Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Should You Ride a Motorcycle?

Should You Ride a Motorcycle?
http://www.motorcycle.com/rider-safety/should-you-ride-a-motorcycle-88616.html


Since the invention of the motorcycle, people have been drawn to them for a variety of reasons.

They are fun, fast, and give feelings of freedom and power. You can aggressively lean into corners, or just kick back. The experience is an open-air ride no car can come close to offering.

And for just about as long, marketers have been selling motorcycles based on these attributes, delivering up better and better machines. Riders too, have long recruited others, telling them how much fun and what a great lifestyle it is.

Nor is there any doubt. Riding can be a great activity – but it is not for everybody. Some people, if they in a moment of inner clarity would self evaluate, really ought to just say, "no thanks," and forget motorcycling altogether.

According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, there are those who should stay off motorcycles for their own good.

This is according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), which in May published a Quick Tip sheet, titled "Should You Ride a Motorcycle?"

Yes, the organization sponsored by motorcycle manufacturers is saying there are those who should stay off motorcycles for their own good. The two-page sheet outlines several reasons that if ignored, could add up to trouble.

As it is, most of us know of people who refuse to ride because someone they cared for was injured or killed. And others have quit after they themselves were hurt, or had a close call, or an it-could-have-been-much-worse moment.

The MSF's Director, Special Projects, Ken Glaser, said he promoted the Quick Tip sheet because the need is there. In corresponding with rider coaches in the MSF's network of over 9,000 instructors, he said he periodically hears of certain rookies who showed up at a Basic RiderCourse (BRC) to get schooled. Back home, they'd tell the coach, they have an already purchased, not-yet-ridden motorcycle, in some cases, with price tags up to $20,000.

Their stories come up because these already invested people fail the course, or otherwise raise questions in the coaches' minds as to whether they have what it takes to handle that big shiny machine just itching for its first ride.

The BRC is already considered a sort of go/no-go indicator. Glaser said some people have fun learning in the 101-level course, and others find it stimulating or easy. There are some though, who find it to be arduous and very stressful. People in this group may decide not to take up riding at that point. Others do just so-so, and may decide to soldier on anyway.

If you like to take chances can could endanger you or others, perhaps motorcycling isn't for you.

Glaser said he hopes if a person bombs the BRC that they seriously consider whether they belong on a motorcycle, and are prepared to accept all the risks. Now, the MSF is adding to the message with 10 questions it hopes newbies will ask:

On top of the list is one question that could seem ironic. It is "Are you a higher risk taker than others you know?"

A lot of riders might say, "Of course I am, and that's why I love to ride!"

But what it really means, Glaser said, is can you manage and assess risk? Or, for example, are you a loose canon behind the wheel of a car? Do you like to follow too closely, or take chances that could endanger you or others? Do you use a cell phone in traffic? Do you often feel road rage, or have a personality that otherwise doesn't respect hazardous boundaries that would carry over to two-wheeled riding?

If so, you are not alone. Nor would you be the first to discover that a motorcycle is a lot less forgiving if you make a mistake. What you might have gotten away with in a car may cost you on a motorcycle.

A bike is balanced on two thin tires, and has no crash cage. If you fall, the only protection you might have is gear and a helmet.

If you think accidents only happen to other people, that also is a risky attitude.

Another couple of questions are, "Can you ride a bicycle?" and "Can you drive a stick shift car?" Both of these physical tasks require good eye-hand-foot coordination.

Having experience on a bicycle – or for that matter, a dirt bike or motor scooter – teaches you balance on two wheels. A dirt bike can also teach you to handle a high power-to-weight ratio on loose terrain, which can impart several skills useful for street riding.

If you can't handle a manual transmission in a car, what makes you think you can handle it on a bike?

And as for manual transmissions, most motorcycles have them. If you can't manage one in a car, you've just added to what you'll need to learn on a motorcycle. If this seems like a big challenge, maybe an automatic transmission scooter would be better for you?

Also along the lines of basic physical competence is, "Do you see well?"

Seeing involves not just passing an eye exam, but depth perception, and spatial awareness, a finer ability that helps on the road. Can you catch a ball? Are you not too clumsy? Can you gauge speed and distance pretty well? Or are you one of the new breeds of drivers who pull out from side streets into traffic with only a few feet to spare?

As was recently covered, knowing your way around the workings of your machine doesn't hurt either.

The MSF wants you to ask yourself, "Are you mechanically inclined?" If not, it could mean you're not suited for a powered two-wheeler.

A couple more: "Are you safety minded?' and "Do you respect machinery and other equipment that has risk?"

In with being safety minded, do you operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other drugs? Do you think you are OK, or function even better after a drink or two? Some do, but the MSF isn't one of them.

And, as another gauge of your risk management tendencies, do you take unnecessary chances with power tools or machines that require safety gear like eye, head or hand protection? If cavalier about these, how careful will you be on a motorcycle?

Riding in adverse conditions takes more caution and focus on a motorcycle than in a car.

Another one is, "Can you focus?" That is, can you consistently pay close attention to a task at hand for as long as you need to? This would be an ability that you'd want to merge with your good spatial awareness, and eye-hand-motor skills.

On a bike, you want to pay attention to what gear you are in, where you are in the power band, how hard you are leaned, what the pavement is like when you brake, what's happening with traffic, etc.

There are many individual variables and operations in riding, and you have to synthesize them all, and remain mentally sharp. While some of this involves skills you can learn, ability to focus is a prerequisite.

The next question is, "Can you handle a car in an emergency?"

Depending on how you interpret this, it may only be partially applicable because the skills that transfer from proficient car driving to motorcycle riding include monitoring your surroundings in 360 degrees, and driving defensively.

What do not carry over are operational skills that can be developed only by actually riding a motorcycle.

It has been argued that a proficient motorcyclist has a broader and overlapping skill set to a car driver, and these skills transfer one way, but not necessarily the other. 

That is, a great motorcyclist – who likely has some car driving experience – can usually handle a car very well. A great auto driver new to motorcycles, on the other hand, may not do nearly as well on a bike.

Why? One reason is if you can gauge braking and cornering traction well for two wheels, you can definitely do it on four. So how you approach handling your car in an emergency is important, but handling your bike in an emergency still involves learning new things you never have to think as much about in an automobile.

Lastly, "Are you willing to invest some time in learning to ride the right way before hopping on a bike?"

This is a pitch for taking the BRC, which is a good idea. Or you could seek independent rider training as well.

If you are a newbie, think seriously whether you are ready to commit to all the risks, and get the training needed to do it right. And if you are an experienced rider, and you know someone interested in motorcycling, you could help him or her decide whether to even begin the process of getting involved.

Related Reading
How Well Do You Know Your Motorcycle?
Rider Education, Injuries and Fatalities
What to Wear When You Ride - and Why
The SEE System: Increasing Your Visibility
Motorcycle Insurance Basics
Choose a Motorcycle That Fits
The American Culture of Motorcycle Safety
Group Riding 101
How to Load Your Motorcycle
Night Riding
Riding With a Passenger
Riding in the Rain and Wind
The Truth about Drinking and Riding
Road Conditions Quiz
Knowing How to Brake Saves (the most) Lives


(via Instapaper)



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Sunday, April 28, 2013

This Week's Reading - 20130429

How to migrate your data to a new Mac | News | TechRadar

Should You Ride a Motorcycle?

Active Directory Domain Services Role on Windows Server 2012

100 highest-paying jobs in San Francisco, Oakland - San Francisco Business Times

Performing an Offline Domain Join in Active Directory - Petri, VERY useful!

Manage Virtual Machines in Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V - Petri

Changing the IP Address of a Domain Controller - Petri, be sure to do dcdiag BEFORE

How easy is it to migrate to Office 365? | News | TechRadar

Tutorial: How to migrate your data to a new Mac

Tutorial: How to migrate your data to a new Mac:

Tutorial: How to migrate your data to a new Mac

How to migrate your data to a new Mac

Acquiring a new Mac is always exciting. Unboxing one is enough to send some people scurrying for a video camera, so that they can later revisit that new-Mac feeling.

But unless it's your very first computer, the thrill of setting up a new Mac is tempered by the knowledge of what comes next: getting your data - documents, photographs, email, music - from your old computer to your new one.

Perhaps in some far-off, magical future, where all data lives in the cloud and web connections are dizzyingly fast, this won't be something you'll need to worry about. Instead, you'll fire up a new Mac, type in your Apple ID and password, and impatiently drum your fingers on the desk during the five seconds it takes to get your important files back in their rightful homes.

Unfortunately, we live in pesky modern-day reality, and things aren't quite so simple.

Sensitive data

Most user data is stored locally, on a hard drive or flash drive. In order to get it onto a new Mac, it must be copied across somehow. This process is further complicated if you're moving from a PC rather than a Mac. Data also happens to be relatively fragile, and problems can occur during migration.

Additionally, there can be compatibility issues with new machines, and so what might have first seemed like a fun splurge at the Apple Store can rapidly descend into some kind of wide-eyed nightmare, with you wondering why your iPhoto library suddenly has precisely zero pictures within. MacFormat is here to help.

With this feature, we're not just telling you to get a new and old Mac communicating and then let Migration Assistant do its thing (although that is one optional part of the process, as we'll show). We're also providing in-depth advice on everything else surrounding migrating to a new Mac.

We explore backing up your system - something you should be doing anyway, but doubly important when you're about to move to a new machine. We take a look at dealing with moving data from a PC to a Mac - increasingly common as people flock to Apple after years of battling Windows. Alternative options for transferring data from Mac to Mac are looked at, including manual migration, which makes it simpler to leave detritus behind.

Beyond migration, we also examine related topics. Upgrading OS X requires many of the same safeguards to be implemented as when migrating a Mac, and so we provide best-practice guidance there. And once migration and upgrades are done, there are further things to check and do, not least if you find yourself suddenly needing access to your 'old' machine - a copy of which we'll show you how to stash on a hard drive in your office drawer.

Clone your Mac

Make a copy of your old Mac before you start your migration

CrashPlan

Backing up data is something we hope every MacFormat reader does on a regular basis. After all, data is relatively fragile - should your Mac's internal drive give up the ghost (something that tends to happen abruptly, without warning), everything on it will no longer be accessible. All those baby photos, important work documents and the amazing album you were working on in GarageBand will be gone, probably forever.

Your only hope will be an expensive recovery service - and even then, nothing will be guaranteed. It should never come to that. There are various affordable ways of safeguarding your data, each with their various pros and cons.

Time Machine is a very popular choice - it's simple, built-in to OS X and enables you to find older versions of a specific document should you wish to revert. All you need to do is buy and plug in a USB drive (ideally one with a capacity at least half as large again as your Mac's internal drive) and confirm when your Mac asks if you'd like to use it for backing up.

You can also use an online back-up service, such as CrashPlan, which puts data beyond even disasters such as your Mac being consumed by fire. At MacFormat, we recommend both of these things - and not exclusively, because the more copies of your data you have, the better.

Clone wars

Time Machine

There's also a third way: cloning. A clone differs from a backup in that it's not based around making copies of user files, but is instead an exact working duplicate of your entire Mac's hard drive.

In essence, a clone is your Mac, and you can even boot from it and work with it. Because of this, we recommend you clone any Mac you're planning to migrate from. This gives you a snapshot of your old Mac that can be stashed away and brought out should you need access to an old file, or even an old application that no longer runs under the flavour of OS X installed on your new machine.

In terms of the drive you use to clone your Mac, that depends on whether you're already using cloning software. If you are, we recommend buying a new external hard drive for your new Mac, and doing one last clone to the old drive before it's retired. That way, you always have the old one when you need it, and can start afresh with new hardware (and, if relevant, a more suitable external drive capacity) for your new Mac.

If you don't clone your Mac, pick up a drive with a capacity at least 10% larger than the used portion on your Mac's internal drive. (You can find out this figure by selecting the drive in Finder's sidebar and then using File > Get Info.) What brand you buy doesn't really matter, and you should be able to find, for example, 500GB external USB2 or 3 drives for under £50 if you shop around.

For extra peace of mind, drives that have two disks inside them, which invisibly mirror the data from one disk over to the other, are particularly good for backing up.

Super carbon

Carbon Copy Cloner

Regarding software, there are two applications we strongly recommend for cloning: SuperDuper! and Carbon Copy Cloner. Each costs around £25, but in neither case would you have to buy right away.

SuperDuper! works for free for basic cloning - paying unlocks incremental back-up and scheduling options; Carbon Copy Cloner has a 30-day trial version. We use SuperDuper! in our walkthrough (primarily out of habit - both apps are equally impressive), but whichever software you favour, it's worth paying for it and continuing to use it with your new Mac and an external drive - even if you use Time Machine and CrashPlan. After all, if something goes wrong with your new Mac and you've been creating a clone every day, you'd be able to boot from it and continue working, with almost no downtime and under a day's data loss.

In the steps below, then, we take you through the process of cloning your Mac, but it's extremely important to not make the clone and then immediately divert attention to your new Mac. Instead, you should test that the clone works by booting from that drive and poking around with it for a while. If data hasn't come across properly, format the external drive and clone again.

Once you're happy everything's working correctly, you can move on to migrating data to your new Mac. Note that we realise our tips on these two pages might suck a little wind out of your excitement sails, or come across as a touch paranoid, but rest assured we nag for good reason: we so often hear from readers who lose data from their Macs, or who sell an old Mac, only to realise six months later that they forgot to copy across some important documents they now need.

However, with a small amount of preparation, an affordable external hard drive to hand, and a few hours' thumb-twiddling while your Mac clones itself, you can ensure that this will never happen to you.

Make a clone: Safeguard your data

1. Prepare the drive

Step 1

Not all drives are formatted appropriately for a clone. To ensure yours will work, open Disk Utility, select the drive, click Partition, select '1 Partition' for the layout, and if you have an Intel Mac, choose 'GUID Partition Table' in Options.

2. Do some housekeeping

step 2

Although you can clone your Mac in any state, if you're going to return to the drive in the future, it's a good idea to tidy up a bit first. If you've files all over the desktop, for example, file them prior to cloning.

3. Make the clone

Step 3

Shut all apps and launch SuperDuper!. Select your Mac's drive and the external drive in the top two menus, and choose 'Backup – all files' from 'using'. Click 'Copy Now'. The clone may take hours, so just leave your Mac alone.

Check your close: Don't risk failure

1. Restart your Mac

step 1

In System Preferences, open the Startup Disk pane and select the back-up drive that you've made. Click Restart. Your Mac should boot from the drive; be mindful that it will take longer than usual to start up.

2. Test the clone

step 2

It's impossible to thoroughly test a clone, but you can launch a few apps such as iPhoto to check everything's intact, along with exploring various folders in Finder and opening some files, to see if everything seems okay.

3. Store the clone

step 3

Use the Startup Disk pane to restart your Mac using the internal hard drive. Once you've restarted, eject the clone drive and keep it in a safe place, along with any cables (USB or power) required for it to work.

Migrating to a new Mac - part two

Back up your PC

Make a copy of your PC files before you ditch Windows for OS X

Windows desktop

Perhaps you're in the process of moving from a PC to a Mac. While it's likely you'll be eager to leave Windows behind, it's unlikely to be true for the documents you've created. As when moving from a Mac to another Mac, Apple makes it easy to migrate your data from a PC (see 'From PC to Mac' later in this feature), but we nonetheless strongly recommend you clone your PC in its entirety before shutting it down for the last time.

In doing so, you ensure you have a copy of everything, and can later access any data that either Apple's Migration Assistant or your own drag-and-drop process missed. Given how affordable external hard drives are, you'd be mad to not keep a tiny copy of your PC in a drawer, and if you later decide you really don't need it, you can always repurpose the hard drive as a back-up unit for your new Mac.

Although the more modern iterations of Windows include built-in back-up systems, they have a tendency to create output that's opaque, much like Apple's own Time Machine. What we instead recommend is something closer to SuperDuper! on the Mac, to create a clone that can subsequently be easily browsed using Finder.

Macrium Reflect is one such product, and, much like SuperDuper!, it generously comes in a free incarnation (macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx) that enables you to do a one-off clone.

Before you start, get your house in order. Tidy up your PC so your files are in their most logical locations, in case you need to find them later. Additionally, where possible, export data from applications you'll no longer be able to use on the Mac, and then file it somewhere suitable. You'll also need to ensure the hard drive is in an appropriate format.

Macs now read NTFS-formatted drives but won't write to them. If you want a Windows drive that you can also copy documents to from your Mac, opt for ExFAT.

Once your clone's complete, it's time to test it. Use Windows Explorer or Finder on your new Mac to explore the disk and make sure your important files are intact. Ideally, you should then migrate data to your Mac and again test it before selling or giving away your Windows PC.

Clone your PC: Keep your files safe

1. Connect your drive

step 1

With your USB drive connected, launch Macrium Reflect. Click 'Clone this disk'. In source, your PC's disk will be shown. Under destination, click 'Select a disk to clone to' and choose your external drive.

2. Make the clone

step 2

Click Next to see an overview of what will happen. Ensure the source and destination are correct. Click Finish. You'll be warned about existing data being overwritten. Click Continue to start the process.

3. Browse your disk

Step 3

Eject and disconnect the hard drive from your PC and connect it to your new Mac. It should appear in Finder's sidebar (as 'Untitled') and be browsable. The Users folder will house the majority of your important documents.

Automatic migration

The easiest way to get data from an old to a new Mac

passcode

Migration Assistant provides a relatively painless means of transferring user data, applications and settings between two Macs. Automated systems sometimes make old-hands a little twitchy, but these days they're pretty robust, if not quite entirely problem-free.

That's not to say Migration Assistant is for everyone. If your old Mac's well-behaved and in good working order (few crashes, no obvious software problems, little cruft), it's a good bet, unless you're the kind of person who absolutely has to start with a clean slate with each new machine. However, if your old Mac's been having problems, Migration Assistant might bring them across to the new one, and it would therefore be sensible to consider a manual migration, as outlined on the opposite page.

Avoid migration horror

If you decide to use Apple's migration tools, we have two important tips. First, if something goes wrong, no matter how slight the error, it pays to have a full copy of your old Mac's drive, to later 'rescue' missing files or data. Therefore, clone your Mac before you begin.

Secondly, do the migration during your Mac's set-up process, and certainly before you've done any major work with it. Although you can later launch Migration Assistant and pull data across from an old Mac, you cannot easily migrate data from a user account into one of the same name that already exists on the new machine. You'll therefore be left with two accounts and fiddling about with the horrors of permissions to try and merge them, which isn't at all fun.

When it comes to the migration itself, ensure the old (source) Mac's software is up to date and that any laptops are plugged into the mains. The two Macs need to be connected somehow, either via a cable or on the same Wi-Fi network. Cable transfers are typically faster.

If using Thunderbolt or FireWire, you'll need to restart the source Mac into target mode by holding the T key as it boots. On the 'Transfer Information to This Mac' screen during set-up, choose 'From Another Disk' if using Thunderbolt or FireWire (or a connected Time Machine backup, which is an alternative option), and confirm the source in the 'Select the Source' screen.

If using Wi-Fi or Ethernet, select 'From Another Mac' and launch Migration Assistant on the source Mac. It will ask for permission to close all open apps, and you'll also have to confirm a passcode key on both Macs before continuing.

Then decide which data to copy: user accounts, applications, settings and 'other files and folders', the last of those being files you've created outside of your user folder.

Migration methods

Target Mac

If later using Migration Assistant on your new Mac, the process is broadly similar, although on the new Mac you need to first confirm you want to transfer data 'From a Mac, PC, Time Machine backup, or other disk', and then select a migration method ('From a Mac or PC' or 'From a Time Machine backup or other disk').

As noted earlier, however, you're better off doing the migration during the initial set-up of your Mac, not later on.

Manual Mac migration

If you want old data on a fresh Mac without cruft, here's how

Manual Mac migration

Should you use a Mac for a long time before you unbox its shiny new replacement, chances are it will have acquired a certain amount of cruft. The old Mac might be stuffed full of applications you no longer use, some of which might not be compatible with the version of OS X running on your new Mac; it might also have fonts you no longer care for and system add-ons that slow the computer down.

The Mac might act strangely now and again - perhaps it'll sometimes freeze for no reason, or occasionally crash entirely. If that's in any way the case, it's worth considering manually migrating your old data to the new Mac. Doing so is more time-consuming than letting Migration Assistant get on with its job, but it also gives you total control over the data you bring across, and also when you decide to do so.

This is a method various members of the MacFormat team tend to use, because it lessens the likelihood of conflicts on a new Mac, and it also cuts any clutter that might have built up on the old machine. In short, manual migration typically results in a more reliable and faster Mac - it's a clean slate to which you can add specifically chosen documents and applications.

Should manual migration be the route you decide on, it's best to use a clone of your old Mac to copy data from. It is possible to browse Time Machine disks and restore files from them, but it's faster and more efficient to use a clone.

It's also worth noting that there's no real need to rush anything. Although you can attempt to bring all your data across to the new Mac in one sitting, we find it's often useful to instead take a more relaxed and incremental approach. Keep everything handy by having your clone connected for a few weeks, and copy files across as and when you need them. You'll find personal documents (as in, anything you've created) will probably be copied over almost immediately, but application support files might never need to be migrated, if you decide against installing the products they support.

First steps: To a fresh Mac set-up

Fresh mac

1. Be prepared

Before starting your migration, it's good practice to make careful notes of anything you think you're going to need to access your information. For example, you will need serial numbers of any software you're going to reinstall, and passwords for websites and social networks you use.

Additionally, you might find it useful to screen-grab aspects of your old Mac (such as the Dock), as a reminder of your favoured set-ups. You can do this with the key combination Shift+Command+3.

2. Sign in

During the set-up of your new machine, you'll be asked to sign in with your Apple ID, assuming you already have one. If you do and you've previously used Apple services, some aspects of the migration will already be simpler for you. This is because, once the Mac's connected to the internet, iCloud will be able to pull down data for your calendar, contacts and Safari bookmarks.

3. Explore defaults

Something people like to do with Macs is make them 'theirs', by changing some of the system settings. However, Apple subsequently updates the defaults with each new OS release, and often (but not always!) makes them better.

Therefore, take time to explore the way your new Mac works in its vanilla state, and avoid the temptation to make everything as it was before. Remember, you can always bring settings and add-ons back later.

4. Install your apps

If there are apps you know you'll need to use almost immediately, install them. Mac App Store apps can be installed by signing in and accessing them from the Purchases tab. For other apps, install these from DVDs or disk images; where possible, download the latest versions from the web. Again, try using apps in their vanilla states before copying across old preferences.

Apple Apps: Document transition

5. Copy your documents

Your personal documents will be found in /Users/[account name] on your clone drive; if you like, every folder's contents (Documents, Music, Pictures and so on) can be copied into its equivalent location on the new Mac. Again, though, it often pays to be less hasty – for example, if your Downloads folder was full of junk, do all the files and folders within really need to be copied to your new Mac? Go through your files and assess what's essential and what can be discarded.

iTunes

Your iTunes library is located in /Music/ iTunes, and can be copied across as-is. On first launching iTunes, the app might update the library and you'll also need to authorise the Mac to play DRM-protected files. Local iOS device backups can be copied from /Library/Application Support/MobileSync.

iPhoto and Aperture

iPhoto and Aperture libraries are located in /Pictures, and these can be copied across to the equivalent location on the new Mac. Like iTunes, iPhoto will probably need to update the library on first launch, but everything should then work fine. You can put the libraries elsewhere, and hold Option while launching to point the app at them.

Mail

Mail stores your email in /Library/Mail and downloads in /Library/Mail Downloads. Copy those folders across to your new Mac and then launch Mail. It will update the database and you'll subsequently also have to enter your account password before receiving new email.

Notes

If you were previously using iCloud with Notes, they should download on launch. If you're moving from OS X Lion, launch Mail before Notes and the latter will be populated with existing data. If you had a mailbox called Notes, you must change that on the old Mac prior to migration, or it'll be deleted.

Backups

All backup sets will need to be recreated. That goes for whether you're using Time Machine or some other third-party system. Don't overwrite an old backup; rather, start from scratch on a newly formatted drive. Also, don't wait until migration is totally complete before doing so - start backing up during your new Mac's first day.

Where are my files?: Finding folders

Files

Most important files you'll want to copy across from your clone are housed in obvious locations in your user folder; some other data will be in iCloud, and will be downloaded by your online Mac when needed.

However, as the Mail section above shows, this isn't always the case, and one of the problems with a manual migration is in knowing not only where OS X keeps certain files, but also if and when those files need transferring to a new Mac. What follows are some examples of common document types whose hard drive locations you might need help finding.

Calendars and contacts

If you don't use iCloud, Calendar data is in /Library/Calendars, and contacts in /Library/ Application Support/AddressBook.

Safari bookmarks

Safari data is stored in /Library/Safari. You'll need to copy the Bookmarks.plist file if you don't sync bookmarks via iCloud.

GarageBand support files

Instruments live in /Library/Application Support/GarageBand, and user settings in /Library/Application Support/GarageBand.

Dropbox documents

To save Dropbox from downloading everything, copy the Dropbox folder from your clone's user folder and point a new Dropbox install to it.

App settings

If you miss an app's set-up, copy its preferences from /Library/Preferences. Use Spotlight to filter for an app's name.

More support files

Other application support files are usually found in a folder not unusually called /Application Support. Copy across an application's folder if something's missing.

     



(Via TechRadar: All latest feeds)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Buying Guide: Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

TechRadar: All latest feeds
Buying Guide: Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Portrait lenses explained

Professional portrait photographers may favour top-money lenses such as the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 or Nikon 85mm f/1.4G. But for those of us who don't want to use this type of lens on a daily, money-earning basis, the respective prices of £1,700/US$2,000/AU$2,300 and £1,200/US$1,450/AU$1,800 put them beyond sensible reach.

At the other end of the scale, lenses such as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 cost a mere £80/US$120/AU$130, but come up short in terms of features, performance and build quality. Thankfully, there's plenty of choice to be had in the middle ground, with a range of prime (fixed length) lenses that are affordable but capable. So what makes a good portrait lens?

The first thing to consider is focal length. If you're using a camera with an APS-C format image sensor, a 50mm lens will give an effective focal length of around 75mm to 80mm. This is very close to the 85mm focal length that's considered ideal for portraiture. It enables half-length portraits to be taken from a comfortable distance of around 3m, so you can direct your subject without crowding in and making them feel awkward.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Use an 85mm lens on an APS-C camera, and you'll be able to take head-and-shoulders portraits from about the same distance. One particular advantage of using an 85mm lens for portraiture is that the short telephoto focal length has the effect of slightly compressing any prominent facial features (think noses and chins) for a bit of added flattery.

Generally, prime lenses offer superior image quality to zoom lenses, which makes the optics on test instantly appealing. Their killer feature, however, is a wide maximum aperture that's usually between f/1.4 and f/1.8. This enables a tight depth of field, so you can blur fussy backgrounds and make the person you're shooting really stand out in an image.

The lens's 'bokeh' is all-important. This is the quality of defocused areas within the image, and the aim is to produce a smooth and creamy-looking blur effect. When shooting at anything other than a wide-open aperture, one thing that helps with this is for the lens to feature a well-rounded diaphragm.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Wider apertures also help if you're taking indoor or twilight portraits and you want to make the most of ambient lighting effects without using flash. The key benefit is that you can use faster shutter speeds to enable handheld shooting, as well as freezing any slight movement in the person you're photographing, without having to greatly increase your camera's sensitivity (ISO) setting.

That said, boosting the ISO is less of an issue than it was just a few years ago, since most current cameras offer very good image quality at high sensitivity settings.

At their widest available apertures, very fast lenses often suffer from a significant drop in image sharpness. That's not always a bad thing, since it can give a soft, dreamy look to portraits. It's a good anti-wrinkle feature, for reducing the signs of premature ageing. The only real downside is that the eyes may not be as sharp as you'd like them. You may also need to use a Neutral Density filter in bright lighting conditions, to avoid exceeding your camera's fastest shutter speed.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Portrait lenses aren't just about large apertures. So-called environmental portraits are perennially popular, featuring people in their home or working environment.

When shooting, say, a craftsman in his workshop, you may want to use a small aperture to give a larger depth of field, giving clarity to the surroundings. Sharpness at small apertures can therefore also be an important consideration. As always, maximum sharpness is usually achieved at mid-range aperture settings of around f/8.

Medium apertures are useful when using studio flash lighting as well as for general portraiture. Bear in mind that if you use a very wide aperture for a head-and-shoulders portrait, the person's ears may be slightly defocused when you're focusing on their eyes.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

In most portraiture, sharpness is crucial in the central region of the frame. It's a frequently used composition trick to have the person off-centre in a portrait image but, even so, sharpness at the extreme edges and corners is usually unimportant. The exception is when taking group portraits, where people on the periphery may be quite close to the corners of the frame.

It's tempting to use a wide-angle lens for group shots, for the sake of convenience, but the problem with this is that the people near the sides of the image will end up with stretched heads. It's much better practice to stand further back if possible, and to use a lens with a more standard focal length.

Fast autofocus isn't as crucial as it is for action sports or wildlife photography, but it can still be a factor. Nobody wants to miss a fleeting expression or classic moment because they're waiting for autofocus to crawl into place. Quietness of autofocus is also a bonus for shooting candid portraiture.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM - £280/US$360/AU$470

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Compared with Canon's range-topping EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, this lens is much more compact, only half the weight and less than a quarter of the price. It still feels pretty robust and the front element is quite well recessed within the inner barrel.

This helps to reduce ghosting and flare, along with Canon's Super Spectra coatings, but it's still worth spending a little extra on the optional lens hood. The inner barrel extends at shorter focus distances but doesn't rotate during focusing.

Based on an eight-blade diaphragm, the aperture is well rounded, and the maximum available aperture matches the best in class at f/1.4.

Autofocus is of the Micro USM variety, involving a motor and gearwheels. This type of system is slower than ring-type ultrasonic autofocus but the Canon offers full-time manual focus override, which is normally only available in the company's ring-type USM lenses.

You can tweak the focus setting in One Shot autofocus mode without having to switch between AF/M on the lens barrel.

Autofocus is actually faster than in the Nikon 50mm f/1.4, which is fitted with a ring-type ultrasonic system. Sharpness and contrast aren't very impressive at f/1.4, and sharpness is worse than with other lenses in the group throughout the rest of the aperture range. Even so, as a portrait lens for Canon users with APS-C sensor cameras, it gives pleasing results.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Full ISO 200 image, see the cropped (100%) version below.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

There's a distinct lack of sharpness at f/1.4, and unfortunately it's unimpressive at any point throughout the aperture range.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Poorer than most competing lenses in this group at any given aperture, and colour fringing is most noticeable at around f/8.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

It's not particularly obvious in the images, but there is some barrel distortion, which is a little high for a 50mm prime lens.

Image test verdict

Unfortunately the Canon 50mm f/1.4 doesn't really excel in any specific area of image quality and, overall, it's merely an average performer.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - £300/US$385/AU$585

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

While it's understandably bigger than the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens, this 85mm optic is still compact and has the same filter thread of 58mm. Both Canon lenses look quite similar at a glance, but the 85mm has a larger front element that isn't recessed within the barrel, making the purchase of an optional ET-65 III lens hood all the more important.

Build quality is good and the lens benefits from a ring-type autofocus system that's very fast and almost silent. It's a significant step up from the Canon 50mm's Micro USM system, both in speed and the smoothness of full-time manual focus override.

Autofocus is fully internal, so the barrel doesn't extend during shorter-range focusing. The eight-blade diaphragm gives a well-rounded aperture, similar to that of the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens.

There's noticeably more sharpness and contrast than with the Canon 50mm lens when using the widest available aperture, albeit at f/1.8 as opposed to the 50mm's f/1.4.

Sharpness is also improved at medium apertures of around f/5.6 to f/8. The lens is almost completely free of distortion, while colour fringing and vignetting are well controlled.

With its improved autofocus system and superior image quality, this lens is better value than the Canon 50mm lens, since it's only a little dearer to buy. It's an ideal portrait optic for full-frame DSLR bodies and very useful for telephoto portraiture on APS-C cameras.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Good rather than excellent throughout most of the aperture range, this lens does better than the Canon 50mm at large apertures.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Colour fringing is quite low and remains consistent through most of the aperture range, although it peaks at f/1.8.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

There's very marginal barrel distortion and it's all but impossible to see in images. It's on a par with the Nikon 85mm lens.

Image test verdict

Sharper and with less colour fringing or distortion than the Canon 50mm lens, the 85mm delivers very good image quality for the money.

Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G - £280/US$400/AU$550

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

This G-mount lens is a major update of the somewhat antiquated 50mm f/1.4D. As such, it ditches the aperture control ring, adds AF-S (Silent Wave) autofocus and has completely redesigned optics.

The good news about autofocus is that, unlike the previous lens, it works on all Nikon DSLRs, even bodies like the D3200 and D5200 that don't have a built-in AF drive.

The bad news is that, despite being a ring-type ultrasonic system, it's sluggish and slower than when using old D-mount lenses on bodies like the D7000 or any Nikon full-frame DSLR. At least the full-time manual override works well, with smoothness and precision.

The lens feels robust and well put together, complete with a weather-seal ring around the metal mounting plate. Like the equivalent Canon lens, the front element is well recessed within the inner barrel, although it does extend towards the front of the lens's outer barrel at shorter focus distances. Unlike the Canon lens, the overall physical length of the lens doesn't alter through the focus range.

Images look quite soft at wide apertures between f/1.4 and f/2.8, but sharpness improves at f/4 and is consistent across the whole frame. Barrel distortion is slightly noticeable, slightly more so than with any other lens here. Bokeh is very pleasant, thanks in part to a well-rounded nine-blade diaphragm.

Overall, it's a significant improvement over the old D-mount lens.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

It's poorest in the group at f/2.8, where sharpness is marginally worse even than at f/1.4. It's respectable at apertures of f/4 and smaller.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

There's a spike in colour fringing at f/2.8, but it's fairly minimal at f/1.4 and at medium to small apertures in the range.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

A little disappointing for a lens in this class, the Nikon 50mm does have some barrel distortion, but it's not normally noticeable.

Image test verdict

Very good overall at apertures of f/4 and narrower, the lens is let down by a lack of sharpness at wider apertures between f/1.4 and f/2.8.

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G - £380/US$400/AU$680

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

A relative newcomer to Nikon's range of lenses, this is a direct competitor to Canon's EF 85mm. Both lenses feature nine optical elements and ring-type ultrasonic autofocus.

The Nikon's autofocus isn't as fast as that of the Canon lens, but it's much quicker than the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. There are only seven diaphragm blades, compared with eight in the Canon 85mm and nine in the Nikon 50mm, but the aperture is still well rounded and bokeh is nice and dreamy.

Both this lens and the Canon 85mm feature full internal focusing, so the front element remains completely fixed throughout the focus range. The diameter of the front element is about the same in both lenses, but the Nikon's is slightly further recessed and the filter thread is larger at 67mm as opposed to 58mm.

The Nikon also comes with a lens hood, rather than it being an optional extra. The mounting plate features a weather-seal ring, which is absent on both Canon lenses in the group. Handling is very refined, with smooth manual focus and full-time focus override delivered by a comfortably large focus ring.

Sharpness and contrast are impressive, even at the widest aperture of f/1.8, and both of these image attributes are excellent at apertures of between f/2.8 and f/16. Distortion is practically non-existent and there's almost no colour fringing whatsoever. Overall, it's an excellent performer that's well worth the price.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

There's plenty of sharpness and contrast even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8, and consistency is good through the aperture range.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Colour fringing is absolutely minimal at any aperture, from f/1.8 to f/16. It's the most impressive lens in the group in this respect.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

There's just the faintest touch of pincushion distortion, but it's negligible and goes unnoticed in the vast majority of images.

Image test verdict

All-round excellence in image quality makes this a worthy new addition to the Nikon lineup and it's great value at the price too.

Olympus M Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 - £220/US$400/AU$500

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds cameras have a reputation for struggling to give a tight depth of field, due to their 2x focal length multiplier. However, with its moderately large f/1.8 aperture, this Olympus lens makes it feasible to blur defocused areas in images.

Compared with most of the 50mm optics in the group, this lens is a tiny thing, with a filter thread of just 37mm and weighing only 116g. From a distance, the lens barrel looks like high-grade metal, but it's actually made of plastic with a metal-like finish. Even so, build quality feels solid.

As an extra gimmick, the front 'decoration ring' can be swapped for rings of different colours. The ring also needs to be removed when fitting the official lens hood, which is an optional extra.

The MSC (Movie & Stills Compatible) autofocus system is driven from an in-camera motor. It's practically silent and, in stills mode, as fast as the quickest ring-type ultrasonic lenses here.

Full-time manual focus override is available via in-camera settings, but there's no focus distance information on the lens.

Sharpness is outstanding, even at the widest available aperture of f/1.8, but this aperture is two-thirds of a stop slower than with the 50mm f/1.4 lenses in the group. Colour fringing is a little above average and pincushion distortion is slightly noticeable.

Overall, the Olympus packs big portraiture potential into a tiny package.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

The maximum aperture of f/1.8 is two-thirds of a stop slower than some 50mm lenses in the group, but wide-open sharpness is superb.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Not quite a match for most of the lenses on test, there's some colour fringing in evidence, mostly at large aperture settings.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

There's a little pincushion distortion with this lens, however its actual severity is less than with any of the 50mm lenses on test.

Image test verdict

Razor-sharp, especially at wide and medium apertures, the Olympus boasts very good all-round image quality with fairly minimal distortion.

Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8 - £220/US$250/AU$270

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Pentax's 55mm f/1.4 lens is outside the price bracket of this group, costing a hefty £600/US$800 (around AU$880). That leaves the 50mm f/1.8 but, on a direct comparison of maximum aperture, it's three times more expensive than the Canon 50mm f/1.8. So what do you get for your money?

Build quality is quite tough overall but the mounting plate is plastic rather than metal. The lens is fairly compact and lightweight, as you'd expect from a 50mm optic with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 rather than f/1.4.

There's no lens hood, but the front element is well recessed at the infinity focus setting. However, it ends up quite close to the front of the lens at the shortest focus setting, as the inner barrel extends as you focus down.

The lens doesn't have an internal autofocus motor, instead being screw-driven from a motor in the camera body. It's not particularly fast and is very noisy.

One plus point of the 'quick-shift' focus system is that you get full-time manual focus override, but it's stiff to operate unless you switch to manual focus mode on the camera body. At least the aperture is quite well rounded, based on a seven-blade diaphragm.

Sharpness is very good at f/1.8 and is excellent in the range between f/2.8 and f/11. Colour fringing is fairly low and barrel distortion is slightly less apparent than with the Canon and Nikon 50mm lenses on test.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

The upside of a reduced maximum aperture is that the Pentax offers extremely good sharpness at wide and medium apertures.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Colour fringing is impressively low at large apertures, although it rises slightly as you progress through the aperture range.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Like the Canon and Nikon 50mm lenses, there's a little barrel distortion, but the amount is a bit less and barely noticeable.

Image test verdict

It's rather expensive for a 50mm f/1.8 lens with only a basic feature set, but all aspects of image quality are very pleasing.

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM - £360/US$450/AU$480

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 costs more than the equivalent Canon and Nikon lenses. It's a big and heavy lens, having a 77mm filter thread and weighing in at 505g. That's getting on for twice the weight of the Canon and Nikon lenses, but it's certainly not uncomfortably heavy, and build quality feels particularly strong.

The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is ultra-quiet and impressively fast, with similar performance to the Canon 85mm lens in the group. Full-time manual focus override is silky-smooth. The inner lens barrel extends at shorter focus distances, putting the front element almost flush with the front of the lens at the closest focus distance.

However, the lens comes with a good quality petal-shaped lens hood plus a padded carry pouch. Matched only by the Nikon 50mm lens on test, the Sigma has nine diaphragm blades that produce a very well-rounded aperture.

The Sigma retains sharpness at f/1.4 slightly better than the Canon and Nikon 50mm lenses. However there's a blip at f/2.8 where sharpness drops to the same level as the Canon, and the Nikon runs it close at f/11.

Apart from at f/2.8, sharpness is consistent throughout the aperture range and across the whole frame, from the centre to the corners of the image. Helped by the oversized front element, vignetting is negligible. For a prime 50mm lens, pincushion distortion is a bit on the high side.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

There's a dip in sharpness at f/2.8, but the Sigma acquits itself very well at f/1.4-1.8 and at medium to small apertures.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Colour fringing is extremely low at either end of the aperture range, and the only real peak is at f/2.8, where it's still minimal.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

As with the other 50mm lenses on test here distortion is low, but slight pincushioning can be apparent in some images.

Image test verdict

Apart from at f/2.8 where there's a dip in sharpness and a peak in colour fringing, this Sigma lens delivers very good image quality indeed.

Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM - £200/US$300/AU$300

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Suitable for portraiture on full-frame bodies such as the Sony Alpha a99, as well as for tightly framed portraits on APS-C cameras, this 85mm lens is the cheapest here.

It's light in weight but feels a bit flimsy and only has a plastic mounting plate. It's also the 'slowest' lens in the group, with a maximum aperture of a mere f/2.8. Sony does also make an 85mm f/1.4 lens but, typical of this focal length and aperture combination, it's nearly six times the price.

As a 'SAM' lens, it features a built-in Smooth Autofocus Motor. In practice, autofocus is fairly quiet but slow. You can manually override autofocus but, as with the Pentax lens, operation is uncomfortably stiff unless you switch to manual focus mode. It's a shame the small focus ring isn't textured but at least it has a distance scale printed on it.

The inner barrel extends at shorter focus distances but the front element remains well recessed at all focus distances. Sony also supplies a hood with the lens. Thanks to a seven-blade construction, the diaphragm is quite well rounded.

The maximum aperture of f/2.8 is entirely usable as sharpness is excellent from corner to corner of the frame, and contrast is impressive. However, this is a plus point we'd expect from a lens that offers a relatively small maximum aperture.

There's a little pincushion distortion, whereas colour fringing is worse than with any other lens in the group.

Sharpness test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Corner-to-corner sharpness is excellent even at the largest available aperture, although this is a relatively disappointing f/2.8.

Fringing test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Colour fringing can be quite noticeable towards the edges and corners of the frame, increasing at medium to small apertures.

Distortion test

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

It can't quite match the near-zero distortion of the Canon and Nikon 85mm, but there's precious little pincushion to be seen.

Image test verdict

All aspects of image quality are very impressive, with the exception of colour fringing, where the Sony comes bottom of the group.

Verdict: Best portrait lenses

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

As is often the case, the very fast lenses with extra-wide maximum apertures don't tend to be quite as sharp as the slower lenses.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

This is amply demonstrated in our lab test results by the Canon, Nikon and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lenses when compared with the Olympus and Pentax f/1.8 lenses in this group. The same holds true when comparing the Canon and Nikon 85mm f/1.8 lenses with the Sony f/2.8 lens.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Distortion isn't much of an issue with any of the lenses on test, but the Canon and Nikon 85mm are the most impressive, exhibiting practically no distortion at all. The Canon and Nikon 50mm lenses both have a little barrel distortion, and the Sigma 50mm has the most noticeable pincushion.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

Colour fringing is also very well controlled by almost all the lenses in this group test. The Olympus scores a little worse than most, however it's the Sony that is the least impressive.

Verdict

Full of refinement, the Nikon 85mm f/1.8 boasts ring-type ultrasonic autofocus with smooth full-time manual override, and is our favourite portrait lens. It's sharp even at its largest aperture setting and sharpness is both very impressive and consistent throughout the rest of the aperture range, from corner to corner of the frame.

The provision of seven diaphragm blades is less than with the competing Canon lens, which also has slightly faster autofocus, but bokeh is beautiful.

Best portrait lenses: 8 tested

The Sony 85mm lens has very good overall image quality, apart from noticeable colour fringing, but it has a more basic feature set, build quality feels a bit flimsy and the maximum aperture of f/2.8 is somewhat less useful.

Moving down to the 50mm mark, which is often more ideal for general portraiture with cameras that have an APS-C format image sensor, quality is mixed. Neither the Canon nor Nikon lenses give very convincing sharpness at their maximum apertures of f/1.4, and the Nikon fails to improve much even at f/2.8. Even so, both lenses give a pleasant, dreamy look to portraits taken with wide apertures.

The Sigma 50mm gives greater sharpness at f/1.8 and is impressive at medium to narrow apertures, although there's a dip in sharpness at f/2.8. Overall, it's our 50mm portrait lens of choice.

The Olympus and Pentax lenses offer great sharpness, even wide-open, but they're expensive to buy, considering they have a reduced maximum aperture of f/1.8.

    


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