Even though speedlights are incredibly useful for macro photography, they’re light does not always look flattering. Harsh shadows in unwanted places, blown out highlights and strong aberrations are common issues. And even though strong, directed light can look good in many cases, diffused light looks more natural and generally more pleasing to the eye too.
Photography Gear
[embedded content] A video posted by Canon Korea yesterday confirms something that many Canon shooters feared when they saw how small Canon was making the upcoming RF-mount 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens: this lens does not have an internal zooming mechanism. The video highlights all of Canon’s ‘holy trinity’ f/2.8 zoom lenses—the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L
[embedded content] I decided to compare the sound of my three cameras: the Fuji X-H1, the Canon 1D IV, and the Nikon D300 with the optional battery grip and AA batteries (to enable the 8 FPS mode). The Fuji X-H1 has the boost mode turned on. All cameras were set at 1/500s and the lenses
Nikon, Canon, Sony and Panasonic have been stealing the spotlight lately with their mirrorless offerings, but don’t feat: Olympus is still very much in the game. In fact, it seems the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is due out in less than a week. While Nikon was busy preparing for the launch of the Z50
After a successful teaser and IndieGoGo campaign, Canon is officially releasing the IVY REC: a screen-less, clippable, go-anywhere point-and-shoot camera that was designed for outdoor lovers who want something that’s more rugged than their smartphone to document their adventures. The diminutive little camera doesn’t really compete with any established category, making the IVY REC hard
One year ago, cine lens and photo accessory brand Nisi revealed that it was working on a 75mm f/0.95 manual focus lens for stills shooters. Now, recently leaked images of the lens reveal that it may be called the “NOCT-master,” potentially setting up a trademark dispute between Nisi and Nikon. In case you’ve not been
According to the most recent rumors, Nikon is planning to release the Z50 mirrorless APS-C camera and the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens later this week. And thanks to Nokishita, we now know how much they will cost. In a Tweet published earlier this morning, Nokishita revealed that the 58mm f/0.95 Noct lens
[embedded content] Photographer Andrew Branch of Denae & Andrew created a comparison that plenty of photographers will be very interested in: Canon vs Fujifilm color science. A lot is made of Fuji’s film simulations, and Canon users won’t shut up about their amazing skin tones. But when you put them side-by-side in a blind “taste
Nikon has a few major announcements on the books for next week. According to the most recent reports, the Nikon Z50 mirrorless APS-C camera, NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens, and possibly the Z-Series battery pack will all three be announced on October 10th. The battery pack—which is a battery holder only, not a
The best travel tripods strike a balance between their size when fully collapsed and their maximum height when extended and are compact enough to fit in your carry-on bag and light enough to take with you on a long hike without becoming a fatiguing burden. These are the key specification to consider when choosing a
Sony has quietly announced the next-generation Sony a9 II: an incremental upgrade that keeps many of the same core specs, but adds “enhanced connectivity and workflow capabilities” that will appeal to professional sports photographers and photojournalists. The Sony a9 II is best described as a “refinement” of the original a9. It uses the same 24.2MP
Back in July, Fujifilm announced a versatile new zoom lens for its X-Series cameras: the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR. This new, compact, and highly versatile lens ought to be a great addition to many photographers, and we got the chance to shoot with a pre-production version for a few days. The 16-80mm (full-frame
About a month ago, a leaked promo video revealed that Google was going all in on low-light photography in the upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone, including a special “Astrophotography mode.” Now, thanks to some leaked photos sent to 9to5Google, we get to see what Astrophotography Mode can do. The leak goes far beyond Astrophotography Mode, but
ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2020 the ideal software for Windows users who seek to streamline their workflow without sacrificing power and control. New features in the 2020 version make the application more powerful than ever. Better still, the $149.99 one-time purchase price means there’s no commitment to monthly subscription fees. Focus-stacked image created using ACDSee
Fujifilm has announced the Instax Mini Link, a new portable printer that lets you turn your smartphone snaps into Instax Mini prints. The printer connects to smartphones via Bluetooth through the Instax Mini Link app, free for iOS and Google Play. Swiping up in the app transfers a photo for printing. The app is also
[embedded content] Photographer Usman Dawood of Sonder Creative recently teamed up with film photographer Adam French to put together an intriguing portrait comparison: high-resolution full-frame digital vs 4×5 large format film. They shot both cameras at about the same FF equivalent focal length, and then compared the resulting images side by side for your viewing
As Nikon prepares to reveal the Nikon D6 flagship DSLR in earnest, the Nikon D5’s price has dropped to an all-time low. Whether you want the XQD or CF memory card version, you can now pick it up for “just” $5,497, or a full $1,000 off the suggested retail price. By all accounts, the Nikon
It seems Samsung is planning to pack all of its best mobile imaging technology in the upcoming Galaxy S11. According to a report in Korean tech publication The Elec, not only is Samsung planning to pack its ultra-high resolution 108MP image sensor inside, the Galaxy S11 will also boast a periscope-like zoom lens with 5x
I shot a full portrait session using a Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 80 Optic. Here’s how it went… Helpful Hearsay For years I had only delivered work for clients, something which is imperative for paying the bills. But what I found was that years of shooting for someone else had really stunted my
Attaching the variable neutral density (ND) filter to a lens basically means that we have added a fourth dimension to our camera. The exposure triangle — aperture, ISO, shutter speed — has been expanded with a fourth variable with which we can play to achieve a desired effect or outcome. This opens up for new
Westcott just announced an exciting new 400W/s monolight and universal wireless trigger that promise to provide a killer combination of portability, affordability, and compatibility for on-location photographers who have been relying on Godox/Flashpoint for their lighting needs. The newly announced Westcott FJ400 strobe and FJ-X2m trigger offer photographers a portable package that doesn’t skimp too
[embedded content] Photographer and YouTuber Mathieu Stern recently got to visit one of the coolest places on earth for camera collectors: The Camera Rescue Project, one of the largest vintage camera collections in Europe. The Camera Rescue Project is an organization from Finland that is dedicated to preserving cameras for future generations. Their stated goal
[embedded content] There’s no doubt the iPhone 11 Pro’s new triple camera and computer vision tech has significantly improved the smartphone’s camera performance, especially in low light. But how far has the phone really come, and can the results hold up against a DSLR in the hands of a wedding photographer? San Francisco-based wedding photographers
After going back and forth for months (read: years) between Sony and Fuji, never being entirely happy with either one, I ended up with… a Nikon system. Why would I go back to my first love? Yes, I shot Nikon for ages, first on film and then on digital, before switching to Canon because of
It’s a great Friday for the gear lovers out there. First, Fujifilm revealed the X-Pro3 with a very interesting hidden LCD concept; then, Ricoh announced the development of a new Pentax flagship APS-C DSLR; and finally, a new report has revealed all four lenses that Tamron will announce for Sony E-Mount in October. The revelation
Introduced in 1988, the Nikon F4 was the world’s first professional autofocus camera, and it made its way quickly into the hands of many working photographers. But despite the incredible leap in technology it represented, it was apparently quickly overtaken by the competition, which built on the solid foundation the F4 offered. Early reviews were
The big news from Fujifilm’s X Summit was the development of the X-Pro3 rangefinder with its unique hidden LCD screen. But that’s not the only thing Fuji revealed in Tokyo today: the company also announced that it was scrapping plans for the previously announced 33mm f/1.0 in favor of a more compact 50mm f/1.0 lens.
Earlier today, Huawei officially unveiled its new Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro smartphones, trying to distract consumers from their current issues with the United States by packing the phones full of some impressive photo and video specs. It’s been a tough year for Huawei, who is fighting an uphill battle against the United States.
The two huge new camera features are Night mode (software) and the Ultra Wide 13mm lens (hardware) and I’ve just spent a week testing these features extensively in my iPhone 11 Pro camera review, seen here. In short, Night mode is all about taking better pictures in lowlight and it works super well but very
Profoto has announced the new C1 and C1 Plus, the company’s first studio lights for smartphone photographers. The pocket-sized lights pair with the Profoto Camera smartphone app to help you create “professional images with just a simple click,” Profoto says. “The light the C1 product range delivers is natural looking and beautiful with a soft,