Posted on April 8th, 2012
Nikon's very first DSLR, the D1, was released in the summer of 1999. It boasted a whopping 2.6 MP sensor with a maximum ISO of 1600. Today—13 years and 30 cameras later—Nikon's two flagship models offer 14 times the resolution (36 MP in the D800) and 7 stops better sensitivity (ISO of up to 204800 in the D4).
I thought it would be worthwhile to review the history of Nikon's DSLRs to see how far...
Posted on March 31st, 2012
The D800 is interesting because with it, Nikon took a huge leap in pixel count. At 36 MP, the D800 offers 1.5x the resolution of the D3x (its highest resolution predecessor with 24 MP, from 2008); at the time of release, it has the highest resolution of any full-frame DSLR on the market. Many are quite enthusiastic about this megapixel boost. It lets one crop almost indiscriminately in post-...
Posted on April 23rd, 2010
Last week, I decided to build another PC. It's been a while since I've built a computer (or anything, for that matter), so I was excited and ordered all the parts right away. Three days later, a new, shiny box was spitting out photos in Lightroom, briskly and without a hitch.
The Machine
For me, this would be a machine that mostly cranks out photos in Lightroom. Since Lightroom hardly uses the...
Posted on April 18th, 2010
The Cooler Master Storm Scout is a mid-tower PC case from Cooler Master. It's primarily marketed as a gamer case, but there is nothing that prevents it from being a solid choice for non-gamers (like me) too. It can easily be had for under $100, and unless you absolutely need a full tower, there is really nothing not to like about it.
The Build
One of the best features of the Storm Scout is its...
Posted on December 31st, 2007
I decided that today would be an ordinary Madrid day. I'd go about looking at and capturing everyday people doing everyday things. I didn't end up doing much, having set out pretty late. I had half-planned to do a day trip to Toledo, though after a long walk to the Atocha train station, I surmised that the train must be full, since some word unknown to me appeared beside the listing for it. Good...
Posted on December 30th, 2007
My day started early again today so I could beat the lines at the Thyssen Museum. There was already a short line when I got there. I didn't find the art in the Thyssen all that noteworthy. The place seems to be a hodgepodge of art of all sorts. It didn't help that I didn't have breakfast either, so I was all hungry, grumpy, cold, tired, and jealous.
After lunch, I casually looked at the...
Posted on December 29th, 2007
Today I actually got myself to get up early so I could get to the palace when it opens to avoid the lines. But then I went for breakfast, not realizing that I wasn't as early as I thought, so I still missed the opening by 15 minutes. Oh well. The line wasn't that long, and the breakfast was well worth it.
The Palacio Real (or Palacio de Oriente) was spectacular. I don't use the word spectacular...
Posted on December 28th, 2007
Today I actually had a plan. After relocating, I headed to Casa de Campo, riding the Teleférico cable car over to the middle of the park. It used to be a royal hunting ground, and one could've guessed. The hills do give a view of the city, albeit not a stunning one (the guidebook saying it's breathtaking is a classic hyperbole).
I had lunch at a Spanish diner.
Posted on December 27th, 2007
The walk to the Plaza de España took me along the Gran Via, which was again packed with people just hanging out. It's unclear where these people were going to, or what they were doing. The lottery ticket lines (or at least that's what I think they were) literally wrapped around the block, everywhere. Hm. Suspicious. The plaza was turned into a tented marketplace, so I couldn't see the statues up...
Posted on December 26th, 2007
I really should've taken a night train. Even though the flight from Lisbon to Madrid was only an hour, I still lost a whole morning and afternoon, despite I flew the respectably efficient EasyJet. In many ways, EasyJet reminds me of Southwest. It cuts out all the crap, and is always a joy to ride. Oh, of course, all that orange helps, too. =)
