Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

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Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Sep 11, 2020  |  0 comments

Starting with our favorite interactive map for predicting fall color changes, we’ve compiled a list of five maps that will help lead to you just exactly the right spot to photograph autumn leaves. And if you’re a Fall Leaf Grinch, we have some new ideas that might give you back a little spark.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Sep 04, 2020  |  0 comments

You don’t have to be planning a trip to Mount Fuji or a hike through the Adirondacks during the Geminids Meteor Shower to have genuine need for a travel tripod. Their defining characteristics—small size, light weight, easy to deploy—make travel tripods perhaps the most versatile tools in your kit.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Aug 28, 2020  |  0 comments

Selfie Sticks predate the smartphone by several years. But it wasn’t until all mobile telephones adopted the (more or less) same thin, flat, rectangular shape that universal selfie holders could flourish. Here we look at five great ways to hold your phone in the best position for self-portraits, steady video clips, vlogging or Zoom.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Aug 21, 2020  |  0 comments

Polarizing filters make pictures look like they were taken at either the North Pole or the South Pole. Rotating the Polarizing filter shifts the appearance from North Pole to South Pole and back again. They are not always used to photograph Polar Bears; it’s easy to understand the confusion, but there are no Polar Bears at the South Pole. Polarizers are important because our ice masses are disappearing, melting away and raising the sea level around Miami. When the ice caps are gone, the only way we’ll have to recreate them—or Miami, for that matter—is with Photoshop.

Okay, I made some of this up. But I do know how Polarizers work and why you should use one. Please read on…

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Aug 14, 2020  |  0 comments

Relax; no one is trying to convince you to switch your photo software. We found five fun and powerful digital image editors that range in price from FREE to $99. One of them might help you produce something entirely new. So even if you already have a favorite, you’ll be glad you took a look at these creative options.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Aug 07, 2020  |  0 comments

We love lenses, especially lenses we can buy at a loveable price. Here are five lenses that are high quality and inexpensive.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Aug 04, 2020  |  0 comments

Two new tripods in the famed Legends range from 3 Legged Thing were just announced and I got my hands on them for a review. It’s almost unbelievable, the way the folks at 3 Legged Thing keep refining perfection in their tripods, but somehow they do. The latest additions to their Legends series of tripods honor Ray Barbee and Bucky Lasek.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 31, 2020  |  0 comments

A nice surprise, a backpack for cameras, lenses and drones that introduces some new features and turns some wasted space into storage space. Here’s an intimate, hands-on review of the very intelligently designed OneMo bag that’s engineered to provide a lifetime of service.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 24, 2020  |  0 comments

Tamron recently released a fast, super-compact 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 zoom lens for Sony mirrorless full-frame E-mount cameras. Unique among all-in-one type zooms because the maximum aperture is f/2.8 (at the wideangle 28mm setting) the lens has other attractive features that we evaluate in this review.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 16, 2020  |  0 comments

Leica just introduced the M10-R, a manual focus rangefinder-style digital camera complete with a 40.89-megapixel sensor. We had the opportunity to use the camera prior to its release and evaluate its performance. Here are the results of our hands-on assessment.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 10, 2020  |  0 comments

Tamron recently released a fast, compact 70-180mm f/2.8 zoom lens for Sony mirrorless full-frame E-mount cameras. It’s billed as the most compact and lightest f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens in its class. We had a chance to test this lens on a Sony Alpha a7RII camera. Here is what we found.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 03, 2020  |  0 comments

We are amazed by the wide variety and overall affordability of the camera cases and bags that have earned their place among the Best Sellers on the Amazon website. All have been rated at 5 (or 4.5) stars by purchasers, and they cover a broad array of purposes—from Drone to DSLR. So we’ve selected a cross-section—all priced under $30—to represent the collection.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jun 25, 2020  |  0 comments

I ordered a circular polarizing filter in 67mm size from Amazon. The price was $7.99. Two days later I was outside shooting through the new CP filter in all of the traditional polarizer situations. The last previous time I bought a polarizer it cost more than $50. So what did I discover? Was this deal a Bargain or Bagel? 

This story includes a concise but clear explanation of how polarizers work.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jun 18, 2020  |  0 comments

One of my overall, long-time favorite camera bags has been out of production for many years. It can still be found on eBay, usually for around $30 in excellent condition. With so many outstanding modern bags available today, why waste this ink on a camera bag that was discontinued more than 15 years ago?

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jun 11, 2020  |  0 comments

Portraits, close-ups and numerous other creative compositions—the Lensbaby Velvet 85 does it all. Here’s a thorough review and several examples shot with this exciting lens.

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