Archive for December, 2007

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25
Dec

Canon Digital Rebel XTi (400d) Review

By Taylor 0 Comments
Categories: Photography and Reviews


Canon Digital Rebel XTi Review

The Canon Digital Rebel XTi is the 10MP big brother of the Canon Digital Rebel XT. The XTi, also known as the 400d in foreign circles, was is one of the only recent digital slr cameras without any real direct competetion from the other major manufactuer, Nikon. The D40x was introduced long after the XTi and the D80 is in a class above, so the low price niche is slanted in Canon’s direction.
Canon Digital Rebel XTi Review
The plastic body is a drawback for some professionals and the abnormally small grip may appeal to some, and repeal others. The fact of the matter is that for under $500 on sale, the Canon XTi can’t be beat for price. I ended up upgrading to a professional body but my time with the XTi was enjoyable and the image quality was similar to that of cameras that cost $2000+. When coupled with a strong lens, the XTi has the potential to create phenomenal images.

Similar to my complaint regarding the ergonomics of the XT, the XTi’s small size and “lacking” grip present a problem for people with large hands. Again, the BG-E3 battery grip is a fine solution to this problem but it is something to consider, especially if you don’t particularly want to purchase a battery grip.

If you have your eye on the XTi and can’t afford the D80 or 30d, give it a good, long look! Its a great camera at a greater price. With the money saved over similar models, the difference can be put towards a larger investment into Canon’s excellent lens system.

25
Dec

Canon Digital Rebel XT (350d) Review

By Taylor 0 Comments
Categories: Photography and Reviews


Canon Digital Rebel XT Review

The Canon Digital Rebel XT was Canon’s answer to the low-price digital SLR void that plauged the genre since the original Digital Rebel was introduced. With a current street price of about $400 for the body, there isn’t a cheaper digital SLR from the big 2 (that is, Nikon and Canon) on the market. Don’t let the low price fool you though, the XT is an excellent body and you are buying into Canon’s full range of lenses and accessories. No matter which camp you pull for (Nikon or Canon) ther e is no denying that the XT is a really solid choice. Nikon’s D40 is also a strong contender but loses any autofocus ability with older lenses. With Canon, thats not a problem. You have access to their excellent range of lenses, old and new.
Canon Digital Rebel XT Review
The image quality is also excellent. Megapixels aren’t everything but the 8mp sensor in the XT is excellent, even compared to Canon’s newer offerings like the XTi. The shots are clean, even up to 1600ISO. Noise is managable in most situations. Obviously, you’re going to get better shots out of the equivalent “pro” model in Canon’s lineup, the 20d, but the XT can produce great results with the right person behind the eyepiece.

The LCD on the XT, in contrast to its big brother (the XTi), is quite small. At 1.8 inches, it is good enough for a basic overview of the shot but not sufficient for reviewing or showing other people a photo. For some of its competition (Nikon’s D70), it is on par but against the XTi and the D40, it is quite small.

The one complaint that many have is that the body is quite small. This might be a good fit for people with small hands who need a lighter body, but for people with big hands, the grip is not totally natural. With Canon’s optional BG-E3 battery grip, the camera is a much more manageable size and much more comfortable in my opinion. Again, its a small quip to have with an excellent camera at a ridiculously low price.

Canon Digital Rebel XT Review

25
Dec

Apple Macbook Pro 15” 2.2ghz Review

By Taylor 0 Comments
Categories: Apple, Laptop and Reviews

Apple Macbook Pro Review

Apple’s Macbook Pro is perhaps the best 15 inch laptop on the market today. With the latest processors, an LED backlit screen, Intel’s new Santa Rosa architecture and nVidia 8-series directX 10 graphics, its a desktop speed powerhouse thats only an inch thick and weighs in under 5 pounds. My Macbook Pro, a 15” 2.2GHZ model with a 120GB hdd and 4GB RAM cost about $2300 after all was said and done.

The nVidia 8600GT is one of the best available in mainstream laptops and considering the slim body and light weight of the Macbook Pro, exceptionally powerful for its class.

Apple Macbook Pro

OSX is an absolute pleasure to use even if you’re a longtime Windows user. For those who absolutly must have Windows for specific applications, Apple’s Boot Camp software allows users to dual boot between Windows and OSX with ease and native compatibility. The new Operating System, Leopard, is a strong update to the already excellent 10.4 “Tiger”, but it is not without its problems.

Still need Windows? No problem. With Bootcamp (built into OSX Leopard), Intel Mac users can run Windows XP or Vista natively. In my extended experience, the drivers provided by Apple work astoundingly well for a company that doesn’t claim to be a PC OEM on any level. If you must use Windows but want what the Macbook Pro has to offer, you don’t have to settle.

Macbook Pro Review

I would have loved to give it 5’s across the board, but it does have some outstanding but manageable problems. The screen resolution is a big negative for a “professional” grade machine, weighing in at only 1440×900 pixels. Comparable machines from the big Windows manufacturers (Dell, Lenovo, et al) often come equipped with 1920×1200 or at least 1680×1050 resolutions. Furthermore, the Leopard operating system, while a good update, has some unresolved problems with WIFI that have lowered my experience with OSX. When using a wireless-N router, it cannot stay connected after sleep.

The battery life is phenomenal for a laptop of such power. During the day, I get about 4 hours and 30 minutes to a full charge. I run with bluetooth and wifi off and with the brightness at 3 bumps above 0. With wifi on and brightness at a higher level, I get about 4 hours.

The LED backlit screen in the new Santa Rosa Macbook Pro’s is a shining jewel with a few quality control issues. If you get a good one, the even backlight and excellent brightness is great. If you get one with a yellowing tint (older Samsung panels have this problem, I believe), then its a good idea to swap it out at Apple.

The durability is good for such a “delicate” piece of machinery. Its well built and the aluminum finish is fairly scratch resistant, especially compared to the scratch-magnet White Macbook.

All things considered, the minor quirks are well worth it for a powerful machine at a surprisingly reasonable price. I would highly recommend the Macbook Pro for anyone who needs the power of a desktop in the portability of a 5lb Laptop.

Apple Macbook Pro

24
Dec

Optoma HD70 DLP HDTV Projector (720P) Review

By Taylor 0 Comments
Categories: Reviews

Optoma HD70 Review

My experience with the Optoma HD70 was an extremely positive one. The setup was quick and painless, the picture is huge and the image quality is excellent. If you’ve ever wanted something bigger then a traditional LCD or Plasma screen without an enormous, ugly CRT or front-projection set; a projector is the way to go and if you’re on a budget, you can’t do much better then the Optoma HD70. I bought the HD70 from Best Buy using a 10% off coupon and when bundled with a home-theater system, I ended up paying about $1300 in all for the projector and a Yamaha 5.1 surround sound system.

Optoma HD70 Projector

It used to be that a projector came with drawbacks like big pixels, low resolution and a picture not equal to traditional hdtvs. These days, that is not the case. The HD70 (native 720P) looks every bit as good as a smaller HD set but with a giant, brilliant picture.

It is very bright and as compared to the projectors of yesterday, surprisingly light and compact. Like everything good in life, it does have some drawbacks. The audibility is not phenomenal, and for those who compliment their picture with very quiet sound, you may want to turn the volume up. The projector’s fan is very audible over soft music and movies. In normal conditions, it will not be but its something to keep in mind. Also, the heat may bother some in very enclosed areas because it does put off quite a bit of heat from its exterior fans.

If you can ignore the small drawbacks, nothing beats the enormous size and quality of a projector and if you do choose to go that route, the HD70 is an excellent choice.

Optoma HD70 Projector

24
Dec

Panasonic set to introduce 150” Plasma at CES

By Taylor 1 Comment
Categories: Industry News and News

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. has developed a 150-inch plasma display TV panel–the world’s largest, according to sources.

Matsushita, which is best known for its Panasonic brand, will introduce a prototype model of the television at the Consumer Electronics Show to be held next month in the United States. Commercial release is slated for 2009.

At present, in terms of commercially produced TVs, Matsushita’s 103-inch plasma is the world’s largest, behind Sharp Corp.’s prototype 108-inch liquid crystal TV.

The new 150-inch display, which is about two meters by about 3.5 meters, is big enough to display a full-scale adult. Retail price, which is undecided, is expected to greatly exceed the 103-inch model’s 6 million yen price tag.

Panasonic Plasma

Panasonic is no stranger to the huge-tv game. At the 2006 CES, they introduced the first 103” Plasma TV. Frankly, theres a point where plasma TV’s become too big and too hot to be practical for any use.

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