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Posts for: mwsilvers
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Jan 26, 2024 15:38:22   #
jerryc41 wrote:
In his original post, Curmudgen said, "Just checked on yearly updates for Topaz Gigapixel $79 and Photo AI $99." I figure if you pay that every year, the daily cost is $0.216 and $0.271 - $0.48 total.

Those prices were for annual upgrades to the latest perpetual versions not annual subscription pricing. According to Topaz they don't have subscriptions. If the newest versions don't have enough new features to make upgrading cost effective users can stay with the current version they already own. It is not very different from the pricing of perpetual licenses from many other software publishers. This whole thread is much to do about nothing.
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Jan 26, 2024 11:53:03   #
jerryc41 wrote:
Yes, and that's why I subscribe to neither. That's over $0.81/day. Way over my budget.

Where on Topaz's site do they indicate those prices are for a subscription? When I looked at it I got the impression they are for perpetual licenses. They use the word buy, not subscribe.
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Jan 26, 2024 10:24:00   #
ksmmike wrote:
The Voigtlander 50mm F2 APO is the best lens I own for the Nikon Z system and yes, I own several S line lenses made by Nikon. That's not to say that the Nikon S lenses aren't fantastic, they are, however, that Voigtlander APO is a better lens across the frame. From what I have seen, if there is CA at F2 it's slight, rare and easily fixed.

I've owned several Voigtlander lenses, and all have been incredible. The 50mm F2 APO lens will be in my bag for as long as I work with the Nikon Z system, which at this point will likely be until I stop photographing, one way or the other.

Mike
The Voigtlander 50mm F2 APO is the best lens I own... (show quote)


It is a truly excellent lens!
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Jan 26, 2024 09:05:05   #
Curmudgeon wrote:
Seventy nine dollars per year for Gigapixel that had not had an upgrade for over a year?


So just continue to use the version you have. It's a perpetual license isn't it? When I went to their site I didn't see anything about subscriptions.
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Jan 25, 2024 13:43:10   #
User ID wrote:
Does the hook hurt your lip ?

Dirus is not worth the minute you spent typing your reply. The proof is in his archived posts.

FWIW, he doent actually know how to well use such gear but he loooooves "lab tests". Again, it all in his archive. No secrets.

I don't really follow him and haven't bothered to look at his archived posts. Over the last couple of years I have been trying more and more to avoid responding to the naysayers. Sometimes I am successful with that and sometimes not. I have too many more important things to do than waste my time on them.
However, occasionally I feel feisty and want to get my two cents in.
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Jan 25, 2024 12:41:56   #
Canisdirus wrote:
I can read, and yes I own several...only the APO's are worth the coin. Pretty much all of the Voigt's have serious CA wide open...talking 1970's CA... I understand their 'vintage' angle, but it's taken way too far. Softer than a lot of the Chinese knock off today...a disappointment from Cosina.

Only the three APO's are worth the price. In the lower tier lenses...better off elsewhere.


Interesting because I've rarely see any CA from my three Voigtländers. And when I do it can be fixed easily in post. I also own a number of Chinese lenses and none of them are as sharp wide open at f/1.2 as my Voigtländer 40mm f/1.2 Nikon I will be using primarily on my new Nikon Zf when it arrives shortly.

One of the things I like best about that lens is its dreamy glow wide open which cannot be achieved with modern clinically sharp AF lenses wide open. Yes, there is less contrast wide open, but that's fine with me. And once you stop it down between f/4 and f/5.6 it is sharp as a tack across the entire frame with incredible contrast and great colors.

I'm not sure which lenses you are trying to compare the Voigtländers with, but they are small, light and extremely well made. All the ones I have include electronic contacts, which are not available on any of the Chinese lenses. They pass metadata and the aperture being used, and the green focus box from my cameras works with them to make manual focusing extremely easy In addition to magnification and focus peaking.

My favorite street photography lens on my Nikon Z fc is the Voigtländer 23mm f/1.2 Nokton. It is sharp across the frame at every aperture, it has very little barrel or pin cushion distortion, It has only a moderate amount a vignetting wide open, and the CA is surprisingly well controlled. Considering that it is an f/1.2 lens, It is tiny, very lightweight, easy to use with terrific build quality.

I also have four Chinese MF lenses from TTArtisan and 7Artisan that I could use for street photography but but all fall by the wayside for one reason or another compared to my Voigtländer.

There are many reasons why one lens may be preferred over another. I prefer the manual lens experience especially on my retro cameras. I hope you're as happy with your lenses as I am with mine.
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Jan 25, 2024 10:12:10   #
Canisdirus wrote:
The only Voigt's worth the coin is their APO line...which is 3 lenses.

You can skip the rest...other lenses will surpass them all.


That, of course, is your opinion. Can I assume it is based on your personal experience using all of them? I have used all the Z mount APO lenses including a DX 35mm Macro APO (there are actually four APO lenses, not three) and they are excellent. However your dismissal of the rest of their great line as not worth the coin is inaccurate. As an example, the 50mm f/1.0 Nokton designed for the Z mount is a phenomenal lens which I have used a number of times, (it belongs to a friend). My own three Z mount Voigtlanders give me exactly the results I am looking for and are not only oozing with vintage character but are still sharp across the frame with great contrast. They are worth every penny I spent on them. Many owners of Nikon Zf and other Z bodies are happily using one or more of the 9 Voigtlander lenses designed specifically for the Nikon Z mount which include electronic contacts to pass metadata and aperture details.
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Jan 25, 2024 10:00:00   #
User ID wrote:
I use ten Voigtlander lenses (not all at once !!) Most were bought used, but Ive also shopped CameraQuest and Photo Village, both of whom are Voigtlander distributors and retailers.

Good thing about buying used is that you have NOT bought a "factory warranty" so you never get to deal with that, and Voigtlanders are so "olde school" basic that any shop can fix them.

Re: "not all at once". Since mine are not the f/1.2 or f/0.9 bottles, theyre so small that its super easy to carry any trio (or pair !) chosen from out of the whole set.
I use ten Voigtlander lenses (not all at once !!) ... (show quote)


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Jan 24, 2024 22:29:22   #
le boecere wrote:
Thank you for posting your experiences. I'll scratch this brand off my list. I've been thinking about a couple of their lenses, but I don't have the time or energy to find repair shops.

I have never sent a lens of any brand in for repairs. Voigtlander makes terrific manual focus lenses. I own three specifically designed for the Nikon Z mount and have never regretted buying them.
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Jan 24, 2024 20:54:48   #
Imagemine wrote:
Thanx much


I assume you purchased your lens from B&H. CameraQuest is a very small company owned by Stephen Gandy. If you didn't purchase the lens through them I'm not certain they will be willing to take it in for repair. They are not a repair shop anyway. They are an authorized Voigtländer distributor/dealer in the United States. I have three lenses from them. How old is the lens and what seems to be the problem with it.

This is from CameraQuest's site regarding warranties. They indicate that lenses not purchased from them should be sent to the authorized dealer from which they were bought. Voigtlander USA repairs are done thru the authorized dealer that sold the product.

Official Cosina Voigtlander USA Distributor Since 2003


CameraQuest has been an official Cosina Voigtlander Distributor for the US Market since 2003. CameraQuest has the support of the Cosina factory, including access to the newest Voigtlander products, parts, and expertise to repair Voigtlander products.


Voigtlander USA Warranty:

New Cosina Voigtlander USA Products are guaranteed one year from the date of shipment to you. The warranty covers parts and labor, NOT shipping or insurance which is the owner's responsibility. Owners pay shipping and insurance on warranty repairs. The shipping liability is with the shipper and their insurance. If anything is damaged or lost in shipment, it is the owner's responsibility to deal with the insurance and or the shipper (USPS, FEDEX, UPS etc...). The Voigtlander USA warranty extends to the original purchaser only.

The warranty includes:

Defects in materials
Workmanship
Mechanical working order
Not included: Anything dropped or otherwise damaged by ANY sort of accident or abuse. The warranty is void IF, in our opinion, the item was damaged by a previous repair attempt.

For CameraQuest direct sales including shop.cameraquest.com: All you need for warranty repair for Voigtlander products bought from CameraQuest is your receipt or order number.

For CameraQuest supplied Voigtlander dealer sales: You must supply the dealer receipt, which we will verify for warranty repairs.

Rush repairs are not possible.

Foreign Voigtlander sales from foreign dealers (grey market) or none authorized sellers are not eligible for Voigtlander USA warranty repair.

Most Voigtlander warranty repairs will be shipped back within 4-6 weeks after receipt.

Voigtlander USA repairs are done thru the authorized dealer that sold the product.

Please describe the problem by email to CameraQuest@earthlink.net to confirm attention is needed. Please include all emails with the repair item.

MAILING ADDRESS:

Stephen Gandy
1336 N Moorpark Rd, Box 184
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-5224
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Jan 24, 2024 20:51:32   #
Jeffcs wrote:
My neighbor dropped her WD passport external drive with a ton of information and photos on it.
That’s the back story, she called me for help!
I checked it out the drive makes some noises but failed to run and it won’t show up on the computer.
I checked it out with my usb cord same results.
What I’m asking is where can she get her information and photos off of the drive?
I think you hogs


This is why making backups is so important. What would she have done if it was all her personal and financial data.
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Jan 24, 2024 08:57:13   #
Jersey guy wrote:
Various posts claim that Microsoft 365 no longer includes the old photo editing feature that had been available. But when I click on any JPG image that I have, there is some sort of program that opens up and allows for adjusting of the usual parameters (contrast, color saturation, "auto adjustment", etc.). So what am I looking at?


Microsoft 365 is the current name of the subscription version of Microsoft Office. In addition to the office apps it also includes a number of productivity tools. I have had a subscription to it for years. It never contained an image processing app. Windows 10 however does contain a very basic photo app.
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Jan 21, 2024 10:33:35   #
maxlieberman wrote:
The folks who publish N-Photo and Digital Camera also publish a magazine which focusses on Canon cameras and lenses, but I don't recall the name. The publisher is "My Favourite Magazines"


PhotoPlus
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Jan 21, 2024 10:23:44   #
boomboom wrote:
Greetings, I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a photography magazine that would be worth subscribing to. In my area, there seems to be definitely a lack of photo magazines in stores. I'm looking for something that has some quality information and is not 90% advertising. I know that's a lot to ask for, but that's my goal. I appreciate your thoughts and Happy New Year to all my "HOG" friends.



If you are a Nikon or Canon shooter and can afford them, there are two excellent but expensive British Magazines with mostly content and very little advertising. PhotoPlus Magazine is specifically geared to Canon shooters and NPhoto is specifically geared to Nikon shooters. I think they are both from the same publisher. Theye are both on high quality heavy glossy stock, and when last subscribed I believe they had around 130 pages with about 75-80% content and 20-25% advertising. I subscribed to PhotoPLus for years when I was a Canon shooter.
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Jan 19, 2024 18:47:34   #
User ID wrote:
On my Zs I assign one if the front buttons for peaking On-Off, so I can keep my peaking set for intense effect but quickly disable it during magnified MF if its intrusive.


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