headtohead

Battle of the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Lenses: $2,200 Canon Versus $1,500 Tamron

Looking to buy a lens in the popular 70-200mm focal range for your Canon DSLR? If want the best money can buy, you're probably looking at a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, which costs a hefty $2,200. If you'd like the same range, fixed f/2.8 aperture, and stabilization but at a more affordable price point, the $1,500 Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC might be a product you've been eyeing. But how do these two lenses stack up against each other, and how big of a difference is there?

In the 10-minute video above, Kai Wong of DigitalRev pits the two options against each other on the streets of Hong Kong.

Photo Throwdown Reality Show Pits Photog Against Photog in Fun Photo Challenges with a Twist

Last week we got an email from photographer Damian Battinelli that really piqued our interest. He told us that he and five of his friends had, in a moment of drunken brilliance in a Las Vegas casino, come up with a fantastic idea for a new online reality show that would pit photographer against photographer in a series of fun photo challenges with a twist.

Thus was born Photo Throwdown, a photography show that just aired the very entertaining and exciting 'part one' of its first episode today!

Gizmodo Puts Six Different Action Cameras Through a Thorough Review

When it comes to choosing an action cam to film your daring, crazy and possibly stupid adrenaline–fueled endeavors, there is no shortage of options. To help you make a more informed decision based on your needs and performance of the cameras, Gizmodo has tested six different action cameras, quite literally putting them head-to-head.

Film Takes on Digital in Head-to-Head PBS Showdown, Can You Tell the Difference?

When it comes to the film vs. digital debate, many people are fairly entrenched on one side or the other. But can you really tell the difference between RAW digital footage and film footage? What about when the digital footage is made to look like film using filters in post? PBS Digital Studios wants to put you to the test.

Why You Should Digitize Your Film Using a Camera Instead of a Scanner

If you shoot film and aren't much into chemicals (or don’t have a basement in which to keep a gigantic 5×7″ enlarger), you’ll soon find yourself needing a way to import those beautiful pictures you’ve taken onto your computer. What? Why didn’t I say, “you'll need a scanner”? After all, it’s not 1987 anymore -- scanners are as common as toaster ovens.

Canon 6D and 5DMk3 Noise Comparison for High-ISO Long Exposures

Astrophotography enthusiast Don Marcotte wanted to find out whether the Canon 6D or Canon 5D Mark III was more suitable for his area of photography, so he pitted the two cameras against one another in a few noise tests at his local camera store. He simply shot long exposures without any light (the cap was on) in order to see how much noise would show up in the frame.

Hands-On Autofocus Battle Between the Olympus OM-D EM-5 and Canon EOS M

The Canon EOS M is quickly becoming the laughingstock of the mirrorless party due to its autofocus system, which leaves much to be desired in terms of speed. To show just how sluggish the system really is, Tomek Kulas over at M43.eu did this very simple yet informative "hands-on test" that pits the EOS M against one of its archrivals: the Olympus OM-D EM-5.

iPhone 5 Camera Sensor Pitted Against the Canon 5D Mark III

We live in strange and exciting times in which phone camera photos can be compared side-by-side with top-of-the-line DSLR photos without anyone laughing (too hard). Having just gotten his hands on a shiny new iPhone 5, photographer Dustin Curtis decided to test out its camera's quality by pitting it against his Canon 5D Mark III (with a 50mm lens fixed at f/2.8).

Nokia Lumia 920 Low-Light Performance Pitted Against Competing Smartphones

After The Verge broke the story this week about Nokia's dishonest promo video for its PureView camera technology, Nokia went into damage control mode. As its stock took a tumble, the company hired an internal ethics investigation into the matter, and took steps to turn the media's attention back to its revolutionary PureView features rather than the dishonesty seen in the video promoting them.

It also invited The Verge out to Central Park in NYC to do a hands-on test of the Lumia 920 camera, in an effort to show that the camera is worthy of the hype.

Nokia Photo Challenge Shows Off the Low-Light Ability of PureView Cameras

Nokia has endured a torrent of bad press over the past couple days over its faked promo video, but the truth is, the company is investing heavily in improving photography in its mobile phones, and its PureView technology is definitely something we should be keeping our eyes on.

In order to back up its claim that PureView low light performance is "unbeatable", Nokia set up a "photo challenge" booth at its launch party and invited passers-by to pit their cameraphones against the Lumia 920. The challenge involved shooting a photograph of a still life setup stuffed inside a dark cubby hole in a brick wall. Check out the video above for a glimpse of how the phone's camera stacked up against the iPhone's and the Samsung Galaxy's.

Want Versus Need: Pitting the Canon D30 Against the 1D Mark IV

On the heels of my guest blog post over at Tiffinbox, I wanted to showcase a little camera comparison I used to illustrate my points on gear acquisition. We are all at fault for lusting after the latest and greatest gear available to us on the market. I know I have, but that lust comes with a price tag and a trade-off.

Having dusted off my very first DSLR (Canon D30), I put it to the test against my current Canon 1D Mark IV. In doing so, I made some startling and not-so-startling discoveries (as one could only imagine)...

Nikon D800 Resolution Compared to the Canon 5D Mark III

Last week camera testing service DxOMark announced that the Nikon D800 had earned the highest sensor quality score ever awarded. Roger Cicala of LensRentals wanted to see for himself how much of an advantage the D800's 36.3MP sensor had over its competition, so he did some sensor resolution tests on the camera, comparing it to the Canon 5D Mark III, 5D Mark II, and Nikon D700. His conclusion?

[...] there’s no question the D800 can actually get those pixels to show up in the final product (assuming your final product is a big print – they’re going to be wasted posting on your Facebook page). But you’d better have some really good glass in front of it. I don’t think the 28-300 superzooms are going to cut it with this camera.

In the real world, highest possible resolution is nice to know about and talk about, but usually not of critical importance compared to other factors. You’ll be able to make superb images with any decent lens for an 8 X 10 or even 11 X 16 print. But if you’re getting the camera because of the resolution, it makes sense to know which lenses will allow all of that resolution to be utilized. Just in case you get that job that needs billboard sized prints.