The ads for these smart phone telephoto lenses keep popping up on Facebook and elsewhere online. How much do they really cost and why do the prices vary so much?
Posted Sep. 18, 2017. Expanded Dec. 2, 2017.
Category Archives: Lenses
Recommendations For The Best Photography Equipment, Software, Books, Magazines, DVDs, Online Photo Labs and More
I get lots of photo questions and many of them begin with “What is the best . . . .” They usually come from photographers or someone who is shopping for a photographer.
Here is my list of “best of the best” of articles recommending the best photo gear, software, books, DVDs, calendars, online photo labs, and a whole lot more.
Posted Nov. 19, 2016. Updated and re-posted May 5, 2017.
Choosing an Inexpensive Canon DSLR and Lenses
Just a few of many Canon refurbished cameras and lenses from the Canon USA web site.
Do you want to buy a Canon DLSR and/or lenses on a budget? This article is for you.
The Best Closeup Photography Equipment
Forget-Me-Nots, Thorne-Swift Nature Preserve, Michigan
There are several ways to do closeup photography. Closeup filters, extension tubes, and macro lenses are the most commonly used options. The best gear for you depends on your preferences, how you want to work, the subjects you are after, how much stuff you want to carry, and what you want to spend. I cover your best options.
Posted Nov. 22, 2016. Updated and expanded Dec. 9, 2016.
Sigma 150-600mm vs Tamron 150-600mm vs Canon 100-400mm Mark II
Sigma 150-600mm Sports and Contemporary Comparison to Canon. Photo by The Digital Picture
So you want a longer lens and can’t decide which one to get. There are several good options and one of them might be better for you in particular. What about resolution? Do you want to be at 600mm most of the time or just some of the time? Does it matter if the zoom and focus rings turn in Canon’s direction or Nikon’s? What about size, weight, and cost?
The Chinese Lens Rip Off! Part One
After reading a glowing review you order a set of smart phone lenses and you are billed over $100. You get socked with an additional $85 shipping charge (the ad said shipping was free). Then you find out you could have bought the same lenses for less than $10. To add insult to injury you discover the great review was from a fake review site and the quality of the lenses is disappointing. You’ve been ripped off.
Protect Your Camera Gear in the Cold and Snow
Bryce Canyon After An Overnight Snowstorm
Cold and snow can cause a lot of damage to your camera gear. The simple steps in this article could save you hundreds of dollars in repair bills.
The Best of the Best: Recommendations For The Best Photography Equipment, Software, Books, Magazines, DVDs, Online Photo Labs and More
The best of the best cameras, accessories, photo books and more.
It’s the time of year that the number of photo questions I receive increases dramatically. Many of them have to do with “What is the best . . . .” They usually come from someone shopping for a photographer, or photographers shopping for themselves.
So once again here is my list of “best of the best” of articles recommending the best photo gear, software, books, DVDs, calendars, online photo labs, and a whole lot more. I will revise some of these articles in November and December, but most of the advice is good as it stands. The best books on photographic composition or the best photo labs haven’t changed in the last 12 months. As I rewrite articles I will update the links below. You can check the date at the top of each article.
Originally posted Nov. 21, 2015. Updated December 11, 2015.
Q&A: Recommended Closeup Equipment
Forget-Me-Nots, Thorne-Swift Nature Preserve, Michigan
Today’s question came by email. I am posting the question and my answer below. The person asking the question uses Canon gear but the information below also applies to Nikon and other brands.
Question From “D”: I have been looking at a 58mm closeup lens for my Canon camera. I am also looking at closeup filters for my 28-55mm or 55-250mm Canon lenses. What do you recommend I get?
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.
Protect Your Camera Gear in the Cold and Snow
Bryce Canyon After An Overnight Snowstorm
Cold and snow can cause a lot of damage to your camera gear. A few simple steps could save you hundreds of dollars in repair bills.
The Best of the Best: Recommendations For The Best Photo Equipment, Books, Magazines, DVDs, Software, and Online Photo Labs
The best of the best cameras, accessories, photo books and more.
It’s the time of year that the number of photo questions I receive increases dramatically. Most of them have to do with the upcoming holiday season and gift giving questions: “What should I get for . . . .”
So once again I am revising my list of articles recommending the best photo gear, books, DVDs, software, calendars, online photo labs, and a whole lot more. As I rewrite each article I will update the links below. You can check the date at the top of each article. This is the most recent update to the list (Nov. 10, 2014).
POTD: Metaphid Jumping Spider
Metaphid Jumping Spider
When a rare photo opportunity comes your way, jump on it (pun intended). You have no idea if or when it will happen again.
What To Do When Your Lens Quits
Electronic Lens Mount, Canon EF 17-10mm f4L Lens
Few things are more frustrating than having a lens quit, especially when you are on an important photo shoot, or a once in a lifetime trip. If you have a modern camera, the failed lens might also be accompanied by an error code on the camera body. On Canon cameras this is usually Error 99.
Photographing Festivals
Kim Eung Hwa Korean Dance Company
If you are looking for bright, colorful subjects to photograph, head for the nearest festival. If you live in one of the nation’s big cities, there are probably several major festivals to choose from. If you don’t, do a little research. Google is your friend.
Vegetarian Spider?
Spider with pea in a kitchen sink
I found this common house spider in our kitchen sink, hanging on to this pea which was suspended from an overnight web. The spider wasn’t moving at all so I touched it gently with the tip of a pen to see if it was alive. It quickly ran up a strand of its web. I left it alone and it eventually came back to the object of it’s interest, the pea. It was time to take some pictures.
How to Shoot a Parade
U.S. Flag, Parade
If you are going to photograph a parade, sometimes the best point of view is from the middle of the street and close to the ground. It also helps if you spent several years doing photography for a newspaper. Equipment is important too.
How To Do A Business Headshot
Kristina – Business Headshot
A business headshot requires pretty even lighting.This portrait was created with three studio lights against a black backdrop, a main light, a fill light, and a hair light.
How To Photograph City Lights at Night From a Commercial Jet
The Las Vegas “Strip” from the Air at Night
There are serious challenges to photographing city lights at night from a commercial jet. Here are some suggestions that will help.
The Best of the Best: Photography Recommendations For The Best Photo Gear, Books, Software, and Online Photo Labs
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.
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).
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.
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.
LENS REVIEW: Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24mm F4 IF Lens
For some time now, I’ve been recommending this lens to friends looking for a high quality, super wide-angle lens. It’s not quite as wide as the 10mm super wide-angle lenses, but it makes up for it in superior image quality. If I didn’t have a Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens for my digital camera with an APS-C sensor size, I would be using the Tokina 12-24mm lens.
DPReview recently posted an on online review of this lens. The result isn’t surprising:
“The 12-24mm returns extremely good results in our studio tests, with impressive image quality across the range. Perhaps as a result of its more modest wideangle ambitions, it comprehensively outperforms both the Tamron 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 Di-II and the Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM. Indeed overall it’s arguably a better performer on APS-C than Olympus’s ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6 is on Four Thirds – no mean feat.” Source.
Not only is this a great lens, it is on sale this week at Adorama.
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Tokina 12mm – 24mm f/4 PRO DX Autofocus Zoom Lens for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras.
Sale Price $399
$100 price drop
Free Shipping
http://www.adorama.com/TN1224EOS.html?emailprice=t&KBID=57428
CANON EF vs EF-S LENS CONFUSION
A recent discussion at a popular web site reveals the continuing confusion over the differences between Canon EF and EF-S lenses. Bad advice from camera stores does not help.
REVIEW: CANON EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM LENS
The new Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS lens
The new Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS USM lens is now available. This is a great lens!
2nd LOOK: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens
I wrote about this lens when it was announced last August. Enough reviews have been posted to give this lens a second look. The news is very good. Read more at my article here.
You can buy this lens in this section of my Amazon powered photography store.
