Great lens

Sigma 18 200mm F3 5 6 3 Canon Camera

Usually something suffers (the wide end or the zoom end) but this lens packs a punch. Great all around image quality. I picked it up after seen it's review in Popular Photography. Also, doing my homework online I've seen many that have given it more positive reviews over the Canon 28-135 USM. In fact I have the 28-135 and I'm pretty sure that I'll now be selling it since I have this jewel in my hand. Having the extra 10mm on the wide end really does help. Do you homework for yourself and you will find that this may be a great addition to you collection if your in the market for this class of lens.

UPDATE 9/17/12: After taking several shots this weekend I noticed around the 100mm mark bokeh wasn't as "creamy" as I would have desired. Some of the lines (trees in the background) were harsh looking almost like looking at a 3D image without the glasses. It was distracting enough for my eyes to focus on the background images. I need to play around with this lens more but I may end up dropping it one star because of this.

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QualityFreak ... 6 months later & still off the grid

Optoma HD20 Lumens Theater Projector

We bought this projector about 3 months ago and have been using it in our downstairs home theatre on a 94" screen.

We have a very dark room with no windows; so this is perfect down there. Picture looks great and vibrant on the lowest light setting. (Great because it increases the bulb life to around 4000 hours).

HDMI input and Component inputs were great additions to this 1080p projector. We ceiling mounted it and ran the cables through conduit to a media closet. Couldn't be happier :D

The only down side to this projector is its manual focus/zoom. But for the costs; I'm willing to reach up and adjust every once in a while. (For the most part it will never change if you ceiling mount it... but i like to reach up and put the lens cap on the projector when we aren't using it to minimize dust on the lens).

If you are reading this, do the right thing and BUY This already, its a purchase you won't regret.

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Initial results here..

Canon EF 2 0X III Telephoto

Some time ago I sold my canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 and bought a Canon 70-200 Mkii, so I could make some money with it (children, birthdays, etc), because it's features are more apropriate for this purpose. I wish I had the money to keep them both... As I already had a 1.4x TC, wich is great, I thought that I could use them together for wildlife photography, my hobby. The problem is that sometimes I needed to get closer to the birds without being noticed. This TC can make my 70-200 Mkii behave as a 140-400, a good focal length for bird photography. Yes, I was well aware that I would lose 2 f stops and some autofocus speed. I've been using this gear for only a couple of weeks, but I'm really content with the 2x and 70-200 combination and didn't notice any difference when it comes to image quality compared with the 100-400, a good surprise for me. That being said, I give it 5 star because it was the best I could do to double my focal lenght without having to spend another couple of thousands dollars on another lens.

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Compact efficient case for a Sony NEX- 5N

VANGUARD ESPOD AM 204S Espod Monopod

This case is perfect for my Sony NEX-5N with the 18-55 mm lens AND my 55-200 Zoom lens. I fit in not only the camera, extra lens, both lens shades, the extra battery and charger, the cable to connect to the computer, a lens pen and the carrying strap and a wrist strap. I can put it in with the flash attached though it's a better fit with the flash off the camera. I really like the size of the case because it fits pretty well in a carry on bag for air travel with the essentials needed for photography and protects the camera. It is also an easy bag to carry because it is fairly small. It is well thoughout to be used with this camers with the standard lens along with the telephoto lens and an extra battery with charger. There is a little pocket in the back for extra memory cards etc. Just couldn't fit in the instruction book.

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Compact efficient case for a Sony NEX- 5N

Sony LCSEMF Camera E mount Cameras

This case is perfect for my Sony NEX-5N with the 18-55 mm lens AND my 55-200 Zoom lens. I fit in not only the camera, extra lens, both lens shades, the extra battery and charger, the cable to connect to the computer, a lens pen and the carrying strap and a wrist strap. I can put it in with the flash attached though it's a better fit with the flash off the camera. I really like the size of the case because it fits pretty well in a carry on bag for air travel with the essentials needed for photography and protects the camera. It is also an easy bag to carry because it is fairly small. It is well thoughout to be used with this camers with the standard lens along with the telephoto lens and an extra battery with charger. There is a little pocket in the back for extra memory cards etc. Just couldn't fit in the instruction book.

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Life-Changing Perspective

The Souls Code James Hillman

I read a lot, but this book by Hillman's is one of my all-time favorites. His perspective is brilliant, unapologetically counter-culture, enormously insightful and deeply inspiring. There's a sarcastic bite to his writing that makes it even more entertaining: you sense that this man is no pushover.

I won't even attempt to summarize Hillman's argument here. Read this book if you've ever been curious about the soul, or why a life work sometimes seems at odds with the "human" story, or if you've agonized over the search for meaning in your own life.

By way of context, I'll mention that my interest in understanding the soul more deeply is professional as well as personal. I've published the how-to video "Thrill Your Soul: Inspiration for Choosing Your Work and Relationships," and I work with clients and students to help them connect with their life purpose. When it comes to this topic, I'm not as sardonically no-nonsense as Hillman appears to be from his writing, but it still takes a lot to impress me. Hillman has become one of my heroes, thanks to this magnificent book.

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Fantastic product - must-have for photographers using filters!

Fotodiox Anodized 49 52mm 52 55mm 55 58mm

I was looking specifically for a 67-72mm step up ring, but the price on this product was so low, that I bought these instead. This step-up ring set is made of all metal, the threading makes attaching and detaching from the lens / filter fairly effortless. Storage is very easy, since the rings all screw together, making a tidy little cone. I have zero complaints about the filter ring set. One caveat is that you may not be able to use your lens hood while a larger filter is attached; this isn't so much a problem with the ring set, but a configuration that wasn't accounted for by the lens manufacturer. If a lens hood is an absolute requirement, then there are screw mount lens hoods on the market that will attach to these as well. With the low cost and high utility of this ring set, I would consider it a "must-have" for any photographer's toolbox.

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