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Adam Ottke

Los Angeles, CA
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Articles from Adam Ottke

The Latest Kickstarter Tripod Is Small and Truly Adventurous, But Will It Survive?

The Pakpod is Kickstarter's latest small-camera tripod to hit the market. It's not made of carbon fiber or even metal. It won't stand much higher than a couple feet. And it looks a little funny - let's be honest. But it does one thing better than any other tripod I've ever seen: it attaches to anything (even under water). 

Canon Announces Three New Compact Cameras: The G5 X, G9 X, and EOS M10

Canon's latest cameras are compact, but pack a punch (maybe). While some might be compelled to ask themselves about the reasons behind releasing the lackluster EOS M10 at all, the G5 X and G9 X both fit well into Canon's high-end compact lineup with interesting features that might draw the casual shooter looking for something a bit more spectacular than le quotidien. 

EOS M10

'INPUT/OUTPUT' Is a Fun New Short That Holds Surprises in Every Frame

They say that the ability to still be surprised is the key to happiness. It's growing knowledge of the world around us that informs our expectations of behaviors of all kinds of entities that in turn ruins the surprise in our lives. It's the reason that we're not interested in our boring childhood toys.

Sony Spins Sensor Business Off Into Its Own Entity, Sony Semiconductor Solutions

Sony Corporation announced today that it will spin off its semiconductor business into its own company in April 2016. Other parts of the corporation will see a restructuring of operations while all of the research and development, business, sales, and other operations related to the semiconductor and image sensor business will benefit from more autonomy under one separate roof.

You Might Want to Consider Protecting Your Wacom Intuos Tablet with a Screen Protector

Before I had a Wacom, I seriously questioned the ability that a touchpad without a screen would have to improve my editing workflow. Also the screen-integrated models were way too expensive for me to consider at the time. Those of us that have them now, however, see them as an invaluable tool in our work — and it’s one we probably want to protect. 

Fine Art Short Records Beautiful Black and White Subjects in Color

Freelance videomaker and visual artist Julianna Thomas did something unique recently: she shot an entire series of black and white subjects, but in color. As a response to one of her greatest pet peeves, Thomas created "Black & White In Color" as a "personal response to treating black and white as an editing afterthought." 

Simple Beauty Trumps All in New iPhone-Shot Short That Reminds Us 4K Isn't Everything

It can be daunting to try to think of a completely new, never-been-done-before concept for a shoot. But sometimes, the answer is surprisingly simple. In an age in which everyone is touting shooting on the latest equipment with 4K video, while begging for ever-greater bit rates, Japanese designer Dan Tomimatsu took pause to give us something refreshingly simple and beautiful.

Why and How I Upgrade My iPhone Every Year

Whether they are anti-technology, anti-corporation, or anti-spending in any way, more and more people seem to be specifically against the idea of upgrading their gadgets every year. This is not more true than it is for those shiny, beautiful, brand new smartphones.

Zeiss Launches Entirely New 'Milvus' Line of High-Performance Lenses for Nikon and Canon DSLRs

Zeiss was long expected to announce at least one new Otus lens today (and I suppose they still might, although I wouldn't hold your breath). Instead, at least for now, Zeiss announced a new line of lenses for Nikon and Canon DSLRs under the moniker, "Milvus." Oddly enough, however, there are some interesting, stand-out differences between the Nikon and Canon versions.

Do UV Filters Really Protect Your Lens? Shocker: Not Really

Steve Perry of Backcountry Gallery has a multitude of great, down-to-earth photography how-to videos, but the latest one tackles an age-old question we've all had numerous fights over. In spite of Perry's self-proclaimed non-scientific standards, perhaps we can finally put this one to rest. 

Funding of Record-Breaking 3.2 Gigapixel Camera for Telescope Approved by DOE

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently gave final approval of $168 million in funding for what would be the most powerful (and likely most expensive) camera to date, created for the new, primarily National Science Foundation-funded Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) that will live on the peak of Chile's Cerro Pachòn. 

Canon Announces Third-Generation EOS M3 for The US Market, Available for Pre-Order

Canon's EOS M was a good first-try mirrorless, compact APS-C camera that fell a bit short. After withholding the EOS M2 for other markets, the M3 comes to the United States after two generations of much-needed improvements. Those features, however, just might launch the platform into best-in-class territory -- at least on paper. 

Canon Announces The 35mm f/1.4L II USM

Canon's rumored 35mm follow-up is finally here. Apart from the obvious general increase in quality with the standard aspheric and ultra-low dispersion elements, the new lens specifically promises to further reduce chromatic aberration (important for wide-aperture lenses) while being the "ideal complement to the latest generation of Canon's high-resolution DSLRs" (i.e.

Nikon's New AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR Is More Than Meets the Eye

Nikon's newest AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR isn't any ordinary lens. Aside from the obvious addition of VR, the lens features a number of other features, including a new 82mm filter size and increased weight. While it's hard to consider those last two qualities "features," if you thought it was a bit odd, you were right.