Perspective!

Annoucement

The Lens Flare has steadily declined in readership and activity for the past several years. Recently, it has become the target of spammers, who have added nearly all of the new images for the past several months. Removing these images has become more of a chore than the site is worth.

Years ago, the site had a lot of traffic, but the need for The Lens Flare has been replaced with sites like Flickr and Facebook. People used to post photos with the hopes that others would praise their work. Facebook is now "the" place to solicit praise from your friends. In fact, this "praise" mentality was never what TLF was intended for. TLF was built on the idea that people would have a conversation about a photo or group of photos rather than just saying how pretty something is.

When the site was originally built, a 3MP camera was a "good" camera, most people still had dial-up connections, and 800x600 was the standard screen resolution. Because of this, the image size of 500 pixels wide was chosen. Today, nearly all the photos on the site are still 500 pixels wide. This is an obsolete size now that storage and servers are cheap, bandwidth is fast, and average cameras shoot at greater than 24 MP.

We are going back to the drawing board. The next version will not be specifically photography related. Most, if not all, of the images will likely be deleted. In short, we are going to completely start over with the idea that the conversation will once again be the reason to visit.

Thank you for being a valued part of The Lens Flare over the years. We will let you know when we plan to shut down this version of the site and replace it with a completely new one.

Selecting the Right Digital Camera

Because there are so many options, it's hard to make the best decision when purchasing a digital camera. Factors such as camera size, weight, photo quality and even the color of the camera all play their part. So, which type of camera is right for you?

Unfortunately, the answer is that it depends on what you're going to use it for.

If you want a camera that you can take around in your purse or pocket, then a consumer grade point and shoot digital camera may be the right solution. These types of cameras are compact and weight very little. They have decent automatic settings so you can take quick spur of the moment photos.

If the size and weight of the camera isn't a problem and you're looking for a better photo in terms of size, color depth, and overall quality, then a DSLR is probably what you're looking for. DSLR cameras have a larger photo sensor than point and shoot cameras. This is important because each pixel is able to receive a lot more light and data so the photo is able to be saved at a higher quality. For example, photos are less grainy at higher ISO settings because the larger sensor is able to capture the image with less noise.

To put this into perspective, a 14MP consumer grade point and shoot may be able to make a decent 16"x20" print, while a 6MP DSLR shooting in RAW can produce a good 30"x40" print. Why? Because the sensor is more than 4 times larger in the DSLR. When trying to compare apples to apples, you could consider the 6MP DSLR similar to a 24MP point and shoot, and even higher if the DSLR has a full frame sized sensor (available in high end cameras).

Also, the DSLR is able to change lenses for a variety of different situations such as macro lenses for closeups of flowers, large aperture lenses for low light shots, or telephoto lenses for sports and wildlife shots.

The downside is that these cameras are a lot heavier and bulkier, especially when factoring in the weight of the lenses. This can be a problem for spur of the moment shots or when hiking for miles. In the case of the wildlife photographer, special backpacks are available to pack lenses and camera equipment for protection and to help distribute the weight more evenly.

What to take on a nature photography hiking excursion

Nature photography is one of my favorite summer activities. I really enjoy going for a hike and trying to capture the beauty of the landscapes and wildlife. This article will explain some of the things you should consider taking with you, when you're in the backcountry shooting pictures of nature.

Water:

First and foremost, you're going to need water. If things go badly in the outdoors, you can survive for quite a while without food, but you're in big trouble if you don't have any water. I use a Camelback that contains 2 liters of water, and depending on the length of my hike, I usually take 1-2 water bottles filled with ice, but no water. I usually fill them about 3/4 of the way full of water the night before and freeze it. This helps keep the Camelback water cool, and it slowly melts so that I'll have cool water throughout the day. Of course, this is assuming the weather is somewhat warm. If you're hiking in snow, skip freezing your backpack water. You'll be plenty cold as it is.

In addition to carrying water, I have an empty water bottle that has a water filter in it. I also keep some dry supplies in this water bottle to conserve space such as iodine drops. This way, I have options. If I run out of water, I can always refill it in a nearby stream. The filter gets rid of most germs and the iodine takes care of the rest. Otherwise you risk getting giardia, which will give you diarrhea for a few weeks. If you don't have a filter, your safest bet is to drink from water that is seeping out of rock because the rock acts as a natural filter. The next best option is to drink from a running stream, and the worst is to drink from stagnant water. Look for dead animals nearby. If you see any, the water is most likely contaminated with giardia or worse.

You can create a makeshift filter by making a cup with your shirt, fill this with dirt, dump water in it to make mud, and then squeeze out the water through your shirt. This isn't the best situation, but it's better than nothing.

Food:

Take food that is high in protein and boosts your energy. My favorites to take are Clif bars because they are small, taste relatively good for an energy bar, and are packed with protein and other good stuff. I also like to take trail mix consisting of peanuts and other nuts, raisins, and M&Ms. Granola bars are another good choice. In a pinch, take a couple packs of Pop Tarts.

Stay away from anything greasy or anything that is going to quickly pass through you for obvious reasons and because you don't want to lose extra water because you ate the wrong food. Since it takes energy and water to digest food, you want to eat sparingly. Small amounts more often seems to work better than a large meal all at once. It's also a good idea to research what plants are edible in your area, but this is less important than acquiring water. A few granola bars can keep you alive for a few weeks, but you'll need water every day.

Radio:

It's good to have a decent pair of walkie-talkies. I bought a set that works for 12 miles and has a channel to get weather broadcasts on sale for about $35. These can cost up to $200, so keep an eye on the clearance rack at your local sporting goods store. It's good to check in on the weather to make sure a storm isn't coming. A far off storm can cause a flash flood, so it's good to know what's happening with Mother Nature in your area especially if you're in high mountains or a desert because the weather can change really quickly.

First Aid:

You'll want to have a basic first aid kit that contains a few band aids, a bandage you can wrap around a twisted ankle or knee, some tape and gauze, a snake bite kit, sunscreen and bug repellent, an emergency blanket, flint and/or waterproof matches, and a knife. This is all very light and won't take up much room in your pack. Much of it can be stored away in your empty water bottle.

Navigation:

Even if you know the area, you need a map. It's easy to get disoriented in the backcountry, and a map will prove invaluable in such times. I got lost during a hike once because it snowed and my trail was covered. Get a good map that shows the topology as well as landmarks. It's a good idea to have a GPS system because when you get lost, you'll be able to find your exact location on the map or to tell somebody over your walkie-talkie where you're at if they need to rescue you. Also, carry a whistle. The sound from a whistle will carry for a distance with little effort on your part. If you're injured and weak, a whistle may very well save your life. Also, carry a compass. If your GPS batteries die, you'll still have your compass to navigate by. Another good idea is to keep track of landmarks such as a unique mountain to help keep your bearings. Study the lay of the land before you go out. In some places, streams may run a certain direction, snow is usually on a certain mountain face and moss grows on a certain side depending on where you're at in the world. Do a little research to figure these things out for your specific location before you set out so that you're not totally dependent on your tools.

Camera Equipment:

I talked about all the other stuff first, on purpose. Being safe is more important than getting a good picture. However, now that we've established the basics to keep you safe, let's talk about camera equipment. A point and shoot digital camera with as many megapixels as you can get is a good choice. It's small, lightweight, and you can use the back screen to shoot your pictures instead of looking through the viewfinder. This makes it easier to get a horizontal picture of a flower low to the ground.

For SLR cameras, weight becomes a hindrance, so you'll want to keep your equipment down to a minimum, if possible. Before you go, decide what your goal of the day is and only take the lenses that will help fulfill that goal. Landscape photography is dominated by wide angle lenses, wildlife photography requires a telephoto lens, and flower photography ideally calls for a macro lens. I'd consider bringing a dark neutral density filter if you want to shoot waterfalls, and make sure and bring a second battery and a second memory card. It's a long walk back to the truck if your battery dies. Because of weight, I'd take a maximum of two lenses, and usually this would be a wide angle and telephoto. You'll also want to bring along a monopod, which can double up as a walking stick. Tripods are much too cumbersome to try and deal with out in the field, but a monopod will give you enough stability to get a good shot.

Hiking Techniques:

When you add up the weight of water, food, first aid kit, navigation items, and camera equipment, your backpack is going to weigh you down. This is a necessary evil because the consequences of not being prepared can result in your death. People die every year in the mountains near my home because they weren't prepared and something unexpected happened like a flash storm, animal attack, freak accident, or whatever. Combine extra weight with fatigue of walking long distances and potentially high altitudes and you're going to get tired much faster than normal. However, there are ways to limit this. First, take many breaks and don't walk so fast that you're panting or your heart is racing. If you're walking up hill, expend the leg that is lower on the hill all the way. This way, your muscles aren't supporting you all the time. When your leg is extended, your muscles can relax while your bones take on the weight. Stretch before starting your hike, and don't sit in any one spot so long that your muscles get cold. If they do, walk a short distance to warm them up and then stretch again. Take your time. You're not in a hurry. One of the reasons I enjoy nature photography is because time ceases to matter, and the stresses of city life melt away. Besides, by taking your time, you'll see many more photographic opportunities than otherwise.

Stick to the trail, unless you really know where you're going. I have a hard time with this one when I see a deer or other animal. I want to follow the animal and try to get a photograph of it. Usually though, by the time you've scared it off, it's too late. Write the animal off as gone, and keep walking on the trail. You might get lucky and see another one. But if you leave the trail, you will get lost very quickly. Believe me on this one. I've been lost a few times in the woods and it's really scary.

Sometimes you'll have the opportunity to use different modes of transportation such as snowmobiles, ATVs, horses, or whatever. This obviously changes the weight requirements and other things, but you can't use these everywhere. The only things you can depend on are your own two feet.

Have Fun:

Most of all, getting in the outdoors can be a fun and sometimes religious experience. There's a reason people call the wild "God's Country". Don't be in a hurry and simply enjoy yourself. The photo is only half the experience.

What is the ISO setting on my camera?

ISO is the value that represents the speed in which a photographic negative is exposed. In other words, the higher the number, the less light is required to properly expose the image (and the grainier the picture is, which we'll talk about in a minute).

This concept has been translated to digital cameras as well. Back in the old days of film photography, each film canister would have a number on it such as 100, 200, or 400. This concept is now a setting in each digital camera and most cameras can select between a wide range of ISO settings. Typical ranges are from 200-1600; however, newer cameras have a wider range such as 100-6400. The beauty of digital cameras is that this setting can be changed for each image, where before, you were stuck with one speed of film per roll.

How ISO affects exposure

The ISO is one of three factors in determining the correct exposure. The other two are the shutter speed and the aperture settings. When the ISO is set to a low number such as 100 or 200, the camera requires more light to properly expose the shot. This is compensated by either a larger aperture setting or a slower shutter speed. However, the opposite applies when the ISO is set to a high setting such as 1600 or 3200. The camera doesn't need as much light, so the shutter speed can be set much faster or the aperture set to a smaller setting.

Image noise and its relationship to ISO

When somebody talks about noise in an image, they're referring to how grainy the image is. This is similar, but different to a picture being overly pixelated. Technically, noise is any aspect of the image that is created by something other than light.

The lower the ISO rating, the more light is required, but the less noise is introduced into the photo. Therefore, it's a good idea to keep the ISO as low as possible, while still being able to properly expose the photo.

How the image sensor's size affects ISO

The size of the image sensor affects the range of ISO settings the camera can have. The larger the sensor, the greater the ISO range is. Point and shoot consumer cameras often have a sensor that is 1/1.8 inch in size (roughly 7.2 x 5.3mm) while most DSLR cameras have a larger sensor that is 23x15mm. High end digital SLRs may have a full frame sized sensor that is 24x36mm.

Why this is important is because the larger the sensor, the larger the pixels can be. When the pixels are larger, they receive more light which reduces noise. It also makes it so the range of ISO settings are greater.

Scenarios for when to change the ISO setting

When shooting indoors with low light, often you may need to increase the ISO in order to get a good exposure without using a flash
When shooting outdoors in sunny conditions, drop the ISO to the lowest setting to reduce noise and end up with a better quality photo
When using a telephoto lens, where its necessary to shoot with a fast shutter speed, increase the ISO to compensate for less light
When using a wide angle lens, where its possible to shoot at a slow shutter speed, decrease the ISO for better results
When shooting lightning, where the bolt itself can easily overexpose a photo, decrease the ISO for both better quality and to reduce the amount of light coming into the camera

Summary

ISO represents the speed of the film or digital sensor; i.e. how much light is required to expose the photo. The larger the sensor, the better. DSLRs have a much larger sensor than consumer point and shoot cameras, which is one of the reasons why they are able to produce better images.

Use a higher ISO to compensate for low light situations, but use the lowest ISO setting possible for each specific situation to reduce the grain in the image. Most cameras have an "Auto ISO" option that is good until you get the hang of the different settings.

What is the minimum shutter speed I can use and still get a crisp photo?

There are many factors that play into the minimum shutter speed, but the simple rule of thumb is that you need to be faster than your effective focal length if you're holding the camera. For example, if you're using the equivalent of a 50mm lens, your shutter speed needs to be faster than 1/50 sec to get a crisp photo, and if you're using the equivalent of a 200mm lens, your shutter speed needs to be faster than 1/200 sec, etc

Of course, there are different scenarios that alter this. For starters, notice that I said the 'equivalent' of a 200mm lens. This is because most camera sensors are smaller than 35mm, and because they're smaller, the light angles are altered as they come in from the lens to the sensor. Because of this, most DSLR cameras have an effective focal length of 1.5 times what it says on the lens; for example, a 50mm lens acts like a 75mm lens. This isn't always the case, however, so it's good to check your camera's documentation. The high end cameras sometimes have a larger sensor, which brings the effective focal length back to what it says on the lens.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some lenses have Image Stabilization or Vibration Reduction. Both of these terms mean the same, but Canon uses the term Image Stabilization or IS and Nikon uses Vibration Reduction or VR. What this means is that the lens has a way to counter the effects of camera shake. Not all lenses are created equal. Some have better VR or IS than others so you'll want to check the documentation and experiment with the lenses; however, it's common to be able to slow down the shutter speed by 2-4 or more stops. This is very important for telephoto lenses because they're a lot harder to keep steady and thus require a lot faster shutter speed. To put it into perspective, it's pretty easy to have enough light at 1/50th of a second but a lot harder at 1/800.

Monopods reduce the effects of camera shake and thus the shutter speed can be slowed down by several stops. The camera still moves slightly, however, because it's still braced by a human. Of course, tripods virtually remove the effects of camera shake except for the moment the shutter release button is pressed. In some cases, such as long exposure shots, it's necessary to use a tripod and a remote shutter because pressing the button actually moves the camera slightly.

How does the aperture and focal length affect the depth of field?

Understanding Depth of Field

The next concept to understand is depth of field. This represents the portion of the photo that is in focus. A shallow depth of field or DOF has the subject in focus but the foreground and background is blurry, and a wide depth of field has most, if not all, of the photo in focus.

There are two things that affect depth of field: focal length and aperture.

Focal Length

The longer the focal length, i.e. the millimeters on the side of the lens, the more shallow the depth of field will be. This is why when you see telephoto shots of athletes or wildlife, the subject is in focus but surrounding area is not. This is actually a really good feature because the photographer generally wants to eliminate distractions from the main subject.

However the opposite is true with wide angle lenses, which generally have a lot more of the frame in focus. In most cases, this is desirable with wide angle shots.

Aperture

Before reading this section, make sure you understand what the aperture is.

The larger the aperture, the shallower the depth of field. One of my favorite lenses to photograph flowers is a simple 50mm 1.8f lens. At f/1.8, the depth of field is very shallow; in fact, sometimes not even the entire flower is in focus. This makes for some interesting effects such as blurring out boring stems, the ground, and other distractions.

What is a camera's aperture and how does it relate to an f-stop?

Understanding Aperture

The aperture is literally the hole in the lens that allows light to pass to the film or digital sensor, and the camera's lens is able to control how big that hole is. This is represented as an f-stop. For example, you might see the camera display a value like f/2, f/4, f/8, etc.

The easiest way to grasp what an f-stop is, is to think of it as a fraction. Replace "f" with a "1". So f/2 would be 1/2, f/4 would be 1/4, etc. In this way, it's easy to grasp that f/2 is a larger hole than f/4 and therefore f/2 lets in twice as much light.

Different lenses have a different maximum aperture. For example, a 50mm 1.8f lens is able to have a maximum aperture of f/1.8, which is a really big aperture. You've probably seen lenses called something like 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. This means that the lens can be adjusted between 100mm and 400mm. At 100mm, the maximum aperture is 4.5 and at 400mm it drops to 5.6. This is because of the geometry of the longer focal length in relation to the size of the hole is smaller and thus it has a smaller relative f-stop.

Because it's a lot harder to maintain a large aperture with longer lenses, the ones that do are much more expensive and are generally larger in overall size than their cheaper counterparts.

Welcome to The Lens Flare

Welcome to The Lens Flare! We want to see the world from your perspective! Our goal is to offer a family friendly community for amateur and professional photographers to share their photos and art.

We've recently upgraded the site to make it easier to navigate and use. All of the features have changed from the last version: some have been dropped, while others are new.

New and Updated Features

Galleries - these are the same as Albums from the previous version.
Themes - these are essentially galleries, but for all images on the site instead of just one members. It helps replace the old "categories" on the previous version of the site.
Photographer Directory - this is ordered by the photographers overall score instead of the last time somebody logged in.
Perspective! Blog - this has replaced the old wiki and blog.
Contests - these are now based on the rating system rather than selecting favorites. The highest average rating determines the winner instead of the most votes.
Score - the scoring system has been reworked. The score determines the order in which photos, galleries, and photographers are displayed. More details about how the score is calculated can be viewed on the Getting Started page, which is viewable after you log in.
Score, views, and other stats are updated once per day. This is to help ensure the web pages load quickly.
Related Photos - each photo now displays up to 3 related photos. These are chosen randomly from the themes the photo belongs to.

Removed Features

Message Board - The forum has been removed, at least temporarily. It was rarely used except as a means of tech support on the previous version. People have always used comments on photos as a better way to communicate on this site.
Wiki - this system has been removed. It used to contain articles, but was difficult to maintain. The Perspective! blog will take its place.
Camera Reviews - this was an early attempt at a review system, but didn't have the feature-set to really be beneficial. Like the message board and wiki, the blog will pick up the slack.
Categories - As mentioned above, the themes are currently taking its place. We may bring back tags, tag clouds, and the like at a later date.
Recently Viewed Pictures - Since views are only updated once per day, this feature is no longer relevant.
New Comments - We have some ideas to make this concept better, which will be rolled out at a later date.

Thank You

Thank you for using The Lens Flare. Our aim is to make this site the best resource for photographers worldwide. Feel free to contact us with suggestions, comments, or concerns.

Canon Telephoto EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Autofocus Lens

Review by Pinetree3

This is my fun lens. Best use is for macro shots, but also can be used for portrait work. After using strictly zoom lenses, getting used to a prime lens takes a little practice. Does excellent macro work. I really like the lens, but at this time it is the least used lens in my bag.

Review by Whoismikey

Excellent lens for portrait. Very lightweight for long durations of shooting. And of course, if you must have a macro lens, go for it.

Nikon D300 Digital Camera

Review from Sgbrown

I've recently upgraded from my D200 (itself a wonderful camera) to the D300. The key improvements that matter to me are:

The new 51-point auto-focus system. This makes relying on the camera's "choice" of focus a much more practical affair. Unlike the D200 where I tended to select the central focus point, focus on my subject, and then with the shutter release pressed half-way to lock the focus, recompose the shot, I'm now pretty much happy to compose and shoot, knowing that the camera will make a pretty good job of getting the focus right.
Active D-Lighting. This is a way of increasing the dynamic range of the camera, which as those who've read my article on "Digital Capture's Lack of Latitude" will know is a serious problem with most digital cameras. I leave this setting on high as my default. The beauty is that in Nikon Capture NX you can change this later with no loss of image quality. The system works best when you let it take care of the highlights, so whereas before I always bracketed with 1 stop under-exposure, I now bracket with 1 stop over-exposure to improve shadow detail without having to worry too much about blown-out highlights.
Image noise. Nikon have tended to be less good at controlling image noise at high ISO values than Canon. Now the gap has closed, with both marques turning in excellent performance. With my D200 I rarely felt confident about noise levels above about ISO 400, but with the D300 I'm prepared to let the auto ISO feature push the ISO up to 1600 when necessary.
Sensor dust. The D300 has a sensor cleaning system that uses vibration of the low-pass filter in front of the sensor. To be honest I've no idea yet if this is effective. Although I often got dust spots on my D70, I never experienced any in the D200. So I simply don't know whether the new functionality will help me or not!
Vertical grip. I've also bought Nikon's new vertical grip for the D300, which increases the maximum frame rate to 8fps, but as I never use such facilities it isn't for that reason that I bought it. It's very convenient for taking portrait-format shots, and of course it also gives you a great deal more battery life. The grip can take standard AA batteries, so there's pretty much nowhere you can go in the world and not be able to get emergency power for your camera.

Review from Maknbacon

You cannot go wrong with this camera and lens. I went from the Nikon D50 which was a great camera to the D300. Mostly I like the way they added most of the most used options as buttons and dials. No more searching through a menu for most items. I had a Tamron 28-300 lens which was OK, but I was getting disappointed with the sharpness. I got the Nikkor 18-200 VRII and I've been very happy ever since. I miss the telephoto 300, but as I suspected I needed the 18 wide angle much more than the 300 on the other end in most cases.

The longer you use this camera and lens, the happier you'll be with it. I really don't see me upgrading from this for a long time. I will get a nice f/100 or f/60 Macro lens eventually.

Review from Dennis Gazso

I've had this camera for a year and a half and it's been excellent. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Typical Nikon quality.

Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens

I have had this lens for several years now. It is a great piece of glass and the IS really works well. However, I will say this, and it may only be true for my copy, but it is soft in sharpness if shot at less than f8.0. I think it may be this way with all of them. But even with that draw back, it is still a super piece of glass. At f8.0, it is hard to find a sharper lens. With the IS, I can hand hold shots as slow as 1/60 sec at 400mm with consistent results.

It is the glass I grab if I'm birding or shooting any wildlife for that matter.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10 Digital Camera

This is a great little camera. With its 50mm lens and 10x optical zoom, you get professional result for the price of amateur equipment. The automatic features are handy but you have an option to use manual controls to create unique works of art. The LCD Screen is large enough to determine the quality of the photos you take and with the multiple delete option, you can batch remove any unwanted photos.

I love the light meter feature. The in-camera editing is wonderful and the plug and play is wonderful. You can upload photos to any computer without having to cart discs around. I have 8.1 MP and that is enough for me. It's certainly the bang for your buck.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (400D) Review

Review by Bubbalinn

I have only used this camera for a couple weeks, but I can say that I'm liking it more and more. I also have the older Digital Rebel 300D that is a larger camera. The XTi is a nice size; it's not too large and not too small. When I put on my larger 75-300mm lens I have no problem holding it. I have regular size hands and it fits me perfectly. I really like the larger screen along with the larger font size for the settings. The settings are also easy to find and change. I really like my old 300D and I think I'm going to like this 400D even more. The Rebels are a great low end DSLR that can take wonderful photos.

Update - I have been using the XTi for some time now and I really like it, no complaints at all. The battery life is amazing and lasts longer than the 300D, and the custom settings work great. I have taken all types of photos even lightning and this camera works great. I also had a photo shoot taking shots of girls standing by cars and after taking 500 photos in around a hour in 95 degree temperatures it worked perfect. I give this camera two thumbs up.

Review by Onenine

I love my XTi. I wanted to go from film to digital and am glad I did so using this piece of equipment.

Review by Janice

I have this camera and I love it! It is a great all rounder and on the ball.

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom

This is a very nice low end lens that most amateur photographers will enjoy. The auto focus is fast and does good most of the time. When taking photos of birds or say rabbits, I set the focus to center only, or it will focus on the larger objects. The quality and colors of 8x10 prints are great.

The IS - Image Stabilizer really helps when taking photos hand held and especially when zoomed in a lot or in low light. If you use the IS for every shot, it will use up your batteries faster. If you limit the amount of time you have the shutter button pressed halfway down, you can extend the life of your battery a lot. I keep IS turned on all of the time except when using it with a tripod. You need to turn the IS off when using it with a tripod or you will damage the lens.

When you buy the lens I would also get the lens hood. The hood not only helps with blocking the sun, it protects the lens from getting scratched.

Overall, I have no complaints, it has been working fine for around three years now, and is still my favorite lens.

Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Autofocus Lens

This is a great all around lens for shooting most situations. The auto focus is lightning fast and the lens is not very heavy. The zoom and focus rings move very smooth. The quality of the photos seem to be around the same as the kit lens that comes with most Canon cameras. I like that the lens turns inside when focusing and that you can manually focus at any time. This is a great slam around lens but you get what you pay for. If you need better quality the EF 28-105mm F4L IS would be the way to go but your looking at $900.00 to $1200.00 for that lens.

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Review by Jessica Cooper

Shortly after receiving the 1D Mark III, it locked up and displayed an "Error 99". I had to send it in for repairs. Repairing was extremely fast and I've never had the trouble again. They also had a recall that I had to send my camera in for. Again, this was very fast and I had my camera back in no time. Once those issues were resolved, I am extremely happy with my camera. I am still learning some things, but with this camera, my shots are turning out beautifully! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is in the market for a professional camera. One thing I am very impressed with is the lighting that it allows in, much better than my 20D backup.

Review by Tim Klenk

Initially had an issue with autofocus repaired by Canon through firmware. My unit did not have this issue. Easily one of the best professional cameras on the market with limitless possibilities. User can personalize custom settings. Takes a lot of time to explore all the potential features and is a little on the heavy side. But, the Lithium battery holds power for a long, long time.

Nikon D90 Camera Review

Love this camera! The first time I held it, it just fits perfectly. The design, weight and user friendly buttons is simply great.

My Nikon D90 came with an 18-105mm F3.5 VR lens. Perfect for me because it's an all around lens. I mean for daily use it's awesome. Once you get to navigate the features of the D90, you'll be totally overwhelmed. It has some features of the D700 and D3 except for the price. In-camera tweaking is standard. You can trim, color enhance, and cross filter, without using Photoshop. If you get the settings right, what you see is what you want to get.

I highly recommend this product for serious photographers. It is very reliable, consistent and creates stunning pictures.

Canon Zoom Super Wide Angle EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Autofocus Lens

I love this lens. It is without question my favorite lens in my bag, above my two "L" lenses. The quality of the images is near equal to the L lenses I have (EF 24-105 f/4 L & EF 70-200 f/4L). What makes it my favorite is the effect of the wide angle image. It automatically creates a feeling of spaciousness and place. The only drawback to this lens in my mind is the distortion at 10mm.

If you have an EF-S mount and don't yet have a wide angle lens, I highly recommend this lens. It is not terribly expensive, compared to Canon L lenses, yet produces great results.

Sigma Zoom Normal-Telephoto 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon AF-D

I rented this lens for a few weeks to photograph wildlife in Montana and Yellowstone. This was the first lens I've used in the 500mm focal range, and I used a monopod to support the weight because it's at least 5 pounds. I played around with shutter speeds to end up with a sharp image. Of course, anything faster than 1/750 worked fine. With the monopod, I felt OK dropping it to 1/600, but I didn't dare drop it much further.

I used the highest ISO setting my camera would allow, which was 1600 to make it possible to still get a good exposure with the faster shutter speeds because at the longer focal lengths, the aperture will only go to f/6.3.

This was a fun lens to play around with. It was heavy and awkward, but still really fun. I felt like I was carrying around a rocket launcher or something.

Nikon SB-800 Speedlight Review

The SB-800 is an awesome flash, very powerful, nearly as much light as some studio mono-lights. It includes an extra battery holder which makes absolutely no sense. The flash takes 4 AA rechargeable batteries and the extra holder has one more. It is unbelievably inconvenient to charge one AA battery by itself so I don't use it. I just have an extra set of 4AA rechargeable batteries ready.

The SB-800 can be used on the shoe or remotely. On the shoe, I run in TTL mode which is fantastic, the exposures are very good. At a slow shutter speed (like 1/15), I can get a lot of ambient light in the picture and the flash doesn't overexpose the rest.