Author Archives: Chuck_Maas

Storage Renaissance

Just in case you haven’t been watching the technical details of several recent hardware releases, there’s a revolution underway in storage.  A good example is the just-updated Apple 15” Retina MacBook Pro, in which the PCIe-based SSD is two-and-a-half times … Continue reading

Posted in Computers, Hardware | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Storage Renaissance

Nurturing

It’s the time of year for lots of new life, including eaglets.  This young one receives a morsel of food from an adult.

Posted in Fauna | Tagged , | Comments Off on Nurturing

Dandelions

I’m chided now and then for being appreciative of the happy faces of invasive dandelions.  Yes, they’re a nuisance, and they crowd out native plants, but I can’t help admiring their tenacity and bright displays.  They are usually the very … Continue reading

Posted in Flora | Tagged | Comments Off on Dandelions

New Epson Printer

Epson has rolled out their next photography and fine art printer in the SureColor P-Series—the P800.  This is a 17-inch wide model that looks to be the long-awaited Stylus Pro 3880 replacement.  Using the same UltraChrome HD pigment inkset as … Continue reading

Posted in Hardware | Tagged , | Comments Off on New Epson Printer

Canon’s New Ultra-Wide Zoom

Over the weekend I had the privilege of using Canon’s new EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens.  As others have noted, it’s both large and heavy, contains very high-quality components, and the 11mm rectilinear experience is startling.  I’ve used Canon’s 15mm … Continue reading

Posted in Hardware | Tagged , | Comments Off on Canon’s New Ultra-Wide Zoom

New Lens Foot

Among the many daily compromises for most photographers is maximizing equipment function and reducing weight.  After all, there’s only so much one can carry, and while it may seem that a few extra ounces wouldn’t make much difference, they do … Continue reading

Posted in Hardware | Tagged , | Comments Off on New Lens Foot

Late Winter Visitor

It’s early March already, but Bohemian Waxwings are still roving in flocks around Southcentral Alaska looking for remaining fruit, especially mountain ash berries. After a flock has gorged on berries, you’ll often see them fly down to the ground and … Continue reading

Posted in Fauna | Tagged , | Comments Off on Late Winter Visitor

Corporate Greed

Now and then big companies completely lose sight of their relationship with customers, apparently forgetting that without them they wouldn’t be in business at all.  Here are two recent examples. Intuit, the makers of TurboTax, decided that for the 2014 … Continue reading

Posted in Industry trends | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Corporate Greed

New High-megapixel Canon

It’s official—Canon has announced a major upgrade to their 5-series full-frame DSLR camera with a 50+ MP sensor and a host of internal features not seen before in any Canon body.  There are two versions; the 5Ds with a standard … Continue reading

Posted in Cameras | Tagged , , | Comments Off on New High-megapixel Canon

New Epson Printer

The new Epson SureColor P600 inkjet printer is now shown on Epson’s website and listed as “coming soon”/available for pre-order at B&H Photo.   In addition, Keith Cooper at Northlight Images has posted an extensive review.  In short, this will be … Continue reading

Posted in Hardware, Printing | Tagged , | Comments Off on New Epson Printer