Gear

Ah... tis the season of giving! Last week we introduced you to some great gift ideas under $100. We are continuing our Gear Guide this week with ideas that cost just a bit more. For those of you who have a little bit of a budget and you want to make sure you're spending it wisely, we wholeheartedly support that endeavor with these fantastic gift ideas that will keep you under $200 but still put a big grin on your favorite photographer's face.

Canon UK has published five images taken with the two new lenses announced earlier this month. Three images were posted for the 24-70mm f/4 and two for the 35mm f/2. A couple I recognize from the low resolution samples available on the day of announcement, but it's nice that now high resolution samples are available for inspection.

Right now, the Canon 5D Mark III is on sale on Ebay for $2,886, which is $400 less than other retailers even after the current $200 instant rebate. If you missed your chance to buy Canon before they cracked down on MAP pricing and are kicking yourself, it looks like you just got another chance. If you're shopping for the perfect gift, this is a great chance to grab it while it's discounted.

With a simple change in focal length, we know that we can drastically change and control the depth of field. In this lesson from The Slanted Lens, Jay P Morgan shoots a fashion portrait at the Vasquez Rocks in California. Not only does he cover how to control the depth of field, but you'll also learn how he uses this tip to enhance his work.

If you're a fan of setting up bird feeders and watching the adorable little animals swoop into your back yard, you might want to look into this new piece of equipment designed by Bryson Lovett. Instead of hunting down your favorite avian wildlife at 200 mm, this little contraption allows you to view and photograph the birds up close and personal without invading their space.

Every photograph that is taken with a traditional camera is more than likely going to require you to depress it's shutter button. If you're an action or wildlife shooter, you may have one of those super-fast trigger fingers where you lie in wait for the moment of the perfect shot. This little Kickstarter item might just give your fingers that extra edge for a faster push and better grip on it. Video inside!

Well that was a longer wait that we originally anticipated, but the Canon EOS M mirrorless camera and all the accessories are finally in stock coast to coast. BorrowLenses.com got them in house on November 10 and B&H just confirmed stock of the camera today.

If you've been paying attention to Sigma over the past five months, you know that they have been producing better and higher quality lenses than ever before. I personally have been extremely impressed with the pro-level glass that Sigma is producing, with few complaints during testing. Recently, their new lens lineup has piqued a significant amount of interest from you readers, so we took a few minutes to sit down with Sigma and pose some of your burning questions regarding their new lenses, the business, and what we can expect in the future.

Many of you were clamoring for some samples taken with the new Sigma 35mm f/1.4, and we got them for you. These six images, all taken with the new lens, show a lot of promise. I'm not going to say much more of my opinion here. I want to hear from you guys. Do you like what you see?

Weapons of Mass Production's Kevin Good walks us through the in's and out's of four of the most popular lens brands on the market, in one of the most popular focal ranges... the 24-70mm. Brace yourself as only one of these lenses will be spared John Pellett's bat.

It's becoming that time of year again, and we photographers are difficult to buy for. There is just so much in the market, it's hard to know what we will love. Not to worry, Fstoppers is here to help. Not only are we compiling a list of the best stuff for photographers, we break it down by price so you don't break the bank. 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.

If you've ever dropped your camera, and I have, you'll know that sickening sound of plastic and metal hitting concrete and the immediate surge of fear that follows when you realize that many thousands of dollars of delicate equipment could now be mangled beyond repair. In my case it was a Nikon D3 with a Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 attached falling from about 3 feet on to concrete. Ouch. But what if there was a camera that was DESIGNED to be dropped and even thrown?

Today ONA released two new bags that, as far as I am concerned, just look freaking sexy: the Brixton and the Palma. Both bags are over-the-shoulder design and seem to be trying to appeal to our desire to not only shoot, but shoot in style. I can't speak to the comfort, usability or lifespan of the product (as I haven't gotten my hands on one of the bags yet), but I can say that they certainly are pleasant to look at. Did I mention they're pretty?

A little earlier this year, Fotodiox released a new series of filter systems for use specifically for wide angle lenses, lenses that traditionally are unable to accept filters due to a protruding front element. Though somewhat pricey, the WonderPana line addresses a need that I'm certain some of you have been looking for.

Anyone getting started out in DSLR video production can tell you that one of the biggest frustrations for them is changing focus during a shot. This is where FocusMaker comes in. It attaches to any lens and in just a few minutes you can have focus points marked on the big ruler, and easily jump back and forth from focus point to focus point.

Adobe released the new Lightroom 4.3 and Camera Raw 7.3 release candidates through Adobe Labs, today, giving support for the Retina MacBook Pro displays as well as full support for the Nikon D600 and more!

Leica's latest offerings, the V-LUX 4, the D-LUX 6 and the M-E Digital Rangefinder were part of a lot of buzz surrounding Leica back at Photokina. The cameras are now available for those of you looking to add a Leica to your camera collection.

Astronaut Donald Pettit has spent more than a year of his life in space. Between two long-term stays on the ISS and a six-week Space Shuttle trip, he's racked up an incredible 370 days living, working, and photographing in the most hostile environment known to man. In this video, Donald shows us the techniques he's developed to create some of the jaw-dropping images and timelapses that he's created

I teamed up with Luquire George Andrews, an ad agency in Charlotte, NC, to create four images for a corporate brochure for Lincoln Harris, a commercial real estate company with properties in 26 states. LGA wanted to feature b/w photographs of executives in Lincoln Harris' properties.

Sigma has just released the pricing of the highly anticipated 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens, something we have all been curious about since we first heard about this lens. It's available "immediately" for $900 MAP. Given the release of the Canon 35mm f/2 less than 48 hours ago, it is going to be hard to not to compare these two lenses.

Tamron's updated 90mm f/2.8 1:1 macro lens that was announced at Photokina got a price tag today, and will ship on November 30 of this year. You can get this new lens for a pretty low $850, which is great considering the prices that Canon and Nikon can ask for their branded lenses. Tamron also released the pricing for their new 70-200mm f/2.8 lens released at the same time for $1500.

When Canon released the upgraded 24-70mm f/2.8 II lens earlier this year, it was met with a serious mix of emotions. Why was it so expensive, and where the HECK was the image stabilization? And sure, the lens performs magnificently, but it left a lot to be desired. Last night, Canon announced a new member to the lens family, and many of us are confused as to where a 24-70mm f/4 IS fits into the picture between the 24-105 f/4 IS and the 24-70mm f/2.8 II.

Nikon's newest update, the D5200, is now out. Replacing the D5100, the D5200 features a 24.1MP APS-C DX sensor, 100-6400 native ISO, and a fully variable 3-inch LCD screen...

You've likely read the rumors, and now Canon has made those a reality in officially announcing the availability of two new lenses: the 24-70mm f/4 IS and the 35mm f/2 IS. The EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM is expected to be available in December for an approximate retail price of $1,499.00, and the The EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens is expected to be available in December for an approximate retail price of $849.99.

If you've been looking for a quick and easy point-and-shoot that results in pretty darn good images, Lumix fans can't quite say enough about the DMC-LX5. Normally well-priced at $320, it is now on sale for a real bargain of only $250. It's a pretty good compromise if you don't want to go interchangeable compact lens camera, but you also don't want to lug around your DSLR. Also, the Sony NEX-VG900 Full-Frame Camcorder and the Canon EOS C500 have arrived in stock.

When I test products, I like to have a plan. I put together what I think the product should handle and then carefully execute and document the situation. It's the easiest and best way for me to give a fair assessment of the gear. A relatively straightforward and planned review was on my schedule for the C-Loop and Glide Strap but instead, I found myself in the midst of a natural disaster and the desire to capture the moment as best I could. This required the cooperation of this camera strap, and inadvertantly, resulted in this review.

A couple of nights ago a close friend of mine, Jesse, gushed over Justin Bieber's new music video, 'Beauty and A Beat'. How it was entirely shot with the new Olympus TG-1 (a point-and-shoot camera) and how I should write a post about it for the site. So, taking his lead I went ahead and did some research on Justin's new music video.

Photorumors.com points out that the Pentax K-01 reviewed earlier is now half price! That makes it one of (if not, the) cheapest APS-C mirrorless cameras out there.

As most of you are aware, the lower section of Manhattan is still without power. Luckily our friends at Adorama have setup a charging station to help juice up your portable electronics. In this video Mark Wallace encourages everyone to spread the word since most of those residents won't be active online. If you own any powerpacks like the Alien Bee Vagabond, if you charge it up you can get multiple charges for your cell phones or laptops.