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Product Review: Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 Lens for Canon EF Mount Review

 

rokinon_xn85-c_1Built specifically to work as a cinema lens product, the Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 Lens proves to be a formidable piece of equipment. As a Canon EF mount, this product makes a lot of significant promises, in terms of what it wants to accomplish as a cinema lens.

At the end of the day, while its benefits are fairly specific, in terms of who can take advantage of them, there is still a lot about the Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 Lens for Canon EF Mount that is worth paying attention to.

Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 Lens Review

In terms of features, the Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 Lens offers a lot. The internal focus design aspect is nice. It means the lens isn’t going to change on you during focus, which should minimize breathing. A multi-coat for each lens ensures solid contrast, glare elimination, and colors matching well to factory standards. Assembling your set over time won’t mean significant color shifting.

It is worth noting that the 85mm T1.5 Lens from Rokinon is a manual-focus/iris lens. Automatic capabilities for both focusing and iris are not available. The cinema focus and iris gear component can be found in the same position through each lens in your Xeen set. What this means is that you can make your needed lens changes in a timely fashion, and you won’t have to reposition things like the follow focus unit or iris motor. Given that the image circle is capable of covering a full frame sensor, you can rely on this product for closing the distance to the background, which makes it nice for a portrait or a close-up.

Furthermore, the dual-calibrated focus with the left and right sides and the T-stop scale is well-handled on this lens, as well. Because of this, the focus-puller can function from either of the sides of the lens, and you won’t have to have your lens in your mount flipped. The 3′ 9″ focusing distance is yet another feature, given that it lets you get as close to your subject matter as you need to get.

As you can see, the Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 Lens for Canon EF Mount is worth a look. The lens delivers on a variety of fronts, and it allows for the user to keep up with a broad range of demands and potential subject matters. It works exactly in the way that it’s supposed to, which is always nice to have in your corner.

Name Your Price on the Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 Lens for Canon EF Mount


Casio CTK-3200 61-Key Portable Keyboard Value-PackWith so many keyboards on the market, finding the right one can be daunting for a beginner. To that end, you may want to look to certain brand names. There is no question that Casio is one of the all-time greats, in terms of companies that can deliver a high-quality, affordable keyboard product. The Casio CTK-3200 is a good example of what they can do.

Ideal for beginners, the Casio CTK-3200 61-key Portable Keyboard is a great example of what Casio is capable of. Throw in everything you get through purchasing the value pack edition, and you’re looking at what may amount to the sound keyboard investment you’ve been searching for.

Casio CTK-3200 61-Key Portable Keyboard Value Pack Review by Greentoe

This touch-sensitive keyboard packs a lot into its attractive, easy-to-pick-up-and-play design. Over four hundred onboard tones are available, in addition to one hundred-and-fifty rhythm and digital effect options. There are a number of great features associated with this keyboard, including the Step-Up Lesson System, which is arguably one of the best things Casio has ever come up with. You will also note audio input capabilities for MP3-players, which makes it a relative snap to focus on learning how to play your favorite songs. Also useful is the USB-port for MIDI implement. You can even take advantage of a pitch-wheel, which allows for further expressions over the sound.

The keyboard for the Casio CTK-3200 brings to mind the design and functionality of an actual acoustic piano. With exceptional touch response capabilities, you shouldn’t have any trouble adding various subtleties to your tracks. You are in complete control of the degree of pressure you apply to the keyboard, and that is always something to look for in a worthwhile keyboard product.

The sampling function is also tremendous. Not only is it easy to upload the sound you want to sample, but the keyboard also does a nice job of giving you a variety of ways in which to utilize that sound. You can even use the sampling aspect to create entirely new sounds, by combining a sampled product with an accompaniment pattern.

And if you are indeed a beginner, both the Step-Up and Music Challenge features are going to prove to be extremely useful. In other words, this keyboard is great for experimenting, figuring things out. When you are ready to progress to more complex endeavors, the keyboard will keep up. Throw in everything else with the value pack, and it’s hard not to be impressed.

Name Your Price now on Greentoe.com


Austin Air Healthmate Plus Air PurifierChemical sensitivities are worth taking seriously. You may think that limits your range of possibilities for air purifier machines to a significant degree. However, at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter if that is true or not. When you have something like the Austin Air Healthmate Plus Air Purifier machine to consider, you have a formidable product in your corner.

This is a room air purifying machine that endeavors to be highly comprehensive. When you consider the long list of features that come with this machine, it’s hard to argue with that opinion.

One of the first things you will probably notice about the Healthmate Plus from Austin Air is that it is an extremely straightforward fashion. Similar products attach a wide range of accessories to the main component. That is not the case here. To that end, if you are simply looking for a no-frills product that is ideal for those who have chemical sensitives, the Healthmate Plus is worth a look on that note alone.

However, there is a lot more about this machine that should be kept in mind. The legitimate HEPA filter definitely works to keep the undesirables out of the room. Bacteria, molds, germs, animal dander, dust mite problems, and even the allergen influence caused by dust mites are not things you are going to have to worry about. And because this HEPA filter is medical-graded, you don’t have to worry about dirt and time decreasing its effectiveness. The Special Super Blend Carbon side of things is another aspect that is worth getting excited about. This makes the machine’s capabilities at absorbing chemicals and gases virtually unmatched in the industry. The steel construction of the machine is nice, as well, giving you a solid choice that emphasizes safety.

The filters are pretty great, too. While it would be even better if the machine could tell you when it is time to change the filter, the fact that the filters have a lifespan that can stretch as far as five years is definitely a good thing.

While the price tag (around six hundred to six hundred-and-fifty dollars) may strike the uninitiated as a little steep, don’t be afraid to shop around. You will find that this machine is one of the most economical products on the market, yet sacrifices nothing in the way of quality in performance.

Austin Air is a company with a good reputation. This machine proves that nicely.

Set your price on an Austin Air Healthmate Plus Air Purifier.  Click here.


CanonEF100The Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens has been long awaited. The arrival of this lens replaces the EF 100 100-400mm that hit the market almost two decades ago in 1998. The new model brings some needed changes to this camera bag staple.

The newer Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens weighs 3.5 pounds making it slightly heavier than its predecessor. It is 3.7 inches in diameter by 7.6 inches in length making it slightly stubby and longer but this design with the rotating zoom will reduce the amount of dust that gets into the lens as happened with the previous version.   The new version also has four stops of stabilization and three image stabilization modes while providing an ISO lock in tripod use for those long shots.

A new optical configuration consists of on Super UD and one Fluorite element and 21 other elements in 16 groups with internal focus. The lenses are coated with Air Sphere Coatings reducing ghosting and flaring from the previous model.

Another big improvement in the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens is the focal length of 3.2 feet versus the 6.5 feet of the previous model. This is great news for those who like to get up close and personal with their subject. The zoom ring has been modified allowing for more precise adjustments including a torque ring for easier setting of zoom tension preferences.

The USM motor technology provides virtually instant focusing from any focal point with instant switching to manual focus by grabbing the focus ring and a lock switch on the lens. Image stabilization has been boosted also with a four stop image stabilization and three dedicated IS modes all reducing shake making it more stable for handheld shooting.

As for the performance it is can be called outstanding from the bokeh to focus breathing the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens performs exceptionally well. This is an excellent lens for portrait shooting with the beautiful bokeh effect it provides at varying distances. The center image is crisp clear and the backgrounds are soft and beautiful.   There is little to no visible barrel distortion with the smallest amount seen at 100mm and a tiny bit of pincushion seen from 200-400mm. Falloff is also minimal and the new design reduces ghosts and flares.

Lateral color fringes are non-existent at 400mm and just a touch of magenta-green can be seen at the 100mm distance. The macro performance is one of the biggest changes with the 3.2 focal distance over the 6.5 in the old version.   Cropping at 100% provides even more surprising macro clarity. This lens is razor sharp through and through with extra sharp images through the entire full frame focal range. There is a minute diffraction at the smallest aperture but barely noticeable unless you are a pixel peeper.

Overall, the new Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens doesn’t  disappoint and in fact is a major improvement over the previous model. It will quickly find its place as a staple in the camera bag.

Click here to chose your price on a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens.


Canon5DSCanon fans eagerly awaited the arrival of the 5DS and were not disappointed. This camera series is touted as the world’s best DSLR for nature, landscape and portrait camera available. The Canon 5DS provides some great new features that have Canon lovers drooling.

The body of the Canon 5DS weighs in at 29.81 ounces or 1.86 pounds with dimensions of 6 inches by 4.6 by 3.0. It has a 3.2 rear LCD screen and 100% viewfinder coverage. It comes with the LP-E6N battery that has more capacity than the older LP-E6 batteries but they will work just fine with the 5DS.   This is a pixel peepers dream with 50 MP and it shoots 5 frames per second or 3 in silent mode.

The Canon 5DS presents an As-Shot, In-Finder Cropping with 1.3 crop that greys out the sides to clearly show the crop.   Flicker synchronization that shoots through flickering light by automatically timing the shutter release to the lighting. The bulb timer is all new that helps program exposures up to 100 hours, great for long exposure night shots. Time-lapse movies is not a new feature but in the Canon 5DS it can be programmed to save the exposures in a time lapse movie instead of having to use outside software.

More new features include fine detail picture control that lowers contrast and uses in-camera sharpening to show super fine detail without being over sharpened. The viewfinder has more dark LCD overlays to help during shooting with exposure, metering, AF and more. The 5DS also contains a dedicated motor for the mirror system with the ability to program still shots while running video. The programmable quick screen has been revamped to bring bigger and better viewing.

The things missing from the Canon 5DS is automatic distortion correction like other Canon’s have. The 5DS lacks the processing power to make the corrections on the fly. It is also lacking eye controlled focus found in the EOS3. While the 6,400 ISO range is sufficient that is the limit compared to other models that have significantly higher ISO settings into the 100,000 range.   This model also sucks up juice faster than the old 5D models so having an extra battery on hand may be important.   There is no Wi-Fi, GPS or built in flash.

As for the performance, this is one fine camera. That 50 MP really shows up in the photos. Autofocus with face recognition works really well even if it is a little bit slow to respond.   Shooting at high ISO is remarkable with very little to no noise but the 5DS will limit ISO to prevent bad pictures. The in camera noise reduction works exceptionally well keeping the shots sharp from edge to edge. As for sharpness that 50mp really pays off with unbelievable detail and crispness to photos in all situations and lighting.

Overall the Canon 5DS is one of the best DSLR’s on the market and has Canon lovers and pixel peepers chomping at the bit to get their hands on it for the 50MP shooting.

Set your price on a new Canon 5DS on Greentoe. Click here.


samsung_un55hu8700fxza_un55hu8700_55_4k_smart_1061259If you want a high quality TV, you need to choose the best brands and look for the latest features. I had been wanting to purchase a smart TV for some time, but was not sure which model would be best. Samsung is known for being one of the best brands, which is why I decided to purchase the JU7100 Series 65” Class 4K Smart LED TV. I was looking for wireless connectivity and high image quality. This TV offered just what I was looking for and much more.

Resolution Quality

When you are searching for a smart TV, nothing matters more than resolution and image quality. The Samsung JU7100 was made with image quality in mind. It offers high definition with 4K resolution that is 3840×2160 pixels. It is so enhanced, that you even have the ability to take images that are lower quality resolution and scale them to 4k. This is something that not many other LED televisions on the market offer. It is unique in the way that you can lower the distortion of images that are moving fast. This is ideal for individuals that love watching sporting events live on television. I found that the image quality was great when watching many of my favorite sports. You could see all the small details without any noticeable distortion at all.

Wi-Fi Access

One of the main reasons that people are looking for smart televisions is to have internet access on a larger screen. This is a smart TV with built-in wi-fi connectivity that is reliable and gives you direct access to Samsung’s app-based Smart Hub. This allows you to use many of your favorite apps with ease. From YouTube to Netflix, you can watch all types of videos and use apps of all types on this LED TV. The Samsung JU7100 is designed for people looking to use the internet from their television that have ease of use in mind. You can even play games with this TV and it offers built-in S recommendation. The best part about using the built-in internet, was that I was able to find new content that I enjoyed based on my preferences.

An added feature with the Samsung JU7100 is that you can stream content from your LED TV and to other mobile devices with ease. You can go back and forth without any interruption.

USB

Many LED televisions offer one USB port, but the Samsung JU7100 offers three USB ports and four HDMI. This means that you have multiple ports to choose from for all of your many audio and video sources. A component video input is also built-in, which gives you access to even more sources.

Final Verdict

The smart TV market is overloaded with options, but the Samsung JU7100 stands on its own. It has all of the latest features with a 65” screen and high resolution. The LED edge backlight offers great contrast and black levels. It is a smart TV that is known for being one of the best options on the market at an affordable price.

Get the lowest price on a Samsung JU7100 here. 


Canon 60D with LensCanon EOS 70D DSLR Camera with 18-55mm STM f/3.5-5.6 Lens is a camera that features a 20 megapixel sensor and a Digic 5+ processor. Purchased with the EF-S 18- STM f/3.5-5.6 lens the user will have an everyday versatile lens with near-silent operation with reduced camera shake.

The Canon EOS 70D is a great mid-range camera with a strong processor to provide excellent shooting in a variety of shooting conditions. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF provides two photodiodes for an advanced focusing system giving the 70D smooth operation and ultra-quick focusing power.

The 1,040,000 dot 3” touch screen combined with the Digic Processor makes moving through menus very intuitive and easy.   Like mobile phones you can use the screen for AF focusing or finely controlling selected focus points.   Wi-Fi compatibility makes uploading pictures a breeze and remote wireless control a joy.

The 19 Point All Cross-Type AF System in the 70D makes finding your mark super quick and it is programmable or easily changed via a conveniently located button near the shutter. The processor also makes it possible to use the High Dynamic Range option to create beautiful HDR photos in camera reducing post processing.

The 70D is beginner friendly with pre-set features standard in many point and shoot cameras such as landscape, portrait, night and more modes therefore it automatically chooses light options, shutter speeds and ISO for beautiful looking pictures. It is also designed for professional offering many custom settings based on user preference.   Best of all it offers both RAW and JPEG formats for the user to choose.

The Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens provides a 35mm focal length giving a nice range of perspectives. It is designed with an STM motor that is nearly silent in operation with steady and smooth controls with an optical image stabilization system to reduce camera shake. This lens also includes four shutter speeds to help in low light conditions and contains one PMO aspherical lens and one ultra-low dispersion element to reduce chromatic aberrations throughout the entire focal range. As with all Canon lenses, the EF-S 18-135 includes Canon’s optimized lens coatings to reduce flare and ghosting in intense light situations.

Combined the 70D and the EF-S 18-135mm lens create a great ever day combo to be used across a wide variety of situations. The pair is great for making HD 1080p video especially when filming with the Movie Servo AF mode with auto-focusing to keep your video smooth and clean.

The quality of performance is excellent for both the 70D and the EF-S 18-135mm lens. Colors are Canon bright, crisp and clear. Fringing is virtually non-existent and most likely only noticeable to pixel peepers in the magenta range in low focal point shots. Barrel distortion is not noticeable at any focal length neither is pincushion distortion at the higher end and the combination of technology between the camera and the lens make for excellent photos all the way around. This is a great mid-range everyday camera for both beginners and pros.

Set your price on a Canon 70D with the EF-S 18-135 lens on Greentoe.com 


sigma_24-35_f2_with_lens_hoodAt the end of July 2015 the eagerly awaited Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG HSM Art Lens will be released. This lens will be offered for Nikon, Canon and Sigma lens mounts and is compatible with Sigma’s mount swapping service. What has photographers chomping to get their hands on this lens it will be the first constant aperture f/2.0 zoom lens designed for the DSLR full frame cameras, meaning in plain English you will get three prime lenses in one with this unique innovation.

There is no need to swap lenses with the Sigma 23-35mm F/2 as you will have a 24mm, 28mm and 35mm all in one lens.   Those who have been lucky enough to give it a trial run report it is solidly built with excellent sharpness all in one single zoom lens.

Sigma has been knocking it out of the park with their Global Vision Art-series lenses and the Sigma 24-35 F/2 is definitely a home run. This lens produces crisp images and at F/2.0 the only reported issue is a little softening around the edges that clears up as you stop down with a sweet spot sitting at F/4.0 to 5.6 providing ultra-crisp images.

There is very little chromatic aberration and only minor fringing can be seen in the outside corner of the frame.   The Sigma 24-35mm F/2 has some vignetting in full frame at f/2.0 but tapers off as you stop down. Barrel distortion was detected which wasn’t surprising considering the wide-angle lens but it is well controlled throughout the focal length with the distortion most noticeable at 24mm focal length. The distortion is well under the 1% average and improves with the longer focal lengths to almost zero barrel distortion.

Physically the Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG is well built with Sigma’s Thermally Stable Composite material, matte black finish and well gripped focus and zoom rings. This lens is quite hefty because of being so solidly built weighing out at slightly over two pounds. This makes the lens heavy on the camera with 18 lenses in 13 groups with 9-bladed circular aperture diaphragm, a single flurite like glass element , seven SLD elements and at least one aspherical lens but it is a shorter lens so it isn’t overly awkward or unbalanced.

Sigma continued with their Hyper Sonic Motor drive in the 24-35mm F/2 providing the quick and quiet autofocus. The AF motor is virtually silent and you can feel it more than hear it working. Naturally there is the standard manual focusing with distance scale and an AF/MF switch right on the barrel and 90 degrees of rotation on the manual focus ring.

The early reviews are good for the Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG SHM Art Lens. Those lucky enough to have tested this full-frame three in one lens are excited about the build quality but also the outstanding performance with only slight barrel distortion, vignetting and limited chromatic aberration that most people wouldn’t notice but in testing it was pixel scoped.   It will be a big hit when it hits the stores at the end of the month.

Set your price on the Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG HSM ART Lens with Greentoe here. 


Samsung_4K_SUHD_JS9000_Series_Curved_Smart_TV-65_Class_1_03Technology is changing the way that you do many things, but it is dramatically improving the way that you can watch television. The days of low quality images on your big screen can be a thing of the past. I have been looking for a smart TV for a few years, but none have been the exact specifications that I’ve been searching for. When I first purchased the Samsung JS9000 Series 65” Class 4k SUHD Smart 3D Curved LED TV I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I quickly became enthralled with this smart TV.

Not only is it from one of the best brands, but it also offers affordability that other options can’t match. It is the perfect blend of the latest features with functionality that most TV users are looking for. This Samsung smart TV is designed to be easy to use, but also offer high image quality that customers are looking for.

Specifications

This smart TV offers an ATSC video system and is 3D. 3D is a huge capability for smart TV’s and is one of the features that sold me on this model. It offers 60W power and stereo quality sound with a built-in subwoofer. It has built-in WiFi and a built-in Octa-Core Processor. It even comes with a pair of 3D glassed.

Easy Internet 

Having the ability to search online using your TV, is a huge benefit. I wasn’t sure how easy this model would be to use online, but was pleasantly surprised with the easy interface. The Samsung JS9000 is very easy to use online. It has a built-in internet browser that allows you to search and use some of the most popular apps through your smart TV. It simply makes things easier for you. I was able to search Facebook and watch all of my favorite YouTube clips with ease. This is what most customers are looking for in a Smart TV, and this version is designed to make browsing online simpler and faster than ever. The built-in Octa-Core processor is the highest quality available.

Image Quality

Beyond being easy to use, the Samsung JS9000 features optimal image quality. It is 3D and comes with a pair of 3D glasses that allows you to watch your favorite movies, shows and online clips in the #D. The image quality is designed to be superior.

Motion Control

This smart TV also features clear motion control rate that is 240. This allows you to use built-in motion control features with ease. You can choose your favorite apps and play games by just moving your hand. This makes everything so much simpler. I found that the motion control was easy to use and accurate.

Final Verdict

If you are looking for a smart TV that is high quality, but also affordable, the Samsung JS9000 is the perfect option. It is a 3D smart LED TV with all of the latest features that you are looking for.

Set your price and get a great deal on the JS9000 Series 65″-Class 4K SUHD Smart 3D Curved LED TV here. 


canon_EOS 5DS RThe Canon 5DS R is one of two new cameras launched by Canon offering a whopping 50 megapixel sensor in their full frame DSLR line. The 5DS is the other model and the difference between the two is the 5DS R has a self-cancelling filter and the 5DS has an optical low-pass filter. Canon stepped up their game in rolling out these new models with many new features and exceptional picture quality.

Along with the mega 50 MPs, Canon included 5 frames per second continuous shooting, ISO up to 6400 with extension to 12,800, 61 point AF module with 150k pixel metering, 30 and 19.6 crop modes, 1080/30p video, dual Digic 6 processors and M and S Raw down sampled formats.

The object Canon was trying to reach was for the shooter to get the maximum possible resolution out of the camera. They focused on stability with a reinforced tripod socket, a motorized mirror system and a revised mirror lock-up mode that can be programmed to delay the shutter opening for the exposure and the mirror being raised allowing for the shortest possible delay as the mirror vibration calms while maximizing the sharpness.

The 5DS R offers the same video capabilities as the 5DS with 1080 video quality.   The one feature on the 5DS R is the intervalometer function that allows you take some great time lapse shots that can be combined in camera to make a video.   As far as video goes, other than time-lapse there is nothing to write home about and it is better to get a dedicated video camera if that is what you want.

Physically this camera is identical to its sister the 5DS with a 3.2 inch rear LCD tiltable screen with a 100% viewfinder.   It weighs the same at 1.86 pounds without the battery. This pixel peeper’s dream camera comes with an LP-E6N battery that holds more charge than the older LP-E6 batteries. The LP-E6 battery is interchangeable but gets fewer pictures per run than the LP-E6N.

The 5DS R comes with the flicker synchronization feature that shoots through flickering light by timing the lighting to the shutter release. This is an exceptional feature for nature photographers especially in situations like trees where the light shimmers through the leaves.

Pixel peepers will be pleased with the fine detail picture control that uses in-camera sharpening that lowers contrast to get super fine detail without blowing out the contrast or having it over sharp. Missing from this series is the automatic distortion control. It can be done by converting to JPEG individually but it can’t be done on the fly.   Despite the hefty price tag it is missing a Wi-Fi connection, GPS and lacks a built in flash.

The performance of the 5DS R has Canon lovers and pixel peepers drooling. The clarity even at high ISO is exceptional with little to no noise in the higher ISO range with sharpness from edge to edge across all shooting settings. The only place the 5DS R is lacking is in action shots. They are still extremely good but other DSLRs do much better with action. Overall it is one of the best full frame DSLRs on the market and well worth the money for a professional photographer.

Set your price and get the best deal on a new Canon 5DS R Camera here.