Photography Gear

Filmmaker Brandon David Cole recently started a Kickstarter Campaign for an interesting new product called the "Snap Focus". This device uses brake levers like those found on bike handlebars to add tension through an interchangeable gear system, turning the focus rings of DSLR lenses, effectively creating a very quick rack focus adjustment.

Everyone knows Peter Hurley uses fairly expensive Kino Flo lights to give his clients nice soft beauty lighting. Fstoppers reader Tristan Penner decided to build a portable and inexpensive alternative to Peter's setup using standard Fluorescent lights. The setup might not improve too much on the portability but the quality of light does look really nice.

How do you figure that? 33MP at 120fps. That's right -- 33 megapixels! Data transfer rate is 51.2Gbps! This is the camera that NHK built to supposedly replace HDTV "one day?" While we won't see this replace HDTV for years and years, it's an impressive feat, but one that might also fill a hard drive or ten a little too quickly.  

Okay, so maybe it's beyond your budget. But if you've been waiting for these updates, they're finally here -- Canon's top of the line super-teles! With redesigned fluorite glass, 3-mode image stabilization, and a lightweight, magnesium/titanium design, there's not much more a photographer could want. Can't wait? Pre-order the 500mm f/4 IS II or the 600mm f/4 IS II now. Can't hurt to look...

If you are like me, you probably update to new versions of Photoshop only to not take advantage of any of the new features. Learning new techniques on your own time is always time consuming. This week(end) only, our friends at CreativeLIVE are offering a free download of Lesa Snider's CS6 course (normally $79) which is Live now!

We recently interviewed LensRentals and asked them about humorous (or rather, sad) situations in which gear came back totally destroyed or rendered otherwise unusable. Turns out nothing could have prepared anyone at LensRentals for what happened this week in Yellowstone when a bear commandeered a Nikon 600 and D4. 

A few weeks ago, we sent out the first update on Nikon D600 rumors and expressed disappointment with the probable lack of an internal AF motor. Well, that's now changed...and we have more goodies, too!  

Via NikonRumors The Goods:

I enjoy new technology and I also love to know how my gadgets actually work. I constantly find myself watching Bill Hammack's videos on Youtube because he does a fantastic job of explaining extremely complicated things in a way that I can understand. In this video "The Engineer Guy" explains the technology behind our digital cameras. 

Another Canon rumor has emerged that has a few new specs for the anticipated 7D Mark II and the 70D. If you have been looking at the market, there has been a lot of talk surrounding the 7D Mark II and it's supposed specs and release date. With this new rumor/speculation, the talk will only get louder. So what can we supposedly expect?  

While some apps might say that they can record slow motion, chances are they are using software to blend frames together and interpolated pixels are created to simulate slow motion. This technique often appears stuttery and quite as smooth as a real high-speed frame rate. A new iPhone app called SloPro claims to actually record 60 frames per second on the iPhone 4.

You may remember a while ago when we posted a candlelight video test by Joe Marine over at NoFilmSchool.com. After seeing feedback from the video, Joe sent me a new one (thanks!). The beginning is almost the same, but adjusted since Nikon and Canon handle ISO differently. But later on in the video, Joe got some interesting results when adding noise reduction and color correcting...  

If you’re a regular user of small flashes, you know how overwhelming it can be when it comes time to purchase modifiers for your lights. One of the more popular systems is David Honl’s line of accessories, based around his Speed Strap concept. I’ve reviewed and tested every piece in the line, and I’ve got all the info you could possibly want. 

After the merger of Broncolor and Hasselblad in the United States, it was only a matter of time before we saw more news on the global front from the camera giant. Hasselblad has released the announcement of a major price reduction, over 20% off in some cases in Europe.  

It looks like the sleuths at CanonRumors have culled some more information regarding the impending Canon T4i. We reported that Canon was probably going to release at least two cameras in June, and the T4i is looking more and more like one of those. What's it have that's new? Likely a touch screen.  

The specs look to be shaping up as...

If you spend much time on the app store (or even if you don't) you are inundated with the hundreds of camera apps, every single one of them claiming to be the greatest thing ever. Camera Awesome is no exception. I mean, they make quite the bold statement in the name of the app alone.

Last year we had a meet up in Arizona and I was lucky enough to meet Zeke, a mechanical engineer who works on some of the most impressive digital cameras on the planet (and off the planet). I was able to hold one of these cameras and learn a thing or two about what it can do.

CanonRumors is reporting that Canon plans to unveil two new cameras in June, not counting any PowerShot updates. One of the expectations is their long-awaited mirrorless debut, but that rumor has been swilling around for over a year.  

Today Stockholm-based camera accessory brand Visualante announced the impending launch of their new line of skate-inspired camera bags. Five new bags will be available in Fall/Winter of 2012. In a highly competitive industry (especially here in the USA, but maybe it is different in Europe), it will be interesting to see what these bags bring to the table that isn't already out there.

Here's a fascinating video of 44-year old photographer Qalam Nabi. He is one of two street photographers left in the capital city of Kabul. The son of a street photographer himself, he started shooting at the age of eleven. Watch as he demonstrates how to use his instant camera. He does all of the developing inside the box, and repeats the process to turn the negative into a positive image.

You often hear film makers say, "Your video is only as good as your audio". Obviously video production goes a long way too but poor audio can completely ruin an otherwise great video. Until recently, DSLR cameras have been anything but great at recording audio. The on board microphones are noisy and prone to record camera noise.

Filmmaker Philip Bloom has gotten his hands on Nikon's and Canon's newest full-frame digital SLRs. Luckily for us, we get an extensive side-to-side comparison in this rather thorough shoot-out. Bloom uses the almost 30 minutes to go through resolution, aliasing, low-light, and feature comaprisons. Let us know what you think in the comments section!

Canon SLRs are known for their high quality video and that did not go unnoticed by the videographers behind the latest box office smash hit "Marvel's The Avengers." The Canon EOS 5D MKII and the EOS 7D were selected as the stunt and action cameras that shot the outrageous scenes.

If you recall, earlier this week we announced the availability of a new iPhone app that you can use to trigger your camera in various ways called TriggerTrap. Though I am still waiting on my dongle, I've had some time with the app and have to say, I'm excited to hook it up to my DSLR.  

Leica has gone against the grain of recent camera bodies with this interesting release of a digital camera that shoots only black and white images. The Leica M-Monochrom is a full-frame, 18MP Rangefinder style camera. What do you think of the price of something like this? Novelty or in a class all on it's own? Product photos and tech specs after the jump. 

When I caught wind that the tripod masters at Really Right Stuff were about to release a new product, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I love new gear. Because it had not even finished final production yet, they unfortunately could not send me a brand new one in time to satisfy my desire to see it. However, they didn't want to disappoint and instead sent me the prototype! Score!

For many of us, Polaroid cameras hold a special place in our hearts. What started as the original instant camera evolved into an art form beloved by hipsters and pro photographers alike. Polaroid has struggled lately, as digital photography has forced the instant photo classic out onto the fringes.

As anyone who has tried to shoot video with a DSLR knows, creating a smooth, professional follow-focus motion can be a bit of a nightmare unless you're willing to shell out for high-end equipment, and then deal with lugging it all around. How about a $45 solution that gets amazing results and works on any DSLR lens? 

It's not everyday that you get to see a rare 1970s Nikkor 6mm Fisheye lens. It's even more unlikely that you get to see one mounted to the rare Nikon D800 DSLR body! The guys at Grays of Westinster mounted the two elusive beasts to show how insane it is to have a 220º angle of view.

Here's a sampling of the latest slow-mo camera from filmbot, the Phantom Miro M120. Jim Geduldick takes us behind the scenes and shows us how he was able to show off the new slow-motion capabilities. This camera captures 750 fps at 1080 HD. What do you think you could do with that kind of picture quality?

Check out his final cut below.

UK Company Triggertrap have been making camera triggers for some time now, and recently released an iOS app that offers remote control of many DSLRs, in addition to control the iOS camera itself. Unlike other remote apps available though, the Triggertrap Mobile can be triggered by things like sound, vibration, and facial recognition.

It’s rare these days to find a product that is so well rounded that it can appeal to an entire market of users. Especially in photography, it is not uncommon to find products that claim to be designed “for beginning to advanced users” but suffer greatly from the attempt to spread out over such a vast range.

Imagine the storage you would need to shoot with a 3.2 billion pixel camera. With 189 image sensors, and weighing 3 tons - this will be the world's largest digital camera. It's called the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and is being engineered by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

If you read Fstoppers, you might be a seasoned professional, or you might have just purchased your first camera and are eager to learn. Whatever your skill level, I'm sure that you've all been bitten by the travel bug at least once before, and as a camera owner, you've been inspired to bring home the best you can when shooting in a foreign location.

I've been waiting a long time for a 24-70mm full frame lens with stabilization. Tamron was the first to create this lens and we got our hands on a Canon version. In this review we compare the Tamron 24-70mm 2.8 VC to Canon's 24-70mm 2.8. Which is the better lens? The answer to that question is a little more complicated than you might expect. 

Have you ever been on a photo shoot with your iphone and thought, man these 8-megapixel shots just aren't doing it for me? Perhaps you should look into Nokia's 808 PureView. This phone blows any competition out of the water with a 41 megapixel sensor and Carl Zeiss optics.  

I didn't believe my buddy when he told me that his brand new Nikon D800 viewfinder was always out of focus. I assumed that he had the diopter out of whack. It wasn't until I used the camera myself that I realized there was a serious problem. The camera was sent back to Nikon for repair and he received the camera back last week with the same issue.

Antonio Vicentini recently created this 8-bit gallery of cameras spanning pretty much everything from antique large format cameras through modern DSLRs. It's a cute, semi-retro, nostalgia-inducing piece for anyone who grew up in the 80s or early 90s.

Hopefully this post isn't as exciting to you because you already took advantage of the HUGE Sandisk 32GB sale we posted last week. But if you missed it or for some reason thought 32GB was overkill, Sandisk 16GB Memory Cards are on Sale today only. Even if you don't need more memory for your DSLR cameras, at these prices it's a good time to snag up a few for other devices.  

NAB 2012 has come and gone, and if you missed it, know that it was a heck of a show this year. Check out our list of the NAB 2012 products that made serious waves for practicality in both function and price, and then let us know your favorites in the comments section! We're giving away a free year of Animoto to one lucky commenter!  

When Nikon said the D800 (which you can win here) wasn't meant to be the D700's direct successor, I'm not sure many trusted them. However, recent rumors show something in the works that would fit well into that realm. And so, we now have a lot of people talking about what could be a very cool camera -- with a few key things left behind...  

Via NikonRumors

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you’re probably familiar with LensRentals.com, which is one of the most popular camera gear rental shops in the world, if not the most popular. We recently had the chance to sit down with the LensRentals team and learn everything about what just might be photography’s most fascinating company. 

This short film, Out of Tunes, was commissioned by Canon for the launch of its new EOS C300 camera. Canon’s only criterion for creator Sébastien Devaud was that the video must not be tied to a certain time or place. Other than that, he was free to let his creativity run loose.  

Are you in the market for a fisheye? This one will only set you back $160,000. Nikon created this extreme wide angle lens back in 1970, for the Photokina trade show. It's the Nikkor 6mm f/2.8, and it has a 220º field of view. The lens weighs about 11 pounds, with a minimum focusing distance of 25cm. When it was first introduced, it was the widest lens available.

What's that? You need twice as much memory now for your crazy large Nikon D800 RAW files? But those 32GB Memory Cards are so expensive you say. Well today only 32GB SD and Compact Flash Cards are on sale at some of the lowest prices I've ever seen (and no rebate forms to deal with).

When we were told that the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 VC lens was shipping on April 26, I can't understate how stoked Pat, Lee and myself were. Since we read the press release, we have been itching to get our hands on one. Why? Because this lens fills a void we have been aching for since DSLRs started shooting quality video.  

So why does the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 VC matter?

As a photographer just starting my own wedding photography business, I quickly realized how much pro gear really costs. I don't shoot often enough to afford all of the gear that I need but when I do have a shoot, I like to use professional gear and I like to have backups in case something breaks (especially for weddings).

Earlier this month we announced a contest where we are giving away 3 Pocketwizard Plus III units and a copy of Peter Hurley's The Art Behind The Headshot ($700 value). We are entering in the final week of the contest so be sure to hit the full post to read how you can enter. We will pick a random winner May 1st and make the announcement here on Fstoppers.

If you are like me then you might not always get caught up in some of the super technical aspects of photography. One aspect of photography I recently investigated was the loss of sharpness caused by Diffraction. Last night while playing with the new Nikon D800 camera I examined lens diffraction and how diffraction can seriously affect the sharpness of your photography.  

Who's got who beat is a big deal for those who are debating where to put their next $3000 -- and rightly so. So if you're interested in shooting video on any of the newest and hotly debated DSLRs out there, check out this low-light, high-ISO video test. The winner is crystal clear -- literally.  

SPOILER ALERT: So if that 5D Mark III doesn't impress you, I don't know what will.