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› archive for July 23rd, 2010

Considering a Nikon 16-35 f4 VR? DPReview’s Got A Review Up

Nikon’s AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, the first ultra-wide zoom with imaging stabilization, is positioned as a bit of a step under the 14-24mm f2.8, cutting a few hundred off the price with a more cost-efficient focal range and a slower aperture offset by in-lens VR technology. And, if you’ve been tempted towards it, but just wanted to see some pretty charts showing sharpness and distortion, well, hoo boy! You’re in luck dere purdner, DPReview has posted it’s typically exhaustive and informative review of this lens.

The cheat sheet? It’s optically good, even more so on FX than DX, but you’ll encounter some wicked barrel distortion at 16mm (no problem for Photoshop or Lightroom, though). And DP’s take on that VR, arguably not needed on a wide-angle? Well, it doesn’t hurt it, does it? and it gives you more latitude with low-light or high aperture shooting. So that’s that.

Hit the external link, as usual.



Last Roll Of Kodachrome Ever Made Now Developed; Film Continues Slow Death

Kodachrome, which is apparently this really famous film or something which of course I’m too young to have actually used, may already have been declared dead, but it still existed, you know? And, well, it still does, but the only lab in the world that develops it says it has developed the last roll that was ever made (note that it wasn’t that last roll of it ever, that’d be hard to prove, wouldn’t it?).

For those curious, the roll was apparently shot by National Geo photog Steve McCurry, who’s only a little famous for using Kodachrome.

Dwayne’s Photo Service is apparently leaving its Kodachrome lab open through December 10, 2010. But after that, Kodachrome becomes a relic for the history books. In the words of a much smarter Hoosier: so it goes.

[edit] Corrected to ‘Dwayne’s.’ Thanks for pointing it out, PK.



Canon 7D Updates Firmware to 1.2.2, Considers Buying Rosetta Stone

Didn’t quite get this out yesterday, but the EOS 7D has received yet another firmware update. And why paraphrase what it does when we can just quote direct from the horse’s mouth?

Firmware Version 1.2.2 incorporates the following fixes.

  1. Fixes a phenomenon in which the set aperture moves when shooting movies in manual exposure mode using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses).
  2. Fixes the AF point-selection behavior of the C.Fn III-7 (Manual AF pt. selec. pattern) custom function when set to [1].
  3. Fixes the AF point display for the viewfinder electronic level when shooting in the vertical position.
  4. Corrects misspellings in the Spanish and Thai menus for applicable products.

The Version 1.2.2 firmware is for cameras with firmware up to Version 1.2.1. If the camera’s firmware is already Version 1.2.2, it is not necessary to update the firmware. Note that cameras with the Version 1.2.2 firmware (and also Versions 1.2.0, 1.2.1) cannot be downgraded to a previous firmware version (such as Version 1.1.0).

Itchin’ to have your Thai more grammatically correct? Then hit the external link below and fire it up.