It proves a point I've argued for a while now: the IQ of the files coming out of digital cameras has been close to perfect for 5 years now. All the extra pixels and ISO sensitivity and all the other features haven't made a whole lot of difference to the IQ.
Please click on the images to see a larger file. The second one is a full size crop of an image straight out of the camera, untouched - just look at the detail here. The D40X is a 5-year old 10 megapixel DSLR, and the 18-135mm lens is one of Nikon's cheapest kit lenses (also 5-6 years old) - check the creamy bokeh! The whole outfit cost me less than $500 18months ago, and has been my kick-around travel outfit ever since (if it breaks or gets lost in the forest, it's not that big a deal). I have a D5100 for special occasions.
I own the lens, and bought it with a D3100 body as my first DSLR. It's extremely versatile, considering it can work as a macro yet still get portrait and certain landscape shots.
Posted by: hepatitis c | 13/08/2012 at 04:43 PM
It's not a macro lens as such, but you can get pretty close to things - about 45cm I think.
Posted by: Kim Brebach | 15/08/2012 at 12:04 PM
Do you have any video of that? I'd like to find out some additional information.
Posted by: Albuquerque xeriscape | 18/08/2012 at 07:02 PM
sorry, mate, I don't.
Posted by: Kim Brebach | 19/08/2012 at 09:12 PM