PhotographySavvy

Review: The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light From Small Flashes

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:33:29 -0500

Fresh off the success of his last book, "The Moment It Clicks," Joe McNally has returned with "The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light From Small Flashes." His last book mainly focused on the images and the stories and obstacles behind them, along with some technical details. "The Hot Shoe Diaries," as the name implies, is completely about shooting and making the most out of hot shoe Speedlights.

The book starts off with the basics. A lot is covered in this section including camera and flash functionality, technique and lighting principals. Joe also talks a little bit about some of his tools of the trade and the rationale behind why he uses them. He does a great job of taking some of the more complex subjects and explaining them in a very simple manner. He also interjects his very funny humor here and throughout the book to keep things interesting.

Five Tips to Improve Your Point-and-Shoot Pictures

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:02:19 -0500

This article gives five simple yet very effective tips for improving the quality of pictures from your point-and-shoot camera.

1. Anticipate the Action/Squeeze, Don't Mash

Perhaps one of the biggest complaints people have with point and shoot cameras is the "delay" that the camera has between shots. This was a huge problem with older cameras and has improved, yet not been completely eliminated, with newer models. However, the camera is not always the one to blame.

A common mistake with point and shoot users is they want to (literally) mash the button and have the camera respond immediately. The shot doesn't come out the way the user wants it, and they get frustrated with the camera. While point and shoots may not be able to respond quite as fast as a DSLR, there are definitely ways to improve your "keeper rate." If you are pressing the shutter as the action is happening, you are already too late. Keep in mind when you press the shutter, the camera has to focus, and make sure the flash is ready (if you are using it) before it can actually take the shot.

First, point your camera where you think (or want) the action to take place. Then gently press and hold the shutter down half way. This allows the camera to pre-focus in the general area that you want the action to happen. Once it takes place, you should be able to gently squeeze the shutter and take the picture. Your camera might still have some hesitation, but it should be greatly reduced when compared to simply mashing the button. It may take some practicing, but this should help a lot.

PocketWizard Announces ZoneController for ControlTL System

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:50:24 -0500

PocketWizard has announced the ZoneController, a device that allows the photographer to control three independent zones of light in both ControlTL and manual modes. The ZoneController slides into the upper hot-shoe of a MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 allows power adjustment in 1/3 f-stop increments over a six stop range in each triggering group (A, B, or C). You can also switch between manual, and TTL triggering, or completely disable a group. The ZoneController will be available late this summer with no pricing announced.

Olympus Unveils the E-P1

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:06:28 -0500

After nearly a year of waiting and speculation, Olympus has introduced their first Micro Four-Thirds offering, the E-P1. Essentially a "compact" camera with interchangeable lenses, the E-P1 features a 12.3-megapixel Four-Thirds sized sensor, a 3.0-inch LCD screen, and a stylish stainless-steel body. Other highlight features include 720p HD video capture, in-body stabilization, dust reduction, an ISO range of 100-6400, and 3 FPS shooting.

Also introduced were two M. Zuiko Digital lenses: the ED 17mm f/2.8 and ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom. Both lenses are compact to match the size of the E-P1 camera. It is also possible to use existing Four-Thirds lenses with the MMF-1 adapter, or Olympus OM lenses with the MF-2 adapter.

The Olympus E-P1 will be available as a body only ($749.99), with the 14-42mm lens ($799.99), or with the 17mm f/2.8 lens and an optical viewfinder ($899.99). All of the configurations are expected to be available this July.

EOS 5D Mark II Gets Manual Control in Video Mode UPDATED

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:16:49 -0500

Canon USA has made a posting on their website today announcing an upcoming firmware update to their popular EOS 5D Mark II. The firmware update will allow users to manually control the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed during video recording. ~~The only indication of a release date says early June, but other Canon subsidiaries have said June 2nd. We'll keep you up to date when the firmware becomes available.~~

UPDATE: The firmware is now available and can be downloaded here

Review: Rick Sammon's Field Guide to Digital Photography: Quick Lessons on Making Great Pictures

Wed, 27 May 2009 13:53:49 -0500

Rick Sammon is a renowned wildlife photographer, instructor and author of many books. His latest, Rick Sammon's Field Guide to Digital Photography, is designed to be a handbook that fits easily into your camera bag. Despite its small size, the book is jam packed with a lot of useful information and tips for taking great photographs.

Field Guide to Digital Photography contains a lot of the information and techniques found in Sammon's other books but is more straightforward and to the point. For example: Exploring the Light contained exposure, camera, and lens information for the majority of the photographs in the book.

In contrast, Field Guide to Digital Photography contains technical information only when it is necessary and focuses much more on technique, composition, the quality and type of light, and color. Like his other books, Sammon illustrates all of the material with his excellent portfolio of images.

Initial Impressions: Nikon D5000

Wed, 20 May 2009 10:25:45 -0500

The D5000 is the latest camera in Nikon's entry level line of DSLRs. The camera inherits some of the D90's features but keeps things simplified for beginners. It's also the first camera in the Nikon line to feature an articulating LCD screen. I had the opportunity to play with the D5000 for a few days. Continue reading to see how it shapes up.

Editors Note: This is by no means an exhaustive review but merely my observations on the new camera.

Body

Unlike the last jump in this lineup from the D40 to the D60, the D5000 has had some revisions to the body design. The most obvious is the 2.7" swiveling LCD screen. The screen flips out and can be positioned below the body or on back of the camera. The swiveling gives some versatility with the live view, and you can almost think of it as a digital waist-level finder.

D5000 Back

I did, however, encounter a problem with the LCD when using a tripod. I used two different tripod heads and both of them restricted the movement of the LCD screen while mounted. Both of these heads used the fairly common Manfrotto RC2 quick release plate. The lack of swiveling seems to differ on a head by head basis, because I didn't have the problem when trying it on a ball head. It's still something to be aware of, and I'm sure it will be addressed in the next revision of the series.

Compact Camera Buying Guide

Sun, 03 May 2009 10:02:01 -0500

Compact digital cameras have come a long way over the past few years. The features keep getting better and better while the prices get less and less expensive. Manufacturers also seem to be refreshing their cameras at a very rapid pace, with replacement models coming out as many as two to three times in a year.

Just in time for this year's new crop of spring cameras, Photography Savvy has some things to look out for when purchasing your next compact camera.

New Paul C. Buff Products Coming

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:50:05 -0500

A posting on the Paul C. Buff (creator of Alien Bees, White Lightning, and Zeus line of studio flashes) message board has revealed a new line of products coming this summer.

Nikon Announces 12.3-Megapixel D5000

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:31:25 -0500

Nikon has unveiled the new 12.3-megapixel D5000, the latest in its entry-level line of digital SLRs. The D5000 inherits a lot of features from the popular D90 such as the CMOS sensor, 11-point AF system, Live-View, and D-Movie mode while retaining the small form factor of the D40/D40x/D60 line of cameras. Also, for the first time in a Nikon DSLR, the D5000 features a 2.7-inch vari-angle LCD screen. The D5000 will be available at the beginning of April 2009 with a price of $729.99 body only, or $849.99 with the AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR. Click through for the full details on the camera.

Nikon Announces 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:11:01 -0500

Nikon has introduced a new ultra-wide angle lens for DX format sensors, the AF-S DX-NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED. Featuring a picture angle of 109-degrees to 61-degrees and a lightweight design, this lens should be a nice addition to any DX-shooter's arsenal. The AF-S DX-NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED should be available in May with a price of $899.99.

Stroboscopic Flash with Speedlights

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:32:24 -0500

Stroboscopic flash is when a series of flashes are fired continuously in a single exposure. The multiple bursts of light allow you to freeze a moving subject multiple times as it moves through the frame. The results are very similar to that of combining multiple exposures. This tutorial is a brief overview of how stroboscopic flash works.

How Do I Access Stroboscopic Flash?

Many of today's high-end Speedlights such as the Canon 580EX/EX II and Nikon SB-800/900 have this feature built in. Canon refers to this feature as Multi Mode while Nikon calls it Repeating Flash (RPT). We'll be using a Nikon SB-800 for this tutorial, but all of these concepts can be applied to any flash with a stroboscopic mode.

Stroboscopic flash is first controlled by the flash output, frequency, and number of frames. First, you set the power level of your flash just as you would in manual mode. Frequency, expressed in Hz, represents the number of flashes per second. The number of flashes represents exactly how many times your flash will fire at a given frequency. Keep in mind, the lower the output, the more flashes you can get at a given frequency.

Nik Software Brings U-Point to Lightroom 2

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:29:15 -0500

Nik Software's Color Efex Pro 3.0 Complete Edition and Viveza have both received an update that allows them to work as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom 2.3 or later. The updates are free to users of both products and can be downloaded directly from Nik Software's website. You'll need your Product Key in order to complete the installation.

Canon Launches EOS Rebel T1i

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:06:04 -0500

Canon has announced the EOS Rebel T1i, the latest in its entry-level line of DSLR cameras. Picking up features from its big brothers the EOS 50D and EOS 5D Mark II, the Rebel T1i features a 15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, a high-resolution 3.0-inch LCD, and DIGIC 4 processor. It's also the first Rebel to offer full HD video with 1080p capture at 20 fps, and 720p at 30 fps. The Rebel T1i will be available in May with an estimated price of $799.99 body only, and $899.99 with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens.

Also introduced is the all new 270EX Speedlight, a new small, lightweight hotshoe flash. The 270EX is powered by two AA batteries, and offers a tilting flash head for bounce flash. This should be an excellent companion for EOS and Powershot G/SX series users wanting a small flash for their camera. Pricing is not available, but I would presume it will be priced comparably to the previous 220EX Speedlight.

PMA 2009: Wrap-Up Report

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:55:16 -0500

Another PMA has passed us by along with a slew of new products. Although this year's show has been a little slower than previous years in terms of announcements, there are still some very interesting products. Here is a roundup of Photography Savvy's favorite announcements from PMA 2009.