and smoothly. There is no lens cap, but slide across covers, as in most other digital compacts. Design For such a versatile camera, it is...

potoroo99 19.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6