Gear

In part two of our Micro Four-Thirds lens guide, we focus on some of the best telephoto lens options. The 2x crop factor of this format offers photographers and videographers some seriously impressive reach which is compact and affordable compared to full-frame alternatives.

Photographers are especially intrigued by the Microsoft Surface line of computers, which offer a full-fledged operating system coupled with touchscreen input. Of course, that's all for naught if the devices don't have good longevity, which Consumer Reports now says is the case, with one in four devices expected to fail within two years.

Akin to the store brands that are found next to the name brands on the shelves in a brick-and-mortar supermarket, AmazonBasics products have become a go-to for equal quality at a budget price in the online realm. Daily-use items have traditionally been the mainstay for AmazonBasics, but more recently they’ve expanded and driven further into the comparatively niche markets, including photography. In this review, I take a closer look at the AmazonBasics Carbon Fiber Monopod which was released in April 2017.

Anker, a company known for their chargers, battery banks, and cables also produces a series of affordable and compact solar chargers. These devices, when combined with large mAh battery banks and various USB chargers, can be used to charge just about any electronic device, keeping a photographer up and running no matter how far they may travel.

Multimedia professionals rely on solid tools to get the job done, and those tools have typically been Apple’s Mac lineup. But as Apple shifts its focus more to its MacBooks and iPhones, it’s neglected a tiny, but important product: the Mac mini.

Peak Design, creators of the popular Everyday Messenger, Everyday Backpack, and Slide strap, announced updated versions of its Leash and Cuff. A few weeks ago, the San Fransisco-based photography accessory company sent me the new products to test. Coming from a brand that set a precedent for commanding high expectations, I thought I knew what I was getting into. But even these little straps held a few pleasant surprises for me.

Many have accused Canon of being less innovative than other manufacturers, and while that may or may not be true when it comes to camera bodies, they do have some pretty extreme lenses out there. As they prepare to announce their next batch, there could be some very intriguing pieces of glass coming to the market.

The Arrow Smartwatch claims to be the first smartwatch with a 360-degree rotating camera. This raises the question, would an iPhone-quality camera be more preferable on a watch?

There are a handful of companies that are well-known for testing lenses. And the photographic community has a love-hate relationship with many of those that claim to have scientific tests, etc. Does it even matter? Can you tell the difference? Isn't it all just good enough? Regardless of your personal opinion, LensRentals has a respectable reputation for testing photographic lenses for optical features that we actually care about. They haven't tested many cinema lenses, but that's about to change — and for good reason.

So you want to create images and travel to gorgeous and beautiful places but how are you going to afford to travel several days or weeks and still pay for food, a roof over your head, and the costs to go from point a to b, c, d, e, etcetera? Well, do you like to camp? For those photographers where money is tight or who just want to have the most flexible arrangements possible, camping is one of your best options to get to out of the way places and still get some rest in between your photographic pursuits.

When buying a quadcopter, it’s hard to know where to draw the line on what accessories you should be buying with it. It’s already an expensive investment independent of all of the extras you’ll practically need. It’s even more painful to consider how a simple, inexpensive component can keep you from flying successfully. After adding a DJI Phantom 4 Pro + to my lineup, I complied a list of all of the hardware I found most valuable to help you get the greatest return on your investment.

Everyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with style and character of bokeh. I've had countless hours of discussion with friends in the industry regarding minute differences in the "look" of a certain lens. Today I want to share the most unique and comprehensive array of totally unique looks I've found.

One of the big concerns for many moving over to the Fujifilm X and GFX systems has been options for flash support. In all honesty, most of these issues were non-issues for the majority of users. Fujifilm has had their own set of speedlights for the systems, and all single-pin “dummy” triggers like the PocketWizard Plus X or many of the others offered by other manufacturers have always worked to trigger off camera flashes. Fujifilm also introduced both TTL and HSS to the system some time ago. However, Godox is the first flash brand to offer a fully Fujifilm compatible option. Let’s look at what they have on offer.

You may remember back in May we reported on TriLens, a Kickstarter-funded project that aimed at improving the ease of changing lenses. After overcoming legal obstacles during the product’s initial campaign, the team behind it is gearing up for a global roll-out of its invention.

The Micro Four-Thirds format was a pioneer of the mirrorless revolution. Initially adopted by Olympus and Panasonic in 2008, there is now a huge lens choice of zooms and primes across focal lengths from 7.5mm to 400mm. This is a guide to the best lens choices across a range of budgets for both photography and video.

On August 21, hundreds of thousands of people in North America and millions watching live at home will be experiencing a once, maybe twice, in a lifetime celestial opportunity. A total eclipse of the sun. Thousands of photographers will be traveling to locations along the path of totality to get the best possible photographs during the event. Photographing an event like this requires some special equipment so I will go over what you’ll need and some extra tools like the Sky-Watcher Star Tracker Mini (SAM) that can help you take your images to the next level.

As promised, today Phase One is starting shipments of its IQ3 100MP Achromatic digital back. To further show off its capabilities, the company has also launched two new videos showcasing Portrait Photographer Rick Wenner and Landscape Photographer Steve Gosling. In these videos, each professional photographer speaks about their attraction towards black and white imagery and the experience of photographing with the IQ3 100MP Achromatic.

It’s possible that Snap has more than just spectacles on the brain (er, head?). Reports are floating around that Zero Zero Robotics, makers of the Hover Camera Passport drone, approached Snapchat’s parent company for funding.

If you stop and think about it, it's pretty difficult to exist in today's world. Vaccines are(n't) out to get your children, there could be Daleks around every corner, and even that vintage lens you scored on eBay might be radioactive, lurking between the sheets, following your every move, wreaking havoc on your DNA when you're not looking. Maybe even stealing your french fries. Or, at least that's what Mathieu Stern was concerned about before he made this video.

Last year Miggo launched Pictar, a revolutionary iPhone camera grip, but they haven’t stopped working on innovative designs since then. They return to Indiegogo with a brand new line of storm-proof camera and drone bags called Agua. Every single product of this upcoming collection is IPX3 standard storm-proof while retaining quick-draw ability.

SLR cameras are small wonders of modern technology. This neat video shows a shutter in action, so you can see exactly how the mechanism works.

Here we have our first hands-on look at the upcoming RED Hydrogen smartphone they are preparing to release. As many of you know, RED is known for making high-end cinema cameras, but now they have launched themselves into the deep end of the smartphone world market.

Living in Houston, it’s usually very hot and humid here. One of the downfalls is coming from inside a building or the car with AC on cold and then proceeding to go outside to shoot when it's hot outside. Whether it's moving from a cold to warm environment or vice versa, the drastic change in the temperature could cause your camera lenses to fog up. What can you do?

As Sony and Fujifilm continue to charge ahead deep into mirrorless territory, many are hoping Nikon and Canon will step up to the plate. When it comes to Canon, that likely won't be for a while, but that could actually be a good thing.

If you're a photographer or videographer you probably already have some sort of external storage. As your workload ramps up, it may become more convenient to house all of your files on and work from an external device like a NAS box (network attached storage). They can have practically unlimited storage, your data is redundant, they are able to be accessed by multiple computers at once, and now they are faster than ever.

Every time I’m on a set or grabbing coffee with another local filmmaker, we always end up talking gear for a bit, and inevitably the question comes up of “What camera would you buy if you had to buy right now, and why?” I decided to research things a bit and put together an article that explains what I’d buy if I absolutely had to right now, and the answer might surprise you.

Datacolor’s Spyder5 series of products is their latest in calibration tools to help digital artists make sure they are always seeing the most accurate colors on any monitor display. There are three models to choose from: Express, Pro, and Elite+, with the Spyder5Elite+ version receiving a large software update last year. Now Datacolor is making it even easier to get a better calibration for your workflow by offering discounted prices when you upgrade to their Spyder5Elite+ model from any of their previous models or competitors products.

There are no shortage of Nikon D850 rumors these days. Following up previous news that Nikon shooters should be happy about, the additional features, pricing, and release date information once again found by NikonRumors set the stage for what continues to be an increasingly optimistic outlook for the D850.

About a week ago I was in New York City visiting for pleasure and decided there was no way I could leave without visiting my favorite store in the city: the B&H superstore. This was something I had been looking forward to since it would be the first time I could get my hand on the new Sony a9 and see what all the fuss was about. During my visit, I was absolutely floored by the performance of the a9 and how the Sony kiosk had way more attention than anywhere else in the store. This along with the recent announcement of Canon’s 6D Mark II and Nikon’s company woes made me realize how much the industry needs a company like Sony.

Cable management is one task that for me is bizarrely fun and rewarding. In my last article, I wrote about creating a DIY portable charging station built out of a Craftsman tool box that is serving me quite well in the studio and in the field. Clients have been impressed with the simplicity and intentional design in keeping a lot of gear charged. It communicates quite a bit about how you take care of your investments. Here are a few tips to help you manage the clutter in your office or studio.