Nikon 18-55mm VR Lens Review

I just picked up one of these Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens lenses for my Nikon D300 the other day. I am quite pleased with it. It is very sharp and light weight, making it a great carry around lens.

Is VR really necessary in a lens this wide? Perhaps not, but I often shoot in low light and having a few extra stops to play with does help. VR is a huge benefit when shooting hand-held at slow shutter speeds from about 1/4 to 1/30 of a second. I noticed no vignetting at all (darkening in the corners).

It works perfectly. The staff at my local camera store tried to talk me into the 18-70 non-VR lens but I wouldn't have it (the zoom action on that lens is horrible). There isn't much this one can't do well. In some ways its optics outperform the more expensive 16-85mm VR and 18-200mm VR lenses.

Being under $200 makes this lens a no-brainer. Along side my 55-200mm VR I have pretty good coverage in two great and super-inexpensive lenses. The only lens I have that is sharper than this one is this one.

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.

List Price: $245.00
Amazon: $144.99
Save: $ 100.01 ( 41% )

Features of this lens-

• 18-55mm lens with f3.5-5.6 maximum aperture for Nikon DSLR cameras
• Focal length equivalent to 27 to 82.5mm in 35mm photography
• Features a Silent Wave Motor and and Vibration Reduction (VR)
• 0.28 meter/0.9 foot closest focusing distance throughout the entire zoom range

Sample taken from this lens-

Nikon 50mm lens review

Today I bought myself the Nikon 50mm lens. I heard that this very affordable lens is not only very sharp, but very fast too. There is a faster version, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF, but it is over twice the price. I figured f 1.8 was plenty fast enough.

What a treat this lens is! Not only is it tack-sharp, but it gives nice punchy contrast too. This shot of a wine glass was one of my very first shots, and I'm quite pleased with it. The build quality is just slightly on the cheap side, but I don't think it affects the performance in any way.  It sure is light though.

Immediately as I started shooting with it I noticed the images on my rear LCD looked more contrasty than with my zoom.  Deep blacks and vivid colours.

This lens is so versatile (and inexpensive) that I can recommend this one to everyone. Being a very fast lens, it enables me to take pictures in low light that I otherwise wouldn't be able to do. I love this lens.

List Price: $139.00
Amazon Price: $108.95
You Save: $ 30.05 ( 22% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Nikon

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Fujifilm launches social network for Generation Z

Today, Fujifilm launched ZSpotNow.com, a new social network that brings together music fans, artists, gadget gurus and fashionistas across the United States.

In 2007, Fujifilm took on ‘Generation Z’ with a successful PR/marketing campaign around its stylish FinePix Z10fd digital camera, which was targeted at the 15-25 year old demographic, that culminated with a launch event headlined by ‘The Bravery’ at The Fillmore (Irving Plaza) in New York City. This year, as Fujifilm’s colorful Z-Series lineup continues to evolve with the recently-announced Fujifilm FinePix Z20 digital camera, the company is taking a broader, grassroots approach to engaging with this target demographic and has designed a campaign specifically for them. The ZSpotNow.com social network will act as the hub for three contests and events slated to take place in Los Angeles, Miami and New York City in the coming months.

Each of these diversely-themed nationwide contests and events is inspired by the unique attributes of Fujifilm FinePix Z20 digital camera, and are individually themed to match the city’s flavor: Los Angeles – Hollywood movie theme; Miami – urban art/skateboarding counterculture; New York – fashion.

 

For your reference, Fujifilm has put together a multimedia press release where you can access images, get details on featured artists performing at the events and learn more about the contests.

Getting Close

click to view larger version

This shot I took no more than 10 minutes ago reminds me of one of those top tips for photography - "If your photos aren't good enough, you're not close enough." I was just taking a few shots around the pond I just setup in our backyard and noticed time and time again, if I tried to get the whole pond in the photo, well, the photo just sucked. Sure it documents what's there but there was no oomph to them. Then I started zooming in. The results were much better. I like how the reflected portion takes on an almost black & white look even though this is right out of the camera (Nikon D300).

Maruthi 800 Duo

Maruthi has recently introduced a gas fitted car. This car is having designed for both petrol and gas fuels. Now a days fuel prices are going up. So this is the great move from Maruthi.

Specifications:
Dimensions STD LPG
Length(mm) 3335
Width(mm) 1440
Height(mm) 1405
Wheelbase(mm) 2175
Front Track(mm) 1215
Rear Track(mm) 1200
Minimum Turning Radius(m) 4.4
Minimum Ground Clearance(mm) 170

Weight:
Kerb Weight (Kg) 683
Gross Vehicle Weight (Kg) 1000
Capacity
Seating Capacity 4
Fuel Tank Capacity (lt) - Petrol 28
LPG 19.2

Engine:
Swept volume (cc) 796
Engine type 3 cylinder inline, FC engine 2 valves per cylinder, MPFI
Engine Control 32-Bit Electronic Control Module (ECM)
Max. power (bhp @ rpm) - Petrol 37 @ 5000 37 @ 5000
LPG 35 @ 5000 35 @ 5000
Max. torque (Nm @ rpm) - Petrol 59 @ 2500 59 @ 2500

Transmission:
Type 4 Forward, All synchromesh, 1 reverse
Steering Type Rack and Pinion

Suspension system:
Front Mcpherson strut and coil spring
Rear Coil Spring with gas filled shock absorber

Brakes: Front Disc
Rear Drum

Tyres
Tyre Size 145/70R12 (Radial)

Nikon D300 Samples

2008_06_20_17_02_05
Originally uploaded by RickBlythe.

Here are some more samples from my new favourite camera in the world, the Nikon D300. This camera exposes photos as perfectly as I have seen, and it is super fast.

If you own one of these you might want to download a digital copy of the user manual here. This web page also shows you what other guides you can get from Amazon.

Hairy
Originally uploaded by RickBlythe.

ISO 1400 Test
Originally uploaded by RickBlythe.