May 29, 2007 
In
This eNewsletter:
Test Report - Tamron’s
AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro
Industry Perspective - Technology Paves the Path
What's New This Month - Panasonic, Tenba, onOne, Lexar and more
Exclusive Web Test Report: Lighting - Photo
Basics Kit Lights
Vote! - Are planning to buy a digital camera this year?
Workshops & Contests - Learn and Show
Shutterbug Forums - Your
Photo & Digital Imaging Source
Tamron’s
AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro
Versatility In A Compact Super Zoom
by George Schaub
Weighing
in at just under 16 oz and with closed dimensions of a mere 2.9x3.3”,
the latest all-in-one zoom from Tamron is a very handy traveling companion.
Priced at a bit under $500 (street price), the lens is for APS-C D-SLRs
only, and will yield about 28-375mm (35mm equivalent) on most (1.5x; slightly
more on Canon amateur models) D-SLRs. The price and variable aperture
tell you that this is not expected to be a pro-caliber lens, but for many
D-SLR owners this might be the only lens they need carry on their next
voyage, be it a visit to a new city or a hike through the hills.
Tamron set out to design a compact power zoom that would not skimp on
quality or range and for the most part have succeeded in delivering both.
There’s no question that a 13.9x tele is a remarkable feat, albeit
at the price of an f/6.3 maximum aperture at the tele end. Were this a
lens for a film camera this max aperture might eliminate it from consideration,
but with digital it can be compensated for by simply raising ISO to a
reasonably high speed. Necessarily, you need to make sure shutter speed
is such that you will not create camera shake when working racked out;
I generally work with Shutter Priority at the longer focal lengths and
strive to shoot at 1/500 sec when possible. However, I did shoot a few
night scenes with the lens and properly braced it did just fine. Shake,
as you know, is mostly operator failure and only somewhat camera failure,
although having a fairly narrow max aperture makes you aware of it more
than if you had a faster lens.
Get The Full Story
These
Photo Basics Lighting Kits are just what they say they are—very
basic kits setups for the aspiring portrait, still life and tabletop
photographer. There are a number of kit setups available, from two
to three lights with various modifiers and accessories as well. (
For
anyone shooting digitally today, there are an almost overwhelming
number of elements to keep track of: capture, downloading, color management,
color and tonal correction and enhancement, captioning, storage, backing
up and archiving, filing and retrieving, copyright, output, and delivery
to the client. To negotiate this maze, and to achieve optimum quality
and efficiency, veteran corporate/editorial photographer Seth Resnick
(clients: Forbes, Business Week, Fidelity, Time) has teamed with workshop
producer Jamie Spritzer to offer several seminars presenting solutions
to these digital conundrums. I attended their four day “Digital
Workflow, Not Workslow” workshop, which now focuses on Lightroom
as well as CS3, and was duly impressed.
