Review: Nikon 85mm f/1.8G Telephoto Lens
With Nikon steam rolling through what feels like a complete update of their prime lens arsenal, it was inevitable that the workhorse 85mm f/1.8D would be replaced eventually. Enter the new Nikon 85mm f/1.8G AF-S, which incorporates a silent wave focusing motor and a completely new optical design. Weighing in at less than a third the cost [...]
Review: Elinchrom Quadra Ranger System
For a portable location lighting solution, speedlights have long been a staple due to their small size. However, speedlights often leave photographers wanting in power, especially when shooting in bright sunlight. The solution of battery-powered strobes have traditionally been much larger and tremendously more heavy than speedlights. Enter the Elinchrom Quadra Ranger series. The Quadra [...]
Review: $4 Battery Charger for Nikon D700 EN-EL3E (Nikon MH-18a Alternative)
Somewhere along the way, I lost the battery charger to my Nikon D700. This is what happens when I “clean” my office. Searching a replacement on Amazon.com, I was faced with a simple decision: Go with the OEM Nikon MH-18a charger for $39.95 or roll the dice and go with a no-name charger for $4.41 [...]
Review: 240gb OWC Mercury Extreme 6G Pro SSD
The advantages of a sold state drive (SSD) are many. With no platters to spin up or other mechanical parts, read, write and random seek times are extremely fast – much faster than conventional hard disk drives (HDD). In addition, SSDs run cooler and silently – another bonus over HDDs. What all these benefits mean [...]
Comparison Review: SanDisk Extreme Pro vs Transcend Extreme Plus
I reviewed the Transcend Extreme Plus 600x 16GB CF cards back last August. Since then, I’ve also picked a pair of SanDisk Extreme Pro 600x 16GB CF cards as well. I’ve been using both cards in tandem and have put both through their paces at dozens of shows and thousands of images shot and transferred over the [...]
Nikon D800 vs Nikon D800E – Choosing The Right One
In a strange twist for a camera manufacturer, Nikon announced two different models of the new Nikon D800 full-frame DSLR, much to the confusion of many. While it’s common for other consumer electronics items like a television or phone to have options, the offering of two nearly identical products from a camera maker is a [...]
Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta’s Best New Features
Today Adobe has released the beta version of Lightroom4, the successor to their popular image management and RAW processing program. As regular readers will know, Adobe Lightroom 3 is my RAW processor of choice, so I’m very interested to see how the new beta release performs. Lightroom 3 was a massive update to the series [...]
Review: Singh-Ray Vari-ND Filter – The Best ND Filter
Neutral-density filters are a mainstay of landscape and travel photographers desiring long exposure for specific effects like the motion blur of water. However, outside their utility with outdoor photographers, the ND filter has immediate uses for anyone shooting portraits and working with flash photography. The Singh-Ray Vari-ND is a unique kind of neutral density filter. [...]
The Best Photography Gifts – Holiday Gear Guide 2011
I regularly get asked for recommendations on what gear people should start out with, use, and upgrade to, so I thought that this year I’d put together a list for the holidays. Because who doesn’t love photography gifts? Here’s my list of recommendations if you’re looking for those best of gifts: photography equipment.
Primes vs Zooms For Event Photography
The eternal dichotomies. Good vs Evil. Night vs Day. Nikon vs Canon. Primes vs Zooms. When it comes to available light event photography, the photographer is often pulled between constraints – the two biggest of which are limited access and limited lighting. As a result, we’re also often split between the solutions to these problems [...]
Using Filters As Lens Protection
While most DSLRs incorporate a UV/IR filter layered over the sensor, eliminating the need for a UV filter over the lens, many photographers are still worried about one of the added benefits of a lens filter: protection. To this point, here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of using clear filters as lens [...]
Review: 16GB Transcend Extreme Plus 600x CF Cards
My 4GB Sandisk Extreme IV CF cards have served me well for shooting somewhere in the ballpark of one thousand bands at concerts and festivals over the last few years. However, when faced with a string of summer festivals, I was in need of a pair of fast, large-capacity compact flash cards for my Nikon [...]
Review: Nikon 35mm f/1.4G AF-S
The latest addition to Nikon’s stable of fast primes, the Nikon 35mm f/1.4G AF-S offers Nikon users a classic focal length with all the cutting-edge features we’ve come to expect. With a big price tag, the question with the 35mm f/1.4G is whether it has the performance to match. We’ve put this fast prime through [...]
Review: Hearos Extreme Earplugs
As you know, I always recommend wearing earplugs when shooting live music. More than any technical help with settings or how to shoot, wearing earplugs is probably the best advice I could possibly give to anyone looking to shoot live music. Whether you’re shooting at the front of the stage as a fan or in the [...]
Review: Nikon 75-150mm f/3.5 Series E
If you’re looking for an economical, constant-aperture telephoto zoom, I may have the answer for you. No, not a third-party lens like the Tamron or Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8, either of which will set you back nearly a $1000. I’m talking about a 30-year old manual focus lens that Nikon only produced between 1980 and 1983 [...]
Review: Nikon 400mm f/2.8 Super Telephoto
So. You’re a music photographer and you have a big, arena-busting concert to shoot with all the trimmings. The only problem? You’re shooting from over 40-meters away. The solution? Go for a big gun like the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR II with lip-smacking Nano Crystal Coating goodness and tell that soundboard who’s boss. Here’s my [...]
Review: Nitecore Defender Infinity
With an beautiful design, tough-as-nails build quality, and the performance to outshine much larger traditional lights, the compact Nitecore Defender Infinity is a serious flashlight. That this small takes ubiquitous AA batteries – including the fantastic Sanyo Eneloop cells – just makes it even more of a killer, tactical tool. Here’s my review of the [...]
Review: Black Rapid DS-1 Double Strap
Let’s just get this out of the way. If you shoot with two DSLRs, you need the Black Rapid Double Strap. There is no better way to carry and shoot with two cameras in my opinion. As a live music photographer, I use two DSLRs for just about everything. I see other shooters trying to [...]
Review: 4Sevens Quark AA LED Flashlight
LEDs have been ubiquitous in electronics for years, but it’s only in the last several years that LED flashlights have really come into their own. These new generation of torches aren’t your standard weak, power-hungry Maglites – they pack super-efficient LEDs that are bright enough to scorch your retina at full power. As a music photographer, [...]
Graph Paper Press – The Best WordPress Themes For Photographers
These days, marketing for a photographers stretches out past the traditional methods of mailers, postcards, portfolio books, and even word of mouth. A website these days is essential for just about any business model, and photographers are no exception. Moreover, blogging and social networking of one’s work is playing an increasingly important role in the [...]
Review: 11″ MacBook Air – The Mobile Photographer’s Laptop?
When the original MacBook Air debuted in 2008, the general reception seemed to be, “Cool – but I’ll pass.” Moreover, due to its premium price point and underpowered offerings, professional photographers didn’t even give the first generation a passing glance. On the release of the second generation of MacBook Airs in late 2010, the new [...]
Review: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 update in 2007 replaced the venerable Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 – itself a beast of a lens and longtime staple in the bag of many pros. With the latest incarnation of Nikon’s midrange zoom, the 24-70mm f/2.8 features a broader range, Nano Crystal Coating, and a built-in AF motor. What’s more, we [...]
Review: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G – The Best Wide-Angle Lens
The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G AF-S. Introduced along with the Nikon D3 in late 2007, the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G set a new standard for ultra-wide angle lenses – primes and zooms alike – across the board. After all, it’s not every day that a lens inspires a grass-roots movement to make a Nikon F-Mount to Canon [...]
Review: Nikon D7000 – Nikon’s Best DX Camera
Looking at the new Nikon D7000′s specs, you might be right to confuse the newest DX DSLR as a replacement for the Nikon D300s at first blush. After all, it features many of the same specs, as well as some new features and flat-out improvements to Nikon’s DX line of cameras. Let’s take a [...]
.
