This is the first post in a series. You can find links to all the others by scrolling down to the bottom of the page — below the comments — and looking at the pingbacks. Almost two years ago, I created a long series of posts looking at depth of field (DOF) using modulation transfer… [Read More]

This is a continuation of a discussion that starts here. I have pointed out lap time testing as an example of one of the things that’s analogous to some kinds of lab tests when doing camera testing. Lap time testing is a more complicated case than car tests like 0-60, 0-100-0, stopping distance, or even… [Read More]

I’ve got more to say about the camera/car testing analogy, but I just saw this post today on DPR. Maybe I’m in my dottage, but it took me back to my days as a high-school newspaper photographer. I worked in a shared darkroom, with collective responsibility for keeping the communal chemicals fresh, replenished, and properly… [Read More]

In one of the photo boards recently, a chorus of pleas rose up to test cameras the same way as cars. There were complaints that camera testers tested under unrealistic conditions, and weren’t working pros. The whole discussion didn’t sit right with me, and I took to my keyboard, as I often do when I… [Read More]

Both in email discussions and on the web, I spend a non-trivial amount of time advising people on what cameras and lenses would be best for them. I firmly believe that the right camera for the job is highly dependent on the job, and I start out these discussions by asking What gear do you… [Read More]