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Three ways to get a good exposure on film with and without a light meter

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Although meters in digital cameras have come a very long way and become extremely advanced, metering with film often isn’t so simple. With digital, even if your camera’s meter isn’t that great, you can quickly and easily see the results on the histogram to know if they’re right and adjust accordingly. But for film, we need to be a little more sure.

In this video, Jay P Morgan at The Slanted Lens walks us through three ways of metering our shot when using film. Specifically, Kodak Portra 400, Fuji 400H and Portra 800.

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Yes, sensor size matters, but not as much as you think

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Should you switch from APS-C to full-frame? Or perhaps shoot large format? Does it matter? What will it change? Ah, so many questions. In this video, Jay P. Morgan and Kenneth Meryl have decided to test four sensor sizes side by side and give you the answers. They shot with a large format, a full-frame, an APS-C and a micro 4/3 camera. Here you can compare the images side-by-side and see for yourself how much of a difference there is.

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The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K goes up against the GH5 in this side-by-side video comparison

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The Panasonic GH5 has been a favourite of many video shooters since its launch early last year. Offering 10Bit 4:2:2 video, 5-axis stabilisation, decent stills quality and a whole bunch of other features, it was an instant hit. Earlier this year, Blackmagic announced the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. Offering 4K DCI 12Bit RAW video and the same sensor as the Panasonic GH5S.

But how does the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K stand up against the GH5? That’s what Jay P Morgan and Kenneth Merrill Lars Lindstrom Andy Cao from The Slanted Lens look at in this side-by-side comparison.

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Continuous LED lights vs Strobes – what’s best for your photography?

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The whole “continuous vs strobes” choice is pretty easy if you shoot video. But for photographers, it can be a little more challenging. New lights of both types are coming out all the time, and a lot of photographers wonder which type of light they should go with. In this video, Jay P Morgan looks at the advantages and disadvantages of both types of lights to see what tasks they’re better suited to.

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Why and how to shoot portraits in bright sunlight with flash using high speed sync

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Light is vital to photography. Without it, we wouldn’t have photographs. Our sensors would just be recording blackness. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of making my own light. Mostly with flash, and mostly on location. This has meant that I’ve had to dip into the world of high speed sync a lot.

But what is high speed sync? And why would you want to use it? In the latest Laws of Light video, Jay P Morgan answers those questions and more.

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How to light a photo with 100 mini LED action lights

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The Lume Cube, Litra Torch and similar lights have become quite popular since they first appeared. Powerful little LED lights that are just as tough and rugged as the action cameras they’re designed to be used with. But that’s not all they’re good for. Light is light, as they say, and you can use small lights for all kinds of uses.

Take this video, for example. In it, Jay P Morgan of The Slanted Lens uses 100 Lume Cubes to light up three different sets. And while it may sound complicated the same principles apply whether you’re using a hundred lights or just one.

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Portable battery & AC power options to keep your camera running for longer

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Anybody who knows me knows that portable power on location is a big deal to me. Whether it’s being able to recharge batteries in the middle of nowhere or directly powering cameras and other devices, I need portable power. I usually use my lipo batteries, USB batteries, and more recently the Novoo AC power bank, but these aren’t the only options.

In this video, Jay P Morgan at The Slanted Lens looks at a range of products from IndiPro that allow you to get all kinds of different power options when shooting on location.

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This is how film is processed in an active commercial lab

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I’ve never had the chance to have a good look around an active film lab. I’ve been developing my own film at home for years now, and film labs have mostly died out since then. But there are still a few out there, and they seem to be making enough to stay in business, too.

Jay P Morgan at The Slanted Lens had the opportunity to get a good behind the scenes look at what goes on inside one of them. The Richard Photo Lab in Valencia, California. And, fortunately for us, he filmed it.

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How to create 5 different lighting setups in one room

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Lighting a room can be deceptively difficult. You’d think it would be straightforward, but it’s easy to do it badly if you’re not careful. In this video, Jay P Morgan walks us through five different lighting setups in one room. Jay uses LiteCloth LED panels for the demonstration, but you could just ass easily do this with most other types of continuous light or flashes with the right modifiers.

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Everything you need to know about flying with Li-ion batteries and TSA restrictions

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Since the Samsung Galaxy’s exploding battery issue, people have become concerned about flying with Lithium-Ion batteries. TSA has some restrictions when it comes to carrying them on a plane, and it can be confusing and frustrating if you need to travel for a photo shoot. In this video, Jay P. Morgan shares plenty of useful information that will help you prepare your batteries for a flight and arrive happily and safely to your shooting destination.

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