Being a master of keyboard shortcuts isn’t just a party trick to impress friends and clients, it’s a path to a faster and more efficient editing process which makes you more of an asset as a video editor. Whether you’re hoping to earn a Pro Certificate or just become faster in post, one way to get you there sooner is to invest in a dedicated keyboard.
The somewhat flawed auto focus system on the Panasonic GH5 has claimed plenty of attention since it's release, but if there is one feature which is undoubtedly five star, it's the dual stabilization technology, and here is the proof.
One of the most discussed topics I see all over the internet, is about this lens being sharper than that lens, etc. and splitting hairs as to which one is 5% sharper.
Super-telephoto lenses are essential to the craft of sports and wildlife photographers who are shooting great distances away from their subjects, as well as to other creative photographers looking to flatten or fill the frame to create unique images. Enter the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary which is a full-frame super-telephoto lens priced just under $1,000 and comes in Nikon F, Canon EF, and Sigma SA mounts.
The Zhiyun-Tech Crane is our favorite gimbal for mirrorless cameras but it has one small problem: each time you remove the camera you'll have to balance the gimbal again and again. We've found a way around this by adding our own quick release plate.
Photography is a really expensive hobby and/or profession. The cost of cameras, lenses, filters, bags, etc. all add up very quickly. And while it's important to be careful to protect all that pricey and fragile equipment, it's just as important not to go so far as to miss shots because of it.
Here at Fstoppers we use exclusively Manfrotto tripod heads and in the past we used two different types of plates. For still photography we used the 200PL plate on ball heads and for our videos we used 500 plates on pan heads. I have always hated the longer 500 plates and today we are finally getting rid of them.
"CaNikon," the colloquial term used to describe the market dominance of Canon and Nikon, is going to have be changed. Sony has just overtaken Nikon in the full-frame interchangeable lens camera market in the U.S.
In recent years, the radio flash transmitter market has grown extensively. Every camera brand and strobe manufacturer has come up with its own system, but as if that wasn’t enough, some brands specialize in designing their own as well. Today, Elinchrom is opening its Skyport protocol to third parties with the hope of creating a new industry standard and solving the cross-branding issues photographers are facing nowadays.
Picture this: you and some friends are on a week-long backpacking trip in Alaska, and it’s a frigid 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside. You really don’t want to get out of your sleeping bag. Luckily, before you got in it, you went out and set up your camera with a incredibly lightweight remote that you can control from your phone so that you can take photos of the aurora without leaving the tent. If you want to be able to do this, and for only $100, you should check out the Pulse camera remote by Alpine Labs.
Probably the worst-kept secret on the Internet in the last few days, the Nikon D7500, was officially announced on Wednesday. There’s a lot of D500 DNA in the D7500, which is not a bad thing, since that’s Nikon’s flagship DX body, and this model sits right below in the midrange of the lineup.
Lenses in the still photography world are just one group of lenses out there, and if you haven't done much work in cinema or broadcast, then you might not have ever considered why you might want to invest in other kinds of glass. However, as more photographers are finding themselves getting into short film production, the benefits of using parfocal lenses should be considered.
There are a lot of GH5 review videos currently online but most of them are pretty lacking. Youtuber iPhonedo, just released the most complete review I have seen and it's definitely worth watching whether you own the camera or not.
Every wedding photographer has a preference for a specific set of lenses to effectively capture all of the critical elements of a wedding. These images include views of the ceremony location, close-up portraits of the couple, and detail photos of jewelry and fine décor. In this brief video, wedding photographer Gemma Peanut shows why having a built-in ring light on the new Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM Lens makes a substantial improvement in a photo of her engagement ring.
The Sony a7RII has been out for over a year now but it is still an incredibly competitive camera with it's solid dynamic range, high ISO, and solid video performance. Fstoppers spotted a deal on brand new cameras for only $2,200. Take note that this is an import camera deal. This means it's possible you may run into issues that you wouldn't have purchasing through a standard distributor. That said, Fstoppers has purchased many of it's cameras through gray market purchases without issue. In addition, this eBay seller seems to have a very high rating which makes us more comfortable recommending the purchase. Check out the deal HERE.
We recently got B&H to send us 6 of the most popular gimbals for mirrorless cameras. We spent hours figuring out all six and tediously balancing each of them multiple times so that you wouldn't have to. Luckily, there is a clear winner.
If you've been looking for a wide angle lens for your Sony a7R II, or any other Sony E mount lens, this is your chance to get a pretty incredible deal. The Rokinon 14mm F2.8 Full Frame Auto Focus Lens fits on to Sony E-mount cameras and is currently available at $350 off for only $499, on Amazon only. We're not sure how long this deal will last but the best price for this lens everywhere else we've looked on the internet is $150 more for $649.
A few days ago I wrote a post about the issues many GH5 users were having with continuous autofocus while recording video. Instead of trying to determine if there is in fact a problem or not, many photographers have simply chosen a "team" as they pick one of two sides; The GH5 is either the most incredible camera created by God himself, or it's total crap.
I really believe that the URSA Mini Pro is the best camera that Blackmagic Design have ever released. That doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect camera for everybody, but it’s reaching out to a much wider audience than its predecessors.
Yesterday four Panasonic GH5s finally arrived at the Fstoppers studio and I spent all day playing with the cameras. As you may have heard, we have decided to finally switch from shooting videos on Nikon DSLRs and the GH5 is quite an upgrade. There seems to be one major issue though... The auto focus while recording isn't reliable.
If you're in the market for some new gear, be sure to check out these deals of the week for some great savings, including deals on Canon lenses and cameras.
Let's face it. We’re all gear-junkies and tech-geeks whether we choose to admit it or not. Chances are that many of us have made hundreds of purchases related to photography over the years, but I’d venture to say that not all of those purchases have been as impactful as others. Here are five purchases that I certainly don’t regret.
Without a doubt, one of the most popular and useful pieces of gear a photographer can own is the 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto lens. This lens is so amazing that it has become a staple for photographers shooting wildlife, portraits, headshots, sports, weddings, events, and even landscape photography. With Nikon and Tamron both recently updating their version of this lens, we thought it would be a great time to review them side by side and definitively name one as the "best bang for the buck."
As photographers, most of us eventually stumble onto the world of flash and the myriad of options available for producing light as well as modifying it to produce different results. Speaking from personal experience, I have often been perplexed as to whether a softbox or an octobox would be a better choice or better yet, a cheap umbrella.
In this video, I’ve provided a solution for photographers who want the ability to walk around their set, wirelessly trigger their Sony a7R II and still retain the capability to shoot tethered (with a USB cable) to Capture One or Lightroom.
There are countless videos and forum threads discussing and debating about the principles of crop factor, depth of field, and sensor size. However if you are the type to geek out over the math and physics of photography then this is the video for you. This is no simple examination, at 35 minutes long it requires some advanced knowledge on camera sensors.
It’s easy to think of underwater housings as a one trick pony. I mean, the name “underwater housing” suggests a very specific use. But in reality, these housings are good for protecting camera gear in all sorts of extreme conditions. So when I had the chance to shoot the Holi Festival in India, I thought it would be the perfect place to test the new underwater housing from Aquatech that was designed specifically for the Fujifilm X-T2.
Recently, Sigma dazzled us by announcing a veritable plethora of mouth-watering lenses. One of those lenses, the 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary, is available for preorder, and it's priced very competitively.
Over the last several months, the Fstoppers team was able to link up with Clay Cook, an acclaimed editorial and portrait fashion photographer, to produce a comprehensive tutorial teaching his photography techniques. If you want to learn more about the full tutorial and what it offers, check out the store page. One of the key elements of Clay's work is the variety of gear he has used throughout his career. Included in the tutorial, and now available here on Fstoppers, is a peek into the equipment he uses to craft his stunning images.
As photographers, we talk incessantly about gear. And you know what? That's ok. Gear does matter. But it's important to carefully compartmentalize where and how gear matters versus where and how it doesn't to avoid falling into common traps.
Maybe it just fell through the cracks for just me, perhaps it did for you as well, but recently through a friend I found out about the Amazon Locker concept. With Amazon Prime's rapid growth, so has the complaints about stolen packages and damaged packages from shipping companies. So to counter-act, Amazon doubled down and introduced this concept as far back as 2011. I gave it a try recently where I am based in Tampa, here's how it went.
The video camera we have all been waiting for is finally here and surprisingly it isn't backordered... yet. You can order a GH5 from BH today and have it by the weekend.
When Canon announced it's new 77D, there was a little confusion as to where it fit into canon's line up. The specs make the 77D somewhat of a hybrid between the 70D and the 80D. For a more detailed description of the differences in the models, check out our previous post explaining what each model has to offer. At it's price point of $899, the 77D might be just what you're looking for and is now available to the public.
Apple discounts are about as common as an ice cube in the Sahara. Today, however, you can get discounts on a range of new iPads, iMacs, and Macbooks. The deals are only good until the limited stock sells, so get them while you can!
I’m not a trend-setter. I’m 31, pudgy, married, and writing this from my modest ranch hidden among 5000 other modest ranches in a suburb about 90 minutes outside of New York City. I shop at Big Y, buy my clothes at Khol’s, and look forward to Sunday Night Football every Fall. I’m also not really a trend-follower. Ultimately, I spend my time under-the-radar, paying my taxes, and mulching my lawn. Which makes my switch from Nikon to Fuji pretty remarkable.
While the phones and VR headset may have gotten the lion’s share of the attention at Samsung’s press event on Wednesday, there was also a new 360 degree camera introduced at the same time: the Samsung Gear 360.
Teleconverters seem like a dream come true: a cheap and easy way to increase the focal length of your lens. However, like most things in photography, there are pros and cons. This great video will walk you through what you need to know about teleconverters.
The problem with ultra-wide lenses is that a bulbous front element makes it impossible to attach a filter directly to the lens. A tried and tested method to create more space between lens and filter through the use of a filter holder and a lens adapter ring. Systems such as the Wonderpana by Fotodiox and the SW-150 by Lee make the use of all sorts of filters available for photographers with deep pockets. Like the enormous filters themselves, these systems are often expensive and only attach to one lens. Enter STC with a 6-stop ND filter that you could use with the widest of lenses, and for just 80 bucks.
Panasonic's new Lumix GH5 mirrorless micro four thirds camera is making a big splash in the photography world. If you haven't stayed up to date with it's release or don't know much about the camera, this is your chance to get an in depth preview. Join in with a group of filmmakers and photographers as they discuss the new camera on a livestream panel hosted by B&H.
What could possibly go wrong with a $350 camera that claims to do it all? Kaiman Wong takes it out for a spin and shows us just how much compromise must be made to get that price down.
If you're using Canon's latest full-frame offering to shoot video, you'll be pleased to hear that the 5D Mark IV is slated for a major firmware upgrade in the coming weeks that should vastly increase its video capabilities. There is a drawback for some owners, however.
I've spent some time in the tropics, and I've seen the effects that the climate can have on things. Shoes that don't dry for weeks start growing things you've never heard of. Fungi spores creep into the tiniest cracks and crevices of things you didn't even know had cracks or crevices. Things take a beating down there. So if you're living near the equator, or in another place with high humidity and some invasive nature, this new storage solution might become your new best friend.
Best suited for the those that run light on camera gear, the Lowepro StreetLine BP 250 is a great looking pack that has just enough features to be called a camera bag at all. Its unique collapsable interior pockets allow for a couple photography items to be stored securely, otherwise it’s free-for-all with what you choose to throw inside. This well-made bag is not without issue, however. Check out what works and what doesn’t in this review.
If you're in the market for some new gear, be sure to check out these deals of the week for some great savings, including deals on Canon lenses and cameras.
Fujifilm will soon release a firmware update for their flagship cameras, the X-T2 and the X-Pro2. The first update is due end of March, and the second one will be released end of May. The update, as stated by them, is reflective of user requests that they have received. What I found interesting, and a first brands that I know of to do so, is the possibility of adding voice notes while paging through your images.
Cambo recently announced a new lens adapter for Fuji's GFX 50S medium format camera, which will allow full-frame Canon EF lenses to be mounted on the camera.
Fujifilm's XF 50mm f/2 WR is the third addition in the series that have affectionately become known as the "Fujichrons." These are compact, lightweight, weather resistant, and have extremely fast autofocus. Made up of nine elements in seven groups, and formed in Fujifilm's classicly-styled telescoping design, it is another diminutive lens that should appeal to X-Pro shooters and anyone looking for a tiny addition to their bag. Comparisons may be drawn to the other lenses in this series, and of course the daddy of X System portrait lenses, the 56mm f/1.2. Let's take a look at this lens and then see how it fits into the Fuji line.
B&H is offering a few big rebates on popular cameras and it's worth taking a peek. Valid today, Sunday, March 26th, save up to $500 on major camera bodies from Canon and Fuji. Check out all the deals below to see if there's a chance to save on the camera you've been waiting to buy.
This is the best price we've seen on the Canon 5D Mark IV yet, and it likely won't last long. If you're in the market for Canon's latest full-frame body, now is a really good time to pick it up.