Category Archives: Photo Gear

Best Digital Cameras of 2013 (Including 2009 – 2012)

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Canon 5DMark III camera. Canon EF 17-40 mm f/4 lens. Really Right Stuiff L-Bracket.

It’s that time of year. The holiday season is here and I am getting the usual questions about which digital cameras I recommend. The camera lists below will point you to the highest rated models. There is also some information and advice on choosing a camera. The lists will be updated throughout the holiday season as new, highly rated cameras become available. (Originally posted Nov. 26, 2013. Updated Dec. 3, 2013.)

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The Best Camera Quick Release System

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Arca-Swiss compatible “L-bracket” and tripod head

Mounting a camera onto the screw on top of a tripod head is time consuming. Doing it in the dark when your hands are cold is annoying. Once the camera is mounted, if you flop the camera over to the side to take a vertical photo, the camera tries to rotate on the screw. To provide a solution, all kinds of “quick release systems” have been created. Some of them work quite well, some not so well. Most systems have a weakness of one kind or another.

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The Big Switch from Canon to Nikon

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Magpie Meets Lens

Magpie Meets Canon 100-400mm Lens

Update April 2: Yesterday was April Fool’s Day. I’m not selling my Canon gear (blame the idea on Art Morris, the world class bird photographer). My apologies to the people who wrote and wanted to buy my Canon gear. The Canon history in between the first and last paragraphs is accurate and I really did buy my first autofocus lens long before I bought my first autofocus body.

I have been so impressed with the latest Nikon cameras (which have edged out Canon in the technology race) that I’ve decided to switch to Nikon gear. It was a hard decision.
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Best Digital Cameras of 2012 (Including 2009 – 2011)

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(Originally written Nov. 19, 2012. Most recent update: Jan. 16, 2013.)   It’s that time of year. The holiday season is here and I am getting the usual questions about which digital cameras I recommend. The camera lists below will point you to the highest rated models. There is also some information and advice on choosing a camera. The lists will be updated throughout the holiday season as new, highly rated cameras become available.

Continue reading →

Pop Photo’s Best Camera of 2012: Canon EOS 5D Mark III

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Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF 17-40 f/4 L lens, RRS L-Bracket

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF 17-40 f/4 L-series lens, Really Right Stuff L-Bracket

According to Popular Photography magazine, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is “the best low-light DSLR we have yet tested. A near perfect tool for the still shooter, it can double as a top gun for the videographer” (Jan 2013 issue, p. 58). Pop Photo‘s top three cameras for 2012, all full frame digital SLRs, are the Canon 5D Mark III, the Nikon D800, and the Sony Alpha 99. So why did they pick the 5D MkIII as the best of the best?

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The Best of the Best: Photography Recommendations For The Best Photo Gear, Books, Software, and Online Photo Labs

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The best of the best cameras, accessories, photo books and more.

The best of the best cameras, accessories, photo books and more.

This time each year I put together a collection of articles recommending the best photo gear, books, DVDs, software, calendars, online photo labs, and a whole lot more. The articles are revised every year, some of them extensively. Here’s the list of linked articles.

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Keeping Your World Straight With A Double Bubble Level

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Double Bubble Level

Why waste time fixing crooked horizons when a simple accessory will put an end to the problem. Read the complete information article here.

Save money and buy a Manfrotto Double Bubble Level from Amazon.com (and get free shipping), or you can order it at my photography store which is powered by Amazon. Same price, same free shipping, same great service, same guarantee..

The Best Camera Quick Release System

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Arca-Swiss compatible “L-bracket” and tripod head

Mounting a camera onto the screw on top of a tripod head is time consuming. Doing it in the dark when your hands are cold is annoying. Once the camera is mounted, if you flop the camera over to the side to take a vertical photo, the camera tries to rotate on the screw. To provide a solution, all kinds of “quick release systems” have been created. Some of them work quite well, some not so well. Most systems have a weakness of one kind or another.

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Tripod Head Recommendations: Some of the Best of the Best

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Ball Head with Clamp, Really Right Stuff BH-3

The short list.

3-Way Tripod heads:

Manfrotto 056 3D Junior Head (replaces 3025)
Manfrotto 3025
Manfrotto 115 3D Super Junior Head (replaces 3028)
Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head

Ball Heads:

Slik Pro Ballhead 800
Kirk Enterprises BH-3
Kirk Enterprises BH-1
Really Right Stuff BH-40
Really Right Stuff BH-55

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Tripod Recommendations: The Best of the Best

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Looking for a tripod? Choose wisely. Other than a camera and a good lens, nothing can make a bigger difference in your photography than a good tripod. This is the place to find information, recommended models, and links to more information.

It is best to buy your tripod legs and tripod head separately. The best brands are interchangeable so you can match the legs you want with the tripod head that you want, even if they are from different companies.

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