The unexpected announcement of the Nikon D40 earlier this week threw a major monkey-wrench into the workflow and posting plans for both IR and SLRgear.com. That, combined with an ongoing push to try to get more camera hands-on previews and full reviews posted before the Thanksgiving holiday has led to the lens tests on SLRgear getting somewhat short shrift over the last two weeks. I nonetheless managed to get results for a couple of beautiful primes posted today, and hope to have one or two more results posted before the Thanksgiving holiday, coming next Thursday here in the States. Here's what's new:
Going forward, a goodly chunk of Jim's lab time is still being consumed by what's turning out to be a massive cross-platform calibration project. We're learning a lot of interesting things about lens and camera performance, but the goal of a really rigorous, closed-form normalization/calibration scheme is still somewhere in the future. The Thanksgiving holiday here in the US will also be interfering with schedules next week, and Marti's and my trip to Spain to visit our oldest son on his semester abroad will consume the week following. We nonetheless should have some more test results for you before all the travel and time off starts, including results for the Sigma 50mm f/2.8, 150mm f/2.8 macro and 70-200mm f/2.8. We also have a Tamron 28-300mm super-zoom in house, but those results may have to wait until my return from Spain.
Meanwhile, we're very gratified by the response to our User Review Sweepstakes over on SLRgear.com, the quality of submitted reviews has been very high, and the total number of reviews continues to climb steadily. Remember, the more reviews you post, the better your chances of winning the ~$1,700 value prize. And remember too, that you can review any piece of photo gear that's listed on this site, not just lenses! Thanks to all who are participating, good luck to one and all when the time comes for the drawing!- Dave E.
Two more lens tests posted on SLRgear.com!