Dear photographer,
In my February newsletter, I wrote: “February is likely to bring new announcements from Nikon and Canon”.
That prediction was realized with the debut of some exciting new lenses, but disappointing without the release of any major new camera body, with Canon and Nikon now resting on their megapixel laurels. For lenses, the new Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and Nikon 24mm f/1.4G and 16-35/4G VR come to mind.
More on megapixels
Will this year bring 30 or more megapixels with higher quality in a DSLR? I think so, perhaps around September (maybe late 2010 delivery). Technique and lenses will matter more than ever, and the level of ignorance and foolish assertions out there seems to be rising today, not falling.
Megapixels aren’t all equal: Nikon blurs the heck out of the 24 megapixels of the D3x with an anti-aliasing filter. Canon is better in that regard, but also insists on an AA filter.
The sharpest images I see are from the Leica M9 (no AA filter). It has “only” 18 megapixels, but wow can those pixels be crisp and they hold up extremely well to sharpening with very high micro contrast, especially in dark tones. I predict that a 30 megapixel Leica M10 would be incredible, and well within the capabilities of the lenses. But if Nikon and/or Canon come to their senses and drop the AA filter, then those brands could also deliver the goods, at least with most of my favorite lenses.
I increasingly like the Leica M9 for its tiny size and light weight compared to the monster D3x and/or Canon 1-series offerings. While the M9 still has some very serious usability headaches (framing, autofocus, parallax, etc), having a 5 lens kit in a small hip pack weighing less than 4 pounds is a huge plus. I’m planning on an essay on this topic. See my full review of the M9 in DAP.
Digital Infrared class
Local to the San Francisco Bay Area? Don’t miss my Digital Infrared class on Saturday May 1st in Palo Alto, CA.
Special offers $$$
As a pure reader benefit, LensRentals.com has 5% off using 
. I turn to LensRentals.com when I need a lens fast. A great outfit.
Please use that link, or the link off my blog page so they know you’re a reader.
Anyone who originally purchased a la cart diglloydTools (original version single program), or standalone Disktester may upgrade to the full new diglloydTools suite for only $22.95 (the full price is $39.95). Contact me to take advantage of this offer.
Consulting discount: Take 20% off my usual rates for any consulting job scheduled and paid for by the end of April 2010 (can take place later). To proceed, start here, and then contact me asking for the offer.
Recent additions
Be sure to scan the blog for much more, or the RSS feed and diglloyd on Twitter.
Here are just a few of the recent additions to diglloyd.com and MacPerformanceGuide.com:
- Review and examples of the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G on the Nikon D3x;
- Review of the Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5 - f/4.5 on the Nikon D3x;
- Review of the Nikon 16-35mm f/4G against 8 other lenses (14-24, 17-35, 24-70, 28-70, etc, 20/3.5, 24/2, 28/2);
- Review and examples with the Canon 200mm f/2L IS;
- Review and examples with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II;
- Review and examples on Leica M9 of the Leica 18mm f/3/8 Super-Elmar-M ASPH;
- Review and examples on Leica M9 of the Leica 24mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH;
- Review and examples on Leica M9 of the Leica 28mm Summicron-M ASPH;
- Review and examples on Leica M9 of the Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux-M ASPH;
- Three new Zeiss Distagon comparisons on D3x: 21/2.8, 28/2, 35/2 Distagons;
Nikon D3x + Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G
Subscription renewal price and grace period
Equipment isn’t getting any cheaper these days, and the value of knowing ahead of time how it performs is priceless. I intend to keep on delivering more and more value, and I appreciate subscriber loyalty. The simple act of buying through sponsored links is also appreciated.
Subscribers who renew in a timely manner receive a discount. You can renew DAP, renew ZF/ZE and renew DIP. DAP has a 30 day grace period for the reduced price renewal (no exceptions), and ZF/ZE has a generous 90 day grace period. DAP is constantly seeing additions, and there will be some major new work going into ZF/ZE this year.
When you renew or subscribe, any renewed subscription already active has its duration extended, and you retain the same username and password. Also, it doesn’t matter what order or combination you choose, the bundle deals are available at any time, and extend what you might already have.
Computer notes
I’m hearing August for a new Mac Pro, though hope lingers for a June upgrade to the 6-core chip. The Mac Pro has the lowest sales volume of any Apple product, and the iPad is taking all the oxygen out of the room, so August might well be the truth. The new Apple MacBook Pro Core i7 is a big improvement for photographers, see my review of the MacBook Pro.
Computers for photographers
If you’re doing photography seriously, you need the new MPG Photo Workstation and/or the MPG Pro Laptop. These system designs are the culmination of my years of research and my ongoing interaction with hundreds of professional photographers on a consulting basis.
Groundbreaking research!
Just a few of the additions noted below
, please see the MPG contents by date page.
- A review of the new Apple MacBook Pro Core i7, including tests on RAW file conversion speed;
- Real World solid state drive (SSD) performance, including a look at how badly some SSDs fare under serious use;
- A special report on virtual memory on the MacBook Pro, and how SSDs and RAID and hard drives perform. Highly relevant for photographers on the go with big jobs.
Also released is a major update to my diglloydTools software, including DiskTester, MemoryTester and IntegrityChecker.
Your life: survival when the paper bubble implodes?
Paper money is worth something as long as the gullible trust it, but real assets have enduring intrinsic value and cannot be abused by printing more of them, which is why governments denigrate and hate gold. Bubbles are invisible to those inside them, and paper currency today is the biggest bubble ever. While 2008 was only a minor vesuvian tremor, this year brings more hints to those willing to see, with Greece only the latest disturbing example of the unprecedented ponzi schemes in play, with the US the biggest player of all.
“All nations in the world are now recklessly printing money, in varying quantities, at their whimsical choosing, and nearly everybody accepts this as natural.” — James Dines, Goldbug (page 10), 2009.
[Note: “printing” need not mean only real physical dollars, it includes credit, bonds, etc]
Listen to a fascinating interview with James Dines, part 1 and part 2. Listen with care more than once, these interviews are powerful, and in reality they’re about mass psychology, and might be enough of an inkling to save you from yourself, or a future nightmare. Seriously.
Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 focus series
The more I use the Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux-M ASPH, the more I like it. I favor lenses that “draw” in unique ways. See my free review. In my Guide and Review of the Leica M9, I show a high resolution focus series with the 50/0.95, a “movie” of this scene, which should be of interest regardless of which brand you shoot.
Leica M9 + Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux-M ASPH @ f/0.95
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—Lloyd
