Features

Before we get into the one feature I really bought the DS214 for (yes, I bought it, full price from B&H, this is how much I wanted it) let’s go through some of the other features that make this unit such a cool device:

• 2 mic channels via the stereo minijack input
• Audio Input Meters
• AGC Disable (to get better SNR from cameras without manual control)
• 30dB typ max gain
• Headphone Amplifier
• Low-noise preamp
• Enclosure fabricated from Aluminum, Approx 3.5″ x 3″ x 1.7″

If you are not an audio expert, you might not know what most of that means, fear not reader, I will do my best to explain it as I understand it.

Our current video DSLR cameras have a single stereo microphone input but usually our microphones only feed in the audio in a single channel (left or right, sometimes combined). Sometimes, we want to use two mics for real stereo input but the difficulty is getting the audio levels to be level between the two channels. With the DS214 (and a specific cable) you can feed two channels into the amp and adjust the input levels with dials on the front of the unit and use the audio level meters to help adjust the levels. Thanks to a headset jack, you can also monitor the audio stream to make sure it is sounding good as well. By integrating a low-noise pre-amp, you can boost the input levels to ensure a goof quality recording.

That is about as technical as I can get without risking the possibility of being completely wrong, so if someone wants to chime in in the comments to help clarify this, please do.

The final feature is the AGC disable (much more on this latter) which rather effectively disables the aforementioned AGC in the camera to allow the camera to record good clean audio.

AGC Disable

There are plenty of amps available with a plethora of features but the DS214 has a feature specific to what I wanted, and this is AGC disable. When you turn on the AGC Disable feature the DS214 mixes both of the left and right channels into a single track that is fed into the left channel while a tone generator feeds a signal into the right channel. The generated tone tricks the AGC system in the camera into thinking there is a lot of noise coming in which causes the AGC to essentially shut off.

While your camera ends up with a really clean audio track on one channel, you also get an unusable right channel that you need to delete in post production. If you are using Sony Vegas or Final Cut, JuicedLink has some instructions for removing the right channel. If you are using Adobe Premiere Pro 5.5, I have come up with the following instructions:

Right click on video clip in the timeline and select ‘Edit Clip in Adobe Audition’
In Audition, right click on sound file in file bin and select ‘Extract Channels to Mono Files’
This will create a file for each channel
Delete the original file and the <filename>_R file
Double-click on the <filename>_L file
Do any processing you want
Save file
Imported new sound file back into Premiere
Right click on video clip in timeline and select Unlink
Delete the audio track
Add new audio track into timeline and align with video track (should snap into position)

How Well Does It Work

To be sure that I was going to get the best results I actually read the DS214 Manual which includes a section on tuning the AGC Disable for the 7D. Once all setup, it was time to try out the new system. I connected an Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Microphone ($21) and pinned it up near my collar like normal. The resulting audio was so good you could hear every breath I took. I actually ended up having to move the mic from my collar to about mid-chest and turn down the input gain a little. The result was crystal clear audio at a great volume.

Is It Worth It?

If you are planning on doing a good amount of video work and you really want to save time in post production by not having to sync audio that you recorded to a secondary audio device, the $144 may end up paying for itself in very short order. If I only did occasional video, I probably wouldn’t spend the money, but since I do a large amount of video for different client projects and have a huge amount of video work planned for next year, even saving a few minutes per project will pay for itself many times over.

Built-In Obsolescence?

For me, the DS214 was purchased to overcome a shortcoming in the Canon 7D audio system. That being said, the Canon 5D Mk II had the exact same limitation which was eventually overcome with both a firmware update as well as the Magic Lantern firmware mod. The current firmware on the 7D is not allowing the Magic Lantern team to create a package for the 7D. This could literally change overnight if Canon releases a firmware with the ability to disable AGC or allow a Magic Lantern modification. The question is, does the DS214 becoming nothing but an expensive paperweight when this day finally comes. The answer is….no.

Even when the AGC disable feature is no longer needed, I will still have a great pre-amp with separate audio input controls, visual audio indicator meters, and a headphone jack for live monitoring. With these extra features, the JuicedLink DS214 will continue to serve multiple purposes for my video recording purposes.

What Could Be Improved?

The only real issue I have is dealing with how to mount the DS214 to the camera. For me, almost all of my video work is done in a studio with the camera on a tripod. With a simple adapter, I can put the DS214 on the camera’s hot shoe making it very conveniently placed to plug into the camera’s mic port. What would be ideal (in my opinion) would be a way to mount it under the camera and then attach a tripod quick mount to the bottom of the DS214. This would be more convenient when using the camera off the tripod. If you are using some kind of cage for your camera than you probably have more flexibility in your mounting options.

If you are using the 7D and want to use in-camera audio then you really have no choice right now. Until the 7D has a means of disabling the AGC system, there simply isn’t a way to get really good quality audio into the camera.

Juicedlink: http://juicedlink.com/
B&H: juicedLink DS214 $144
Amazon: JuicedLink DS214 $144

Features

GoPro Size Comparison

The GoPro HD Hero sports a 5 megapixel sensor mated to a super wide-angle lens with a fixed aperture of f/2.8. The lens also has a fixed focus so this isn’t really going to be a good replacement for a good point & shoot. The GoPro is designed to be used in situations that you wouldn’t put a regular camera. The camera body itself has no mounting points because it is generally used inside of the waterproof case that it comes with. There is also no viewfinder or LCD screen built-in as the camera is usually used unattended such as strapped to a motorcycle helmet or attached to the side of a car.

There are four still shooting settings that include:

• Single shot
• Three shot burst
• Countdown timer
• Timelapse mode

Camera Optics

• Lens Type: Fixed Focus (2ft/.6m – ∞), glass
• Aperture: f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
• Angle of View: 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode
• Angle of View: 127º wide angle in 1080p mode

GoPro Left Side View

GoPro Right Side View

GoPro Rear View

The first three options are pretty basic but the Timelapse feature requires a bit of explanation. In the settings you first set the time interval between each shot. When you press the shutter to take a picture, the camera will keep firing shots off, pausing between each shot based on your setting, until you stop the process, the SD card becomes full, or the battery dies.

As I mentioned earlier, the GoPro HD Hero comes with a waterproof case that is rated for up to 60 meters. With this much protection, there aren’t many places that you can’t find a use for the GoPro.

The Bad News

Keep in mind that the GoPro is a specialty camera so while it excels in some areas, there are some gotchas to be aware of. I already mentioned the lack of a viewfinder although an optional one is available for $79. I highly recommend the viewfinder for navigating through the GoPro’s menus and for setting up shots. There is also no flash as the primary use is for shooting video. Out of the box there also isn’t any way to mount the camera to a tripod, for this you need an $8 tripod mount adapter.

There are only two buttons on the camera and a small LCD, combined they are used to change the plethora of setting options. Once you get the hang of it, changing the settings isn’t too difficult, but adding the LCDBak really makes using the GoPro much easier.

If you decide to buy a GoPro HD Hero you should start with a package containing a selection of mounting hardware such as the GoPro Motocycle Hero. The GoPro Motorcycle Hero will start you off with suction mount, helmet mount, and a handful of other parts. Add a bicycle mount and the tripod adapter and you will have a good starter kit.

Why use the GoPro for stills?

No viewfinder, no flash, tricky settings menus, so why would you want to use a GoPro for shooting stills? The main reason is that it is small and unobtrusive. You can easily put the camera in obscure locations and just let it shoot away. Think about putting the GoPro in the arch above a wedding ceremony for some unique angles. Your imagination is your only limitation as to what you can do.

But how good are the images?

The single most noticeable thing you will notice about the images is that the lens is a super wide-angle. I don’t mean just wide-angle, this is seriously a wide-angle, so wide that you get a bit of barrel distortion. Sometimes you want a mega wide-angle shot, other times you may not and you may need to do some lens correction on the images.

In the specs I mentioned that the camera has a fixed focus f/2.8 lens. An interesting note here is that Adobe Lightroom reports it as f/3.4. This is a pretty trivial difference, but something I would point out. Also, if you are looking at the EXIF data you will see that the shutter speed and ISO change from shot to shot. It appears that the GoPro tries to maintain a good exposure by adjusting the shutter speed as needed and then adjusting the ISO to keep the shutter speed from falling too low. Hopefully I can get some clarification on this from GoPro. A few other interesting tidbits are that Lightroom reports the focal length as 5mm (I did mention it was a WIDE angle).

Is a GoPro HD Hero right for you?

The GoPro HD Hero at $269 (Amazon) is more expensive than a good point & shoot camera and may even seem lighter on features. The important advantages have to do with the protective cover that waterproofs and protects the camera body from damage. The versatility of the mounting system allows you to use the camera in all kinds of unique situations from scuba diving to sky diving and pretty much anything in between.

These days I don’t leave my house without a GoPro HD Hero. From a quick snapshot when needed to recording the Camera Dojo GoCast series, the GoPro HD Hero is just fun. Sure, a focusable lens, adjustable focal length, and more control over exposure settings would be nice, having these limitations forces you to think about what you are shooting and how work with what you have.

In this post we have only talked about using the GoPro as a still camera, next week we will look at using the GoPro as a video camera.

Be sure and check out more information about GoPro and enter their daily contest for a chance to win everything they make.

Why a big tripod

A big sturdy tripod platform has several benefits over a smaller model. The main advantages are that it is more stable and can raise up higher. The downside is that a large tripod is going to be heavy. The Auctus Plus 324AT is not a tripod that you will likely strap to you backpack for an afternoon hike. But when you need a big, seriously stable platform, this is where the Auctus Plus 324AT shines.

Features

The Auctus Plus 324AT is more than just three legs and a mounting plate, like other Vanguard tripods, the Auctus Plus 324AT has some unique features that make it sand out from the rest.

How good is it?

Large Plastic Feet

Hidden Spikes

Summary

I have been a fan of Vanguard products for a while and the Vanguard Auctus Plus 324AT Tripod certainly did not disappoint on any level. If you need a high quality, large tripod base, be sure and check out the Vanguard Auctus series and see if there is one that will suite your requirements.

Vanguard Website: http://vanguardusa.com/

Online Ordering

Amazon.com $429.99
B & H Photo $429.99

Features

At first glance the Pro Roller x300 looks like your basic roller case with two zipper pockets on the front. The small pocket is fairly small but expands a little and is good for fast access to small items like lens caps, cleaning clothes, batteries, memory card holders, and other small items. The second pocket is larger and is fairly nicely padded making it ideal for storing a laptop or tablet.

Locking Mechanism

On the left side are two attachment points for adding a tripod holder. On the opposite side is a unique locking mechanism that has a pull-out cable that goes through hoops built into the zipper handles to help keep everything secure. The only thing I wished the lock had was a longer cable to make it easier to lock the bag to a secure object during an event when you can’t keep your eyes on your bag. The fact that it does lock the entire bag, including the front pockets, is a real plus though. The locking mechanism is TSA Approved so you will not have any issues with airport security if you want to check the bag through luggage.

Prop Stand

Turning to the back, there is a hide-away prop stand. I think this prop stand is a very nice addition to a roller bag since it makes it easier to get into your gear without having to bend all the way over to the ground. When you first look at the prop stand you will likely think that it is going to be weak and unstable, however, in use it is quite stable.

Specifications

Capacity: 1-2 pro DSLRs with grip plus 8-10 lenses; accessories, up to 17″ laptop

Inside

Inside The x200

The door features two good size pockets that don’t really expand much so they are good for small cables, gels, and other small accessories. There is also three holders for memory cards that feature small flaps that you can switch to show if the memory cards are full or empty. There is also a little hide-away panel that has a spot for a few pens and business cards. In the main compartment is plenty of space for a couple of bodies and a good assortment of lenses and accessories. The padding is quite thick so your gear should be pretty safe from getting knocked around when traveling. There are two main divider pieces that run top to bottom in the case that really don’t lend themselves to being moved much while all of the other cross pieces are easily moved or removed to customize the bag to your needs.

Hidden Backpack

The Surprises

There are two big surprises that the x200 has in store for you. The first big surprise is that the whole storage system unzips and comes out of the outside case complete with shoulder straps making the x200 a true hybrid roller/backback system. While this seems basic enough, Lowepro takes it to the next level by having the a zippered cover for the roller shell. What this means is that when I am getting ready to travel somewhere, I can pull out the backpack, complete with all my standard gear, and then use the roller case as my suitcase. When I arrive at my destination I can unpack the suitcase and put the backpack back inside and am back to having a rolling camera bag. This is certainly a unique aspect to this bag system.

Accessory Mount Thread

The second surprise, which I have wanted on my bags for a LONG time, is a threaded hole hidden beneath the logo badge on the handle. This allows you to screw in a standard threaded stud and then attach your camera or a light for a quick mobile platform. This is a very welcome design feature and I am sure I am going to use that heavily instead of having to pull out a light stand when in a hurry. When you open the x200 up you will find an accessory bag with the strap for the tripod holder and a threaded rod for the handle.

Results

There is a lot to like about the Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Case. While there are a few little tweaks I would like to see but overall it is a very solid bag and the little extras really are excellent touches. The Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Case doesn’t come at a cheap price, at $329.95 at B&H Photo, it is on the high side of the camera bag price spectrum. I have said this numerous times, you get what you pay for. A high quality bag like this will last you for many years without any problems. My experience is that a cheaper bag is just not going to be built as good and I used to replace my camera bags every 6-9 months. At that rate you are much better off buying something that is going to last you five years or more. The Lowepro Pro Roller x200 delivers on many levels and is certainly a worthwhile purchase in my opinion. Lowepro Pro x200 product page: http://products.lowepro.com/product/Pro-Roller%20×200,2163.htm Amazon.com: Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Camera Bag $329.99 B&H Photo: Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Case $329.99

So what’s wrong with existing white balance tools and why is the ColorRight Pro supposed to fix it?

Using the ColorRight Pro

The main problem with most white balance tools is that when you take your calibration shot, the gray card or white balance filter can be getting light contamination from different light sources. The theory here is that the only light source that really matters is the main (key) light. If we can narrow down the source of light we are calibrating for to mostly just the main light source, then the subject will generally have the correct white balance.

The ColorRight Pro attempts to solve this by having an angled opening in the dome that collects light from multiple angles yet favors the light from specific angles by “aiming” the dome at the main light source.

Does it work?

This may seem like a simple question but the answer can be fairly complicated. For the sake of keeping things simple, let’s just say “it depends”. This isn’t to say it doesn’t work in some situations, but more that the usefulness may vary from situation to situation which is of no fault to the ColorRight Pro and probably speaks more to improvements in modern DSLR’s ability to have automatic white balance. Let’s look at a few examples:

Automatic 4800k

ColorRight 4850k

In the first example, the ColorRight Pro corrected the white balance by only 50 degrees. Not really enough to make any real difference in the visual appearance.

Automatic 4850k

ColorRight 4850k

In the second example, the ColorRight Pro produced exactly the same white balance values as the camera’s automatic white balance.

Next it was time to see how it would do in a more unfriendly environment…under the hot lights!

Automatic 4150k

ColorRight 2900k

Under the tungsten hot lights the ColorRight Pro really showed what it is capable of. The camera’s auto white balance failed miserably to correct adequately for the extremely warm cast from the tungsten bulb. After getting a shot with the ColorRight Pro and setting the custom white balance, the next shot was perfect and required no color correction in post production.

Is the ColorRight Pro For You?

If you are only shooting outdoors during mid-day or using flash for really solid daylight balanced conditions, you may not need the ColorRight Pro and your camera will probably do pretty good. If you ever shoot in the late afternoon when the color from the Sun has gone into the warm side, ever have to deal with awkward lighting setups, or ever need to shoot JPEG, then you certainly need some kind of white balance tool.

The ColorRight Pro sells for $129.95 at B & H Photo which might be a bit pricey for some people but when you really need to rely on your white balance tools, you want to make sure what you are getting is going to do the job correctly.

Summary

I said it right up front, I don’t often use a white balance tool but when I do need one, I REALLY need one. There is simply no better way to speed up your post production workflow than to be able to completely ignore having to do white balance correction. Secondly, if you find that you need to shoot in JPEG (yes folks, there are reasons like I described above) then white balance is absolutely essential to getting the shots right.  What you have to ask yourself is if it’s worth $130 to have exceptionally good white balance. This is going to depend on you. You can spend $15 for a cheap white balance lens cap and it may be better than nothing or you can spend $130 for extremely accurate color. Only you can place a monetary value on the quality of your own images.

ColorRight Website: http://colorright.com

Lowepro CompuDay Photo 250

Here is my personal dilemma…I want to carry my camera with me much more often but I always carry too much gear when what I really need is a body, a 24-70, a 70-200, a flash, and a modifier or two. I have tried messenger bags and other backpacks but they never really “did it” for me as they were either too heavy, too small, or wouldn’t organize things well.  The folks at Lowepro suggested I give the CompuDay Photo 250 a try and see if it addresses the issues I have had with other backpacks.

Specifications

Capacity:
Compact DSLR with kit lens attached; up to a 15.6” widescreen laptop; accessories; personal items

Using the CompuDay Photo 250

I figure the best way to discuss the CompuDay Photo 250 is to go through the list of issues I normally have and see how the CompuDay Photo 250 stacks up against the rest.

Size

The CompuDay Photo 250 is a small backpack for short hikes or daily carry-around use. Unlike some other bags that are basically small all-purpose camera bags with straps on them. This means less room for gear, but that’s kind of the point. For a nice bag just big enough for a few components, the CompuDay Photo 250 fits the bill quite nicely.

Weight

The empty bag is quite light so it’s much more about your gear and you don’t feel like you are lugging around a heavy bag as well.

Organization

There are lots of pockets and sleeves to help keep your stuff organized but the main storage section is really just a big open space but it is big enough for a DSLR and a lens or two. I really like the external access to the lens pocket which means you can swap lenses without having to dig through the main compartment. This is a nice win for the Photo 250.

Quality

The build quality of the Photo 250 is top-notch. I have nothing negative to say about the build quality at all.

Price

At $99 list price and a current street price of $74.95 at B & H Photo, the CompuDay 250 is reasonably prices for a backpack with these features and quality.

Results

I didn’t really know what to expect from the Lowepro CompuDay Photo 250 as my experience with backpacks in the past has not been overly positive. I really have to say that I actually like the CompuDay Photo 250 quite a bit. When I travel, it makes a nice carry-on bag for my laptop, basic camera gear, and electronic accessories, around town I can keep my camera with me for fast, easy access without bogging me down with my normally excessive gear packing. At the current street price, it’s not going to break the bank and will make for a nice size back for those photowalks, short hikes, and other times I want to be hands free. The only thing I wish it had was a divider in the main compartment to aid in the organization of a lens or two but that is getting a little nit picky.

If you are looking for a good quality backpack at a really good price, it would be hard to do much better than the Lowepro CompuDay 250.

Lowepro Website: http://www.lowepro.com/
Lowepro CompuDay Photo 250: http://products.lowepro.com/product/CompuDay-Photo-250,2249,16.htm

Lowepro CompuDay Photo 250 at B&H Photo: Lowepro CompuDay Photo 250

How are we doing this?

For discussion’s sake the Android tablet we will be looking at is the Motorola XOOM. This one was chosen as our Android platform because it is considered to be the top-of-the-line of the current Android tablets.  Now I want to start off by saying that I do not consider myself an Android fanboy. I love Apple products and have always felt their industrial design is generally second to none. My wife and daughter have MacBooks, most everyone in the family owns an iPod, and my wife has an iPad. One the other hand, we all own Android-powered phones. Hopefully this gives me enough credibility and experience to be able to give a solid rundown of the differences. So let’s get started.

Size Differences

In physical size the XOOM and the iPad are very similar although the XOOM has a slightly larger LCD display. Even though the iPad’s screen is 1/2” smaller than the XOOM, the iPad is physically larger due to having more bezel around the edges. A half-inch increase in screen size isn’t a complete win for the XOOM since the smaller bezel actually makes it more difficult to hold without touching the actual screen. If size is really a consideration here there is no clear winner based on size.

Horsepower

When it comes to raw processing power, both the iPad 2 and the XOOM are outfitted with quite powerful processors. The high-end Android tablets such as the XOOM are also outfitted with the nVidia Tegra2 video chips providing amazing 3D graphics ability. Not that the iPad is a slouch when it comes to graphics, but the Tegra2 is certainly the top of the line at this point. If you are looking at a tablet as a gaming platform, the games developed for the iPad 2 are sure to please, but the games that are possible on the XOOM can have slightly better and faster graphics. As a gaming platform, I am going to give a slight edge to the XOOM.

Ease of Use

Let’s face it, Apple can take a powerful device and make it so dead-simple to use that many older people who would never carry a laptop around are seen carrying iPads. Apple spends a tremendous amount of effort on documentation and guidelines to ensure that iPad applications have a very consistent look and feel and all conform to very strict user interface guidelines. Since Apple tightly controls the apps in the Apple Store, if your app doesn’t conform to the strict guidelines, it simply won’t be approved. This is actually a double-edged sword. One one hand you get solid consistent apps but on the flip side this makes it more difficult to develop applications and may prevent some applications, as good as they might be, from ever getting published.  I am really torn on how to call this one. The iPad clearly wins on ease of use but there is a hidden cost to keeping things as simple as Apple requires. Still, this is the one huge benefit of the iPad, it only takes a few minutes to master the interface and understand how to do most tasks.

Customization Ability

Where the iPad is exceptionally simple to use, one of the main reasons is because you cannot customize your user experience outside of moving icons around and having folders with current iOS versions. While this lack of customization is what ensures the iPad user experience is always simple and consistent, it is also the biggest differentiator to the Android experience. If you are a power user and want to customize your experience, than the Android platform may be a better choice. Shown here are the home screens of my wife’s iPad and my XOOM. Her iPad looks basically the same as every other iPad, 20 icons per screen and 5 permanent icons on the bottom, nothing special, but certainly easy to navigate.

iPad Home Screen

Customized XOOM Screen

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the home screen from my XOOM. I have replaced the stock Honeycomb interface with a different “launcher” that provides additional functionality. The Android’s ability to use screen widgets, I have quick glance access to recent emails, upcoming calendar events, and weather. I also have placed my most commonly used shortcuts on the home page so I don’t need to scroll through a list of icons to find them. There is also a hand Pandora widget that allows play, pause, thumb-up, and thumb-down without having to switch to the full application. For this category, and admittedly this is purely a subjective opinion, I am giving the win to the XOOM. I want to be able to personalize my user experience the same way I do on my computer systems. If this feature is not important to you, then that is a completely personal preference and it is not for me to try to convince you otherwise.

Notifications

Android Notifications

While many iPhone/iPad users are quite content with the notification system within iOS, I think it actually fails on a number of levels. The only notification system within the i-Devices is a simple pop-up dialog box, the Android notification system is quite robust. Being able to see a list of recent notifications, selectively act on or clear specific notifications is a clear win….if you use the tablet as a productivity device. If you only use a tablet as a media consumption device (web browsing, music, video, etc) then you have no real need for notifications at all. On the other hand, if you are using your tablet as more of a desktop replacement with email, instant messages, scheduling, and social interaction (Facebook and twitter) than a much more robust notification system can indeed be very valuable. Here at Dojo Central, my wife uses her iPad mostly for reading books with the Kindle reader (her iPad replaced her original Kindle), checking email and facebook. She doesn’t care about notifications as she uses her phone or laptop for that. On the flip side, I use the XOOM much more as a productivity device and notifications are extremely useful for the way I work and use my tablet.

Design Goals

I actually feel like the design goals between the iPads and the Android tablets are quite different. I like to consider the iPad to be a media consumption device. For web browsing (the lack of Adobe Flash not withstanding), checking email, listening to music, watching videos, reading books, the iPad simply excels.  using iTunes to manage your media is fairly simple and works well. With its simple interface the iPad can be picked up and used by kids to senior citizens and everything in between.

On the other hand, the Android tablets seem to be geared towards productivity and more general computing tasks. Granted, many applications are available on both platforms so one device doesn’t necessarily have a huge advantage over the other. There are also apps on each platform that people with the other platform wish they had so it goes both ways.

Summary

Is there a clear “winner” here, the answer is “it depends”. I realize that this may be a cop-out to some people but as I have tried to outline here, both platforms have strengths and weaknesses. There are also other features that may be important to you such as the XOOM’s expandability with an SD Card slot and USB port for easy access to manage files, connect external devices or the iPad’s assortment of accessories. The iPad also has a more mature software base especially with Apple software such as iMovie and GarageBand being great examples.

If you have an iPhone and absolutely love it, than you will probably love the iPad. If you have an Android phone and you love it, then you will probably love an Android tablet. But, as even witnessed here at home, my wife has an Android phone but wanted an iPad and has absolutely no regrets about her choice.

If you are considering a tablet, I highly encourage you to fully investigate both platforms and try to make as informed of a decision as possible. It’s really hard to go wrong either way, its really a matter of features and abilities are important to you. Also keep in mind that an iPad is an iPad, there are no cheap crappy versions of iPads. There is only Apple made iPads.On the other hand, since the Android operating system is open source, virtually anyone can create an Android tablet and there are cheap, crappy Android tablets on the market, many under $150, there is even a cheap Android tablet available Big Lots (formerly Pic-N-Save). So if you are shopping for an Android tablet, be careful of those inexpensive devices as they are underpowered and usually do not even have access to the Android Market for you to install new apps.

Lighting Studio
[Android Market Link]
Price: FREE

When you want to do a quick layout of a lighting setup, Lighting Studio is a quick and simple way to lay out different components. From subjects, to lights, to background, to modifiers, Lighting Studio makes it very simple. Best of all, Lighting Studio is FREE!

Screen Shot

Photoshop Express
[Android Market Link]
Price: FREE

Edit and share photos virtually anywhere. Access them all on Photoshop.com

Edit and share photos virtually anywhere. Touch to crop, rotate, adjust color, and add artistic effects. Access all your photos and videos directly from your free Photoshop.com account. Quickly share with family and friends.

Screenshots

Vignette
Price: $4.05
[Market Link]

Add film and camera effects to your photos.

• 68 effects & 56 frames
• Retro/vintage styles
• LOMO/Diana/Holga toy camera styles
• Polaroid/instant camera styles
• Cross-process, tilt-shift, photobooth, double exposure and more.

• Supports the full resolution of your camera (3.1MP, 5MP or 8MP)
• Flash (if your phone has one) (not working on Dell Streak)
• Front-facing camera support (on some phones)
• Self-timer and time-lapse
• Digital zoom
• Geotagging

There is a free demo version of Vignette to allow you to try it out before you buy it. Click here to try it out.

Screenshot

Sundroid
Price: Free
[Market Link]

Worldwide sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset times.

The most downloaded sunrise and sunset times calculator for Android! Handy for photography, hunting, outdoor activites and holiday planning. Use your current location from wireless networks or GPS, select places on a map, or search by name or zip code.

Also calculates moon rise, set and phase.

Take a look at my paid app if you’d like 4 widgets, civil, nautical and astronomical twilight times, azimuths of rise and set, monthly calendars and saved locations.

Screenshots

Picsay Pro
Price:
[Market Link]

Award winning photo editor with all the tools you need to spice up your pictures

Spice up the pictures on your phone with this award winning photo editor!

New, initial Xoom support, Gritty and Redscale filter, and new mouth stickers!

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Build and Feature Comparison

Size is only one of the comparisons I will be making through this article because in the end that is what people are going to ask about.  The bare lenses are very similar in size with the Sigma just a hair longer than the Canon. For comparison we are using the previous Canon model and not the newer Mark II version in order to be on the same playing field price-wise.

The build quality of the Sigma is very nice. I have been a fan of Sigma lenses for a long time and shoot regularly with the 24-70 f/2.8 so I was not surprised that the Sigma had an excellent fit and finish to it.

One surprising difference is that the lens collar on the Sigma is actually better than the Canon one. I actually really dislike the lens collar on the Canon, it’s a pain to spin around when you are in a hurry.

I wasn’t about to take two expensive lens and pour water on them or subject them to a heavy dust storm, but the Canon lens is known for having really good weather sealing which may be a factor in some extreme locations. For the average wedding and portrait shooter, this may not justify the extra cost.

The Sigma has simpler controls for the autofocus controls which plays to Canon’s advantage since the Canon has a switch for two difference focus ranges that can help the Canon lens focus faster. Not that the Sigma is a slouch in the autofocus department but when used properly the Canon will outperform the Sigma is focusing times.

The Hypersonic motor in the Sigma is remarkably quiet and when tested on a Canon 50D the autofocus works quite well and very accurately.

The lens hood on the Sigma (included at no additional charge) is a little longer than the Canon with the two primary petals narrowing at the ends giving it a pretty aggressive look.

The zoom and the focus are arranged opposite differently from the Canon which isn’t an issue if you haven’t used the Canon lens much.

You could nit-pick the differences one way or the other but from a build and quality perspective the lenses are a pretty close match. Where the rubber hits the road is going to be how well does it shoot images.

Lens Tests

Shooting out in the field it was very difficult to tell a difference between the images from each lens so I needed to ramp it up a notch and pull out the LensAlign and see if we could get some actual results.

Sigma

Canon

The test shot here was taken at f/2.8, 200mm at 8’ from the front of the camera body (Canon 50D). At first glance the images look pretty much exactly the same with the exception of the image size. You may be wondering why the Canon image is physically smaller than the Sigma. The reason for this is that they were cropped from the top-left of the LensAlign to the bottom-right of the actual image and there is a focal length difference between the images. I don’t have the equipment here to tell you precisely what each lens is doing  but for the sake of example, let’s say that the Canon shoots a perfect 200mm on a full-frame sensor, so on the APS-C we are getting the equivalent of 320mm. With the Sigma, we are not getting the same maximum focal length, we are probably shy by about 20mm. I would be a little careful here slamming Sigma for being the same as the Canon since the crop/zoom factor on the smaller sensors can sometimes be an issue. Having the Sigma be a little wider than the Canon, in my book, is not necessarily a strike against it, especially with small sensor cameras. Certainly, if you need all the reach you can get, then the Canon may be a better choice.

In the next set of images I have done a 100% crop and cut out the same section for comparison.

Sigma Lens

Canon Lens

My initial take on these was that the Sigma actually seemed a little sharper at the edges of these images. Upon thinking about this for a little while it occurred to me that part of the reason the Sigma appears sharper is that we are not actually comparing apples to apples here. The longer your focal length, the shorter your depth of field, so since the Canon is actually shooting at a slightly longer focal length, as described above, the depth of field is going to be larger. If we narrow our focus just to the “0” location we find that the two lenses are virtually identical in sharpness.

Summary

I need to point out again that this comparison did not use the new model of the Canon 70-200 IS L II and instead used the previous model because I felt from a price point, the new Mark II version of the Canon lens was in a completely different price point. For people considering getting into the less expensive previous model, we wanted to see if the Sigma was a good enough value.

Current Prices (as of 4/3/11)

• Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM OS FLD $1,399 Street Price
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM $1,549 Street Price
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM $2,599 Street Price

* Street prices taken from Amazon.com

With the Sigma being $200 less than the Canon and, other than the focal length issue which may or may not be an issue for you, the only real difference could be the weather sealing on the Canon. I have shot all over the country in a variety of conditions with lenses that have never claimed to have any weather sealing and have never had an issue. However, if I was going to be doing an African safari or maybe shooting in a rain forest than I would opt for gear that has the best protection possible, which in my case would mean a new camera body as well.

For the vast majority of photographers, I have to give Sigma a win based on price here. I have been shooting Sigma lenses for years and have always been happy with their image quality and performance and I can certainly recommend the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM OS FLD as well know.

What is the AC3?

The PocketWizard AC3 ZoneController is an add-on to the ControlTL system that brings a new level of control to your lighting setups. Before we get to deep into this we need to take a step back and look at what the Canon system delivers so we can see how the AC3 ZoneController enhances the original functionality.

While I am not going to go deep into detail here as that would require an entire book, let’s break it down into two main types of control the Canon system has.

• eTTL Ratio Control
  With eTTL Ratio mode you have an A and a B channel that will provide automatic metering through the camera. You can provide more power to one channel while taking power away from the other. This is a very basic ratio control and the only override you have is a general flash exposure compensation. You can then add to that a C channel which operates independently and has its own power adjustment. The downside with this setup is that a simple ratio control sometimes isn’t enough.
• Manual Control
  In manual control you can simply adjust each of the three channels independently. This is generally my favorite mode but the main problem is still the line-of-site issue and that pesky third channel is often now in a good position to get a signal from the main flash.

While the PocketWizard ControlTL system solves the line-of-site issue, the problem has always been that if you still want all of the functionality of the Canon wireless system, you still had to put a 580 EX/EX II flash on top of the MiniTT1 module to enable the full range of controls. What I really wanted was to be able to use ALL of my speedlites off-camera and not have to sacrifice one just for the controls.

This is exactly where the AC3 ZoneController comes in. The AC3 provides you with three different channels to work work (make me now wish for 4 or 5 though) that can be managed in three different ways:

• Off
  Should be self-explanatory here, if not, this allows you to simply turn off each channel by itself.
• Auto
  Uses the Canon TTL system for automatic metering while provide a simple override dial giving you plus or minus three stops.
• Manual
  Provides manual control over each channel from 1/64th power to Full Power.

Using the AC3 ZoneController

I certainly have to admit that I don’t miss having to have a complete speedlite on top of the camera to give me the control of my lighting since this give me one more light at my disposal to use to light the scene. I also should admit that I shoot the vast majority of my work with manual flash. I find it to be more reliable and consistent than using eTTL. The ability to turn channels on/off and adjust the power without having to walk over to where the speedlite is can come in very handy.

For most portrait setups, the Automatic mode will work the vast majority of the time, its usually only when the subject has odd-reflective properties do things have a tendency to get a little wonky. Still, I shoot my camera in manual, and I generally keep my flash in manual.

One of the biggest advantages is the time savings in dialing in your lighting output power. I can start with all of the lights off to adjust for the ambient. Then turn on the accent light to get it’s power set, add the fill light, and then the key light and everything comes together very quickly without multiple trips to each light or having to have a VOLS handy.

Keep in mind that you are paying for this convenience. A three light ControlTL power system would consist of the following components:

• MiniTT1 Transmitter $199
• Three FlexTT5 Transceivers @  $229 each
• AC3 ZoneController $79

So a three light setup will set you back $955.00. While a cheap, manually only trigger kit will run less than $100. While this does sound like a staggering difference in cost, and it certainly is up front, you have to consider the time factor of being able to control everything from your camera. You simply do not always have the luxury of time to run around adjusting lights to get exactly what you want. The time factor can certainly pay for itself fairly quickly since you can dial in all three zones without having to waste your own time or have an assistant.

Putting the AC3 ZoneController to Use

The following sequence of images shows exactly what I described above from starting with ambient light and adding the three lights in order.

Get Exposure for Ambient Light	Setup Background Light
Add Fill Light	Add Key Light

The beauty of the PocketWizard AC3 ZoneController is that turning lights on and off and adjusting their power is all done without have to step away from the camera. If your lights are pointed in the right direction it should only take a few shots to get everything you need dialed in quickly and accurately.

If you have already made the investment in the PocketWizard ControlTL system, plunking down another $79 in order to have the AC3’s level of control should be a complete no-brainer.

Pockwizard Website: http://www.pocketwizard.com/
PocketWizard Blog: http://blog.pocketwizard.com/

Amazon Links

• MiniTTL Transmitter
• FlexTT5 Transceivers
• AC3 ZoneController

I personally love using grids to help control light spread. Grids are great for hair lights, accent lights, and can even be used as a primary light for some really dramatic lighting. The downside to grids is that you basically get what you get. Even the most popular companies that make grids make them in different styles so you can get different amounts of light spreads. If you want any variety you have to buy multiple grids. ExpoImaging has attempted to solve this problem with the 3-In-1 Grid by providing three different styles in order to get different light spreads from a single piece of equipment. How does it work? Well, you need to read the complete article for details.

How Does it Work?

The Rogue 3-In-1 Grid consists of four pieces that work together. First you have the sleeve that fits onto your speedlte, by itself it could actually be used as a small snoot. Next you have the outer bevel that fits onto the end of the sleeve. Then you have a 45Ëš screen and a 25Ëš screen. These screen can be used individually or stacked together to create a 16Ëš screen.

The smaller the grid angle, the smaller the beam size will be on the subject. Having three different angle degrees means you only have to buy one device that can provide you with multiple lighting styles. Since the sleeve is very similar to the FlashBenders, it lays flat and the complete package isn’t any larger than other grids on the market. This is a very welcome design feature for people who have a limited amount of space in the camera bag.

16Ëš Grid

25Ëš Grid

45Ëš Grid

Using The Rogue 3-In-1 Grid

One of the more common used of a grid is to add an accent light such as a hair light. In this shot here, our model Venus is shown being light from camera-right with a beauty dish while the Rogue 3-In-1 Grid is used high and left to provide a hair light (ok, so in the case the word ‘hair’ is used rather loosely).

In this case we used the 16Ëš configuration, had we used a larger grid angle we could have lit the entire side of the face.

What I really like about the Rogue Grid is that it puts out a nice circular pattern. With almost all other honeycomb grids,  they create a more rectangular shape because of their design. Now sometimes that may be what you want, but generally I would prefer as round of a beam as possible.

Background Lights

Beyond hair and accent, another great use of grids is controlling light on backgrounds. Instead of attaching a Velcro strap, then attaching a Lumiquest FX, and then putting the Grid over that, I simply use the sleeve of the Grid to hold the Lumiquest FX in place and fire away.

To get this background shot the speedlite with the Grid and blue gel was positioned just below shoulder and pointed slightly up onto the background.

Summary

The Rogue 3-In-1 Grid hits the mark on a number of key areas. First off its three different grid sizes in one on top of a short snoot and even a nice size catch light card. Any product that is a true multi-tasker is much more welcome in my camera bag than a uni-tasker.  Secondly, it takes up very little space in my bag and since bag space is not infinite, the more functionality you can fit into the same amount of space, the better off you are.

At $49.95, its not the cheapest piece of gear but when you consider the versatility it really is quite a bargain. When you look at competing products that require you to buy multiple units along with attachment straps, the Rogue 3-In-1 is actually a cheaper, and more versatile solution.

If you want to get really creative with your lighting, the ExpoImaging Rogue 3-In-1 Grid should really be part of your lighting gear.

How wide is wide?

With the 8mm designation and the large bulb-like front element you might think at first that you will be getting a fish-eye effect but while the perspective is quite exaggerated it isn’t as bad as a fisheye, and the image fills the entire frame. You do get an amazing 121.2 degrees of viewing angle which can create some very cool images.

The 8-16mm DC HSM is still a rectilinear lens meaning that it creates images where straight features, such as walls or trees, appear straight instead of being curved. A fisheye, on the other hand, is a curvilinear lens which will bend and distort straight lines.

Lens Construction

While most wide angle lenses are rather short, the Sigma 8-16mm DC HSM is surprisingly long. This length is due to the lens having 15 different lens elements inside. Four of the elements have “FLD” coating, which is similar to flourite glass, to reduce color aberrations.

A petal lens hood is built into the end of the lens which not only cuts down on glare but also does a pretty good job of protecting the lens.  The zoom and focus rings a have very smooth feel to them without being too loose or too tight.

The HSM in the name stands for Hyper Sonic Motor which is the drive mechanism for the autofocus. It might as well stand for Hyper Silent Motor as it is one of the quietest lenses I have tested.

Using the Sigma 8-16mm DC HSM

The Sigma 8-16mm DC HSM is classified as an ultra-wide lens and this actually means some strange things can happen when using it that usually won’t happen with other lenses. This isn’t to say you get the fisheye effect as mentioned before, but there is a very unique distortion that occurs. In a shot of a room the ultra-wide will work to make a room seem much larger than it really is. The two images below were taken from the same exact location but one was shot at 16mm and the other at 8mm.

Shot at 16mm

Shot at 8mm

While I am not generally a fan of Ken Rockwell (and he obviously got a bad version of this lens because I completely disagree with him on the quality), Ken does have an article on using ultra-wide angles lenses to their advantage. To briefly quote from Ken:

Distortion

• Ultrawides are not fisheyes. Fisheyes distort and curve everything. Ultrawides keep straight lines straight.
• Ultrawides don’t distort technically, but they distort artistically. This is why we use them.
• Ultrawides exaggerate the relationship between near and far.
• Ultrawides stretch out objects on the sides and the corners.
• Ultrawides exaggerate any slight misalignment of your subject and camera.
• They do all this while keeping straight lines straight.
• This is why we love them! We exploit these distortions to our advantage.

For his complete article,  visit: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-use-ultra-wide-lenses.htm

Just for the width

One of the things I agree with Ken about on the use of ultra-wide lenses is that they aren’t actually that great at simply being used to “get more into the frame. In the following images this is exactly what I went for. I wanted to see how much of the shopping center across the street I could get into the frame. The result was a lot, the problem is that the picture actually loses something from a composition point of view since it also pickes up so much more on the top and bottom.

That’s not to say there aren’t exceptions to this but, generally speaking, the closer you are to the subject, the more dramatic of an effect you will get from the lens. The following example could actually play well to show off a particular venue.

Get Close

The real beauty of this and other ultra wide angle lenses happens when you get closer to an object. Being able to use some of the inherent distortion and unique characteristics of a lens this wide can result in some interesting images. Here are a few fun shots that I took while trying to learn how to exploit the characteristics of the 8mm range.

Summary

There are certain lenses I can recommend for different types of photography very easily. For example, if you want to shoot weddings, you could get a really nice Canon or Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS and actually be able to do quite well with just those two lenses. Nature/landscape photographers generally have some wide angle glass and some long focal length glass without much in the middle. The Sigma 8-16mm DC HSM isn’t the absolute, one lens that rules them all, in any given category but it is a great go-to lens to get some interesting effects and extra wide angle shots that aren’t all fisheye distorted. I can see nature, landscape, wedding, product, architecture, and real estate photographers all grabbing for the 8-16mm once in a while. Although if you only do portraits and headshots, this probably shouldn’t be real high on your “must have” list. At $699 on Amazon, the Sigma 8-16mm DC HSM isn’t a horribly expensive lens but its in the price range where it isn’t an impulse purchase for most people. For me its going to be more like my Lensbaby lenses where it won’t be used all the time but will be pulled out for a short time at pretty much every event for some specific shots. The only downside for me is that I don’t actually own this lens yet. Sigma loaned me this lens to check out for a while and its one of the few times I wish I didn’t have to send a lens back.

The problem often is how to connect the new monitor. Unless you have a video card with two monitor ports on it and especially if you want to add a third monitor, this can turn into a real technical challenge. There is actually a fairly simple solution to this with the Sewell vDeck USB to VGA External Display Adapter.

This simple device claims to be able to drive a monitor while using only a USB port. How well does it work? Continue reading to find out.

How Does It Work

The Sewell vDeck USB to VGA External Display Adapter not-surprisingly is exactly what it’s name implies. The device plugs into your computer via a USB cable and on the other side has a VGA connector to connect to your computer.

Now I have tried several USB/VGA adapters in the past and their performance has always been extremely poor. Most of them suffer from really bad screen times, low resolution, or other types of problems.

Because of my experience with similar products, my expectations were quite low when I received the vDeck to review.

The installation process is pretty simple, just install the driver from the CD, and plug the device into a USB port and a monitor onto the VGA port. The setup process should only take you a minute or two.

The Results

If I am going to test this, I am going to push it as much as I can so I connected a Dell 24” widescreen monitor that has a native resolution of 1920×1280. I had absolutely no hope that this was going to work.

To my complete surprise, not only did the monitor come right up, it came up in full native resolution. Ok, just because it came up, how good can this little business-card sized box perform. I grabbed some windows and dragged them around the screen, poor performance will cause an “echo effect” instead of smooth moving of the window around. The windows moved smooth showing that the vDeck really did have enough horsepower to drive a screen this size.

The only issue I came across was I couldn’t quite get the color balance dialed in quite right. I used a Huey Pro to calibrate the screen but it didn’t seem to make any difference. Not that the color was too far off, but it was visible to me since my main monitor is calibrated so I could see a little color shift in it. As a second monitor for email, web browsing, Photoshop tool bars, etc. it was just fine. As a primary screen for editing photos the color shift would concern me a little. It is entirely possible that Sewell will be able to fix this with a driver update. My guess is that it simply isn’t applying the color profiles from the Huey Pro.

Summary

Considering that a good video card will set you back $150 or more, the vDeck at $69.95 can be a very affordable option. Considering you don’t have to know the difference between PCI, PCI-X, PCI-Express, etc, the vDeck is dead simple to get up and running and actually works pretty darned good.

I would certainly recommend it, even with the minor calibration issue because I expect this will be fixed soon, for adding a second or third monitor to your system. While my monitor size is just outside of what the vDeck is rated for, it actually performed quite well. If you need to support bigger monitors with DVI or HDMI connectors, the USB to DVI is $79.95 and the Minideck is $99.95.

For more information about the vDeck and a comparison of the different units, check out: http://sewelldirect.com/Sewell-vDeck-USB-to-VGA-External-Display-Adapter.asp

Solution In Search Of A Problem?

As I discussed Square with photographers across the country, many thought they already had the payment problem licked. Some had credit card terminals, some used PayPal’s Virtual Terminal, and others, including myself, simply sent PayPal invoices which can then be paid via a credit/debit card. The problem with most of these is the cost. Having an actual terminal or PayPal’s virtual terminal usually involved some monthly fee with PayPal being $30/month ($360/year). Sending PayPal invoices has no monthly fee and is simply a 5% charge.

Square initially started off pretty similar to these other services but has continued to improve both the services and the pricing. As of the time of this writing there is no setup charge, no monthly fee and the charge is 2.75% – 3.75% (see sidenote). So right off the bat, using Square can really add up in savings by not having to pay monthly charges and being able to keep more of your money.

Square’s Service Rates

How Square Works

The Square app is available for Android and iOS devices (iPhone, iPod, iPad) and the app is available for free via the Android Market and iTunes Store. With just the app itself (and registering on the http://squareup.com website) you can start taking credit card payments by keying in the credit card number, expiration date, dollar amount, and zip code. The next step asks for the buyers signature which they do with their finger on your device. The final step is to send the buyer either an SMS or email receipt. The entire process only takes a few seconds. The interesting thing here is that even if you are accepting cash/check payments, you can enter the information into the Square app, it can calculate how much change to give, and still send the buyer an email receipt.  For service related companies (like photographers), you can go into the settings and enable “Tips”. This way to buyer has to opportunity to add a tip to the amount just like you can do in a restaurant. As your client is filling out their information, the fact that the tip option is there may encourage them to use it. The Squareup.com website allows easy access to all of your transactions and deposits with the ability to download as a spreadsheet. Hopefully some future options might include an easy way to import into QuickBooks.

To make the data entry process faster, as well as saving you 1% and 15 cents off the transaction, Square provides a credit card reader in the form of a small gadget that plugs into your smart phone. From a technical point of view, this is where things get interesting. The device plugs into the headset port on your phone and not the USB port. There are actually several really good reasons for this technical decision. First off, smart phones don’t generally support USB Host Mode (I said this was technical) so a phone cannot connect to USB devices such as USB cameras or hard drives. Secondly, Square would have to write a handful of different drivers and maintain them across different operating system updates. A headphone jack is completely universal and doesn’t require any drivers to use it. All the app has to do is listen on the audio port and the Square Reader simply “plays” what it finds on the card for the app to deal with. This means that Square can come out with support for virtually any smart phone including Palm and Blackberry devices without any additional hardware considerations.

The reason why there are lower charges when using the card reader is that swiping the card means the buyer physically had the card present and the seller can verify the ID of the buyer, this greatly reduces the chance of fraud and chargebacks.

What About Payments?

First off, you do not need any special merchant account, any checking or savings account will do, you simply verify your bank account and routing number with Square so they can make direct deposits to your account. There are also no limits on how many transactions or value of transactions you can do.

This isn’t to say there isn’t a caveat here because there is, and it can be an important one to some people. Square will deposit the first $1,000 per 7 day cycle to your account within 24-36 hours of the transaction. For many people, this is going to be just fine. However, if you do more than $1,000 per week, Square will hold anything over that initial $1,000 for 30 days in case of chargebacks. If this is going to present a problem for you in terms of cash flow, you can contact Square and they will ask you for some typical business related information to help prove you are a legitimate business and can adjust that restriction for you.

Does it Work As Promised

This week I was on the road at WPPI in Las Vegas and the Northern Light Convention in Minnesota. At both of these events I had some of the products I sell over at http://blackbeltlighting.com and wanted to be able to accept credit cards from the show floors. Throughout these events, Square worked flawlessly allowing me to close sales I might not have otherwise got because people could easily user their credit/debit cards.

An interesting side note to this is that I signed up for the service just prior to leaving on the trip and did not have time to receive my free card reader so initially I had to key in the transaction manually. The app worked great and only took a few moments per transaction. I also noticed several other people using Square around the show such as Scott Robert Lim.

When I got to Minnesota for the Northern Light Convention, Square had send enough of the Square readers to the convention for every attendee to get one in their shwag bag. The upside to this is that now I will have two readers so I can have two transactions going (assuming I have a second smart phone) at the same time.

Should You Go Square?

If you want to easily take credit/debit cards I am struggling with a reason why you wouldn’t want to use Square. It’s easy, simple, and cheaper than any other service I know of.  Even if you aren’t sure if any client will ever pay you with a credit card, you still might as well sign up and get your card reader just in case. Since it costs you nothing to sign up, and there is no monthly fee, simply throw the reader in your camera bag, purse, or laptop case so you always have it available. Convinced? Go sign up for free at http://squareup.com.

Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation of any kind for this endorsement. My opinion is based entirely on my own experience using the service.

Update: Jason has offered almost a 30% discount on the DVD using discount code “cameradojo”, this is a very limited time offer so take advantage of it this week!

What is it all about?

As you have seen here on CameraDojo time and time again, I am really big on off-camera lighting to help you make the best images possible. Shooting flash straight from your camera will get you rather flight and unflattering light while off-camera light provides more natural looking shadows to give your subjects depth and dimension.

One of the biggest issues is that people are intimidated with big studio lights, portability and power issues, and how to position them. Jason’s approach to lighting mirrors much of my own style with using inexpensive speedlites, cheap wireless triggers, and simple setups to provide professional quality lighting that is affordable for virtually everyone.

What do you get out of it?

“25” gets you 25 different lighting setups where Jason and his team go through the thought process, setup, and shooting of each situation. Jason then goes into Adobe Bridge and Photoshop to show you detailed lighting diagrams and analyzes the final image.

What really separates 25 from other lighting tutorials is that Jason doesn’t get bogged down into tons of different modifiers, in fact, all 25 shots are done without using any modifiers at all. The only exceptions to this are the use of a reflector and some neutral density filters, other than that Jason gets his shots using just the bare speedlite. Jason also does a great job of showing how to use the zoom function on the speedlites to act as a modifier to give narrow or wider beams of light.

The two hours of content on the DVD goes right from setup to setup without getting into theory or talking about classic portrait styles. Instead, 25 is more of a collection of lighting recipes that show you how to get amazing lighting with simple, easy-to-replicate setups. This is a refreshing difference than many of the products out there in that you can quickly find a few of your favorite lighting setups very quickly and instantly make them your go-to lighting setups.

Is 25 for you?

If you just want to take basic photos of people and are happy with the images you are getting then why spend any money on additional training? On the other hand, if you want to separate yourself from the massive hoard of photographers out there by adding dynamic and creative lighting to your images, then the cost is likely to be a very good investment.

As I said in the into, most of the DVDs I have looked at are generally not worth the money and since I am already a big proponent of off-camera lighting, the first few setups are fairly common but do get less experienced people up to speed quickly. As the setups progress, Jason shows some very unique setups that I had never thought of, one of my favorites being the Ghetto Ring Flash. While this simple ring flash effect creates an interesting effect, you do need to have a cooperative assistant that will gladly invade your personal space to assist in the lighting or a set of light stands if your assistant doesn’t care to be in close proximity to you.

While I rarely ever like most DVDs on the market, I found Jason’s 25 to be a refreshing change, loaded with great setups and unique styles, while Jason’s very approachable personality helps to bring everything together. At $150, 25 isn’t exactly an impulse purchase but it very well could be a valuable investment in helping you to master off-camera lighting.

Jason Groupp’s Website: http://jasongroupp.com/

Jason Groupp’s 25 Information Page: http://jasongroupp.com/25dvd/

If you believed that line than you are obviously living on a different planet than I am because I am constantly trying to get the right color on the screen as I saw with my eye. I know this as sure as I know that the color Ferrari Orange is not a real color.

X-Rite ColorChecker Passport

So solve this problem, our software needs to know what the colors in an image are supposed to look like. If we can make our software understand our specific cameras, then we are certainly going in the right direction. Adobe made an excellent attempt to solve this on a very broad scale in Lightroom 3 with camera calibrations. What Adobe did was to take a color chart under different lighting conditions with different cameras and then use that data to create a calibration that is designed for specific cameras. I have to admit, this works pretty darned good and I have relied on this for my image processing since the day it came out.

Is it perfect? No, its darned good, but I always felt it wasn’t quite 100% there. Maybe my lighting conditions aren’t perfect, maybe there is a variation in camera bodies/sensors, maybe Adobe had to compromise to make it as good as possible for a broad range of users. Whatever the case, I always thought I could do a little better if I had a calibration profile designed specifically for MY camera and MY lighting…and this is where the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport comes into play.

X-Rite ColorChecker Passport

The ColorChecker Passport is a combination of a shooting target with different color swatches and a piece of software the will analyze the resulting image to create a custom calibration profile for your specific camera.

All you really need to do is to shoot the target so that it fills about 10% of the image and have a good exposure and the software will do the rest. Ok, it’s not exactly that easy, the image has to be in DNG format so I use Lightroom to Copy as DNG (which I do most of the time anyway) at least the shot of the target. Then open the folder with the ColorChecker Passport software and drag the image file onto the application. In a few seconds, you have a custom calibration.

X-Rite ColorChecker Passport Software

Once you have completed the calibration and saved the file, you will need to restart your editing software (Photoshop or Lightroom) so it reads in the calibration profile.

Can you really tell the difference in finished images? I will let you be the judge of that with the following images:

Mouse Over Image To See The Corrected Version

With the Viper, the red’s are definitely richer. This has always been a complaint of mine with my Canon camera’s. The Lightroom Camera Standard calibration setting does really good at fixing that but is not quite as good as the ColorChecker Calibration.

Mouse Over Image To See The Corrected Version

Again with the Ferrari, the yellows with the corrected version are much richer. To see how these colors shift, let’s take a look at the ColorChecker colors using the Adobe Standard, Camera Standard, and a custom calibration created with the ColorChecker Passport software.

Passport Profile

ACR 4.6

Camera Standard

The biggest differences are in the blues and reds. While Camera Standard is very close, and probably perfectly usable for a large number of people. When you really need accurate color, a custom calibration is the way to go.

DNG vs Dual Illuminat

What Adobe did for their calibrations is to shoot a color target under different light conditions so that their camera profiles would hold up in different situations. What we have looked at so far is creating a single image calibration which is appropriate for a single lighting situation. The X-Rite ColorChecker Passport also allows you to create your own Dual Illuminat profile as well. Simply use two images shot with different lighting, like one with flash and the other with tungsten hot lights. The ColorChecker Passport software can then use both of those images together to create a more robust profile than we have been able to create for ourselves in the past.

ColorChecker Target Size Comparison

Is it Worth It?

While you can look at the images above and certainly see a difference, is that difference worth $99 to you? For me, the majority of the work I do is product photography and usually very little color is involved. However, when I am shooting weddings, portraits, cars, or other things that really have vibrant color, I want to be as accurate as I possibly can. I would certainly recommend that every camera club buy one and let all of the members have a shoot day where they can create their own calibration files.

Gray Card Function

But Wait…there’s more!

We have only looked at 1/3 of the functionality of the ColorChecker Passport, albeit a very important function.  Flip the target around and you also have a decent sized gray card that is just slightly bigger than a small WhiBal card.

The large gray card is ideal for product or food photography since you can get it into the scene and then use that image in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw to get a really good white balance. For People and Landscapes, its the next function that is really interesting.

Creative Enhancement Target

Creative Enhancement Target

The the calibration target over and you get what X-Rite calls the Creative Enhancement Target. There are two main purposes of the Creative Enhancement Target:

• Allow for one-click white balance across a range of swatches
• Allow you to easily see white and black clipping

The middle two rows are designed for portrait (top) and landscape (bottom) photography so you can easily select a white balance that is best suited for your situation. Often portraits are added a little warmth and landscapes with different color temperatures can really help make the sky bluer or grass greener.

At the bottom you can use the clipping swatches while adjusting exposure and blacks to make sure you are not overclipping those settings.

X-Rite ColorChecker Passport

Summary

If you are like me and strive for accuracy in your colors, then the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport is absolutely a must-have. If you are not shooting images where color accuracy is critical, then go in with a few friends or your local club and buy one just to have a good calibration profile for your camera.

X-Rite ColorChecker Passport on Amazon.com

X-Rite Website: http://xritephoto.com/

X-Rite Blog: http://blog.xritephoto.com

Full Disclosure

Let’s be clear on one thing here, I sell a competing product to the Cactus triggers. My triggers are quite affordable, work well, support 4 channels, and have a range of about 90 feet. The reason I am pointing this out is not to pimp out my own products but to be honest about it and I promise to be as fair and unbiased as possible during this review.

Features

Most low cost wireless triggers have a transmitter and then separate receivers. The Cactus V5 only come one way, as transceivers. Each transceiver can be either a transmitter or receiver depending on how you are using it.

A nice feature change from my old V2′s is the use of standard AAA batteries. Push on the back and the tray pops out. Replace the batteries and push it back. No more ordering strange and expensive batteries for the receivers.

Specifications (each V5 transceiver)

• Working radio frequency: 2.4GHz;
• 16 channels selectable;
• Support sync speed: up to 1/1000 second (subject to camera’s sync speed limitation);
• Compatible with all DSLR and SLR cameras with standard ISO hot shoe or PC sync output;
• Compatible with portable flashes and studio strobes;
• Low battery indicator;
• Maximum effective area: 100 meters (328 feet);
• Operating temperature: -20°C to +50°C (-4°F to 122°F);
• Flash voltage handling: up to 300V;
• Camera voltage handling: up to 6V;
• Power input: 2 x AAA 1.5V batteries;
• Connection port: 3.5mm (1/8″) mono mini-phone;
• Dimensions: 82mm (L) x 70mm (W) x 37mm (H);
• Weight: 58g;

On the left side you have the TX/Off/RX swide switch while the opposite side has a 16 position rotary dial. Again, a nice step up from sliding DIP switches. While this does make it easier to change channels, it also makes it easier to accidentally change it. The left side also has a 1/8″ port that can be used for connecting to PC Sync fired flashes or for remote firing of a camera.

Probably the biggest change is that each unit, being a receiver, has a hot shoe mount to fire a speedlite, but this also allows you to use a speedlite on top of your camera while also using the transmitter. If you are using an off-camera light for a key light, then you can have a flash on-camera for some fill light.

On the bottom the Cactus V5 is outfitted with a metal hot shoe which is really nice to see on a budget piece of hardware. There is also a 1/8″ threaded  port so you can attach the V5 to a light stand.

On top of the hot shoe mount is the clamping wheel. While the threads on the wheel are fairly fine, which helps keep it secured to a swivel mount, the wheel size itself is pretty small and I have some difficulty in adjusting it with my large fingers.

The build quality is very nice has a very professional feel. If you didn’t notice in the specs, the Cactus V5′s use the 2.4Ghz Spectrum allowing for close to 300 feet in range.

Does it work?

The big question is does all these new features and upgraded specs add up to an improved product? The answer is “it depends”. The Cactus V5′s certainly have an exceptional range. I tested them out and ran out of space at right at 300′ and they still working fine. Will you ever need to use a flash 300 feet away? Most likely not but the theory is that you will always have a strong signal that is less likely to suffer from interference.

The Big Question

So the big question, especially considering that I already mentioned that I sell a competing product, is would I recommend the Cactus V5. Let’s break it down and see where the Cactus V5 stacks up.

• 2.4Ghz for longer range and less interference
• 16 Channels
• Easy channel change via rotary dial
• AAA Batteries for easy replacement
• Metal hot shoe
• Hot shoe passthru
• Ability to work as a remote camera trigger (not at the same time as flash trigger)
• Up to 1/1000 sync speed (dependent on camera body)
• Retail price of $59 for two transceivers

Given the features and price point I have to give the Cactus V5′s a big thumbs up. In fact, if I can buy them at wholesale I will sell them myself. Can you save a few bucks with less expensive triggers? Of course you can and while they may work just fine there are certainly situations where the cheaper units can misfire with certain types of interference and the 2.4Ghz and 16 channels can certainly help avoid that.

The metal hot shoe and good lock down screw will help keep your gear more secure and the hot shoe pass-through is something unique to Cactus V5. For the price, the Cactus V5 is an excellent value.

The Cactus V5 is available now from Gadget Infinity: http://www.gadgetinfinity.com

A Solution in Search of a Problem?

When discussing the frio with a handful of photographers some didn’t see the need for it while others see the frio as an absolute God-send. It really depends on the gear that you work with. Cheap cold shoe swivel mounts often don’t have enough surface area for a good solid fit and combined with inexpensive flash triggers that have rather course threads, its really hard to get a secure and solid fit. I have aimed swivel mounts and had the flash literally fall right out.

With the frio, one end is closed so your gear can’t fall out of the front. What is really different is that and hinged plate that pops up to secure the back side. With the lock down feature of your gear, the pop-up plate provides a second level of security.

The narrow design also makes it very easy to tighten down your gear onto the cold shoe area. This is a big time saver and when you are on location, being able to setup and tear down quickly is a huge advantage.

The only real issue is if you are an umbrella user. With a typical cold shoe swivel mount with a built-in umbrella holder your flash is relatively close to the umbrella shaft. If you are using a swivel mount with a mounting stud (as shown above) you can end up adding a couple of inches between your gear and the umbrella shaft, this might can cause some uneven lighting.

Does it fill the bill?

While I do use umbrellas on a regular basis, more often I am using on-flash modifiers such as Rouge Flashbenders, softboxes, Quick Spots, or other types of gear. Other than the umbrella issue (which isn’t that big of a deal for me) there really isn’t downside to using the frio…almost.

Let’s face it, the frio costs money, at $15 it may seem trivial to some people  and if you are buying 3-4 you will be set back up to $45.  Since you can buy an inexpensive cold shoe swivel mount for about $16-$18, the frio isn’t cheap.

The question for you is really if the cost of the frio is worth the security of your gear. I can only speak for myself but there really wasn’t a question that it was worth it. Just to be clear on this, I have never had any contact with enlight photo, or distributor. I bought three of these units, they weren’t given to me to review. I heard about the frio from my buddy Syl Arena who said “The frio is ingenious. For me it was love at first sight.”

As I said earlier, I have actually had flashes and triggers slide right out of some of the swivel mounts that I own. Fortunately none of my gear has ever been broken during one of these incidents. However, it only takes one time to have a couple hundred dollars smash to pieces on the ground. For around $15 I consider it cheap insurance.

I always like innovative solutions and the frio is definitely innovative and solves a real world problem.The only thing that would make it perfect (or closer at least) would be a real short mounting stud to keep it lower when using umbrellas. Given this unique design, I would also like to see versions designed for 2 or 3 flashes.

I love how easy it is to get gear on and off my lightstands now and the extra security is well worth the price. I absolutely recommend the frio to help keep your gear secure.

Official Website: http://www.friocoldshoe.com

Frio on Amazon (link)

The Quick Spot is a basic grid spot designed to fit over the end of your flash without needing an extra strap or Velcro. A unique feature of the Quick Spot is that is comes apart in order for you to put different colors gels (several included) in order to color balance the light or provide special effect lighting.

What is a Grid Spot

A grid spot at its most basic description is a series of straws that take the light from the flash and confine it to keep it from spreading out like a bare flash would. The smaller the size of the straws, the more confined the beam of light will be.

Some people have tried to simply use the Zoom function on their flash to create a similar effect but it doesn’t really do the same thing. Let’s take a look at how the zoom function works.

Flash Zoomed at 24mm

Flash Zoomed to 105mm

As you can see at 24mm almost the entire frame is filled with light and at 105mm we get distinctly smaller source  but it still has a pretty large pattern.

When you want a much tighter pattern with less light fall-off then a grid spot can be your best choice. Harbor Digital Design has the Quick Spot in both 1/4” and 1/8” patterns. The system is designed to custom fit most popular speedlites. I ordered the units for the Canon 580 EX/EX II and was very pleasantly surprised to find that it fit perfect on the YN560 as well.

Let’s look at the light pattern when using the Quick Spots.

1/8” Quick Spot

1/4” Quick Spot

For portrait work, grid spots work great for hair lighting so you can get a nice shine on the hair without spilling the light into places you don’t want. With product photography you can really control where you want the lighting to be.

For an example of using the Quick Spots, check out the following article:
http://cameradojo.com/2010/12/18/using-multiple-flashes-evolution-of-a-shot/

At first glance, $34.95 might seem a little much for a small piece of plastic but considering it is close to $10 less than competing brands when you factor in extra straps you need.  Also consider you also get a decent gel kit to go along with it and you have yourself a pretty good bargain. If you need to attach the Quick Spot to different flashes, you can order just the adapter piece for about $13 and just interchange the outer Quick Spot attachment.

Harbor Digital Design may not be a household name but if they continue to make innovative products like the Quick Spot I am sure you will hear about them more and more.

I am quite happy with the Quick Spots and certainly recommend them as an inexpensive accessory that you should have in your camera bag.

Harbor Digital Design
http://www.harbordigitaldesign.com

Features

These are four channel wireless flash triggers for using off-camera flash with either speedlites or studio lights. The transmitter can be triggered either by having it on the hot shoe of your camera or via a PC Sync cable connected to your camera body. The receivers can fire a flash either from the hot shoe or via PC Sync as well. Unlike many similar products available, these also include a built-in umbrella holder.

Specifications

• 4 channels with hot shoe connector for external flashes
• Transmitter Power: 23A 12V battery
• Receiver Power: 2 AAA Battery (Not included)
• Maximum Working Distance: 30m (open area, without interference)
• Operates on Frequency: 433MHz
• Sync speed up to 1/320s (depending on camera)
• Standby time: one year
• Triggering life: up to 20,000 times

Compatible with

Canon SpeedLite 580EX II, 580EX, 550EX, 540EZ, 520EZ, 430EZ,430EX, 430EX II, 420EX, 420EZ, 380EX
Nikon SpeedLite SB900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-28, SB-27, SB-26, SB-25, SB-24
Olympus FL-50R, FL-50, FL-36R, FL-36
Pentax AF-540 FGZ, AF-360 FGZ, AF-400 FT, AF-240 FT
Sigma EF-530 DG Super, EF-500 DG Super, EF-430
Sunpak Auto 2000DZ, 622 Pro, 433AF, 433D, 383, 355AF, 344D, 333D
Vivitar 285HV, DF-400MZ, DF-340MZ, 2700
Other flash models with a trigger voltage of 12V or lower

Setup

The only real setup you need to do is to make sure the switches on the transmitter and the receiver are set to the same channel. Press the test button and make sure the LED on the receiver flashes. If the two are talking you are good to connect your flash to the receiver and put the transmitter on the camera.

In my tests I can reliably get 90 feet of range, any more than that and reliability starts dropping fast with almost no firing occurring at 100’.

Usage

There is nothing really magical about using wireless flash triggers, you press the shutter and the flash goes off. What really matters is being able to put your light where you want it, when you want it. Over the years there have been plenty of times when I wanted to set up a quick remote flash but my light stands were out in the car or worse, back at home. However, I always have my tripod with me attached to the side of my camera bag. With the built-in umbrella holder I can now pull out my tripod, put the flash trigger on the tripod, and pop in an umbrella for a quick lighting setup.

If you are expecting complete control of your remote flashes just as if you were using the wireless system built into your Canon or Nikon brand flashes, then your expectations are going to be off a bit. These wireless triggers are designed to fire remote speedlites or studio monolights that have manual output control. Once you manually set the power output on the flash, then these are good to go.

In the Camera Dojo Store we are now selling these wireless flash triggers as a kit with a transmitter and two receivers for $49.95 and additional receivers for $19.95. Until the end of November, get 15% off with discount code Dojo15. Check them out at the online store at http://blackbeltlighting.com. We also have a mini-site for all of the lighting products at http://cameradojo.com/blackbelt.

Features

I want to start off with the negative to get it out of the way. This is a manual flash, it does not talk to the camera to determine the correct amount of flash to fire like the Canon or Nikon flashes do with their associated camera bodies. With the YN560 you set the amount of power the flash is going to put out. Do not panic! Learning to set correct lighting power is fairly simple and there are some basic guidelines to use to get dialed in quickly, more on that is the Usage section.

Enough with the negatives, this flash is otherwise loaded with features. From a power point of view it is virtually identical to a Canon 580 EX II or Nikon SB-800. The head rotates 90 degrees to the right and 180 degrees to the left while being able to tilt just over 90 degrees.

Just like the Canon 580 EX/EX II, the YN560 features a pull-out Wide Angle lens and Catch-light card. The head also allows you to zoom the focus point of the light from 24mm to 105mm. The flash power is fully adjustable from 1/128 power to full power.

One of the big problems with many manual flashes with optical slaves is that any flash will cause them to fire. Canon or Nikon flashes send out a pre-flash to determine exposure and then send out the final flash for the exposure, this pre-flash will fire most manual flashes. The S2 mode on the YN560 will ignore the pre-flash and only fire when the main flash goes off. Along with optical slave firing, the YN560 also has a PC Sync Port and can be used in the hot shoe of your camera.

• Flash zoom from 24mm – 105mm
• GN58 @ ISO100
• Optical Slave
• Hot Shoe Trigger
• PC Sync Port
• External Power Port
• Audible Ready Tone
• Fast Recharge Rate
• Granular control from 1/128 to full power
• Vertical Rotation angle: -7~90 degree
• Horizontal rotation angel: 0~270 degree

Setup

The only thing you need to do in order to start using the YN560 is to install batteries. In “M” mode, the YN560 can be used in your camera’s hot shoe or can be connected to your camera with a PC Sync cable. In “S1” mode the YN560 will use the optical slave and fire when any other flash goes off. This setting is fine when using other YN560’s or studio strobe lights. As mentioned earlier, the “S2” mode will ignore the pre-flash of TTL flashes allowing you to use the YN560 along with those flashes.

Usage

If you have never used a manual flash before it can seem rather intimidating but with just a little knowledge you can learn to use the YN560 as even your main flash in just a few minutes.

If you need to add some light to a scene, unless you have had a ton of experience, it is rather hard to simply know what the flash settings should be. Here is a quick shortcut to getting the right settings within just a few test shots.

1. Power up the flash by holding down the On/Off button until the flash is fully powered up
2. Use the left/right buttons to adjust the power output to the middle position
3. Take a test shot
4. If the scene is too bright, press the left button twice / If the scene is too dark, press the right button twice
5. Fine tune the lighting with single presses left or right
6. If you cant get the scene bright enough, you will need to increase your ISO or open your Aperture up more
7. If the scene is still too bright even on the lowest setting, you will need to lower your ISO or close your Aperture down more

That’s really it. Assuming you are already in the ball park with your aperture and ISO settings, you should generally be able to get the power output dialed in within three test shots.

When using the YN560 off-camera, turning on the audible ready alert is a great way to be sure that the flash is fully charged and ready to fire without being able to see the ready light.

A cool trick I learned from David Ziser a year or so ago was to use the flash’s zoom feature. A good example for using this is when you shooting a table of people at a reception. Let’s say you are shooting the table with a 100mm focal length, with a Canon 580 EX/EX II the flash will automatically zoom to 100mm to help focus the light, this can cause the people at the back to be lit but the people that are much closer can be too dark. By zooming the flash back to 24mm you get a wide angle of flash to light the entire table evenly. Conversely, you can zoom all the way out to 105mm when shooting a short focal length and the zoomed flash will give you a snooted effect with a natural vignette around the subject.

Results

The light from the YN560 is consistent in power and temperature and the unit recycles nice and fast. It’s actually fairly hard to say anything bad about the YN560 unless you just have to have TTL control in which case this is not the flash for you. For anyone wanting to have a very affordable lighting kit, the YN560 is really a terrific purchase considering you can buy three of them for the cost of a single 580 EX II or SB-800.

The fact is, the YN560 impressed me so much that I bought several hundred of them in order to sell to people wanting to get their lighting kits started. If this batch sells I will continue to bring them in and offer them on CameraDojo.com.

The list price of the YN560 is $120 which includes free shipping. Camera Dojo readers can get an additional $20 off by using the discount code Flash20. To purchase the YN560, please visit http://blackbeltlighting.com.

I have both Carbon Fiber and Aluminum tripods in my arsenal.  I use them pretty much interchangeably in my every day photography use.  Some are lighter so I choose them for travel.  Some are sturdier, so I use them for heavier applications.

But there are features of some tripods that really make them stand out from the pack.  The Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT is one of those unique tripods.  And its not that each of it’s individual feature are not available in other 3-legged competitors, but that all of these features are available in this single tripod for a great price.

The first, most unique feature to point out is it’s innovative Multi-Angle Central Column (MACC).  This feature allows you to move the central column from angles of zero to 130-degrees in multiple vertical and horizontal positions, making things like macro photography and specialty wide-angle shots much easier to create.

In this photo, you can see how the center column can be flipped 180 degrees to suspend the camera completely upside down.  I often shoot many table top items like food, and this feature gives me exactly what I need to get the camera into position.

The center column quickly releases with something that Vanguard calls the Instant Swivel Stop-n-Lock (ISSL) System.  With one simple movement, you can easily and securely reposition the center column while maintaining it’s stability.

The central aluminum alloy column moves from 0 to 130 degrees and can be reversed in the mount, giving you more than full range of motion.  Even with the center column fully extended, the tripod is amazingly stable with my 5D Mark II, battery grip and heavy Canon L glass.

Another feature, which is also common to many other tripods, is the legs that adjust to 25, 50 and 80-degree angles.  Combined with the sturdiness of the patented premium magnesium die-cast canopy and head, you feel comfortable that this tripod can truly support your camera with stability in most any position.  But combined with the flexibility of the center column and the angles it can obtain, this makes the tripod about as versatile as you could ever need.

This tripod ships with a triangular canopy that hangs between the legs and holds your camera or other gear.  It also comes with a carrying bag to tote it around.  There is a spring-loaded, retracting hook at the bottom of the center column for hanging weight or a bag.  The feet have spikes built in that you can retract with the rubber feet, depending on the floor or ground you are on.  And my personal favorite feature over the 284CT is the fact that it has flip locks on the leg extensions instead of the twist locks.

From the Vanguard website, here are the specifications:

Extended height(mm): 1650
Extended height(inch): 65
Folded height(mm): 630
Folded height(inch): 24.75
Weight(kg): 2
Weight(lbs): 4.41
Maximum loading capacity(kg): 7
Maximum loading capacity(lbs): 15.4
Titled Loading Capacity(kg): 5
Titled Loading Capacity(lbs): 11
Number of Leg Sections: 3
Leg Diameter(mm): 26

With a street price under $150.00 and after looking around online, I can see that I am not the only one who loves this tripod. You can read some great reviews (and find about the best price out there) here:

Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT – Tripod

Score Card

You can visit the Vanguard Website at: http://www.vanguardworld.com

The Flashbenders are available in three different sizes so you can find one that is most appropriate for the type of shooting you need to do.

The Flashbender Family

As I mentioned in the introduction, the Flashbenders come in three different sizes. The smallest version, the Bendable Bounce Card/Flag measures approximately 5” x 9” (127mm x 228mm. The Rogue FlashBender Bounce Card can be used either as a reflector to bounce light onto a subject, or as a flag (using either the built-in white surface, or included black fabric attachment) to shield light away from it.

When using an accessory flash on-camera for fill light, I like to use the Bounce Card to help diffuse the light and create a nice catchlight in the subject’s eyes.

The medium sized unit is actually called the Small Positionable Reflector and measures approximately 10” x 7” (254mm x 178mm). The Rogue FlashBender Small Positionable Reflector can be used either as a reflector to bounce light onto a subject, as a flag to shield light away from it or as a small snoot to produce a wide circle of light. I like using this version when I am shooting people outdoors and have nothing to bounce the light from the flash off of. Using this Flashbender it raises the height of the light to provide a little directional light and also helps to eliminate red eye.

The Large version measures approx. 10” x 11” (254mm x 280mm). I find the large version is a bit too intimidating to use when the flash is on-camera but when I have the flash off-camera it makes for a quick-setup light source that will provide a much larger light source than the flash itself. This is a great setup when shooting small groups  or single subjects up to 3/4 body shots.

These aren’t just big white reflectors, the metal strips on the back (1 on the bounce card, 2 on the small reflector, 3 on the large reflector) allow you to bend, twist, roll, and otherwise modify the shape from being a large flat shape to a tight snoot and pretty much anything in-between.

The white side cleans up very nicely so its quite simple to keep it nice and bright.

I have been using the Flashbenders more and more since they provide you with so much flexibility in how you can shape the light and reflect it in any number of ways.

I was a bit skeptical at first of the bendable strips but they don’t add much weight and are able to hold their shape without any sagging.

Like I mentioned in the introduction, each of the Flashbenders has the attachment strap built-in so you can never lose it. While this may be redundant if you have the entire family of Flashbenders, it ensures that you can’t lose a separate strap and you don’t need to purchase straps for each flash you may end up using it on.

The straps have plenty of adjustment to them so they should be able to fit on any speedlite that is on the market today.

Using the Flashbenders

I have been using the Flashbenders from everything from wedding shoots to product shoots because they do such a great job at creating a larger light source that makes for nice lighting for people and helps to evenly light products.

The results have been quite good and the Flashbenders have found a permanent home in my camera case. Since they lay flat when wide open they are pretty easy to fit most anywhere

The Rogue Flashbenders are also priced competitively as well.

Rogue FlashBender Bendable Bounce Card/ Flag – $29.95

Rogue FlashBender Small Positionable Reflector – $34.95

Rogue FlashBender Large Positionable Reflector – $39.95

I highly recommend the Rogue Flashbenders for anyone that is using speedlites and is looking for an affordable, flexible, and efficient light modifier. Be sure and visit their website for additional information.

The following are additional images taken while using the Flashbenders:

Expo Imaging
http://expoimaging.com

Overview

There are a handful of pistol grip heads on the market today but most of them are pretty low quality units without much in the way of features. The Vanguard GH-100 has a handful of advantages over these other units, and most other squeeze-type ball heads as well.

First off, the ball system itself is has to different slotted sections giving you a lot of front-to-back tilting ability as well as the ability to flip very quickly between portrait and landscape mode.

Secondly, the bracket connector can also rotate 360 degrees around a labeled head for accurate positioning. Tension for the head rotation and ball locking is handled by two different knobs that allow for very secure positioning that stays right were you put it without any release sagging.

What is very unique is that the silver collar in front of the pistol grip handle retracts and allows the pistol grip handle to rotate 360 degrees giving you a lot of flexibility in exactly how you want to use the handle.

Features

• Dual-locking quick shoe mechanism
• 72-click point panorama
• 360-degree horizontal movement and 90-angle tilt

Specs

Usage

My initial impression was quite with the only issue being that I needed to crank down mounting plate onto the camera pretty hard if I was using a heavy lens and the design of the mounting plate makes it a little difficult my my giant sausage fingers to get to the screw handle. Once its tightened down securely, there are no other issues with it.

I’m not sure how helpful the bubble level inside the mounting section really is but if you do need to make sure the entire platform is level at least it is there and you can get a good level, drop the camera on and you are ready to go.

The main tightening knob on the back rotates about 260 degrees to adjust the tension but you will rarely need more than the last 90 degrees to come from loose to locked down. The lever on the side for the rotating head has 90 degrees of travel but you will only use the last 5 degrees or so to lock it down or loosen it up. These aren’t problems by any means, its just an observation.

To rotate the handle I can reach forward with my top two fingers and grasp the lock ring from the top and bottom and pull it back, rotate the handle to the new position and release the lock ring. This takes a little practice, but once you get it down you can manipulate the handle pretty easily.

Results

As I said before, replacing something like your tripod head is not something you do on a whim. While I have replaced tripod legs three times, I have still been using the same ball head on each set of legs. It had it’s quirks, but I knew them inside and out. After getting the GH-100 from Vanguard I decided to really give it an honest trial and use it exclusively for a month or so and see if I could get as comfortable with it as my long time head from the past. To be honest, it felt pretty awkward at first. If I was to make any design change it would be for the front-back tilt slot to be on the opposite side from where it is but this is a trivial change. The GH-100 handle feels a little “plasticy” but very very solid at the same time. Had the entire handle been made from metal it would have added significantly to the weight.

Well, its been a couple months since I got it and the GH-100 is still sitting atop my tripod. I am under no obligation to use it nor would I do so simply because Vanguard is a sponsor of CameraDojo.com, I actually have come to really prefer it over my old head and if you see me at any shooting event with my tripod handy you will see the GH-100 mounted on top.

I feel I have more control with the GH-100, it flips nicely from landscape to portrait and you can even get some fairly fluid panning and tilting by adjusting the tension and a little practice. Sure, it wont ever be as smooth as a true fluid head but its better than any other traditional still head in a pinch.

Score Card

Website: Vanguardworld.com

Purchase now for $99.99 on Amazon.com

Introducing the ikan Multi-K Variable Color Temperature  LED Light.  This is one of the coolest little on-camera lights I have ever seen, and the results are amazing.  Never before have I been able to control the color space appropriately in video… or close-up stills, for that matter.

So, let’s look at the physical details.  The box is around 5.25″ wide by 3.5″ tall, 1.5″ thick and weighs .8lbs with 6 AA batteries in it.  All in all, a relatively light unit.  The Multi-K runs on 6 AA batteries, or can be powered with the included 12v DC transformer and D tap power cable to an input on the rear of the light.  Here you can see the light mounted to the top of my Canon 5D Mark II.  As it is a cold shoe mount, it is not camera dependent and can mount to any camera’s hot shoe or cold shoe mount.

On the front of the light are 144 LED bulbs.  These are not the high-powered CREE style LEDs, but the lower power, softer light LEDs.  The majority of the bulbs are a very cool white light – somewhere over 6500ËšK, but there are a bunch of yellow and red LEDs that are turned on in different patterns and brightnesses to actually warm up the outgoing light.  This technique is both brilliant and unique.  For the first time I have ever seen, you can actually control a forward facing light source from your camera and actually dial in the color in 6 different steps using a button on the back of the light.  The functions are pretty simple.  There is a variable output source knob on the top to dial output level and a button on the back to step through the 6 color temps.

Tungsten light is somewhere around 3200˚K and is a common light color that we run into in a church, in many homes and in many indoor arenas where we often shoot.  Outdoor Sunlight can run 5000˚K to 6500˚K, depending on the sky and clouds.  If you are shooting in either of these situations, and need a bit of source light from your camera, having the right color of light will make a lot of difference in your end video or still product.  With the exception of using a gel over a halogen or incandescent camera light, I am not aware of any other on-camera light source that has the ability to change color temperature.  This light is very unique.

As the light changes colors, there are slight differentiations in the amount of lumens that the light can project.  ikan has provided a chart to show us the difference in the output with the different settings from the light itself.  At certain colors, you will need to take into account the light output levels and adjust settings accordingly.  Overall, ikan claims that the light output is equivalent to a 50W tungsten light bulb.  From our tests, that seems about right.  It won’t overwhelm a scene, but provides a nice kicker of light over all.

Here is a short video clip of the light from the front and then illuminating the inside of a piano.  Although it is not terribly obvious from the brightness of the video, I flip through all of the color settings in this video while looking at the front of the light and the light cast while on the camera.  It may appear subtle here, but the right color of light makes all the difference in the world.

I also used the light when shooting some Macro shots. I found that indoors, this was very helpful under tungsten lighting when the ambient light tends to be too strong.  Simply warm the light color up and the richness comes out.  And being small and battery powered, it is easy to move this light around to where it is needed in the shot.

ikan states that the light will run for approximately 90 minutes of consistent use on a set of new batteries.  If you are shooting short takes, turning them off and on, you can get several hours of use from 6 AA cells.

ikan Multi-K
Variable Color Temperature LED Light

SRP: $499.00

Specifications:

• Operating Volts: 12v – 18v
• Dimension: L 4.9″ x W 4.3″ x H 1.6″
• Weight (lbs): .8 with batteries
• Bulb Type: LED
• Color Temperature: 2800k – 6500k
• Shipping Weight: 2

Features:

• Variable Color Temperatures
• Uses 6 AA Batteries
• Lux equivalent to 50W Tungston
• Weighs less than a pound
• 144 LED Bulbs in red, white and yellow

If you are looking for a variable color light, there just aren’t many options out there. This ikan Multi-K is certainly a great early entry into the arena.

ikan Lighting website: http://www.ikancorp.com/

Purchase now from B&H Photo

Setup

Almost no setup at all, install the batteries, secure the latch, power up the camera and start shooting. From unboxing to shooting should take less than 30 seconds.

Features

The Intova SS1000 Snap Sights Sport Utility Digital Camera is an incredibly durable and waterproof pocket camera for divers, surfers, skiers, and all sorts of adventure seekers who wish to document their experiences in pictures. Of course it is also ideal for taking worry-free pictures in the rain or at the beach.

This low-cost camera is an alternative to waterproof single-use type cameras, yet the SS1000 offers full digital convenience, including: 1.4″ LCD viewfinder, USB computer connectivity, micro SD card to 2GB, casing waterproof to 50′ (15.24m)

• Waterproof to 50′ (15.24m)
• 1.4″ LCD viewfinder
• USB computer connectivity
• Micro SD card to 2GB

Usage

Using the SS-1000 is simple enough, one button turns the unit on and it is ready to shoot. Pressing another button switches to video mode. The simplicity of the design allows fairly young children to use the camera. I found it almost impossible to use the tiny screen as an LCD viewfinder, it just isn’t big enough or possibly my eyes are not young enough anymore. Being underwater simply made viewing the screen even worse.

Getting to your images is pretty simple, just plug in a USB cable and your computer should recognize the camera as a drive and you should be able to easy copy or import the images.

Results

Well….to say I am disappointed in this camera would be a fairly accurate and yet not surprising statement. The sensor is just sitting behind a piece of clear plastic, there is no real lense at all. At best, you might get ok results under some conditions, but generally its just got the good to deliver anything that is destined to end up on a wall anywhere.

For a kid’s camera, the $35 SS-1000 will be a digital camera that they can take to the beach, the pool, or pretty much anywhere. For anyone looking to get good quality underwater pictures, this is just not the camera for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_KGEOySA5s

Final Score:

Features

The Nexto eXtreme is yet another device designed to backup your memory cards in the field without having to have a computer handy. The unit supports a handful of common memory card types including CF cards. SD, and. handful of others. With 160gb of storage it should have plenty of space to hold any event or even an entire vacation’s worth of images.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_PJm3PGH1E

Memory Card Support

• Built-in CF Slot
  • Compact Flash type 1 and type 2 / MicroDrive
• Built-in 4in1 Slot
  • SD / SDHC / MMC / MMCPlus / MemoryStick /
  • MS Pro-HG / MS Pro MagicGate
  • xD type S and type M and type H
  • * with SD or MS adapter(not included)
  • miniSD / TransFlash / MMC mobile / RSMMC
  • MS Duo / MS Duo MagicGate / MS Pro Duo /
  • MS Pro Duo MagicGate
• Built-in USB Hosting
  • Mass storage devices : USB card reader
  • Hard drive type camcorder /Memory type camcorder
  • Still image capture devices: Digital camera

Transfer Rate

• Memory card to ND2700 : Max. 66MByte/sec, Avg. 25MByte/sec
• ND2725 to computer : eSATA avg. 60MByte/sec, USB avg. 25MByte/sec

Hard Drive Interface

• 2.5′ SATA Hard drive Capacity up to 2,000GB

Battery

• Internal : 3.7V 1550mAH rechargeable Li-Poly battery. 60GB backup on a single charge
• External : 3.7V 2200mAH rechargeable Li-Ion battery. 80GB backup on a single charge
  • Rechargeable via USB or external power adapter.
  • Takes 5hr for full charge

External Power

• Adapter : 100-240V AC to 5V/2A DC
• USB : Runs on USB power from a computer

Computer Interface

• eSATA : 3.0Gbit/sec, USB2.0 : 480Mbit/sec

File System

• Hard drive : FAT32, Memory Card : FAT12/16/32

Setup

There is virtually zero setup, the drive comes formatted and is ready to go. I would suggest putting it on a charger overnight just to get a real good initial charge and then you should be all set to go from there.
That being said, I do suggest you spend a moment Nd read through the manual as it explains how to use the menu system and the single button interface to traverse the menus and make selections.

Usage

The Next eXtreme is about as easy to operate as it gets, even easier if you enable Auto-Copy which will automatically backup a memory card as soon as you insert it.

What kind of bothered me a bit was the LCD screen that is about the size of a postage stamp. Seriously, I think the display is smaller than the display on my cheap digital sports watch. If it means raising the price another $10 to have a display that doesn’t require near-perfect vision to see, I certainly wouldn’t mind paying a few bucks extra.
The interface is interesting since there is only a single button to press, depending on what you are doing you will be prompted to use either a short click, a long click, or a double click. Usually there aren’t multiple options availae unless you are in some kind of menu. While the menuing and interface are simple to learn, the super small screen makes some things more difficult to do and causes it to take a hit on the usage ranking.

Results

I have been using devices like this for several years and have liked different devices for different reasons, sometimes size, one had a nice LCD display, but what I really like about the Nexto eXtreme is that it is FAST! It easily is the fastest backup unit I have tested so far. Coming back to the hotel after a day of sightseeing, speed isn’t that important. Shooting a large wedding with a second shooter and needing to copy their cards before you go home, speed is essential. Also, the faster you can copy your cards, the more images you can backup per charge. The first generation of these types of devices could do about 1000 images per charge which wouldn’t backup a large wedding on a single charge.

I have been very happy with the eXtreme and other than the small screen, its an excellent device due to its speed and price. I simply set it up for Auto-Copy so all I have to do is turn it on, and start plugging CF cards in and it will tell me when they are finished.

Final Score:

NEXTO eXtreme3 160GB Digital Hi-Speed OTG Backup Storage at Amazon.com

Setup

The LiquidMask is just like any regular snorkeling mask in terms of getting it ready for use. I recommend hitting up your local sporting goods store for some lens cleaner and anti-fog. You should use the lens cleaner before your first use and after any usage when the mask may be put away for a while. A good anti-fog solution is essential to having a good time underwater, spit has just really never done the trick for me.

To get the LiquidMask ready to shoot you will need to install the batteries and a micro SD card if you want additional storage ability. I dropped a 2gb card in mine which set me back around $6.00. Make sure all the caps are screwed back on well and you are good to go.

Features

The LiquidMask doesn’t rank high on features because a) there aren’t very many and b) the one it does have aren’t very spectacular. It does feature a 5mp camera which is pretty good since most images will need some cropping. The video is decent although at 20fps you will see some pixelization, but it’s not horrible. Fortunately it actually is a decent snorkeling mask and during our entire eight day trip it was the only mask I used even though I had access to many and even had my own mask with me. The convenience of knowing I always had a camera with me was nice when a simple swim would often turn up an unexpected surprise worth shooting.

Specifications

• Image Sensor: 1/3″ 3.1 Mega Pixels CMOS sensor
• Pixels: Still Image 3.1MP***
• Image Resolution: Still Images (2048×1536) + Video (640×480-VGA)
• Digital Video Recording Rate: Up to 20fps@VGA
• Internal NAND Flash Memory: 16MB
• Storage Medium: Micro SD (up to 2GB)
• Lens: 1G3P Fix lens
• Lens Aperture: F/2.8 Feet=8.5mm
• Lens Focus: 1.5m to Infinity*
• Shutter Speed: Stills (1/15 to 1/1000 seconds)
• Sensitivity: Automatic (ISO 100) + White Balance: Automatic
• Status LCD Panel Display
• 2GB Storage Capacity: 2100 Still Images at 2048×1536 (.jpeg format) + 72 minutes of video (m-jpeg)
• Supports: Windows XP/Vista and Max 9.x or x.x. (no software requirement to retrieve files) + full USB 2.0

Usage

I found myself a little torn on how to rate the LiquidMask for it’s usage ranking. On one hand, I don’t see myself ever snorkeling again without one for the reason mentioned above, but on the other hand the camera leaves something to be desired. The camera doesn’t appear to do any auto white balancing, daytime above water shots look great but change the lighting by going underwater and you HAVE to do post production white balance to correct them. While not a show stopper the less processing I have to do with jpeg files the better I can retain their image quality. Secondly, the refresh time on the camera is slow, you can only take one image every few seconds. The last issue I have is the indicator LED. if you are out snorkeling on the surface during the day, give up all hope of seeing the indicator light, only by pressing the shutter and listening very carefully for the click sound will you know the camera is on.

While it may seem like I am really bagging on the LiquidMask, the fact remains that it IS a highly convenient camera system seemlessly integrated into a nice snorkeling mask. I felt compelled to rate it high because I wouldn’t stop using it but also felt compelled to ding it a little due to some of it’s shortcomings.

Results

The important thing to keep in mind when swimming with the LiquidImage mask is to move slowly and try not to bring your hands in front of your face when filming video. If you take your time you can get some good images. If you have time to practice in a pool before going on an important trip, it will go a long way towards helping you get the best shots and video.

LiquidImage Website: http://liquidimageco.com/

Disclaimer

In the interest of being completely honest here, I need to point out right up front that I did not pay to attend his workshop. He actually had asked me to come up and help out with the workshop as a group leader. I did not get any compensation for this help other than being able to attend the workshop at no charge.  That being said, I did want to really see if I would actually get any useful info out of his event. I also am not getting any compensation for this article nor any credit or kickback if anyone signs up for his workshop. Normally, I would put a disclaimer like this in fine print at the bottom but I really wanted to be upfront about how I ended up attending the workshop.

About Scott

Scott comes across as a very genuine and approachable person, he does not seem to want the role of the seemingly “rockstar” photographer. He comes across as fairly down to earth although quite successful at the same time. This plays well to the mostly 20 something audience he attracts. I have kids older than some of the attendees and my and my buddy Lloyd filled out the opposite side of the age Bell curve.

Workshop Format and Content

The first probably 1/4 of the day is spent talking about off-camera lighting. Scott shows numerous examples of the style and talks about a number of different methods for getting your flash off your camera. This section covers single and multiple light setups, different modifiers, and different light techniques. This part of the program also goes into some detail about how to use shadows to define shape,depth, and mood., again with plenty of good examples to drive the point home.

The second 1/4 of the day was the best part of the day for me. During this part Scott showed some very simple posing setups as well as tips on how to get the subject to portray a deeper sense of emotion which really made the images come alive. This is probably the single biggest issue I have with my images. While technically good, they are lacking (to me) something else that would take them to another level. I really thought that some of the lessons during this part were some of the absolute best pieces of information I have had in the last few years of learning from other people as well as watching other people work.

The last half of the day was spent actually shooting the different models that had been brought in. During this time we were instructed to work on the lessons that he had given us and to do it with available light as much as possible. As a group leader, my role was to keep people rotating through shooting the models, reinforcing the lessons Scott had given, and offering as much advice as I could. Scott would rotate through the different groups with additional advice on lighting, posing, communication with the subject, and whatever questions the attendees might have had.

This last part seemed to flow really well although as a group leader I didn’t take nearly as many shots as I would have wanted but that’s ok. I had absorbed some solid content that I was able to put into some use there and will certainly be using as upcoming shoots.

With Scott’s approachable demeanor, nobody seemed intimidated or felt awkward asking even the most basic questions and Scott would take as much time as needed to work with someone to make sure they understood the answer.

How is the workshop marketed?

I really stress that people need to do their homework and look carefully at what a workshop is offering before deciding to take any. The following text is taken right off of Scott’s website:

The Goal is to teach any photographer from the ground up and help develop them into an elite photographer through a year long teaching process on all facets of professional portrait and wedding photography. Scott will assign projects that will be accessed and critiqued and provide personal, customized coaching to maximize the learning experience of each individual photographer ensuring they are competent at each necessary skill. Every lesson is accompanied with 4 hours of practical hands on learning and experimentation. It is Scott’s desire to provide the most comprehensive photographic program in the country- certifying a new generation of highly skilled and successful artists ready for real world application.

The Method is to combine world class teaching with fully stylized live practice sessions and individualized coaching.

This particular workshop is an eight part series with a different installment taking place every other month or so. This class was:

Lesson #1
The Four Elements of WOW- How to create images with impact.
Posing 101 (part 1)
How to use one light and available light.

Given that course description, this is a major cost and time commitment of the students to attend eight different workshops (major price breaks on buying the complete package or the lifetime membership). The most interesting aspect I found in this approach is that Scott does not promise you any magic or secrets that will make you an awesome photographer in one day. Instead, each day is a very defined and limited set of information with hands-on application of those lessons to help drive home the point. The students are then to practice those lessons and try to get as good with those techniques as possible during the time between workshops.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day what really matters is whether or not you feel it was worth your time, effort, and of course, money to attend any given workshop. Would I have spent a couple of hundred bucks to go, before hand I would have said no, that decision would have been based on current budget issues, time constraints, and mostly, not having seen Scott talk anywhere before and not having read any reviews about his workshops.

Having now attended the first part of the mentoring program, would I have paid to attend, yes. I absolutely feel that my images will look better. I think my clients will see a difference in what I can do over someone else and I really believe that this will help improve business. At the cost of the entire mentoring workshop series, I will need to sell ONE more job to cover the cost. I honestly believe that I will make that up with just the lessons from the very first class, let alone what I would get out of the entire series.

Does Scott’s workshop earn the “Camera Dojo Seal of Approval”? I am going to say, a big yes to this one. Whether you are just starting out or are already making money with weddings or portraits, you WILL learn some techniques that will take your images to new levels, that will separate you from the hoards of other photographers out there.

Will you be a huge success and make untold fortunes as a photographer? Well, that nobody can promise you and if they do, run..run fast. You have to have very solid business skills, accounting skills, marketing skills, people skills, and much more to run a successful photography business, but Scott’s Mentoring Workshops will certainly give you a solid foundation in the image side of the business.

For more information, check out http://scottrobertworldtour.com

Understanding the problem

In the intro, we stated that the Canon wireless speedlite system has a lot of features and is reasonably flexible in how you can use it. While that is true, there are some serious limitation to the system that Canon has yet to address, and given the installed base, probably isn’t likely to address in the near future.

The primary problem is that the Master light needs to communicate with the slave units and does this via bursts of flash just before the main flash goes off. This “pre-flash” happens so fast that you can’t tell it from the main flash. This works quite well in optimum environments like inside your studio. However, once you get outside and you have issues like the sun interfering with the speedlite’s communication, trying to use modifiers that block communication, or worse, trying to put speedlites in places with no direct line of sight such as outside a door, or around a corner, and the Canon system by itself starts to have issues very quickly.

While there are inexpensive radio triggers available and some of them work very reliably, the problem is that they only allow you to use use speedlites in manual mode only. Now this may be ok for you, and it is for many people, they lack several very key features:

1. The ability to use Canon’s eTTL system for automatic exposure control
2. The ability to remotely adjust the power output of the slave units
3. The ability to use high speed sync

Again, these things may not be of interest to you based on the style of shooting you do, but for many people, these are critical components of getting the lighting they want.

How the ControlTL System Solves the Problem

While I will go into more technical detail in a moment, simply put, the ControlTL system intercepts the signals going to the speedlite and transmits the information over radio frequencies to the remote receivers.

There are two available components as part of the system, the MiniTT1 transmitter and the FlexTT5 transceiver. At a minimum you need one transmitter and one transceiver which would allow you to do off-camera lighting in eTTL mode and allow you to adjust power output by adjusting the flash compensation on your camera body.

Adding additional transceivers and speedlites adds to the flexibility of the system and allows you to build up to using multiple zones, ratio control, and remote setting of manual settings.

Why is eTTL Important?

Is eTTL over-rated or the magic bullet? For the most part, eTTL does a pretty good job the majority of the time. Let’s say we are shooting a scene and we set our camera to ISO 200, f/5.6, and 1/60th of a second shutter speed. The Canon speedlites will do a pre-flash to determine the best flash output for those settings and adjust accordingly. If we then change our camera settings to ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/100 of a second, even though we have effectively adjusted the camera settings by two stops, the eTTL system will determine that it simply needs less flash output to properly light the scene. Of course, with any system that is trying determine how to light something, it isn’t always going to be perfect because the camera simply can’t read your mind to figure out what it is you are trying to do, but generally speaking, eTTL does a pretty good job most of the time and can be a big time saver in getting your lighting dialed in.

ControlTL Modes

The new PocketWizard ControlTL system has several basic operating modes, the following are explanations of the basic setups.

• Basic eTTL Mode
  In the most basic mode you need either a MiniTT1 transmitter or a FlexTT5 transceiver on the camera’s hot shoe shoe and a flash on a FlexTT5. In this basic mode, all speedlites  are grouped together into a single zone.
• Ratio eTTL Mode
  This mode requires Canon 580 EX or EX II be in the hot shoe of the MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 that is in the hot shoe on the camera. Remote flashes can be assigned to zones A, B, or C by selecting the zone switch on the remote FlexTT5 module. The ratio control is managed on the speedlite mounted on the camera. You can also use a Canon STE2 Commander on top of the camera to adjust the lighting ratios.
• Wireless Manual Mode
  “Wireless Manual” system allows setting a remote flash to a desired manual level from the MASTER flash. You must use a 580EX II on the MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 as transmitter. The original 580EX or earlier flashes cannot perform
  this function via ControlTL radios. “Wireless Manual” uses controls similar to ratio mode.

In both of the eTTL modes, the new PocketWizards double the output of the pre-flash boost for determining exposure making it more accurate, usable at longer ranges, and improves functionality when using modifiers such as umbrellas and softboxes.

One feature that I love is being able to use high speed sync. The way high speed sync actually works is that the flash will output thousands of small bursts very quickly to provide virtually continuous light output when the shutter is moving at high speeds. The downside to HSS is that it’s pretty harsh on batteries. The MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 communicate directly with the flash and PocketWizard came up with a means of optimizing the burst output to match the shutter speed which can result is massive improvements, 2-4x improvement in output power, 2-4x increase in battery life, and 2-4x faster recycle time.

There is yet another mode called HyperSync which allows high shutter speeds with studio strobes. While you do take a light output hit in this mode, it can enable some incredible shots that were previously impossible to get. This is a mode I am really looking forward to playing with more.

Finally there are even optimizations for rear curtain sync that ensure the flash goes off as late as possible ensuring a proper exposure while making sure the shutter is in the right position when the flash goes off.

Although you may have heard that putting a ControlTL device on your camera’s hot shoe will fool your camera into thinking there is a flash there, this is not completely accurate. The only in-camera flash control you have is Flash Exposure Compensation. Any zone control or ratio adjustments have to be done with an actual 580 EX/EX II mounted on top of the MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 device.

When the Zone Controller is available, this will help solve the ratio issue by allowing independent adjustment of three different zones without having to have a speedlite on the camera itself. This will allow photographers with two speedlites to use them both off-camera with individual output control. The Zone Controller can also operate each zone in manual or eTTL mode for maximum flexibility. The Zone Controller should be shipping at the end of May for around $70.

How I use the PocketWizard ControlTL System

I can’t really address every possible scenario but I can tell you how I have been using the ControlTL system in the shooting I have been doing. This generally breaks down into a couple of different situations. As seen in this first image, a remote flash on a lightstand is outfitted with a Lumodi Beauty Dish to provide directional lighting and make it appear as if the subjects are being lit by the sun. Shooting at this distance and still having eTTL control of the flash is a huge benefit. This is also used with high speed sync to be able to properly expose for a bright sky and still get a proper exposure on the subjects.

Usually only a simple adjustment of the flash compensation is all that is needed to dial in the exact look that I am going for.

The second most common usage is the ability to place a subject is complete shade to minimize harsh shadows from the sun but still provide the look of an afternoon sun but with far greater control over the contrast.

The bottom line is that the ControlTL system provides the means accomplish the style of images that I try to create with minimal setup time and quick remote adjustments.

Is the ControlTL System for you?

You are the only person who can decide if the ControlTL system is the right fit for your photography style and especially your budget. The components are not cheap, this is a system designed for professionals. The MiniTT1 transmitter sells for $199 while the FlexTT5 transmitter sells for $225. With the Canon 580 EX II selling for $445, a multi-light setup starts to get expensive very quickly.

Why not just use studio strobes and radio triggers? There are certainly situations where that is appropriate and even preferred. However, studio strobes are not as portable, do not offer eTTL control, cannot do high speed sync, and can’t dump their light fast enough for higher speed shots. The small speedlites are extremely flexible and having them be able to be used at fairly long distances gives you control over your lighting that you simply can’t get with a studio strobe.

For more information as well as numerous instructional videos, check out the PocketWizard website at http://pocketwizard.com

Disclosure: CameraDojo, Kerry Garrison, and associated editors do not receive any monetary compensation for any reviews or articles written for the
CameraDojo.com website. PocketWizard supplied loaner equipment to use for this article as well as several upcoming lighting tutorials.

At the recent PMA show the PR rep for Purosol had given me a small sample bottle and although, as I said earlier, I generally do not use any liquids, I tossed it into my camera bag. Ok, before I get into it, let’s look at Purosol’s pitch.

According to Purosol’s website, it was originally developed for NASA and the US military for use on high-end multi-coated optics.

“Using the latest in surface chemistry, it breaks the molecular bonds that dust, dirt and grime use to adhere to the lens. Purosol Optical is streak-free and leaves an anti-static barrier which repels dust, meaning you will have to clean your lens less frequently.”

Purosol also states that it is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, nonflammable, sterile and completely biodegradable.

So it sounds like pretty good stuff…the question is…does it work?

I sprayed a little into a good microfiber cloth and dabbed at the spots on the lens. One by one they started coming right off. Within just a few seconds the lenses looked absolutely perfect. This certainly got my interested up and I started cleaning things. Purosol does an excellent job on oil-based smears, such as fingerprints and other body oils that get on eyeglasses and the LCD screen on the camera.

While I am not going to toss my LensPen, I am convinced there is a spot in my camera bag for a bottle of Purosol. For those times when you need to cut through the oils or sticky sand/salt specs, Purosol will certainly help keep my gear nice and clean.

Amazon: Purosol cleaing products

Purosol website: http://purosol.com

The UpRise is what is referred to as a messenger bag as it is an over-the-shoulder bag with a large area inside to store gear. Inside you will fine a removable inner section with movable sections so you can customize the layout for your own needs.

Setup

Unless you want to customize the interior right off the bat the only thing you need to do is to attach the shoulder strap, remove the tags, and load it up with your gear. The UpRise came configured with a large area in the middle and smaller champers on each end, this seemed to work pretty nice to have a couple of lenses handy and being able to drop my camera in lens-down, flip the cover back over and go.

Features

Usually a camera bag doesn’t boast a lot of extra features besides it’s basic design and layout but the UpRise actually has some features to it that help separate it from the pack. On the front and practically invisible is a zippered pocket the is perfect for a wallet, keys, cleaning cloth, memory card holder, or other small items you may want access to without having to open the bag. On the top a zipper can open to allow access into the bag without having to flip the main cover over. A nice little piece of detail here is a small flap that is held in place with a magnet keeps this top zipper from opening accidentally. On the back is another zippered compartment that is great for flat items like boarding passes, a notepad, or some magazines. The back is also designed so the bag can slide down onto the handle of a rolling suitcase.
On the inside you will find two outside pockets, one with pen holders, a larger pocket area, a zippered mesh pocket, two small pockets for memory cards, a padded section for a laptop and the removable storage system. Attached to a lanyard is a rain cover for those inclement weather conditions.

If you need something just a little bigger on occasion, the UpRise has an external zipper that will allow the bag to expand by almost three inches.

Usage

During.our Maui trip there were basically two different times I had lots of gear with me, either driving around the island or out on a boat. If we were driving around, my large camera bag was in the trunk and I would keep the UpRise in the cab of the car with less gear in it for quick grabs to scenic spots. On the boats I would keep a couple of lenses handy in the UpRise and the rest stowed away until I wanted to switch hints around. Mid way through our first day I took as much out of the UpRise as possible to cut down on the weight I was carrying while hiking up and down trails and down rocky slopes. With the gear capacity of the UpRise it’s pretty easy to pack too much gear in it and end up with a pretty heavy bag. Packed efficiently it is comfortable to carry and still carry a good variety of gear.

Results

The UpRise may not be the perfect camera bag for every situation but neither is a roller or a backpack. For quick gran-and-go, it’s hard to beat the UpRise since you don’t have to take it off to get to your equipment like other bag styles require you to do. The features, layout, attention to detail, the quality, and the bag’s convenient pockets earn it high marks across the board.

Scorecard:

Amazon lists the Vanguard Up-rise 38 Zoom Expandable Camera Bag (Black) for $149.99

Vanguard Website: http://vanguardworld.com/

There are many cool features to talk about here.  Let’s look at them one at a time. The first and most obvious of new features is the display on the front of the drive.  This is called the “Smart display custom e-label”, and it is a very cool new feature.  Those who are familiar with the newest line of My Book Elite 1TB, 1.5TB & 2TB and My Book Studio 1TB, 1.5TB & 2TB recently introduced for the desktop will be familiar with this new feature.  It allows you to both label the drive with a 12 character description and to monitor the status of the drive, including available space and security status… even when the drive is unplugged!  And this label lasts for up to 6 months without plugging the drive in.  The next time you plug it in, it recharges itself for up to another 6 months.  With the price of drives these days, I find that I often store client projects on a drive on a shelf for 6 months, a year, sometimes more.  With the e-label system, it is easy to see which projects you are storing.  And the WD SmartWare software that is included makes changing the label (among other things) really simple.

The next feature to discuss is interface/connectivity.  This drive is the Mac drive for a couple of reasons… most importantly being the connection options.  This drive has the option of both USB 2.0 and Firewire 800 connections directly on the drive, and Firewire 400 adapter to connect to machines without Firewire 800 connections.  This gives you just about every possible connection you could need to get to your data.  The included cables are short (15″ or less), but that is all that is needed to connect to your MacBook.

Security is the next great feature, and it ties right into the software that comes with the drive.  The WD SmartWare software mounts to the desktop the first time you connect to the drive.  Setup is easy through this very well designed application.  You can set up the drive, the label, the security and even backup options through this software.  Once you assign a password to the drive, the password is required every time you plug the drive into a Mac.  This is a great option and makes you feel good knowing that if someone acquires your drive, they will not be able to get to your data.

This screen shows the settings options for the drive.  As you can see, you simply type the label in, choose a normal or inverted display, and save the label settings.  From here, you can choose other options to set up including sleep timer, diagnostics, virtual CD and other options.  The software is clean and easy to understand.

The WD SmartWare software has built in backup software.  It analyzes your drives(s) and allows you to select which folders you wish to back up and restore.  The design is very graphical and seems very easy to grasp and understand.  With the limited time we have had this drive, there has not been the time needed to dig into the use of this application.  But we do intend to look more at it at a future date.

The next feature to talk about is performance.  We wanted to get a feel of just how fast this drive is for backup and use.  We did some basic speed tests around the FireWire 800 and USB connectors, and we compared it to another commercial, portable USB drive that we commonly use.  It was a simple test where we drug a folder full of 450 different 20 to 40MB RAW photos to the drives and tested the performance.  This folder was 11GB in size, and should represent a typical copy that photographers would go through in backing up their data.  The results were good and about as we would expect.

The testing was not “milspec” or overly thorough, but very real world.  We took this new WD My Passport 640GB drive and tested both of it’s connectors and then tested a year old 120GB external drive that has served us very well over the past year.  This is about as real world as we can get in this amount of time.  Yea, yea, not a fair comparison to an older drive, etc., but the numbers are still true and comparable.  And beyond these numbers, I think we are chasing too small of details.

The WD My Passport Studio drive is small, but large in storage.  It is versatile and comes with great software.  It has features offered on no other drives available today (e-label).  It comes with a 3 year warranty backed by one of the largest and most reputable drive manufacturers on the market today.  What else could you want in a drive to trust your valuable photos and video?

Available March 1st, 2010 at retail stores like Best Buy, and click the links here to see reviews of this product and purchase the 320GB, 500GB or 640GB My Passport Studio.

Score Card (scale of 1 to 5)

You can visit Western Digital’s website here.

The Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT Tripod

I first saw the Vanguard Alta Pro line of tripods at PMA last year and decided right on the spot that I just had to have one. There was one feature of the Alto Pro tripods that stood out from the rest for me, that was the ability of the central rod to be able to rotate from 0 to 130 degrees  in order for you to be able to shoot straight down onto something or for better angles for macro photography. For me, this is highly useful for product photography.

Other features include advanced camera vibration and shock control, legs that adjust to 25, 50 and 80-degree angles, quarter-twist leg locks,  patented premium magnesium die-cast canopy and head, hexagon-shaped central column for extra stability, and non-slip, spiked rubber feet for changing terrains and a removable hook for hanging camera accessories. Alta Pro 284CT is carbon fiber making it very light weight.

Specifications

• Extended height(inch): 63
• Folded height(inch): 21
• Weight(lbs): 3.71
• Maximum loading capacity(lbs): 18
• Titled Loading Capacity(lbs): 15.4
• Number of Leg Sections: 4
• Leg Diameter(mm): 28

Another feature that I was looking for in a new tripod was the ability to spread the legs out to multiple angles in order to get the camera as close to the ground as possible. With the Alta Pro’s ability to rotate the center column over and spread the legs out up to 80 degrees, this gives you some of the most control of any tripod available. The ability to screw up the rubber feet to expose metal spikes should help the Alta Pro tripods stay put on uneven terrain. This should be a welcome feature for landscape photographers. On the bottom of central column is a metal loop that you can use to strap down to a sand bag to steady the tripod when using it in the wind. The Alta Pro tripods all come with a slinging bag (SB-100 Stone Bag). This can be used to store all your basic “keep handy” gear like lens caps, light meters, and turkey sandwiches, or you can fill it with rocks to help keep the tripod sturdy. When looking at the different models of the Alta Pro series, the model number gives you some clues to it’s specs. The first two number designate the diameter of the legs while the third digit tells you how many segments the legs have, hence the 284CT has 28mm legs and 4 segments.

Usage

There is a lot to like about the Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT, the construction is solid, it has a great set of features, and is easy to use. My last tripod had clunky brackets to release the legs where the 284CT uses a twist-lock that takes only 1/4 of a turn to lock or unlock.

The leg angle adjustment is solid and easy to use as well with a simple push button release. To swing the central column over you raise up the column and push a safety button to release it up into the neck. Once up, you release the Instant Swivel Stop-n-Lock (ISSL) System and the central post will be free to move around.

Keep in mind that the 284CT is not a complete tripod system, it is just the legs and the central column. In order to actually attach a camera, you have to have some kind of head on it.  Currently, my most used head is a Manfrotto 322RC2 ball head. This head requires a larger screw mount than comes standard on the 284CT. Fortunately, Vanguard thought this could be an issue. The 284CT comes with a little tool kit that allows you to remove  a larger screw mount from the top mount and attach it on top of the existing screw mount to allow for a wider variety of heads to be used. The small tool kit also has an Allen wrench and sockets for maintaining the legs.

Along with the stone bag, you also get a carrying bag for everything. I only wish the bag would have been a bit longer to accommodate having a head attached to it. Even so, its nice to have a bag with a carrying strap to help haul it around.

Results

Ok, so remember at the beginning I said that good tripod legs go for upwards of $400 or more, and sometimes, much more. And notice how much attention to detail Vanguard has put into the Alta Pro 284CT. The best part, is you can get all of this for only $299.95. Sure, that is still a heft chunk of change especially when you add in another $50 – $100 for a good ball head. Is an investment of close to $400 really worth it for something as simple as a tripod? That sounds like a simple question but as someone who has gone through a handful of tripods over the years, I can attest to the fact that it does. Let me give you a brief history of my tripods over the years.

My first tripod was a cheap $14 special that actually came free when I bought a Hi8 digital camera once. While initially fine indoors for product photography, it was very wobbly and wouldn’t hold up a heavier camera/lens combo. As I upgraded and the cameras and lenses got heavier, it simply wouldn’t cut it.

The next tripod was in the low-end of the pro spectrum. It extended much taller, was more sturdy, and could hold heavier gear. Over time, the movements got gritty, the legs got looser, and it just didn’t feel stable enough. This tripod still serves duty for my much lighter camcorder.

My last tripod was a nice Calumet. While for a while, it was nice to have a good tripod with a nice Manfrotto head on it, eventually it really began to fall apart. In recent days the clasps are held together with JB Weld, O-Rings have fallen off, and I have to tighten up the screws all the time.

The Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT is easily the most expensive tripod I have owned to date but the features it had, along with much better construction should allow it to last longer and hold up to my abuse, while at the same time giving me functionality I never had before.

Summary

So far, I am impressed with the Alta Pro 284CT. It has the features I was looking for, it is reasonable priced for the class of tripod it is in, and has a nice, professional feel to it. Its also much lighter than my previous tripod which will be very handy as I do travel quite a bit.

But who is Vanguard? I bet most of you have never heard of them before. For 24 years, Vanguard has been a leader in high-quality photo-video accessories (tripods, monopods, ball heads, camera bags and cases), hunting accessories (archery bow cases, gun cases and gun pods/shooting sticks) and sporting optics (binoculars and spotting scopes).

Score Card

Vanguard Website: http://www.vanguardworld.com

Crumpler is a company that has become known for trendy and cool bags for many different markets.  Crumpler has also been known for quality of build and durability.  Late last year, Crumpler introduced the latest in its Million Dollar Home line called the ‘8 Million Dollar Home’ to give a fashionable alternative to the typical, usually black, technical looking camera bag.

At $170 retail, this bag is not strictly just a camera bag, but fashionably carrying your camera gear is a task it seems to do quite well.  As I first received this bag, I spent much time looking at it, flipping it around, studying the stitching, the internals, the straps.

What I realized first that this is a quality built product.  I don’t care how rough you are on your gear bags, the 8 Million Dollar Home from Crumpler will stand up to your daily use as well or better than any bag I have ever used.  The shoulder strap is well padded.  The material is thick and durable.  This bag is built to last.

Next I tried to figure out the functionality of the bag.  Camera bags tend to come in all sizes and shapes these days from backpacks to fanny packs, from rollers to shoulders.  Most all of them are black and pretty typical looking.  No matter where you go, you walk in announcing that you are carrying a bag full of camera gear.  Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but not everyone wants to announce “photographer” with every entrance to a room.  This is the next area that this bag is very well designed.  It simply does not look like a camera bag.  It looks more like a trendy saddle bag.

The model I have is gray on the outside and a bright, neon green on the inside, trimmed with red accents.  The inside has a series of compartments that are fully configurable and there are plenty of extra dividers to allow you to make more than enough small compartments for your needs.  With velcro on the ends of the soft divider panels, locking them into place is easy.  I was able to get a 70-200mm and 2 other lenses in, plus my camera body with a lens on it, a flash, meter and lots of small accessories.  For me, this was plenty of room to load what I needed for a weekend casual trip or a light business shoot on the road.  And the bad was solid and protected enough to make me comfortable that my gear was safe.

One of the most unique features of the bag is the silent closure option. The 8 Million Dollar Home is secured on two corners by two large pieces of Velcro underneath the top of the large messenger flap that encloses your equipment.  An interesting, thoughtful twist is that you can choose to un-tuck a cover, place it over the Velcro, and close the flap with two clasp enclosures allowing for a silent opening and closing without the rip and tear commotion caused by the large, Velcro fasteners. A nice option when you need to get to your gear without disturbing those around you.

Inside, the bright green padded compartments can be configured in a seemingly infinite number of ways to accommodate a variety of gear.  You can even completely empty the inside of dividers and make it one large, open bag, if desired. There are also two large mesh compartments inside the flap and front compartment of the bag, one secured by a zipper and the other with a Velcro strap. There are also a couple of loops on the outside  on either side to perhaps secure a small tripod.

Overall, the bag looks cool, is quite light, and well padded. It will fit a reasonable amount of equipment.  It is fashionable and kind of fun to configure.  It is not everyone’s answer to the “everything-bag”, but is not intended to be.  I personally cannot think of a more comfortable way to tote my gear around for an afternoon of shooting.

The Crumpler 8 Million Dollar home can be found for $170.00 on Amazon.com.

Interested in seeing more of Crumpler’s products… here is a link to All of Crumpler’s products on Amazon.

Product Review Scorecard

Crumpler Website: http://www.crumplerbags.com

This article is only going to be my first impressions of the lenses since I just got them and haven’t had a chance to use them in more diverse environments yet.

The Setup

For this initial use of the new lenses, I had a Canon 50D which has an APS-C lens so I don’t quite get the full effect of the FishEye lens, but still, it works quite well.

Unfortunately, the weather conditions weren’t ideal either since I had to brave 20 degree temps to walk around getting these shots (may not seem cold to some people, but I live in Southern California). With an overcast sky and snow on the ground, its not as if colors were popping as much as I would have liked, but you can’t beat a morning stroll through East Aurora New York in the morning, so off I went.

The Soft Focus Lens

Ok, this lens is NOT for everyone by any means, however, I absolutely love it! The soft focus lens diffuses the light coming into the lens by filtering through a series of small holes. The goal is not to create a completely defocused image, but to give it a softer quality. When I get home and get some more images, you will see how this can look with portraits. For now, I had limited subject matter to work with to demonstrate with.

The image here of the flower was the one shot I managed to snap off before throwing the camera in the suitcase and heading to the airport. While you can see plenty of detail, there is still a softness to it and the defocused background has a really beautiful look to it.

Here are some more shots with the soft focus lens:

Fish Eye Lens

A fish eye lens is another one of those lenses you don’t tend to keep on your camera much but when you need a REALLY wide angle, nothing can beat them. Since the Canon 50D does not have a full frame sensor you dont get a complete circular effect but the fish eye effect is still plainly visible. With some creative cropping and vignetting, you may not even realize a shot was taken with a fish eye.

Below is an example of a pre and post crop of the same image:

With a little cropping, the really distorted edges are far less noticeable.

Another thing you can do is use a fish eye to capture more of a scene than you could with a regular lens and then us Photoshop’s lens correction to straighten it out somewhat. The following images are before and after the lens correction was applied.

Here are some additional shots taken with the fish eye lens:

Summary

If you have a Lensbaby Composer or are thinking about getting one, the Fish Eye and Soft Focus lenses can be a terrific addition to your Optic Swap lens collection. Maybe they are even just the right excuse to go get a Composer now. For me, they are a very welcome addition to my collection and I cant wait to use them even more.

For more information, check out Lensbaby at http://www.lensbaby.com.

If you look at the movie industry, rail systems have become the standard way to mount all of the gear wrapped around a digital camera system (in this case, I believe this was a Red system).  Notice the young lady carrying a massive display of equipment on her shoulder.  If you look closely, you will see that there is a person supporting her around the waist as she is walking on rough terrain, and there is a person to her right who is actually running the follow focus and focusing the camera while she walks.  All of this gear looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.. and actually, it is (District 9).  In this article, we will talk about building a rail system similar to this to wrap around a DSLR.

When using a DSLR for high definition video, there are several other things you need to make the recording as clean as possible.  You need:

1) Stability – the ability to fluidly move your camera around

2) Focus – DSLRs do not have auto focus like camcorders do.  Focusing a lens is much more clunky and harder to handle

3) Light Control – sometimes a lens hood just isn’t enough control over the light on the lens

4) Microphone – the internal microphone is not nearly the quality needed for a professional video

5) Live View – the small, internal display is not big enough to use when manually focusing and framing a scene

6) Lighting – in darker situations, a light is often needed to illuminate your subject

7) Lens Modifiers – there are lens modifiers that do not attach to a lens and need to be fixed in-line with the camera lens, like a depth of field modifier

Now, imagine being able to take care of all of these needs at the same time.  To do this, you need a frame around your camera with which you can attach all of these components.  With a good rail system, you get:

1) Stability – a shoulder mount and frame you can hold with both hands

2) Focus – a follow focus knob and gearing with which you can easily mark your focus points and smoothly focus the lens

3) Light Control – a matte box with french flag and adjustable side flags and removable filter holders

4) Microphone – a frame allows you to mount a microphone either on the hot shoe or on the frame itself

5) Live View – an external monitor can be mounted above or to the side of the camera for optimal viewing, instead of just the small, built in screen on the camera

6) Lighting – a lighting solution can be mounted above the camera and will move with the camera

7) Lens Modifiers – with a rail system, a lens modifier can be mounted in-line with the camera lens in a rigid and secure installation

To accomplish all of this, we need to start with a rail system.  And to my surprise, there are quite a few out there to choose from.  But with a DSLR, there are special needs to handle the height and weight of the camera and all of its size requirements.  This means that not every rail system will work with your particular camera.  Rail systems designed for DSLRs are a little more height adjustable to allow for the height of the lens off the bottom mount of the camera.  The more flexible systems allow for a battery grip or XLR audio box under the body too.

And as of the writing of this article, there are a few video-capable DSLRs on the market, but many more are coming.  I am basing the article completely around my Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

The rail system we chose to work with for this article is the IndiSYSTEM from Studio4 Productions out of Waterloo, Iowa.  This is a U.S. manufactured rail system that is constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of modern DSLRs as well as camcorders on the market today.  Tim Ovel, the owner, is a really personable and knowledgeable guy, and a lot of fun to talk with.  Throughout the build of this system, Tim was helpful in piecing the needed items and attachments together to make the rig just how we wanted it.

This article will be the first in a series that goes more in-depth into building and outfitting a rail system.  For this particular article, we are going to focus on the rail system itself.

However, we have other components that will be completing this rig in the next articles in the series.  We have a 5.6″ High Def HDMI battery powered portable monitor from Ikan, an LCD light panel from Ikan and a stereo mic and accessories from Rodes.  Delkin provided us with a Pop-Up Shade for the 5D Mark II, which helped with the outdoor light.  These accessories will help to complete the setup for a full production camera.

Now, let’s take a look at the system we have built here.  The first thing you need to understand is that this setup is completely reconfigurable.  Before even the first photograph was taken of the rig, I probably went through a dozen different configurations.  With the complete flexibility of the indiSYSTEM, you can pretty much make the rig fit exactly what you want it to.

The components:

There are several pieces that make up the rail system.  Combined in any arrangement, these parts make up a rail system.

The rails.

The rails themselves are the basis of a rail system.  They are a platform on which all of the components are attached.  Typically, the base is made up of 2 rails made up of a strong material like metal or carbon fiber.  Many of the rails out there are 15mm in diameter.  They can be almost any length, although the common lengths are anywhere from 10″ to 24″.  The indiRAILSpro system is based on carbon fiber rails, which are both light and very sturdy and strong.

The camera block

The camera mount, sometimes called the camera block, is where you mount your camera.  This is kind of the hub of the rig.  In the indiRAILSpro system, this block has a mounting plate that locks down to the rails themselves to the block and is the basis of holding them in place.  The block is drilled and tapped with mount holes with which to mount quick release bases and plates to attach your camera or to mount the entire block to a tripod.

The shoulder mount

The shoulder mount is not always a necessary piece of a rail system, but it is a very common requirement for many people.  The shoulder mount allows you to balance and carry your camera, rig and accessories on your shoulder while smoothly operating it.   The shoulder mount for the indiRAILSpro is easily adjustable and can be angled to allow the rear end of the rig to be higher or lower as best suits your needs.  The newest shoulder mount was just designed before this article’s release and is a cool new take on their last shoulder mount.  It is light weight and very flexible in layout.  It not only adjusts the distance of the rig from your shoulder, but it also angles to allow just the right angle for comfort.  After all, our shoulders to slant at an angle and your shoulder mount should accommodate that.

The Front handles

Handles on the front end of the rails are how you control it when it is shoulder mounted.  If you don’t intend to carry your rig on your shoulder, then you probably want to tripod mount it, and handles wouldn’t be important to you.  The handles need to be adjustable and flexible as people’s arm lengths are different.  This was another nice feature of the indiRAILSpro system as length, angle and separation could all be adjusted easily.

The Matte box

A matte box has many functions. It allows you to control the top and side light that hits the camera lens.  It can allow you to easily insert filters in front of the lens too.  A matte box can also shape the image aspect by blackening the top and bottom of your image to form a wider aspect letterbox effect.  On top of all of that, it makes your rig look cool and professional.  There are lots of reasons to want a matte box on your rail system.

The follow focus

This is not a “must have” accessory, and it is not terribly important to people using a rail setup with their average camcorders as auto-focus works well in that arena with that gear.  But with today’s DSLRs and video, auto-focus is not there yet.  Plus, there are many reasons to manually control your focus when doing cinematography.  A follow focus system will give you complete manual control over your camera’s focus.

Other Components

As you build out your rig, you will find lots of other  accessories you want to add to make your videography easier and more effective.  Once we built out all we needed with the indiSYSTEM, we started to add some other electronics to complete the system.  Here is what we found most effective to add.

A Matte box for the camera’s viewing screen – Delkin Pop-Up Shade for the Canon 5D Mark II

This little attachment is an inexpensive way to get a bit of light control over the screen of the 5D Mark II (or most any other popular DSLR) when shooting in outdoor lighting.  It takes only seconds to install, and looks good on the camera.  If the positioning of the rail system is right and you can focus your eye on this screen comfortably while moving your camera around, a pop-up shade like this really can make a difference.  And at $25, it really is an affordable addition to any DSLR.

A Larger external display – Ikan V5600 High Definition 5.6″ Monitor

Let’s face it… the small display on the back of the 5D II may be O.K. for checking out your still photos, but it is really too small for monitoring live video while on the move.  When you are moving around with a rig this large on your shoulder, you want to really be able to see exactly what is getting recorded.  Ikan has a series of monitors that are compatible with the HDMI output from the 5D II and many other cameras and camcorders on the market.  With the help of the Ikan mounting arm, the V5600 display took our rails system to a whole new level.  I will go further in depth to this display and it’s features in a future review, but we really loved the light weight, the long life battery pack and the ease of mounting it to the system.

Ikan also makes an 8″ HDMI monitor for those who want a larger display.  It is not as high of a resolution as the V5600, but then the HDMI live video output from the 5D Mark II is only 480P, so most of that video res is wasted anyway.  We will do a more in-depth review of this screen in a future article.  You can see this dispay here:

Ikan V8000HDe 8″ TFT LCD Monitor with DV Battery Plate, 16:9 and 4:3 Switchable Aspect Ratios

Video Light

On-camera lighting is another nice thing to have to accent your shot… especially if doing live interviews.  With a rail system, you have more real estate to mount a larger light and battery pack on top of the rail system above the camera.  The ikan iLED 150 is a slick solution to put portable lighting on top of your rail system.  With 144 LED lights and adjustable brightness, the iLED 150 gives you a nice, controlled lighting solution that runs for hours on a single charge.  We will be doing a specific light review on this product in the near future.

External Microphone – Rode Stereo VideoMic plus the Dead Kitten

There are many ways you can go with audio with your 5D II (or 7D or any other DSLR).  One way would be to add an XLR adapter such as those from Beachtek.  These would allow you to hook up XLR microphones either to the rig or wireless or off a boom.  But there is another, much easier way to add a mic.  As the Canon 5D II and many other HD recording devices have mini-phono jacks as their only source of recording.  For this, a cold shoe mounted microphone with a mini-phono jack is often the ideal solution.  We used a Rode Stereo Videomic with a wind filter called a “DeadKitten”.  This unit attaches right to the hot shoe on the camera and plugs into the mini-phono input.  It is a powered mic, using a 9v battery, and it has some really nice features.  It is a stereo “shotgun” style site mic with X/Y configuration, which enables it to capture the true ambiance of the recording space.  This mic is said to be the world’s best selling stereo shotgun mic.  I will be doing a full review of this and several other Rodes mics in the coming weeks, but for now, you read some great reviews here:

Rode Microphones Stereo VideoMic On-Camera Microphone

Putting It All Together:

So, I have to say, putting this all together was the best part.  If you are like me and you like to tinker with things, this is a tinkerers dream. The system came in pieces and components ready to assemble.  I was a bit intimidated at first, but quickly dug into the project.  There were dozens of pieces to put together, but all was done with either thumb screws or allen wrenches that were included.

First – the rails.

I started with the rails… two 12″ long carbon fiber rods that are the backbone of the IndiRAILS system.  There are “blocks” that attach to the top and bottom of these rails and clamp down to hold the rails in place.  All it takes is 1 set of blocks and your rails are steady and firm.

Second – the camera block

The first block to mount is the camera block.  This is where the camera mounts and is kind of the core of the rig.  The IndyRAILSpro camera block is adjustable vertically, so the Canon 5D with a battery grip can still be adjusted to a good height to work with the rest of the attachments.

Inside the camera block I have mounted the “C” shaped mounting bracket and carrying handle.  This is also a pretty recent addition to the product line-up (one that I think I had a little influence in creating) and is an important addition to the rig.  This handle not only allows me to mount my microphone and other gear above the camera, but it is a firm handle to help carry a rather awkward shaped rig around.

Third – the Matte Box

Next, I attached the indiMATTEpro matte box.  It also mounted with a block on the front, which added further stabilization to the rails.  The height of the matte box can be adjusted to match up properly with the lens height on the camera.  The side and top flags are easily adjustable and can be tightened into position.  The height is also adjustable so you can easily align the opening and masking height with the particular camera setup you have.

Fourth – front handles

To give me something to hold onto, I next mounted the front handles to the rails.  These mounted to the rails with a block just like the Matte box mounts.  The handles are pretty flexible with good adjust-ability, and they lock down real tight when in position.  In a future article, I plan to mount a remote control for the camera to one of the handles to allow start and stop recording while on the move, as your hands tend to be pretty tied up while carrying all of this gear on your shoulder.

Fifth – shoulder mount

From here, I put on the shoulder mount.  This latest design of the shoulder assembly is pretty nice.  It is lighter weight than the last model and is more flexible in that you can easily switch which side of the rig you put it on and the length of the mount, as well as the angle from the rig and the angle to the shoulder.

Sixth – follow focus

The next item to add was the indiFOCUSpro.  This is probably the coolest addition to the rail system.  The issue with the 5D II and video is auto-focus… or the lack thereof.  And truthfully, you really don’t always want auto focus.  Selective focusing is much more dramatic and engrossing in your video production. The issue is that grabbing the lens to focus shakes the camera and is inaccurate.  The indiFOCUSpro comes with a large hand grip dial to allow you to focus more naturally.  It has a gearbox that drives gears to turn the lens.  It also has gear teethed rings to mount on the outside of your lens. With the 6 simple adjustment points, it is easy to clamp the ring down on your lens.  It doesn’t have to be tight, and the alan screw tips are rounded as to not mark the lens.  But I went down to the local hardware store and spend $0.86 on some thread protectors and cut them down to fit on the threads.  This made me more comfortable tightening the screws down on my expensive lenses. You can see these (orange and red) in the photo to the right.

Once aligned and adjusted, the follow focus is a great tool for focusing the lens.  It also has a white back plate where you can mark your focus points with a grease pencil (included with the indiFOCUSpro).

At this point the rail system is ready to take out and use.  All of the gear mentioned above has been mounted to the rails and the camera installed.  Here are a few finished shots.

Cost

If you have looked into these rail systems before, then you know how pricey they can get.  We studied the Redrock Micro system and Zacuto gear.  We were amazed at how fast you can spend $2.5k, $3k, $4k and more.  What really excited us about the indiSYSTEM from Studio4 Productions is how reasonable the pricing is for their solution.  The complete indiSYSTEM setup I have shown in this article (not including additional electronics or camera – mic, screen, light, 5d, lens) was just a little over $1,200 at the time of writing this.  For those of us trying to break into video production, many cannot afford $3k or more to outfit our gear to get started in video.  This is something to truly consider when looking for a rail system.

There is a lot more reviewing to do here, as we need to show this rig in action.  But for now, it took me long enough to get all of this gear together.  I wanted to get a basic overview review of the indiSYSTEM components done so we could start to familiarize ourselves with using a rail system.

Stay tuned to see this rail system in operation and for reviews of the individual components.

Here are the websites for the manufacturers of products in this article:

• indiSYSTEM (Studio 4 productions)
• ikan
• R0DE Microphones
• Delkin

Features

The new Think Tank Airport TakeOff is a new roller bag…no wait..its a backpack bag…no, it has wheels and and handle so it’s a roller…noooo…it has straps so its a backpack…ok, so maybe Think Tank Photo should have named this the FrankenBag or maybe the Schizophrenic. Regardless of the name, the Airport TakeOff is both a roller bag and a back pack. As we all know, usually when you try to make a hybrid of something, you end up with something that doesn’t do anything well. Knowing the folks at Think Tank Photo, our bet is that they managed to pull it off.

Designed to comply with international airline carry-on requirements, the Airport TakeOff accommodates pro-sized photography gear, including two pro or regular size DSLR bodies with or without lenses attached.  Its features include:

• Holds up to a 300mm f/2.8 and other assorted lenses
• Quickly deployable and concealable backpack straps
• Front cable and lock to secure laptops
• Lockable zipper sliders
• Transports tripods or monopods easily
• Adjustable sternum straps for tailored usage
• Holds Think Tank’s Artificial Intelligence 15 protective laptop case

Specifications

• Internal Dimensions:  13”W x 18.4”H x 5.25-6.75”D (33 x 47 x 13 cm)
• External Dimensions: 14”W x 21”h x 8”D (35.5 x 53 x 22 cm)
• Weight: 8.6 – 10.3 (3.9 – 4.7 kg) depending on accessories used

Setup

Like most Think Tank Photo bags, the insides have a virtually unlimited amount of flexibility and come with tons of pieces to allow you to create almost any configuration you would want. Included are same layouts for Nikon and Canon equipment or you can customize it to suite your needs.

For traveling, I want my bodies to be in the bag like their example, but going to a local wedding or engagement shoot I will have my primary body and lens outside the bag as I am always ready to get a shot right when I arrive or as I am leaving an event.

Regardless of how you want your setup to be, odds are you can manage to get there with the AirPort TakeOff.

Usage

At first glance, it appears that the TakeOff is a little smaller than the Airport International 2.0 although they are really both designed for international carry-on sizes. The main differences from the front is that the take-off has a very expandable front pocket with a latch while the Airport International 2.0 has a pocket but once you have any gear inside, the outside pocket is useless for anything fatter than a manila folder. Because of this, I have kept my reflectors in a bag outside of the Airport International 2.0. With the Airport TakeOff, I can fit two large reflectors in the pocket and still get my 14” laptop into it. Both bags allow me to strap my tripod to the outside securely and both roll easily while fully loaded with gear.

From the side you can see how the reflectors make the outside pocket bulge out in the front and I am a little bummed that the zipper lock from the Airport International 2.0 is missing from the Airport TakeOff. While there is a lock in a pocket under the front flap that can be used to lock the zipper, the cable isn’t long enough to lock the bag to something like you can with the Airport International 2.0. The ability to lock the bag securely and to lock it to a table or other immovable object is a a real win for the Airport International 2.0.

As a backpack, the TakeOff feels pretty balanced and the shoulder pads are comfortable and easily adjustable for different size people.

As for packing my gear into the TakeOff, I was surprised that I could actually fit everything into it very easily and although my 70-300mm won’t stand up in it, it still fit nicely and also made for a nice spot to put my Cable Management 10 on top of it. This is a typical wedding configuration with 4 lenses in the bag, a backup camera body, Lensbaby Composer, two flashes, video camera, light meter, filters, diffusers, grids, snoot, bounce card, cleaning cloths, Rocket Blower, Wolverine ESP backup system, SensorPen SensorLoupe, Canon CP-E4 Battery pack, roll of Gaffers tape, Pixel Pocket Rocket, as well as a stash of batteries, WhiBal card, cable releases, and a bottle of sunscreen. On the outside pocket I can fit my laptop, two large reflectors, and a tripod.

Results

Quality of a Think Tank bag is second to none, the zippers are the best quality, the seams and material are top-notch. Every single feature, pocket, corner, strap, D-Ring, and component has been chosen to provide a photographer with a camera bag that is going to hold up to the rigors of every day use. These are not cheap overseas bags. These bags are professional quality, so they do not come at cheap, eBay prices. With an MSRP of $299, even with discounted street prices, the Airport TakeOff is still going to be a fairly pricey investment but if you want a professional quality camera bag that is going to last years of hard-core daily use and help keep your gear is top shape, then its hard to go wrong with a bag from Think Tank Photo such as the AirPort TakeOff.

Score Card

Think Tank Photo Website: http://thinktankphoto.com

I figured I would give it a try and see if I could keep my brand new Canon 50D looking brand new for a long time.

Features

It’s kind of hard to come up with an extensive features for the Snug-It Pro since it really consists of three basics parts. First off there is an LCD screen protector that adheres to your screen to protect it from scratches whether or not you are using the Snug-It Pro cover.

The Snug-It Pro cover itself is a rubbery slip-cover that goes over your camera and also has a plastic LCD cover for further protection.

In the image to the right, what appear to be brown spots are just thinner areas of the Snug-it Pro cover to make getting the lenses off and so you can see the camera model. With the Snug-It Pro cover in place, you can still get to all of the controls and ports on the camera.

Setup

Setting up the Snug-It Pro is pretty simple. The first thing to do is clean your LCD really good so that the first screen protector will go on good and not have anything underneath it. I lined up one edge with the LCD screen and kind of rolled it into position. Using a microfiber cloth was able to rub out a couple of air bubbles easily.

Next, I took my lens off and put on a body cap to help keep any dust out, and then slid the Snug-It Pro down over the top of the camera and worked it into place. There is a video later on in this article showing how to use the Snug-It Pro.

Usage

There are some pros and cons to using the Snug-It Pro although most people are going to be pretty happy with it. The few things that are issues for me are because of how I use my camera. I am a pretty heavy shooter so I always have a battery grip on it. This creates a problem in that the Snug-It Pro wraps around the bottom of the camera preventing a good fit with the battery grip causing the camera to not want to power on. A little trimming of some of the bottom allowed me to be able to get the grip on and working, but this caused another issue of the Snug-It Pro bulging a little making closing the CF card door difficult. Again, this is only going to be a problem if you use a battery grip. If you don’t, then you won’t have these same issues.

A second issue I have is that the top of the Snug-It Pro slides into the Hot Shoe mount which causes an issue if you use an accessory flash since you then have to pull out the top of the Snug-It Pro which causes it to bend backwards awkwardly. The last thing that is a little annoying is that the plastic LCD cover can tend to move around sometimes.

Results

Issues aside, the Snug-It Pro does what it is supposed to do and while it isn’t going to protect your camera from a long drop onto the sidewalk, it is going to keep your camera looking good for a long time.

At a street price of $34.95, the Snug-It Pro offers really good external protection of your camera although it may not be suitable for all shooters. If you use a battery grip or an accessory flash and you want to use the Snug-It Pro then you may end up doing a little cutting to make it fit your style better, but seeing as how trimming it up isn’t a major ordeal, I am not going to ding my grade on it too harshly for that.

Video

The following video shows putting the Snug-It Pro on the camera and talks about some of the pros and cons as I have talked about them in this article.

Score Card

Related Links

Delkin: http://delkin.com
Snug-It Pro Product Page: http://www.delkin.com/products/snug-it-pro/snug-it-pro.html
Snug-It Pro on Amazon: Delkin Snug It Pro Skin

The TrekPod XL is adjustable from 39” to 62.5” and can handle camera gear weighing up to 13.5 pounds, making the TrekPod XL an extremely versatile unit.

Summary

The TrekPod is part monopod and part tripod which isn’t really the first of its kind but Trek-Tech has done a pretty good job of creating a really usable hybrid. Like any device that is a hybrid of two other products there are some compromises that need to be made to combine the benefits of each into one new product, the big question is if Trek-Tech was able to bring the strengths of a tripod and monopod together without sacrificing too much.

Features

The TrekPod XL is made from carbon fiber, high strength polymers, and stainless steel to create a high quality, heavy duty, and super ultra lightweight unit. Unlike most monopods, the TrekPod XL breaks down into four pieces that fit nicely into the included travel bag that is small enough to fit into almost any suitcase or carry-on bag.

Specifications

Usage

At first glance I wondered if there was any right or wrong way to assemble the TrekPod but it turns out there is only one way that the system can be put together and it only takes a few seconds to figure out which ends go together. At a little over a pound, the TrekPod XL is exceptionally light which, while great for hiking or traveling, can be a negative since with about half of the leg spread of a medium tripod, stability can be an issue. I wouldn’t put my camera on top of the TrekPod if there is any wind. Secondly, since you can’t adjust the legs like a regular tripod, you cant stand it up straight on an uneven surface. Then again, the TrekPod isn’t a tripod, its more like a monopod with pop-out legs.

The MagMount is a very unique feature of all of the Trek-Tech products The MagMount uses a pair of high-strengh Rare Earth Neodymium Magnets to hold the camera to the ball mount.

Although tests showed that just the magnets would probably be sufficient for almost any setup, the bottom section has a small clamp that swings around to give you a little more piece of mind.

The TrekPod XL comes with two different attachments, the “jagged” version shown in the image here that is tightened down with an included Allen wrench and a smooth version that has a knurled outside for hand-tightening.

The ballhead moves smoothly and locks with a large paddle which also locks down the rotation of the ballhead.

Setup

The TrekPod comes in four pieces that fit together. The leg piece has a threaded top that the first tube (the one with the TrekPod XL logo on it) attaches to. The second piece, the tube with the foam handle on the top, slides into the lower tube. Finally, the top tube section, the piece with the ballhead on it, slides into the top of the tube with the foam handle.

All that’s left is to take one of the attachment points and screw it into the tripod mount on your camera, pop it onto the top of the MagMount and flip the lock into position.

The entire build process takes about 20 seconds so its really quick to setup and start using. This means the TrekPod is useful more more than just your camera. For me, I have been looking for a quick to setup and light-weight light stand for use with my speedlites and the TrekPod is just about perfect for this. If the plastic cap actually had an umbrella hole and a hot shoe mount, it would pretty much be ideal (hint hint Scott and Ken).

Results

As I said earlier, anytime you take two diverse products and create a hybrid, you have to compromise somewhere. On the other hand, if you look at the TrekPod as a monopod with pop-out legs, then it does that job very well and it can be used in some places that you wouldn’t have enough room to setup a tripod. If you have an angled or uneven surface, well, at least you can use it as a tripod. In thinking about this, something like the ballhead to connect the legs to the first tube might allow more varied surfaces but would also negatively impact the price. With the TrekPod XL running around $360 at Amazon ($399.99 list), and a high-end carbon fiber monopod being around $200 with a good ballhead running around $120, you are going to pay a little bit of a premium for the TrekPod XL’s design and tripod legs, not bad when compared to a high-end monopod.

If you want to save some money, you can get the TrekPod Go! PRO which is made of aluminum and is a little heavier, but will only ding you for $179.99 at Amazon ($229.99 list). If the ability to break it down so much isn’t such an issue, you can really save some money with the Trek-Tech TrekPod II for only $74.17 at Amazon ($99.99 list). So regardless of your budget, there is a TrekPod for you. You will be quite happy with a TrekPod if you think of it as a replacement for a monopod instead of a replacement for a tripod. For me, the TrekPod XL fills a need I have had for a lightweight stand that can be used for a camera or a light but takes up less room than a tripod or light stand.

Score Card

Trek-Tech: http://www.trek-tech.com
TrekPod XL: http://www.trek-tech.com/products/trekpods.html

Summary

With modern DSLR’s, these cable releases have become electronic triggers with the remotes being able to perform all kinds of additional functions. More often than not, all I need is just a simple push-button remote to fire my camera and so I have used a Phottix Wireless Remote for almost two years now. In fact, the only reason it wasn’t featured in recent photo shoot tutorials is because the battery in the transmitter is dead and I have been too lazy to go buy a replacement.

Fortunately, Phottix has come to the rescue and come out with an all-new wireless remote, saving me the hassle of buying a simple battery.The Cleon I and Cleon II are newer wireless remotes to replace the original one. We need to see if the new systems are better than the original.

Features

The Cleon I and II are very similar with the primary differences (more on this later) being that the Cleon II has a 2 second delay timer built in and the Cleon II uses the same receiver for each camera with interchangeable cables for the specific camera you are using. The Cleon I had the camera cable hardwired to the receiver.

Specifications

Differences between Cleon I and II

As I said there are some other differences between the Cleon I and Cleon II, the following chart will outline all of the differences between the two models.

Setup

The Cleon II should be ready to go right out of the box which mine was. If you need to synchronize the transmitter and receiver you just need to follow these simple steps:

To synchronize the receiver to the transmitter:

• turn receiver on by holding down “set/power” button for ~3 seconds until RHS LED turns on
• press “set/power” button on receiver 5 times until LED on left hand side flashes red
• press shutter button on transmitter
• LED on left hand side of receiver should turn off

Usage

As much as I have liked having a wireless remote for the past two years, more often than not I was using it within a foot of the camera. With the Cleon remotes, the receiver can be used as a wired remote. The nice part about this configuration is that the receiver does not have to be turned on for the wired function to work. For me, I will use it in the wired configuration quite a bit which should significantly improve the battery life.

To use the wireless mode you hold down the set/power button on the receiver for three seconds to turn it on. On the receiver, move the slide switch to the desired position:

• S/B – single exposures or bulb mode (hold transmitter button down for 3 seconds to lock the shutter open in bulb mode)
• 2S – single exposure with about 2 second delay
• multiple exposures – Automatically takes 5 exposures

Once set, push the button 1/2 way to focus and all the way to take the picture. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Results

The Cleon system simply works great. At about $36 its hard to beat the price for a wired and wireless remote system. It doesn’t have some of the features of higher end remote like interval settings, longer delay settings, and time lapse, but that’s not what it is designed for. The only negative thing I have to say at all is that I simply could not get the advertised range out of it. The best I could get was about 120 feet. Now granted, I have never needed to be 120 feet from my camera when taking a picture and if that would have been the advertised range I would have accepted it. However, since the claimed range is around 300 feet, I am going to drop the final score down in the ratings for that. Otherwise the system is flawless and I would highly recommend it.

Score Card

Phottix Website: http://phottix.net

Features

As we have already said, the core purpose of DSLR Remote Pro is to allow for tethered shooting. While that seems like a pretty trivial thing, its all of the extra things that DSLR Remote Pro brings to the table.

• Take control of your Canon DSLR camera from your PC (supported models)
• Retain full control from the camera
• Photos automatically downloaded to the PC and displayed in a large preview window
• Large high quality live view display on the  PC with live histogram, autofocus and intuitive manual focusing using mouse wheel with Canon EOS 40D, Canon EOS 50D, Canon EOS 500D/Rebel T1i, Canon EOS 450D/Rebel XSi, Canon EOS 1000D/Rebel XS, Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III or Canon EOS-1D Mark III
• Photos are saved on the PC’s hard disk and can also be saved on the memory card in the camera
• Full size preview window can display a critical area of the photo e.g. the eyes and face of your model during a portrait shoot
• Flashing highlight display to highlight over exposed areas
• Grid overlay display for accurate alignment of studio shots. The size and color of the grid is user definable
• Color management and sharpening options for more accurate display of preview images
• Auto bracketing of up to 15 shots ideal for HDR images, interior shots and product photography
• Timed bulb exposures controlled from the PC – ideal for astronomy (Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, EOS-1D Mark III, EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 40D, EOS 50D, EOS 500D/Rebel T1i, EOS 450D/Rebel XSi and EOS 1000D/Rebel XS only)
• Focus point overlay display for more precise control of auto focus
• Automatic screen blank option – blanks the screen before taking a photo so that the light from the PC display doesn’t affect the subject lighting
• Fullscreen mode for large, uncluttered display of images
• Automatic edit option – automatically loads the image after downloading into the editor or program of your choice
• Automatically stores a short comment in the shooting data of images for easy identification e.g. the person’s name when taking id photos. The comment can also be used for the image filename to make it easier to identify images when taking product shots, school portraits etc.
• Automatically stores IPTC data in images as they are downloaded
• Time-Lapse feature which allows the number of photos in a sequence and the interval between shots to be specified.

Stack it and Bracket

Typically if you want an exposure bracket for HDR images you are limited to the camera’s 3 shot bracket. While three shots is often sufficient, there are times you really want to use more images, with DSLR Remote Pro you can do bracket sequences using either shutter speed or aperture of up to 15 shots. Using tools like PhotoMatix, you can get really incredible results when using larger groups of images.

Another interesting thing you can do with multiple images is called focus stacking. With Focus Stacking you take a series of images of the same object with the focus positioned at different points. When you combine the images you can achieve a super sharp image with a longer depth of field. Photoshop CS4 now has this ability and there are some free tools that can do the processing as well. To use Focus Stacking you actually need a script that will automate some of the steps in DSLR Remote Pro. If you are interested in this functionality, read more about it at http://www.breezesys.com/DSLRRemotePro/focus_stacking.htm.

Live and in Color!

With the newer Canon cameras that support Live View, a whole realm of possibilities is opened up to you since you can display full-screen Live View with a live histogram. The Live View mode also allows you to zoom into the frame at 100% magnification to ensure that your focus is dead on. This is exceptionally useful when doing macro, product, or food photography.

What’s really unique is the ability to do autofocus while in Live View mode. Hitting Ctrl-F will perform a contrast detection routine that may be a little slow but is usually quite good. This however will not work well with moving objects.

Another interesting feature is Onion Skinning. Onion Skinning is a term that is used in animation to be able to see an overlay of the previous image in order to draw a smooth animation. With DSLR Remote Pro in Live View mode you can load in another image or the previous image in order to get precise alignment. This is good for stop motion animation or to accurately align images for panoramas.

Step into my booth

One thing you really wouldn’t expect from a program like this is the Photo Booth mode since there are a handful of companies that make specific photobooth software. With DSLR Remote Pro you can setup a nice photobooth station, even build a whole booth around it, and offer prints right after a series of images are taken. This can be a fun option to offer your clients at different events.

Integrating with Lightroom

Since Adobe Photoshop Lightroom doesn’t have direct tethering ability at this time, the next best thing is to use DSLR Remote Pro and Lightroom together. Lightroom has a feature that allows it to watch a folder and import any files that it sees show up in the folder. This allows you to take full advantage of all of DSLR Remote Pro’s features while having the images go into Lightroom automatically.

Summary

If you want to take tethered shooting to the next level than DSLR Remote Pro is probably worth looking into. The only real downside is that you are limited to the length of cable between the camera and the computer. For $95 you pick up a ton of functionality that the free EOS Utility doesn’t have. For my own studio shooting, I rely heavily on DSLR Remote Pro and as it continues to evolve it just keeps getting better and better.

Breeze Systems Website: http://www.breezesys.com

Overview

The Canon EOS 50D is a 15.1 megapixel DSLR with an APS-C sized sensor. The 50D is available in a body-only or as a kit with a 28-135mm f/4-f/5.6 IS lens. If you are getting into a DSLR for the first time, the kit lens is actually a really nice general purpose lens which, by itself, sells for $410 making the kit with the lens a really good bargain.

Features

As already mentioned, the 50D features 15.1 megapixels, built-in sensor cleaner, ISO ranges from 100 – 6400. Besides some better overall specs, what really makes 50D different from previous models is the high resolution LCD display. With a large LCD with high resolution you can really see when an image is clear and sharp. Another enhancement over previous models is face detection when in Live View mode to help focus on individual faces.

Product Features

• 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with improved noise reduction
• Enhanced Live View shooting includes Face Detection Live mode
• New Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction setting; HDMI output
• Capture images to Compact Flash Type I or II memory cards (not included)

Technical Details

• Camera type: Digital single-lens reflex AF/AE camera with built-in flash
• Image sensor size: 22.3 x 14.9mm
• Compatible lenses: Canon EF lenses (including EF-S lenses)
• Lens mount: Canon EF
• Sensor type: High-sensitivity, high-resolution, large single-plate CMOS sensor
• Effective pixels: Approximately 15.10 megapixels
• Aspect ratio: 3:2 (horizontal: vertical)
• Color filter system: RGB primary color filters
• Low-pass filter: Fixed position in front of CMOS sensor
• Dust deletion feature: Yes
• Recording format: Design rule for camera file system 2.0
• Image type: JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon original), sRAW, RAW+JPEG
• File size: Large/fine: 5 MB (4752 x 3168); large/normal: 2.5 MB (4752 x 3168); medium/fine: 3 MB (3456 x 2304); medium/normal: 1.6 MB (3456 x 2304); small/fine: 1.7 MB (2352 x 1568); small/normal: 0.9 MB (2352 x 1568); RAW: 20.2 MB (4752 x 3168); RAW+large/fine: 20.2+5 MB (4752 x 3168); sRAW 1: 12.6 MB (3267 x 2178), sRAW 2: 9.2 MB (2376 x 1584); sRAW 2+large/fine: 9.2+5 MB (2376 x 1584)
• Color space: sRGB, Adobe RGB
• Picture style: Portrait, landscape, neutral, faithful, monochrome, user defined 1-3
• Image processing type: <