Nikon D3x and Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon PERMALINK
As I mentioned in my Zeiss ZF Lenses review, my D3x has been replaced by
Nikon. I now have a brand-new D3x whose sensor-to-lens mount alignment has also been verified (by Nikon).
Brand-new and out of the box, the D3x actually had a hot pixel at ISO 100 in every frame, so it had to go to Nikon
service to have the bad pixel mapped out (this is done routinely with all DSLRs, it’s just supposed to happen at the
factory). I’ve got my fingers crossed that there’s nothing more than that to it. Nikon service was very fast and responsive,
so kudos to Nikon there.
I’ll be checking two Zeiss ZF 21/2.8 Distagon samples to finish up my review. One is a replacement copy, and one
is the repaired one back from Zeiss, the one that I bashed
on a rock back on May.
To understand just how critical sensor and lens mount alignment are, read Ultra
wide angle lenses and sensor/lens-mount alignment. And subscribe to Zeiss
ZF Lenses if you really want the scoop, with examples.
Sigma DP-2 first look PERMALINK
I’ve been shooting the Sigma DP-2 and I’ll have a review in DAP sometime soon, where
I’ll cover ergonomics and usability, image quality, etc.
Although the DP-2 generates only a 4.6-megapixel file (2640 X 1760), the detail provided by its sensor is pretty
incredible. You won’t get anything nearly this clean from a conventional DSLR. The crop below is actual-pixels.
Actual pixels. Note the incredibly fine artifact-free detail
Color rendition with the DP-2 something I haven’t figured out how to process satisfactorily yet (using RAW in Sigma
Photo Pro), I do think color rendition is a weakness of the DP-2, though there is some possibility that I might yet
hit upon processing parameters to result in the color I’m expecting.
The image below is a torture test; it’s an extremely saturated red wall in real life—
red hot and way beyond fire-engine red. The DP-2 could not capture it properly. Even so, it’s massively out of gamut
in sRGB, so it’s shown here in AdobeRGB; you’ll need a color-aware browser to
see it properly, and even then it’s very likely that your monitor can’t even display the color. The NEC
30" LCD 3090WQXi can display great differentiation in the reds however, much superior to the Apple 30" Cinema
Display.
The entire frame (looks like red mush on many monitors)
(AdobeRGB color space, use a
color-aware browser)
How many CPU cores? PERMALINK
With the future belonging to multiple CPU cores (today, and even better support with Snow
Leopard), a dual-core Mac is a dead-end (all models of the Mac Pro have at least 4 CPU cores).
If you’re a photographer, a Mac Pro is the right choice, even if it’s a slightly older model. You’ll have 4 or
8 CPU cores, up to 32GB memory, space for four internal drives and more.
A MacBook Pro or iMac can’t grow with you. One internal drive, expensive memory limited to 8GB, inferior or no expansion
options. Don’t get suckered into a dead-end machine unless
you have a fixed requirement like the need to travel, or a physical space constraint.
The pity is that a laptop or iMac system can cost more than a robust Mac Pro (total system cost including
memory, screen, backup drives, etc). As of this writing, a refurbished Mac
Pro Nehalem was $2149. Add a cheap 24" inch screen for $300 or so, and add/upgrade as your budget allows, rather
than having to buy another Mac when you hit the limitations of the MacBook Pro or iMac (and waste your time every
day along the way).
Memory: 16GB in a quad-core Mac Pro PERMALINK
This question has arisen several times recently with consulting clients
of mine, who were under the impression that a quad-core Mac Pro Nehalem is limited to 8GB memory.
While Apple won’t sell it to you, you can install 12GB (3 modules) or 16GB (4 modules) into a quad-core (single-CPU)
Mac Pro Nehalem (see review). Don’t try
to mix 4GB modules with smaller ones, it won’t work. An 8-core machine has 8 slots, so you can go to 32GB, an option
I don’t recommend (stick to 24GB max eg six modules).
My 8-core dual-cpu 2.93GHz Mac Pro has six 4GB modules (24GB), and my “test mule” 2.66GHz quad-core has three 4GB
modules (12GB). I bought the Mule as a refurbished model,
saving a cool 15% over new. A Mac Pro is a far better investment than any other Mac.
BTW I have six (6) Apple original 1GB memory modules for sale, contact me if interested.
Memory prices are headed UP PERMALINK
Memory modules (FB-DIMMS for 2008 Mac Pro)
I previously posted about upcoming memory price increases, which
were realized shortly thereafter. Memory prices are almost certainly headed higher.
The information below is from Larry at Other
World Computing, sponsor of my Mac Performance Guide,
offered here as a public service (no matter where you decide to get your memory). I recommend OWC memory, and it’s
all I use in my two Mac Pros and my MacBook Pro. I’ve added emphasis below where it seemed appropriate.
With the way memory prices are currently moving, figured it might be a nice thing for us to send out
a quick heads up on the topic. I know you covered this before the last price bump and hopefully a good number of readers
benefited. There is definitely a trend here and looks to be ongoing.
At the moment, most if not all memory upgrades are still selling for substantially below the
prices the same upgrades went for this time last year. Prices a year ago were pretty much at lows already
with the chip makers (Micron, Hynix, Samsung, Etc) selling the parts at prices under that which it costs to produce.
These companies have posted – individually – billions in losses on these memory chip sales over the past 2 years.
Micron alone is over 2 billion during that period. When 4GB was selling for $99 last August – those prices were not
sustainable.... Due to the global economic meltdown at the end of 2008, costs that were already way below what was
supportable dove to all new lows as the chip makers needed to keep cash flow going. In 2009 we’ve seen productions
reduced and entire producers (Qimonda/Infineon for example) completely exit production. As a result, prices had been
easing up over the course of the year as the supply/demand equation has come into balance.
Today’s prices are still as much as 50% below where the cost of various modules could be heading.
Just over the past 5 days we’ve now seen cost increases of another 5-10% on DDR2 and DDR3 memory that was already
up about 20-30% just over the prior 3-4 weeks. After about 2 years+ of supply imbalance, we are seeing things start
to move swiftly back to a cost level that – if nothing else – will ensure that memory continues to be available as
these producers stop bleeding red ink to turn out the parts.
Right now we’ve got stock that doesn’t reflect the latest cost increases. More memory makes a tremendous
difference for performance and will make an even bigger difference with Apple’s 10.6 Snow Leopard too. I have no crystal
ball – however – with respect to real costs and supply, it’s far more likely for pricing to continue sloping up than
for another dip. It’s a matter of the chip makers no longer able to continue producing where the parts are not sold
above true cost vs. that long time bit about better to keep the lines going... They can’t afford to and the adjustment
to supply is starting to show.
More than just the original factory maximums, we also have tested and support configurations that
were not available and thus nor able to be supported originally by Apple. This includes up to 6GB or 8GB on
various MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac models that were limited to 4GB; 16GB or 32GB on Mac Pro models originally
limited to 8GB or 16GB. When you select by your model – our site shows exactly what upgrade options we have tested
and support for your specific machine. Outside of Apple, OWC has the most extensively Apple Mac computer equipped
testing lab which enables us to truly confirm all aspects of memory operation. This lab includes nearly every Apple
Mac model that has been released over the past 15 years. We don’t just produce & sell memory for Mac – we know
Mac memory inside and out.
Not all memory is created equal – OWC guarantees all our memory to meet or exceed Apple Specifications
with particular attention to Apple specific requirements including (but not limited to) cooling/temperature, temperature
sensor chips, SPD firmware, etc. OWC Memory is backed by a Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty.
DIGLLOYD: I can personally attest to the quality of OWC memory in my Mac Pro and MacBook Pro and MacMini and MacBook,
all modules have worked perfectly for me, running for long periods (24X7 in some cases), sometimes under extreme temperature
conditions and artificial stress testing that
no normal Mac has to endure.
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