It figures that right after I write about how quiet 2022 is so far for 360 cameras that less than a week later, Ricoh decides to shatter that notion. The new Ricoh Theta X brings a few things to the table to shake things up in the consumer 360 camera market.
It's the start of 2022, and once again the world has retreated into pandemic bubbles. If ever there was a use-case for 360 images and videos, it's now, when it's safer to experience things virtually than in-person. That's where 360 cameras come in, and here's a pretty comprehensive list of the best horse for both photo and video courses.
Under the category of "so crazy, it's brilliant" comes the cinematography cart, a rolling photo-video stockroom. It might be something to consider for your future shoots.
Canon released a unique, incredibly niche lens aimed at VR content creators in the latter half of last year, the RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye 3D VR Lens. How does it stack up against the competition? Is there competition in this space?
If you've ever seen portraits with some wild reflections and funky lighting effects, it's entirely possible that it's not a multiple exposure or post-processed image. Using a cheap prism, you can duplicate some of these effects in camera.
I've always been a fan of personalizing gifts for the special people in my life. It says so much more than a pair of Happy Socks or a gift card. But nothing quite compares to giving the gift of your art.
I've talked about the Insta360 GO 2 a lot. And with good reason. It's an awesome little powerhouse of a camera. While the release of the "Minions Edition" of the camera doesn't fundamentally change that camera, it's just plain cool.
I’ve never been one to consider style in my bag purchases, but if that style comes at no extra cost, then, why not? That’s certainly the case with the new HEX x Misshattan Ranger DSLR Sling, a different take on the company’s regular Ranger DSLR Sling.
DSLR cameras with a focus on video don't get enough respect. Often regarded as a less-than-serious tool by professionals, and perhaps too complicated for photographers, they occupy an interesting but important middle-ground for content creators. So which brand is doing this genre right?
Sony's a bit of a niche player in the smartphone market, but with their latest offering, they seem to have managed the impossible, which is cramming a 1-inch sensor into a very thin cell phone.
I've been pretty keen on the Insta360 GO 2 for a while now, and now the company has given users a reason to be twice as keen about the camera, with a new 64GB version that doubles the memory of the original.
Nikon India accidentally posted the release video for the Nikon Z 9 flagship just a bit early, and while they were quick to remove it, photographer and YouTuber Tony Northrup was able to get his hands on it and do a deep dive into the uphill battle against Sony and Canon that the camera will face.
It's the holy war of the photography world: Mirrorless versus DSLR. It's also, these days, a largely irrelevant question, as both technologies are pretty far along and end up doing about the same thing. Photographer David Bergman takes a look at a reader question and offers his thoughts on what's better.
It looked like 2021 was going to be somewhat of a dry year for virtual reality content creators, and then out of nowhere, Canon drops the RF 5.2mm f/2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens aimed squarely at creators of 180 VR content. It's now possible to more easily shoot this kind of content in 8K, but beyond that, what other new features does it bring to the table? Expert VR content creator Hugh Hou explains.
On the surface, it doesn’t look like Insta360’s latest entry in the GO lineup is all that different from its previous model. Looks, in this case, are very, very deceiving. The Insta360 GO 2 fixes every issue with its predecessor and in the process, has become a versatile and eminently usable camera in its own right.
One of the first lighting techniques I learned in graduate school was Paramount lighting. It's an easy way to come up with consistently solid portraits of almost anyone. Here's a quick tutorial from Adorama and fashion photographer Lindsey Adler on how to get that just right.
In the mid-2000s, compact cameras were all the rage. Everybody had one, and they were all pretty much the same — small sensors and lackluster features. I’ve lost count of how many Canon PowerShot ELPH cameras I’ve owned that fit this mold.
In the world of drone photography, it’s hard to remember that there are players in the market that aren’t DJI. But maybe you are in the mood for something different. Maybe you’re just starting out. It might be worth it, in that case, to check out a few other options.
There's a feature with flashes that if you're in the know, is a lifesaver. High speed sync is something that allows you to shoot beyond what's considered the maximum sync speed of your camera, and to shoot wide open with flash in bright light, it's often a necessity to balance the exposure.
As a photojournalist, I often have subconscious blocks against excessive editing that seep even into other genres of photography. That’s why I often try my hand at toy photography when I want to flex my editing muscles.
Photography is about growth, and there are many times I wish that I could tell my younger self a few things about photography. While I'd start out by saying "You're not as good as you think you are," there are a few more practical tips in this video from Gear Focus.
The Micro Four Thirds system isn’t my go-to system for night sky or astrophotography, but if it’s yours, you can do far worse than photographing that sky with the Venus Optics Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens for Micro Four Thirds.
The year’s been pretty quiet for 360 cameras, which is why the launch of the Kandao Obsidian Pro, a 12K 360 camera made up of 8 APS-C sized sensors, is pretty much an extinction-level event this year as far as 360 cameras are concerned. The specs put it easily above other all-in-one 360 solutions, but how does it stack up in the real world?
Photojournalism is ostensibly about capturing the world as we see it, as close to reality as we saw it. That reality often includes color, and the question is: does black and white photography have a place in modern photojournalism?
I have always appreciated the photo road trip. While there’s always a little bit of photo in every trip I take with family and friends, nothing beats time spent on the road in the middle of nowhere, with no one else but your camera and the scenery dictating what to shoot.
I’ve been a longtime Panasonic Lumix shooter, and while even though it may seem like Micro Four Thirds may be a standard that’s in its twilight, there are still a lot of good deals to be had for filmmakers on a budget: Witness the Panasonic Lumix G85.
Capturing the world in 360 has been a thing for years. While companies such as Ricoh and Insta360 have made the process far easier than the days of specialized tripod heads and sophisticated software, it’s still not an easily understood process or format. Vecnos aims to change that with its new IQUI 360 camera.
There are so many places I’ve wanted to fly a drone, but it’s just not possible what with all those pesky FAA regulations, permit requirements, insurance, and all. But filmmaker Karen X proves that you don’t always need a drone to get a drone-like shot. You just need some creativity.
While I personally enjoy eating my food, there are times where that food is worth a photo as much as a bite. That said, if it’s a field you are looking to get into, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
The internet is a strange and wonderful place. While there are a lot of tutorials about how to become a better photographer or what piece of gear is better than the other, sometimes, you just need to have a little fun.
There’s no shortage of lenses to choose from when it comes to the Micro Four Thirds mount, and so, for one to stand out, it’s got to offer something special. The Venus Optics Laowa 50mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro APO is a lens that just happens to have a few tricks up its sleeve to make a case for itself, namely 2:1 magnification for macro photography and the computer chips to make it play nice with Micro Four Thirds cameras.
When the pandemic started, as a professor I had a plan to record all of my lectures in a professional-style studio setup with proper mics, lighting, background, etc. While it was mostly kids and life that got in the way of doing it that way, a huge factor was also the complexity of setting up all the necessary equipment to make it happen.
Years ago, I taught a workshop on editing video for scientists. We primarily taught the shooting part of things with an iPhone and the editing part with iPads and iMovie because it would be easier to learn, not because they were particularly good tools. My how things have changed now that the new M1 iPad Pro is out.
When Canon launched the RF mount with the EOS R, your choices were limited to that one camera if you wanted to buy into Canon's stellar new lens system. While it's a bit long in the tooth, it's definitely still a viable camera, and possibly the best camera to get if you're starting out in the system.
If you're in the market for a new mirrorless camera, there are a plethora of options, and most of those options are broken down right here in this handy video from Engadget.
