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This studio simulation is so good, I am recreating my entire portfolio as CGI

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Being kind of a computer geek, I found myself looking for a good way to simulate studio lights. I tried Blender, Cinema 4D, and other 3D programs until I found Set.a.Light 3D. Let me save you the long read. It’s awesome. OK, you can continue now.

I first fell in love with Set.aLight 3D with one of its first versions back in 2015 or so. It was love at first light (sorry! I could not resist the pun). Since those early days, the simulation improved quite a bit, and the latest v2 release officially blew my mind.

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Retouching Toolkit 3.0 initial review – it kicks butt

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When Conny told me about the brand new Retouching Toolkit 3.0, it almost felt too good to be true. Can you imagine having a more modular version of Photoshop? I wish it was like this out of the box. Since it isn’t, Conny had to go and make it and thank goodness he did.

It’s a software that allows you to make your own modular panels so that they can be used in Photoshop! It allows you to modify and combine your favorite actions, scripts, PS tools, shortcuts, and menu options in any way that is best for your own workflow. It’s future proof as it will begin to include future modules, updates, and it already has the ability to save and share setups from other users. So now you can combine different tools for different jobs in the most concise way possible. That is the premise of the new Retouching Toolkit.

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Yashica Y35 DigiFilm camera review & teardown – “Don’t buy this sh*t”

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Kickstarter projects often get a pretty negative response from the get-go, especially in the photography world. And while many people forget that it’s simply a venue, and you have to look at the seller, sometimes the audience gets duped. That appears to be the case with the Yashica Y35 “DigiFilm” camera. At least according to this review from Point&ShootClub.

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Light painting tools war: PixelStick Vs Magilight

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A few years back I heard of an interesting photography device. The Pixel Stick. It is a light painting tool that can “paint” images in the air based on jpgs. When it was launched, there was nothing quite like it in the market, and it made $600,000 on Kickstarter, which was very impressive for the time. The Pixel stick was a one of a kind for a very long time, but about a year ago, a similar contraption came to the market, The Magilight. Like the Pixelstick it was launched via crowdfunding and made just over half a mil. We took both tools to the desert for head to head test. Here are our thoughts:

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How does the Samyang AF 14mm 2.8 stack up against the 3X priced Canon 14mm 2.8 lens

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When it comes to buying a new lens, the question is always there: Do I buy the Brand’s lens (Canon, Nikon, etc.) or do I buy a third party lens for a fraction for the price. I was wondering the same thing. Specifically with regards to $2,1000 Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Lens vs the (a third of the price) $700 Samyang Rokinon AF 14mm f/2.8 Lens for Canon EF*. We were surprised by the results. [image above shot with the Samyang lens]

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A review of the most expensive hot shoe strobe in the world – the Profoto A1

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The Profoto A1 is the new on-camera flash. And off-camera flash. And Air remote. You can use it any way you like. For me as a photographer (mainly portraits) working on-location a lot, this is the piece of equipment I have been waiting for a long time.

So, this might not be the most objective review you have read, but hopefully interesting in some way.

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The Godox XPro-P flash trigger is a “game changer” for Pentax photographers

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I’ve reviewed the Godox XPro trigger before, a little over a year ago. Normally, I wouldn’t review the same product again just because it comes out with compatibility for a different camera system. My original review was with the XPro-C, but I didn’t review the XPro-N, XPro-F, XPro-S or XPro-O. So why am I posting a review of the XPro-P for Pentax?

Well, to put it simply, it’s kind of a big deal – at least for Pentax shooters. Pentax has traditionally had very little 3rd party flash support. It’s had some from Cactus with the whole X-TTL thing, but the recent demise of the RQ250 has left Pentax shooters with very little confidence in Cactus’ future. Other options have been iffy at best. But now there’s a new kid in town. The Godox XPro-P.

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The Godox AD400 Pro is the best value for money strobe Godox has ever made

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The Godox AD400 Pro is the newest portable all-in-one strobe from Godox. It’s basically a 400Ws version of the AD600 Pro. It has a few design differences and a little less power, but basically an identical feature set.

I’ve been playing with the AD400 Pro over the last couple of weeks to see how it handles and how it compares to some of the other portable strobes in the Godox product range.

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This roller case is one feature away from being perfect

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If there’s one thing about camera bags and cases, it’s that we never seem to have enough. Like the cameras they contain, they just build up and multiply over time. We justify the collection of bags and cases by saying that each has a different purpose. That they’re all used when shooting in different circumstances.

And while “the perfect camera bag” can never exist, there can be perfect examples of particular types of bags for each of those different circumstances. And when circumstances call for a roller case, the Lowepro PhotoStream SP 200 comes pretty close.[Read More…]

DIYP reviews the Wacom Intuos – The ultimate editing travel companion for photographers

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I’ve been a big fan of Wacom tablets for years. Whenever anybody asks me what tablet to buy, my response is usually “Whatever’s within your budget that has Wacom written on it”.

So, when Wacom announced their new entry-level Intuos tablets earlier this year, I was intrigued. It’s seen a few updates over previous generations. And now I’ve spent the last few weeks getting to know one.

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