LATEST ADDITIONS

Press Release  |  Jan 16, 2013  |  0 comments
The Tiffen Company announced that the new Davis & Sanford® Pro Elite Tripod and Head models 5075-15 and5100-25 are now shipping.

The new Davis & Sanford Pro Elite Series two-in-one spreader feature includes snap-in center support brace with boots for uneven ground plus adjustable ground spreader for maximum rigidity and a true fluid head design, providing shooters a system that performs flawlessly on both flat and uneven surfaces. The ergonomically designed lever offers shooters incredibly smooth pan, scan and tilt with counter balance control capabilities that support a wide range of camera weights. The variable quick release lets users easily fine-tune the camera balance.

John Wade  |  Jan 15, 2013  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2012  |  0 comments

Making panoramic pictures in the digital age is easy. But it’s a lot more fun to use classic panoramic cameras, many of which can still be bought and used today.

 

The first panoramic camera was the Megaskop, made in 1844 to produce daguerreotypes on silver-plated copper plates, 4.7x17.5” wide. Later, there were Cirkut cameras, made first by the Rochester Panoramic Camera Company in 1904 and later by Kodak. These cameras were, and still are, used to produce super-wide school or sports club pictures. As the exposure was made, a clockwork motor rotated the camera on its tripod while inside the film traveled from one spool to another, past a slit at the focal plane.

Steve Bedell  |  Jan 14, 2013  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2012  |  0 comments

We all know what softboxes look like. They’re big, small, square, rectangular, sometimes round or shaped like octagons—we’ve seen them all. But there is nothing quite like the 16x60 Light Bender from Larson. It is long (48”), narrow (12”), and looks like a strip light that someone grabbed by the ends and yanked toward the middle. In this test I’ll take a look at just what this oddly-shaped light can do and why a photographer may consider adding it to his or her arsenal of light modifiers.

 

The Light Bender was designed by well-known photographer Larry Peters from Ohio and is produced and sold by Larson Enterprises.

After unpacking, I mounted the box to the backplate, a really snug fit, and then added the speed ring that allows me to mount and swivel the box on my light. After assembly, I mounted it on my Paul C. Buff Einstein unit. The light mounts dead center and the “wings” fly out to the side. There is no interior baffle in the design so the light is much stronger in the center and drops off rather dramatically as you move toward the edges.

Press Release  |  Jan 14, 2013  |  12 comments
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd announced the launch of the NX300, the new flagship model in its successful NX series. Samsung also announced the new NX 45mm F1.8 2D/3D lens, the first one-lens 3D system capable of capturing both still images and full HD movies in perfect 3D quality.
Joe Farace  |  Jan 11, 2013  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2012  |  2 comments

Just when you thought the megapixel wars were over—or at least subsided—along comes the Nikon D800 with a whopping 36.3-megapixel (7360x4912) full-frame CMOS sensor. It’s wrapped up in a pro-quality magnesium alloy body that’s sealed and gasketed for dirt and moisture resistance. That rugged body weighs almost 2 lbs and when attached to the 24-120mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR II Nikkor lens (23.6 oz) that I tested, the package tips the scales at 3.46 lbs. It’s big.

Maria Piscopo  |  Jan 10, 2013  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2012  |  3 comments
In my workshops and classes the most common concern is about marketing and getting business. It’s a sign of the times, and folks are asking: “Everything seems different these days in the photography business, what should I do?” My first and foremost answer is to have a business plan and then work that plan. It is simply not enough to put up a website, send out a few mailers, and see what happens. The best advice I can offer is to study up on creating and implementing a marketing plan and make the effort as important as learning and improving your craft.
Press Release  |  Jan 10, 2013  |  3 comments
LPA Design, manufacturers of PocketWizard Photo Products, announced a new update to its ControlTL firmware for Canon versions of its MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 radios. Available now, firmware version 6.200 for Canon includes compatibility with the Canon 5D Mark III digital SLR camera. Any current owner of the ControlTL system can easily install this version via USB connection and update for free using the PocketWizard Utility. PocketWizard Utility version 1.54 or later is required before installing this update.
Edited by George Schaub  |  Jan 09, 2013  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2012  |  0 comments

The Canon EOS Rebel T4i offers the same sensor resolution of 18MP as its forerunner EOS T3i, but shows a lot of improvements in handling and functionality due to a new image sensor and a new image processor. The camera is Canon’s first D-SLR with a touchscreen. This screen is very large (3”) and has a very high resolution of 1,040,000 RGB dots. It is a swivel monitor that can be flipped up- and downward and tilted to the front (for self-portraits). Even though it is a touchscreen, the whole handling of the camera (menu structure, parameter setup) is still oriented on Canon’s SLR handling scenario. In contrast to many compact cameras with touchscreen-oriented operation, the touchscreen isn’t mandatory, but it’s still helpful.

Press Release  |  Jan 09, 2013  |  8 comments
The Xit Group has introduced two new flash units as part of their Elite Series of products. The XTDF260C and the XTDF260N flash units are designed for Canon and Nikon respectively. They feature a full LCD display, bounce, swivel and an automatic power zoom head. The flash will automatically zoom as you zoom your lens. They have metal shoes for better strength. They feature a guide # of 276 ft. They have a power saving mode, a PC synchronous port, wireless trigger sensor, and they support front curtain synchronous shooting. They support multi-flash lighting applications (S1/S2 modes). It also has power ratio control from 1/1 down to 1/128 power. It can be used as a slave flash as well. It takes 4 AA batteries and comes complete with a heavy duty case, which holds 4 AA batteries (not included), as well as a diffusor (included), and a flash stand (included).

The flash has a 5 year limited warranty.

Staff  |  Jan 08, 2013  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2012  |  1 comments
This month’s assignment for Picture This! was “Made in the Shade,” photographs made solely in the shadow thrown by tree canopy or roof or even under overcast sky. While light levels might be lower, there’s nothing quite like the soft, diffuse light of shade to bring out every nuance of color and detail in a subject or scene. Using appropriate white balance and exposure settings, shade cast shots can look as if they were made using a large diffusion tent, all using natural light. And while HDR can help with excessive contrast, shade shots have the advantage in that they work entirely with one exposure and the most natural sense of light. Readers sent in a wide range of images covering nature, urban, and portraiture, all of which have a quality of light that bright, contrasty sunlit shots could never display.

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