Search Results for: jupiter

Shooting with a 50+ year old Russian lens on a Sony A7RII

October 28, 2016 by John Aldred 12 Comments

The Helios 44-2 is one of my favourite old lenses. This, along with the Jupiter-9 are my two most used manual focus lenses for stills and video. The Helios 44 line started in 1958. Its initial design is a copy of the Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm f/2, and was produced by KMZ for the M42 mount. Since that first version, it’s been through several iterations as technology has advanced.

In this video from Manny Ortiz, we see the Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens in action on a Sony A7RII. When you see the looks that can be achieved by this lens it’s easy to see why this quickly becomes a favourite of all who own one. The fact that they can be picked up for as low as $10 just makes it one that should be in everybody’s bag.

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5 Myths of Digital Photography

September 7, 2016 by Allen Murabayashi 2 Comments

Myths and misconceptions persist because they’re either compelling or no one bothers to correct them. For photographers, many myths of digital photography arose when trying to draw imperfect analogies to film photography.

Given the complex physics behind digital imaging, it’s not totally surprising that some myths persist, but here are a few you might want to be aware of.

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How to shoot Bokeh Panorama for animals and wildlife photography

August 18, 2016 by John Aldred 6 Comments

Bokeh Panoramas, (Bokehrama or the “Brenizer method“) are a way to simulate a large format look with small sensor cameras. In theory, the process is simple. Take a bunch of photos, then stitch them together in something like Photoshop.

What makes it different from a regular panoramic shot, is that the subject is primarily portraits with a relatively shallow depth of field. It allows you to create images you can’t otherwise get in a single shot from a DSLR. In this new video from photographer Mathieu Stern, we learn how we can apply this technique to animals and wildlife.

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Zenit are rejoining the race with their new 50mm f/0.95, 50mm f/1.2 and 85mm f/1.2 lenses

April 20, 2016 by John Aldred 1 Comment

Russian manufacturer KMZ has a long history in the photographic world, having produced cameras, lenses and enlargers under the Zenit brand since 1952.

Having been relatively quiet for a number of years, they’re now making a big comeback with the announcement of three very interesting new manual focus lenses; 85mm f/1.2, 50mm f/1.2 and 50mm f/0.95.

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GoPro captures surfer getting knocked off his board by a leaping shark

April 11, 2016 by GB Leave a Comment

One of the last things you want to see while paddleboarding is a shark. The absolute last thing you want to see while paddle boarding is a shark leap out of the water and knock you off your board.

But that’s exactly what happened to paddleboarder Maximo Trinidad. Thankfully, for us, the entire event was captured on a GoPro that was mounted to the front of his paddleboard.[Read More…]

Now is Your Chance to Photograph All Five Visible Planets in One Shot

January 20, 2016 by Liron Samuels 13 Comments

Of all the planets found in the Solar System, only five of the brightest planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, can be seen with the naked eye.

While all five of these planets can be seen throughout most of the year, as of this morning they can all be seen simultaneously as they (mostly) align diagonally in the early morning sky.

Last time this happened was over a decade ago, so ready your cameras and plan your shots.

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In Santa’s Sleigh Tracks: Watch The International Space Station Crossing The Moon

January 4, 2015 by Liron Samuels Leave a Comment

How high must your shutter speed be in order to photograph an object traveling at 17,500 mph while crossing another object moving at 2,288 mph? Not very high actually, when the nearest of the two objects is over 200 miles away and the other is over 225,000 miles away. However, you must be prepared well in advance and ready for the action as you will have less than one second to get your shot!

Gadi Eidelheit of Venus Transit did just this when he captured some rather rare footage of the International Space Station crossing in front of the moon.

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A Reminder: Meteor Shower for North America Tonight Friday-Saturday

May 23, 2014 by Maaz Khan 6 Comments

While we’re usually given a fairly early warning on when to expect an eclipse in the sky, or a meteor shower in the middle of the night, this is a pretty different situation. According to NASA, there’s a meteor shower headed our way late tonight – Friday- into Saturday Morning; the shower itself has never been visible to us before. It’s an entirely new swarm of meteors; remnants of a comet called the Camelopardalids.

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Your Complete Guide For Photographing Star Trails

May 16, 2011 by Udi Tirosh 4 Comments

Ever seen those pictures where the stars streak across the sky in a big arc? Or maybe the whole sky looked like it was spinning?

What you saw was star trails. The streaks were light left behind on the sensor or film from the star as it traveled across the sky in front of an open camera shutter. In fact, it only seems that way. What actually being recorded are stationary stars and the rotation of the earth that makes them spin. Kinda like you were standing on a vinyl record while it is playing. (yes, vinyl record, it is a form of ancient iPod).

For me, the images seem to have a certain magic or mystery about them. You must have heard a photographer talking about capturing that perfect moment in time. Well for capturing star trails you will need to capture the perfect hour or two in time. For such amazing looking images the technique to capture them is really quite simple. Keep reading for a complete set of instructions from start to finish.[Read More…]