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Can you tell the difference between the BMPCC4K and the Arri Alexa Mini

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With all of the rampant excitement around the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k (BMPCC4k as if that’s easier). The one question on everyone’s mind is:  Can the BMPCC4K replace cinema cameras? Can it REALLY be compared to an Arri Alexa or cameras of that caliber?

To which the answer is obviously: No.

However, it’s not that simple, there are so many complex questions and answers which put this (not really pocket-sized) tiny cinema camera back on the table for discussion. Especially when talking about high-end/cinema productions.

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Comparing Sigma’s Bokeh Master 105 f/1.4 Art with 85 f/1.4 and 135 f/1.8

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Sigma has been crashing the competition with its Global vision line up. Combination of no compromise image quality and fair price is creating havoc in Canon and Nikon tents. And the recent launch of Sony E mount lenses will surely disturb Sony’s first party glass business. (will also drive Sony’s mirrorless business by providing true 3rd party lens support). In 2013 I bought my first prime lens Sigma 35 f/1.4 art till this day it never leaves my camera bag. Since then I have added Sigma’s 85 f/1.4 and 135 f/1.8 into my arsenal.

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Comparing the Image Quality – Nikon D850 Vs. Nikon D610

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I treat my camera like I treat a car, it has one core job and that’s what I use it for with very little interest or need for the peripheral add-ons and shiny new features that may also be part of that product. A car gets you from point A to B and everything else is fairly superfluous, sure there are often quality-of-life features but when it comes down to it, we buy a car for transport not seat warmers and illuminated mirrors in the sun visor. A camera, like a car, is a tool.

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Action light Death Match: Lume Cube vs. Litra Torch

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Face it, if you want an action-light (those small on-your-motorcycle cube lights), there are two options in the market: the Lume Cube (Amazon, B&H) and the Litra Torch (Amazon, B&H). They are both great lights if you are doing any sorts of action sports photography, they are compact, light, have some resistance to the elements and hold a few hours if you avoid max power. But which is the better light? Which of those light will give you the most bang for your buck? we set out to find out and ran the two lights through a battery of (sometimes ridiculous) tests.

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DJI Mavic Pro, Mavic Air and Spark, which one you should get

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With the recent announcement from DJI about the Mavic air, DJI now has a drone at each $200/$300 step (give or take) from the $499 Spark*, through the $799 Mavic Air ending with the $999 Mavic pro (or $1,100 for the Platinum Pro).

But which is the drone you want need? With the steps being so small it is tempting to jump to the next level for just a few more dollars, but should you? Here is a breakdown on what each of those drones will do for you and which is better for each of their intended uses.

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Sony portrait lenses: GM 70-200mm 2.8 vs. 85mm 1.4

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Choosing your portrait lens is not a trivial thing. most good portrait lenses are not cheap, and they will probably serve you for a long time. Preferences may depend on budget, size, focal length, aperture and any other number of factors.

Photographer Manny Ortiz has a quick video up comparing two fo the more Sony popular portrait lenses: The 85mm 1.4 GM and the 70-200mm 2.8 GM. While this is not a pixel peeping kind of review (frankly they are both really nice lenses), it sheds some light on how each one performs and how they feel in the real world.

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Action Cameras: GoPro Hero5 black vs. YI 4K+ vs. YI 4K

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YI camera (which we love) just rocked the boat, shifting from a GoPro wanna be to a technology leader. Yesterday the company showed off their new YI 4K+ which is capable not only of shooting 4K (everyone does that now), but shooting 4K at 60 frames per second. Now this is a first. And it’s not just a first in the race vs. GoPro, it’s a first in the industry.

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Can a $600 Godox AD600 compete with a $2,100 Profoto B1? Surprisingly yes

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Here is something I did not see coming. Photographer Robert Hall did a full comparisson between the $600 Godox AD600BM* and the $2,100 Profoto B1.

While you’d think that the Profoto will nuke the AD600, this was not the case at all, and in most parameters it either won the battle or stood up fairly well. There was one exception to that, and I think that it’s one of the main reasons that the B1 is so0 much more expensive.

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Nikon 14mm vs Nikon 16mm Fisheye + Lens Correction

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I have been using both the Nikon 14mm f/2.8 and the Nikon 16mm f/2.8 fisheye for a while now, and I have been noticing that the images from the 14mm are very very similar to the images from the 16mm fisheye after a lens correction has been applied.

Of course, there is one very big difference between these two lenses: the Nikon AF Nikkor 14mm f/2.8 ED lens costs $1891.95…while the Nikon AF Fisheye Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D lists for $996.95 – so the big question is: is the 14mm f/2.8 really worth nearly a grand more than the fisheye?

In this article I will post a few sample photos along with my thoughts on the differences and similarities of the Nikon 14mm f/2.8 vs the Nikon 16mm f/2.8 fisheye.[Read More…]

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