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We ordered a bunch of Flickr prints and here’s an in-depth review

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In August this year, Flickr brought back its photo printing service. Alex (a.k.a. Shaka1277) ordered two prints to see what they look like, and he kindly shared his impressions with DIYP and our readers. But, many people wanted to know more about prints from Flickr and about the ordering process itself. So, we ordered a bunch of them and here we bring you a truly in-depth review.

I printed some of my photos: color and black and white, digital and film; in different finishes and different sizes. You’ll see what they look like, and I even did some torture-testing. I got everything in photos, videos, and of course – in writing, so you can get a full picture. So let’s get right into it!

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Keeping it small, using rear filters for the Sigma 14-24 f2.8 Art DG DN

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A while ago Sigma joined the L mount alliance along with Panasonic and Leica.  Although it wasn’t really till recently that we started to see the true results of this collaboration when Sigma released their new fp camera.  They also released several “designed for mirrorless” lenses like the 14-24 f2.8 Art DG DN. Those lenses are both smaller and lighter than their DSLR counterparts.

One of the new features of the 14-24f2.8 Art DG DN lens is the built-in rear filter holder. It allows you to lock in a gel filter, which you can cut using the template provided with the lens.

This is a relatively inexpensive way to reduce the amount of light coming into the camera. I used to cut ND gels to fit into my MC-11 adaptor and while they worked, the gels could easily scratch, bend and crease, while also reducing image quality a little. I don’t know, maybe it was the particular ND gel I used.

What if you wanted something that is more durable with better optical performance, but without needing a huge 150mm filter system to attach onto the front of the lens?

Introducing the Kase rear filter set designed exclusively for the Sigma 14-24 f2.8 Art DG DN.

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Hands on with the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III – A landscape perspective

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My main objective isn’t to provide an in-depth ‘review’ of the lens, but I hope to offer the reader a few insights in terms of how the lens performs from a landscape photographer’s perspective. A photographer who usually prefers to shoot ultra wide angle. I received the Tamron 17–28 in October and have had time to play around with the lens a little; enough to form an opinion and to shoot some example images (by adding a Dark Reader extension to your browser it will be possible to view the images on black).

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Z mount and F mount go head-to-head in this Nikon 85mm f/1.8G vs 85mm f/1.8S comparison

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One of the biggest issues any time a new camera system is released, is the lack of lenses. It’s what held back Sony’s first couple of generations, and it’s one of the hesitations amongst buyers towards Canon and Nikon’s mirrorless offerings – especially when the native RF and Z mount lenses are so expensive.

Fortunately, both Nikon and Canon have a long history and have released their own lens adapters for the new systems. But how does a Nikon 85mm f/1.8G lens compare to the Nikon 85mm f/1.8S? That’s what Dariusz Breś wanted to find out, so he compared the $427 F mount lens to the $797 Z mount lens on the Nikon Z7.

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Litra Torch 2.0 vs. Lume Cube 2.0 – Action Light comparisson

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A few years back we tested the original Lume Cube vs the Litra torch. We were pretty aggressive and we threw the lights, froze them, and dunked them in water. Since then, Litra advanced to Litra Torch 2.0, and Lume Cube recently released the Lume Cube 2.0. We wanted to revisit our review and see how the two new Action Lights compare. This time though, no lights were hurt during the shooting.

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Hollyland Mars 400S – Amazing quality wireless video at an affordable price

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Wireless video transmission used to be extremely expensive. It still can be if you need higher-end kit, but it’s started to come down to much more reasonable prices. One such reasonably priced wireless video transmission is the Hollyland Mars 400S which comes in at only $649 and supports both HDMI and SDI inputs and outputs.

I’ve been using the Mars 400S for a few weeks now, and have found it to be quite useful in situations where I wouldn’t normally be able to stand right next the camera to monitor what it sees while it’s recording. Is it the right system for you? Well, keep reading, and you’ll be able to make that decision for yourself.

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Rode NTG5 – The ultimate all-rounder shotgun microphone

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The Rode NTG5 short shotgun broadcast microphone came with a lot of interest and intrigue. The biggest question being “What’s with the holes?”. The NTG5 has an all-new design over Rode’s previous shotgun microphones, which Rode says helps to produce a more natural true-to-life sound. We put the NTG5 to the test to see how that claim holds up.

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Lanparte BMPCC 4K/6K Camera Cage, Whats new?

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A few months ago I reviewed the Lanparte cage for the 4K Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera and really liked it. You can find the full review for that here. What could they have possibly improved for the 6K version? (B&H | Amazon)

A handy feature of the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K is that it is pretty much the exact same size and shape as the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. So most cages made for the 4K will fit the 6K. That is true in this example too – the 4K cage will fit the 6K camera and the 6K cage will fit the 4K camera.

So what have Lanparte done to change or improve on their 4K Cage? Because improve it they have. My top three in reverse:

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Comparing Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros II to original Acros. What’s the difference?

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Understandably, I was very excited to hear the news of Fujifilm bringing back NEOPAN 100 ACROS in the form of ACROS II earlier this year. So, when a second announcement came with details of a November 22nd Japanese release date, I started making calls to see if I could buy some. I got lucky and $190 dollars and a week later, I received my shipment; a brick each of 35mm and 120 ACROS II.

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The Manfrotto Advanced2 Hybrid Backpack is the best photography travel bag I’ve ever used

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I’ve spoken about camera bags before. They’re one of those things that photographers just seem to collect. Each has its purpose, but ultimately, many of them fail to live up to expectations and just end up becoming gear storage to keep the dust off your kit when it’s not in use. I’ve owned far too many bags for years, so new ones rarely get me excited anymore.

Recently, though, I’ve been using the new Manfrotto Advanced2 Hybrid Backpack, and it’s very quickly become my favourite travel photography bag and one that I use all the time.

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