Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Reviews

Sigma SD14 is a fabulous camera, capable of producing exceptional, vivid and professional quality photos that can impress your friends, but it has several shortcomings.

I have used this camera for three months and took over 4000 pictures with these four Sigma lenses: 30mm f1.4, 50mm f2.8, 18-200mm OS and 70-300mm APO. I also have the Canon Rebel XT and Nikon D40 systems.

SD14 works great when there is a lot of light, like shooting pictures during daytime outdoor or inside a well-lit studio. Without sufficient lighting, pictures can be dark and grainy. On the other hand, Nikon D40 produces better indoor pictures.

If you are upgrading from a point and shoot camera and have less than a thousand dollars to spend, I suggest you get the Nikon D40 with its kit lens and the AF-S 55-200mm VR lens. Number of megapixels does not matter, but the sensor size does. D40 has the same sensor size as D300!

If you don’t look at price tags when you shop, then the Canon 1Ds is for you. It’ll cost you ten grands when you include a couple of L lenses and flash speedlights.

SD14 is not an all purpose camera. It is suitable as a 2nd camera to an entry level or prosumer DSLR cameras. It let you take artistic and lively pictures to wow your friends without breaking the bank.

Pros:
1. Wow quality photos. Picture colors are absolutely amazing.
2. Camera relatively cheap.
3. Sigma professional lenses much cheaper than the Canon and Nikon counterparts.
4. Great for taking still subjects such as portraits, flowers, architectures and landscape.

Cons:
1. Slower auto focus when compared to the Canon and Nikon systems.
2. Metering less accurate when compared to the Canon and Nikon systems.
3. Battery life relatively short (150/250/400 photos for SD14/Rebel XT/D40).
4. Some Sigma lenses haves quality control issues. I had to return the 30mm f1.4 lens because of back-focus problem. It has worked fine after the exchange. Sigma USA customer support is friendly.
5. Camera system crashes a bit too often. Need to restart and waste 2 seconds every time.
6. Slower burst rate. Not suitable for shooting birds or race cars unless you are really good.

Nikon D700 12.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF VR Nikkor Zoom Lens Reviews

here are already a lot of reviews of the D700 on Amazon.com so I will focus on the current D200 user who is considering upgrading to a D700. If affordability is an issue and/or you have a lot invested in DX lenses (I will explain why later), skip the D700 and either buy a D300 that are being discounted since it is late in its product life cycle or wait for a successor to the D300. Another alternative to consider is the new D90.

I’ve been using the D700 for about a month and will offer more subjective than quantitative comments. If you want a technical review, I would recommend the D700 forum at nikonians.org or Ken Rockwell at www.kenrockwell.com (even if you don’t agree with him, I think he provides a valuable service to the photography community).

My top 3 reasons in no particular order for upgrading from a D200 to a D700:
1) It is just outright faster (remember I am comparing it to a D200) – I shoot a lot of “capture the moment” photos(okay, you can call them “snapshots”) and the D700 focuses and meters noticeably faster. This is very important when I am covering events and taking photos as opportunities present themselves. I may only have one chance to get the photo right (I do shoot in continuous mode but not necessarily with bracketing).
2) The photos I take, especially the colors, appear to be much more accurate (again, just a subjective opinion). I use Photoshop CS4 a lot but fine that with most photos that I take with the D700 there is not a lot of need to make adjustments for levels, sharpness and hue/saturation. Most of the time I just crop/resize and print – this saves me a lot of time. Most of the time I am using matrix metering and auto-area focus. The auto white balance works great although I am shooting RAW right now since the outdoor shots where I live are in the snow.
3) The D700 with its great photo quality at higher ISOs allows me to take more available light (not necessarily limited to low light) photographs especially indoors and late afternoons/early evenings. I like this a lot because I find it less intrusive than taking people photos with a flash. There is no red eye problems; people don’t tend to freeze up; and it minimizes lighting issues.

However, the big “BUT” is that you are likely to need to buy the newest Nikon full frame lenses if you really want to achieve faster, better and available light photos. There has been a lot of criticism of the 24-120mm/3.5-5.6G kit lens but I think it is just fine for a general “walk around” lens. If you are shooting in lower light situations or a single subject focus in aperture mode, then the constant apertures found in the 24-70mm/2.8G and the 70-200mm/2.8G is really what you need. You can add the 14-24mm/2.8G if you do landscapes. They are expensive, big and heavy but they are as fast and sharp as can be. Older full frame Nikon lenses work well and will take great shots but they are slower (ex. I have an 80-400mm without the internal motor so it is noticeably slower). Prime lenses would be good alternatives. Overall, there are fewer available lenses for full frame since a lot of the current product focus is on DX lenses for the various lens manufacturers (not just Nikon).

A couple of final comments – first, I was originally going to sell my D200 to defray the cost of the D700 but decided that there are situations in which I can only take one camera and weight/bulk is an issue. For example, my D200 with the 18-200mm lens is perfect for an upcoming vacation in which I have to fly, not drive. It is a good “walk around” camera. So the D700 has become by camera with a purpose. In my case, this is when I want to take high quality photos at an event such as a wedding or a concours (I like cars as well).

Second, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is an alternative worth considering, especially if you are going to buy new lenses anyway. I did not consider it because I am very use to and comfortable with the Nikon controls and don’t want to risk missing a shot fumbling with how to change some setting.

Bottom line – I love the camera and would highly recommend it to any D200 user considering upgrading to a D700.

Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

I own the SX10 (and previously a stack of other digital cameras … starting with that SONY MAVICA with the 3.5″ diskettes a LONG time ago), and love it. I previously owned the S5, and it was also excellent. I bought the SX10 for the awesome LENS CAPABILITIES, and have not been disappointed whatsoever. It takes magnificent pics, has that enormous range, is COMPACT, and has that “heft” to it that gives it the feel of a “serious” camera. Now: for the REALITY CHECK: I just bumped into the Canon 40D and 50D models at a local store. You’ve seen them: big, hefty, big lcd (without the cover the SX10 has … can already visualize the SCRATCHES from shirt buttons, etc.), big lenses with those ridges on them that seem to beg you to pick it up and zoom in/out. Then I remembered: I bought the 30D some time ago. Bought all the lenses, external flash, cards, batteries, case, etc. Took it home and, after the battery pack was charged, went into the picture taking drill. I was shocked! A cheaper camera that I had took brighter/clearer pics than this EXPENSIVE get-up I just bought! I took a stack of pics with both: same result. I brought that set back to the place where purchased and that was that. There is no doubt that the 30D was worth the price, to demanding pros, but not to me. And this is the point I am trying to make: for the AVERAGE ‘JOE’ or ‘Jill’, you probably don’t need all the bells ‘n whistles these advanced DSLRs certainly deliver. If you are NOT a pro, NEEDING to manipulate a zillion settings manually and exchange lenses to match what you want to accomplish, this SX10 is probably gonna be PERFECT for you! You will not have to buy an array of EXPENSIVE add-on lenses (read the reviews for the 50D, for example, and you will see that super camera is, in the end, “lense dependent” … that is: the end results will depend on the quality of “the glass” you have attached. This can get to be a VERY expensive proposition for all but the very serious pros). If you, like me, just want GOOD PICTURES without all the fuss, then … in my very humble opinion … this SX10 is probably all you will need for the remainder of your time on the planet (I will admit, after putzing with both the 40D and 50D, I found it hard to walk away without buying one/the other. It’s almost impossible to not be overly impressed with their great appearance, obvious wealth of options, and “heft” value. But, remembering my experience with the 30D, and the fact I obviously was not ready for multiple lenses, and the complexities involved with high-end cameras, I walked away). You can read the attached excellent reviews on the SX10 to find all about batteries, external flashes, bags, etc.

Wishing to add a comment/two about certainly real concerns that run through these reviews: LOSING THE LENS CAP and DROPPING THE CAMERA. For the initial concern: go to RITZ CAMERA, for instance (AMAZON probably also sells this), and buy the QUANATRAY LENS CAP LEASH. It affixes to the lens cap and the camera body, problem solved for $1.99. As far as DROPPING the thing … DON’T!! I use the CANON WRIST STRAP (bought mine via EBAY) and really like it. A thin over-the-neck strap came with the unit (which I don’t particularly like), USE IT! But, do ensure the LCD SCREEN is COVERED when walking around with that neck strap to not scratch the lcd with shirt buttons, etc.

UPDATE: 2-17-09: I’M BACK … again. I could not resist the urge to get another SLR. I bought a real GOOD one, bought more lenses, flash, etc. AND, just like the one I brought back before, I BROUGHT THIS ONE BACK! The BOTTOM LINE is: THE PICTURE. This expensive array did NOT take better pics than the CANON SX10IS! I am sticking with this GREAT Canon FOREVER! It does EVERYTHING … and in a wonderful small package. No lenses to lug around and have to change as the scene demands … just zoom on from 28mm to 560mm(!) without missing a beat. Super camera!

Sony Cybershot DSC-T700 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization Reviews

If you are looking for the ideal point-and-shoot camera for your teenager, this is a superb choice. (Great for adults, too!) It fits right in with an active, portable lifestyle– it is light-weight, user-friendly, tech-smart and smart-looking. Sleek. It looks a lot like kin to the itouch phone or itouch ipod, with its square shape and sleek surface on which you prime your menu and edit with the touch of a finger (or included pen). My teenage daughter loves it and assesses it as “superior.” It fits right in with her tech-loving lifestyle. Even the low-light pictures at the skating rink are respectable.

There are a lot of cool features for preparing and editing your photos. They include smile-detection, smile improvement (where the camera can actually sort of stretch the sides of the mouth, weird as that sounds), red-eye removal. There are also arty features such as choosing a center point and surrounding the periphery in monochrome, a starburst feature that adds flair to pics, a blurry edge feature, and ability to write captions.

It comes with a rechargeable battery, a recharger, and built-in memory stick that takes thousands of pictures. I recommend purchasing an external memory stick if you want to take photos to be printed by your local store.

The only non-user-friendly feature my daughter came across was the flash. She said that it was counterintuitive and that the manual did not help her to program it in. She did finally get a friend (who has had this camera for a while) to help her program the flash, and she has had no problems ensue. My daughter is typically tech savvy, so this is notably a salient concern.

Thanks to a reviewer on this site, I have ordered a military-grade invisible shield to protect her screen. I highly recommend it–teens are hard on electronics.

Lastly,she asked for it in grey, which surprised me. I thought she would want one of the flashy colors, but she pointed out that the flashy colors also attract sticky fingers in public places. The muted colors draw less attention.

The price keeps going down. I bought it for $399 a few weeks ago and the price has gone down twice. Cheers to Amazon for reimbursing me the discount when I wrote to them.