Lenses and Optics

Sharpening Maps and Masks

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Obviously I’m a gearhead, so I like to know the traits of the lenses I shoot with. I want to know what aperture gives maximal corner sharpness, for example, whether the plane of focus is curved or flat, where the distortion changes in a zoom, which end of the zoom range or focusing distance is […]

Humor and Sarcasm

Wavelength-Detecting Sensor Eliminates Bayer Filter, Triples Resolution

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“Current camera sensor technology is completely backwards.” Dr. Eno Lirpa Everyone knows that in order to generate color, a digital camera’s sensor is overlaid with a Bayer filter. The filter makes each pixel sensitive to either red, blue, or green light.   Standard Bayer filter, courtesy Wikipedia Commons   Software than interpolates this red, green […]

New Items

Leica M (Type 240) Resolution Comparison

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First and foremost, let’s be very clear: I am not a rangefinder shooter and certainly not a rangefinder reviewer. But I’m more excited than most people about the new Leica M (Typ 240) camera for one simple reason. It has live view and focus peaking so at long last I can, if I want, actually […]

Other

Nikon’s Early April Fool Joke?

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Nikon’s new Coolpix A camera has some impressive specifications, what with its 16 megapixel APS-C sensor, 18.5mm f/2.8 lens, and $1,100 price tag. Nowhere in those specifications, though, is a claim for Vibration Reduction that I can find. But the packaging department apparently didn’t get the memo: the box sure claims it has VR. Well, […]

Recommendations

The Best Lens Bargains

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Increasing vision is increasingly expensive. – R. A. Janek (actually Michael Crichton) For the last year or so, it seems like almost every new lens release has been accompanied by sticker shock. The manufacturers are businessmen and they know when we’ve been salivating at the promise of a new wonder lens. They know we”ll be […]

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