Overview

The SpiderPro Holster is a unique device that allows you to place your camera on your waist and then be hands-free…and strap free until you are ready to use your camera again. For me, when I am not shooting, I am usually doing something with my hands like working with a product, helping someone to pose, or arranging items for a shot. Having a strap means that my camera is often in the way, sometimes swinging into something or getting in my way. The SpiderPro Holster securely holds your camera via a special plate on the bottom of your camera keeping is close, secure, and still easily accessible.

Features

The main parts of the Spider Holster system include the holster itself that straps to a belt that will hold your camera, the SpiderPro Plate which attaches to the bottom of your camera, and the SpiderPro Pin which attaches to the Plate and allows it to sit inside the holster.

The SpiderPro 1-Camera kit consists of the following components:

• 1 SpiderPro Camera Holster
• 1 SpiderPro Plate
• 1 SpiderPro Pin
• 1 SpiderPro Belt

Setup

There is only a small amount of prep work to get ready to use the SpiderPro. First you have to determine if you are going to wear it on your right or left side so you can put the holding stud into the correct position on the camera bracket. Next, you need to attach the bracket to the tripod mount on the bottom of your camera. The mount tightens with an Allen wrench that is stored in the camera mount bracket. Finally, you need to adjust the belt for your waist. Once you have the belt on, you are ready to start using it.

Usage

Using the SpiderPro holster is a very different experience than using a strap. Once you slide your camera into the holster, you are completely free of anything bogging you down and you are free to use your hands. I have to say, while any strap allows your hands to be free, with the SpiderPro Holster this takes that concept to a new level because there is nothing around your neck or on your shoulders, this is a very liberating feeling. The only issue I have is that I don’t feel overly secure not having any kind of strap on the camera in case the camera slips out of my hands. A simple solution to this is a wrist strap for your camera if you need that little extra piece of mind.

Keeping the camera on your waist instead of your neck and shoulders is actually more comfortable than I had expected. I position mine a little more towards my back than directly on my side so that a lens on the camera tends to ride behind me a little which helps protect my gear as I am maneuvering in tight areas.

My camera feels extremely secure in the holster even when the safety latch isn’t closed.

Results

While the SpiderHolster looked interesting when it first came out I was pretty happy with the existing strap I was using. While I was at WPPI this year I stopped by the SpiderHolster booth and really got some hands-on time with it. I was actually so impressed with it that I felt I really needed to give it a long term try. It only took a few outings with it to be convinced that it was going to be my primary way to carry my camera.

Using the SpiderHolster is comfortable and easy to use and I certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a better system.

Score Card

The SpiderHolster was pretty easy to grade since the only setup is to put the mount on the bottom of your camera and adjust it to your size. As for features, while it has a single purpose, it does it extremely well. The very nice clasp and the lock mechanism add to an already great package. The system is very easy to use and works great to help you from getting sore after carrying your gear all day. At $135 (Amazon) it isn’t cheap but is well worth it for the ease of use.

Website: http://spiderholster.com

Strap used in video: http://www.cottoncarrier.com/

Did Midland score a win with the XTC300VP4? There is only one way to find out….put it to the test!

Features

There are not a whole ton of features, settings, dials, inputs, outputs or really much of anything to the XTC300VP4. The camera is what it is, and what it is, is a video camera. There are only three settings shooting modes:

• 1920×1080 High Definition @ 30 FPS (16:9 Aspect Ratio)
• 1280×720 High Definition @ 60FPS (16:9 Aspect Ratio)
• 848 x 480 Standard Definition @ 60FPS (16:9 Aspect Ratio)

There are only two controls on the entire camera, the on/off slide switch and the video resolution switch. There are no menus to dig through, cryptic codes to remember, just set the video resolution you want and turn it on to start filming.

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

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

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.

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

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/

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.â€

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)

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

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:

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.

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:  13â€W x 18.4â€H x 5.25-6.75â€D (33 x 47 x 13 cm)
• External Dimensions: 14â€W x 21â€h x 8â€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

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

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: Auto, daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten light, white fluorescent light, flash, custom, color temperature setting
• Auto white balance: Auto white balance with image sensor
• Color temperature compensation: White balance correction: +/-9 stops in full-stop increments; white balance bracketing: +/-3 stops in full-stop increments
• Viewfinder type: Eye-level pentaprism
• Coverage: Approximately 0.95x (-1m with 50mm lens at infinity)
• Eyepoint: Approximately 22mm
• Focusing screen: Interchangeable (Ef-D: grid lines, EF-S: point of focus, EF-A: standard focusing screen)
• Mirror: Quick-return half mirror
• Depth-of-field preview: Yes
• Autofocus type: TTL-CT-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS sensor
• AF points: 9
• Metering range: EV 0.5 to 18
• Focusing modes: Auto, one-shot AF, predictive AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF, manual
• AF point selection: Automatic, manual
• Selected AF point display: Superimposed in viewfinder and indicated on LCD panel
• AF-assist beam: Small series of flashes fired by built-in flash
• Metering modes: 35-zone full-aperture metering: evaluative, partial (9 percent of viewfinder at center), spot (3.8 percent of viewfinder at center), center-weighted average
• Metering range: EV 1-20
• Exposure control: Program AE (shiftable), shutter-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, depth-of-field AE, creative auto, full auto, programmed image control modes (portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, night portrait, flash off), manual exposure, E-TTL II autoflash program AE
• ISO speed: Automatically set: ISO 100 to 6400 (in 1/3-stop or 1-stop increments); basic zone modes: ISO 100 to 3200 set automatically; extension settable: ISO 12800; high-tone priority settable: ISO 200 to 1600
• Exposure compensation: Manual: +/-3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• AE lock: Auto and manual
• Shutter type: Veritcal travel, mechanical, electronically controlled focal-plane shutter
• Shutter speeds: 1/8000 to 1/60 second, X-sync at 1/250 second; 1/8000 to 30 second, bulb
• Shutter release: Soft-touch electromagnetic
• Self timer: 10- or 2-second delay
• Remote control: Yes, with N3-type terminal
• Flash type: Retractable auto pop-up
• Flash metering: E-TTL II autoflash
• Recycling time: Approximately 3 seconds
• Flash-ready indicator: Viewfinder icon
• Flash coverage: 17mm lens angle of view
• FE lock: Yes
• Flash exposure compensation: Up to +/-2 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• Compatible flash: EX-series Speedlites
• Drive modes: Single, high-speed continuous, low-speed continuous, and self-timer
• Continuous shooting speed: 3 shots/second to 6.3 shots/second
• Live View shooting modes: Live View, remote Live View (with a personal computer installed with EOS utility)
• Live View focusing: Manual, autofocus
• LCD monitor: 3-inch TFT color LCD
• Resolution: Approximately 920,000 pixels
• Coverage: Approximately 100 percent
• Brightness adjustment: 7 levels
• Interface languages: 25
• Display format: Single image, single image + image-recording quality/shooting information, histogram, 4- or 9-image index, magnified view (approximately 1.5x to 10x), rotated image (auto/manual), image jump (by 10/100 images, index screen, by shooting date, by folder), slide show (all images/selected by date/folder)
• Image protection: Yes
• Erase: Single, check-marked images, or all (except protected images)
• Compatible printers: PictBridge
• Printable images: JPEG compliant to design rule for camera file system and RAW/sRAW images
• Interface: USB 2.0, NTSC/PAL selectable, HDMI mini out
• Battery: Rechargeable battery pack or AA alkaline batteries
• Camera width: 5.7 inches
• Camera height: 4.2 inches
• Camera depth: 2.9 inches
• Weight: 25.7 ounces (body only)

Setup

While you  can certainly take the camera out of the box and start shooting, I will run through the setting changes that I did and why.

C. Fn I : Exposure
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable ISO expansion. This is needed to shoot at ISO ranges above 3200.

C. Fn II : Image
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Highlight Tone Priority. This enables Highlight Tone Priority which can help from overexposing important aspects of your image. Note however that when this is enabled, you will not be able to go over ISO 3200 regardless of the previous setting.

C. Fn III : Autofocus/Drive
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Multi-controller direct. This option enables you to select the autofocus point by using the multi-controller (mini joystick).

Live View Function Settings
Live View Shoot set to Enable to allow for Live View mode

Expo. Simulation set to enable so the LCD show how the exposure will look when the shot is taken

Grid Display was set to the rule of thirds overlay

Other Settings

Image quality was set to RAW.

Highlight Alert was enabled in order to show “blinkies†on the LCD to show overexposed areas

Finally, I made sure the date and time was correct, dropped in a compact flash card, formatted it and I was ready to go.

Using the EOS 50D

The first thing I get asked is “How good is the ISO performance?†so let’s start there. By default the 50D can shoot ISO 100-3200. If you enable ISO Expansion then you have ISO 6400 (H1) and 12800 (H2). However, just because you CAN go up to ISO levels like that doesn’t mean it really usable. The following image demonstrates the ISO performance from ISO 800 – 12,800.

As you can see, the ISO performance even up to ISO 6400 is actually pretty usable. Keep in mind that no noise reduction software was used to create this image, this is right out of the camera. Even some basic noise reduction will clean up the ISO 6400 images while the ISO 12,800 images would require some significant noise reduction to really make them usable.

Differences from the 40D

After the ISO question, the second most common question is “Is the 50D worth upgrading from the 40D?†so let’s compare a few key features between the two:

While not everyone will need the new features, I certainly think that many people who are more serious shooters like wedding photographers will really appreciate the high ISO performance, the larger megapixel count and the high resolution display. Those are certainly the key selling points for me.

50D Coolness Features

We have already looked at some of the biggest of the 50D’s features but there are a number of features hidden in the 50D that are actually pretty cool even if they don’t make the short list that everyone talks the most about.

• Peripheral Illumination Correction: This feature corrects vignetting that happens with certain lenses
• Live View Enhancements: Two different focusing modes are now available as well as a new face detection system for locking focus onto faces.
• User Settings Modes: Two modes on the main dial allow you to create two custom modes for your custom settings.

How big are the images?

Well, they are pretty big. The following chart shows typical sizes for the different quality modes:

Coming from using a 30D (8 megapixel) this means that my storage requirements have just doubled.

Does it take good images?

Of course it does. Here are some samples:

ISO 100 f/22 1/100 12mm

ISO 3200 f/4.0 1/60 12mm

ISO 100 f/4.0 1/1600 18mm

ISO 200 f/16 1/160 24mm

The 50D Controversy

There is quite a lot of debate about the sensor’s pixel density and how the smaller pixels and density are a recipe for more noise. While this is a very hotly debated topic a lot of it depends on your shooting situation. You will most certainly see extra noise in areas of images that are underexposed while if you are shooting well, or slightly overexposed images you can really move up into the higher ISO ranges. As we have discussed in previous articles, digital sensors loose detail in underexposed areas while maintaining more detail in overexposed areas, thus its safe to slightly overexpose to help reduce noise and maintain detail. A good rule of thumb is to overexpose by 1/3 – 1/2 of a stop, even more if you can without clipping. Learning the nuances of how your particular camera works and where it’s unique “sweet spot†is will help you to get the best images from your camera.

Is the 50D the best choice for you?

You are the only one that can decide if any particular piece of equipment is the right choice for you. What I did was to rent the body from Borrowlenses.com for a week to really put it through its paces and do some major comparisons. After using it in a variety of conditions, I knew it was the right choice for me at this time.

At first look, the sling style would allow you to rotate the back to your front to have access your gear and then fling it back over your shoulder where it acts like a normal backpack.

As someone who does a variety of different types of shooting, I figured that I could really put the Pampas 57 bag to the test and see if this was going to be something I would really use on a regular basis.

Let’s get into it and look at the bag and then see what I thought of it.

Features

The Pampas bags are designed for comfort and functionality by allowing you to wear the bag as a regular backpack and then rotate the bag over your shoulder to your front for access to your gear. The Pampas bag has a good number of access points points and the build quality is top notch.

The back is covered in a nice breathable material over nice thick padding to help keep the bag comfortable on you and reduce sweating.

• Sling style design
• High Quality 600D x 600D Strong Polyester
• Secure Side Opening
• Extra padded inside dividers
• Contact areas offer breathable fabrics
• “Grab and shoot†quick access pocket
• Opens from front and side for instant access
• Front and top pockets for accessories

Usage

The Pampas bag certainly was comfortable as I used it during several small shoots as well as a 10 hour wedding shoot. Inside the dividers come setup for a handful of lenses and a DSLR body with a small size lens attached. I found that this wasn’t the optimum setup for me since once I am shooting I need access to the lenses and the main section was empty without the camera in it. Since the dividers can be arranged for your particular style, you can easily change it to match how you work.

Access to equipment from the side access section is very easy once you rotate the bag around to your front. However, getting to items that are further into the bag proves to be a little more challenging. While the large back section opens wide for easy access to the rest of your gear, I found myself quite nervous about having something fall out of the bag while it was open like that. To help prevent any issues like that, the side opening stays attached via some clever side webbing, but it just felt a little weird, this is probably something I will get over with more use of the bag.

I tended to keep my CF cards in the top outside pocket since it is pretty small but my CF card holder fit into it perfectly and was easy to get to. In the large top pocket I kept a container of batteries and my second flash head. Inside the main body I could have a 17-40, 24-70, 12-24, 50mm, and a Lensbaby Composer and still had room to spare.

Results

The Pampas bag did prove to be quite comfortable and the side access area was very easy to get to. I really only had some issues with the larger rear access area since it felt a little awkward getting to the equipment but not so much that I wouldn’t continue to use the bag. At weddings I normally have been using a Think Tank Photo Modulus Speed Belt which has worked out really well for me with one main exception. The speed belt fits lower on you around your waist and adds a good six inches of width on each side of you so navigating quickly between tight chairs in a reception can sometimes be difficult. With the Pampas bag sitting higher on your back I didn’t have as much problem squeezing through chairs at the receptions and I tended to carry more lenses in the Pampas bag simply because I could without adding any additional size. Where I really like the Pampas bag is when hiking or other situations that require lots of walking around between shots, I can put the entire camera with a lens on it into the backpack and not have to worry about the camera swinging around into things.

One of the best things about the Pampas 57 is the price you can get it for. While it is a good deal at the list price of $108, I found it online  Amazon for only $69.99. While it is to small to be my complete camera bag, it is certainly a great bag for keeping your most used items on you, its a great day bag or hiking bag, and its certainly a great bag for when I need to travel and want to take a good selection of gear without taking my entire kit.

Product Score Card

Product Website: http://www.vanguardworld.com
Author: Kerry Garrison
Photographs by John Loyola

Vanguard Supreme 53F

We have looked at different types and styles of camera bags but the Vanguard 53F isn’t your normal camera bag. The Supreme 53F is a hard-sided case more at home in the cargo compartment of an airplane than it is being used as a daily equipment hauler. While other companies selling hard cases have been around for many years, Vanguard has a lot to live up to. Let’s take a look at at the Supreme 53F and see if Vanguard has succeeded in building a better mouse trap.

53F with Handle Extended

Overview

Vanguard’s Supreme line of cases are watertight and airtight up to a depth of 15 feet, dustproof, virtually indestructible, resistant to corrosion, and can withstand extreme climate variations.  All of the Supreme cases are design to withstand temperature variations from -40° to 203°. The Supreme cases have quick release latches that are easy to use, and the comfort grip handle is ideal for carrying heavy equipment. With pad lock receptacles on each case, they are ideal for airline travel.

Features

The Supreme 53F is as rugged of a case as you are going to find anywhere. The case itself in extremely strong and durable with very well designed latches that lock easily and securely. The retractable handle locks into place in both the extended and retracted positions. The main handles have nice padding to make it more comfortable to carry. Internally, an O-ring helps keep the case water and dust resistant while the octagonal pluck-foam allows for almost any shape of object.

Secure Latches

• Water, air and dust tight
• Resistant to 264.5 pounds weight pressure
• Automatic pressure equalization valve
• Padded handles
• Metal lined padlock holes
• Waterproof name tag
• Locking travel handle
• Two layers of thick pluck-foam

Specifications

• Inside dimensions: 22†x 17 3/4†x 7 7/8â€
• Outside dimensions: 24 3/4†x 20 1/2†x 9 1/2â€
• Weight: 22.93lbs

Usage

Rubberized Handles and Pressure Relief Valve

The 53F is nice and big, too big for carry-on luggage on an airplane but not too big to be considered oversize for regular check-in luggage. The wheels roll smooth on flat surfaces but are too small to work well off-road or and in grass.  With two layers of foam included, you could have two levels of regular camera gear or remove one for larger items like studio strobes. The travel handle locks securely when retracted so you don’t have to worry about it coming out when it is being shipped.

Results

Having used other hard cases that are similar, the others just don’t stack up to the Supreme 53F. The latches are the best I have seen on cases of this type and the padded handles make it more comfortable to pick up when loaded. Knowing that when the case is closed my gear is safe from water and dust because of the integrated O-Ring gives you piece of mind. The only thing I would change if I could is the thickness of the pluck-foam. The 53F comes with 2 very thick sheets of foam but I would prefer 3 or 4 thinner sheets for more versatility but that is just being picky. It’s not everyday that you need a super rugged hard case, but when you do, the Vanguard Supreme series of cases is as good as it gets and with a street price of around $230, you get quite a case for the money.

Big Roomy Case

Product Review Scorecard

Author: Kerry Garrison

I think screen protectors are way overpriced.  You can pay $10 to $15 for a piece of plastic film smaller than the palm of your hand.  That just doesn’t seem right.  Fortunately, I happen to have a box full of old Palm Pilot screen protectors laying around and I usually just cut one of them to the size of my camera’s screens.  They are durable, scratch resistant and provide decent protection.  I bought several dozen of these in a single ebay auction, so I didn’t feel ripped off at paying $14.99 for a clear piece of sticky plastic, as many companies charge for their “custom cut” screen protectors.

Overview

While at the PMA tradeshow in March ’08, I met with a Giottos distributor named Bill Hodges, who was very enthusiastic about their products.  Bill showed me an product line that I was not familiar with in the Giottos lineup… the AEGIS Pro Optical Glass Screen Protectors.  Unlike the simple plastic films you can buy for $10 to $15, these Giottos screen protectors are $24 to $45.  Now, I have never been comfortable paying $15 for a piece of plastic film smaller than a playing card, so what could possibly make me spend two to three times that amount to protect my camera screens?

To answer that question, let’s look at some specs on this product.

AEGIS SP 80 series
• Transmission 420~680 nm: T≥98%
• High translucent, optical glass sheet made from Schott glass in Germany.
• Both sides 12 layers coated, from “LEYBOLD†Germany
• 12 Layers improve LCD backlight transmission while reducing reflections or glare
• Elite Schott glass protects and clarifies LCD images
• Includes Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloth
• Available for digital cameras and DSLR’s including Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm
• Adds no significant weight or bulk to the camera body
• Resistant to acid and alkali prolonging the life of the LCD
• Easily applied using pre attached 3m double sided tape
• No air bubbles
• Glass surface reaches 8-9 and the elastic pressure is 4kg/cm2 to help it withstand impacts
• Removable and replaceable if it gets scratched or damaged

I have found that most LCD screen protectors fall into one of two categories; the plastic stick-on film sheet or the flip-up sun shade housings.  Stick-on sheets are prone to peeling off, bubbling, and have little to no beneficial optical qualities while LCD hoods/screen shades & covers are bulky and cumbersome while only minimally preserving the LCD image.

Setup

The Giottos AEGIS Glass Screen Protectors are very different from the start. The package has an interesting pull-up transparent tab that has the outline size of the screen protector that you can lay over your camera screen to confirm the size. With 12 layers of Anti-Reflective coating, plus being made of glass, they protect the LCD panel from not only abrasions and scratches , but impact too.  The multi-layer coating supposedly improves clarity and color quality as well as the life of the LCD.

I picked up two of these screen protectors; one for my Canon 5D Mark II and one for my Canon G9.  The two models I picked up were obviously different as the screen sizes of the displays on the two cameras are just a little different.  So, I started with the SP8301L for the 50D and 5D Mark II.

So, enough of all the marketing hype… what is the user experience?  What is this thing really like?  Well, first, the application to the camera screen was fairly simple.   Since it is rigid, it is easy to move around and pre-position.  There were no air bubbles to worry about, but not just because you are applying a rigid piece of glass, but because the glass is actually suspended above the screen surface by a fraction of a millimeter.  The only sticky surface is around the edges of the protector, and the thickness of the sticky substrate suspends the glass above the screen.

Installation

There is protective plastic on both sides of the glass sheet.  I cleaned my screen well with a micro-fiber cloth, peeled away the bottom film first, then lined the glass up with the screen.  My first shot was not perfect, so I used a fingernail to peel it up and re-apllying it.  Not too challenging.  Once in place, I rubbed it down with a cloth and peeled away the top protective layer.  The fit to the 5D II is perfect.

Usage

Checking at the final result, it looks great.  The protective cover has the Giottos logo in the black trim around the outside edge which covers the Canon logo.  This is the most visible thing you will notice every day  But as you can see by the photo it simply looks like part of the camera.  The surface of the Schott Glass is a little more reflective than the anti-reflective coating on the original screen surface, but you only notice this when the camera screen is off. Once it is on, the picture is bright and clear.  I actually find it much easier to see in bright sunlight than it was before the Giottos screen cover was on.

One More Time

Next, I installed my second screen protector over my Canon G9 screen – model SP 8300.  This was a little tougher as the screen fit was not as perfect as the one for the 5D Mark II.  The cover for the G9 was actually a couple on millimeters shorter on the vertical dimension than the Canon G9 screen.  This caused me to lift and re-seat the cover a couple of times to get it to where I could best see the camera’s screen through the glass.  Now, the end result is absolutely fine and the screen is 100% visible, but the Canon logo at the top is only partially covered.  This is a very small detail, as I guess I was expecting absolute perfection here.  However, I am completely happy with the end product.  With the small body of a camera like the G9, you tend to touch the screen more and it seems more prone to being bumped or scuffed by being laid on the screen, so I think this application is even more crucial than putting it on my pro body.

Protector in place	Removing film cover
With Protector Installed

Results

I have now tested both of my cameras outside in sunlight, in the shade, in the dark, in about every possible situation.  I have to say that I have no real complaints at all.  About the only criticism one might have is that the new screen is a bit more reflective than the original surface, but it isn’t bothering me.  After reading some reviews online, I see that there are various complaints about size, reflectivity and the screen not sticking.  I have to say that I do not see any of these issues with my two experiences.

Summary

The only reason to really put a protector of this sort over your camera’s screen is to protect the original screen and protect the value of your camera.  Let’s face it… these cameras are electronics.  In today’s market, electronics are the fastest depreciating item you can buy (outside of a home – but that’s another story).  To keep the value of your camera, you need to keep it looking new.  But you don’t want to have to look through some bubbled, misty looking piece of plastic film the whole time you use your camera.  So, is it worth a little more to invest in a quality piece of glass like this?  I think so.

Opening the Box for the first time

How Does It Work

Renting from BorrowLenses.com couldn’t be easier. Browse through their website and find the product you want, select the term of the rental you want, and select if you want to get the op

tional insurance (highly recommended). As soon as you place the order, an authorization hold in the amount of the order total is automatically placed on your credit card. This doesn’t withdraw funds from your card, but merely holds them. They will actually charge the credit card the day your order ships. (see their website for information on using debit cards).

Your package will arrive from FedEx ground and your rental period begins as soon as the package is dropped off.

Detail of the shipping box

My First Rental

I simply had to get my hands on the new Canon 5D Mk II and when I saw that BorrowLenses.com had the 5D Mk II available for rental I just had to get my hands on one. A few days later my package arrived with the 5D mk II, a manual, and battery charger all stuffed tight into thick foam padding.

It’s no surprise that the camera was in perfect

condition since it is brand new after all

Inside the box was instructions for sending the package back at the end of the rental period as well as a shipping label  When you are finished, simply pack it back up, seal it with some packing tape, slap the shipping label on the box and drop it off at any FedEx drop-off point.

The Cost of Renting

Canon EOS 5D Mk II

The big question is does renting something you will use on a regular basis make sense to rent versus purchase? Let’s say you really want to step things up and use some professional glass for your weddings, the 70-200 IS L f/2.8 lens will set you back around $1,600,then let’s assume you will need this lens for 15 different weekends over the course of the year. Since the lens will cost you $51 per week to rent, you would have to rent it 31 times before you would have spent enough to buy the lens, that’s two years of use that you can easily add to the cost of the individual jobs and not have to eat the entire $1,600.

Final Thoughts

There have been multiple times that I wished I could get a certain piece of equipment to rent but the local places are expensive, have a small variety, and require massive deposits.  The entire process with BorrowLenses.com is fast, easy, and painless. If you are wanting to try out a new piece of equipment before buying it, or if you need some extra for a special shoot, then do yourself a favor and call BorrowLenses.com. I will certainly be using them a number of times this year for different things. I will be evaluating the EOS 50D, Checking out Tilt-Shift Lenses, and probably using some high end glass for certain events. If you use them, be sure and tell them that I recommended them.

Author: Kerry Garrison

Getting the Camera

Since I am not sponsored by Canon (any help here would be appreciated – wink wink) and I haven’t been able to justify the cost yet, I decided that another way to get one for a little while was to call up the good folks over at BorrowLenses.com. I hooked up with Max to get a weekend rental on the 5D Mk II so I could use it on a wedding shoot I had planned as well as to play around with the other features. If you have never rented equipment, you can’t go wrong by using BorrowLenses.com as their prices are great and you don’t get slapped with a huge deposit (no deposit in fact), but more about BorrowLenses.com in an upcoming article as I review their service.

I got the camera and couldn’t wait to slap in a card and start playing with it.

First Impressions

When picking up the body the first thing you notice is the surface has a much better texture on it than previous cameras making it easier to hold. The form factor is much like the 30D/40D/50D/5D. For users of those mentioned cameras, the control layout will be very familiar with the only noticeable exceptions being that the delete button has shifted due to the large screen and the top LCD illumination button has been moved to the right side of the display. For people moving up from a 30D/40D you will notice the lack of a pop-up flash and no preset modes on the mode dial (this is much more of a Pro camera than a consumer camera after all).

The large LCD on the back is just stunning with its much higher resolution display which enables you to better see if an image is sharp and in focus.

The new menu system is super clean and sharp looking on the big display although a little hunting around the first few times to find some of the features will be in order. The only thing that threw me for a loop for a minute was figuring out how to setup exposure bracketing. Not wanting to turn to the manual, I figured it out quickly enough. What I did have to crack the manual for was to figure out how to  use the video mode. Simple enough, go into Live View mode and press the Set button in the middle of the large dial on the back to start/stop recording.

First time setup

Before really being able to push the 5d Mk II to it’s limits, you will need to go into the menus and setup a few options first. Here are the things I did to get it ready for my tests.

C. Fn I : Exposure
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable ISO expansion. This is needed to shoot at ISO ranges above 6400.

C. Fn II : Image
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Highlight Tone Priority. This enables Highlight Tone Priority which can help from overexposing important aspects of your image. Note however that when this is enabled, you will not be able to go over ISO 6400 regardless of the previous setting.

C. Fn III : Autofocus/Drive
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Multi-controller direct. This option enables you to select the autofocus point by using the multi-controller (mini joystick).

Live View Function Settings
LV Func. Setting set to Stills+movie, Screen Settings set to movie display

Image Quality
Image quality was set to RAW.

Finally, I made sure the date and time was correct, dropped in a compact flash card, formatted it and I was ready to go.

Shooting the 5D Mk II

Like many people getting the 5D Mark II, I have been shooting APS-C sized sensors for the past few years as I use a 30D as a primary and a 20D as a backup. Functionally, the 5D Mk II is virtually identical in how to operate the camera although the shutter sound is different and quieter. The big difference comes into play when using the same lenses you were using on the smaller sensor. If you aren’t familiar with this phenomenon, the smaller sensors in the 20D/30D/40D/50D are smaller APS-C size sensors versus the full frame sensor in the 5d Mk II. The smaller sensor size introduces an effect referred to as a zoom factor (also known as crop factor) which, in essence, magnifies the focal length of your lenses by 1.6.  To put it into simple terms, subjects on an APS-C sized sensor will appear closer (as if zoomed in by 1.6x) and the same lens on the 5D will give you an wider field of view. If we take a 50mm lens and put it on a camera with an APS-C sensor, what we get is basically an 80mm lens. A 70-200mm on the 50D becomes a 112-320mm lens on the APS-C sensor. This is interesting to note that a telephoto lens will get you more reach on a smaller sensor but you lose width at the smaller focal lengths. With my typical lenses, I now have to move closer to the subject to get the same effect as before, but I now have the added bonus of wide angle lenses being wider than before.

Image shot with 50mm on 30D (APS-C)

Image shot with 50mm on 5D Mk II (Full Frame)

Ok, so how about this ISO stuff, how good is it really? Yeah, well, its pretty damned good. On my 30D, it pained me to go up to 1600 ISO, on a 40D, 1600 would give you a very usable image but 3200 got to be a bit much, on the 5D Mk II, 3200 is a no-brainer and 6400 will give you very usable images. Moving up into 12,800 gets to be noisy but should be usable with a good noise reduction software while 25,600 ISO is basically unusable unless you convert the image to black and white and then you will get something looking like an older newspaper image.

Comparison of ISO settings from 5D Mk II

A feature that first appeared on the 40D is Highlight Tone Priority which can be a saving grace in numerous situations. Instead of going into how great this feature is, please refer to David Ziser’s post about Highlight Tone Priority.

What’s missing from the 5d Mk II?

Yes, the 5d Mk II is a huge leap forward for Canon, so much so that some shooters with the higher end 1Ds Mk III are actually “downgrading” to the 5D to get the improved sensor cleaning and higher ISO performance. But surely the 5D Mk II is not the Holy Grail of cameras, something must be missing right? Well, of course, otherwise it would be an $8000 camera. So what is it that we don’t have on the 5D Mk II that it’s big brother has?

• Dual memory card slots
  Many people think this is a major disappointment that the 5D wasn’t outfitted with dual memory slots to provide real-time redundancy when shooting.
• Built in battery grip/portrait grip
  The original 5D didn’t have one, and the 5D Mk II is aimed at the high end Pro-sumer market, not the professional market so this is an option. Unfortunately, the 5D Mk II uses a redesigned grip so existing ones will not work.
• Long life shutter
  The big gun 1Ds Mk III is rated as about double the shutter activations as the 5D Mk II (150,000 (5D) vs 300,000 (1Ds)).
• Dual Digic processors
  While the 5D Mk II does have the newer Digic IV processor, the 1Ds Mk III has dual processors for faster image processing.1

Granted, the higher ISO performance, larger, higher resolution LCD screen, improved dust reduction, 21 megapixel , full frame sensor, full HD video, and significantly cheaper price does make for a very compelling camera.

Focusing on Video

Yeah, the 5D Mk II is the Grand Poobah of DSLR’s that can shoot video with its full 1080p video capture. Being able to use all of the lenses at your disposal to shoot video is quite awesome indeed to achieve the same shallow depth of field that you can get in stills. So look out Sony, your days of being a video camera manufacturer have come to an end and the 5D Mk II is taking its rightful place of the King of all things video…..well….not exactly.

There is no question you can get stunning HiDef video out of the camera, there are plenty of examples online. But let’s look at the reality of shooting video with the 5D Mk II.

First off, abandon all hope of using autofocus when shooting video. If you are using the on-board microphone, you will hear constant whirrrr whirrrrrrrr whirrrrrrrr as the contrast-based autofocus “attempts” to focus. In some situations it may do alright, but the majority of the time you will end up with lots of times where the camera is trying to focus but tracks back and forth a few times before locking on. You really need to consider the camera as a manual focus camera when shooting video. Use autofocus in still mode to get your focus, then switch to video mode with autofocus off for best results. As for the built-in microphone (located just underneath the 5D logo), its alright for playing around, but anything serious will require an external mic plugged into the microphone jack on the side of the camera.

5D Mk II LowRez Video from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

Sample HiDef Video from 5D Mk II from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

Megapixels = Mega Storage

Oh sure, we all SAY we want more megapixels, but you really have to think of the ramifications of that. Here is a comparison of the same image taken with several of the different available image quality settings:

This means that a RAW file from the 5D Mk II is 4 times larger than a RAW from a 30D and even the 5D Mk II’s Fine JPEG is 2mb larger than the RAW file on the 30D. That’s 1/4 of the number of images I can fit on the same memory card and a typical wedding shoot for me will balloon from 10gb to 40gb. Add to that the additional disk space required to hold the images, and the addition computer horsepower (CPU and RAM) needed to process these huge files and you need some seriously beefy hardware to use this camera to its full potential.

For best results, UDMA Compact Flash cards are recommended, using these will speed up write times to the disc. Keep all of these things in mind if considering moving up to the 5D Mk II as it could turn out to be a bigger investment than just the camera itself.

Using the 5D Mk II

The first project I had was a small wedding reception, shooting out on a golf course at 11am presented some really harsh lighting conditions, the highlight tone priority system did a great job at keeping the subjects from getting blown out. One thing that I noticed was that the autofocus was really fast and super accurate. This is compared to the 30D that I normally shoot with. Normally I will get a handful of out of focus shots for no apparent reason, of almost 500 shots, there were only two that were out of focus, a significant improvement in the autofocus system over my camera.

The shutter noise is fairly quiet and doesn’t draw attention which is nice for quiet ceremonies and for catching candids without disturbing anyone.

For all your Shamu fans out there, here are some shots from Sea World.

5D Mark II - 70mm 1/640 f/9 ISO 200 Mode: Program sRAW1

5D Mark II - 70mm 1/5000 f/8 ISO 200 Mode: Program sRAW1

5D Mark II - 70mm 1/500 f/8 ISO 200 Mode: Program sRAW1

5D Mark II - 24mm 1/25 f/6.3 ISO 400 Mode: Manual sRAW1

5D Mark II - 42mm 1/60 f/2.8 ISO 400 Mode: Manual sRAW1

Is the 5D Mk II Right For You?

I only had the 5D Mk II available to me for a few days but I am completely impressed with it from a technology point of view. One of it’s biggest selling points is also one of its biggest problems, and that is the size of the images. A typical wedding will take up 30gb of space and just a simple day at an amusement park could easily eat up 6gb.  The ability to use the smaller sRAW sizes is a plus, but its painful to have to limit the camera, something I think I could get over easily enough but it remains to be seen if it is too limiting for doing paid wedding shoots in the reduced file format sizes.

Unless you already have a beefy uber-computer and have more compact flash cards than pairs of underwear, then there are going to be some hidden costs of getting into the 5D Mk II. I am probably fairly typical (or at least not abnormal) in that I am currently shooting with a 30D and put together some numbers as what it would take for me to purchase and use the 5D Mk II, and this is not upgrading the CPU or RAM in my machine as it isn’t that terrible to work on images with what I have.

That’s well over $4,000 with tax and shipping and isn’t counting having another as a backup. I would certainly recommend the 5D Mk II to anyone who can afford one, but, for myself, I need to take a look at the 50D before deciding to save up for the 5D.

Author: Kerry Garrison

Rental Equipment by: http://BorrowLenses.com

Overview

The VerteX is designed to give the ultimate in lighting control from a typical speedlight by allowing almost an infinite amount of adjustment. The VerteX is a mechanical device that can accept one or two panels on it to allow you to send the light in the specific direction(s) that you want.

The VerteX works by having a swinging arm that can have either one or two flaps attached to it that can rotate 360 degrees. Each flap has a mirrored side and a white diffusion side.  By adjusting the swing arm and the flaps you can split the light coming out of your accessory flash and send the light in different directions. Nothing else on the market today gives you this much control over your lighting.

Setup

Normally I would go into a real lengthy section and maybe even some step-by-step pics showing how to assemble a product. Bust seriously, the VerteX takes about 30 seconds to setup, you will spend more time reading this paragraph than you will spend setting the VerteX up. You take the two arms and snap them into place in the holes on the sides of the rubber band, push them together over the cross piece, and push the flaps into place, which are held there with magnets. That’s it. I find it easier to get onto the flash if you attach the rubber band to the flash head right after putting the two arms on and before attaching the cross bean and flaps. In under a minute you are ready to start taking pictures with the VerteX.

Usage

I am going to be really honest here, if you really don’t understand lighting, you may have trouble previsualizing what you can achieve with the VerteX. However, if you are the type of person who can look at a scene and know, for example,  that you want a slight shadow from one direction, a little fill up front, and some top lighting, then you will be able to use the VerteX to it’s full potential. Since you can split the light and send some forward, some up to bounce off the ceiling, some left to bounce off a wall, you can achieve lighting effects that otherwise would have required multiple strobes.

Results

Before getting into wedding photography I did mostly product photography so using multiple lights was second nature, getting into wedding photography felt very limiting as it really isn’t practical on most shoots to lug around multiple light sources, radio remotes, light stands, etc and the current light modifiers on the market work very well in specific situations, but there hasn’t been a product that could really give you the flexibility of multiple light sources from a single strobe head until the VerteX. Here are a few shots from a recent wedding where I used the VerteX to get some really nicely lit indoor shots.

Summary

While the VerteX may look like a homing beacon for an alien spacecraft, it does exactly what it is intended to do. I am thrilled with the control over the light that it gives me and enables lighting that simply wasn’t possible before.  For $49.95, it isn’t any more than other brand-name modifiers but it does give you a level of control that other products do not. I have used the VerteX at several weddings now and it has not come off my flash yet. The only real negative thing I can say is that if you happen to bump something and one of the flaps comes off, they are so light that you stand a good chance of not noticing since you usually wont hear it hit the ground. Most of the time I use it as pictured in the image to the right with only one flap, so if I actually lost one for good, I could get by for a while, so keep an eye on the panels wqhen you are moving your equipment around.

Here is a little video showing more about the VerteX and how I use it.

VerteX Light Modifer from Presslite from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

Product Review Scorecard

Product Page: http://www.presslite.com/vertexinfo.php
Company Page: http://www.presslite.com

Author: Kerry Garrison

1. DIY Photography
   (http://www.diyphotography.net)
   Udi does a terrific job at bringing alternative ways of lighting, shooting, and creating light modifiers to people without unlimited budgets.
2. John Nack’s Blog
   (http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/)
   John is the product manager for Photoshop and almost every day has a new blog entry with something interesting or cool to look at.
3. Photo Business News
   (http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/)
   John Harrington writes several times a week with news and information relevant to the business of photography. This is one of my must-read blogs every week.
4. Strobist
   (http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/)
   David Hobby has several posts a week that specialize in talking about working with small accessory flash units and getting the most out of them. This is definitely one of the best sites if you are into lighting.
5. Lightroom Journal
   (http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/)
   This is the official blog from Adobe for Photoshop Lightroom. All official Lightroom news is posted here.
6. Lightroom Killer Tips
   (http://lightroomkillertips.com)
   Matt Kloskowski posts excellent tips and presets several times a week for Lightroom users.
7. Digital Pro Talk
   (http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com/)
   This is the home of David Ziser, one of the top wedding photographers in the world. David is one of the most prolific bloggers around and posts awesome shooting and lighting tips virtually every day. He posts so much that its hard to keep up with all of his posts. This is another must-read site.
8. Flash Flavor
   (http://flashflavor.com/)
   Matt Adcock takes some of the most amazing photos you will see anywhere and is simply an inspiration to go through and see what he is doing and how he does it.
9. Digital Photography School
   (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/)
   This site from Darren Rowse is chock full of good tips and tutorials with new content on a regular basis.
10. Rob Galbraith DPI
    (http://www.robgalbraith.com)
    Rob always has good information and is often the first with breaking news.
11. TWIP
    (http://twipphoto.com/)
    Although known more for their podcast than their blog, the This Week in Photography blog has a new post every day. Maybe someday CameraDojo will get mentioned on their show (hint hint) – wow, CameraDojo got mentioned on their site today!
12. Photoshop Insider
    (http://scottkelby.com)
    Another site with several new posts every week from Scott as well as regular guest bloggers.
13. 1001 Noisy Cameras
    (http://www.1001noisycameras.com)
    With new info more often than you change your underwear, 1001 Noisy Cameras may never win a design excellence award but certainly is at the top of most lists of useful and informative sites.
14. Pro Photo Life
    (http://www.prophotolife.com)
    This site from Jim Talkington amazes me that I don’t see it on most “top sites” lists like this. Jim does regular video tutorials and the wealth of content on his site is awesome. If you aren’t visiting this site every week, you are missing out on some fantastic stuff.
15. PhotoJojo
    (http://photojojo.com)
    You don’t even have to remember to go to PhotoJojo, this is a twice a week newsletter that is emailed to you with cool stuff in every email. Sign up and never miss it.
16. Photo Walk Pro
    (http://www.revellphotography.com/blog/)
    Jeff Revell’s site is another often-0verlooked site since many people think it is just about photo walking. Jeff also does a good amount of tips and tutorials for shooting and for working with Photoshop.
17. The Pioneer Woman
    (http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/)
    Ree Drummond must be the most amazing woman on the planet, with multiple blogs about her life including photography, cooking, home and garden, and more she is a non-stop blogging phenomenon. While her sites appeal mostly to women, her photography stuff appeals to everyone.
18. Lighting Essentials
    (http://www.lighting-essentials.com)
    This is another excellent site for tutorials on lighting. Don Giannatti is an awesome photographer and is bringing his knowledge and experience into this website.
19. DPReview
    (http://dpreview.com)
    If you just have to know everything there is to know about camera bodies and lenses, DPReview is the encyclopedia of all camera knowledge when it comes to specs and unbiased technical reviews.
20. AllTop
    (http://photography.alltop.com/)
    Alltop.com is the brainchild of Guy Kawasaki and the photography section is filling up with a great list of photography sites. Bookmark this page there and never have a lack of reading material.

While there are dozens of other sites out there that are all worthy of being on any list like this, I decided I was going to stick to the top 20 sites that I personally use. Please add your own favorites into the comments.

What is selective Focus?

We have talked about selective focus here numerous times using depth of field (here) (here) (here) and lenses such as the Lensbaby 3G. Selective focus simply means that the main subject of the image is in sharp focus while the rest of the image is blurred out, this forces the viewer’s eye to the section of the image that we want them to be looking at. This can have a dramatic effect on the image and give it a much more dramatic feel. The problem with simply using aperture settings to control the selective focus is it doesn’t allow you to control the shape, direction, direction, or opacity of the blur effect. With a Lensbaby lens you have more control over the sweet spot of the focus area but you are limited to a round pattern and you don’t have some of the other controls either, and you can’t do a true tilt-shift effect with a Lensbaby lens. With a tilt-shift lens you have more control in the different directions but you still can’t control some of the effect, a tilt-shift lens will also set you back over $1,000. This is where Focal Point comes in. You can use your high quality auto-focus glass to take a great picture, and then add a variety of selective focus effects to the image in post production.

Lensbaby Image

Comparison to using a specialty lens

Before jumping to conclusions, bear in mind that I am a fan of the Lensbaby lenses and I use them at different times to achieve a look that I know how to get in-camera. I have the new Lensbaby Composer and have a review of it coming as well. I know what that lens will do and I use it to create images like the one you can see here. You get a sweet spot where the lens is pointing and then there is a blurring effect that gets more intense the further away from the sweet spot you get. If you are a huge fan of doing things in-camera, then a Lensbaby is a great lens to use. However, the amount of effects that you can get is limited. If you have the time to swap lenses and get the image dialed in, the effect is very cool. If you don’t have a Lensbaby, or if you find later that you have a great shot that would have been even better with that effect, then you are out of luck without a re-shoot. With Focal Point, we can now add the effect in post production and get very similar results.

What can we get with Focal Point?

The best way to see what Focal Point can do is to take a look at several before and after images for comparison.

Original Shot		Focal Point Effect
Original Shot		Focal Point Effect

Using Focal Point

Focal Point installs as a Photoshop plug-in for Photoshop CS3 or CS4. Once launched you can move the “Focus Bug” around to select your sweet spot, and then grab on the handle to adjust the effect. You also have 3D effects that can control the focal plane by holding down the alt key on Windows or the Option key on the Mac and dragging within the focus bug.

Focal Point Plug-In Interface

On the right side of the interface are sliders for fine tuning the effect as well as adding a vignette effect and film grain into the blurred image. Any of the settings can then be saved as a preset for easy access at a later time.

Key Features of Focal Point

While we have mentioned most of them already, let’s take a quick look at the key features of the Focal Point plug-in:

• Focus Bug
  This unique control gives you very simple control over the effects. Just drag and click to move the sweet spot or to adjust the amount of effect.
• Aperture Shape
  While we have only looked at the round shape so far, you can also use a planer shape that simulates narrow depth of field that is often used with food or macro photography or for simulating the miniature effect that you can get with a tilt-shift lens.
• 3D Tilt
  As mentioned, you can adjust the tilt of the sweet spot to create the effect of a tilt-shift or view camera.
• Blur Types
  You can choose from a standard “defocused” look or add a bit of motion to the blur
• Add Layer Mask
  By default (you can turn this off if you want) a new layer is created in Photoshop containing the image with the effect applied. This allows you to change the opacity of the layer or paint out areas that you don’t want affected.
• Vignettes
  Focal Point allows you to add either a dark or light vignette effect to the image with the ability to adjust the amount of the vignette as well as the midpoint.
• Presets
  If you have created an effect that you like and may want to use again, you can save it as a preset within Focal Point so you can easily apply it to another image later.
• Film Grain
  While you may not think you want to add grain to an image, adding the film grain effect to the blurred image will help to maintain a realistic image as well as prevent posterization during printing.

System Requirements

Macintosh

• Mac OS X 10.4.10, 10.5 or Higher
• 1 GHz or faster G5 or Intel Core Processor(s)
• 1GB RAM (2GB+ recommended)
• 25 MB hard disk space for installation
• OpenGL 1.5 Compatible video card with 128MB VRAM at 1024×768 or higher.
• Adobe Photoshop CS2 (9.0.2) CS3 or Elements 4.0.1 and higher.
• Internet Connection & Flash 9 player
• Adobe Acrobat 6 Reader or higher

Windows

• Windows XP SP2, Vista or Higher
• 1 GHz or faster Pentium 4 processor(s) or equivalent
• 1GB RAM (2GB+ recommended)
• 25MB hard disk space for installation
• OpenGL 1.5 Compatible video card with 128MB VRAM at 1024×768 or higher.
• Adobe Photoshop CS2, CS3 or Elements 5 and higher
• Internet Connection & Flash 9 player
• Adobe Acrobat 6 Reader or higher
• Microsoft dotNET Framework 2.0 or higher

Focal Point Demo

Here is a video of Focal Point in action so you can get a feel for how it works.

Focal Point Demo from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

Results

Focal Point retails for $159.95 which puts it into the mid-range of prices for lenses from Lensbaby and is significantly cheaper than a tilt-shift lens.  Given that you have more control with Focal Point than you do with any type of lens, its hard to argue the value of Focal Point. There are certainly people like myself who enjoy using specialty lenses as they force you to slow down and really think about the image you are trying to make. Even for me though, there are times when I look at an image and wish I would have broke out the Lensbaby to take the shot and now I can get the effect that I want in post production. The effect that Focal Point creates may not be for everyone but if you shoot weddings, food, macro, still life, or nature shots, then Focal Point can add a new dimension to your images.

Product Review Scorecard

Product Page: http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=35
Company Page: http://ononesoftware.com

Author: Kerry Garrison

• 23% shoot 101 – 250 images per week
  That is a lot of people shooting a lot of images, good for you! Keep it up and post some in the forums
• 19% shoot 51 – 100 images per week
  That is still a good number of images to be shooting every week.
• 18% shoot 11 – 50 images per week
  Ok, not bad, at least you are out there shooting, keep it up, practice makes perfect right?
• 13% shoot 251 – 500 images per week
  What a bunch of rock stars out there, you guys are burning up the memory cards
• 11% shoot 0 – 10 images per week
  That’s a little surprising, I was hoping for a smaller number here, but its alright, we all lead busy lives
• 9% shoot 501 – 1000 images per week
  Amazing!
• 8% shoot over 1000 images per week
  Do we have that many wedding photographers here or is this one mad group of shutter freaks?

Overall, 53% of you shoot over 100 images per week and 47% are under 100 images, thats an amazing range of people and shooting habits. I just wanted to share this with everyone.

One lucky listener will will a Shapeshifter backpack by going to http://thinktankphoto.com/shapeshifter and finding out the name of the other photographer who has done a review of the Shapeshifter. Send your answers along with your name, phone number, and address to podcast@cameradojo.com. Only one entry person. All entries must be received by midnight on November 30th 2008. The winner will be drawn on December 1st.

Show Hosts

Kerry Garrison (http://kerrygarrison.com)

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

I have had the hardest time dealing with camera bags over the years, from my first backback that got so heavy I couldn’t lug it around anymore to my uber cool Airport International 2.0 which is great for big jobs but what about when I want to go a little lighter? My old backback is too large, and my Airport International is too big, and my Modulous Speed Belt can’t hold enough nor is appropriate when traveling. So what does that leave? Fortunately, Think Tank Photo’s Mike Sturm has come to the rescue. Mike is the designer responsible for the newest and coolest backpack design from Think Tank Photo, the revolutionary ShapeShifter.

Why is the ShapeShifter so cool?
The problem with most camera bags is that they are designed for particular purpose, either trying to be lightweight and carry minimal equipment or being big enough to carry a large amount of gear. The ShapeShifter is designed for both, in expanded mode it can carry a couple of full size DSLR bodies, a few large pieces of glass, a good amount of accessories, AND a 17″ laptop.

Ok great, you can haul a bunch of stuff with you and your laptop easily, so what, the bigger rollers from Think Tank Photo allow you to do that easily enough. What is different with the ShapeShifter is that oncd your camera gear comes out (possibly moved to your Speed Belt) you can pull a zipper around and compress the backpack down to about three inches thick with your laptop still in it.

Features include:

• It can be compressed to 3 inches in width once your equipment is removed.
• Dedicated neoprene pockets for 2 pro size DSLR’s, 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, wide angle 2.8, and strobes.
• Holds up to a 17†laptop in rear compartment.
• Front pocket organizers for your digital essentials.
• It can carry tripods and monopods.
• The Pro Speed Belt can be attached and quickly released.
• After your gear is removed, you can continue to carry your laptop and accessories, but in a much smaller package.

Who is the ShapeShifter for?
Since neoprene equipment bags inside the ShapeShifter don’t provide a lot of padding, the ShapeShifter is certainly not the best solution for travelers if there is any chance that your bag may have to get checked as luggage. For domestic flights the ShapeShifter is a great solution since domestic flights allow for a carry-on bag and a personal item such as a camera bag or laptop case. Since the ShapeShifter can hold you basic gear as well as your laptop you should always be able to carry it on and stuff it overhead or even under a seat.

Sports photographers who want an easy way to get their gear down onto the field but then want to compress the bag so there is a smaller profile to interfere with other photographers and easier maneuverability.

For photographers that use a modular belt system, you can remove most of your gear and still keep a few accessories and flashes in the backpack and still compress it to save space.

Any photographer that has to carry a laptop around safely as well as a decent selection of gear but doesn’t need a large backpack just to carry the laptop after the gear is taken out.

How well does it work?
I am super impressed with the versatility of the Shapeshifter already and have had it less than a week. I can carry a good selection of equipment comfortably and securely. The first day I got it I packed it up for a wedding with my Airport International Roller keeping the lesser used equipment and spares locked safely away, I could keep a small amount of gear with me at all times. The next day I took off to shoot a protest rally and loaded up with lenses and strapped my tripod onto the back. Out in the sun for a couple of hours all the extra shoulder and back padding made very comfortable to haul around a day pack of gear. A few days later I needed to make a day trip to San Fransisco to give a talk and I wanted a minimul set of gear along with my laptop. Even with a camera body, flash, several lenses, and my laptop I was able to compress the Shapeshifter down to the smaller size making it very easy to walk through the airports, take the BART into downtown, and walk to the convention center. Without the Shapeshifter I would have taken a large laptop case and probably not have taken any camera gear, or I would have taken a small camera bag that could hold a body and one lens. Thanks to the Shapeshifter I was able to take a 30D with battery grip, a 17-40 lens, a 24-70 lens, a 12-24 lens, and a 70-300 lens, and a 580 EX II. I could have taken some larger glass but then I wouldnt have been able to compress the bag down as much. Also in the Shapeshifter is the power supply for the laptop, a Zoom H2 audio recorder, and Jobo DSLR tripod.

The Shapeshifter isn’t going to be for everyone as there are some people who take too much gear everywhere they go and while the Shapeshifter can hold a decent amount of gear, it certainly can’t hold as much as the roller cases from Think Tank Photo. But if you need mobility and a roller is too inconvienent, the Shapeshifter is a great solution.

The bottom line
It didn’t take long for me to be a complete convert to the Shapeshifter for most of the assignments that I do although there are certain situations when I would rather have my larger roller with me. For the typical day assignment, for traveling, vacations, business trips, sports shooting, and many other situations, the Shapeshifter will be loaded up and hanging off my back.

The Think Tank Photo Shapeshifter backpack is scheduled for released in December of 2008 with a price of $249 US. If you have a photographer in the family that needs something like this, the Shapeshifter is an excellent Christmas gift.

Review Points

Setup
There is basically no setup of the Shapeshifter, open the zippers, load your equipment, adjust the straps, and off you go. If you want to use the monopod/tripod straps they are included inside the bag and will need to be attached to the outside before use. I keep the short sider attached at all times and when I am not using the long adjustable side I detach them and put them into a pocket in the bag to keep them out of the way.

Features
The Shapeshifter is like no other bag available today, loaded with more pockets than you would imagine and the ability to hold large equipment and compress down for smaller gear as well as having a padded laptop area that can take a 17″ laptop, the Shapeshifter is the ultimate in photographic mobility. Pockets galore! There are more pockets in this thing than you can count. The quality of the construction is simply incredible, I have full confidence this bag is going to last for many years.

Usage
Your biggest issue with the Shapeshifter is going to be deciding on what pocket of the dozens of available are you going to put your accessories in. Obviously this large number of pockets, holders, built-in bags, etc was built for someone with a better memory than me because there are so many places to put things you may well forget where something is. I am certainly a big fan of the Shapeshifter now and have taken it around to show all my friends.

Results
Sure, you can get a camera backpack on eBay for $30 and you may even be happy with it, but the ones I have bough have fallen apart, had the shoulder straps break, and are big and bulky. At $249 the Shapeshifter is not cheap, but neither is the contruction quality. Camera bags of this caliber are not designed for the budget-minded hobbiest, these are serious tools designed with professional photographers in mind. If you want to spend once on a backpack that will outlast several cheap ebay bags and you want to be sure you are not going to have zippers pop, seams break, and have it wear out prematurely then the Shapeshifter is the right choice.

Product Review Scorecard

Product Page: http://thinktankphoto.com/shapeshifter
Company Page: http://thinktankphoto.com

—-

Think Tank Photo Shapeshifter Camera Bag from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

Photokina
http://www.photokina-cologne.com/

Nikon D-90
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d90/index.htm

Canon 50D
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=17499

New Canon DSLR
http://www.canon.com/moon/en/

Nik Software Announces Sharpener Proâ„¢ 3.0
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/nik-software-announces-sharpener-pro%E2%84%A2-30/

Wolverine ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/02/wolverine-esp-digital-photo-album-and-multimedia-player/

R-Strap Camera Strap Review
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/r-strap-camera-strap-review/

Capturing a sense of motion
http://cameradojo.com/2008/08/31/capturing-a-sense-of-motion-with-shutter-speed/

Camera Dojo Lightroom Presets
http://cameradojo.com/lightroom-presets/

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

This week I do some catching up in the news and let you know whats been going on with Camera Dojo. We have some really exciting things coming up with some interviews and tons of articles this month. In this episode I cover the latest news including:

Canon 50D Announcement
http://cameradojo.com/2008/08/26/canon-announces-eos-50d/
http://www.usa.canon.com/

Nikon D90 Announcement
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d90/index.htm

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/d90/en/d-movie/ — Movie samples!

Maurice wins our local photowalk
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/01/photowalk-winners-announced/

Wolverine ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player Review
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/02/wolverine-esp-digital-photo-album-and-multimedia-player/

BlackRapid R-Strap Review
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/r-strap-camera-strap-review/

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

We knew when we sat down to write this review that many of your would be sitting there thinking that the guys at the Dojo had totally lost it if all they can come up with for a product review is a simple camera strap. In all seriousness, we have appealed to every company we know to come up with a better camera strap. The two main issues we have are comfort for shooting all day long and the security that your camera won’t fall off your shoulder. If someone could solve these two basic issues then it would surely rate a full blown product review article, BlackRapid has done exactly that with the new R-Strap.

David using the R-Strap

Overview
Take 10 pounds or more of camera equipment and hang it on your shoulder for 8-10 hours and you are simply going to be sore, this is just something we have come to expect over the years. Some manufacturers have tried to overcome this with thick padded sections so while this may help a little the fact that the weight is still pulling down on one shoulder cannot be overcome. The second main issue is security. Most straps have some kind of rubberized surface to help keep them from slipping off your shoulder. We have never found a strap that combines both comfort and gives you confidence that it’s not going to fall off. I often carry two cameras at a wedding and am in constant fear that one of them is going to take a header onto the pavement, so when I know I am not going to use one for a while I bring the strap up over my head to make sure it won’t fall off, but this makes it very difficult to shoot. BlackRapid took this simple idea and created the R-Strap.

Kerry wearing the R-Strap

How it works
Think of the R-Strap as an oversize camera strap, but instead of the strap attaching to the standard strap mounts on your camera, it is a continuous loop. The camera is attaches to the strap via a sliding ring so the camera can move around without the strap moving. The sliding ring attached to the D-Ring on the bottom your tripod mount or via at attachment piece that comes with the R-Strap.

Because the strap goes around one shoulder and the camera rests at your hip on the opposite side, the weight of the camera feels more like its down the middle of your body instead of one shoulder. This is significantly more comfortable and it completely eliminates the possibility of your camera slipping off your shoulder.

When I first saw the R-Strap and tried it on, my first reaction was something like DUH!!!! How is it that the greatest minds on the industry that have taken us into the digital age and into sensors that can push 60 megapixels haven’t improved on the single most important interface you have to the camera since the introduction of the SLR?

I’m really being serious here. The lowly camera strap hasn’t been improved virtually at all and it took BlackRapid to finally take the basic camera strap and make it comfortable and safer around your neck. I really hope this makes the big camera makers feel stupid for not addressing this most basic needs of ALL camera owners.

In Shooting Position

Setup
Since the R-Strap connects to the D-Ring on the bottom of your tripod mount plate, many of us who keep the plate on our cameras have only to connect the strap to the D-Ring, adjust the length and stopper and you are set to go. This is FAR easier than trying to connect any traditional strap to a camera.

Once you have it on, you will want to adjust the length, this is going to be personal opinion but you will find there is a certain “sweet spot” that gives you the best position when the camera is down and allows you to bring it up fast and get the camera into position easily. There is piece that you will want to adjust down to the camera when it is resting at your side, this will help you to quickly position the camera and keep it from sliding back.

Adjustment Point

Usage
You first want to get the R-Strap adjusted properly. For most people you want to be able to pull the camera up and be able to hold it 6-7 inches away from your face, this will give you plenty of freedom to move around.

I will certainly admit I was a little uneasy at first dangling a couple grand worth of hardware on a $49 strap that connects to the D-Ring on the tripod mount, but within a short period of time I became very comfortable with it and the ease of using the camera with the R-Strap paid for itself over and over again. After while it becomes very natural to place the camera at your side and then reach for it and sling it into shooting position.

R-Strap hanging at David's Side

Results
Ok, so you have a strap that won’t fall off your shoulder, feels very comfortable to use, and doesn’t cost a fortune, But wait! There’s more! Not only does the R-Strap keep your gear secure, there is a side benefit of not being nearly as sore after a long shoot. Both David and I have both been using the R-Strap for about a month now and have shot a handful of weddings and events, because the weight is distributed differently, the neck pain normally associated with long shoots is greatly reduced. While the security and comfort make the R-Strap worthwhile, the comfort level makes it priceless. Every camera should come standard with and R-Strap!!

With the R-Strap I can easily put my camera down at my side and walk up to people to pose them without poking them with a big lens.” – David (Esquire Photography)

Summary
I’m sold! I am not taking the R-Strap off my camera! I vow to never use a regular camera strap again. David (Esquire Photography) is also a convert and uses a R-Strap on every shoot.

Final results:

Website: http://www.blackrapid.com
Author: Kerry Garrison

I have been a fan of Wolverine products for almost four years now and my trusty Wolverine FlashPac was in need of an upgrade. Not that the FlashPac didn’t do it’s job, its just that it was pretty slow and didn’t have a display that could be used to view the images. Without hesitation I turned back to Wolverine to see what they had available and I found the new ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player. While the full name may be a bit long, it does convey a lot more of the ESP’s features as well as being a card reader, external hard drive, and FM radio.

Overview
The ESP is an incredible multimedia device that can handle most all of your portable multimedia needs from listening to MP3′s, watching videos, playing a photo slideshow, or listening to FM radio. While many people will love all of those features, from a photographers point of view the most important things to me are the ability to do backups of my compact flash cards in the field, review the pictures on the device, and to have a portable device to show potential clients a slideshow of my work. The ESP does all of these tasks quite well and at a price that won’t make you wonder why you didn’t just buy a nice laptop instead.

Top view of the ESP

Features
As already mentioned the ESP has a multi-function card reader that can either make backups to the internal hard drive of the ESP or when connected to your computer’s USB port your cards will appear of drives that you can access directly.

• Store and View Thousands of Photos

• • Download images directly from any digital camera without a computer
  • Use it to backup and carry all your digital images
  • Display JPEG, Bitmap, Tiff, Text and RAW images (most popular SLR Cameras)
  • Print directly to printers

• Store and Play Thousands of Songs

• • Supports five music Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, AAC (MP4-audio) & CDA
  • Easy, drag and drop music files from your computer and play them instantly

• Store and Play Hundreds of Hours of Video

• • Supports: MPEG-1, MPEG-4, WMV9 and Xvid

• Built-in FM Radio

• • Listen and RECORD your favorite talk shows or music from any FM Radio Station
  • Scan and preset up to 18 different Radio Stations

• Plugs to TV and Stereo System

• • With the included Video/Audio cable connect the ESP directly to any TV or Projector
  • View a slide show of your favorite photos or watch recorded videos on the big screen
  • Connect to a stereo system to enjoy and share your music collection

Setup
The setup of the ESP is quite simple, it comes with both an AC adapter and a USB cable, be sure and plug it in until fully charged before using it the first time, after that the simple to navigate menu system walks you through everything you need to know.

“The ESP was a lifesaver for us at a fashion shoot when the assistant left the CF cards back in the car. With the ESP we would fill up a card, tell everyone to take a five minute break, dump the cards to the ESP and get right back to shooting.” – David , Esquire Photography

ESP Controls

Usage
The ESP’s operating system is very simple to use and works the way I would expect it to, when I insert a card it pops up and asks me what I want to do with it, I select backup and it just starts working. The main controls consist of the “joystick”, a menu button, and the ESC button.

Using just these three simple controls you can manage everything on the system. The “-” and “+” buttons control volume. The only other control is the power button on the right side as well as a lock control to keep the power from coming on accidentally.

At the bottom you can see a small mic port for doing audio notes and near the top are the LED indicator lights.

The has an optional docking station that can also be used for capturing video and audio from remote devices. Since I don’t have a use for that right now I didn’t get one yet to see how that works.

ESP Menu System

The menu system is an icon driven system with easy-to-read captions to help you navigate. Pushing left/right or up/down on the directional pad will move you from application to application and then pushing in will select the item. The Menu key will give you a list of available options from wherever you are while the ESC key will back you out one step at a time.

The main thing to keep in mind is that images that are backed up from a memory card are found in the Backup application instead of the Pictures application. You have to specifically copy images into the Pictures folder for them to be viewed there. This is a great way of having a photo slideshow of images without getting confused as to what images are from your current photo shoot.

What I actually like to do is to backup my images to the ESP and then if I have time, review them for focus issues or just for being a bad image, I can delete them right from the ESP and save time later when importing the images into my computer.

ESP playing video

For client meetings, I also created a couple of really nice slideshows using Proshow Gold and output them formatted properly for the ESP. Let me tell you, the image shown here does not do the ESP justice, the screen may only be 320×240 but the slideshows and pictures look fantastic on it. So far, everyone that has seen the slideshow videos on the ESP have been very impressed.

The ESP has a bunch of other features that I could spend a few more pages writing about but they really don’t have much appeal to me, these include the mp3 player, the FM radio, the audio recorder, and the Tetris-like game that is included. While those are nice add-ons, they really aren’t the main reason a photographer is going to want the ESP.

Tested Transfer Speeds (1gb of data)

Reader to Computer    3:31 minutes
Reader to ESP    3:43 minutes
ESP to Computer    1:44 minutes

Why the ESP?
Why would I choose the Wolverine ESP over the Epson P-5000? The simple answer is a cost/benefit analysis blows the Epson out of the running. For almost twice the price of the Wolverine ESP, the Epson P-5000 offers basically a nicer screen. When the folks at Wolverine decided to make a new device, they interviewed tons of photographers and asked them what they would like to see that would compete against the Epson units and the top answer was that they wanted a much more affordable device even if it meant having a lower resolution LCD display.  If I am going to spend $800 for a portable media device, its going to be a new laptop, not a small box I throw into my camera bag and use mostly as an external drive and card reader. Coming in at $329, the ESP is much more affordable and does it’s job exceptionally well. It’s a nice upgrade from my old FlashPac in terms of functions and download speeds which is a nice bonus as well.

What’s in the box
In the box you will find the ESP unit itself along with the nice quality carrying case along with the user documentation and CD, AC charger, USB cable, Audio/Video cable (to connect to TV), and Earphone.

Summary
The Wolverine ESP competes nicely against other units offering similar features and at a price that doesn’t give you sticker shock. The base features do exactly what they are supposed to do while there are enough extras to add even more value to the package. I don’t leave for a shoot without my ESP in my bag and often will be making my backups of my cards on the drive home. With my old Flashpac I would have to be quite far away to actually finish a large backup on the drive home but now it takes a fraction of the time.

Final results:

Website: Wolverine Data
Author: Kerry Garrison

Overview
When you are on the run constantly, your camera bag is the home for all your equipment and having confidence that your equipment is safe and secure shouldn’t have to be something else for you to have to think about. A good camera bag should protect your equipment from the inevitable bumps and impacts but it also has to travel well and be able to help keep you organized so you aren’t scrambling around trying to find something. The very first line of Think Tank’s mission statement really gives you a clue what to expect:

“We are a group of designers and photographers focused on studying how photographers work, and developing innovative new carrying solutions to meet their needs.”

If you have ever used a cheap no-name brand bag and then got yourself a Think Tank bag, you would simply be amazed at the difference.

Features
As I mentioned in the intro, the Airport International 2.0 roller is an ideal choice for someone that carries a good amount of equipment and has to travel. The Airport International 2.0 was designed to fit all international carry-on requirements to help ensure that you should never have to check your bag as luggage. While that doesn’t guarantee that a plane won’t be overloaded and they may force you to check your bags, at least it won’t be because the bag doesn’t meet their requirements. Hidden in the back is a hefty cable and padlock that can be used to secure the back to an immoveable object. In the front is a smaller cable that can be used to secure your tripod or other bags, and on the side is a unique lock that will secure the front zippers to make sure nobody can get access to your equipment.

Inside is plenty of soft padding and more dividers of different size than you could ever possibly use. It’s so nice to be able to completely customize a bag for how you want it to be instead of how some designed thought you should put things. On the smaller zippers are small string handles which have been improved over previous models with a molded handle instead of a knot that can come undone.

• INTERNATIONAL carry-on size
• TSA Security combination lock
• Front cable & lock secures laptops
• Back cable & lock secures to fixed object
• Security Plate with unique serial number
• Holds up to a 500mm lens
• Optional 15″ or 17″ laptop case
• Optional “low divider” set
• Interior organizer
• Replaceable wheels
• Front stretch pocket
• Front organizational pocket
• Business card holder
• Bottom handle
• Outside Diameter: 14″ wide x 8″ deep x 21″ tall

Usage
I swear, if I had to call Think Tank and order the bag with just the right amount of dividers and only with the exact tripod straps that I would use so that they could save money on shipping out all the extras it would still be worth it but having all those things means that everyone who buys a bag from Think Tank Photo can personalize it to their specific needs. For me, I keep one lens on one body all the time so I can get to it quickly and easily. I keep my other lenses handy and a second body tucked away in case I need it. Other people do not travel with lenses on their bodies or need to be able to have three or even four bodies. The diversity of the interior dividers that come with the Airport International 2.0 is simply staggering. On the outside, there are a handful of straps and even a small bag to allow you to accommodate anything from a monopod to a very large tripod.

Hauling the gear around with the Airport International 2.0 is simply a breeze thanks to the rollers (which are replaceable) that roll smoooooth and straight. In a crowed area, being able to secure your equipment and focus on your shoot is a piece of mind that only enough money to hire an assistant to sit on your bag and protect it can buy.

Results
I have mentioned this before with reviews of the other Think Tank Photo products I use but it needs to be mentioned again, you will simply not believe the quality of the construction of these products. You look at RC-Fuse zipper which actually melts (fuses) the thread with the plastic coil to create an exceptionally durable zipper, or the thought that goes into adding just the right amount of structural support to keep the entire system stable without adding extra weight, or even just the overall construction and you know you do not have an El Cheapo bag you sniped off eBay for $20.

Let’s be honest though, this is NOT a $20 bag my any means, the cheapest price we could find was $328.95 at Samys Camera which is a whopping 5 CENTS off list price. The question you have to ask yourself is “do you need a $330 camera bag?”. The answer depends on you. If you are a professional photographer and are going to be using a camera bag on pretty much a daily basis, then yes, you absolutely need a bag like this. If you pull out your DSLR every other month to shoot the cat with its head stuck in your wife’s purse strap again, maybe not. If you are like me and shoot on a regular basis, often needing to leave your equipment out of site for a few minutes (weddings and receptions) then the safety and security of the Airport International 2.0 pays for itself in piece of mind the very first time you use it.

Website: http://thinktankphoto.com
Author: Kerry Garrison

Equipment Used