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What are parfocal lenses? Are they important? And why do filmmakers want them?

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The term “parfocal lens” has only really come into common usage amongst the general population over the last decade or so as our DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have allowed us to start shifting more towards shooting video content. But what exactly are they? And what’s the big deal?

As this video from Michael the Maven explains, parfocal lenses are zoom lenses, but they are zoom lenses which keep their focus distance through the entirety of their focal length range. What this means is that as you recompose for a tighter or wider shot of your subject, you don’t have to refocus the lens. It stays exactly where it was.

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This is why some people think a lens is awesome and others say it sucks

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No matter what the lens, when I see people asking for opinions on one online, I see a pretty wide mix of “It’s awesome, it never leaves my camera!” and “It sucks, I sold it within a week” type responses. If you’ve ever wondered why there are such polarising opinions on any given lens, then wonder no more.

In this video, Michael the Maven discusses one of the things that’s rarely spoken about when it comes to lenses, and that’s manufacturing tolerances. These are the limits on either side of “perfect” in which a company will allow components to fall. But they can make for big differences in image quality.

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When is it a bad idea to use lens adapters?

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Lens adapters sure are super-handy and they allow you to combine lenses with one mount to a camera with another. This sure has a lot of perks, but are there times when you shouldn’t adapt your lenses? In this video, Michael the Maven discusses this matter and helps you answer the question: when using lens adapters isn’t a good idea?

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Is it time we disclosed image edits with universal symbols?

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I believe that most of us edit our images to a certain extent. But if you’re a photojournalist, the amount of editing you can apply is minimal. If you go overboard, your work may even be considered unethical. But can this be solved differently? Should photojournalists be allowed to edit images if they openly disclose it? Michael The Maven discussed this in his latest video, and it’s certainly an interesting topic.

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Ever wondered what an Aspherical lens element actually is? Here you go

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Every time a new lens is announced, the optical makeup is always listed. This many elements in that many groups and a certain amount of them are “aspherical”. But what exactly does that mean? Is it just nonsensical jargon that doesn’t actually mean anything? Well, in this video from Michael the Maven, you’ll find out exactly what they are, how they do what they do and why they’re a big deal.

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These are some photojournalists who were caught cheating

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If you want to be a photojournalist, ethical photography is something you need to master just as the artistic and technical parts of the craft. However, not all photographers stick with the rules of ethics. Instead, some of them stage their photos, direct their subjects, or even manipulate images in post. In this video, Michael The Maven shares some famous cases of photojournalists who were caught cheating. It’s an interesting video to watch, but also a useful reminder of what not to do if you want to be a good photojournalist.

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Canon has removed the universal pin on the new SL3 (200D Mk II) flash hotshoe

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Not too long ago, Canon announced the new EOS Rebel SL3 DSLR, otherwise known as the EOS 200D Mark II and Kiss X10 in other parts of the world. It’s a basic entry-level DSLR aimed at beginners and people who just want a basic DSLR for shooting family snaps. Maybe one day buy a little hotshoe flash to blast at their subjects.

But in a very odd move, Canon has removed the universal pin from the hotshoe that would allow the camera to work with any 3rd party hotshoe flash. Like, the Godox and Yongnuo manual speedlights. You know, those most commonly bought by beginners? It was spotted by Michael the Maven who posted the above video.

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Left-eyed shooters are apparently upset with Canon over the EOS RP

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I’m a left-eyed shooter. I’ve just come to accept the fact that my LCD screen’s (assuming digital) gonna get covered in nose sweat and other crap when I shoot. It’s a pain, but I’ve dealt with it for 20 years, and I’ll just keep on dealing with it. One thing I haven’t had to deal with so far, though, is a camera with a touchscreen LCD.

Photographer and YouTuber, Michael Andrew has strong feelings about it, though. He feels that left-eyed shooters are hindered by touchscreen issues when shooting the Canon EOS RP, causing it to throw off your autofocus point and miss a lot of shots. But it’s not just the EOS RP he has a problem with. He’s also seen this issue with the EOS R, EOS M50 and the Sony A6400.

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You may own too many lenses: when is it time to start selling them?

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Is there even such thing as too many lenses? Well, I’m afraid so. If you suffer from the so-called Gear Acquisition Syndrome, at some point some of your many lenses will serve for nothing but collecting dust. But how do you know the time to sell them has definitely come? How can you be sure you’re never gonna use them? Let Michael The Maven help you to answer these questions. In this video, he discusses how many lenses is too many to bring to a photo shoot, but also how many is too many to own and when you should definitely start getting rid of them.

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Stop making these mistakes when cleaning your camera sensor

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There is more than one way for cleaning your camera sensor. However, it can easily happen that you make some mistakes when cleaning it, which can do your sensor harm in the long run. In this video, Michael The Maven talks about some of the most common mistakes people make. He also teaches you how to fix them, and proposes some effective methods for sensor cleaning.

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