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My review of the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 RF lens for Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras

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The 85mm focal length is what most would likely be considered the portrait photographer’s lens of choice, as this lens combines both incredible image quality, artistic blur, and very little distortion. The minimum focusing distance for the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 RF lens is approximately 85.34 cm from the intended focal point.

This means that the photographer will have to stand further back than when using a wider focal length such as the 35mm. The depth of field has the potential for that bokeh and creamy background that many photographers desire for natural headshots.

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Laowa just made the worlds widest rectilinear full frame lens… and its AWESOME!

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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!

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Moment’s Variable ND filters for mirrorless and DSLRs offer great quality at an affordable price

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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.

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The Mavic Air 2’s object avoidance system looks like DJI’s best yet

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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).

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The IRIX CINE 45mm strikes a perfect balance between price and performance

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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.

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First hands on review with the NiSi close-up lens

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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.

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Godox’s lens-sized AD300Pro strobe is a portable power house

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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.

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First impressions from Tamron’s affordable 70-180 F/2.8 lens

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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.

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This is hands down the best dual use bag I’ve used so far

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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.

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My Canon EOS 1D X Mark III real world review

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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…

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