diglloyd.com Photography Blog: News and Updates

Away with the Leica M9 and Zeiss ZE

11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Depending on when the UPS truck shows up, and whether a storm moves in...

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS macro in infrared

11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

The Canon EF 100/2.8L IS macro is a very nice performer in infrared...

Running Mac OS X Snow Leopard with the 64-bit kernel

09 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

Booting into the Mac OS X 64-bit kernel is a significant performance enhancer for photographic applications...

A subscription as a gift

08 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

Some subscribers have asked if they can purchase a subscription to DAP and/or Guide to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses...

Leica M9 review head-startt

08 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

Just posted to DAP is the start of my Leica M9 review...

Coming in DAP

06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

I’m planning on several reviews in DAP this month and next, and the most exciting one for me at least is the Leica M9...

A 24TB volume on a Mac Pro

06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

This is by far the largest RAID I’ve ever created: 24TB as twelve (12) 2TB Hitachi 7K200 drives...

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS macro reviewed

06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

A second brand-new sample of the Canon 100/2.8L arrived about 10 days ago, and I have now largely finished my review in DAP...

diglloydTools for performance and reliability

03 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

Just posted to Mac Performance Guide are 64-bit versions of DiskTester™, MemoryTester™ and IntegrityChecker™...

The “cat’s eye” effect

03 Nov 2009 22:00:00 PST

Vignetting is in large part mechanical at wider apertures...

You can’t see what’s not displayed

03 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

It’s not until I bought my NEC LCD 3090WQXi 30" display that I realized the dull reds were dull because of a lousy gamut...

Zeiss ZE 28mm f/2 Distagon at dusk

03 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

I very much enjoy shooting at dusk...

Halloween economy?

03 Nov 2009 19:00:00 PST

This gives whole new content to beggar-thy-neighbor!...

Carl Zeiss announces ZE 35mm f/2 Distagon for Canon EOS

01 Nov 2009 09:00:00 PST

Zeiss today announced the ZE 35mm f/2 T* Distagon...

Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED

25 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

I just started shooting the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED...

Apple’s new MacMini — good for photographers?

25 Oct 2009 11:00:00 PST

Photographers are under financial pressure (who isn’t?!), and so some look towards the MacMini as an alternative to higher priced Apple offerings...

Zeiss 28mm f/2 Distagon (on Canon)

24 Oct 2009 20:00:00 PST

I’ve begun shooting/testing the new Zeiss ZE 28mm f/2 Distagon...

Does Vitamin D combat illness?

24 Oct 2009 20:00:00 PST

Vitamin D won’t get drug company attention because no one can patent it and charge billions, but research...

H1N1 swine flu — update

24 Oct 2009 20:00:00 PST

Following up on yesterday’s swine flu post...

What’s coming for the Apple Mac Pro?

24 Oct 2009 11:00:00 PST

Several clients and readers have asked me what about a revision to the Mac Pro...

Wilson, Kansas, by Martin Doudoroff

23 Oct 2009 19:00:00 PST

This portfolio of photos of Wilson, Kansas captures a real sense of the place...

H1N1 swine flu — what’s the reality?

23 Oct 2009 19:00:00 PST

My daughter tested positive for H1N1 swine flu 4 days ago. High fever (up to 104.3°)...

Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon or Canon 24/1.4L II?

22 Oct 2009 19:00:00 PST

One question that Canon EOS users might be asking themselves is whether to go for the Canon 24/1.4L II or the Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon...

Zeiss ZE 21mm f/2.8 Distagon for Canon EOS shipping

21 Oct 2009 07:00:00 PST

You can place an order for the Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon at B&H Photo...

Apple’s new quad-core iMac — analysis

20 Oct 2009 17:00:00 PST

Apple today announced new iMacs and MacMinis....

Canon announces EOS 1D Mark IV

19 Oct 2009 17:00:00 PST

There was something special about the 10.1MP Canon 1D Mark III sensor that I really liked, but will the Canon 1D Mark IV retains that quality?....

Canon 1Ds Mark III for sale

18 Oct 2009 17:00:00 PST

No one wants to buy my low-mileage Canon 1Ds Mark III for $4750?....

Reviewed: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS

18 Oct 2009 17:00:00 PST

Just posted to DAP is my partial review of the new Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS....

SPOT personal beacon saves an injured hiker (UPDATE)

17 Oct 2009 07:00:00 PST

An update on recent use of SPOT to save a severely injured photographer....

SPOT personal beacon saves an injured hiker

16 Oct 2009 07:00:00 PST

Following up on my October 6 discussion of the SPOT personal beacon, I received this interesting email from a reader....

Canon 17/4L in stock at B&H

15 Oct 2009 11:00:00 PST

The Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L is in stock at B&H Photo as I write this....

Nikon D3s — an improved Nikon D3

14 Oct 2009 19:00:00 PST

The just-announced Nikon D3s looks like a nice incremental upgrade to an already superb camera, the Nikon D3....

Reviewed — Hitachi 2TB Ultrastar A7K2000

14 Oct 2009 20:00:00 PST

I’ve updated my review of the 2TB Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000, a high performance 2TB hard drive....

Reviewed — 2TB Western Digital RE4-GP

14 Oct 2009 20:00:00 PST

I’ve posted my review of the 2TB Western Digital RE4-GP, a 2TB low power enterprise grade hard drive....

Carl Zeiss on lens distortion

12 Oct 2009 21:00:00 PST

Just posted is a new white paper on distortion by B. Hönlinger and H. H. Nasse....

Zeiss ZE 18/3.5, 21/2.8, 28/2 to be available in USA October 20

12 Oct 2009 07:00:00 PST

The newly announced Carl Zeiss 18mm f/3.5 Distagon, 21mm f/2.8 Distagon and 28mm f/2 Distagon for Canon EOS will be available in stores on October 20...

Carl Zeiss announces ZE 28mm f/2 Distagon for Canon EOS

12 Oct 2009 07:00:00 PST

Carl Zeiss today announced the ZE 28mm f/2.8 T* Distagon. Like all the ZE lenses for Canon EOS,...

New Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 and 18/3.5 Distagon examples

11 Oct 2009 21:00:00 PST

I’ve posted a new page of landscape examples from Yosemite for the ZE 21/2.8 Distagon and some additional examples (since yesterday) from the 18/3.5 Distagon...

New Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon examples

10 Oct 2009 23:00:00 PST

I’ve posted a new page of landscape examples from Yosemite...

Where is infinity focus?

08 Oct 2009 23:00:00 PST

Accurate infinity focus can be a challenge...

Moonlight photography with Leica and Zeiss

07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 PST

What do you do when lodging for the night means the back of the SUV...

SPOT personal tracker for saving your ass

06 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

Not being completely crazy, I took my SPOT beacon. It’s the save-your-ass device...

Climbing Mt Dana in Yosemite

06 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

My disappointment turned to delight as I realized the tracks were those of a large black bear, which does shit in the woods...

Canon EF 100/2.8L IS macro lens bad sample

05 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

What a terrible turd: most of the right half of the frame was badly blurred on every shot I took...

Back from Yosemite high country — snowstorm!

05 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

High Sierra fall color? To wit: “white”!...

Off to Yosemite

01 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

I’m off to Yosemite on Friday, where I hear that fall color is peaking...

Reviewed: 4-bay RAID enclosures

01 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

Posted today are my review of the Other World Computer Mercury Elite AL-Pro QX2 4-bay RAID enclosure and my review of the Data Robotics Drobo 4-bay RAID-like enclosure...

Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS macro lens

01 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

I now have the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS macro lens in hand, which I’ll be testing for DAP...

Finding a pair of hiking shoes

01 Oct 2009 22:00:00 PST

I’ve just about worn out a solid pair of hiking shoes from the North Face...

Zeiss ZE 21mm f/2.8 Distagon example image

29 Sep 2009 23:00:00 PST

Shown below is an example image taken with the Canon 5D Mark II and the new Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon...

Carl Zeiss announces ultra-wide ZE 21/2.8 Distagon

28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST

Zeiss today announced the ZE 21mm f/2.8 T* Distagon for Canon EOS. I've been using the ZE 21/2.8 on my Canon EOS 5D Mark II...

Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon reviewed

28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST

I’ve added two pages of examples to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses for the just-announced Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon for Canon EOS...

Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon update

27 Sep 2009 23:00:00 PST

I’ve added numerous examples to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses for the Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon for Canon EOS, including a close-up page, a night-shots page, and various other examples...

Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon update

22 Sep 2009 23:00:00 PST

I’ve added a page to my Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses review detailing what I’ve found with the hard infinity stop on the new ZE 18/3.5 Distagon...

Hitachi Deskstar 2TB 7200 rpm hard drive — wow!

22 Sep 2009 22:00:00 PST

The Deskstar 7K2000 is the fastest SATA drive I’ve yet tested...

A Photographer’s Workstation — followup

21 Sep 2009 22:00:00 PST

I thought I’d share feedback from one attendee of A Photographer’s Workstation...

Back from NYC — email, subscriptions, etc

20 Sep 2009 22:00:00 PST

New York City is a major challenge to shoot for me...

Carl Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon announced

14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST

Zeiss today announced the ZE 18/3.5 Distagon for Canon EOS. I've been using...

Carl Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon Example images

14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST

For subscribers to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses, I’ve added an examples page...

A Photographer’s Workstation at B&H Photo, Sept 16

13 Sep 2009 12:00:00 PST

If you’re in the NYC area join me for my presentation of A Photographer’s Workstation at the B&H Photo megastore...

SanDisk SDHC Ultra II or Extreme III card speed

13 Sep 2009 12:00:00 PST

I recently ordered a SanDisk 16GB Extreme III SDHC card (“30MB/sec”), thinking it might be faster than the SanDisk 16GB Ultra II SDHC card I already had...

OWC On-The-Go solid state drive (SSD) reviewed

13 Sep 2009 10:00:00 PST

Why risk things on a fragile hard drive...

Snow Leopard kernel panic with mirrored RAID

12 Sep 2009 16:45:00 PST

The bug might be limited to dual CPU Mac Pros, and might only affect a software RAID mirror...

Canon TS-E 24/3.5L II in infrared

12 Sep 2009 16:45:00 PST

There aren’t many wide angle lenses that perform well in infrared...

Canon TS-E 24/3.5L II reviewed and compared

11 Sep 2009 00:01:00 PST

Just posted is my review of the Canon 24/3.5L II...

Canon 5D-IR with Canon 17/4L in infrared

10 Sep 2009 22:00:00 PST

I’ve updated my review of the Canon 17/4L with a page on performance in infared...

Crucial 256GB solid state drive (SSD)

10 Sep 2009 18:00:00 PST

Just posted is my review of the 256GB Crucial M225 solid state drive (SSD)...

Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L reviewed

07 Sep 2009 16:00:00 PST

Just added to DAP is my review of the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L...

External Solid State Drive (SSD) for reliability when traveling

07 Sep 2009 11:00:00 PST

A solid state drive (SSD) is your smart move as a reliable alternative to hard drives...

First impressions of Canon’s TS-E lenses

06 Sep 2009 23:00:00 PST

Clearly a leap forward in Canon optical quality, the new TS-E 17/4L and 24/3.5L II are impressive optics...

Mailing list for diglloyd.com

06 Sep 2009 23:00:00 PST

Subscribe to my mailing list for various kinds of updates...

Upgrade your unibody MacBook Pro to 8GB

05 Sep 2009 23:00:00 PST

OWC has a great deal on an 8GB memory kit for the MacBook Pro unibody, the lowest price ever...

Canon TS-E 17/4L and 24/3.5L II

05 Sep 2009 23:00:00 PST

On the way from LensRentals.com are the two new Canon tilt/shift lenses: the TS-E 17/4L and the TS-E 24/3.5L II...

Snow Leopard printing with Epson Pro printers — How To

01 Sep 2009 19:00:00 PST

Read how I installed Epson print drivers so my Epson Stylus Pro 3800 would print on Mac OS X Snow Leopard without a hitch...

Snow Leopard printing OK with Epson Style Pro

01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 PST

After installing, I printed with accurate color from Photoshop CS4 to my Epson Stylus Pro...

Nikon Capture NX2 v2.2.0 20% faster with Snow Leopard!

30 Aug 2009 10:30:00 PST

Nikon Capture NX2 version 2.2.0 is 20% faster in Snow Leopard/64-bit, and...

Nikon Capture NX2 2.2.2 dead with Snow Leopard (update)

30 Aug 2009 10:30:00 PST

Don’t even think about updating version 2.2.0 to version 2.2.2...

Determine whether your Mac has 32-bit or 64-bit firmware

30 Aug 2009 09:00:00 PST

The bad news is the Macs a few years old have 32-bit firmware...

Aperture users rejoice for Snow Leopard

29 Aug 2009 17:00:00 PST

The Apple Aperture results on 64-bit Snow Leopard just seemed too amazing. So I re-ran the tests, only to get the same stunning results...

Snow Leopard 64-bit kernel mode a big win for Helicon

29 Aug 2009 16:00:00 PST

Testing Helicon Focus shows a stunning 18% gain over Leopard when booting Snow Leopard into 64-bit kernel mode...

Photoshop CS4 is faster on Snow Leopard

29 Aug 2009 11:00:00 PST

Good news for Photoshop CS4 users...

Snow Leopard Special Report updated continuously

28 Aug 2009 18:00:00 PST

I’m updating my Snow Leopard Special Report continuously now...

OWC deal on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

27 Aug 2009 23:00:00 PST

OWC is offering Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard for only $25...

Zeiss ZF Lenses updated again — more samples

27 Aug 2009 23:00:00 PST

I’ve just published another page of examples from the Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon...

Mac OS X Snow Leopard Special Report

26 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

I’ve started my Mac OS X Snow Leopard report...

When emails mislead — Snow Leopard delay

26 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

After ordering, the news is that the order won’t arrive until...

New York City Mac Pro setup

25 Aug 2009 07:00:00 PST

If you live in the NYC area and want your new Mac Pro set up for free...

Diglloyd on Twitter

25 Aug 2009 07:00:00 PST

If you want to follow my tweets, it’s twitter.com/diglloyd....

Zeiss ZF Lenses updated — lots of new samples

24 Aug 2009 07:00:00 PST

I’ve just published a new page of examples from the Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon...

Mac OS X “Snow Leopard” advice

22 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

If you have only one Mac and you depend on it for your critical work...

Sigma DP-2 with Foveon X3 sensor review

22 Aug 2009 13:00:00 PST

I’ve just published my review of the Sigma DP-2 in DAP, a compact camera utilizing the true-color Foveon X3 sensor...

Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon sample uniformity

21 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

I have examined some series shot with both samples and I am delighted to find that both samples ...

Refurbished Mac Pros — lots of ’em

19 Aug 2009 17:00:00 PST

Many of my consulting clients are not aware of the great deals on refurbished Apple Macs...

Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon infinity focus

19 Aug 2009 17:00:00 PST

Quite interesting is that the two samples don’t agree on infinity focus...

Nikon D3x and Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon

18 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

I now have a brand-new D3x whose sensor-to-lens mount alignment has also been verified...

Sigma DP-2 first look

18 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

Although the DP-2 generates only a 4.6-megapixel file (2640 X 1760), the detail provided by its sensor is pretty incredible...

How many CPU cores?

18 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

With the future belonging to multiple CPU cores (today, and even better support with Snow Leopard), a dual-core Mac is a dead-end...

Memory: 16GB in a quad-core Mac Pro

18 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

While Apple won’t sell it to you, you can install 12GB (3 modules) or...

Memory prices are headed UP

18 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

Memory prices are almost certainly headed higher...

A photographer’s workstation

15 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

Join me at B&H Photo in New York city on September 16 from 3-5pm for A Photographer’s Workstation...

MacBook Pro speed demon (Photoshop and SSD)

13 Aug 2009 22:00:00 PST

Read my MacBook Pro Speed Demon piece, where I explore how fast Photoshop can go with huge files using a solid state drive (SSD)...

Capacious 2TB hard drives compared

11 Aug 2009 21:00:00 PST

There is a clear winner in my test of the two readily available 2TB hard drives...

SSD (solid state drive) as a boot drive

08 Aug 2009 13:00:00 PST

MacBook Pro and Mac Pro users should consider using a SSD for the boot drive...

Photoshop scratch volume — 4 solid state drives (SSD)

08 Aug 2009 13:00:00 PST

How fast can Photoshop CS4 go with huge files?

Tasty seaweed

03 Aug 2009 23:00:00 PST

Sea's Gift Korean Seaweed Snack (Kim Nori) is fantastic...

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

03 Aug 2009 23:00:00 PST

My advice? Order it, but...

Ultra wide angle lenses and sensor/lens-mount alignment

02 Aug 2009 13:00:00 PST

The resolution is so high on the Nikon D3x that the tiniest misalignment between lens mount and sensor and lens results in edge or corner blur...

New AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

02 Aug 2009 13:00:00 PST

I have some concerns with ultra wide angle designs...

New AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

02 Aug 2009 13:00:00 PST

Sports and event types should be aware of the t-stop factor...

D3x replacement

02 Aug 2009 13:00:00 PST

I sent in my Nikon D3x to check the sensor-to-lens mount alignment...

Olympus E-P1 resolution

27 Jul 2009 23:30:00 PST

A new page shows the incredible detail possible with the Olympus 14-35mm f/2 SWD zoom...

Refurbished Macs — a great deal

26 Jul 2009 23:00:00 PST

A nice variety of refurbished Apple Mac Pros showed up in the Apple Store today, including a dual 2.93GHz for $4999...

Lens adapters — many brands on one camera body

25 Jul 2009 23:00:00 PST

I’ve added a new question and answer to Ask Lloyd Chambers where I discuss lens adapters for Canon and Nikon...

Panasonic G1 reviewed

25 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PST

I’ve posted my review to DAP of the Panasonic G1, focusing on how it compares to the Olympus E-P1...

Some memory prices might be heading up

22 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PST

Memory prices might be on the upswing up in the next few weeks...

Faster, cheaper Intel X25-M solid state drive (SSD)

21 Jul 2009 22:00:00 PST

Today Intel announced a huge price drop and speed increase in the already terrific X25-M...

Olympus E-P1 review posted

18 Jul 2009 20:00:00 PST

I’ve posted my Olympus E-P1 review to DAP...

Optimizing Adobe Lightroom

15 Jul 2009 16:00:00 PST

I’m pleased as punch to be mentioned in this CNET article on Adobe Lightroom and this one at Photoshop Insider.....

Photo tour to California’s White Mountains

15 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PST

Choosing a Windows PC for photographers

15 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PST

I’ve posted a new question/answer to Ask Lloyd Chambers regarding the choice of a Windows PC for photographers....

Leica 19mm Elmarit-R vs Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon

15 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PST

I’ve posted a new question/answer to Ask Lloyd Chambers regarding the Leica 19mm f/2.8 Elmarit-R versus the Zeiss ZF 21mm f/2.8 Distagon...

Olympus E-P1 in stock at B&H

13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PST

If you’re hot to trot...

Olympus E-P1 review

13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PST

I’m more or less done with my overall E-P1 review...

Photozoom Pro 3 — poster child for CPU core utilization

13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PST

Photozoom Pro 3 is the poster child for the ideal scenario...

Olympus Studio 2.3 — impressed

11 Jul 2009 23:00:00 PST

When I say I’m impressed with Olympus Studio 2.3 for Mac, I mean it. It is clearly the biggest piece of...

Olympus E-P1 comments

08 Jul 2009 23:00:00 PST

’ll be launching my DAP review of the Olympus E-P1 with an Examples page...

Site overhaul

08 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PST

A site overhaul is now in place. It’s been a big job...

Olympus E-P1 image quality

03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PST

Color rendition and overall image quality look to be excellent...

Olympus Studio software on Mac Pro

03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PST

It’s rare see a dual-cpu Mac Pro Nehalem fully utilized...

Olympus E-P1 12.3MP Micro 4/3 camera

02 Jul 2009 20:00:00 PST

I just ordered an Olympus E-P1, a new compact interchangeable-lens micro 4/3 camera...

Price drop on eSATA for MacBook Pro

02 Jul 2009 20:00:00 PST

Sonnet just dropped the price on the Tempo SATA Pro ExpressCard/34 for the MacBook Pro...

Canon EOS JPEG quality

01 Jul 2009 23:00:00 PST

Yesterday I commented that “Canon EOS JPEGs are crap”, which really miffed one reader, who interpreted my factual comment as a thoughtless insult...