Gear

Yes, you heard right. The newly announced Fotodiox Excell +1 speedbooster (reminiciant of the Metabones Speedbooster) will allow you to mount your Nikon F and Canon FD glass to your MFT body while optically adjusting for crop-factor and giving you a whole extra stop of light. At an introductory price of $160 the Fotodiox blows the Metabones, which sells for between $400 to $600, out of the water and you can get that extra stop of light on a budget.

One of the many reasons people become attracted to photography is the capability of capturing the world around us in wondrous ways. While choosing large apertures or developing a dramatic style in post processing can completely change a setting, there are also subtle but supportive ways to change a scene. Such a way is through the use of a circular polarizing filter (CPF). In this well presented and thorough video tutorial, nature photographer Steve Perry of Backcountry Gallery will teach you everything there is to know about this must-have lens filter.

While the beta has been out since February and can still be downloaded here, according to a June 26th press release, Nikon will be releasing its new Capture NX-D software July 15th for free. The previous version of Capture NX-2 still goes for $140, so it's nice to see more value added to Nikon's products for us Nikonians out there.

Fashion photographer and Profoto's own "Light Shaper", Andrea Belluso, recently published this behind-the-scenes look at a recent 40's-inspired fashion shoot at his local flight club just outside of Stockholm. The video features Profoto's new "squircle" collapsable reflectors.

I've personally covered the Sony a7S a lot here at Fstoppers, full disclosure: I'm in love with the idea of this camera. As a diehard D700 user (though I've since retired it) I love the idea of a high-ISO somewhat low-res monster. All the reviews and sample images / video I've seen of this camera have absolutley blown me away, this video is no different. Check out Philip Bloom pushing the a7S to its limits in this video.

I’m always one to preach the importance of prevention and preparation before walking into a photo shoot, but there are some things you just can’t prepare for. The more you shoot the more you come to find that gear will tend to fall apart after a excessive number of uses... and abuses.

It's no secret that the Canon EOS 7D (Canon's high-end crop body) is looking a little long-in-the-tooth. Released in 2009 this little guy still can chug away but has recently started to show its age with cameras in the same price range and is likely to see an upgrade within the next couple months. Canon Rumors is reporting a possible sighting of the rumored 7D Mark II at the world cup and has some suspicious images to back it up.

Manfrotto has refreshed two of its popular tripods; the 190 and 055 series. Both adding a few nice improvements that many will find useful. The most convenient of which is the new Easy Link plug. This allows for instant connection of accessories, such as LED lights or on-board video monitors for video playback.

Happy Independence Day! As with every holiday, companies roll out some of their best discounts for the year on gear and electronics. I have been researching to find the best deals for the Fourth of July, and have came up with a comprehensive list of websites and offers you should take advantage of immediately. If you are looking to pick up a new camera, stock-up on memory cards, finally get a new camera bag, or splurge on a new TV, this list has something for everyone.

The Pentax 645Z digital medium format camera has been receiving a lot of buzz since its announcement earlier this year. It's been hailed for its CMOS medium format sensor which offers unrivaled image quality and unheard of high-ISO capability when compared to CCD sensor models. The Penatx 645Z even features weather sealing to boot. That's why the guys over at QusabesdeTV on YouTube put together this video showing off the quality of this weather sealing.

Late last year, Trevor Dayley wrote an article which introduced me to the Mastin Labs Portra 400 film emulation preset system. As a long time Kodak Portra 400 shooter I was thrilled to see side-by-side comparisons of Portra 400 against digital with the preset. They looked darn near identical. Now Kirk Mastin, the mastermind behind the presets is gearing up to release his Fuji 400H preset system and I couldn't be more excited.

Let's face it, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art is hard to find. I've been getting barraged with questions from fellow photographers asking me when they could buy the 50mm, or if I have some sort of mystical connection that will allow me an unlimited supply of the lenses for them to tap. The popular lens has been nearly perpetually sold out since the lenses came to the market. I just got word that B&H got a new shipment of Canon mounts for the lens in, so if you've been waiting to buy, you can get the lens right now.

Earlier this year, Nikon unveiled a 3D photo booth that used a system of multiple DSLRs to render a 3D model of a subject. Just months later the technology to do so now fits in your pocket — free.

Sigma wants to encourage new users to try their new dp2 Quattro so badly they've decided to tear down the walls: you can borrow the dp2 and test drive it before you buy it... and even before it’s available to purchase in stores. Though you have to throw down the value of the camera as collateral, if you return the camera you get the money back. Free rental? Yes please.

It's no secret that the majority of the photography and art community tends to lean towards Apple for many of their services. Google is hoping to convert a few of us with the announcement of Android 5.0 L this past weekend. Adding RAW support, full manual controls, and any other features to the camera system might make Android the best option for photographers everywhere.

If you've been holding out for the D800/D800E replacement, today's you're lucky day: it's finally here. Featuring a new 36-megapixel sensor, better ISO range, and shutter and AF technologies from the D4s, the D810 is now available for pre-order from B&H, or you can also pre-order from Amazon, too.

Another famous late-night announcement brings us news of the long-awaited successor to the camera that brought medium-format resolutions to the masses. With its all-glorious 36 megapixels, improved low-light performance, and a new processing engine, the Nikon D810 is finally here... Update: Pre-orders are open at B&H.

I’m a huge fan of Annie Leibovitz and the imagery she has captured over the past few decades. Being a self-taught photographer, I looked to her work time and time again for inspiration and motivation. Over the course of a year, I scoured the internet for information on her lighting setups, equipment and methodology. But, the more I dove in, the less concerned I became about equipment and the more I felt the need to simplify my style.

We all have a half-dozen or so USB thumb drives laying around. You know, the ones you bought to replace the ones you thought you lost, but then found a week later? Maybe they were free at a trade show? I had my fair share and decided to do something about it: I created my new favorite and totally portable live-work "SSD." Considering I just needed one, $16 accessory, it all seemed pretty reasonable to me.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of testing out the Phase One IQ250, and so I thought I would put together a practical write up of my time spent the Phase One IQ250 Camera System, the Capture One software, and whether or not either one has found a permanent place in my workflow.

This past week I've been sleep deprived, socially inactive, and holding a camera in my hands for more than I ever have in my entire life. You see, this past week I've been working with PRO EDU to film my first tutorial series to go on sale at the Fstoppers store this summer. Though learning a lot about my own work and process, I think I learned the most when I used a rented PhaseOne IQ250 system for one of my shoots.

Adobe has announced a great number of updates to the entire Creative Cloud set of applications (every single application is being updated in some way), but let's focus here on just what's new in Photoshop CC: New Motion Blur Effects, Focus Mask and improved Content-Aware color adaptation along with a set of other updates and enhancements to the entire experience.

That's right, the highly popular Photography Plan that Adobe seemed to continually threaten was going to be a limited-time deal, is finally a permanent pricing fixture. They are removing Behance Pro Site from the bundle, but it does contain Photoshop, Lightroom (on desktop and mobile) and now integrates the newly announced Photoshop Mix.

Adobe has made Lightroom Mobile available on iPhone, and has managed to keep all aspects of the software intact despite the much reduced screen size. The application works exactly the same as the iPad app, just on the smaller profile of your iPhone.

Adobe was very clear that the 2014 updates were mainly focused on what they have seen to be a rapidly evolving market: Mobile. Adobe is seeing a rapid pace of change, explosion of mobile, and a world that is continually and incredibly connected. But their software, for real-work at least, is still tethered to a desk. Adobe thinks this is a problem, and sought to solve it.

A month ago I was asked to review the Uinta backpack from Gura Gear and was excited about using it in the city. Gura Gear makes backpacks for outdoor / travel photographers; however, I instantly noticed some features I have been looking for in a bag for my elopement and wedding coverage needs.

On the heels of photographer Yosh Enatsu's A7s killer low-light test, DxOMark comes out to confirm that the A7s is the new champion of low-light cameras. Expected to ship July 1st, the camera can still be pre-ordered at B&H.

Hiking season is in full swing and in the last few years I've incorporated a lot of video and photography while on week long trips in the backcountry. When every pound of weight counts, you have to choose your gear carefully. In this post I’ll share my tricks and tips for making a useful kit without weighing you down.

If you have never taken the time to learn some of the basics of camera care then this is your video. System checks, cleaning, strap threading, and general maintenance are all covered in this video published by Canon USA. But don't let the excessive Canon logos fool you. These care tips are just as useful to all our Nikon shooters too.

Softboxes, at least traditional ones, suck. They are not fun to put together and even more painful to break back down. In an attempt to relieve this, companies like Westcott made umbrella-style boxes and Phottix took a swing at the collapsible beauty dish. Now Interfit has a hand in the game with a full line of options in the collapsible category, from octos to strips.