| Nikon reinvented a classic when it developed the 70-200mm VRII. But how does it compare to the original?The VRII is slightly heaver, and feels it since the barrel is wider. I appreciate the fact that the VRII is half an inch shorter as it fits better in my Lowepro Fastpack 250; the VRI was pushing the length dimension of my bag's capacity. Neither will fit with the hood installed but you can leave it reversed. By virtue of being shorter and wider, the VRII has less of a "baseball bat" feel to it when installed on a smaller dSLR like the D90. On |
- Last Modified: 2010-03-21 11:53:00
| If you need a tailor who knows what he's doing, Cantu is the place. This is a great family run business that's been around for decades. Robert is always helpful and the prices are fair (yes, there are cheaper tailors, but you get what you pay for). Located in an unassuming strip mall, the storefront isn't much to look at but the work is always first rate.(214) 739-31906064 Sherry LnDallas, TX 75225 |
- Last Modified: 2010-03-12 08:55:00
| Traditionally white lenses have been associated with Canon, but Nikon has made a few "light grey" models over the years. One of the most recent was the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, pictured below with lens hood and mounted to my D90. It was an interesting novelty, but short-lived for me as a screaming deal on the new 70-200mm VRII came along. No word if they will produce a white 70-200mm VRII but I'm sticking with black. |
- Last Modified: 2010-03-07 13:24:00
| We took a friend to Tei-An in the One Arts Plaza building for dinner a few weeks ago. It was truly an exception meal. We ordered the omakase (Japanese for "it's up to you") which they offer at $50 and $80 per person. The more expensive version (the one we had) includes more courses with additional ingredients. Started off with a bottle of unfiltered sake ("Nigori"). I can't describe every course in detail but this is what we had:White seaweed saladSashimi - tuna, halibut, sea urchin with organic wasabiWagyu beef and duck on a hot rockBaked hali |
- Last Modified: 2010-02-25 18:12:00
| The Bliptronic 5000 is a cool gadget based on Yamaha's Tenori-On, a hybrid electronic musical instrument. Sure, less features than the Tenori-On but the Bliptronic costs only $50 instead of $1,000. Easy to learn but difficult to master. It's tactile, auditory, and visual. Plus, it has the potential to drive anyone around you crazy with its repetitive electronic bleeps. |
- Last Modified: 2010-02-11 17:30:00
| I recently received the Eco Cup mug from DCI. Unlike the similar I Am Not A Paper Cup mug by the same company, the Eco Mug is single walled (no insulation) and holds 16 ounces instead of 10. Since it's solid porcelain, the Eco Cup comes with a silicone sleeve to keep from burning your hands - the mug gets hot, especially if you put it in the microwave. The sleeve does a fine job of protecting your digits. Overall I think the capacity of the Eco Cup makes it superior to the I Am Not A Paper Cup.I bought this mug because the vast majority of trav |
- Last Modified: 2010-02-03 19:52:00
| I returned the Kata 3n1-10 bag because it was just a little too small. I also realized that having the option to carry a laptop with me (without carrying a separate laptop bag) was valuable. So this led me to the Lowepro Fastpack 250, shown here behind a Nikon D90 with 17-55mm f/2.8 lens: This bag is a bit larger (mostly in width) and noticeably heaver than the Kata 3n1, given that it holds a lot more. The back has mesh padding which helps if you're sweating - this was a one nice feature that wasn't included on the Kata. Straps are thick and we |
- Last Modified: 2010-01-30 21:05:00
| Summary: avoid Homesite Insurance like the plague.For the last three years, our house in Dallas, TX was insured for about $200k. First with Amica, and more recently with Progressive's affiliated homeowners insurance company: Homesite Insurance. Everything was fine until we got our renewal bill for 2010 and Homesite had increased our premium about 50%. We've never had a claim. I looked at the premium detail and it turns out they had increased our home's replacement cost from $200k to $300k, and this increased the overall premium.I called Homesit |
- Last Modified: 2010-01-28 20:56:00
| This lens is considered by many to be a potential upgrade from the 18-105mm VR that comes in the Nikon D90 kit. On paper, it has several advantages:Better build quality with metal lens mount (18-105 has a plastic mount)Second generation VR technologySlightly wider field of view (2mm doesn't sound like much, but it's actually 7 more degrees in your field of view)However, you give up some reach on the tele end, and the 16-85 costs almost twice as much as the 18-105 (the incremental cost is even more if you consider that the 18-105 costs about $20 |
- Last Modified: 2010-01-23 18:49:00
| I recently purchased the Kata 3n1-10 camera bag to hold my burgeoning collection of camera equipment. I originally started looking at the Lowepro Slingshot but came to realize that a sling bag with a body plus multiple lenses puts a lot of weight on a single shoulder. Okay for short periods but not all day walking. The Kata converts between a two-strap backpack and a single strap over-the-shoulder sling bag but I expect to use it in backpack mode most of the time. Here's the 3n1-10 next to the D90 and some lenses. Back of the 3n1-10. For sling |
- Last Modified: 2010-01-09 10:03:00
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