It looks like September 14, 2021 is going to be a busy day. First, Apple announced it will be hosting a livestream event. Now, Canon has announced that it too will be hosting a livestreamed event on YouTube at 12pm CEST (+2 UTC).
Canon doesn’t say what we can expect to see at the event, but the animated graphic in the teaser video shows an illustration of an RF camera mount. Make of that what you will.
You can click through on the video to set a reminder on YouTube to be notified when the event goes live.
It’s hard to compare apples to apples when you want to buy a camera. Product descriptions throw all these numbers at you, such as the number of megapixels and the sensor size, but you may not understand how each affects image quality. Plus, for interchangeable lens cameras, many people will tell you the lens is more important than the camera Continue Reading Photodoto
Comments Off on Megapixels, Sensor Size or Lens: What Matters Most?
The last Leica Noctilux 50mm F1.2 lens was produced 46 years ago. Now, nearly half-a-century later, the iconic lens has been reborn in the form of the Noctilux-M 50mm F1.2 ASPH, a ‘new’ lens from Leica that pays homage to a classic.
An advert for the original Noctilux 50mm F1.2 lens (note it uses the same six-element, four-group optical construction as the new Noctilux-M version).
The original Noctilux 50mm F1.2 lens was the first to feature aspherical elements in its optical design. This, along with its large maximum aperture, made for a unique aesthetic that’s become synonymous with the Noctilux line. Leica says the original lens’ ‘visual signature embodies the original essence of the “Leica look” and has helped shape the landscape of Leica’s iconic reputation for the best lenses.’
So, rather than go back to the drawing board, Leica stood atop its own shoulders and based the new lens so similarly to its predecessor that Leica says the resulting images are ‘nearly identical.’ Despite that, Leica says ‘the purpose of this lens is by no means limited to nostalgia or trips down memory lane,’ going on to say that when ‘stopped down to F2.8 or further, the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH delivers impeccably sharp images that live up to the quality expectations of modern-day digital photography.’
The lens is constructed of six elements in four groups, including two aspherical elements. It features a 16-blade aperture diaphragm, has a 1m (3.3ft) minimum focusing distance and uses a 49mm front filter thread. The lens measures 61mm (2.4″) in diameter, 52mm (2″) long (without lens hood) and weighs 405g (14.3oz).
This lens marks the third in the Leica Classics Range, which has seen reissues of the Summaron-M 28 f/5.6 of 1955 and the Thambar-M 90 f/2.2 of 1935. To further pay homage to Leica’s lens history, the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH will come in both silver and black versions — a nod to Leica’s transition from silver to black anodized lenses over the years.
The silver chrome edition of the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH ‘features a brass lens barrel, a front-ring engraving that reads LEITZ WETZLAR (distinguished from the contemporary LEICA engraving) and along with the clear lens container is packaged in a vintage-inspired box that even further recreates the 1966 original.’ The silver chrome edition is limited to just 100 units worldwide and will retail for $ 16,395.
The black anodized version of the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH will come in packaging ‘inspired by the box of the original [Noctilux].’ Leica doesn’t specify how many of the black anodized versions it will be making, but it doesn’t appear to be a limited edition. Units are available now through Leica Stores and authorized dealers for $ 7,695.
Leica has shared a number of Raw photos captured with the lens that you can download and play around with on its product page.
It’s the end of the year and that means Lensrentals has once again rounded up a list of the most popular camera bodies, lenses and accessories rented from Lensrentals and LensProToGo customers in 2020. Although this year has been, shall we say, different than most, the macro-level look at the most popular rental gear hasn’t changed much. That said, there are a few interesting trends emerging based on the 2020 data.
As it has been since 2017, the Canon 24–70mm F2.8L II lens takes the top spot of the most popular item to fly off Lensrentals’ shelves. Following it is the Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon 70–200mm F2.8L IS II, Sony a7 III and Canon 70–200mm F2.8L IS III. It isn’t until sixth place that we see a change of places. Instead of the Ronin-S, Canon’s 35mm F1.4L II lens snatches up sixth place.
A list of the most popular individual pieces of gear for 2020. Click to enlarge.
As has been the case for a number of years now, Canon absolutely dominates the list of most-rented gear. Canon holds 7 of the top 10 (70%) items and 13 of the top 20 (65%). Lensrentals also note Canon easily took the top spot for new releases in 2020, suggesting people seem more comfortable renting newer Canon gear compared to new offerings from other brands. To that end, Lensrentals’ data also shows that RF mount lenses rent at eight times the rate of Nikon Z mount lenses—a rather staggering statistic considering the new mirrorless mounts were released at the same time and have roughly the same number of lenses available for both mounts.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but there’s been significant growth in mirrorless camera and lens rentals. This backs up essentially all other data showing the migration away from DSLRs is undoubtedly happening. Another interesting trend is third-party lenses, such as those offered by Sigma and Tamron, are on the rise.
An ordered list of the most popular brands by rental market share. Click to enlarge.
All in all, across the board, the top five rental brands are Canon, Sony, Nikon, Sigma and Blackmagic, respectively. The only change in the top five compared to 2019 is Blackmagic, which overtook Panasonic for the final spot.
The full blog post from Lensrentals is a great read, so be sure to visit via the link below to ingest all the data there is to offer.
The post The Five Most Essential Camera Settings and How to Use Them appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by David Shaw.
Modern cameras, from smartphones to high-end DSLRs, are designed to make decisions for us.
And, for the most part, they do a pretty good job. Slap your DSLR into Auto mode, and more often than not you’ll get images that are sharp with a decent exposure.
Now, if you’re just looking to document your world, then go for it. Snap away. But the drawback is that images taken with Auto mode tend to look similar to one another, with a uniform depth of field and exposure.
If you want to move beyond the automatic camera settings, you need to understand your camera, how to use it and, most importantly, what impact changing those settings will have on your final image.
Here are five of the most essential camera settings, what they mean, and how they’ll impact your photos.
ISO
Here’s the first essential camera setting you should know:
ISO.
Now, the acronym “ISO” is terrible, because it’s basically meaningless in terms of photography. It stands for International Organization for Standardization, a European non-governmental organization that makes sure industries apply the same standards.
In the case of photography, the International Organization for Standardization wanted to make sure that an 800 ISO on a Canon camera is the same as on a Nikon, Sony, or a Fuji. If that standard didn’t exist, then settings wouldn’t be applicable across camera brands. So if I set my Canon to make an image at 1/100s at f/2.8 and ISO 400, and you set your Nikon to the same settings, we wouldn’t get the same exposure.
Thankfully, all the major manufacturers do subscribe to the ISO standard.
So what is ISO?
ISO is the measure of the sensitivity of your camera’s digital sensor to light. The lower the number, the lower the sensitivity; the higher the number, the more sensitive the sensor becomes.
Say that you’re shooting in a low light situation, such as in a poorly-lit room or on a dusky evening. An ISO setting of 100 will require that more light reaches the sensor than if you were to use a setting of ISO 400, 800, or 1600.
This night image required a fast shutter speed to retain detail in the flame, so I had to use a high ISO (3200). In the next shot (below), you can see the noise in the original RAW file. (By the way, this image shows what happens when you free methane from a bubble in the ice of a frozen pond in the boreal forest and then set it alight.)
Drawbacks of a high ISO
So why not shoot with a high ISO all the time?
Two reasons:
High ISOs often create digital noise in the image (though camera sensors are getting better and better at avoiding this).
Sometimes you may want to force a slow shutter speed, in which case you need less sensitivity to light. This may be the case if you are trying to capture blurred motion such as water or wind, or if you’re creating pleasing blurs in sports photography.
Note the noise in the detail of the person’s clothing and in other shadowed areas.
In short, ISO is one of the three tools you have at your disposal to manipulate your exposure.
Shutter speed
The length of time your camera’s sensor is exposed to light is the shutter speed.
Many cameras have a mechanical shutter that snaps open and closed, allowing light to reach the sensor. Others use a digital shutter that simply turns on the sensor for a set period of time before switching it off again.
Your shutter speed has a huge impact on the final image.
Why?
Because a long shutter speed will create blur in moving subjects. As a landscape photographer, I use long shutter speeds to blur water, capture starlight, or show wind motion.
For this image, I used a 1/2s shutter speed to blur the waves while retaining some detail.
A 30s shutter speed blurred the Yukon River into a mirror-like surface.
Short (i.e., fast) shutter speeds have the effect of stopping motion. Use a shutter speed of 1/2000s and the motion of a runner or a cyclist will be stopped dead.
This image of a passing bike required a shutter speed of 1/500s. The shutter speed was just fast enough to make the image sharp overall while retaining some sense of motion in the spinning tire.
Your use of shutter speed must be thoughtful to create a good image. Think about the final image you want to create. Does it have blurred components or is it all sharp? Do you want to stop your subject or convey a sense of motion?
Consider, experiment, then decide on your shutter speed.
Aperture
The aperture, or f-stop, might be the most confusing aspect of photography for many photographers. This is because it affects images in unexpected ways.
Essentially, the aperture is how big the hole in the lens is. The smaller the hole, the less light that is allowed in; the larger the hole, the more light that gets through.
What often confuses people is the numbering system:
The smaller the number, the larger the hole.
So a setting of f/2.8 corresponds to a larger opening than f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, and so on. Lenses with a wide maximum aperture (i.e., a small number like f/2) are considered fast, meaning that they are capable of allowing in more light.
But it’s not just about light and how wide a lens can open. The aperture also affects image sharpness.
You see, most, if not all, lenses are sharper a few f-stops down (called the sweet spot). A lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 will create a sharper image at f/8 than at f/2.8. The better the lens, the less this matters, but it is noticeable on most lenses.
Depth of field and its applications
The aperture also controls the depth of field.
The depth of field is the amount of the image from close to far that is in focus. A lens set to its widest aperture (say f/2.8) will give less depth of field than the same lens set to f/11.
A very shallow depth of field in this image brings the grouse hiding in the brush into focus while the surrounding chaos of branches blurs into a haze.
As with shutter speed, your use of aperture should be purposeful. Have a landscape image that you want in focus from front to back? You better select a high f-stop (such as f/11). How about a portrait where you want a clean, soft background but a tack-sharp eye? Then use a small f-stop (such as f/2.8 or f/4) and carefully choose your focus point.
An f-stop of f/11 at 17mm was sufficient to make the entire scene, from inches in front of the lens to the cliffs in the distance, sharp.
The aperture directly impacts the shutter speed. A narrow aperture will require you to use a longer shutter speed to attain a proper exposure, just as a wider aperture will allow you to use a faster shutter speed. Aperture and shutter speed are completely interrelated; there is no escaping it.
So you need a strong understanding of both.
White balance
White balance, like ISO, relates to the sensor.
But, in this case, it has to do with the color of the light, rather than its brightness.
Different light sources have different color tones. Our eyes often don’t detect these differences, but you can bet your camera will. Have you ever seen a photo of a home interior lit by soft white bulbs, but including a window? Usually, the interior of the room looks natural while the outdoor light looks artificially blue.
That’s white balance. The camera (or photographer) decided to use the interior light (the warm-toned bulbs) as the neutral color, but then the natural light outdoors shifted toward blue.
Now, when the white balance is set wrong, the colors are off. They look too yellow, blue, or orange.
But when the white balance is correct, everything looks natural, as our eyes detect it.
Here is an image with the camera’s white balance set to Auto. The colors of the aurora borealis appear too purple and yellow.
In this version, I adjusted the white balance further into the blue range, making the colors of the lights appear more natural and pleasing.
What about Auto White Balance?
I’ve got a confession to make here:
I almost always use the Auto White Balance setting on my camera. Cameras are pretty darn good at assessing color tones and deciding on the appropriate white balance. When my camera does get it wrong, I can check the image on the LCD and make the correction for the next shot.
Also, I shoot exclusively in RAW format, which means that I can make adjustments to the white balance during post-processing. I trust the image on my computer screen more than I trust the tiny LCD on the back of my camera.
That said, there are times you should adjust the camera’s white balance setting. The first is if you are shooting JPEGs. The JPEG file format will not allow you to effectively adjust the white balance later, so you must get it right in-camera.
The second time you’ll want to adjust your white balance setting is when stacking images, either for high-contrast scenes or for panoramas. When stacking, slight changes in color tones will make combining several images into a single HDR photo or a panorama much more difficult or even impossible.
You can also adjust your white balance if you purposely want to make an image look cool or warm, or if you are using artificial lights.
So be mindful of your white balance; know what it does and how it will impact your images. Then decide how to use it.
Exposure compensation
What is exposure compensation?
Exposure compensation allows you to very quickly add or subtract light from an image.
Too dark? Use the exposure compensation feature to add a stop of light. Too bright? Exposure compensation can quickly darken the image.
For the image above, I used exposure compensation to make sure the scene showed details in the foreground, while keeping the bright sunset in the background from being blown out.
And the image below was made in bright sunlight, but a deliberate underexposure of three stops (via exposure compensation) reduced the mountains to black but retained detail in the sky, resulting in a surreal image.
Know your camera well
Exposure compensation is a tool you should know how to adjust without lowering the camera from your eye. How it is set depends on your camera settings.
I use Aperture Priority mode most often on my camera. So I select the aperture, and the camera decides the shutter speed. If I adjust the exposure compensation, my camera will retain my chosen aperture and simply adjust the shutter speed up or down to get the desired exposure.
And if I were to use Shutter Priority mode, as I sometimes do, the camera would adjust the aperture, instead.
(In Auto mode, the camera makes this decision for you.)
I use exposure compensation constantly. It is my go-to method for fine-tuning my exposures in the field. On my Canon DSLR, I can adjust it with a simple twitch of my thumb on the rear wheel of the camera. Other cameras have their exposure compensation control as a wheel near the shutter button, or as part of a system of buttons on the back.
Know how your camera works and learn to adjust the exposure compensation quickly and efficiently. Understanding this important tool will mean you don’t miss your chance to get the shot right when you are working in the field or the studio.
Essential camera settings: Conclusion
These five camera settings are the most important things to understand about your camera.
Experiment with them so you know how they affect your final image. Learn to change each setting quickly and without fuss.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll have taken charge of your photography.
And you’ll be on your way to creating purposeful images.
If you have any comments or questions, please add them below!
The post The Five Most Essential Camera Settings and How to Use Them appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by David Shaw.
The post Shooting Stock Photography: Getting the Most Out of a Single Subject appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.
Most photographers who experiment with shooting stock photography quickly become disillusioned. They struggle to see a return on their time and financial investment. Even worse, they turn to fellow photographers for advice and are often told that the stock photography market is dead.
But that isn’t the case. There is still a market for stock photography.
However, to create a revenue stream from shooting stock photography, you need to work smarter. That way, you’ll have a more significant library of images with less investment, and you’ll be able to build a revenue stream from your images much quicker.
What is stock photography?
Stock photography is where a photographer takes images that they’ve already shot and makes them available to businesses for licensing.
In return for a fee, the client can use the pictures in their book or on their website. It usually works out cheaper for the client to use a stock photograph than to commission a photographer to go out and shoot a similar image.
The images are usually managed by an agency, who handles all of the marketing and administration.
Is stock photography dead?
This is the first question that photographers often ask me when they find out I’ve been shooting stock photography for over a decade. I am a relative beginner in the world of stock photography, but I can tell you that, in my experience, it is very worth exploring the stock photography market.
This old photograph was one of the first I submitted to stock libraries. Back then I used to focus on photographing everything on white backgrounds. It still sells, but if I’d shot more variety ten years ago then I’d be seeing more revenue now!
Canon 350D | Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 | 50mm | 1/125 sec | f/8.0 | ISO 200 | Strobe Lighting
Anyone thinking about shooting stock photography needs to understand that it is a long game to play. You shouldn’t expect instantaneous results. It may take a couple of years to start seeing regular sales that you can predict in your business plan.
But don’t let that put you off. Time spent on photographing and submitting images to stock libraries is an investment in your future income.
Where do stock images come from?
There have always been photographers dedicated to shooting stock photographs. However, many photographers have made a good side income by submitting images that came from other shoots or jobs.
An image shot for a DPS article that has since earned me money through a stock library. I used the same subject as the previous shot, but a very different approach.
In doing this, photographers have made their images work harder for them by pulling double-duty. The photographer has been paid for their time to shoot the initial photographs. But then they may also get paid for the images again when they are licensed from the photographer’s stock agency.
If you are shooting images specifically for your stock library, then you need to make sure you optimize the way you shoot. Getting a wide variety of photographs from a single subject is the key to quickly seeing regular payments with minimal investment.
Getting more from a single subject
If you have purchased a prop to photograph for your stock photography library, then it makes sense to get maximum return on your investment.
This advice will also work for hiring models or visiting particular locations; just take the general principles and apply them to your subject.
I often shoot stock photography images alongside fine art images. By using the same subject with different props and compositions, you can shoot a wide variety of pictures in a short space of time.
Understand what each stock photography agency that you submit to is looking for. If you shoot a variety of images in different styles, you can then send them to various agencies.
In a food photography shoot, it is quite possible to shoot for a wide range of stock photography agencies during the same session. You could shoot a shot for a cafe to market themselves with on social media. You could also shoot an image for a food magazine or recipe book. You could perhaps shoot a fiction book cover, an educational textbook image, and some creative images for bloggers to use.
Above are some of the images from a shoot I did with a single subject. I made sure to shoot with both light and dark backgrounds, as well as both modern and more rustic backgrounds. Image buyers want to purchase photographs that will fit with the feel of their brand. The more options that you can give them, the better.
Think about where your images could be used
Don’t forget to shoot in both landscape and portrait format for your stock images. You never know where your image will end up. While a fiction book cover will almost always need a vertical image, a magazine or a blog could use either vertical or horizontal images depending on the page layout.
Another tip is to shoot images that have space for text to be added later. Think about a magazine front cover. It has room at the top to put the name of the magazine. But it also has plain or out-of-focus areas on the side to write the headlines. Browse through magazines and books to understand more about the kinds of images that get purchased and published.
Where to start with shooting stock photography for profit?
As I often say: Just start somewhere.
Research the kinds of images that different stock photography libraries are interested in. Agencies will usually have blog posts on their sites listing the pictures that they’re looking for. And then get shooting.
Make sure you capture a wide range of different angles and compositions while thinking about the different ways that your images could be used.
If you’re shooting stock images of small objects, then try creating some different backgrounds so that you can easily change them out while shooting.
That way, you can create multiple styles of photographs in the same session. If you’re shooting models, then scout out locations that have a number of different backdrop styles within a few minutes of each other.
But what you really need to do is shoot images and get them placed with stock photography agencies. If your images aren’t out there and in front of the eyes of potential clients, then you won’t sell any at all! You can refine your workflow later.
Have you had much success with shooting stock photography? Let us know how you’ve got on in the comments!
The post Shooting Stock Photography: Getting the Most Out of a Single Subject appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.
Venus Optics has announced it’s now offering six of its most popular Laowa lenses for L-mount camera systems. The new lenses feature the same optical designs as their respective DSLR and mirrorless equivalents but are designed specifically for use with Leica CL, Leica SL, Panasonic S1 and Sigma fp cameras.
The six ‘new’ L-mount lenses are as follows:
Laowa 10-18mm F4.5-5.6
Laowa 12mm F2.8 Zero-D
Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D
Laowa 15mm F4 Wide Angle Macro
Laowa 65mm F2.8 2X Ultra-Macro
Laowa 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO
Aside from dimensions and weight, which vary only slightly, the specifications for each of the lenses are the same as the other mirrorless-mount versions of each lens. As a refresher though, Venus Optics has provided the following specification overview chart.
As noted in the above chart, each lens retails for the same price as their other mirrorless mount equivalents. You can find out more about each of the lenses by going to Venus Optics’ website.
Press release
Press Release
Venus Optics add L-mount options on 6 of their Laowa Lenses
Anhui China, Jun 24, 2020 – Venus Optics, the manufacturer specialized in making unique photo and cinema lenses, add the L-mount option on six of their existing Laowa wide angle & macro lenses. These L-mount lenses can currently be used on Panasonic S1 series , Sigma FP and Leica SL/CL cameras.
Wide Angle
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D
Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D
Macro
Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro
Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Laowa 10-18mm is currently the widest rectilinear zoom lens available in the market for full frame cameras. With the small form factor, the lens is extremely handy for landscape and travel photographers. A rear filter slot is designed for using ND filters.
Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D
Laowa 12mm is the flagship model of Venus Optics and is currently the widest rectilinear f/2.8 lens in the market for full frame cameras. The lens features a close- to-zero distortion as well as a ultra-fast aperture. It is extremely popular among astro and landscape photographers.
Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D
Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D lens is another flagship model of Venus Optics and it features an extremely fast f/2 aperture. Unlike other wide angle lenses with bulgy front element, the 72mm filter thread is an extremely convenient feature for landscape and astro photographers. The lens is good for both photographers and videographers. Similar to the 12mm f/2.8, this 15mm can also cover the full frame sensor as well as having a close-to-zero distortion.
Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro
Laowa 15mm f/4 lens is currently the widest 1:1 macro lens in the market. The combination of deep depth of field and 1:1 magnification enables photographers to take photos like nobody else. Not only can small subjects appear huge in the photos, its background information (e.g. habitat) can also be visible in the photos. This lens can cover full frame sensor and is equipped with a simple +/- 6mm shift mechanism.
Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro
Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro is a 2:1 macro lens that Venus Optics have designed specially for mirrorless APS-C cameras. The extended macro range is extremely welcomed by macro photographers who was having difficulty in shooting small subjects. The compact and lightweight lens body matches balance with the camera really well.
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro APO
The award winning 100mm macro lens is one of the flagship macro lens offered by Venus Optics. Apart from the 2:1 magnification, the lens also features an extremely good control of chromatic aberrations control. The lens is able to focus from 2:1 magnification till infinity focus and cover full frame sensor.
Pricing & Availability
The new L-mount lenses are currently available to order in Venus Optics official webstore and their authorized resellers. Pricing is the same as the other available mounts and they vary in different countries. Shipping will start from August onwards.
Flashpoint has announced a new flagship portable flash, the XPLOR Power 1200 R2. The flash is the newest member of Flashpoint’s R2 series of portable, wireless flashes.
The XPLOR Power 1200 R2 is Flashpoint’s most powerful flash unit and it offers multiple flash modes, including power recycling of less than two seconds and long flash duration for continuous shooting. The XPLOR Power 1200 Pro power pack and flash head combine to weigh just over 17 pounds. Of the wireless flash, Flashpoint Brand Manager, Solomon Leifer, said the following:
‘The Flashpoint XPLOR Power 1200 Pro is our most robust and powerful wireless flash, while remaining lightweight and portable for location shooting. With 1200W output and an excellent battery-powered system, the XPLOR Power 1200 Pro flash is perfect for ‘big event’ and outdoor photographers.‘
The Flashpoint XPLOR Power 1200 Pro includes a built-in Flashpoint 2.4 GHz R2 wireless flash system and offers wireless control for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony TTL camera systems. The strobe offers nine steps of output power, ranging from 1/1 to 1/256. The flash includes a high-speed sync (HSS) mode that can work with shutter speeds up to 1/8000s. For stopping action, flash durations range from 1/220 to 1/10,860s.
Photographers need more than speed and power; they also need color stability with their lighting. The flash offers a Stable Color Temperature mode to better control temperature changes. Flashpoint states that this mode keeps temperatures ranges within +/- 75K throughout the entire power range.
Connectivity features include a pair of 3.5mm sync cord plug holes for wired connection, a wireless control port and a USB Type-C port for future firmware upgrades. For connecting light modifiers, the flash head is compatible with Bowens S-Type modifiers, resulting in compatibility with hundreds of light modifiers.
For extended shooting, the large-capacity lithium-ion battery in the power pack delivers 480 full-power flashes and can be fully recharged in two hours. The battery is 36V/5200mAh and it can be swapped out of the power pack in seconds. There is also an optional AC adapter to replace the battery chamber for a direct main connection when shooting indoors or in a studio environment. If photographers want to travel by air, there’s also a 36V/2600mAh rechargeable battery pack option.
Close-up image of the Power Pack.
Additional features include a 40W LED modeling lamp with three selectable modes, fan cooled flash head, three active flash modes (Manual, TTL and Multiflash) and a Stroboscopic Mode capable of delivering 100 continuous flashes at 1/16 power output.
The Flashpoint XPLOR Power 1200 Pro R2 flash comes with the flash head, power pack, reflector, glass lamp cover, lithium-ion battery, battery charger, power cable, carrying case and rolling case.
The Flashpoint XPLOR Power 1200 Pro R2 flash system is available now for $ 1,599 USD from Adorama and comes with a power pack, flash head, reflector, glass lamp cover, lithium-ion battery, battery charger, power cable, carrying case and rolling case.
As Adorama’s house brand in the United States, this flash is sold as a Flashpoint product. However, it can also be purchased as the Godox AD1200 Pro from other retailers and in other markets. As we noted in our coverage of the Flashpoint XPLOR 300 Pro, for customers in the United States, Flashpoint products are covered by a two-year warranty when purchased through Adorama.
We’ve updated our ‘best cameras over $ 2000’ buying guide, and the Sony a7R IV is now our favorite mirrorless camera in the $ 2000-4000 price range. It sits alongside the Nikon D850, which is our choice for those who prefer DSLRs.
I don’t differentiate between work and play. I think my time is spent in either excellent, good, okay, or bad fashion. If too much of my time is just “okay” or “bad” – I’m doing something wrong
I think most freelance photographers, painters, writer, and pretty much anyone in a non-“standard” 9-5 job can relate. Kinda reframes the whole “wasting time” thing – instead of trying to stop wasting time, just aim to increase the amount of time spent in excellent fashion!
You must be logged in to post a comment.