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Category Archives: Photo Gear
Inexpensive ($4 – $80) Gifts for Photographers
Gorillapod
There are a lot of practical and inexpensive gifts for photographers. Here is a nice list in order of approximate cost from $4 to $80. All of these items can be found at my photography store (powered by Amazon.com with Amazon’s terrific ordering, shipping, guarantee, and service). Most of the items below are in the Photo Goodies section. Prices do fluctuate so the prices below are approximate.
iPhone 5 Camera vs iPhone 4S Camera
They are different, and the iPhone 5 camera is definitely faster, but is the image quality better? That may depend on how you like your low light images to look. Do you prefer sharp and noisy, or a smoother with image detailed blurred? Read this review.
Digital Cameras and the “Field of View” Crop
Caribou, image circle, sensor sizes
What is a “field of view” crop on a digital camera? What difference does it make if your camera is full frame, or has a field of view crop? It makes a BIG difference, so I just updated my illustrated article on the digital field of view crop. It will help you understand how to work with your lenses and how to chose lenses that will work best with your camera (and a warning about lenses that won’t work with, or could even damage some cameras).
Two Sons and Two Spiders
Jumping Spider living in an Iowa kitchen
I visited my two sons over Memorial Day weekend, and coincidentally, both of them have spiders living in their homes (with their blessings).
Radio Control At Last: The Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite
As much fun as it is to control remote flash units with an infrared transmitter, nothing beats radio control, and for the first time it is built into the flash unit. You can say goodbye to need for buying add-on radio controllers.
The New Canon 5D Mark III
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III isn’t just an upgrade to the 5D Mark II, it’s a big jump forward in quality and technology. It combines some of the best features from the Canon 7D and the new, top of the line Canon 1D X. It’s been a long time since the 5D Mark II came out in 2008, and if you have been waiting for the upgrade, the wait has been worth it. You can pre-order the 5D Mark III using the link at the end of this article.
Light Modifiers (Softeners) for Accessory Flashes
Umbrella, flash, and flash bracket on a tripod.
Photographers are always looking for ways to soften the light when doing portraits. The light from an accessory flash can be quite harsh so there are a wide range of modifiers to soften the light for more pleasing portraits. Here are my three favorites.
AlienBees: High Quality, Economical Studio Lights
AlienBees Studio Lights
For the best combination of quality and price, it is hard to beat AlienBees studio lights. I’ve been using AlienBees in my studio (and on location) for 5 years, and like so many other photographers, I’ve been singing their praises. It would be hard to find the same quality for less money.
Inexpensive ($4 – $80) Gifts for Photographers
Gorillapod
There are a lot of practical and inexpensive gifts for photographers. Here is a nice list in order of approximate cost from $4 to $80. All of these items can be found at my photography store (powered by Amazon.com with Amazon’s terrific ordering, shipping, guarantee, and service).
Put Your Camera On The Ground
Jet on the Track
Most photos are taken from eye level, so you can give your photos a dramatically different look by putting your camera on the ground.
Best Panorama Gear: Living In Pano Heaven
CAmera, nodal slide, and panning clamp
If you are using an Arca-Swiss compatible quick release system, which I highly recommend, two simple pieces of easy-to-carry equipment can put you in panorama heaven. Get the full story here.
The Best Camera Quick Release System
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.
One system has become the defacto standard for serious photographers. It is arguably the best. If you are tired of the nuisance of screwing your camera onto your tripod head, or if you’ve grown weary with the problems created by an inferior quick release system, it is time for a change. Go here.
KEEPING YOUR WORLD STRAIGHT WITH A DOUBLE BUBBLE LEVEL
Double Bubble Level
Read the complete information article here.
Save money and buy a Manfrotto Double Bubble Level from Amazon.com (and get free shipping).
Recommended Incident Light Meters
Incident Light Meter. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
There’s no question that in some complex metering situations, it can be tough to figure out the best exposure with the meter in your camera. An incident light meter can be quicker, faster, simpler, and more accurate in some of those same situations. Some incidents light meter can also measure light from an electronic flash.
Tripod Head Recommendations: Some of the Best of the Best
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
Tripod Recommendations: The Best of the Best
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.
Environmental Portraits and Off-Camera Flash, Part 3
Flash, Off-Camera vs On-Camera
Off-camera flash can provide more pleasing light and a much more dramatic photograph than on-camera flash. Using two off-camera flash units provides even more dramatic lighting possibilities.
Environmental Portraits and Off-Camera Flash, Part 2
Warren Stevens, Magic 106.3
Off-camera flash is so useful because it gives you a different look from the millions of photos that are taken with the flash on the camera. The light can come from any direction you choose, no matter where your camera is, and the latest technology makes automatic flash exposure quick and reliable.
Best Digital Cameras – 2011 (includes 2009-2010)
Sony Alpha NEX-5N
Updated Dec. 26, 2011.
It’s that time of year with the holiday season approaching and I am already getting questions about which digital cameras I recommend. The camera lists below will point you to the highest rated models, along with information and advice. The lists will be updated throughout the holiday season as new, highly rated cameras become available.
New Canon EOS 1D X
The new Canon EOS-1D X
Canon introduced the new EOS 1D X today, the new flagship, pro level camera that replaces both the EOS 1Ds Mark III and the EOS 1D Mark 4. It is an 18.1 Megapixel, full-frame DSLR with a high-precision 61-point AF system, an ISO range that’s expandable up to ISO 204,800, and a top shooting speed of 14 frames per second (fps). Details are here.
Environmental Portraits and Off-Camera Flash, Part 1
Warren Stevens, Magic 106.3, Columbus, Ohio.
If I am using flash for an environmental portrait, I usually prefer having the flash off of the camera. In this portrait of Warren Stevens (program director and mid-day air personality at Magic 106.3 FM in Columbus), the flash is above Warren and to his right, providing a nice semi side-lit photograph. On camera flash is flat and even. Getting the flash off of the camera and moving it to the side provides more shape and texture to the subject.
Photo of the Day: Sarah
Sarah Gearino, Fitness Trainer
I’ve photographed people in a lot of different occupations, but this is the first time I’ve worked with a professional fitness trainer. Sarah Gearino (“Body Evolution by Sarah”) is taking on more clients and she wanted photos for her Web site (which is currently in the planning stages).
Sai Charita: Dance Drama
Saibaba Dance Drama
Shooting “events” is both challenging and rewarding. The photographer has very little control over the lighting and the position of the subjects (unlike most other kinds of photography), so you make the most of what happens and improvise. Shooting events will do wonders for your photographic skills, not to mention the eye-catching photos that can be captured.
What to Do When A Lens Quits Working
Electronic Lens Mount
It is an unhappy thing when a lens quits working normally, or stops altogether, complete with some kind of error message on the camera body. The good news is that you can usually bring your lens back to life and it only takes a few seconds to a few minutes to do. Details are here.
Incident Light Metering on the Cheap
Pink Ladyslipper Orchid Metered Using a Gray Card
A simple $12 accessory will do most of the work of a $300 incident light meter. Hard to believe? Keep reading.
Amazing, Small, Inexpensive, HD Video Camera
Looking for a small, mountable, “ideal for sports and action”, inexpensive ($179 – $299) high definition video camera with a waterproof housing and image quality that Lucasfilm (the Star Wars people) calls “amazing”? Take a look at this amazing video footage (with skiing, snow boarding, surfing, cliff diving, motocross, auto racing, jet piloting, base jumping, and parasailing). Then keep reading! This camera will go anywhere and mount just about anywhere.
For several months on various “outdoor” TV networks (National Geographic, Discovery Chanel, Animal Planet and others) I’ve watched some remarkable video footage from a very small, mountable HD video camera. I didn’t recognize the brand or model so I’ve been searching for the camera and finally located it. It is the GoPro HD HERO which can be mounted on helmets, cars, motorcycles, surfboards, and about anything else you can imagine. Imagine mounting it on a pole with some bait to record the bite of a shark from inside the sharks mouth ( it was the “inside the shark’s mouth” video sequence that got my attention and started me on my search for this camera).
Choosing Photo Gear For Airline Travel
Traveling by plane severely limits the amount of camera equipment you can take with you. As lots of photographers will attest, take everything with you as carry-on gear, NOT in your checked luggage. The airlines will NOT reimburse you for lost or damaged photographic equipment (see my comments toward the end of this article). If your checked luggage goes astray, everything you need should be with you in your carry-on luggage. And you need a backup plan in case something quits working.
My New Photography Store
My new photography store (powered by Amazon.com) is at my Web site here, and as a stand alone site here. It has some of my favorite photography books and photo equipment. Ordering, payment, and shipping are all taken care of by Amazon’s safe and efficient system. If the feed from Amazon to my photography store doesn’t show up right away, just refresh the page.
Turn Your Camera Into An Incident Light Meter
Photographer Using an ExpoDisc
There are a lot of advantages to using an incident light meter, and you can read about them here. But what if you don’t have an incident light meter? Or you are packing light and don’t want to take your incident light meter with you? There are several less expensive alternatives.