Being out of town for a few days I didn’t really get a chance to do much in the way of news updates so I thought I would bring you a few little nuggets that I heard about lately. And as you probably know, PMA is just around the corner so some of the camera manufacturers have started releasing new product info to help feed the buzz.
Nikon’s New Lenses -
Nikon has just released two new full-frame lenses. The first is a new wide-angle zoom with a 16-35mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/4. It also has built in VR technology for steadier shots at slower shutter speeds. This lens is sort of a replacement for the aging 17-35mm that has been on the market for quite a few years now. The 17-35 is an f/2.8 lens but when you are working with lenses this wide, you hardly notice any advantage in depth of field and the VR more than makes up for the one stop of aperture.
The other new addition to the Nikon lens line-up is a new 24mm f/1.4. Yet another G-series lens made for the FX line of cameras (although it will work on a DX camera such as the D300s). This wide-angle offering has a very large aperture for some very low-light shooting possibilities. Match this with a D3s and you can shoot in the dark, well almost. Nikon gets a little flack every now and then for their lack of prime lenses so I expect to see more of them in the future.
The new lenses are a bit on the pricey side with the 16-35mm running about $1260 and the 24mm costing a wallet punishing $2200 (all prices in USD). B&H has listings for the lenses but no arrival dates as of yet.
Canon Takes the Rebel T Up A Notch -
It just seems like yesterday that Canon came out with the Rebel T1i (that would be the 500D for everyone else in the world). Now there is a bold new edition called, the Rebel T2i. First of all, I wish that Canon would get off the whole Rebel kick and unify all their cameras under one simple name instead of these silly Rebel names that they seem so attached to for the American market. Okay, so with that out of the way, let’s take a quick look at what makes the T2i so different from its predecessor.
Actually, it would be easier to compare this thing to the 7D rather than the T1i because many of the same features have been borrowed and squeezed into this smaller form factor. The sensor is the same 18MP APS-C CMOS as the 7D. The camera uses a Digic-4 processor, has an ISO range from 100-12800, 63 zone, dual layer metering, and 1080 Full HD video at frame rates of 24 (23.976), 25 or 30 (29.97) frames per second, for up to 4GB per clip – just like the 7D. The big differences between this camera and the 7D are the 3.7 frames per second shooting as opposed to the 8fps in the 7D. Also the 7D has 19 AF points and the T2i only has 9. Of course there are other differences too but if you were drooling over the 7D but couldn’t swing the $1700 price tag, the new T2i might just be what you were looking for. B&H has the body only listed for $800 or $900 with the EF-S 18-55mm IS lens. No word yet on just when they will be shipping.
Alien Skin Software Offers Discounts to Help Haiti -
The good folks at Alien Skin are offering a 20% discount on all their products through the end of February to help raise money for Haiti relief efforts. 10% of their profits for the entire month of February (not just from the sale) will be donated to funds specifically for Haiti through the Red Cross and the Community Coalition for Haiti. If you have been thinking of buying one of their products (I am a huge fan of their Bokeh plug-in) then this is really the time for you to take the plunge. Not only will you be getting a great deal on some great software but you will be helping out with a great cause. it’s win-win. Visit the Alien Skin website for more info.
That’s all I have for today. Have a warm and toasty Thursday and I’ll see you tomorrow.
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