Q: I purchased the Panasonic SA-XR25 receiver you recommended and it sounded great but broke out of warranty. I then called a repair shop that Panasonic recommended and they want $65 just to take a look at the receiver. Should I just replace it or do you have any other recommendations?<\/p>\n
-Jason Gerstenkorn, Wichita, KS<\/p>\n
A: Try United Radio Service at www.unitedradio.com. They do not charge for estimates and do top-notch work. I used them for my prized Denon DVD-1600 DVD player and they did a fantastic job and turned it around quickly. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!<\/p>\n
Q: I saw your recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on “Lens choice isn’t always clear”. I recently purchased a Canon 20D digital SLR camera and a Tamron 28 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 300 mm lens. I’m still partial to my Pentax Film camera which seems like it takes sharper pictures than my digital camera. My question is- would I get a sharper picture with a pro lens vs. what I purchased\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 the consumer Tamron lens?<\/p>\n
-Gene Lange, Eagan, MN<\/p>\n
A: First, make sure you are sharpening your pictures in software. All digital camera images benefit from a little bit of sharpening. Look for the Unsharp Mask option in Adobe Photoshop under Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask.<\/p>\n
That said, you would certainly get a sharper picture with a pro lens. The difference will be night and day.<\/p>\n
The Canon 20D is a tremendous camera. I myself own one and I am continually amazed at the image quality, as well as the professional feel and features. I use my 20D exclusively with the Canon L series pro lenses and prefer the combination to any 35mm film and lens combination I have tried. I can assure you the camera is up to the task.<\/p>\n
There are two things working against you with the lens you have: the zoom ratio and the lens quality itself.<\/p>\n
The larger the zoom ratio, and the larger the digital sensor surface area, the more challenging and expensive it is to design a very sharp lens. <\/p>\n
Small ultra-zoom digital cameras such as the Panasonic DMC-FZ20 have a small digital sensor, so designing and manufacturing a high-quality lens at a reasonable price is achievable. The sensor of a digital SLR is much larger in comparison and requires more glass as well as greater size to adequately cover the sensor.<\/p>\n
When you combine the low price and large zoom ratio of the Tamron, you get optical compromises that hurt performance, especially in low light.<\/p>\n
If you must have a single lens that zooms from 28-300mm, the Canon 28-300 L series lens will definitely satisfy you. Unfortunately, it costs $2,200.<\/p>\n
My recommendation is to get two high-quality lenses to cover most of the 28-300mm focal length. The Tamron 28-75\/2.8 XR lens is a very good choice, and it performs well in low light. It costs $359 after current rebates. The Canon 70-200\/4 L series lens offers professional quality for only $579. It’s one of the best lenses that Canon makes and lets you get into their pro lens line without spending $2,000. You lose 100mm on the long end, but you still have tremendous magnification and more importantly, you will get super-sharp pictures.<\/p>\n
That’s almost $1,000 for lenses, which may seem extreme- but you have to look at things long term. If cared for, the lenses will last you a lifetime. The $1,300 20D, on the other hand, will likely be obsolete (though still a great camera) within 18 months. <\/p>\n
If you want to get the most out of that expensive digital SLR, buy great lenses for it! Otherwise you are missing out. Spend a little more or accept a bit less zoom ratio to get the best results.<\/p>\n