This is a review of the Black Widow Jr.3 (BWG-JR3) Gimbal head by Jobu Design. A good, reliable and flexible tripod head is a must when using long telephoto lenses. While there are many different tripod heads and mounts out there, the "Gimbal" type head is preferred, because it provides...
Nikon 400mm f/2.8G VR Review
This is an in-depth review of the Nikon 400mm f/2.8G ED VR lens that was released in August of 2007, along with Nikon D3 and two other exotic super-telephoto lenses. In this review, I will not only provide general information about the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR and its performance, but...
What is Spherical Aberration?
Spherical Aberration is an optical problem that occurs when all incoming light rays end up focusing at different points after passing through a spherical surface. Light rays passing through a lens near its horizontal axis are refracted less than rays closer to the edge or "periphery" of the lens and...
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Review
This is an in-depth review of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM prime lens that was announced on March 18, 2008 for Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a professional-grade lens for enthusiasts and pros that need a high-quality lens...
Cloud Storage for Photographers
Everybody is talking about The Cloud - it is on television and radio, in magazines and newspapers, and has been flooding the Internet, presented as a revolutionary technology that will shape up the future. For most people, cloud computing means nothing, since the words "cloud" and "computing" sound very confusing...
Camera Lens Filters Explained
Filters in photography - sheets of glass or resin attach to your camera lens - can serve different purposes for photographers. They can be indispensable for capturing scenery in extremely difficult lighting conditions, they can enhance colors and reduce reflections, and they can simply protect lenses. Filters are widely used...
Nikon D700 Review
The Nikon D700 is Nikon's first affordable full-frame (FX) camera, with 12 megapixels and amazing low light performance. I have been shooting with the Nikon D700 for the past three years, and I'm not sure why it took me so long to write a review of my favorite camera... I...
Nikon Quality Control Issues
Like any manufactured product, Nikon's products are also prone to quality assurance / quality control issues. While Nikon has a very extensive and comprehensive quality control process, some defective products can slip through and make it to the market. Other times, the pressure to increase the production output on Nikon's...
Dead vs Stuck vs Hot Pixels
Another frequently asked question from our readers is related to dead, hot and stuck pixels they encounter in images or on-camera LCD screens. Since there is so much confusion about these different types of pixel defects/malfunctions (people use them interchangeably without understanding the terms), I decided to write a quick...
Nikon D5100 Review
Marketed as an upper-entry-level DSLR, the Nikon D5100 is a major upgrade to the older D5000. It has a larger and a more enhanced swivel LCD screen and the same remarkable sensor as the semi-professional D7000. In addition to the above changes, the camera also lost some weight, making it...