Comments for Photo Gear User

Comment on Manfrotto MN055XPROB Tripod by Ken Davids

Ken Davids — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:41:08 +0000

I was a happy 190PRO user until I started using heavier longer and lenses with my Nikon D3. That’s when I decided to invest in its bigger brother and have been very happy with that decision. This model has the centre column that swings to the horizontal, but to be honest it’s not a feature that I use.

The main noticeable difference between this and my 190PRO is the weight and extra height which means I don’t have to stoop any more or raise the centre column for that extra height.

I should have bought one of these years ago as it could have saved me some backache (I’m over 6 foot tall)!

If you don’t mind the weight and can appreciate it makes for a steadier platform then you ought to love this tripod.

Comment on Canon EOS 350D by Calum Rankine

Calum Rankine — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:59:29 +0000

Now I’m going to be honest and there are a lot of things going against the 350D mainly because its slightly older, ‘ONLY’ 8MP and quite small.

Build Quality ***

The build quality is not the best. It feels cheap and plastic. unlike newer cameras it has no matte finish. However in practice in can take a few knocks and bumps, However I wouldn’t go smashing it on purpose.

Size and handling *** With Grip *****

The camera is very small, and if you have smaller hands you may find that an asset. however I don’t have big hands and I find it very difficult to hold with ease. on a more positive note the lay out is logical and can soon become second nature.

The BG-E3 battery grip improves the size and makes the camera a wonder to hold.

Image Quality ****

this camera performs very well and it can contend the 30D with ease. you may look at the MPs and think is that it? However the quality is a huge step up from compact cameras. However I do believe the 30D has a better quality if blown up to 300%

Features ****

for the money you pay you get a brilliant spec list. 3 FPS can sort you out in most situations, and with a decent buffer size you can go on for 14 RAW (CR2) images.

the 7 Focus points are logically placed that looks a bit like

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. . . . .
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This is a very good set up is most cases however the corner should have some.

Value *****

this camera is superb camera for the money bought my body last January (08) second hand for £200 never looked back very good camera for the money.

overall

****

Comment on Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS by Ste Graham

Ste Graham — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:11:36 +0000

This is my first digital SLR. In fact it’s my first SLR period!! It’s a really great camera and the quality of the pictures that come out of it are really clear and sharp compared to what I used to get with my Canon IXUS compact camera. It’s a lot bigger than what I’m used to but I don’t think it’s a big camera when you look at other SLR’s you can buy nowadays. Easy to use, bags of features, battery life is great, I love the built-in flash. Works great with the Canon 18-55mm IS lens.

Comment on Canon EF-S 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens by FantasticFlash

FantasticFlash — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:29:50 +0000

Huge focal range, relatively fast, compact, it’s got IS and the images it delivers look good. Okay, I’m sure you can get better quality images from more expensive lenses, but consider how convenient this lens is I think I can be more forgiving.

Instead of lugging around a heavy shoulder bag with a multitude of different lenses, I can now just go out with a single lens and just enjoy taking photographs.

I love the fact that I can take everything from wide landscapes and architecture shots to street candids from a middle distance without having to stop and change lenses. I’m sure this means I’m letting in less dust into my camera body which has to be a good thing.

Comment on SanDisk CompactFlash 8GB Extreme III Memory by spencer

spencer — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:24:06 +0000

I use one of these with my Nikon D300 and they perform great. Even shooting in NEF/RAW, it still manages to fit a few hundred shots meaning I can just use a single memory card for a weekend trip.

Bought mine from Amazon. Good value too.

Comment on Nikon D300 by spencer

spencer — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:16:37 +0000

After a couple of years with a Canon EOS 10D, I tried a friend’s Nikon D300 and was completely blown away with everything about it. The handling, the responsiveness and of course the quality of the photos it took. About the same time, I decided it was time to upgrade and bring my SLR up to date. I was tempted by what Canon had to offer, but having already decided I liked the D300, I jumped ship and haven’t looked back!

The Nikon D300 is a fantastic camera and Nikon’s lenses are sublime. It’s got all the standard features that you’d expect from a modern day digital SLR and they’re brought together in a great package.

I miss my 10D, but I’m very happy where I am today!

Comment on Canon EF-S 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens by Rey

Rey — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:27:34 +0000

This lens replaces my EF 28-135 IS USM and without the doubt, I made the right decision of getting this lens. Despite of the “not so good” review by DPreview, I took the bite of buying this lens as a kit that comes with my new 50D. Barrel distortion is there at 18mm, but it will be easily corrected by canon’s DPP software. This lens creeps at mid range around 35 - 80mm, but it is alright, as most superzoom lens with this range from other brand does it too, even the most talked 18-270mm lens from Tamron. Well, this lens has a lock at 18mm to prevent it from self zooming while you are walking and carrying your camera with the lens is tilted downward. I’ve found it very sharp, IQ is good, fast and quite even it is non-USM. This lens served me well for all what I need to take my photographs. I love this travel lens. I will recommend this to everyone.

Comment on Canon EF-S 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens by Fran

Fran — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:42:45 +0000

Being able to travel light with my Canon EOS 450D is very important to me so having one lens do the job of two is a big selling feature and that’s why I got this lens to replace my 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses.

Image quality is great as far as I can see but I’m sure the pros would be able to pick it apart. At the 18mm end I can see some barrelling distortion which can be quite noticeable at times but it really depends on what you’re taking photos of. Sometimes you see the distortion and sometimes you don’t.

The lens auto-focusses very quickly and the image stabilizer works very well.

This lens is just as good as my other two but it’s much more convenient which means I’m more likely to get the shots I want.

It’s a lot of money to spend on just one lens but you have to remember that you are really buying two lenses and more convenience.

I’m off on holiday next month and I’ll definitely be taking my 450D and this lens!

Comment on Canon EOS 400D by Sharon Jennings

Sharon Jennings — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:06:42 +0000

This is my first digital SLR and I absoluteley love it! Before it I only owned point and shoot cameras. After dropping many hints my husband finally bought me one for my birthday earlier this year.

The lens I have with my 400D is the 17-85 IS USM zoom lens and it’s great for every occasion.

I find the 400D nice and easy to use. It’s got all the features I want and probably others that I’ll use in the future once I get more familiar with it all. Importantly, the 400D is a nice size for me to hold. Some of the more expensive Canon’s are far too big and heavy.

My photos are much improved even when printed quite large (A4) and the built-in flash is very handy - no red eye so far!

Comment on Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens by CarlM

CarlM — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:07:17 +0000

Any way you look at it, this is one cracking lens for the money. Compared to my 18-55mm kit zoom lens, the photographs from this are so much clearer.

Sure it’s a cheap lens - I mean it’s cheaply built - but at less than £70 it would be wrong to expect anything more. I get the feeling that the money has gone towards the optics rather than the construction.

I’ve no problems with the autofocus. It’s speedy enough and the images are pretty sharp.

This lens might not last me forever, but I’m sure I’ll get more than my money worth out of it!!