Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
We recently released some footage of Laowas 9mm f5.6 Dreamer. This Full-frame rectilinear lens blew us away, but we needed to get more footage to really understand the lens.
It seems like a silly concept to describe how wide 9mm is. However, the first time you open the camera you realize, WOW!… that’s wide. Most of the time, when using the lens you end up looking around to see JUST how wide it is! I found the perfect shot to describe it!
Variable neutral density filters have become invaluable tools for many photographers and filmmakers. They allow us to carry less kit to be able to extend our shutter speed in a variety of lighting conditions vs big holders and multiple square format filters. In recent years, their prices have fallen quite dramatically, too, while their overall quality has greatly improved.
Moment’s recently released variable ND filters have come in at a very attractive price, but do they hold up to scrutiny? With the lockdown in Scotland, I haven’t been able to get out to play with them properly in the wild yet, but I have been able to do some testing to get an idea of their capabilities. So, here’s what I think.
DJI recently announced the much anticipated Mavic Air 2 drone. It boasts an impressive feature set over its predecessor, with a whopping 48-megapixel 1/2″ sensor, 4K 60fps video, HDR video, a 10-kilometre range and a rather substantial 34-minute flight time. But how well does it actually work? How does it feel to use?
Well, with all the lockdown in place around the world at the moment, it’s difficult for those who have units to really get out and give it a good try. But in this video, iPhonedo does what he can, showing us what comes included with the kit, some footage shot with the camera and some tests of how the various tracking modes work (wich some very impressive obstacle avoidance).
I’ve first seen the IRIX cine 45mm at PPE last year, when tradeshows were still a thing. On paper, it looked incredibly impressive for $1,200 so I was really hoping to take it for a spin. A few weeks ago, I got my hands on one and took it for a ride. TL;DR – The IRIX 45mm cine in an amazing deal for its price, with some nice features and a look that reminds me of the Zeiss CP.2 signature look.
I was on thin ice again when I received the Nisi close-up Lens a few days ago. It meant that I had to immerse myself in macro photography, something which takes years of practice to master.
The close-up lens works as a magnifying glass that you can attach to a telelens. In practice, this means that you can get much closer to your subject and that you can shoot macro without having to invest in a more expensive dedicated macro lens.
In these corona times, macro photography is a great past time activity, and you can just walk into your garden to find interesting subjects and compositions.
The Godox AD300Pro is the latest portable flash in the Godox X 2.4Ghz system lineup. It sits between the AD200Pro and AD400Pro in terms of power, but it seems to have the best bits of both. It has a decent amount of power when you need it, with colour consistency and fast recycle times, but it’s also small. Smaller than a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.
This review from Wes Perry goes through the features of the lens, with some practical tests and demonstrations offering up some of his thoughts of how the flash performs. It also has a few unique tricks of its own, that neither of its nearest siblings can perform – like a bicolour modelling light.
I have been using the new Tamron 70-180 for almost a week now, and I have fallen in love with the lens. It took a few days of trial and error for me to feel confident with a long lens and autofocus, but it was worth the effort. I almost exclusively shoot landscape with a wide angle so this experience was like stepping into a new and foreign world.
We first met WANDRD in PPE in New-york and they showed us the WANDRD DUO – a dual-use travel bag for photographers. The bag raked over $650,000 on Kickstater so we were curious to test it.
I was impressed with the bag build-quality and feel and fell in love with the zipper system (more on that in a bit). This bag is not big enough to hold all the gear I use for my usual shooting setup, but it’s just the right size for the casual walk with a camera, or a quick run and gun gig.
As many of you know, I have been lucky enough to have a Canon EOS 1DX Mark III in my possession for more than a month now. People have been asking me to review this new top-of-the-line camera, but I really wanted to put it through it’s paces in order to do a fair review.
There are lots of photographers or tech reviewers who write reviews of a new product, basically looking at the spec sheets, or holding it in their hands for a couple of minutes. But in my mind, there is no better way to review a product than to use it as my primary camera for a while and really get to know it in detail.
Now that I have become pretty familiar with the ins and outs of this camera, it is time to share my findings with all of you.
So…on to the testing…
For all their ups and downs, GoPro is still at the forefront when it comes to action cameras. The latest iteration of their flagship camera, the GoPro Hero 8 Black, has received very favourable reviews since its release last October. But how do the low budget “knock off” action cameras really compare?
That’s what Gene Nagata, otherwise known as Potato Jet, wanted to find out. So, he pairs them up to challenge them side-by-side. Ultimately, it looks like the $349 Hero 8 Black does win, which you’d expect given the cost, although the $119 Akaso v50 Pro doesn’t look too terrible for the price.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
His videos have over a hundred million views, have been extensively published by news outlets, and has even received recognition from a few film festivals, such as International Ocean Festival
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