Zeiss ZE 21mm f/2.8 Distagon example image PERMALINK

Shown below is an example image taken with the Canon 5D Mark II and the new Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon. It was shot wide-open at f/2.8 handheld at 1/125 second.

The example is grainy (high ISO), yet demonstrates the corner to corner image integrity, contrast and beautiful rendition made possible by the ZE 21/2.8. And it’s a real-world image made in dull tungsten lighting, just like you can have fun making in walk-around shooting. Sometime in November or so, Canon EOS users will have this best-in-class lens at their disposal (it’s already available for Nikon).

The image below can be made to look much better (contrast, brightness and more), but as shown it is presented in a minimally-processed state: converted in DPP, then converted trivially to black and white in Photoshop, downsized, sharpened very lightly, and that's it. Many larger and less compressed examples are found in Guide to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses.

Click to see a larger view along with actual pixels crops. Observe the image as a whole; the clarity and integrity are impressive wide open at f/2.8; the ZE 21/2.8 makes a strong case of an “anywhere, anytime, any light” lens. Whether it’s macro work to 1:5 or outdoors or indoors, this is one lens that anyone who delights in ultra wides must own.

The 21/2.8 Distagon is not perfect at f/2.8: improvements occur at f/4, a bit more at f/5.6 where it peaks, then f/8 holds that quality, but results begin to be softened just a smidgen by diffraction. A graceful decline to f/11/16/22 follows from diffraction. That’s exactly the behavior a top-flight lens should exhibit.

When you do buy the 21/2.8 Distagon or other stuff, thank you for using my B&H ad at left/near top.

Upgrade your unibody MacBook Pro to 8GB PERMALINK

One bright spot in the otherwise rising memory prices (eg Mac Pro) is that you can now get 8GB for your MacBook Pro unibody at OWC for under $500. Apple charges $1000 for 8GB, so that’s a huge savings. OWC will also take your existing 4GB for $45 cash-back (4GB eg 2GB modules are worth little because they use readily-available lower density chips).

Don’t have a MacBook Pro? Get a refurbished one and save 15%.

Installing 8GB is the best way to increase performance with memory hungry apps like Photoshop CS4, Lightroom, etc. Especially with Snow Leopard (see review), memory is more useful than ever.

I use OWC modules in my Mac Pro (review) and MacBook Pro (review), and they work flawlessly.

Carl Zeiss announces ultra-wide ZE 21/2.8 Distagon for Canon EOS PERMALINK

Carl Zeiss today announced the ZE 21mm f/2.8 T* Distagon for Canon EOS [datasheet]. The ZE and ZF versions are optically identical.

I've been using the ZE 21/2.8 on my Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and sample photos from the ZE version are now available as part of Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses (see below), along with all the previous material on the ZF (Nikon) version.

Carl Zeiss is proud to present the Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE, an ultra-wide-angle lens with EF bayonet designed specifically for such tricky shooting moments. Designed to fit all analog and digital EOS camera models, it is ideal for architectural, landscape and a wide variety of other applications. It is also ideally suited for shooting HD video due to its wide focus rotation, superb image quality and minimal breathing characteristics. Following the recent release of the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE, the new Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE is now the second Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens with EF bayonet on the market and the fourth lens in the ZE product range.

Photographers taking wide-angle shots often encounter image errors at the transition between bright and dark light as a result of lenses breaking the various wavelengths differently. The Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE’s ability to flawlessly correct color errors prevents color fringing and unwanted lack of focus that can result from chromatic aberrations. Thanks to these capabilities, the Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE is ideal for contrast-rich scenes and intense lighting angles. The lens’s floating elements design also guarantees high imaging performance, from close-ups to infinity. Thanks to the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflex coating and meticulously-crafted lenses, the Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE is not affected by reflections or stray light. Capturing scenes with tough lighting conditions, such as the summer dusk in downtown Manhattan, works every time — even with wide aperture settings.

The Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE will be available in the Autumn of 2009 for a suggested retail price of $1,540.

Technical specifications:

Focal length: 21 mm
Aperture range: f/2.8 - f/22
Number of elements/groups: 16/13
Focusing range: 0.22 m – infinity
Angular field (diag./horiz./vert.): 90/81/59°
Coverage at close range: 19 x 12.4 cm
Image ratio at close range: 1:5
Filter thread: M82 x 0.75
Mounts: ZF (Nikon), ZE (Canon EOS), ZK (Pentax)
Lens hood included

I can personally attest (based on field shooting numerous images) that the claim that the 21/2.8 can “flawlessly correct color errors” is not hype. In fact, I’ve never seen a better-corrected ultra wide-angle lens.

The ZE 21/2.8 is native Canon EOS mount, meaning that the camera knows the focal length, and controls the aperture in 1/3 stop increments fully electronically. The “green dot” focus assist also works just as with any EF lens. The ZE 21/2.8 Distagon is built of metal and glass to the highest standards, a welcome relief from today’s plastics. Focus is ultra-smooth and a joy to work with. On Canon EOS, the lens barrel is somewhat larger in diameter than the ZF Nikon version. Ergonomically, it balances and shoots very nicely.

My shooting over the past few weeks leaves no doubt that the new ZE 21/2.8 Distagon is the finest lens available today for Canon EOS in the ultrawide realm. It offers superlative image quality with corner-to-corner sharpness that delights with every image. Low-light shooting wide open at f/2.8 can be done without reservation; this is a lens that delivers excellence at every aperture. No haze, no blur, just outstanding image quality. Stopping down of course improves image quality, but wide open at f/2.8 the results are astonishing.

Canon users who’ve been waiting for an outstanding wide-angle lens need wait only a little longer for the ZE 21/2.8 to appear in stores (I’ll post an update when the lens hits the streets). In the meantime, see what it can do in Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses.

Now if I could only persuade Zeiss to also offer an infrared version of the 21/2.8 Distagon!

Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon reviewed PERMALINK

I’ve added two pages of examples to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses for the just-announced Zeiss ZE 21/2.8 Distagon for Canon EOS, including a general examples page, a night-shots page (Links for subscribers only).

 

Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon examples (numerous) PERMALINK

I’ve added numerous examples to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses for the Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon for Canon EOS, including a close-up page, a night-shots page, and various other examples. (Links for subscribers only).

I am very favorably impressed with the ZE 18/3.5 Distagon. Field shooting for all those examples revealed interesting field curvature which is subtle enough to miss, but strong enough to affect results, behavior which when understood will help anyone in improving their results with the 18/3.5 Distagon.

Canon users will find the 18/3.5 Distagon a great option, provided that one is willing to embrace an ultra-wide lens and focus by eye manually.

Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon update PERMALINK

I’ve added a page to my Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses review detailing what I’ve found with the hard infinity stop on the new ZE 18/3.5 Distagon. Direct link for subscribers.

In short, don’t assume that the hard infinity stop is correct, and don’t assume that any two camera bodies have the same lens-mount-to-sensor distance!

 

Hitachi Deskstar 2TB 7200 rpm hard drive — wow! PERMALINK

Just posted is my review of the Hitachi 2TB Deskstar 7K2000 hard drive.

The Deskstar 7K2000 is the fastest SATA drive I’ve yet tested, so even if you don’t need 2TB of storage, the speed might win you over— and the price is right.

A Photographer’s Workstation — followup PERMALINK

I thought I’d share feedback from one attendee of A Photographer’s Workstation, which I presented at B&H Photo in New York City last week.

Lloyd, I wanted to thank you for a wonderful class on the Mac Pro hardware. I apologize that I had to leave the class early. I know I missed valuable info.
When I bought my Mac Pro 09 8 core in July, I spent days poring over your site, absorbing as much as I could. You not only have a great site, but I found you to be a very strong speaker who had a way to discuss a complex subject in a way that the audience absorbs easily.

I really enjoy working with an audience, because it allows direct interaction and contact, it’s very satisfying to help people through what can be a confusing topic. And it’s invigorating (even though I talked over 3 hours for a two-hour talk with a capacity crowd!). And for me, teaching is learning, so what a great win/win!

I might offer these sorts of talks to local photographers (San Francisco Bay Area), so if you have a venue you think would work, drop me an email. And if you want personal attention, I’m available for consulting.

It’s going to take me a week to catch up, but I will be posting sample images from the Zeiss ZE 18mm f/3.5 Distagon.

Back from NYC — email, subscriptions, etc PERMALINK

I’m back from NYC, catching up on all emails, etc. All new subscription username/passwords were sent last night.

New York City is a major challenge to shoot for me: I had never been there before and the beehive-like activity was just stunning, so much to take in, in every direction!

I flew (nonstop) into Newark airport, took the air train and then the train to the byzantine Penn Station, was promptly accosted by a local wanting money or my camera (don’t look around for street signs, it shows you’re a tourist!). I saw the Chelsea area, a bit of Greenwhich Village, the night scene in that area (whoah!). Thanks to a friend, I had a great apartment to stay in, very nice.

B&H Photo is an incredible tour. Automated conveyor belts to shuttle everything around, and items from $2 to $250,000. They really do an amazing job there, I was impressed.

On my first regular subway ride, I was tracked by a nut-case or thief who apparently wanted my camera or backpack, but after moving around, switching cars and finally existing the train, I finally eluded her without injury or loss. I’m still not sure if “pretty boy” is a compliment or an insult in NYC, or just how lucky I was.

New York City doesn’t do anything small: street parties are a mile long, the shops are over the top, and 5th avenue would be a lot of fun with an extra million or so spending money. The Apple Stores still smell like Apple Stores, never liked that smell myself.

The bars are good too, and cabs are a godsend on the way home.

Wall Street is impressive and worth the visit, with a security perimeter still in place. Worth a look to see where sausage is made. I’m not used to guys with automatic weapons standing around, I'm not sure how they'd pick out the bad guys from the hundreds of tourists anyway. Kinda funny with the Brinks guys with guns in hand and money bags, good 'old six shooters didn't look too impressive by comparison to the guys at the exchange.

Central Park is just amazing, a huge expanse of land heavily used by thousands, but amazingly well groomed. Stay out of the north end I’m told.

Away to NYC — email, subscriptions, etc PERMALINK

I’ll be in New York City through the 19th. You’re welcome to contact me as usual, but I won’t be reading/responding to my usual email until the 20th.

I will be responding to new subscriptions while in NYC, but there will be short delays in sending out temporary username/passwords of up to 14 hours. New or renewed subscriptions won’t actually start running until you’re sent your personalized login information after my return, so that adds a few days of duration to any subscription.

I’ll be shooting the new ZE 18/3.5 Distagon and some other goodies while in NYC, and I expect to return with some great sample images for inclusion in Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses.

Carl Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon for Canon EOS announced PERMALINK

Zeiss today announced the ZE 18/3.5 Distagon for Canon EOS. I've been using this lens on my Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and sample photos are now available as part of Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses (see below).

Carl Zeiss ZE 18/3.5 Distagon example images PERMALINK

For subscribers to Zeiss ZF/ZE Lenses, I’ve added an examples page for the ZE 18/3.5 Distagon on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The lens is a very nice performer on the 5D Mark II, a great new option for Canon users. I do love the way it handles on the 5DM2 body also. Nicely compact, it balances well and just fits in my hands.

I will be adding many more examples upon my return from New York City next week, where I’ll be shooting the ZE 18/3.5 on the Canon 5D Mark II, along with certain other lenses.

 

A Photographer’s Workstation at B&H Photo, Sept 16 PERMALINK

If you’re in the NYC area join me for my presentation of A Photographer’s Workstation at the B&H Photo megastore.

Be sure to register in advance as space will be limited. Even if you’re not a Mac user, you’ll find the presentation helpful for understanding performance and reliability issues.

Click the graphic at right for more information, and to sign up.

You’ll see how to set up a high-performance photographer’s workstation using the Apple Mac Pro. An actual Mac Pro will be used, and it will be configured and set up as the talk progresses, transforming an out-of-the-box Mac Pro into a state of the art photographic workstation. Learn what equipment to choose and how to install it, how to configure Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom for top performance, how to set up a fast RAID, and robust backup strategies.

SanDisk SDHC Ultra II or Extreme III card speed PERMALINK

I recently ordered a SanDisk 16GB Extreme III SDHC card (“30MB/sec”), thinking it might be faster than the SanDisk 16GB Ultra II SDHC card I already had. Think again.

The graph below, using the SanDisk MicroMate USB 2.0 reader shows that the cards perform all but identically, in spite of SanDisk’s claim of 30MB/sec for the Extreme III, twice the speed of the Ultra II. Now maybe with a different card reader the results would be better, but I like the extremely compact MicroMate reader and I’m not planning on buying another. Results in a camera might be better, but I don’t really have any issues with the Ultra II. Lesson: don’t assume faster is real until you test it.

OWC On-The-Go solid state drive (SSD) reviewed PERMALINK

Just posted is my review of the OWC Mercury Elite On-The-Go solid state drive (SSD).

Taking a photography trip to Antarctica or Africa? Or have an important job in the field? A wedding shoot that requires travel?

Why risk things on a fragile hard drive— consider a solid state drive for both internal and external use with a MacBook Pro, and reduce the odds of failure.

Anyone whose work product is valuable should be thinking about a solid state drive for critical jobs when traveling, to reduce the risk of data loss from hard drive failure.

The On-The-Go comes pre-assembled, but I got mine as parts. While assembling it, I dropped the SSD two feet onto a hardwood floor. Would a hard drive have survived? I’m not sure, but dropping a drive is not a “black swan” even for me, that’s the second drive I’ve let slip in 3 months. The previous one (a hard drive) was DOI (dead on impact).

The OWC unit is available in 64GB, 128GB or 256GB capacities. My recommendation for reliability: install an SSD as the internal drive for your MacBook Pro and an external one for backup. If you need more space, then stick to a 500GB 7200 rpm laptop drive.

Canon TS-E 17/4L and 24/3.5L II in infrared PERMALINK

There aren’t many wide angle lenses that perform well in infrared; nearly all of them have troublesome hot spots or otherwise poor performance.

In fact, according to my tests of 60 or so lenses for the diglloyd Guide to Digital Infrared Photography, there are essentially no conventional wide angles free of issues (a strong hot spot in most cases).

The exception are industrial lenses such as the Zeiss ZF 25/2.8 IR-Distagon, with special coatings, a mainstay for my infrared shooting with my Canon 5D-IR. You generally cannot buy the IR lenses from Zeiss however.

Now along come the new Canon TS-E 17/4L and 24/3.5L II, just recently reviewed in DAP, and I have to say I’m astonished at just how good they are for infrared— head and shoulder above all other wide angles I’ve tried (except for the ZF 25/2.8 IR-Distagon). Canon’s claim of a “specially coated aspherical element” holds more than a little water here, and is a serious breakthrough for infrared shooters. For more infrared examples, see the review.

Snow Leopard kernel panic with mirrored RAID PERMALINK

SoftRAID has just issued an update for the 4.0 beta to correct a kernel panic bug in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (see my Snow Leopard review). The bug might be limited to dual CPU Mac Pros, and might only affect a software RAID mirror, but that’s not certain.

Here’s what the beta update indicates:

Further investigation showed that these kernel panics were due to a bug in the Snow Leopard kernel. We have reported this bug to Apple and their engineers are investigating it. Instead of waiting for Apple to release a fix for this bug, we have added code to the SoftRAID driver to prevent this bug from occurring. SoftRAID version 4.0 b11 includes this code.

Note that the bug is in Snow Leopard itself, and SoftRAID 4.0b11 includes a workaround. That’s real support— find someone else’s bug, and make it work anyway! Adobe should try that sometime.

I suspect that the problem is far more general, which might mean that reports of Snow Leopard kernel panics online are to be taken more seriously than random events.

SoftRAID is a great product, one I personally use and recommend, and version 4.0 is looking awfully good.

Canon TS-E 24/3.5L II distortion PERMALINK

I’ve added a Distortion comparison page to my review of the Canon TS-E 24/3.5L II.

The new lens definitely outperforms the old one, and architectural photographers should be quite pleased. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen this well-controlled distortion in a long time in a wide-angle shift lens, if ever.

DAP subscribers can click on the image at right to read the new page.

Canon TS-E 24/3.5L II reviewed and compared PERMALINK

Just posted is my review of the Canon 24/3.5L II. DAP subscribers can click on the image at right to read the new page.

Included are several comparisons between the new TS-E 24/3.5L II and the original 24/3.5L which should definitively address the “should I upgrade” question. Let’s just say I won’t be buying the original version.

I’m impressed with the TS-E 24/3.5L II, and its performance in infrared was a huge (positive) surprise (infrared examples are included also).

Architectural and landscape photographers in particular should be looking at this lens. I’d love to own it, though I think the 17/4L is even more interesting.

As with the 17/4L, the 24/3.5L II was obtained via LensRentals.com. Give them a try!

 

Crucial 256GB solid state drive (SSD) PERMALINK

Just posted is my review of the 256GB Crucial M225 solid state drive (SSD).

It’s a screaming-fast unit, useful in a variety of scenarios. Laptop users especially might be favorably inclined for the ultra-high performance as well as the increased reliability and completely silent operation.

See also my comments on external solid state drives. External drives won’t achieve the performance possible internal to a Mac Pro or MacBook Pro, but will still be speedy.

Canon 5D-IR with Canon 17/4L in infrared PERMALINK

I’ve updated my review of the Canon 17/4L with a page on performance in infrared. Wow!

DAP subscribers can click on the image at right to read the new page.

 

 

 

 

Crucial 256GB solid state drive (SSD) PERMALINK

Just posted is my review of the 256GB Crucial M225 solid state drive (SSD).

It’s a screaming-fast unit, useful in a variety of scenarios. Laptop users especially might be favorably inclined for the ultra-high performance as well as the increased reliability and completely silent operation.

See also my comments on external solid state drives. External drives won’t achieve the performance possible internal to a Mac Pro or MacBook Pro, but will still be speedy.

Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L review updated PERMALINK

See below for details on my review of the TS-E 17/4L. Since yesterday, I added a Vignetting page.

Join the mailing list to be emailed when updates occur.

I am also working on a review of the new Canon TS-E 24/3.5L II, and comparing it to the original TS-E 24/3.5L.

 

 

 

Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L reviewed PERMALINK

Just added to DAP is my review of the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L. Why not subscribe to DAP today?

Subscribers can click the image at right to go directly to the review.

I’m very impressed with the TS-E 17/4L, though my sample had a problem, which I also document in my review. In spite of that, I was able to cover the lens behavior quite well, and I think potential buyers will be intrigued by my findings.

Architectural and landscape photographers in particular should be looking at this lens, and I think my review will really help there.

Included are a variety of examples showing just how compelling the use of the shift capability can be when combined with the ultra-wide 17mm focal length.

The 17/4L is an amazing lens really; at full shift a stitched 60mm X 24mm image can be made, equivalent to a diagonal field of view of a 9.5mm lens! What’s truly impressive is to see the superb control of a variety of optical properties in such an ultra-extreme wide angle.

The 17/4L would be the first Canon TS-E lens that I would buy, were I in a buying mood for such a lens; it’s excellent and absolutely unique. I’d love to own one, and only the price holds me back.

External Solid State Drive (SSD) for reliability when traveling PERMALINK

I’ve previously written extensively about using solid state drives (SSD) for performance in Mac Performance Guide.

But an SSD can also be your smart move as a reliable alternative to hard drives, especially for travelers. To be clear, it’s not shock-proof, but an SSD has no moving parts and can take a lot more abuse than a hard drive.

OWC is now offering external solid state drives— a great idea for anyone traveling to remote places where reliability is key.

You can choose a 64GB, 128GB or 256GB SSD in the OWC Mercury On-the-Go enclosure. It connects via Firewire 800, Firewire 400, or USB, and the best part is that no external power cable is needed on any reasonably recent computer— just connect the data cable and go!

And of course if you ever want to re-purpose the speedy SSD for use internally in a Mac Pro, or MacBook Pro, just remove the SSD from the enclosure.

First impressions of Canon’s TS-E lenses PERMALINK

Clearly a leap forward in Canon optical quality, the new TS-E 17/4L and 24/3.5L II are impressive optics. I’m working on a DAP writeup of both of them.

Were I to buy one, I’ve already settled on the 17/4L as something really handy in tight quarters, where even 24mm really doesn’t do the trick— think cities and buildings packed together, church interiors, etc.

Not all readers are familiar with what a shift (and tilt) lens can do, so below is an example. The quality of some photos is improved tremendously not just by avoiding converging verticals, but by eliminating extraneous foregrounds. Serious landscape photographers should have at least one shift/tilt lens in their bag, both for shift and tilt (depth of field) reasons.

The images below were shot from an identical position using a tripod. The one at left used the full shift capability of the TS-E 17/4L, and the one at right was shot by angling the camera upward (as must be done with every conventional non-shift-capable lens). The difference is dramatic.

I’ll include a number of other examples in DAP when I post my review of these two new Canon offerings, but DAP already includes many other shift and tilt/shift lenses so why not subscribe now?

Mailing list for diglloyd.com PERMALINK

Subscribe to my mailing list for various kinds of updates. Other ways to keep up to date are the RSS feed and Twitter tweets.

Forgot your password? Make sure mail works. PERMALINK

Poor Marcelo (his real first name). He emailed saying he has forgotten his password. I replied quickly, but there’s only one problem: his mailbox is full and cannot accept my message! So I have no way of reaching him. From his mail server:

I'm sorry to have to inform you that your message could not
be delivered to one or more recipients. It's attached below.

...host embro.tpn.terra.com[/public/trrlmtpd] said: 552 4.2.2 Mailbox full (Caixa
postal cheia / Bandeja de entrada llena) (1252037185.839274.30407.embro.tpn.terra.com) (in reply to end of DATA command)

Those sort of thing happens on a regular basis: I reply to an inquiry, but the sender has broken email of some kind.

Upgrade your unibody MacBook Pro to 8GB PERMALINK

OWC has a great deal on an 8GB memory kit for the MacBook Pro unibody, the lowest price ever! Click here to get 8GB for your MacBook Pro at OWC. Don’t have a MacBook Pro? Get a refurbished one and save some real money. These memory modules are the same one’s you’d get if you bought them from Apple.

Installing 8GB is the best way to increase performance with memory hungry apps like Photoshop CS4, Lightroom, etc. Especially with Snow Leopard (see review), memory is more useful than ever.

Canon TS-E 17/4L and 24/3.5L II PERMALINK

On the way from LensRentals.com are the two new Canon tilt/shift lenses: the TS-E 17/4L and the TS-E 24/3.5L II. These two will be the newest additions later this month to DAP as I shoot them in the field and provide my usual insights. I might even run up to Yosemite with them this weekend, if the nasty virus my children gave me from school relents.

There is extensive coverage in DAP on many other tilt and/or shift lenses, required reading if you’re considering a tilt/shift lens. In my view, no serious landscape photographer should be without at least one tilt/shift lens, with the tilt being the key feature because it is the only way to evade the stringent constraints of depth of field (by aligning the plane of focus to the sensor). See my July 10 2008 blog entry on the Nikon 24/3.5 for some examples.

You can rent the 17/4L or rent the 24/3.5L II at LensRentals.com. At about $2500 for the 17/4L and about $2200 for the 24/3.5L, both DAP and renting are your smart move before buying such pricey optics.

My impression, based on the Canon-supplied MTF charts, is that these two lenses will be very strong performers, but then again, Canon doesn’t provide MTF when shifted, which is rather silly given the intended usage. Anyway, real images made under real conditions with real lenses are all that matter— not computer-generated MTF of the optical design. Still, I have high hopes for these two new offerings.

Click either lens to buy .

Snow Leopard printing with Epson Pro printers — How To PERMALINK

Read how I installed Epson print drivers so my Epson Stylus Pro 3800 would print on Mac OS X Snow Leopard without a hitch.

It’s all part of my Mac OS X Snow Leopard Special Report — tell your friends and post about it please!

And if I’ve helped you, please make it a habit to support site advertisers at page left (B&H Photo, OWC, LensRentals, Amazon).

Quick fix for Nikon Capture NX2 v2.2.2 Permalink

I reported on the problems with upgrading Nikon Capture NX2 to version 2.2.2 after installing Snow Leopard (works fine if you upgrade before installing Snow).

I Finder-copied the NX2 v2.2.2 application from a Leopard system, and I also copied /Library/Application Support/Nikon/Capture NX 2 over as well. Voilà— it’s version 2.2.2, and it works correctly on Snow Leopard. If you were diligent enough to clone your Leopard system prior to installing Snow Leopard, this should be an easy task.

Snow Leopard printing OK with Epson Style Pro 3800 PERMALINK

Congratulations to Epson for offering a Snow Leopard support page. Watch for my step-by-step writeup of how I did it in my Snow Leopard Special Report, to dispel some of the mystery and apparent complexity.

Amazingly, I printed with accurate color from Photoshop CS4 to my Epson Stylus Pro 3800 booting both the 32-bit and 64-bit kernel. You heard that right— no problems printing with the 64-bit kernel.

Lots more stuff

Take a stroll to the August 2009 blog.