Olympus 15mm f8 Review (BCL-1580)

Olympus 15mm f8 Review (BCL-1580)
July 2013, Carl Garrard

Olympus 15mm f/8 Review (BCL-1580)- July has been a hot month for reviews on Photographic Central. Today I review the somewhat new and definitely unique Olympus 15mm f/8 Lens on a silver Olympus E-PL2 (the most beautiful Pen design yet I say). In case you didn't know, BCL in its technical name stands for Body Cap Lens. Indeed this little lens is just that, similar in size and weight to a DLSR or Mirrorless camera's body cap. Prices range from $39.99 to $69.99 here in the USA, and mine came in at the lower price. This lens is a fixed aperture lens with a mechanical focus lever offering a surprisingly wide range of focusing, including what Olympus calls "close" focusing.


Olympus BCL-15mm f8.0 Best/Current Amazon Price

Canon Powershot SX130IS- Review

Canon Powershot SX130IS- Review
July 2013, Carl Garrard

Hi. I'm the SX130is. Do you want to play?

Ok, you hate complicated cameras but you still want one that can shoot just about everything. Or maybe you are on a budget and don't want to be stuck with your camera phone or a very low end point and shoot camera. How about a refurbished Canon Powershot SX130IS for $89.00 that covers 28-336mm with an f/2.8-5.6 lens? How about it? Well if you look to your left, that's the camera I'm talking about, and the price I got mine for. Today the used camera market has never been better but finding the diamonds in the rough can be daunting. This is what you hired me for though, to do the dirty work for you. Come lads and lassies, lets venture forth!




The land of the SX130IS awaits you!

Olympus Stylus XZ-10- In For Review!

Olympus Stylus XZ-10- In For Review
July 2013 Carl Garrard

Today Photographic-Central received the Olympus Stylus XZ-10 for review, and I've had about 5 minutes with the camera (while I'm down for the count here at home). For reminder, this is an enthusiastic level pocket compact camera with a 26-130mm f/1.8-2.7 lens and loaded with tons of features. My first 5 minutes/impressions with this camera have been extremely impressive. This has to be the fastest focusing pocket compact I've ever used, and its build quality is equally impressive. The control dial and zoom toggle feel absolutely perfect - well sprung so they aren't fiddly. There is of course much more to share about the XZ-10 and I will do so. Please check in soon and likely I'll have a review up.  For now you can check out the specifications etc on the link below.


Olympus XZ-10 Best Price Searched!

Pentax MX-1 Review

Pentax MX-1 Review
June 2013, Carl Garrard
Pentax has been out of the enthusiast compact fixed/lens camera market for quite some time now. The last "serious" enthusiast fixed lens compact from Pentax that I recall came in the form of the Optio 750Z, which was introduced sometime around 2004. That's some hiatus. With a surge of entry level compact sales going to camera phones instead, it's time for manufacturers to knock the dust off of serious designs and cater more than ever to enthusiasts. The MX-1 offers many modern features on paper with a unique flair of style that harkens back to its 35mm film glory days. It's nice to see Pentax enter the enthusiast compact market again, albeit a  pretty crowded one.


Pentax MX-1 Best Available Price

Canon Powershot A1200 Review

Canon Powershot A1200 Review- July 2013 Carl Garrard

Tis always the season for a new digital camera, and some of you like to get them on a budget. Hunting through the massive inventories of budget compacts on the market for the best deals isn't easy, but I've settled my sights on this little gem from Canon- the Powershot A1200 compact camera. Even with a wealth of experience with the camera market, choosing cameras to review is still a bit hit and miss. My goal is to bring forth reviews to my readers that are about interesting cameras that are a good bang for the buck. I carefully spend my time sifting through the various models old and new, to find little diamonds to share with you. So, is the Powershot A1200 a hit, or a miss for the price?


Canon Powershot A1200 Best Amazon Deal

Canon EOS M Deal

Couldn't pass up letting other photographers know about this deal from B&H Photo. A new EOS M and 22mm STM f/2 lens for only $299. Offer is only good for a very short time. I'd grab one while you can as I myself am getting one too! The EOS M is a simplified mirrorless camera with touch screen and a very nice 18mp APS-C sized sensor. The 22mm STM lens is silent and offers a fast bright aperture. The package together is a steal in terms of a portable high image quality camera. Grab it and forget it at that price! Go direct here: CANON EOS M & 22mm STM f/2 LENS DEAL!



CANON EOS M and 22mm STM DEAL

Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 II Preview

Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 II Preview
June 2013, Carl Garrard

Back when the Sony RX100 was announced, I made some rather constructively critical comments about it. Here was a camera that I had decided was good, but certainly not as good as I know the Cybershot division was capable of. That is why I didn't jump up and down about it. Now a year has gone by and it looks as though all of  my major criticisms of the RX100 were addressed with the RX100 II. Good job Sony! So let me tell you first and foremost that I'm excited about the RX100 II and plan on getting my hands on one real soon.



Sony DSC-RX100M II Current Best Price

What Is It?

I made this video of a blimp hangar that was partially opened, and wanted to share the video with readers. I've since researched what I saw, and know what it is, but I thought it would be fun for readers to take a look and maybe figure it out for themselves. Enjoy and comment please. Best Selling Cameras

Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 DSLR Review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 DSLR Review
April 2013, Carl Garrard

Panasonic DMC-L10 DSLR Review: Yes another time machine review. This time we look at the Panasonic DMC-L10 10.1MP DSLR originally announced late August 2007 (can you believe that was 5 1/2 years ago?). First I must say that one of the great things about reviewing cameras- is that I have a very good excuse to try any camera that I find interesting, and report it. I've always been very curious to try the Panasonic DMC-L10 out first hand. This review is a summation of my time with the discontinued DMC-L10 and how much it met (or didn't) meet my expectations.


Panasonic DSLR Auto Link

AMW Sign Off

Just a quick mention for those who have frequented www.alphamountworld.com. Thanks for all of the memories and the participation to all of you on that site over the last five years. From the sleepless nights of preparing reviews, to gear debates, to sharing our personal lives to varying degrees- I consider that site quite a success, especially because at it's peak it was much more than we ever intended it to be. I didn't want to make a big deal about the site going down, and it was just coincidence that it's last day happened to fall the day before April first.

Nikon Coolpix S30 Review

Nikon Coolpix S30 Review
March 2013, Carl Garrard

Nikon Coolpix S30 Review- No this isn't a UFO. It's not a DSLR review, or a big bad bright lens review. It's a point and shoot review. That said I probably just lost about 90% of readers with that last line, but for those of you still with me we're going to have a little bit of fun. As you can see, I've decided to do a review on a camera that is much different than what I normally decide to review. I chose the waterproof, shockproof, affordable, Nikon S30 point and shoot camera. Why did I decide on this one?



Nikon Coolpix S30 Digital Camera (White)

Upcoming Mystery Camera Review

Upcoming Mystery Camera Review
February 2013, Carl Garrard

So this is a first for me. I've never done a mystery camera review before, but I might be on to something here. Since photographs are really the most important thing to photographers (or ought to be) all that matters is what we can do with a camera, not the brand name or model name. What matters is how a camera falls to hand, how it performs in the "field", and how good the image quality is. Right? Right. So, will my upcoming mystery camera review  be the camera you see in the background?


Looking For a Point and Shoot Deal?

Goods For The Original "A" Mount

Goods For The Original "A" Mount
February 2013, Carl Garrard

 Well it looks like the original Sony A-Mount also gets some attention this year, with two new full frame lenses (one completely new, one is version II), and a new version of the kit lens in APS-C only.  Not only that, but a new Alpha SLT body comes too, also a refresh, in the shape of the A57 now dubbed the A58 SLT from Sony. Only one of the three lenses is actually all new in the lineup, but one that could very well become the most popular lens in the Alpha Mount lens lineup yet- the new Sony Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 SSM. SONY DSLRS AT B&H





SONY DSLR BARGAINS

Canon G15 Review

Canon G15 Review
October 2012, Carl Garrard

Canon G15 Review- For as long as I can recall, I've been looking for a rangefinder styled camera that can perform nearly all of my photographic tasks in one single package. The range I ask of in a design ranges from Landscape to Low Light Street to Macro Shooting. To date, Canon's G series cameras have almost completely met my entire needs for a compact rangefinder style camera, but have fallen slightly short in certain key areas. Could the G15 finally be the best well rounded G camera yet? I know I'm certainly not alone in the pursuit for the perfect compact camera, so for those that are interested in this type of camera, please read on.
CANON G15 B&H DEAL

Sony Alpha A850 Notes (Part I)

Sony Alpha A850 Notes (Part I)
February 2013, Carl Garrard

Hello all. I wanted to share a few notes and thoughts about the A850 while I sit here sipping my morning coffee contemplating my day. I've recently acquired this full frame beauty after a long 4 year hiatus away from it. I've been desiring a full frame camera of late for landscape images (mainly) and have ran the gamut of them from manufacturers out there. Some were purchased, and some were loaned to me from manufacturers. My personal needs of equipment for landscape photography are kept simple- bring along a camera system that can remain as compact as possible, no matter what kind of camera I'm using (compact, DSLR, etc.). I do a lot of extended hikes, locally, and into mountains and back country which requires me keeping weight down a bit for long hauls. And for full frame, the Alpha Mount offers quite a few older but excellent lens options for the Alpha A850. So when I want to go out shooting landscapes, for my needs,  the A850 is not only familiar, but has the most resolution, best handling, best viewfinder, and best lens options for the dollar.

Sony Alpha A850 Availability and Price Check

Sony DT 55-300mm SAM f/4.5-5.6 Review

Sony DT 55-300mm SAM f/4.5-5.6 Review
January 2013, Carl Garrard

Sony DT 55-300mm SAM f/4.5-5.6 Review- Announced on July 25th 2012, Sony introduced the new 55-300mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM telephoto zoom lens. This lens doesn't officially replace any lenses in Sony's Alpha SLT lens line up yet offers an alternative focal length zoom lens at a budget price with the new SAM II focus motor and new styling design. Priced at $299.00 USD the lens is considered budget but the build quality and tolerances might fool you into believing it should be a higher price. Surley lenses aren't judged solely on those features alone, so, how does the new Sony 55-300mm SAM perform in other aspects? In this exclusive review I answer these questions and more.




BHPhoto Video Best Price Link

Canon Powershot S100 Quick Review

Canon Powershot S100 Quick Review
December 31st 2012, Carl Garrard

Canon Powershot S100 Quick Review: Happy New Year! This is probably the first camera review of 2013. Ok well, yet another from my "quick review" series. These reviews are intended to keep your interest as long as possible while I'm getting to the point with unfiltered comments backed by years and years of combined photography and review experience. Are you still reading? Good! Canon's Powershot S100 is the third in the not so recently revived S series and quite frankly the best deal going on the market for a "pocket compact". At $249.00 now in some places (check my link) the S100 is a steal- which is why I bought one too. The price wasn't the only reason so read on.

Canon PowerShot S100 Best Online Price

Auto HDR and Zero Sharpness

Auto HDR and Zero Sharpness
December 2012, Carl Garrard

Even though I think that Sony can improve the Jpeg engine in the A57, there remains a scenario where I still will allow out of camera Jpegs to be used. As the title of this article implies, I like to set my A57 for zero sharpness when using the Jpeg engine, and, use BASE ISO (as much as possible) along with HDR. In a way the Jpegs are three times better than a standard Jpeg considering there is a stack of 3 together into one. Sharpening out of camera, means you control that process almost completely yourself (as the OOC Jpegs at -3 sharpness are very soft indeed and look nearly untouched as seen below).

B & H Photo Excellent A57 Deal

Panasonic DMC-G3 Deal and Quick Review

Panasonic DMC-G3 Deal and Quick Review
December 2012, Carl Garrard

Panasonic DMC-G3 Review-  The last Panasonic I reviewed was the excellent DMC-L1. That camera is truly a work of art, and shows what Panasonic is capable of. And now the Panasonic G3 gets my attention. Yes it's a bit older but I don't feel constrained to just review new cameras. So lets get right onto my real bonafide quick review. Let me start by saying that I feel in a way  Panasonic has been slipping lately- trying to keep up so much with the heated race of m4/3 has left them a bit desperate with designing and functionality. The newest designs just seem nervous to me, for lack of a better word- and the G3 is no exception. I didn't like the G1 nearly at all, so how does the G3 sit with me?


B & H Panasonic G3 Excellent Deal

Sony NEX-6 Here for Review

Sony sent us here at Photographic-Central (and AMW) a camera for review today, the *new* NEX-6 and 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Here's A Sony NEX-6 Amazon Deal So I'll finally be able to put this camera to it's paces and let you all know what I think of it. That's right, yes I will! More to follow folks. The camera is charging and later on I will be using it low light as well as getting to know that menu system and getting the camera set up to my specifications. Lots in this little rangefinder styled camera to use, lots of tools oh yes, so I need time to get to know my new little friend...



Here's A Sony NEX-6 Amazon Deal

Canon G15- Screaming Deal at B&H!

B&H Photo and Video are running a deal on the G15 that expires on December 29th. For $419.00 you get the G15, a free 16gb class 10 SDHC card, a Pearstone camera case, free 2 day shipping and NO sales tax. Now this was a deal that was too good for me to even pass up. For those of you waiting... you might not want to push it. I think this is as good as it's going to get for quite a while. Jump on it. I'm not one to normally go out of my way to post deals on this blog but felt it was truly worthy of making it known.
 CANON G15 $419.00 B&H DEAL

Aberlour A'Bunadh Review

Aberlour A'Bunadh Review- Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Bomb!

Aberlour A'Bunadh (or, the origin) is my 14th whisky brand I've tried in the last 6 months or so. I'm new to scotch whisky, but I'm learning quickly. This particular whisky received very high ratings from several reviews and thus, peaked my interest. A local shop in Costa Mesa CA called High Time Cellars, stocks this beauty so I made a run there to try it out. Lets get right to the chase here, this malt lives up to all expectation in quality and overall deliciousness. I'm a big Springbank fan (a unique distillery look them up) so any Whisky that can impress me beyond that brand is worth recommending.


Aberlour A'Bunadh 750ml Best Price

DPR Post A99 Review

DPReview has posted the long awaited Sony A99 review. Sony's A99 is the current full frame flagship DSLR with a fixed semi-transparent mirror. It's more of a hybrid DSLR much like the Canon EOS 5D MK III in that it can shoot professional quality video just as surely as still images. The main difference between what Sony offers and what the competition offers are two things: An electronic viewfinder and a fixed semi-trans mirror system vs. a glass prism viewfinder and moving mirror. Take a look at what DPR have to say about the A99.


Sony Alpha A99 Body Only Best Amazon Deal

Canon G10 Review- Still A Powerhouse Compact

Canon G10 Review- A Powerhouse Compact
November 2012, Carl Garrard

Canon G10 Review- The Canon G10 has been said to be the wolf in sheep's clothing. That it can't deliver the goods from its brilliantly serious, enthusiast friendly, function follows form design. It's said that it's sensor is too small and noisy to deliver professional quality results above its lowest sensitivity. Lastly, that the G10 is really just as good as any other small compact camera's output of its time. Ultimately then, the greatest criticisms of the G10 surround  its sensor and its processor. Three models have replaced it since, so all of that must be true right?  Well, I certainly beg to differ. Read more..   Canon Powershot G10 Best Current Used Price

Fujifilm XS1- Preview

Fujifilm XS1- Preview
October 2012, Carl Garrard

Fujifilm XS1- Preview- October has literally filled my office with cameras from several manufacturers, with the latest coming from none other than Fujifilm (a pleasant surprise). The XS1 arrived very quickly new in box: Pristine and untouched too (kudos Fujifilm). I first handled the XS1 back at CES when they were unfinished pre-production products, and although I had just a quick handle, the camera impressed me quite a bit. Today I used the real deal and although my testing is preliminary, I've enough to share a preview of the camera with a full review to follow later on.


Fujifilm X-S1 Amazon Best Price

Canon G15- Preview

Canon G15- Preview

I've had less than a half a day with the new Canon G15, but it's been a very pleasurable experience. Right out of the box and in the hand I knew this camera was the G series camera I've been waiting for from Canon. No it doesn't have everything I'd prefer, but its likely to be the best one yet. I know this line of camera well, I've owned, reviewed, or evaluated every G series camera since the G6. Therefore I'm intimate to what the G15 has in common with its predecessors already.


Canon PowerShot G15 12.1 MP Best Price

The Macallan- Thanks Neil

The Macallan- Thanks Neil: Neil Peart drums for my favorite progressive rock band of all time- Rush. He's recommended this whisky on more than one occasion, and to date I have not yet had the privilege of enjoying this fine crafted Scotch. Tonight was my first (and second/third) taste of The Macallan, and I can see why Neil endorses it so. Yes this post is a huge deviation from the normal camera related reviews I do here on this blog but nevertheless my blog was started as a free platform to talk about whatever I like. Hence I figured, I'd share some glee about a Scotch Whisky that I'd definitely recommend. The Macallan is a pretty popular brand as far as Irish Scotch Whisky goes, so for scotch fans this endorsement should come as no surprise.

Macallan 10 Year Old Highland Single Malt Best Price

Sony 18-135mm SAM f/3.5-5.6 Review

Sony 18-135mm SAM f/3.5-5.6 Review
September 2012, Carl Garrard

Sony 18-135mm SAM f/3.5-5.6 Review: Sony's Alpha camera division has shown some interesting cards in the DSLR game of late. They've shown that they are listening more intently to enthusiasts needs than ever, both in the product types and how the products are being designed. It's a refreshing change of events that I'll be honest has taken me quite a bit by surprise. Ever a fan of a good bang for the buck lens, Sony introduced the 18-135mm SAM lens earlier this year when the announced the Alpha A37 SLT model. Yet its just now, that I'm getting around to actually testing this lens on one of Sony's better camera models ever- the Sony A57.  Join me for a review adventure of galactical proportions (space helmet, on!).

Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 SAM Best Price

Sony Alpha A57 Review and Thoughts (Updated 9-13 Gallery)

Sony Alpha A57 Review and Thoughts
August 2012, Carl Garard

Sony Alpha A57 Review and Thoughts: Recently I've had the pleasure to use Sony's Alpha A57, after quite a hiatus from using Sony slt/dslr models. The break was needed, I had to detach myself from the EVF/SLR concept Sony were trying to pull off on the market in order to let that concept completely sink in. After the hiatus a few models emerged, and one of them being the A57. To me the A57 is the most mature SLT Sony has brought to the market, with none of the glitches that plagued earlier models and a sensor which, quite frankly, I feel to be superior as an overall design decision than other models.

Prices Sony Alpha SLT-A57

Tamron Announces Development of SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD

Tamron Announces Development of SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD
September 2012, Carl Garrard

Woo hoo, another nice 90mm Macro lens. I reviewed Tamrons venerable older model so I'm quite excited to see how the new one performs. The older lens was tack sharp and made gorgeous images so its going to be difficult to improve upon that. Main improvements are the new optical design, addition of vibration control (VC), new sexy look, and USD (Ultra Sonic Drive). So a quieter, faster focusing, better performing optic is coming! Great news! By first impression this lens looks a lot like the very excellent 60mm f/2 macro that I fell in love with when I reviewed that lens at www.alphamountworld.com (both the 90mm and 60mm reviews are there). Can't wait to use this lens, sounds like it handles better and is faster and quieter to use in general. A great lens for portraiture more so than ever with those improvements.




Tamron Best Lens Deals