Getting The Most Fall Color Out Of Your Pictures

With a little know-how, colorful fall pictures can be made even better.

Well, for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, it's been fall for almost a week now. For those of us living in certain areas of the world, fall means colorful foliage.

So how to get the most out of your fall pictures?

For one thing, shoot your camera using the RAW format. Yes, JPEG allows for some color-related editing, but with RAW, the number of ways to tweak the colors increases dramatically, as does the ease of doing so. Yes, RAW mandates post-processing, but in the end, many people who are serious about their digital pictures will agree with me that RAW rules.

AUTHOR'S NOTE :For the examples and screen shots that follow, I am using Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP) RAW editing software that came bundled with my EOS 30D. If you shoot something else, your RAW editor will be different, but the overall functions should remain the same.

Onto making your colors “pop.”

First thing: Examine the picture
This is a lot easier if you just came in from a shoot. Chances are, upon opening the picture, you will notice that the colors in rthe picture probably aren't as vibrant as you remember them.

Option 1: Boost Saturation
By far the simplest operation, boosting the saturation is simply what one can do in Photoshop or the like. Simply find your saturation controller and kick it up a few notches. On DPP, I can take my 30D 4 steps up (increasing saturation) or 4 down (decreasing saturation). In my opinion, a setting of +2 works best as the change is noticeable, but the picture sill looks like a picture, not a painting.

Option 2: Adjust white balance
The reason I love RAW so much is that, should you mess up the white balance setting when shooting, there's no worry, you can just go back and fix it later on the computer. True, when one thinks of white balance, one usually thinks of major mistakes,, such as shooting tungsten under daylight. However, more subtle mistakes can kill your colors. Just by clicking on the correct white balance setting for the conditions in which the picture was shot can help render more vibrant, accurate colors.

Option 3: Picture styles
Besides white balance, picture styles can have a major impact on color rendition. Obviously for fall scenery, the landscape setting is the best. However, for anyone who demands the greatest accuracy, the setting that is an exact recording of color, 'faithful' in DPP, is another option.

Option 4: Dynamic range histogram
On DPP, there is a histogram function. While not directly impacting color, the way it plays with the light and dark will have an impact on how color looks. On DPP, moving left will lighten the lights. For color, this will often lead to a loss of saturation, but a generally brighter picture. Moving right will create a darker image, but one that appears more saturated in color.

Option 5: Any combination of the above
While each of the above four techniques can help boost color in your photos when applied correctly, try using any two or even all of them together, one can really add some fantastic colors to fall photos.

Like What You Just Read?

Why not check out other great stuff about photography, astronomy, associated gear, and how to use it.

Think someone else would find this informative (or at least entertaining)? Use the buttons below to share!

This Week On Examiner

Another week over, another Examiner roundup.

Astronomy
Featured sight for week of 9/19: Jupiter at its closest in nearly 50 years
Mercury fallingTop 10 disappearing deep sky sights of summer
Equinox magic show courtesy of the Maya
All about polar alignment
The 'Super Harvest Moon'
Why we have seasons
Vatican out to save alien souls
Ex-Air Force officers: UFOs tamper with nuclear missiles
See Jupiter, Uranus tonight
Light pollution and birds' love lives
Could Daylight Savings Time be extended?
U.S. students falling behind in science, math

Photography
There is no better time than now to buy a camera
Fujifilm X100: retro is in!
Sigma releases 46Mp monster
First day of fall, year long photo shoot?
It's the Autumnal Equinox: stand an egg on end and take a picture!
Digital imaging systems electronically strip passengers at airports
Pentax K-5 launched
80Mp camera announced
Sony sharing its trade secrets
Woollybear Festival



Humble thanks and requests:

If you clicked on any of the above Examiner articles, you're helping me pay my bills. Thank you!

Know someone who misses my stuff or you think would find it interesting? Spread the word!

Like this, why not follow this blog?

Seize The Night!

Okay Northern Hemisphere astronomers, rejoice! The Autumnal Equinox has arrived and the Sun has crossed into the Southern Celestial Hemisphere, which means that, for the next six months, the nights will be longer than the days, which means more time for stargazing. However, there is more good news to report, too:

Shortening Days “Freeze” The Sky
Around the equinoxes, the shortening/lengthening of the days is at its most extreme. While this is a bad thing in the spring as the later sunsets will lead the winter constellations to disappear very quickly, come fall, the earlier sunsets freeze the sky to summer, but only to a point. Because the Sun sets earlier each night, the summer constellations will hang around for an extended period of time as the sky will get darker each night. In fact, it is still possible to observe the Teapot into November if you have a really good Southern horizon.

Standard Time Returns
In about 6 weeks, standard time will be making a return in the United States. While the fact that the Sun sets a few minutes earlier each night helps the stars of summer stick around well into fall, turning the clock back an hour on the first Sunday of November will give observers one last time to look at the summer constellations before they inevitably disappear until next season.

For more on the Equinox:
The equinox and a magic show courtesy of the Maya
“Super Harvest Moon”
Year-long photo shoot, anyone?
It's the equinox, stand an egg on end and take a picture!
All about the Autumnal Equinox



Humble requests:

If you found this informative (or at least entertaining), help me pay my bills and check out my Examiner pages for photography and astronomy for more great stuff.

Think this was cool? Why not tell a friend?

For something even better, become a follower.

This Week On Examiner

Here's the weekly roundup from what I wrote on Examiner this past week.

Photography
Grandparents' Day
Photos: Lady Gaga's Raw Meat Dress
Olympus Announced E-5
Nikon D700 Soon to be Replaced, Bettered?
Nikon D7000: Amateur Price, Professional Performance
D7000 vs. D300s, 7D
Tornado Rips Through Ohio State Campus
Photography is a Constitutional Right, Not a Crime!
Photographer = Terrorist: TSA

Astronomy
Featured sight for week of 9/12: Mercury rising
Klingon opera
Is the ISS falling apart?
Amateurs win big in astrophoto competition
Comet Hartley is coming
Hurricane Igor from space
OSU researchers unlock secrets of the universe
International Observe the Moon Night



Humble thanks and requests:

If you clicked on any of the above Examiner articles, you're helping me pay my bills. Thank you!

Know someone who misses my stuff or you think would find it interesting? Spread the word!

Like this, why not follow this blog?

Easy Polar Alignment In The Daytime

For any non-astrophotographer who has stopped by this website and taken a look at my astrophoto galleries, one big question may come to mind: "how does he do that?"

Well, a lot goes into capturing those stunning astrophotos and I'll probably touch on these factors at some point in the future. Today, I'll talk about the most crucial aspect of getting good astrophotos through a telescope: good polar alignment (aligning the mount to astronomical North).

Everyone knows that the Earth spins on its axis once a day, that's why the Sun, Moon, and stars appear to rise and set. So, with the celestial objects moving across the sky, it is absolutely crucial to accurately track them to compensate for the Earth's rotation. Any tracking inaccuracy will result in streaked, not perfectly round stars.

So, how does one go about this?

Traditionally, one gets accurate polar alignment through use of a polar scope (pain in the neck) or by using the latest computer-equipped telescope mounts (expensive). At the time I got started, a go-to mount was out of the budget and Polaris was (and still is) blocked by trees.

There had to be another way, and there was.


Step 1: Find Local Noon
Noon isn't noon (unless you live right on a time zone border), sorry. To find when the Sun is directly due South, just google it. To make things easier, here is a place where you can find your local noon:

timeanddate.com


Step 2: Get Prepared
Time of local noon found, wait for it to come, but in the meantime, find something that stands up straight. For me, this stool worked just fine. You'll also need a yardstick and something to write on the ground with.



Step 3: Mark the North-South Line
When local noon arrives, set up your object and trace the line of its shadow on the ground

Step 4: Extend the Line
Chances are, the line you draw on the ground won't be long enough to set up a telescope mount, so take the yardstick and extend the line so that it is big enough to cover the spread of your tripod's legs.

Step 5: Setup (in real life, do this at night)
Dark having arrived, haul out your scope and set the North leg of the tripod directly on the line. Next, spread the back legs so that they are about an even distance from the line.

Step 6: Measure
To get accurate alignment, be sure to measure so that the back legs are the exact same distance from the North-South line.

Step 7: Level
Don't forget to check that you are level. An off-level mount will offset perfect polar alignment every time. If you're lucky, your mount will have a built-in level(s) like my Meade LXD-55.

While You're At It . . .
You've made it this far, so why not learn how to attach your camera to a telescope, too?

And For That Matter . . .
If you attach your camera to a telescope, you can also use it as a regular photographic lens!

Step 8: Test
All set up, it's now time to test. Set your camera for 30 seconds and take a few practice shots with the self-timer engaged or with a remote control as vibrations from touching the camera/scope rig can look just like star trailing caused from bad polar alignment.



Author's Note:
I know this isn't the most advanced (it dates from the Stone Age!). method to get accurate polar alignment. However, for people using short focal length scopes (my Orion ED80 is 600mm long) and who are looking to stack short exposures in the realm of 30 seconds to a minute, this method should work every time as it has done for me going on four years now.

Good luck!

Like What You Just Read?

Why not check out other great stuff about photography, astronomy, associated gear, and how to use it.

Think someone else would find this informative (or at least entertaining)? Use the buttons below to share!

This week on Examiner

Examiner still isn't half (literally) of what it used to be, so, if you're missing/can't find my stuff, here's everything for this past week.

Astronomy
A history of science vs. religion
Featured sight for week of 9/5: a morning walk with the Dog Star
'Top Chef' cooks for NASA
Stephen Hawking's Grand Design reviewed
Asteroids buzz Earth, is doomsday unavoidable?
See the Air Force's "top secret" space plane
Constellation of the month: The Summer Triangle
See the Air Force's “top secret” space plane
9/11, the Sun, and Earth's climate


Photography
Weekend photo-op: waterspouts on Lake Erie
Cleveland Air Show from perspective of airsick journalist
ACLU fights for your right to video police
Tokina 28-70 review
Flashes of Hope cancer fundraiser's local origin
9-11: still chilling thanks to prevalence of digital cameras



Humble thanks and requests:

If you clicked on any of the above Examiner articles, you're helping me pay my bills. Thank you!

Know someone who misses my stuff or you think would find it interesting? Spread the word!

Like what you're reading? Why not follow this blog?

Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO In-Depth Review

The Tokina 28-70mm f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO


Tech Specs
Focal Length: 28-70mm
Dimensions: 3.2" x 4.8"
Weight: 760g
Maximum Aperture: f2.8
Minimum Aperture: f22
Diaphragm Blades: 8
Front Element: Rotates, extends about an eighth of an inch
Autofucus Mechanism: Micromotor (Canon), Mechanical drive (Nikon)
Closest Focus: 2.5 feet
Filter Size: 77mm


Background
Tokina's 28-70/80 f2.8 lenses have quite a bit of a convoluted history to them. Originally developed by French company Angenieux, Tokina bought the design and rolled out several versions before ceasing production in the mid 2000s. For the forthcoming review, I will be referring to the 28-70 f2.6-2.8 version, which was marketed as being the widest aperture zoom in the world (even though cameras do not recognize the 2.6 aperture. So, is this oldie a goody? Keep reading to find out!

See Also: How To Identify Tokina's 4 Different 28-70 Lenses

Build Quality: 5

Tokina is a company known for high standards of construction, and its 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO lens lives up to the tough Tokina reputation. Upon picking up the lens, you immediately notice its sheer weight and perhaps, cool surface. This lens is solid metal and feels every bit of it, even the filter threads are metal. Yes, it may be a brick, but it inspires confidence in that it feels like a true photographic tool and not a toy like a lot of the newer offerings from both third-parties and now even manufacturers. The focus ring is the wide, outer one. Switching from AF to MF is a bit complicated. Unlike newer Tokina lenses, one must first flip a conventional switch (on the camera for Nikon or on the lens for Canon) and then snap the focus ring back or forth, depending on what you want to do. In addition, the clutch has a window where it can and cannot move. To find the spot, push/pull the ring as you turn. When the spot is reached, the clutch will engage and the ring will move, completing the transition. On newer Tokina lenses, you can simply snap the ring at any place to go from AF to MF and back and there's no need to flip any switches. The good news is that, like newer Tokina lenses, the focus ring does not spin in AF mode. In action, the focus ring is smooth in operation, no slop whatsoever. The zoom ring is the inner, narrower one. In action, it is smooth too. Remember, though, this lens will be at least 15 years old, so action on yours may vary. Both rings are rubberized, highly textured, and give a good grip. When zooming, the external length of the lens never changes, but the inner barrel drops about half an inch at the long end of the zoom and will rotate and move back and forth a few millimeters when focusing. For Nikon users, don't forget to set the ring to and then lock it at minimum aperture so that it works correctly.

Survivability
Here' it's a tale of two lenses. The Canon mount version has a built in motor, which means that, sooner or later, it will die, relegating this to a manual focus lens unless parts can be located. Out of production two decades now, that's unlikely. On the other hand, the Nikon version contains no motor, but is focused via a mechanical linkage that's driven by a motor in the camera, which means that the Nikon version should last forever. 

The inner barrel extends a few millimeters depending on focus.

Autofocus Performance: 4

Being an older model lens, the Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO does not feature the latest sonic drive autofocus technology, but the old mechanical drive design for Nikon and an integrated micromotor for Canon. For Nikon users, this also means that this lens won't AF on low-level Nikon bodies, so be sure to check compatibility before buying. However, for such a design, autofocus performance is still good by modern standards. Sure, it's not sonic speed, but for what it is, AF is quick. In terms of accuracy, this is nothing to sneeze at, either. Focus is dead-on in all situations except when dealing with nearby, fast-moving subjects. Low light? No problem! Autofocus is top-notch here, too. Unfortunately, as is the case with other mechanical drive/old micromotor lenses, there is no full time manual focus, which means you need to flip switches and move rings.

Switching from AF to MF and back is a two-step process: first flip the switch, then move the focus ring accordingly.

Optics: 4

There is a lot that goes into determining the complete package of optical performance for a camera lens, so let's examine each of them individually. For APS-C shooters, consider the mid frame images here to be corners on your camera as the below images were shot on a FF Nikon D700.

28mm test images.

Lens at 28mm

At 28mm, the lens shows the famous 'Tokina glow' common to older designs when shot wide open. The center is sharp but sharpness will fall off through the corner, by which point things are looking pretty mushy. At f4, the center and mid frame are razor sharp and there is no improvement on stopping down. The corner will improve at f5.6 and again, though to a lesser degree, by f8, at which point the obvious mushiness is gone.

35mm test images.

Lens at 35mm

At 35mm, the lens finds its sweet spot, but the 'glow' is still there when shot wide open. The center is sharp and mid frame exhibits reasonable sharpness but, by the corner, sharpness clearly falls off though it is clearly better than at 28mm. F4 and slower for center and mid frame? See the 28mm commentary. The corner will improve through f8, at which point the lens is razor sharp from corner to corner, hence the sweet spot.

50mm test images.

Lens at 50mm

50mm is a complete repeat of 28 and 35mm in regards to the 'glow,' center, and mid frame performance. The corners, though, soften quite a bit with performance similar to at 28mm wide open. Stopping down does help but in the extreme corner of the frame, the mushiness never completely disappears.

70mm test images.

Lens at 70mm

70mm came as a surprise as the 'glow' just about disappears! Additionally, I would say that the f2.8 performance is actually at its best here when taken corner to corner. Stopping down to f4 will create razor sharp images at center and mid frame, like at the other focal lengths. The corners? Performance is worlds better than 50mm at any f-stop and mirrors that of the 28mm focal length, though it lags behind the 35mm setting a little bit.

Distortion.

Distortion

As is the norm with wide angle lenses, the Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO exhibits barrel distortion on the wide end of the focal length spectrum. The good news is that, compared to some other standard zooms, it is very mild and disappears by 35mm. By 50mm, very slight pincushion distortion appears, but is nothing that to many would warrant correction in post-processing.

Vignetting.

Vignetting

This lens displays a lot of vignetting wide open across the focal range shot on full frame. Stopping down does change things, albeit to varying degrees. At 28 and 35mm, stopping down to f4 helps a little. At 28mm, going down to f5.6 further reduces the dark corners, but some shading will continue to appear even at f8. At 35mm, shading is drastically reduced at f5.6 and virtually disappears at f8. 50 and 70mm mirror each other in that, at both focal settings, closing up to f4 drastically reduces vignetting, which virtually disappears by f5.6.

Crop shooters? Vignetting should be just about non existent.

Chromatic aberration, 100% crops from 12Mp images.

Chromatic Aberration
While Tokina lenses are known for build quality, they are also known for a less than desirable feature: chromatic aberration, those annoying color fringes that appear in high-contrast situation. The bad news is that the 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO does exhibit some false color. The good news is that stopping down from f2.8 to f4 greatly reduces or even eliminates the unwanted color in most cases. As usual, the higher the contrast, the more pronounced the effect

Flare/ghosts (or lack thereof).

Flare/Ghosts

By and large, I would consider this lens to be on the positive side of the flare resistance spectrum. The lens is most prone to flaring at 28mm because this is when the front element is nearest the end of the lens. As focal length increases and the inner barrel drops back into the lens, the front element becomes more shielded and thus, more resistant to flaring. Generally, this lens doesn't flare/ghost unless you have the Sun (or another extremely bright point source of light) in the corner of the frame. When a bright light is in the center, sometimes you get flare, sometimes not. Go figure. In the center, the lens sometimes flares and sometimes doesn't, go figure. As usual, a hood, whether the standard or a thread-on variety, helps.

The fact that the inner barrel drops at the long end of the zoom helps reduce risk of flare in itself.

This is no macro on APS-C, let alone full frame.

Macro
While this lens is not a macro optic, at can focus reasonably close and make itself a great lens for shooting flowers or similarily-sized subjects.

If you have really steady hands and no adverse reaction to ISO 3200+, astrophotography is possible! Here's Orion among some clouds.

Astrophotogarphy
On this lens, infinity is not infinity, which means that you'll manually have to fiddle with the focus on a bright star while using live view magnification. Focus found, thanks to its bright aperture and the insanely good high ISO capabilities of modern cameras, it's possible to photograph brighter constellations hand-held!




Value: 5 (Nikon), 4 (Canon)

When it comes to price to performance ratio, the Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO is unequaled. Where else can you get a constant f2.8 zoom with so many positive attributes for in the $300 range? Nowhere. A good indicator of how good a lens is to look for it on the used market, see how much it pops up, and how long it sticks around when it does show up. Generally, the rarer a lens is, the better it is. In the case of the Sigma and Tamron full frame-capable constant f2.8 standard zooms of the same vintage, you'll see them all the time. The Tokinas? They don't pop up all that often and when they do, they're gone very quickly. This is a great lens, people know it, and the market shows it.

My only reservation here is for Canon users. Yes, you get way more than what you pay for but, on the other hand, should the motor in your lens fail, you're probably out of luck as this lens has been out of production since the early 2000s and there are probably no parts left with which to fix it. Nikon shooters? Buy with confidence! Because this lens contains no motor but focuses via mechanical linkage, it is practically indestructible and will keep making pictures long after your camera and expensive AF-S Nikkors have died.

In the field
There's a reason that constant f2.8 zooms are popular, they're just so doggone useful! While slower than primes, a constant f2.8 zoom give the photographer much more flexibility in making pictures, especially when mobility is an issue. Until a 18-70ish constant f2.8 lens comes out, we'll be forced to decide between wide (17-50) and long (28-70) if we want constant f2.8. With all of its positive attributes, the Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO can make the perfect walk around lens, provided you're willing to trade off wide angle for extra reach.

While good at any time of day, the fast Tokina zoom really comes into its own when the light starts to disappear. Simply put, a 2.8 zoom can do things (especially on the long end of the range) that those 3.5-5.6 bundled kit zooms cannot, namely allow the photographer to shoot hand-held in low light without flash, which is good. In less than extreme low light situations, the extra stops of aperture allow the shooter to lower the ISO, thus preserving picture quality.


Indoor settings in low light are easy for a 2.8 zoom

Nightscapes, especially at Christmas, are easily possible without a tripod (note, no flare)

Even darker nightscapes are possible with steady hands

Nighttime architecture can be very cool

While not a dedicated macro . . .

However, it is still good for closeups of large objects. . .

. . . especially if you can crop a bit!

Simply put, a 28-70 constant f2.8 optic is a lens that will live on your camera most of the time. Sure, other focal ranges with different applications will be desired at times but, for the majority of walk-around type shooting, such a range will get the job done far more often than not.

Wildlife is no problem . . .

. . . especially if you crop

This is a great landscape lens anywhere throughout the range.

Competition

The standard zoom lens competes in a crowded market segment as such lenses are the go-to optics for many photographers, pro and amateur. As a result, everyone makes one. Closest in price to the Tokina are the older Tamron and Sigma models of similar vintage. Like the Tokina, all are constant f2.8 and are driven by a micromotor/mechanical drive mechanism. Unlike the Tokina, they are mostly plastic while the Tokina is solid metal. Moving up the scale are the current offerings, there are similar optics from both Sigma and Tamron, as well as Tokina's current 24-70 f2.8. These lenses can add any combination of the following features: sonic-drive AF, weather-resistance, and stabilization. The price goes up accordingly with these lenses typically selling for around $1,000, give or take a few hundred. Moving to the top of the ladder are the manufacturer optics from Canon, Nikon, and Sony, which can add any combination of the already listed features as well as at least another $500 to the price tag.

Crop shooters? Unless you're planning to go FF in the near future, skip this lens as its equivalence of 42-105mm on your camera is a bit awkward unless you do most of your shooting outside. If I was a crop shooter looking for speed in a zoom lens, I'd go for a constant f2.8 lens in the 17-50-ish range, of which there are many choices and which will provide an almost identical field of view that 28-70mm does on FF.

Conclusion: 4.5 (Nikon), 4.25 (Canon)/5

The Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO is an all-around winner, especially considering its rock-bottom price point. Some pluses are undeniable. The Tokina's build quality is top-notch, equaling (and sometimes bettering) the manufacturer's own $1,500+ version lenses. Again, the price ($300ish) to performance ratio is unrivaled by anything else. The 'floating' focus ring is another convenience one normally associates with sonic-drive lenses, so feel free to grab the lens anywhere when shooting with it. The conventional drive focus mechanism does not offer full time manual override, but is nonetheless fast and accurate. The only mechanical/build gripe is the two-step AF/MF transition. Optically, this lens has more positives than negatives. The lens has above average sharpness wide open while distortion, chromatic aberration, and flare are all well controlled. The only real glaring weakness of this lens, optically speaking, is the wide-open 'glow' and vignetting (full frame only) through the range at f2.8 which is, unfortunately, its main selling point. The good news is that, from f4 on, this lens is about as good as it gets and, for APS-C shooters, vignetting should be about nil thanks to the crop factor. With all the good and so little bad, I whole-heartedly recommend the Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO if you are budget-conscious and/or don't need the latest features, that is should you be lucky enough to come across one.

The Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX PRO: an all-around solid workhorse of a lens!

Tokina Fan? Check Out These Reviews!

Tokina 100 f2.8 ATX-PRO Macro
Tokina 80-200 f2.8 AT-X
Tokina 80-400 f4-5.6 AT-X
Tokina 17 f3.5 ATX-PRO

Like What You Just Read?

Why not check out other great stuff about photography, astronomy, associated gear, and how to use it.

Think someone else would find this informative (or at least entertaining)? Use the buttons below to share!

This Week On Examiner

Well, two full weeks after the big redesign, the page views are starting to rise in a noticeable manner. However, some people may still be having trouble finding their way around the new website as there are a few bugs left, too. So, in case you missed something for the week, here's everything.

Astronomy
Take a walk in space with your iPhone
Featured sight for week of 8/29: Love, War, and the Virgin
Is China militarizing space?
Plymouth Rock in space
Project Mercury control center may become classroom
Ebay auction for weightless flight with James Cameron
The September sky
Local star parties for September
Hurricane Earl from space
Stephen Hawking: create a universe no God required
This month's featured sight: the speedy Sun


Photography
Glenn Beck Rally: how many people do you think showed up?
Check out top local bars with live video feeds
Burn, camera, burn!
The photo of the million dollar hair
New iPod gets dual cameras
First photos of latest oil rig explosion
Cleveland National Air Show photo tips
Weekend photo-op: waterspouts on Lake Erie
Cleveland Air Show from perspective of airsick reporter



Humble requests:

If you clicked on any of the links above, THANK YOU!

Think this was cool? Know someone who can't find my Examiner stuff? Then share this link!

For something even better, become a follower.

Are The 100-400L's Days Numbered?

Is this dinosaur soon to go extinct?

Last week, Canon launched a new dSLR and a bunch of new glass. Of all the lenses, the 70-300 f4-5.6L IS seemed like a completely boneheaded move, especially considering its $1,500 price tag. Why so dumb? A few points to ponder.

The new 70-300 f4-5.6 L IS costs $1,500. For a few hundred more, you can get the Mark I version of the 70-200 2.8L IS lens, which offers a two f-stops advantage in light-gathering power plus was a stable of pros/serious amateurs for its entire production run. Still want long? Then add the 1.4 teleconverter for a 100-280 f4L IS. Point 2: 300 is nice, but wouldn't 400 be better? Well, by spending a little more, you can land the Canon 100-400L IS which, although the same speed, adds 100mm extra reach on the long end (which, in telephotos, is what people really want). Want to spend less but still want a weather-sealed, stabilized L? Then there's the 70-200 f4L IS, which is widely regarded to be Canon's best zoom.

Needless to say, the new lens has a lot of competition just in the Canon stable alone. So what was Canon thinking in releasing such a lens?

How about killing the 100-400L?

While it is still a popular lens, the 100-400L is getting pretty long in the tooth, even for a pro-grade zoom. Introduced way back in 1998, the lens appears even more dated than it is thanks to the old-fashioned slide zoom, which, in the age of electrically charged CMOS sensors, has earned the lens the undesirable nickname of "the dust trombone." Besides this, the lens doesn't exactly have a reputation for top-notch optical performance on the long end, either.

With a new 70-300L soon to hit the market, a 100-400L refresh is looking likely.

Obviously, the telephoto zoom market is very crowded even within Canon's own lineup. As it is now, the 70-300L seems like a really dumb decision given the competition on both focal and price range. However, with a new ultra-long zoom, the new 70-300 may find itself a nice niche in camp Canon.

So what may the new ultra-long Canon zoom look like?

First up, forget the slide zoom, it's ancient history. Let this old technology rest among the dust that it so loves to pull into the camera. The next long Canon will be a twist style zoom. As for focal length/ratio,. that's a hard call. Currently, Nikon has a ridiculously high-priced 200-400f4 zoom. If Canon were to go that route, say a 100-400 f4, the lens would jump out of the average Joe's price range, not good for wide-ranging appeal. What I foresee for a 100-400L replacement is this: something with expanded focal range, say, a 150-500 f4-5.6L IS, instead. That way, the price won't go through the roof and Canon will have a nice lineup of sub $2,500 telephoto zoom L lenses: the 70-200 family, the 70-300, and then the theoretical 150-500.

However, only time will tell if this comes true.

Tokina 28-70 2.8 Review Update:
I've said it before, but yes, it's now right around the corner. I had to reshoot some of the test and product images after (I guess) accidently deleting them in my CD burning madness. Look for the full review Monday or Tuesday. Who knows, this may be the most in-depth review of this lens anywhere on the web!

Humble requests:

If you found this informative (or at least entertaining), help me pay my bills and check out my Examiner pages for photography and astronomy for more great stuff.

Think this was cool? Why not tell a friend?

For something even better, become a follower.