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The Godox MS200 is a sub $100 200WS strobe – A review

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With all the LI-ION strobes going around, it is sometimes hard to remember that not so long ago, most strobes had to be connected to a power outlet to actually work. But with the rise of the battery-operated strobe, the AC-powered strobes are now cheaper than even and provide a great opportunity to get started in a studio for almost no money at all. The Godox MS200 (Amazon | B&H) is a prime example of that.

I recently was contacted by Godox to review their new MS200 200ws monolight. Being on the low budget end of the spectrum at $99.00 on Amazon or B&H, I did not expect too much. I was quite surprised by the value of this value monolight.

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The Moza Slypod – Gimmick or a valuable tool for filmmakers?

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The world was introduced to the Moza Slypod in grand fashion at NAB 2019 earlier this year. We went to the Gudsen stand to check it out while we were there, too. It’s an interesting device, with a whole new take on the camera slider form factor. It essentially looks like a motorised monopod, but how good is it really? In this video, Caleb Pike walks us around the features of the Slypod, and what he thinks about it.

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Using Lumee LEDs for light painting

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I guess it’s a sign of the times, but I get sent far more LED lights to test than any other light…. even though I never personally use LEDs.

When I say I don’t use LED lights, it’s not because I have a dislike for them, but for me, they have limitations that I struggle to deal with when I shoot what I shoot. If you’re after some affordable continuous light for video work that looks natural and emulates everyday lighting, then LEDs are your first and smartest choice. But for what I do, which is often very controlled and saturated colour work that is anything but natural, I’m going to stick to the control and power of flash for now.

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This panel randomly provides textures for your Photoshop edits

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Textures can really enhance the mood or the feel of an image. People that follow me and my photography know I love using textures in my work. So, it was an absolute no brainer to test out the Infinite Texture Panel.

There’s no shortage of Textures around the internet these days… but what if you had access to the largest database of high-resolution textures with a click of a button? Sounds cool right? This is exactly what the Infinite Texture Panel does. Be prepared to be amazed!

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This is a great messenger bag for mirrorless cameras

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I know that Peak Design’s Everyday Messenger has been here for a while. I’ve been using it for about four months now as my “lighter bag” and wanted to share my thought about why I think that it’s a great bag for small kits, and probably not the right choice if you have more gear.

Let me say this though, I love bags. A new bag is a check that cashes immediacy. You don’t need to take photos with it, no need to set it up, no need to bring a model in. the minute you buy a photography bag, it delivers. This is why I have lots and lots of bags. And this is why buying this (or any) photography bag will make you happy on the spot. Ready? lets jump in.

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Best Video Tripod for Filmmakers! – Sachtler Flowtech 75

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To understand my view on the Sachtler Flowtech 75 (B&H | Amazon) I need to share a story. I remember one time I walked into my rental house, and I came to pick up my Sony FS7. It was outfitted with all the bells and whistles that one would need for a production. I called the rental house owner and asked him the last minute if it’s ok to add a tripod. He told me, “sure, no problem! Take the Sachtler 20”. I asked the worker to get me one and asked him how much extra it was going to be and he said: “Nothing”. Later we chatted and I asked him how could it be that you give a $6,000 camera with a tripod that costs more than $11,000? That’s double what the camera costs! His answer stuck with me for years to come.

“A good tripod keeps everything on top of it safe, it’s cheaper for me to rent the tripod for free and have no broken cameras returned than to save some pennies on the tripod and fix a camera every few rentals.”

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Review of the Haida M10 Filter System and 6 & 10-stop neutral density filters

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Although many lens filters were pretty much eradicated by the advent of digital photography, there are two which still hold a lot of value that can’t really be accurately replicated in Photoshop. Those are polarizers and neutral density filters. You can try, but you’ll never get it looking exactly like the real thing.

Recently, I’ve been trying out Haida’s M10 filter system, along with their circular polarizer, 6-stop M10 drop-in ND filter and the 100x100mm square 10-stop Red Diamond ND filter. The weather’s been kind of crappy here in Scotland lately, but I did get out to give them a try and do some slightly more objective tests, too. Here’s what I found out and what I think.

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A hands on first look at the new Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

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It’s only just been announced, but The School of Photography was lucky enough to be the first to get their hands on the new Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III in the UK, so they’ve posted a review video. In it, they put the camera through its paces, testing the camera for both its photography and video abilities, exploring the new features on a model shoot.

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I found the perfect roller-backpack hybrid – the Manfrotto Pro Light Reloader Switch-55

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Photographers and videographers alike are plagued with the burden of carrying equipment, it’s really just part of the job. Whether you’re a photographer who wants to have all your flashes ready in a jiffy, or a videographer who has multiple systems and multiple lenses; you’ll eventually have to move your gear from point A to point B.

Backpacks have always been the way to go for me, they’re usually not very bulky, have more space, and are not restricted to any specific dimensions. However, as someone who travels a lot, I can find myself lugging a 25+ kilos backpack around airports with kilometers of walking at a time (thanks, Madrid). So it finally happened, I caved in and switched to the Manfrotto Pro Light Reloader Switch-55. (Amazon | B&H)

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Blackmagic Pocket 4K/6K cage comparison – SmallRig vs Nitze

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If you’ve had a go at shooting video for any length of time with any camera that has a DSLR or mirrorless-like form factor, you soon realise that you need some form of cage. You need to attach handles, lights, microphones, external batteries and all kinds of doohickies. Sure, you have a cold shoe on many cameras, but you can only attach one thing to that.

When it comes to the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, there isn’t even a cold shoe. There’s just a 1/4-20″ screw thread, and it can’t handle a lot of weight attached to it. The solution to this problem is to add a cage.

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