By John Rettie, Rangefinder Technical Editor Yesterday at the ever-popular Launch Pad event, WPPI 2013 attendees got a sneak peek at some of the products being displayed at the Trade Show. While many exhibitors displayed their latest wares, here are a couple that caught our eye. Fiilex LED lighting The two ex-Brooks photography students who… Continue reading »
Jan
17
The green monster lives! Simplicity rules!
Zack Arias and I have been friends for many years. A ten minute chat with him makes me want run back to my studio, lock myself in and shoot for 3 weeks straight. That’s the kind of inspiration he provides. He’s one of a kind, and I love how he not only approaches his art,… Continue reading »
Jun
13
$60 Wireless Remote Controls Your 5D Mark III On the Cheap
When photography calls for a stable tripod a remote shutter release is a must-have accessory. But you’ve already given Canon thousands of dollars for a fancy DSLR; why spend almost $700 on its official wireless remote when Satechi’s does the same thing for just $60? For a fraction of the cost of Canon’s offering, the… Continue reading »
May
18
How Digital Cameras Actually Work—And Why They’re So Cheap
Chances are you’ve got a digital camera of some sort in your pocket or bag, but you’ve never given too much thought how it really works. Pictures go on computer, not film. Right, well, here’s a simple and straightforward explanation of how that happens, exactly. Bill Hammack, the Engineer Guy, explains the mechanics of how… Continue reading »
May
09
Nikon tells PDN it is looking for a fix for D800 and D4 lock-up bug
Nikon has confirmed to PDN that it is investigating a problem that can cause the D800 and D4 to lock-up while shooting. The company says that the issue – identified while PDN was reviewing the camera – can be avoided by disabling Highlights and RGB Histogram on the display. At present the lock-ups require the… Continue reading »
May
09
Olympus TG-1: Tough Cams Want to Snap Beautiful Photos Too
The Olympus TG-1 is the company’s latest rugged camera, the successor to last year’s TG-810. And though the rugged aspects of these cameras may have hit an innovative plateau, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to image quality. That’s why Olympus packed a lens with an F2.0 aperture into this durable 12-megapixel beast.… Continue reading »
Apr
27
Nikon D3200: Nikon’s Entry-Level DSLR
Nikon’s entry-level DSLRs are known for being well-built and easy to use. The same looks to be true for the D3200, just with a super-sized 24.2 megapixel sensor. Like the D800 and its monster 36MP sensor, the D3200 is an escalation in the sort-of dormant megapixel war. The DX-format (sorry, full-frame hopefuls) CMOS sensor should… Continue reading »
Mar
21
Mirrorless Lenses
Today’s contestants: the lovely and talented Sony 16mm f/2.8 and Olympus 17mm f/2.8 pancake lenses. Since everyone seemed to enjoy looking inside an NEX mirrorless camera, I decided to take more pictures while doing today’s disassembly. Optically I expected both lenses to be fairly simple: the Sony has 5 single elements, the Olympus 6 elements in 4… Continue reading »
Mar
15
Sony Alpha A57
Even as pro-grade, mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras threaten to overtake the user-base that once demanded budget DSLRs, not everyone is convinced. Sony has revamped one of its budget DSLR-like cameras for people who actually like having a bigger, more powerful camera in their hands. The first thing you notice about the A57 when you compare… Continue reading »
Mar
09
Nikon’s 16.1-MP COOLPIX
Nikon Inc. recently introduced two COOLPIX digital cameras that feature the company’s 16.1-megapixel Backside Illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor. One model stretches the concept of ultrazoom to new heights, while the other works well in low light situations. The new ultra-zoom COOLPIX P510 features a 42x wide-angle Zoom-NIKKOR Glass Lens (24-1000mm) with advanced optical VR image… Continue reading »