Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

Even photographers who usually shoot in Manual Mode should take a closer look at Program AE Mode. Why? Because in the right hands, the two modes are more similar than they are different. 

Time to test your camera name recall powers. Take a look at the list of model numbers below and identify the camera each represents. Hint: none are digital. Scroll down to read the answers and a little bit of history. No cheating! Like my junior high school shop teacher, Three-Fingers Clark, used to say, “When you cheat you only hurt yourself, but when you mess up with a table saw you get a nickname.”

Last week New York City played host to the annual PhotoPlus Expo event. More than just a consumer shopping show, PPE shines because the sponsors do a terrific job of assembling useful seminars, knowledgeable speakers, photo walks and more. Thousands of photo enthusiasts converge on Jacobs Javits Center to mix with hundreds of professional photographers, photo manufacturer employees and a few journalists. 

File this one under “Having fun with photos while temporarily housebound.” reStickity prints your images on durable peel & stick adhesive material that can safely be attached, removed and then reattached to virtually any surface without damaging the wallboard, refrigerator door, corkboard or plaster (etc.) you attach it to. Put an end to crummy tape scum forever.

Lucky Camera Straps are handmade in Australia to fit you and the individual way you carry your camera. The new Quick Release System is the fastest we’ve seen yet, and is reinforced with cut and abrasion-resistant Dyneema webbing.

DxO just announced PhotoLab5 and FilmPack 6, and we had the chance to explore the software for a few weeks before the release. PhotoLab5 is more than just an incremental upgrade over the previous version. For the first time ever, DxO PhotoLab supports Fujifilm X-Trans sensors (but requires purchase of FilmPack 6 to apply Fujifilm Film Simulations).

FilmPack 6 is hugely exciting – it’s the first upgrade to the DxO FilmPack series since 2015. In FilmPack 6, DxO introduces an intriguing new feature they call “Time Machine.” Here’s a careful look at this new approach to creative image editing.

Tamron just announced the 18-300mm (27-450mm equivalent) zoom for Sony and Fujifilm cameras. It’s Tamron’s first lens in Fujifilm X-mount and their 15^th for Sony mirrorless (counting both full-frame and APS-C camera models). Measuring less than 5 inches long, focusing closer than 6 inches and selling for $699, there’s a lot to like. Here’s our hands-on review of the 18-300mm in Sony mount complete with several sample images.