Comments for Photography Tips Blog

Comment on Tamrac 5586 Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack by Chad J. Guenther

Chad J. Guenther — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:57:44 +0000

The bag is large, but not too large. The zippers are waterproof, but not too difficult to open. Everything about this bag is great, except for one small thing.

There is a pull on top which is meant to secure a flap over the inside zipper for increased water protection. This flap doesn’t work very well, and the pull gets in the way of unzipping the bag to get at gear.

Other than this small design inconvenience, the bag is fantastic as a single place to carry all your gear. What I have: 2 camera bodies with battery grips, 2 flashes, 3 lenses (70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, and 10-20 4.5), large carbon tripod with ballhead, graduated density filters.
Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras by Steven R. Smith

Steven R. Smith — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:24:36 +0000

I've owned a Nikon 70-300 VR for about 3 years. I didn't use it much the first several years. My forte is landscape photography and the focal length seldom fit. But then I got interested in florals and macros, and WOW, I quickly found out why Tom Hogan lists the Nikon version as a "Desert Island" lens and why my girlfriend always wanted to userp this lens and use it on her D-300. I have a D-90, and compete head to head with her. The old addage that it's the photographer, not the camera, has more than a bit of justification. Both of us are constantly going, WoW, why didn't I see it the way you captured it? The Nikon version of the 70-300 is vastly underrated and totally awesome, to say the least.

My delima has been, how to get the 70-300mm back from my girlfried . The obvious solution was to go out and buy another Nikon for her. But then Sigma came out with their copy, and soon after Tamron introduced theirs claiming "best in class," so I took a chance and bought the Tamron. It was $150 less, and Amazon allows a thirty day trial period. If Tamron didn't measure up, I could return it.

So here's the subjective report, if you can can call anything "girlfriend/boyfriend" subjective. The Tamron isn't as smooth as the Nikon. It's clunky, makes weird noises, and simply isn't as professional. Not that I care in the least. "IQ" matters most to me.

The Tamrom is definitely sharper in the 200 - 300mm range. If I'm shooting a flowers at the same focal length, the Nikon is smoother, not surprisingly, since it's been widely touted that the Nikon gets a little softer between 200-300. For florals, I consider that an attribute rather than a problem. If I'm doing macros on the other hand, the Tamron is superior, or I might consider one of the lengedary 180mm Nikon lenses with an extension tube. Half the price and twice the resolution, at the cost of manual focusing and learning the rule of F-16's - the kind of old time photography that made it all so fun.

The bottom line is, it's hard to disparge Tamron's newest lens against the competition. I haven't tried the Sigma and can't compare. But I agree with Tamron's assertion that they're better than Nikon, if not "best in class." I hope to see them there much more often. My girlfriend loves the lens,and so my Nikon walks with me, and she's happy with the Tamron. All I can tell you is that second best isn't all bad. She and I are getting married soon, so I'm trying to get use to that.

Rating: 4 / 5

Comment on Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera by V. Ward

V. Ward — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:13:50 +0000

Aside from the control dial being to close to the on/off switch the camera is very ergonomic, more so than many of its competitors. And with a wide range of abilities it is definitely one of the best cameras on the marked, especially when you consider the price.
Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on Tamrac 5586 Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack by J. Price

J. Price — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:06:33 +0000

Lot’s of space for my photo goodies.

I has a special pocket to hold laptops. But alsa, it can’t hold my MacBook Pro 17″ and that is a real disappointment.
Rating: 4 / 5

Comment on Tamrac 5586 Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack by K. Kocaman

K. Kocaman — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:39:38 +0000

i purchased the item few weeks ago. it is a very functional bag, very solid.
I found place for all my photo equipments in there. Nikon D90, Nikkor 18-105mm Lens, Sigma 70-300mm DG APO, Nikkor 50mm f1,8, charger, cleaning pern, Kenko extension tubes, etc.

After putting all these in, there are still more place to put 2-3 lenses. It feels safe and as mentioned very solid constructed.

Now the cons: It is very big (believe m, much bigger than the pictures you see).
That's a little problem for me, because i can't really carry this bag all the time with me, without getting some questions like "What is in it?". So please look at the dimensions first.

But nevertheless i still found this bag very useful for photographer, who cares for their equipment. 5 stars.. Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera by Luv4 USA

Luv4 USA — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:28:28 +0000

This isn’t my first DSLR . I have the awesome Sony A700 and decided to get (from Sony Store)one for its live-view feature. I found that everything is great on this DSLR. The other reviewers were right on the spot with their reviews so there’s no need to write it again. But, I just want to share my experience and you should take note on this one, “DUSTS ON THE SENSOR RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX”. This is unacceptable (to me). Not just one but lots of it. I returned it but they’re out of the A550, so I got the A500 instead and voila, the same thing happened. Mind you, that before returning the said units, I tried their anti-dust technology (cleaning mode)and it removed some but not all. I tried it again( and again and again) and used a Giottos large rocket blower but to no avail. There were one/two dust spots that you can’t remove. I should put a couple of big “?????” on their Anti-Dust Technology which they say “helps keep the CMOS imager clean, resulting in consistently better pictures. First a static-free coating on the CMOS filter helps repel dust. Then vibration automatically dislodges dust from the CMOS each time you shut off the camera”. My advice is to “Check/test your newly bought Sony A500/SonyA550 for dust/s on the sensor right out of the box”. I’m not trying to discourage you from buying the Sony A500/A550. They’re great and they’re not cheap either. After all, we should get full satisfaction for what our hard earned money’s worth, right?

Rating: 4 / 5

Comment on Kodak Ni-MH Battery Charger Kit for CX/DX 6000/7000 Cameras that Use NiMH Battery by Gordon C. Bryner

Gordon C. Bryner — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:07:19 +0000

It works nice for the camera and all my batteries, battery charger, extra memory cards, and cables for connecting the camera to a TV.
Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on Tamrac 5586 Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack by Jehan Ghouse

Jehan Ghouse — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:43:03 +0000

I purchased the Tamrax 5586 Expedition 6X based on the written specs/photographs to accomodate carrying 2 DSLR’s and lenses + a tripod. This is a monster sized backpack that can do all of that. However, for my 5′ 10″ frame it was too much bulk and weight to handle. When fully loaded (inclduing a mid sized tripod) it weighed more than I thought would be comfortable carring around. Having received it I then thought perhaps I ought to keep it as a primary storage locker for my gear since it has plenty of flexible storage space in the main compartments; however, I would have preferred more zip-up compartments for storage of accessories. For instance, rather than have 2 large zip up storage areas in the inside cover, I would have preferred 1 large and (say) 3 smaller compartments which would allow accessories to stay separated. This was one factor that changed my mind about using this bag as a main storage locker.

The bag is solidly constructed…but way too big for my use. I gave it 3 stars based on the unsuiatability for my use.I have since returned this bag for a smaller Kata model which would still enable me to carry 2 bodies + lenses. I just have to figure out how to carry a tripod on my trecks!

Rating: 3 / 5

Comment on Tamrac 5586 Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack by M. MCKINNEY

M. MCKINNEY — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:37:24 +0000

I ordered the Tamrac 5586 Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack (Black# backpack for an overseas business trip with Canon Digital Rebel XT DLSR, 4 lenses - including a heavy 70-200 zoom f/2.8 L IS with 1.4x extender, flash and Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod. The bag would work OK for this and I especially liked how it carries this tripod. However, I need space for computer cords, business paperwork and a light change of clothes in case the airline lost my luggage. This pack didn't work for carrying these extra items as a single airline carry-on so it was returned. I also would have liked faster access to the camera and lens. It would be a great bag if just carrying camera and computer gear.

I returned this Tamrac Expedition 6 and instead bought a Tamrac Pro 12 shoulder bag Tamrac 5612 Pro 12 Camera Bag (Black) . My computer, cables and papers will stay in my Swiss gear computer backpack. The light change of clothes got stuffed into extra pockets or laid on top of the camera bridge. The Pro 12 had it's own limitations like a poor way to carry a tripod but it worked good enough for a business trip where I carried my camera gear. I especially like the lens bridge for my big telephoto zoom and could easily store the extra 3 lens and my flash with room for more. Other suggestions - offset the photo bridge so that one camera body can mount the big zoom while the 2nd body could hold a mounted multi-purpose zoom. Also please consider a means to attach to backpack type straps for easier carrying on long distance hikes.

I would have considered the Tamrac Ultra Pro 11 or 13 as a single combination bag, but ran out of time to order and have this shipped. Teh local camera store didn't carry it. However, even these bags don't have a sleeve for business papers, need a bigger compartment for computer cables and especially have a terrible way to sling a tripod. Lashing it to the bottom of the bag only gets the tripod banged up and makes it harder to place on top of the luggage through the zippered pocket.

Still, I have been pleased with all the Tamrac bags I've owned or ordered and would recommend Tamrac for their design and construction quality. I just was looking for something even more multi-purpose that carrys well on the airlines. Rating: 3 / 5

Comment on Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera by Laura L. Walsh

Laura L. Walsh — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:25:59 +0000

I researched this camera pretty heavily and am happy with my choice!

I really like how many functions it has, the choice of options available, either simple or complex.

Built in image stabilization, and affordable macro lens choice was huge for me. I like to hand hold in low light, and like to shoot close ups. The macro lens was a great deal. Flash pops up when you need it.

So far, so good.
Rating: 5 / 5