Nikon recently rebranded Tamron lenses as Nikon lenses, but does it really matter? — In late August 2022, Canon confirmed that it told Viltrox to stop making RF-mount mirrorless camera lenses. But Nikon has gone in different directions. It allows third-party manufacturers to make autofocus lenses for its Z-mount cameras. It also has rebranded third-party lenses for its Z-mount cameras with the Nikon name.

Google Trends Says “Yes” — Google dominates the search engine market, processing more than 92% of all Internet searches in 2022. Competitors Bing, Yahoo!, Baidu, Yandex, and DuckDuckGo trail far behind. But what about former president Donald J. Trump? Do people still use Google to search for him as much as they did during his…

State capitol buildings can serve as gateways to history — Sometimes, I assign long-term photography projects to myself. For example, five years ago, I decided to combine two favorite hobbies, bicycle touring and photography, as part of a multi-year project to photograph every bridge that crosses the Mississippi River, which is 2,340 miles (3,770 km) long. I rode the first…

Red squirrels typically run away, but sometimes they freeze in place — On most hikes through the woods near home, gray squirrels and American red squirrels scamper about. Typically, they run off at the sight of me. But sometimes, they freeze in place. As I approached a downed pine log over a hiking trail in the local Izaak Walton Wetlands, this little…

The larva of the spurge hawk-moth crawled through my campsite — On a recent trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, I looked forward to exploring North Dakota’s badlands and viewing wildlife. On previous visits, I had enjoyed watching and photographing bison, deer, wild horses, coyotes, wild turkeys, prairie dogs, and more. …

If you could visit one national park in the United States, which one would it be? — The US National Park Service (NPS) manages and protects 423 units covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. These units are divided into 19 naming designations, such as national monuments (84 units), national parks (63 units), and national historic sites…

Even with warnings, tourists regularly endanger themselves and the wildlife in Yellowstone National Park — Along with millions of other people, I love to tour Yellowstone National Park. It’s a great place to camp, hike, see interesting scenery, and view geothermal features, including mud pots, hot springs, and geysers. But for me, the best part of Yellowstone is its wildlife. On every visit to Yellowstone…

Insects could be a valuable nutrient-rich food source for humans, too — Years ago, on a visit to the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, my sons and I stopped at a table where students served snacks of earthworms and insects to patrons. We passed on the morsels, whether covered in chocolate or not.

And the origins of crabby appleton — Nongovernment Warning: This article describes the reproductive process of the decapod crustaceans known as crabs. While I was growing up, my dad had a distinctive way of humming, especially when working, or puttering, in his wood shop. Most of us hum with our mouths closed. Well, at least I do…