Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Nikon Digital Slr’

Nikon SB 600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

When used in combination with Nikon’s latest digital SLRs, the D70 or D2H, the SB-600 supports Advanced Wireless Lighting as a remote Speedlight that can be positioned as one of multiple remote flashes to significantly extend creative possibilities. To assist in such situations, the Speedlight SB-600 also has a readylight located beside the LCD on the rear panel that can be easily seen from a distance. The SB-600 can also emit an audible alert for further assistance. Easy-to-view LCD with 6 simple-to-understand backlit buttons Guide Number of 30/98 [ISO100,m/ft], 42/138 [ISO200,m/ft] (at 35mm zoom) Auto zoom of 24 to 85mm, extendable to 14mm with built-in wide-flash adapter Advanced Wireless Lighting available with D2H or D70 when used as a remote Auto FP High-Speed Sync (with D2H only); use with fast shutter speeds achieves effective blurring of out-of-focus background elements Flash Color Information – optimized white balance makes use of data from the Speedlight FV lock holds flash value, enabling recomposition prior to shooting Design consistent with those of next-generation D-SLRs, with a triangular design element on the top that complements the D-SLR motif Requires 4 AA Batteries (Alkaline or Rechargeable NiCad or NIMH) for use

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Amazing capabilities and power for the money!
The product description above, and all the other reviews below cover every detail of this flash’s capabilities, so I won’t repeat them.

I just wanted to come on here and add my statment that I simply love, love, love this easy to use yet powerful flash.

I have shot three weddings using this mounted to my camera, two on a D70s and the latest on my new D90. The brides all LOVED the photos.

The later two weddings I used the SB-600 for, I had the Sto-Fen Omnibounce mounted on the flash the whole time. I hardly ever take the Omnibounce off any more, it improves flash photos so much, and it makes fill flashing outdoors a breeze. Bride’s skin tones simply glow with the Omnibounce on the SB-600.

Yeah, I’d have loved to have had the cash to spring for the top-of-the-line, but I am glad I didn’t. The only possible reason I would ever upgrade from this was if I became a full-time pro and wanted the extra power just in case. I’d never use the multiple flash idea, I much prefer Novatron light sets for multi-light situations.

This SB-600 has done everything from snapshots of family around home, fill flash outdoors, to group get-togethers at church, to formal wedding photography with nary a hitch.

Unless you need a gamma-ray burst like the SB-800 and 900s put out, this SB-600 will satisfy you, I promise. (Y’all know I’m just kidding about the bigger flash putting out gamma-rays, right? GR’s will kill ya.)

4 Stars SB-600 Speedlight Flash
Good product; effective lighting of scenes under various difficult situations. It is a bit heavy for my Nikon D60, and I wish some prior recommendations had been published on this. It makes the camera top heavy, and difficult to carry from the shoulder strap without having to hold on to the camera.

1 Star Good Product Bad Business Practice
I just received this product last night. I ordered it using free shipping and received it within 3 workdays which was fantastic. The product is also great as are the images I’ve been able to produce with my D90.

The low score has nothing to do with the product itself but the fact that I received a USED or REFURBISHED product!

I have plenty of experience purchasing products online and electronics themselves and there are visible, obvious signs of use. The plastic wrapping is not quite pristine, the scuff marks, the miscellaneous prints on the glossy plastic parts and worse yet, strange miscellaneous gunk marks.

Nothing was sealed, there was physical folding damage to the manuals and scratches on the hot shoe. Obvious signs of use.

I normally get great service from Amazon directly, this was a severe disappointment. It may have only been used for a short while but with products like these and a set life span, it is unfair to charge me full price for something that is billed as new.

I will be returning it, hopefully for a full refund or NEW replacement.

5 Stars Changes the way I take photos
Having a bright light source off-camera instead of built in really changes the way you take photos. I use my SB-600 wirelessly in tandem with my D80 and it can improve nearly any situation.

I’d say one of the only downsides is the lack of control buttons, most of the options you have to hold down multiple buttons at once to access them.

The SB-600 itself syncs great, is reliable, and nice and bright. It rotates in 180 degrees in one direction and 90 degrees in another (do you need more?)

5 Stars Very happy
After reading the reviews for the sb-900 and how the over heat sensors were too sensitive on them I decided to go with the sb-600 for that reason. I will just have to be carefull not to burn out the flash.

Buy/More Info

Sigma 70 200mm f 2 8 DG HSM II Macro Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Enjoy improved optical performance while retaining close-up ability with the large aperture Sigma 70-200mm macro zoom lens. The lens–which offers a minimum focusing distance of 39.4 inches and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.5–is suitable for a variety of subjects, including portraits, landscape shots, and macro photos. The lens offers two special low-dispersion (SLD) and three extraordinary low-dispersion (ELD) glass elements, providing excellent correction for all types of aberrations and creating high-quality images throughout the entire zoom range. The super multi-layer coating, meanwhile, reduces flare and ghosting. Finally, the lens incorporates a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM), which ensures a quiet and high-speed autofocus (AF) as well as full-time manual focusing ability. Other features include inner focusing and inner zooming systems, a removable tripod collar, and a 77mm filter size.

Specifications

• Focal length: 70-200mm
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Lens construction: 18 elements in 15 groups
• Angle of view: 34.3 to 12.3 degrees
• Number of diaphragm blades: 9
• Minimum aperture: f/22
• Minimum focusing distance: 39.4 inches
• Filter size: 77mm
• Hood: Petal type
• Corresponding AF mounts: Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony/Minolta, Pentax, Four Thirds
• Dimensions: 3.4 inches in diameter and 7.3 inches long
• Weight: 48.3 ounces
• Warranty: 1 year

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Better than Sony on Sony
I have owned this lens for a year now, wanted to wait to give it a review until I got through all the sport seasons. This lens has really delivered. I didn’t like it on my Sony a200 because, quite frankly, the lens was too good for the 200. I use it on my a700 and wow….. the extra megapixels coupled with the abilities of this lens is remarkable. I had purchased the Sony 70-200mm at a significantly higher price and was less impressed. I didn’t do all my homework before purchaseing that lens and found that the Sony version did not have the seals (for dust, weather, moisture) that the Sigma has. It was a no-brainer…. the sigma is far better for the money. If you have an a200, it still is a great lens but I feel that camera can not take full advantage of the features of this lens, otherwise, get this lens, it will be the last telephoto you purchase at this range.

1 Star Back focus is an issue!
I purchased this lens after having owned the Tamron. This is a great lens except that I received mine with a significant back focus issue. I’ve read others complaining about this as well on the Nikon mount. I just don’t believe this is acceptable in a lens at this price point.

1 Star Nice while it still worked …
I have had the lens for slightly over one year – just long enough for the warranty to have expired – and the auto-focus no longer functions. When I took the lens to the local camera shop, I was told that I was the second person that day with this lens who experienced the failure of the auto focus function. When the auto focus did function, the lense was great for action (sports, etc.) shots. I’m going to use the lens with the manual focus for now – and consider buying Canon in the future. I really had not used the lens that much – and had always taken care when handling the lens (e.g. removal, storage, etc. were “by the book”). Very disappointing.

5 Stars One amazinf lens
Amazing performance, I am using this lens with Nikon D300 and love everything about it – boken, fast AF, solid feel, etc.

You have to hold this lens steady or use a tripod, but the results are very sharp and contrasty, colors are very natural.

Did I say I just love the boken

Quite impressive lens!

4 Stars Used for first wedding…very happy with it!
Overall I was very happy with this lens for my first wedding shoot. The focal length worked fine…did not need any extra zoom that I thought I might need. The wedding hall was very dark and I was a little worried but on the aperature setting with the lens wide open I got some great shots. The lens had a little bit of a problem during the dancing…especially if they were moving fast…but for slow dances worked fine. I would say about 80% of my images came out very sharp, which I thought was pretty good given such low lighting. Any outside photos I took were fantastic.

Buy/More Info

Nikon 85mm f 1 4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

85mm focal length is considered the optimal choice for portrait work using a 35mm SLR camera. It can be used with D-Series for Nikon mount cameras. Focus type is Autofocus. Maximum focal length: 85 millimeters. Minimum focal length: 85 millimeters. Maximum aperture range: F/1.4. Camera Magnify Power: 0.11. Real Angle Of View: 28.5.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Rarely taking it off!
I have been shooting with this lens for 5 months now and find this is my new favorite lens to shoot with. The 85mm is a little bit too long for me at one point or another when trying to frame my kid in tight area. I have been doing a lot of foot works since I got this lens. Just be prepare to do some exercises when you decided to purchase one if not shooting in a portrait studio.

One small detail that I had noticed though is that the len is “Made In Japan” but the lens’ cap is “Made In Thailand.” Could this be right? Nikon uses lens’ cap from Thailand instead of manufacturing their own in order to save money?

4 Stars Great for portraits but quite old.
Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.4 has been hailed as legendary lens for Nikon DSLR or film camera. I think it is because of its unique characteristic but also its age. This lens has been around for thirteen years.

Image Quality and characteristic

Mounted in Nikon full frame camera D700, the lens is sharp at maximum aperture of f/1.4D, which is excellent. Stopped down to f/2.8, the lens become very sharp. But extreme sharpness is not what this lens is made for. It is primarily made for its ability in low light condition, and its ability to create a beautiful out of focus effect in background or foreground.

Because of those characteristic and its fixed focal length, this lens is ideal for portrait. It is also good for candid portraiture such as in wedding. For Nikon pro wedding shooters, this lens is one of must have lens.

Unfortunately, this lens suffers a bit from purple fringing in high contrast area (see sample pic below), it is also susceptible to flare, but not as bad as other lenses.

Auto Focus operation

Because Nikon 85mm f/1.4D does not have built-in motor focus like modern lenses (AF-S) lens, it relies on camera body to focus. It speed will also depend on the camera body. The more higher-end model such as Nikon D700, D3 or D3X will focus faster than the entry-level camera.

When mounted in Nikon D700, the lens focus very fast. Unfortunately entry level user such as Nikon D40, D40X and D60 only can use manual focus because the camera body doesn’t have the capability to focus AF lenses. This lens also create some noise when focusing because lack of Silent Wave Motor.

In sport games such as basketball, the lens has difficulty in continuous tracking. It fails to lock on the object properly resulting in many blur image. I don’t recommend it for sports.

Build Quality

Built quality of this lens is awesome, it is average in size and weight and very nice to handle. The focus ring is smooth. Closest focusing is 85cm, make it not very ideal for macro / close-up photography.

It will come with “metal” lens hood. Unfortunately the lens hood it screw in type and you can’t reverse it for more compact storage. In spite of that, the lens hood is fully metal, so it is better than regular plastic type and a lot more durable.

Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D vso 85mm f/1.8D

Compare to f/1.8D version, This lens is 2.5 times more expensive, the cheaper lens is not as sharp as f/1.4D in its maximum aperture of f/1.8. At f/2.8, the sharpness is almost equal. The build quality is also a lot worse than the f/1.4D. But the 85mm f/1.8 is more compact and portable.

In Conclusion

You might want to get this lens because of several reasons:

* You frequently shoot at extremely low light condition which f/1.4D is often needed

* You are concern about artistic, especially smooth background blur.

* You are looking for the sharpest lens from edge to edge of the image. (The lens is designed to be sharp in the center “focus” and soft in the corner).

Don’t buy this lens for indoor sports, it is better to get either f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens or lighting equipment.

check out www.radiantlite.com for other reviews

5 Stars Expensive, but worth it since it’s versatile
I’ve had my eye on this lens for some time, but was very hesitant to spend the money on it. I bought it a couple of months ago and have used it almost exclusively on my D90 since then. This is a great lens, and I know it was the right lens for me to add to my photo gear right now.

I agree with previous reviewers, there are 2 main reasons to buy this lens. First, if you shoot in low light conditions this lens performs incredibly well. The other day I was at my kids’ school taking some musical photos for the yearbook. The auditorium manager was out for the day, so we couldn’t turn on the stage lights. We only used the house lights and a very small amount of background stage lights, so it was very dark and I wasn’t feeling optimistic about getting some decent shots. But wide open, the lens was capable of producing sharp, clear, decently exposed images.

The other main reason to buy this lens is the bokeh, of course. It is very smooth and beautiful. However, this lens does take some practice and skill when shooting wide open. It is a very sharp lens even at 1.4, but there is no room for error with focus since the depth of field is so narrow.

One other thing that I really like about this lens is it’s size and weight. It’s hefty and well-built, but isn’t too heavy or cumbersome on my D90. I feel perfectly comfortable walking around with this lens. Sometimes people suggest getting a 70-200mm before or instead of the 85mm, but for me this lens is a much better fit and more versatile. Yes, the 70-200mm also has great bokeh, has a more versatile range, and can be better for indoor sports. But it’s size and weight are a major negative me. I wouldn’t use a 70-200mm for casual portraits, or as a walk around lens, or everyday casual shots. In my opinion, the 85mm is great in all of those situations.

There are some negatives to this lens – it is a little too long on a DX body at times and there are some chromatic aberration and flare issues when shooting wide open.

If you are thinking about getting this lens, do your homework and figure out of this is a right fit for you. For me, it is a very versatile lens and a great performer and I am completely satisfied with it.

5 Stars mfarwell
Ok, I just did it! Ive listed my nikon 80-200 2.8 on ebay. I ordered this lens with alot of anticipation!!!! Ive drooled over the idea way to long.

I feel like a 52 year old kid at christmas getting his first bike. Portraits are my number one addiction, my 2.8 was great in low-light doing stage work{live musicians}. If the 2.8 was what I thought was great I can only imagine what I’ll be able to pull off at 1.4-2.0!

5 Stars More Than Expected
I’ve bought this lens a month ago, and I’ve taken unforgettable photos …

This lens is a Bokeh factory … The portraits are amazing, so dreamy, so isolated.

The built quality is great, metallic. Many complain about the screw hood, I love it, plus it’s metallic too.

The focus is so fast.

I’ve bought a 77mm NC filter mainly to protect the lens …

I know some finds the 85mm in digital = 127.5mm is not easy to handle, specially shooting indoor and in small rooms, but this lens will make you overcome this issue … and if you cannot, then go for 50mm or less.

Buy/More Info

Nikon 70 300mm f 4 5 5 6G ED IF AF S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

High-power 4.3x Telephoto Zoom-Nikkor lens (Approximates the picture angle performance of a 105-450mm lens on 35mm SLR) / Uses 67mm Filters Non-Rotating front element provides for convenient use of circular polarizing filters and the Nikon Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System A Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast and quiet autofocusing, along with quick switching between autofocus and manual operation (M/A and M) A nine-blade rounded diaphragm opening, out-of-focus elements appear more natural Accepts 67mm filter attachment size Focal length – 70-300mm (Approximates the picture angle performance of a 105-450mm 35mm SLR) Maximum aperture – f/4.5-5.6 Lens construction – 17 elements in 12 groups (with 2 ED glass elements) Picture angle – 34 degrees 20 feet- 8 degrees 10 feet (22 degrees 50 feet – 5 degrees 20 feet with Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras) Focal length – scale 70, 100, 135, 200, 300mm Unit Dimensions – (approx.) 3.1 x 5.6 in. (80 x 143.5mm); Weight – (approx.) 26.3 oz (745g) Included accessories – LC-67 67mm snap-on front lens cap, LF-1 rear lens cap, HB-36 bayonet hood, CL-1022 flexible lens pouch

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Fantastic with Nikon D40
After owning a Nikon D40 with a 55-200mm lens, a larger lens was the next step.

This lens is much larger and heavier than the 55-200mm Nikkor. I had read the

reviews on the lens and was aware of the near 300mm difficulties. By compensating

for these issues the lens can be a remarkable instrument. Once in focus,

photos taken at 300mm can show excellent resolution and color. I’ve found best

results with the autofocus when the focus is close to the optimum setting before using

autofocus. The magnification is astounding, as much as I would want. The vibration

reduction is very effective. A tripod hasn’t been needed for daylight photos. When carrying

the pair, I cradle the lens instead of holding by the camera. The lens was a demo from

Cameta Camera for $379 with free shipping. It was indistinguishable from new and has

given no problems. A great bargain for its capability. Always get a UV filter!

It’s cheap insurance.

4 Stars Good compromise between performances, weight and costs
I had to do a long travel and I didn’t want to bring my Nikkor 80-200 AF-s 2.8 because of too heavy and too big size.

From Italy I ordered the 70-300 AF-s VR, asking the delivery to the hotel where I stayed in San Francisco. Perfect delivery and delivery time, so I have been able to enjoy the object.

Light tool, with good performances, above all if compared to his big brother 80-200 AF-s 2.8

The stabilizer, combined to the high Iso of my Nikon D700, helped me in a lot of critical situations so I have been able to catch good pictures.

5 Stars Glad I went for the 300
This is for my new D700. I will spare the technical jargon. Was thinking of the 70-200 f/2.8 but that thing is very huge and heavy. This seems like the perfect lens for the beach. Went there for a couple of hours with the dog and snapped about 200 pictures. Even though this is the first day using it, the 300mm really came in handy. I took many shots at 300mm and they came out great! It’s plastic but still feels substantial in your hand. Quality feels better that I expected. Focus is almost instant. I was concerned about the max 4.5 aperture but had no problems, had to turn down the ISO down to 400 as I had the aperture wide open most of the shots. I made full use of the 70-300 range as the dogs come and go very quickly. Took some pics of a friends dogs as well and they are tiny dogs. At 300mm I was able to get some good distance from the small dog, get an interesting perspective and background, shallow depth of field and sharp focus and filling the frame. Also got some good pics at 70mm for close ups. Point is that the 70-300 seems the perfect range when your going for casual wildlife photos.

This lens fits perfect in the Tamrac MX5378 lens case as long as you don’t have the hood on the lens. I shot many pictures into the sun had no flare at all. I guess the coatings really work so I don’t think I will carry the lens hood as I like to travel light. On the other hand…I just tried putting the lens in the case with the lens hood attached (reversed) and it still fits but is tight. Tamrac recommends the Pro100 lens case for this lens and that will be better if you like a loose fit. Problem is those cases are a lot larger and if you are using the Tamrac modular belt, then smaller is better I think.

My opinion, if you have an FX format camera you can’t go wrong with this lens. My three lenses I will most often use are:

70-300 (this lens) Hiking, beach, etc.

24-70 f/2.8 Walk around, candid, indoors without flash.

50 f/1.4G Indoors low light with no flash.

5 Stars Great lens; Great price.
Some of the reviews I’ve read about this lens say it doesn’t autofocus well, but I have not found that is a problem at all. This lens has worked great for me so far. The vibration reduction is definitely worth it. On my 18-105mm I couldn’t see the difference, but on this lens the difference is very obvious. It is definitely worth the extra money.

5 Stars Pro quality for bargain price…
This lens is tack sharp on my D90 all the way out to the corners at all aperature settings and focal lengths. On the D700 it’s a little soft zoomed all the way out to 300mm and @ f/5.6 but stop it down one stop and sharp all the way out to the corners. This lens isn’t meant to be a low light lens anyway so stopping it down shouldn’t be a problem. For the price this is one incredible lens. If you want pro performance and sharpness in low light situations pay the big bucks and get either the (now old) 70-200 f/2.8 or wait a couple months and get the brand new 70-200 f/2.8 with VRII. I will tell you in decent light or tripod situations this lens is just as sharp as the 70-200 f/2.8 (stopped down one stop from wide open) on my D700 and just as sharp at all aperatures on my D90. Pro quality for a bargain price for sure!

Buy/More Info

Nikon 35mm f 1 8G AF S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

At 35mm focal length, this Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G DSLR Lens might be defined as a wide-angle lens. But, when placed on a Nikon DX-compatible lens mount on a Nikon DSLR camera, it delivers a normal perspective. This is an all-around lens for your Nikon digital SLR camera. Rounded 7-blade diaphragm Fast f/1.8 prime NIKKOR lens – Perfect for low-light conditions, travel, environmental portrait and general photography Accepts optional screw-on 52mm filters Includes HB-46 Bayonet Lens Hood; LC-52 Snap-On Front Lens Cap; LF-1 Rear Lens Cap; CL-0913 Soft Case

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Fill a big hole for D40/40x/60/3000/5000 users
I want to say thank you very much, Amazon team. Your service is so fast. Ordered the lens on Sept 16, delivered on Sept. 18!

For this lens:

Pros:

1) Sharp at wide open, very useful for indoor shooting.

2) Colorful and hight contrast image.

3) Focus fast (not that fast, but enough for me).

4) Light and convenient setup with Nikon entry level DSLRs.

5) Many reviews mentioned purple fringe, but I do not see much. It may depend on what you are shooting.

6) Fill a big hole for AF-S prime lens selection for Nikon D40/40x/60/3000/5000

Cons:

1) A little front focus at wide open on my D60. It is also mentioned by other reviews.

2) The focus ring is a little wiggling which makes me a little nervous about the building quality.

3) I feel the image color is over saturated, like a fake one. But many people like it. I have to set Saturation -1 on my D60.

4) High constrast sometimes make details in shadow lost

I like the image from my 50mm f1.8D more, though I have to manual focus. Finally I decided to return it. Thank Amazon again. Return is so easy with free UPS shipping.

I would like to recommend it to Nikon entry level users, especially those who take more indoor photos (like baby, restaurant food, performance …) where speedlight is not allowed or not suitable.

5 Stars Great lens to compliment my new D3000
I bought a new D3000 with the 18-55mm lens, but my photos were coming out dark or the camera was selecting a high ISO (with lots of noise) or a slow shutter speed (with lots of blur). This lens was the easy answer. At a 1.8, it lets in tons of light so I can shoot indoors without flash at 400 ISO and a reasonable shutter speed. The lack of a zoom really doesn’t effect anything because the camera’s image sensor is detailed enough that I can always zoom and crop on the computer without losing any quality.

The quality of the lens is A+ in my book, although I am a novice. It comes with a hood, a case and real front/back caps.

When I was a photography student back in the film days, we always started with a 50mm lens. On a digital camera, that translates to a 35mm lens.

If you only own one lens in addition to the 18-55 one that came on your camera, this is the one you should own. The f/1.8 makes all the difference in the world.

4 Stars jersey boy
just got this lens a few weeks ago mainly to get sharp pictures of my grand-children and of scenery.So far I can tell this is a very sharp lens and is very light weight and has a fast focus.This was the only reason I bought this lens and so far it is doing the job I wanted.Hopefully it will come in useful for other pictures.I have aNikon d80 camera.

5 Stars Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
I’ve had this lens for a couple of months and would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a general purpose prime lens.

5 Stars Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Easy to use, light, good for both in door & out door. consider SB-400 for even better quality for indoor.

Buy/More Info