CamRanger, maker of one of the must-have products that architectural photographer Mike Kelley uses on a daily basis, today announced a new set of products: the CamRanger PT Hub and MP-360 motorized tripod head. If this new product works anywhere as well as the current camera control device, we all have a reason to be excited.
The winter is coming. Actually, it's already here. Temperatures are dropping quickly and snow is falling, but we need to keep shooting and working. Here are few small (and cheap*) items that can help you survive the winter as a photographer, make your life easier and make the winter less annoying.
Each week, we have a segment called "Fstoppers Answers" where we invite our community to ask our writers a question pertaining to the industry or their workflow. Last week, you asked "Does Not Having The Latest Gear Make You Feel Less Adequate?" and this week, we want to see your workstations for editing photos and video footage.
UPDATED: Black Friday deals from Totally Rad, LensRentals Promote and Photoflex have been added! If you're one of the millions of people who are brave enough to go shopping this Friday, be sure to check in and see what great photography related deals can come your way. I've gone ahead and compiled a list of the best deals for photographers this Black Friday shopping season.
Perhaps the most anticipated camera this year has shown up as in stock on B&H Photo's website this afternoon. With a full frame sensor packed into the tiny size of a mirrorless camera body, you can bet that this camera is going to sell out quickly. Along with the Sony Alpha a7 and 28-70mm kit, the Sony 35mm f/1.8 has also shown up as in stock on the B&H Store.
Recently, I started working with a new steadicam operator for my video productions in the New York City area, Kyle. Aside from his upbeat positive demeanor, I noticed that every piece of equipment seemed to be customized with velcro for maximized efficiency. Little did I know, he had started a youtube series called "The Efficiency Machine" showcasing his different velcro-inspired inventions such as his "Super Desk." See below for more examples of his velcro madness/genius.
For event videographers, shooting in dimly lit conditions can be big challenge to deal with, and in certain cases an on-camera light is the solution. In this review of the LED Science LS-S6-20, I’ll tell you why this light may or may not be a good choice for you.
Ah the week of Thanksgiving. Turkey, gravy, family and the harsh realization you are horrifically underprepared for the holiday season. That's ok fellow photogs, we at Fstoppers have your back! Over the next few weeks we will be releasing updates to our Holiday Gear Guide, first starting with the lower-cost items and working our way up to the premium stuff. This week, let's look at the best ideas under $100.
When I first started incorporating DSLR video into my photography business, I quickly realized that having smooth movement was paramount in creating great footage. In our quest to find the perfect DSLR slider, the Fstoppers team was excited with the announcement of the Redrock Micro's One Man Crew. But would this be the end all be all for sliders...we put it to the test.
Each year Patrick and I work on one extremely large project. Two years ago we created The Art Behind The Headshot with Peter Hurley. Last year we finished our 14 hour tutorial on how to become a wedding photographer. In 2013 we teamed up with Mike Kelley to produce what I believe is the best resource available on How To Photograph Real Estate, Architecture, and Interiors.
Each week, we ask our staff of photographers and videographers a question pertaining to the industry, from our readers. Last week, we asked "How Do You Balance Your Personal Creativity In Your Paid Work?". This week, we as "Does Not Having The Latest Gear Make You Feel Less Adequate?"
If you're like me and shoot a lot of video, you use both an on-camera shotgun as well as lav mics interchangeably, depending on the situation. The shotgun I use is the Rode DSLR video mic, and it rocks except for the need for a 9 volt battery. Seriously, who has those kicking around anymore? It seems Rode is listening to bitter complaints like mine, and their latest microphone, the VideoMic GO, requires no dedicated battery.
Sigma reached out this morning to let us know that they have put out a free firmware upgrade for photographers using Nikon mount Sigma lenses on their Nikon D5300 cameras. Sigma had discovered that, when paired with the D5300 camera, its Nikon mount lenses containing internal motors do not properly operate the optical stabilization (OS) and Live View AF functionality.
A tripod is the go to device for photographers who want to stabilize their shots. The three adjustable legs do a great job at keeping a camera supported and in one position. However, these three legs create a huge problem when shooting in a small kitchen or busy restaurant. Let me share with you a piece of equipment that will stabilize your camera with no legs at all!
As a wedding photographer and workshop instructor I travel quite frequently. In the last couple of years I have been all over the world and throughout this time I have picked up a number of great travel tips. Here are six of my favorites that will hopefully make your next trip more enjoyable.
Probably like most of you, I have a plethora of different memory card sizes from 2GB up to 32GB. When I head out on a big shoot I tend to wonder if it would be better to use the smaller cards and spread the shoot out across a number of cards or shoot entirely with one. It seems every photographer has a different opinion on this one, here's what I think.
In this video Canon Australia challenges singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian and Canon Master photographer Graham Monro to change the story of three different scenes simply by changing between lenses. Specifically the macro Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens, the portrait Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens , the landscape Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens and the sports Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens.
One of the most popular lens lengths on the market is the 50mm. As a Canon shooter I have a few different choices to pick from at that length, but the three most popular seem to be the 50mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.2. While on a shoot last week I decided to play with all three lenses and shoot a few photos to see how different each lens was from each other. Here are my results.
Since around July we have started to see this "camera ball" concept come up in a few places. Thankfully they appear to be replacing the self-timer "throw your SLR in the air" approach. The most recent potential contender is the Panono, and it looks like it may blow everything else out of the sky. Thirty-six individual cameras work together with onboard processing and storage to create and save 72 megapixel, 360 degree panoramics. On top of being able to store up
In only ten years, GoPro has earned itself a 2+ billion dollar valuation and a product that has revolutionized the way we view our lives. It’s no wonder others are scrabbling to tap into the lucrative business of personalized video. The latest product that looks like it may hold more than a passing interest is the Bublcam, a camera that shoots a seamless 360 degree view. It might sound like a gimmick, but think about Google Street View, how immersive it feels. When Google integrates more fully the ability to provide internal views, we'll really begin to start to see possibilities of 360 degree vision.
As a traveling photographer, I live and die by my travel gear. Certain situations call for different solutions and you just have to be prepared for all of them. My custom Pelican cases I once posted about get me just about everywhere, but those other times where I need to either be lighter on my feet or take less gear I have to look elsewhere... and that's when I found my Dakine Reload 30L.
Blackmagic Design, makers of the line of cinema cameras that are growing in popularity, today released the Blackmagic Camera 1.5 software which adds new 12-bit Log CinemaDNG RAW recording to the Pocket Cinema Camera. This update is free from Blackmagic's website and can be downloaded today.
Blogging is essential for photography. Not only does it provide an unique interaction with potential clients and fans of your work, but it’s also essential for SEO purposes. When building web presence, every expert in the field of SEO and Web Development will tell you to blog often, and this tool is essential for the modern day blogging photographer.
I don’t often post about new gear on Fstoppers, but today I’m posting about an announcement Canon made a few days ago that kind of slipped under the radar. This week Canon unveiled it’s first 4K video production monitor, the very unsexy-sounding 'DP-V3010'. While no pricing information has yet been released, it’s due to go on sale first quarter 2014. Why should we care? Because it clearly lays a stake in the ground over what the future of video (and quite possibly stills) is shaping up to look like.
Yesterday Tamron announced the development of a new lens, but what caught my attention more than specs and the PR-speak that comes with a product launch was the way the new lens looked... strikingly like what Sigma is going for. I’m excited and happy to see Tamron pushing with a new design, but they have a lot to prove with the change and, arguably, a lot to lose if it doesn’t stack up.
When it comes to bags, I’ve come close to seeing it all. I have a bag for basically any situation plus spares in each category. Over the years I’ve seen different designs from a broad range of manufacturers, and that means I’ve seen both good and bad ideas. Bags are seen as a commodity, and I won’t argue they aren’t. But in their attempt to reinvent themselves and grow out of that box, sometimes we end up with bag designs we never needed or asked for. That’s why it’s such a relief when a bag company just makes a no gimmicks bag that just works.
It's been a while since we've released an Fstoppers original video, so today we want to take you behind the scenes with Mike Kelley. If you've been following Fstoppers then you know he's been a writer with us for a while and is also one of the most talented architectural photographers in the country. Mike's workflow and style is truly incredible and the amount of hours he spends on creating just one image is - as cheesy as it sounds - a work of art.
Nikon has always been the silver medal holder in the High End Digital Camera race behind Canon, but always remained proud with their numbers boasting well above Sony, Fuji or Olympus. With their recent quarterly statements however, Nikon seems to be struggling even more than they had thought, and posted slipping numbers for the third quarter of the year.
UPDATED Post:
Moments after posting our fly by the pants video of the Nikon Df a reader pointed us towards another video by Chris Niccolls of TheCameraStoreTV, which frankly covers it all and generally kicks ass. So I decided to scoot our video to the bottom and share his exception hands-on with you instead.
This morning Tamron announced the development of a new lens to replace their current 200-500mm model on the market. It has "cutting-edge eBAND Coating and three LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements, [it] delivers superior imaging performance while the latest built-in VC (Vibration Compensation) system broadens users' horizons in achieving sharper handheld photographs." The new SP 150-600MM F/5-6.3 DI VC USD also sports an all-black, classier design.
With the growth of powerful and reliable small cameras, it’s only natural that photographers look for bag options that fit the new compact lifestyle. That said, if you’re like me, even if you plan on “downsizing,” you don’t want to give up too much, you just want a more compact version of what you already have. I took the Think Tank TurnStyle with me overseas and used it as my primary bag to see if it could act as my go-to travel satchel.
There are a lot of products out there that try to be the one device to rule them all, and there are a lot of failures. The Lollipod is the newest contender, and it seems to be nothing more than a colorful, collapsible light stand with a cheap tripod head. Have I used one yet? No, and truthfully I can't see why I would. With a maximum support weight of just under one pound (420 grams specifically) I don't see how it could really hold anything
Think Tank and MindShift recently released a number of notable new travel products for photographers including the rotation180 backpack, 2nd Brain laptop collection and PowerHouse organizers. Designed by photographers for photographers, their gear excels in functionality and durability. They are currently offering rebates on Rolling Camera Bags and Urban Disguise Shoulder Bags. Here are the details.
Announced this morning by Profoto was their newest light in their lighting kit, the B1 Off-Camera Flash. Refusing it call it a speed light or a studio strobe, the completely cordless B1 Off-Camera Flash has some truly unique and interesting features not seen before in a studio strobe. Update - Now available on B&H for Preorder at $1,995.
What ever happened to loving a camera for the camera? Why does everything we buy have to fill a utilitarian hole? What happened to a love for the craft and as much as for the tool? There has been a lot of chatter around the Nikon Df and if we as photographers need it. It's gone so far as to suggest that it represents all that is wrong with photography these days. I want to argue the opposite. I want to argue it represents what many of us have lost as photographers: joy in the craft.
The Nikon Df is finally official, after a full day of leaked information and a the past week with information basically already out there. That said, it's all technically speculation until the official release happens. Nikon has finally pulled the curtain back and revealed their latest full frame DSLR.
An LED light kit for video is something I've always wanted to own. After years of using hot ARRI and Lowel lights, and renting LitePanels when the budget allowed, I discovered a company called Zabolight that was making LED panels and other fixtures at a much cheaper price. I purchased a kit of these, and did some testing to see how they compared to other more expensive brands.
Tonight Nikon will announce announced the "revolutionary" Nikon DF Camera. By "revolutionary" I mean that they have taken a full frame sensor from a current digital DSLR and put it into a non-ergonomic retro body and removed many features, including video. Are we excited about this camera because of the photography we will be able to capture with it or are we excited because we will look trendy and fashionable holding it?
I'm not used to so many leaks/mistakes the day of a release, but it looks like someone at Amazon got a little trigger happy. Though the page is no longer active, we screen captured the entire upcoming product release for the hotly anticipated Nikon DF, including price, sensor size, and all the rest of the nitty gritty.
The rumored Nikon DF camera with its retro outside and full frame 35mm guts is finally starting to leak. Nikon Rumors posted a few images just minutes ago and then their website went down (possibly due to traffic?). We will be updating this post with camera info as it is received but at this point we only have pictures. The full release of this camera is due tonight or tomorrow.
You've been out shooting for 12 hours, you've got 4 cards full of data, it's midnight, and you have another shoot first thing in the morning. Wouldn't it be nice to have a solution that allows you to pop all those cards in a reader at one time thereby getting your download done 4x faster than if you did it with one card reader. Now there is with the new Lexar Professional Workflow Reader Solution.
In my filmmaking career, I’ve had the opportunity to film some pretty unique events. While shooting I often come across other event shooters and realize that we’re a unique breed. Essentially, we're people willing to sacrifice food, rest and comfort to tell an amazing story. Even though we accept the stresses that comes with event shooting, there are a number of ways we can plan ahead and minimize headaches.
November 5: will the day live in glory or infamy? We're going to find out, as that looks to be the day Nikon will release their new retro compact full frame. Rumors are everywhere, so we'll just try and stick to what we know. There are five videos, giving you five chances to sneak a peak at this new camera.
Well, I guess Hasselblad is continuing on their path of form-over-function despite critics and general malaise from actual photographers the world over, adding more to their previously announced Stellar line. "The latest Stellar models offer photographers the choice of three new camera body colurs: black, white and orange - and ship with bespoke camera cases in black or white leather with signature stitching and shoulder and wrist straps."
About seven months ago, we posted an article about an application called 'Paddy' that connects a MIDI controller desk to Lightroom. Unfortunately for me, that application is Windows only, so I set out to find a solution for this gadget that I needed in and around my life. The solution is something called 'Knobroom.'
I rarely use gels or modifiers on my speedlites because I am lazy and in a hurry on wedding days. I just fix the color issues in post. However today I was notified that a new product was posted on Kickstarter. Meet the MagMod, a simple magnetic band that mounts to your flash allowing modifiers to be slapped on and off. Check it out, I just backed the project myself.
All this weekend, we're giving you exclusive coverage of PhotoPlus Expo in New York City, where all brands meet, announce and show of their latest products and innovations. Yesterday, we were able to give you an inside look at the Sony A7R, TriggerTrap RedSnap, DEFY Gimbal system and others. Today, we're able to show you an inside look into Samsung, Manfrotto, and more.
Photo Plus Expo is upon us, and I'm here to give you an exclusive look at what all that happened yesterday. If you're in New York, you're highly encouraged to check out all that is happening. If you're not able to check it out, I am here to show you the new products, exclusive interviews and all the events and news going on in New York this week.
Tonight from the PhotoPlus Expo, Sigma has announced the pricing and availability of its new 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Art lens. It will be on shelves next month, starting with Canon mounts, for the MSRP of $899. That's quite a bit less than the Canon equivalent that, for many, leaves a lot to be desired. If Sigma's past lenses have been any indication of quality, we can expect it to be worth it.
Nikon put out a video that seems to be teasing something huge for the company... the retro full frame compact that has been hitting the rumor mill pretty heavily in the past week. That said, this video from Nikon seems to be pointing to the rumors being more fact than fiction. This camera looks like it's coming, and soon.
