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Nikon 18-200mm DX VR lens reviewed

One of the blessings of an SLR can also be a curse: having to choose which lenses to carry, which means finding the right balance between weight and bulk, and having the focal lengths you need.

The Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 G IF ED lens offers Nikon shooters a satisfying single-lens solution. It is compatible with all Nikon DX digital SLRs including the D300, D60, and D40.

Read the full review here.

Olympus SP-570UZ gets firmware update

Last week, Olympus announced a firmware update to its 20x ultra-zoom, the SP-570 UZ, which was released in March 2008. The firmware update, version 1.1, is said to improve response while zooming, and corrects a part of the Swedish languages. For more information and instructions click here.

We generally recommend installing the latest firmware updates for your camera, so you can get the most out of your gear. For more information on firmware updates for a specific camera, visit the manufacturer's Web site. Before installing any firmware upgrade, always take the time to read through all of the … Read more

Casio's colorful Baby-Gs get tilt-zoom displays

Casio's new BG-2000/2001 series of Baby-G wrist watches continues the cute, colorful, yet rugged theme. Clearly designed with the young female user in mind with its trendy aesthetics, the timepieces are available in three hues: white, yellow and orange. But what's more interesting to us at at Crave is its uber-cool tilt-zoom display, which will automatically enlarge the figures on the watch's LCD screen when angled for viewing. The wearer also has the option to reverse the foreground and background colors and customize the display style. Other features other standard, such as a world time, 100-meter … Read more

Best pro-audio mobile recorders

When it comes to recording concerts, lectures, or interviews, sometimes you just need to break out the big guns. Over the past few weeks, I've been testing out some of the best sub-$1,000 pro-audio portable recorders on the market, including the Edirol R-09, Korg MR-1, and Sony PCM-D50.

If you're in the market for a serious mobile audio recorder, then take a look at our product roundup.

'Super lens' for phone photographers?

Any kind of photographic quality claims attributed to phone cameras and other combo devices should be taken with a pound of salt, but the trend probably won't be going away anytime soon. But little did we know that people would go to great lengths, literally, to give their phone cams more lens power.

The latest example is a kit from Japan-based Green-House, which includes a "super lens" that it claims has an 8x zoom along with a handset clamp and tripod, according to Gadgetell. Yet if this kind of unwieldy appendage really becomes popular, we wonder if … Read more

Sigma expands stabilized lens line

LAS VEGAS--Sigma, a third-party maker of lenses for SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras, has expanded the range of Optical Stabilization (OS) lenses, those with a moving lens element that can compensate for camera shake.

Of eight mainstream lenses the Japanese company announced at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here, three new telephoto lenses include OS. (I'm not counting Sigma's 200-500mm f/2.8 super-telephoto behemoth as mainsream.)

The three stabilized lenses are the 18-125mm F3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM, the APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM, and the APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM. … Read more

Sigma's big green monster telephoto zoom

LAS VEGAS--Riddle me this: What's green, is 28.6 inches long, weighs 34.6 pounds, and wears a custom-fitted hood?

The answer: a mammoth supertelephoto zoom that Sigma announced this week at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here. The product is geared for photographing wildlife, sports, and astronomical objects.

The lens, called the APO 200-500mm F2.8/400-1,000mm F5.6 EX DG, has a 200-500mm zoom range and an f/2.8 aperture that's very wide for this class of lens. It also comes with an extender that pushes the range to 400-1,000mm but reduces … Read more

Flashy Canon SD camcorders

Though late to the flash-based camcorder party, Canon is showing that it sure knows how to boogie down with three new standard-definition models, two of which can record to built-in flash memory in addition to SDHC cards. Similar to Sony's Hybrid Plus feature, Canon is calling its version Dual Flash Memory, for obvious reasons.

All these new models, which make up the FS series, also include Canon's new Advanced Zoom system, which sounds suspiciously like digital zoom, but according to Canon doesn't produce any noticeable degradation of the captured video. They make a decent argument for this, … Read more

Olympus brings wireless flash control to SP-560UZ with firmware update

Olympus just released the latest firmware for its super-zoom EVF (electronic viewfinder) camera, the SP-560UZ. Version 3.1 of the camera's firmware includes a unique feature: support for Olympus' wireless RC flash system. According to DPReview, this update enables the camera to use its own flash to remotely activate Olympus wireless flash modules through the camera's "RC" flash mode. The camera can activate RC flashes up to 32 feet away in a 60-degree arc, or up to 16 feet away in a 100-degree arc.

Some digital SLRs can use wireless flash units, but this is the … Read more