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Archive for September, 2018

Photokina 2018: Hands-on with Tokina’s Opera 50mm F1.4 premium full-frame lens

30 Sep

Hands-on with the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4

We first saw a prototype of Tokina’s new 50mm F1.4 Opera lens at the CP+ show in Japan earlier this year. After waiting all summer, we finally gotten hands-on time with a working model at this year’s Photokina in Germany. The Opera series is Tokina’s high-end lens lineup – the equivalent to Sigma’s Art line – and the 50mm F1.4 is the first lens in the series to come into production.

Available in both Nikon and Canon full-frame DSLR mount, the lens is specifically meant to be paired with high-resolution cameras like the Nikon D850 and Canon EOS 5DS R. Set to ship around the end of October, it is priced at $ 950.

Hands-on with the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4

The build quality of this Opera lens is superb. Weighing 33.5oz / 950g it’s about 4.8oz / 135g heavier than the Sigma 50mm F1.4 Art, but handles well on a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. It doesn’t feel front heavy.

The large rubberized focus ring matches the directional turn of the mount it’s meant for – turning the ring to the right achieves minimum focus on a Canon and infinity on a Nikon. And the ring continues to turn beyond its minimum and infinity point.

Hands-on with the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4

The Opera 50mm F1.4 is made of 15 elements arranged in 9 groups. 3 of those elements are super low dispersion elements to compact chromatic aberration – there’s also one aspherical element in the rear focus group. To deal with flaring, the lens is coated with Tokina’s Extremely Low Reflection coating. The front element has a 72mm filter size, smaller than the 77mm filter size of the Sigma’s front element.

Minimum focus distance for this lens is 0.4m / 1.3ft, the same as the Sigma.

Hands-on with the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4

Autofocus is achieved using an ultrasonic ring-shaped AF motor which is very quiet in operation. There’s also a manual focus decouple switch on the side of the lens barrel.

The lens has 9 rounded aperture blades which we hope will result in very nice bokeh. And this is the first Tokina lens ever to include an electronic diaphragm (specifically for the Nikon version).

Hands-on with the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4

There are a total of 8 weather sealing points in the construction of the Opera, which should keep water and grime out of the internal construction. There is also a rubber gasket around the lens mount to keep nastiness out of your camera body.

Hands-on with the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4

Overall we’re excited to get Tokina’s first Opera series lens in and start shooting with it. It’s priced exactly the same as the Sigma Art version and seems to be built to a similar level of physical and optical excellence. Seeing as Sigma’s version is one of our favorite 50mm F1.4s out there, we have high hopes for the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4. Stay tuned for a sample gallery.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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A Beginner’s Guide to Abstract Flower Photography

30 Sep

Abstract flower photography can stop you in your tracks. But unfortunately, when it comes to abstract flower photography, you probably don’t know where to start. What equipment do you need? What techniques do you use?

The world of abstract flower photography can seem distant and difficult.

abstract flower photography aster

Actually, it is no harder than any other genre of photography. It can be a lot more rewarding, though. You just need to know how to get started.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn the fundamentals of abstract flower photography. You’ll learn about the required equipment, as well as several key techniques for getting powerful abstract images. When you finish, you’ll be ready to go out and start applying these tips immediately.

Sound good? Read on.

What is abstract flower photography?

I’m going to define abstract flower photography simply as this – photographing flowers in a way that the viewer doesn’t immediately see the flower.

abstract flower photography swirls

That is, an abstract floral focuses not so much on the flower itself, but on parts of the flower: the curve of the petals, the color of the flower center, the play of light on the stamens.

To do powerful abstract flower photography, you have to stop thinking in terms of flowers, and start thinking in terms of shape, color, and light. This isn’t complicated. It’s easy to do, once you get the hang of it. The tips I share below will help you to do just that, so keep reading.

Equipment

To get beautiful abstract flower images, you need two things: a camera and a macro lens.

The type of camera doesn’t matter. These days, essentially all cameras are capable of capturing stunning images. In abstract flower photography, it’s the lens that counts.

So what lens do you need?

Any sort of macro lens will do. I’ve taken excellent abstract flower images with cheap, sub-300 dollar lenses. I’ve also used my much more expensive Canon 100mm f/2.8L lens.

The thing is, abstract flower photography isn’t really about sharpness and perfectly rendered detail. It’s about composition, light and color.

abstract flower photography daisy

A tip worth mentioning is that the shorter the focal length of a macro lens, the closer you need to be to your subject to get life-size images. So, for instance, 60mm macro lenses can be a problem when you’re trying to get a close-up of a rose and you keep casting your shadow on the petals by accident.

You may have also heard that for abstract flower photography you need a tripod.

abstract flower photography silhouette

I would disagree. I don’t use a tripod for abstract flower photography, myself because I find that it’s too limiting. I need to explore the flower through the lens, change my composition, take a few photographs, and change my composition again. You can’t do that with a tripod.

Have you got your camera and a macro lens? If so, you’re ready for the bulk of this tutorial on quick and easy tips for stunning abstract flower photography.

Tip 1: Shoot on cloudy days

If you’ve done natural light macro photography before, you’ll know that you can get beautiful macro photographs at a few different times of the day. First, when it’s cloudy. Second, during the golden hours: just after sunrise and just before sunset.

abstract flower photography tulip

I photographed this tulip on a cloudy spring day.

For abstract photography, I recommend that you only shoot on cloudy days.

On cloudy days, the light is even, resulting in colorful, deeply saturated images. And in abstract photography, color is key. In fact, out of all the images featured in this article, all but one were taken on a cloudy day.

abstract flower photography tulip

Once you become a more experienced abstract flower photographer, you can start to experiment with other types of light. But until then, stick to cloudy days. Your results will speak for themselves.

Tip 2: Get close. Really, really close!

In abstract flower photography, you cannot just take a snapshot of your subject. Your goal must be to show the viewer something new, something unexpected.

The way to do this is to get close. Really, really close.

abstract flower photography pink

As I said above, you must think in terms of shapes, color, and light. The way to start is to magnify your subject.

Take that macro lens and crank it up to its highest magnification setting (which should be 1:1, if you have a true macro lens). Then get close to a flower. Look through the viewfinder of your camera, and just move the lens around.

abstract flower photography tulip center

What do you see?

You probably won’t immediately notice a stunning composition. I spend a lot of time looking through my lens without taking any pictures. There’s a lot of experimentation involved, and that’s okay. Which brings us to Tip 3…

Tip 3: Use a shallow depth of field

The depth of field is the amount of an image that is actually in focus.

Images with only a small amount of the subject in focus have a shallow depth of field. Images with a large amount of the subject in focus have a deep depth of field.

Depth of field is controlled by your camera’s aperture setting, also known as an f-stop. A low f-stop (f/1.4 to f/5.6) gives you a nice, shallow depth of field.

On most cameras, you will be able to choose your f-stop. For abstract flower photography, I usually keep it in the f/2.8-3.5 range but feel free to experiment a bit depending on your creative vision. Just keep that depth of field nice and shallow.

abstract flower photography black-eyed susan

Why do I recommend having so little of the image in focus?

In abstract photography, you must photograph flowers so that the viewer doesn’t immediately see the flower. You must work in terms of light, color, and shapes.

By using a shallow depth of field, you emphasize those elements and take the focus off the flower itself. You shift the focus to the shape of the flower, the color of it, and the light falling on the flower.

abstract flower photography aster

This is what I focus on in my final tip.

Tip 4: Look at the shape of the flower

As I mentioned above, it’s essential that you think about light, color, and shape.

Out of these three elements, I think that shape is most important in abstract flower photography. This is because flowers have naturally interesting shapes: sinuous curves, perfect circles, radiating lines.

The photographs are there. You just have to find them.

abstract flower photography coneflower

For instance, flowers tend to have such beautiful, soft petals. You can use these to your advantage in your photography. Think about the petals, not as parts of a flower, but as twisting lines. Try to see these shapes moving about through the flower.

Carefully set up a composition that uses these lines. Keep it simple—one or two lines is all you need.

Only once you’ve composed deliberately, keeping the shape of the flower at the forefront of your mind, should you take the image.

abstract flower photography black-eyed susan

Conclusion

Capturing beautiful abstract photographs can be an intensely rewarding experience.

Make sure you have the right equipment. Then, if you shoot on cloudy days, get super close, use a shallow depth of field and, above all, think in terms of the flower’s shape, you’ll be well on your way to taking stunning abstract flower photographs.

Have any more tips for abstract flower photography? Share them in the comments!

abstract flower photography orange

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Fujifilm GFX 50R pre-production sample gallery

30 Sep

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The GFX 50R takes our favorite parts of Fujifilm’s 50S – namely, its larger-than-full-frame sensor and range of film simulations – and puts them inside a slimmer, rangefinder-styled body. With a pre-production camera and a trio of GF primes, DPReview’s Barney Britton put the GFX 50R through its paces in the beautiful North Cascades National Park.

Please note that the images in this JPEG-only gallery were shot with a pre-production GFX 50R. Image quality may not be totally representative of final shipping cameras, but is likely to be very close.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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ONA and Japan Camera Hunter team up to release camera bag for film photographers

30 Sep

Camera bag manufacturer ONA has partnered with Bellamy Hunt, founder of Japan Camera Hunter, to release a limited-edition camera bag designed specifically for film photographers.

Officially named the ONA x Japan Camera Hunter Bowery camera bag, the messenger-style bag was ‘developed closely with Bellamy Hunt […] This edition of the Bowery bag features a number of modifications to ONA’s best-selling style worldwide, with the film street photographer in mind.’

Specifically, the bag now features matte black solid brass hardware ‘that will wear-in overtime to reveal the brass underneath, similar to the contact points of a vintage camera.’ Also new is a trio of elastic bandolier looks to hold 35mm film canisters directly on the shoulder strip.

Inside, the rebranded bag is entirely black and now has two pockets dedicated for film, batteries and other accessories, while a zippered pocket on the back of the bag offers a little more security.

‘This bag is the result of over a year of working out the finer details with ONA,’ says Hunt in the press release. ‘I wanted a shoulder bag, as I only carry one camera and a few items. But one that is simple, strong and geared towards the film shooter. The ONA Bowery was a great platform to start off with, but it needed some changes to suit my style.’

Only 230 of these bags will be made. Each will be hand-numbered and available exclusively through ONA’s online store and a few select retailers in Europe and Australia.

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The ONA x Japan Camera Hunter Bowery camera bag will officially launch on October 2nd, 2018 and is currently available for pre-order for $ 199.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photokina 2018: Hands-on with new Voigtländer M and E-mount prime lenses

30 Sep

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Voigtländer is one of the oldest names in photography. These days licensed by Japanese lensmaker Cosina, the Voigtländer brand is still going strong. We’re at Photokina, where we got our hands on the company’s newest lenses.

First up is a lens that was quietly released earlier this year for Leica M-mount. The Nokton 50mm F1.2 Asph is a fast standard prime lens designed for high-resolution digital imaging on modern Leica rangefinder cameras.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

While at 1,099 Euros ($ 999) it’s not exactly cheap, it’s a good deal more affordable than Leica’s 50mm F0.95 Noctilux. The all-metal Voigtländer doesn’t have quite the same high-quality feel as the Leica, but it’s very nicely built. The focus and aperture dials rotate with a lovely smoothness and crisp clickiness (respectively) that set this lens apart from most of today’s polycarbonate lenses.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Unlike Leica’s own lenses, the Voigtländer doesn’t offer 6-bit coding for Leica’s digital rangefinder bodies.

The Nokton 50mm F1.2 is priced at 1,099 Euros ($ 1,059) and is available now. A companion lens, the medium-wide Nokton 35mm F1.2 Asph II is also available now, for 1,299 Euros ($ 999).

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

In addition to M-mount lenses, Voigtländer was also showing off its new primes for the Sony E-mount. This is the new 110mm Macro APO-Lanthar, also first announced earlier this year at the CP+ show in Yokohama Japan.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

The 110mm offers 1:1 macro capability and a closest focusing distance of 35cm (13.7 in). It uses three floating lens groups for focusing to ensure optimal quality at all distances – according the Cosina – and apochromatic correction to satisfy the resolution requirements of 40MP+ sensors.

Electronic contacts on the mount communicate the lens’s focal length, focus distance and aperture settings to Sony E-mount cameras.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

The 110mm is a beautifully-made lens, but at 771g (27 oz) it’s fairly weighty and as you can see in the previous image, it gets fairly long at its minimum focus distance, too. As well as effective macro photography, the APO-Lanthar could provide a useful portrait capability for Sony E-mount shooters.

The 110mm Macro APO-Lanthar will be available soon for 1,199 Euros ($ 1,099).

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Voigtländer’s Nokton 40mm F1.2 Asph for Sony E-mount is an E-mount version of the M-mount Nokton that Voigtländer has been selling for many years. It offers a minimum focus setting of .35m (13.7 in) in a body weighing 420g (14.8 oz).

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

The Nokton 40mm F1.2 features a 58mm filter ring, and a ten-bladed aperture.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Like the 110mm, the 40mm has electronic contacts to communicate lens settings to Sony E-mount cameras. First announced last year, it is available now for 1,099 Euros ($ 1,099).

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Voigtländer’s new 21mm F3.5 Color-Skopar is another E-mount prime. The lens is constructed of nine elements, including one aspherical element and one anomalous partial dispersion element, in eight groups.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

The 21mm F3.5 Color-Skopar has a minimum focusing distance of 20cm/7.87in and uses a ten-blade aperture diaphragm. The lens will start shipping soon for 749 Euros (US price TBD).

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Also on show are two ‘concept’ lenses, which may or may not enter production, depending on feedback from the market. This is the first one, an ultra-compact ‘Ultron’ 35mm F2 for Leica M-mount. Finished in a classic-looking combination of black and chrome, the Ultron could be a very attractive option for users of film and digital rangefinders looking for a compact and lightweight medium-wide prime.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Next up is another 21mm F3.5 Color-Skopar, but again in Leica M-mount. Much smaller than its E-mount equivalent, this tiny prime is almost a pancake lens.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

Despite its size, the 21mm F3.5 is very nicely made. It features a large, nicely-machined aperture dial and a pegged focus ring for one-finger focusing.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

The third and final concept lens is an E-mount version of the new Nokton 50mm F1.2 Asph.

New Voigtländer lenses for M and E-mount

We believe that optical construction is the same as the M-mount version, but the addition of electronic contacts will ensure that the SteadyShot stabilization systems in Sony’s E-mount cameras work properly with this lens, as opposed to an M-mount version fitted via an adapter.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Phottix launches new multi-brand Odin Z OS, and a pair of Juno hotshoe flash units

30 Sep

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

Phottix has launched a new operating system for its portable flash systems that it says automatically switches between different manufacturer’s TTL systems as it detects their presence from an on-camera flash unit or on-camera transmitter. The Odin Z operating system also offers an auto metering feature that suggests a manual power setting for the photographer to dial in, and now shows power settings in real time on the slave flash display as it is changed via the commander unit.

Along with the new OS the company has launched two new hotshoe flash units and a Lite version of its Odin transmitter.

We got some time with Phottix CEO Steve Peer who showed us around the new kit. Prices of all the released items have yet to be set. For more information see the Phottix website.

The first new flash (above) is called Juno TTL and seems pretty close to the Mitros + unit the company currently offers. It has a guide number of 60m at the 200mm zoom setting, while the Mitros + has a GN of 58m and a maximum zoom of 105mm. It is just as nicely made as the Mitros + and it about the same size.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The new Juno TTL is compatible with the Elincrom Skyport system, as well as the collection of other Phottix communication protocols for older or less sophisticated units. The flash can command or be commanded, by the Odin studio flashes, and triggered by non-TTL Ares products by radio. Optical systems can also be controlled or used to control the Juno TTL.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The Odin Z system, and the Juno TTL flash, will offer TTL control for Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony camera systems. Peer tells us he is ‘thinking about’ Panasonic/Olympus and Fujifilm systems, but that demand is much lower for users of those brands. The Odin Z system still works for the other camera brands, just not in TTL mode.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

As you might expect, the head swivels about 180 degrees in each direction and can tilt upwards by 90 degrees, and the zoom head can be controlled manually or automatically over a range of 20mm to 200mm. As you can see, the Juno TTL runs on four AA cells.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The Odin Lite transmitter is designed to control a network of flash units and studio heads in manual mode, and doesn’t support TTL flash exposure. Steve Peers says that 70% of Phottix customers want to shoot with their flashes in manual mode the majority of the time, so this unit is for those for who TTL is inappropriate.

As it isn’t TTL it will work with any camera system – the central pin on the foot has been positioned so that it will still connect with the camera’s hotshoe system even when the trigger connector isn’t absolutely in the middle of the hotshoe. The Odin Lite offers 4 groups and 32 channels. Channels 5-32 use the Phottix Digital ID system for an extra secure connection.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The Juno Li60 is another new flash unit that is almost the same as the standard Juno, but it only operates in manual mode and is powered by a lithium battery instead of AAs. It has the same 60m guide number as the Juno, and as it doesn’t operation with TTL it can be used with any camera system. This is a very pre-production unit that doesn’t have the name printed on it yet.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The Juno Li60 takes a massive lithium ion battery instead of the usual AA batteries of the Mitros + models. The pack is rated 3200mAh, which compares well to the 2000mAh of the VB18 in the Godox V860 II that I used to shoot the pictures. Peer couldn’t say how many full power bursts we should expect per charge, but it I’d expect that sort of battery to last well.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The rear of the Juno Li60 looks just the same as that of the regular Juno and the TTL version, but the display is simpler as it only shows manual flash settings. It doesn’t have the new flash exposure meter mode.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

Also on the stand were the company’s new Nuada LED panels. The R (left and right) and R3 (centre). The three have a heavily diffused surface and produce really very soft and attractive light. The R3 measures 428mm across, and is only 33mm thick/thin.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The R3 runs on V-lock batteries, but comes with an adapter for NP batteries. And of course, it can be powered from the mains via the included AC adapter. The light puts out 1100Lux at 1m and allows its temperature to be varied between 3200 and 5600K.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

A new panel is the Nuada S3 from the square/rectangle series which outputs 850 Lux at 1m. The panel measures 2376x266x25mm and again produces a really soft light – as modeled here by CEO Steve Peer.

Phottix hands-on at Photokina 2018

The panel is also powered by NP batteries or via the AC adapter, but doesn’t take V-Lock batteries. As with the R3, the S3 has a variable temperature of between 3200-5600K, and a CRI of >95.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid

30 Sep

Road trips, and other “off the grid” travel adventures are a time for slowing down, for finding the unexpected, and for reconnecting with the world around you. Unfortunately, for us photographers, they can also be a time of anxiety and frustration. How can you keep your camera charged so it’s always ready when inspiration strikes? How can you handle batteries and backups of your photos so they aren’t lost in the mix before you return home?

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid - photographer shooting in a canyon

As a consummate road-tripper and photographer, I’ve spent many years fine-tuning how to keep my camera charged, and my photos safe, for weeks of off the grid travel. Here are some tips to help you do the same.

Charging 101

Many cameras, from point and shoots to DSLRs, are powered by lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Li-ion batteries are small, lightweight, rechargeable batteries that can tolerate hundreds of charge and discharge cycles.

They are recharged by an external charger, which comes with your camera when you purchase it. That charger plugs into a wall via a two-prong plug and feeds off your house’s Alternating Current power (also called AC power).

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid - external battery

Here’s where charging off the grid gets tricky. Unless you’re staying nightly in a hotel room, two-prong AC plugs (and the charging capacity to power them) are hard to come by. In order to keep your camera battery charged, you will need to adapt.

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid - camper van

Essential Charging Gear

Start out by purchasing a universal Li-ion battery charger. Universal chargers can hold almost any kind of small Li-ion battery, and come with a two-prong plug as well as a 12-volt Direct Current (DC) adapter. This adapter is cylindrical and fits into your car’s 12-volt port (traditionally called a “Cigarette Lighter” charger).

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid

If you plan to drive for long distances each day and are only looking to recharge a camera battery, this may be all you need. If you plan to charge other devices—tablets, phones, and laptops—or won’t be driving, you’ll need a power bank.

Power Banks

Power banks are essentially big batteries. They receive a charge, either from a wall outlet or an alternative source like solar panels, and hold onto that charge until you need it. Power banks vary greatly in size, weight, and capacity.

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid - power bank

Small USB power banks are perfect for powering cell phones and tablets. Depending on their capacity, they can recharge a phone or tablet anywhere from two to eight times.

Though they are harder to find, some small power banks also have a two- or three-prong port for plugging in a Li-ion camera battery charger. For quick trips where a little backup is needed, these power banks are just right.

If a little backup isn’t what you’re looking for, it’s time to call in the big guns. Portable power stations range in size from 150 to 1250 watts and are designed to be a full-service power solution. Power stations offer three-prong ports for AC power, multiple USB ports, and a 12-volt port.

They can charge camera batteries, laptops, tablets, and cell phones with ease (charging capacity varies by model).

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid

Portable power stations are relatively large, as well as heavy. To illustrate, they are great at a campsite but too bulky to hike comfortably into the backcountry. These power stations are recharged by plugging them into a wall outlet, or by connecting them to solar panels and allowing them to charge for 8-12 hours.

If you’re looking for serious charging power, or plan to be off the grid for long stretches, a portable power station is a wise investment.

Note: Portable power stations cannot be brought on airplanes, though smaller USB power banks often can.

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid - battery in use at campsite

Photo Backups

Is there anything worse than returning from travel and finding your image files are corrupted or missing? A savvy photographer will avoid this scenario by doing daily backups of their images.

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid - on the road

Backing up images online to the cloud is an option if you have fast, reliable Wi-Fi at your disposal. Set the backup to happen overnight, and you’ll wake up knowing your images are safe.

Fast Wi-Fi is hard to find. Hotel and coffee shop connections are often sluggish, so always be prepared with another backup plan. If you’re traveling with a laptop you can either back up the images directly to the computer or carry a rugged external hard drive. If the images are critical, such as a wedding gallery or a shoot for a client, back up the images to two different locations.

Batteries and Backups: How to Shoot Off the Grid

When traveling without a laptop, invest in a portable backup device like a Gnarbox. These small drives have an SD card slot and will copy and store all of the card’s images. Again, if the shoot is extra-important, be sure to back up the images to at least two locations.

Conclusion

Keeping your camera and other devices charged while on the road can be a challenge, but is made easier with a few pieces of essential gear designed to meet your charging needs. Together with regular backups, you can take images off the grid with ease and peace of mind.

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Photokina 2018: hands-on with eight stylish new bags

29 Sep

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

Photokina 2018 was one heck of a year for new cameras and lens launches, but it also saw the launch of an impressive number of new camera backpacks and bags. We combed the tradeshow floor to get hands-on with some of the more stylish and technically sophisticated packs, from affordable to premium.

Shown above: the new Bristol DayPack 600+ from Cullman.

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

First up is Lowepro’s ProTactic AW II. As the name implies, this is the second iteration of the original ProTactic – version two adds more padding and better protection for your gear, plus more areas to attach stuff. The backpack comes in the larger 450-series, shown above and the smaller 350-series – the former fits a 15″ laptop, the later a 13″. The larger pack has room for two bodies and plenty of lenses, the smaller one should be able to also fit two bodies and a few lenses.

Both packs offer dual side access for gear, two quick straps on the front (with a ‘foot’ to carry a tripod), a waist strap with utility pouch, rain cover and a super comfortable back panel. The ProTactic line represents Lowepro’s most rugged, professional packs and as such, they don’t come at a cheap price. We’re told the 450-series will retail for about $ 270 and the 350-series $ 220.

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

Next up is ThinkTank’s new Retrospective V2.0 bags. Available in a total of six different sizes, these soft camera bags feature classic styling. They’re also coated in polyurethane to protect gear from the elements but ship with an additional rain cover just in case you find yourself in a torrential downpour.

But probably the coolest feature of these bags is the zippered opening under the main flap which offers protection from thieves and pickpockets. Prices vary by bag size, but the Retrospective 7 V2.0, shown above, retails for around $ 165. It fits a DSLR, several lenses and a 13″ laptop.

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

Cullman launched 4 new camera bag lines at Photokina including the stylish Bristol series shown here, which comes in both daypack and shoulder bag varieties. The daypack in particular caught our eye because of its classic look.

It features a side-zippered opening for quick access and an expandable top compartment. There’s also a padded laptop compartment and water bottle holder. This pack is obviously more geared to enthusiast and casual users rather than pros, but it seems as versatile for every day use as it is handsome. No word on pricing just yet.

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

Tamrac launched a new line of hip-looking shoulder packs in the Bushwhick series (yes, like in Brooklyn). They’re available in 3 sizes, with the Buswhick 6 – shown above – being the largest of them. It can hold an average sized DSLR/mirrorless camera with lens attached plus one additional lens and some accessories.

The exterior features metal buckles and weatherized coating to protect from the elements. There’s also a zippered compartment on front for other odds and ends. The Tamrac Bushwhick 6 retails for $ 150.

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

Compagnon is a relatively new bag brand. I hadn’t heard of them prior to Photokina because they are still working out US distribution, but you can find their packs sold by some US retailers. The Explorer pack, shown here, is a collaboration between Compagnon and backpack brand Deuter.

It offers an expandable roll-top section for personal items and a large lower section for camera gear with padded dividers. The bag features a side zipper for easy access, tripod straps, a water resistant construction and a padded back panel that looks extremely comfortable. It’s available in 16 L and 25 L – no word on pricing yet, but if other Compagnon packs are any indication, expect it to cost a pretty penny ($ 500+).

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

Peak Design just finished its Kickstarter campaign for the new 45L Travel backpack. We’ve previously seen a prototype of the bag, but this is the first time we’ve laid eyes on a retail-ready model and it looks very impressive.

The packs offer lots of features like a weatherproof nylon canvas shell, rugged bottom liner, luggage pass-through, rear and side access, laptop compartment, luggage handles and lots of organization pockets. It can also be expanded or contracted to fit 35L or 45L worth of stuff. The backpack is being sold alongside a line of smaller organizational ‘cubes,’ sold separately. The bag itself will be available sometime in November and retail for $ 300.

Hands-on: New camera bags from Photokina 2018

ONA makes some absolutely lovely shoulder bags. For Photokina, the company teamed up with Japan Camera Hunter to release a very limited addition bag called ONA x Japan Camera Hunter Bowery camera bag. Only 230 of which will be made, each with individual numbering on inside. The bag’s main feature is dedicated film pockets on the inside and elastic film holders on the bag strap.

You can read more about this collaborative bag here. And if you feel so inclined, you can pick one up for $ 200 on ONA’s Website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon Z7 added to studio comparison scene

29 Sep

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effects of different lighting conditions.

The Nikon Z7 has a sensor said to be very similar to the one in the D850 DSLR. We’ve found a few differences, which we’ll be discussing soon, but we wanted to let you have a look straight away. See what you think:

$ (document).ready(function() { ImageComparisonWidget({“containerId”:”reviewImageComparisonWidget-126309″,”widgetId”:629,”initialStateId”:null}) })

Click here to read our Nikon Z7 First Impressions Review

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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