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Imatest Macro Results (With Apologies to the Nikon 105 VR Micro)
A few months back we tested a number of Nikon lenses on the D800 cameras, hoping to determine which lenses could bring the absolute best resolution out of that camera’s 36-megapixel sensor. The results were interesting, and in a few cases surprising. More than a few Fanboys went ballistic over…
Autofocus Reality Part 3A: Canon Lenses
Sometimes I get to write cool, new stuff. Sometimes there’s just grunt work to be done, usually of my own making. This is one of those times. To bring you up to date if you’ve landed here first, this is how I got here. Autofocus Reality Part 1 showed that on center-point, single-shot autofocus,…
Autofocus Reality Part 2: One vs. Two, Old vs. New
The first part of this series confirmed what we already new: Live view focus is more accurate than phase detection AF. This part is going to (sort of) look at something I’ve wondered about along with some related old wives’ tales. And unlike the first article, at the end of this we’ll have learned…
Autofocus Reality Part 1: Center-Point, Single-Shot Accuracy
Once upon a time I wrote an article attempting to explain phase-detection autofocus Works") and its limitations. That was a lot like trying to explain what happened to the Mary Celeste or why Stonehenge was built. Actually we probably have a better handle on the Stonehenge thing than we do on the…
The Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is Expensive Because It’s Worth It.
The first Olympus 75mm f/1.8 m4/3 lens arrived today, courtesy of Tyler’s connections with the King of Siam or wherever it is he gets these things. I had to test it, of course, because that’s what I do. I hadn’t planned on writing about it; the lens has already been reviewed thoroughly at…
Canon’s 18-135mm IS gets an STM Makeover
So the usual happened today: I read in a couple of places that the Canon 18-135mm IS STM lens isn’t going to be available in the U. S. for a while. A few minutes later Tyler walks in my office with one, asking if I want to test it. Let me be clear where I’m coming from: we never stocked the Canon…
Is Sony Going to be the Digital Kodak?
My mind is a strange and dangerous place. I shouldn’t go in there alone after dark. But the other night I was thinking, just me and myself, about all the new camera releases this year. Which has made the biggest impact? Is it the Canon 5D III with that world-class autofocus system? The Olympus OM-D…
Optically Adjusting a Lens
I write a lot about the fact that every copy of a lens is slightly different than every other copy. Now don’t get me wrong: I’m talking slight differences that are barely detectable, not good or bad. Even when things appear to be in the “bad lens” area, they usually aren’t. The majority of the time…
A Weekend with the Panasonic 12-35 f/2.8
Tyler has an amazing ability to purchase hard to find items and get them to Lensrentals. Today he amazed even me — a brand new Panasonic 12-35 f/2.8 OIS lens arrived when, in theory at least, there are none available anywhere in the U. S. None of us know how he does it. I’m pretty sure none of us…
The “Other” Canon Primes — Why Did They Do That?
Canon actually released 3 prime lenses this month. The 40mm pancake has received a lot of attention, as it should. It’s an amazing little lens at an amazing price. Almost no one is commenting on the other two lenses, though. We got our first small batches of the Canon 24mm f/2.8 and Canon 28mm…
Guest Blogger Aaron Nace | How to Capture the Real & Surreal with a Superlative Lens
_Today’s Guest Blogger Aaron Nace is going to show you tips on creating and compositing fantastical images with a lens he considers to be one of the best._ _Aaron is a Chicago-based photographer and retoucher who combines elements of reality and fantasy to create his images. Aaron has taught…
Gear Up for Vacation!
One of the things that is often great (but sometimes terrible) about working at Lensrentals is that you get to talk to lots of photographers all across the country. This time of year, we get tons of phone calls asking for gear recommendations for the big summer vacation. Sadly, we also get a few…