Sunday, July 31, 2011

The User's Review: 2 Sigma Aspherical Lenses 28-80mm 1:3.5-5.6 Macro and 28-90mm 1:3.5-5.6 Macro D

I happen to have two sigma mid-rang zooms for Minolta Maxxum and Sony Alpha. They have equal similarity and difference.

- Plastic lens mount and barrels
- Front elements do not turn with focusing.
- The rear elements move with zooming.
- 55mm filter size
- Macro switches at longest focus length (80 vs. 90mm)
- Fully extended at 80/90mm and shortest focus length
- The largest macro rates are 1:2 on 28-80mm and 1:2.3 on 28-90
- With 8 contact pads, the 28-90mm lens equivalent to Minolta D and Sony Alpha lens.





 

Friday, July 29, 2011

The User's Review: Nikon N2000 (F-301) released in 1985

To get a AAA-battery rack for my N2020 in an economical way, I ordered this body at USD 1.49 in 'AS-IS' condition from an online camera store. This N2000 is in a heavily-used condition, I did not expect it to work. However, it works fine as I tested.   


- The first Nikon SLR with auto film upload, or, say, without a film advance lever.
- The first Nikon SLR to feature DX film decoding, or to manually film speed ISO from 12 to 3200.
- The first Nikon to be built of polycarbonates.
- Powered by 4 AAA batteries installed in a rack covered by MB-4 bottom or 4 AA with MB-3 adapter set.
- Off-center tripod mount. Nikon came with a AH-3 adapter to bring the mount to the center.
- The elder brother of N2020. N2000 looks identical to N2020 except the lens mount and AE lock/self-timer panel in the front. 







I also posted blogs on the N2020 and MF-19 data back. Thanks.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

The User’s Review: Nikon Multi Data Back MF-19 For N2000 (F-301) and N2020 (F-501)


I ordered two used N2020 bodies online at USD 4 for each plus shipping in July 13, 2011. After they arrived, I found one of them came with a MF-19 back. However, this camers does not work, but the other does. I switched the backs easily, thanks to the design of door installation.

 The MF-19 Multi Data Back, powered by 2 AG13 or 357 cell batteries, pairs the N2000 and N2020 cameras, and allows you not only to imprint the date and/or time on your pictures, but also to control and program the shutter release according to predesigned times and intervals. The control functions are not common in other camera backs.
Data recording mode (choice of five different time/date modes, or reference numbers up to 999999), Interval shooting modes (provides interval control and makes it possible to set time intervals between successive shots and the number of shotsper interval; maximum time interval 99:59:59), Timeswitch mode (allows for a maximum of 99 shots per day at set times, up to 99 days), AF trigger function (takes pictures when they are in focus at the settings of interval and timer modes) and timer function.




Read my review on N2020 if you like.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Monday, July 18, 2011

The User’s Review: Canon PowerShot A70 3.2 MG

- My first digital camera traveling with me to East Africa for a Safari in 2005
- Takes a low density CF card and 4 AA batteries.
- Shoots 30 seconds video clip with mono sound.
- Had a defect image sensor changed by Canon free of charge.





After ~ 6 years use, the rubber cover of digital A/V out on the camera side near the 3.2 mgp sign was aging and finally broke off on Feb. 18, 2012. I used it a lot indoor to take images and to upload the images to my computer via a USB cable. That's the reason. 

The User’s Review: Canon Barcode Reader E for EOS 10, 10s, 100, and Elan

- The Bar-code Manual published in 1990 tells how to use the bar code reader and offers 23 programs.
- Published in 1991, the EOS Barcode 101 has 101 programs and one clear barcode as an extra one. My question is that the program numbers in these two books do not match. Confusing?
- If you do not have the manual or 101, photo copied or scanned (better scanned as black & white) duplicates work fine with the reader as I tested.
- If you have a matched camera body, you should try the reader. It's unique.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The User's Review: Minolta Maxxum 7000, released in 1985

- The first successful slr body with built-in AF and auto-film-winding/rewinding

- With Minolta AF A-mount

- No built-in flash

- 3-pin flash shoe, different from the later one (Minolta i) with 4 pins. Therefore, there is a compatible issue with the flashes among Minolta AF bodies.

- I like the two sets of arrow buttons for L or R hand to change the camera settings.

- Powered by 4 AAA batteries.











Thursday, July 14, 2011

The User's Review: Canon EOS 700 released 1990 and ended in 1991

The body features a double-sided ring cover of the control dial. Released the central nut, the ring-shaped cover can be turned upside down for control of various settings. Besides this, EOS 700 kit came with a 35-80mm power zoom lens, which is also unique among the Canon EF lenses.











Since EOS 700 is always mentioned with the other two models EOS 750 and EOS 850, here I put the three side by side to compare.