Editor's note: Our pals at Lensrentals.com are moving into larger offices, and posted this fun article on their blog. It's such a great read that we contacted Roger to get permission to repost it. Quite creative!
Getting ready to move a business is just like any other move: you spend a lot of time waiting for workmen to show up: painters, electricians, plumbers, you name it. It seems Roger and Aaron got a little bored over at the new building. There wasn’t much to play with: lots of empty space, some lenses we’d started moving over, and some floor tiles they found. They had to entertain themselves somehow.
So a nice game of chess seemed like a good idea. I know: they were wrong for doing this. Very wrong. But since they did, does anybody want to rent a rather unique chess set? Shipping cost might be a deal breaker, though.
The Lensrentals Chess Set
The Classic Canon opening with Nikon defending aggressively
Yes, you can rent the Lensrentals Chess set for just $9,221.00 per week!
Is Black Friday almost over already? If you’re looking to buy something practical or just fun for your favorite photographer in the family, then here are a few favorites. You will notice a lot of these suggestions are from my sponsors and for good reason. These folks make quality products and have great customer service. I won’t buy cheap products nor will I recommend companies with questionable service, so I'll try to steer you folks towards companies I know and like. Anyway, here’s a list of things I currently own and really enjoy using.
Here’s my naughty or nice list:
$10-30 range
1. Think Tank Cable Management 10 Organizer—I love these things. I have my back-up batteries, battery chargers, and pocket wizards all organized in these slick little pouches. And if you’re really Type A, you can get a label maker and slap some labels on them to keep everything seriously organized.
2. Composition: From Snapshots to Great Shots—sure I’m a little biased on this one since I contributed a chapter, but this is an excellent book written by Laurie Excel. I’ve had a chance to go through the entire book, and it really has a lot of great tips and the photography is amazing.
3. I Shoot RAW” T-shirt. The shirt sort of says it all. No no one will ever wonder what file format you use again. Then again, non-photographers might look at you strangely…;)
$30-70 range
1. PowerEX battery charger—I think I own more batteries and battery chargers than I do camera bags. (Which is saying a lot). This is by far the very best system I’ve owned. The docking station has a rapid charge system as well as a slow charging system and a conditioning charge that totally depletes the battery and recharges it. Like I said, I love this system…then again I’m sort of a rechargeable battery nerd kind of guy.
2. Borrowlenses gift certificate— Anyone who follows my blog knows I love trying out new lenses. Borrowlenses.com has a great selection of gift certificates, but a $50.00-70.00 gift certificate will get you a wide variety of lenses to choose from.
3. Artistic Photo Canvas- When I won the Shutterstock Safari contest last April the very first thing I did was contact APC about creating a canvas of my winning image. It was my first time ordering from them, and the service was impeccable. The quality of the canvas exceeded my expectations, and now looks awesome hanging in my entryway. If someone you know has been bugging you about getting them a print of one of your best photos, try out a canvas. A frame isn’t necessary, and it displays really well.
4. Portable shooting table—I’ve been using this very table to shoot Nikon D7000: From Snapshots to Great Shots book. This table rocks. It’s folds up to a very small tent size bag and is easy to store. Once it’s assembled you can adjust the height of the back. If you’re into shooting macro or products then this is a great table to get you started.
5. Black Rapid Strap — The hugely popular RS-W1, designed with the woman’s physique in mind, might work for the chesty guy too…don’t know. Don’t want to know…;). What I do know is that women really love it. Also, the new RS-Sport (coming soon) should be perfect for those of us on the go, and my personal favorite is the RS-7. The quality and design of these straps is awesome and chances are after using one you’ll never use a traditional neck strap again.
$150-200 range
1. Silver Efex Pro and /or HDR Efex Pro – When it comes to making killer black and whites then Silver Efex is simply the standard. HDR Efex Pro is so easy and so much fun to use that it takes the mystery out of making great HDR photographs.
$300+ range
1. Lee Filters– I love my Lee Filter system. My only regret is that it took me so long to actually start using them. I’ve been using the Lee Digital SLR starter kit for about 8 months now and I can’t imagine taking landscape photos without it. Word of warning–these are hard to come by and always seem to be on back-order.
2. Drobo S–This is no doubt a big ticket but well worth the investment. I don’t care if your passion is photography, music, video or all the above. If you have digital files then this a rock solid investment for protecting them.
Learn more about John, view his images and check out his blog here.
Rain Covers can protect your gear from the elements—not just rain. Mother nature throws all kinds of corrosive at your gear: sand, salt spray, snow and dust to name a few. Think of washing your clothes the last time you shot near the water or in a dusty field. That same stuff that made your clothes dirty is on your gear!
Your choice of rain covers is all over the board, both in price and in sizes. From $5 plastic disposable covers to high tech solutions running several hundred dollars, it might be overwhelming as to which one to choose.
The answer to your rain cover can reveal itself with a little analysis of two things: the lenses in your collection, and why you’ll need a rain cover. Keep in mind that one size rain cover probably won’t fit all your lenses, and you may find a different rain cover need for different lenses. Just as you need different lenses for different situations, you may need different rain covers as well.
Take your lenses out of storage and line them up on a table. A quick look will (maybe painfully) remind you of the amount of investment you have to protect. Grab a tape measure—yes, you’ll need to measure your lenses, both length and diameter. If you want your rain gear to cover your hood, include that in your measurements. Keep in mind teleconverters, and add a few inches for them if you use them. Also, some rain cover manufacturers include the measurements for your camera body, so measure those as well. It only take a few minutes to measure, and you’ll want to save this information.
Luckily, you won’t need as may rain covers as you have lenses, as most covers span a few inches, and therefore fit several lenses. One piece of advice: always lean toward a larger rain cover—it may “bunch up” with shorter lenses, but will cover the longer ones adequately.
Before we move on to the covers themselves, think about how you will use each lens in relation to protection. Do you only take out that 50mm inside or in the back yard? Are you taking that 500mm to Africa or Alaska? Do you shoot ball games with that 70-200mm? Inside or out? Do you need a weather-tight solution for your trip with one lens, but only an emergency cover for another?
Now that you have measurements for your lenses, and a “need scale” for each one, you’re armed with the info needed for a choice of rain covers.
Rain covers run the gamut, just like your lenses. We’ll start with the basic models, cover the high-tech models, and end up in the middle.
For starters, Op/Tech makes a disposable clear light plastic Rainsleeves that only run around $6. These sleeves fit lenses 18” or smaller (14” for the version that covers your flash) and have a drawstring to cinch up the cover on your lens. They also have a hole to push your eyepiece through for a clearer view. Rainsleeves won’t over your big telephotos, and will bunch up on wide angles, but cover about everything in between. These sleeves are great for stashing in your camera bag for that occasional surprise shower on a shoot or a day at the beach. The price can’t be beat, and they are much nicer than a plastic garbage bag!
On the other end of the scale are the high-tech offerings from Think Tank Photo and AquaTech. If you’re heading to Anarctica, Alaska, a whitewater raft trip, shoot outdoor sports, or want to make sure your gear is absolutely protected, then these covers are for you. Each model of these covers is made for a narrow range of lenses to provide a tight fit. They also require individual eyepieces for each of your cameras to insure waterproofing.
Think Tank makes two Hydrophobia models: one for the popular 70-200mm, with or without flash, and one for the lens range of 300mm to 600mm.
The Hydrophobias keep your gear watertight, strap down to your gear, and provide two sleeves for ease of operation. The Hydrophbia 300-600 even sits on your long lens, waiting to be quickly pulled back at a moment’s notice. To complete a custom fit, you’ll need to get the proper eyepiece for your camera.
AquaTech, an Australian company that makes wetsuits, applies their technology to high end, custom fitting covers. AquaTech has five models, each fitting a narrow range of lenses. To make things easier, AquaTech has a PDF Reference Chart to help you pick the right size. Like the Think Tank, you need a specific eyepiece for your camera.
Kata rain covers take a different approach, with good customization and full features at an economical price. Kata makes a rain cover for smaller DSLRs which have lenses up to 5.75”. They also have a model for pro-sized DSLRs with lenses up to 4”. The unique thing about the cover for pro sized DSLRs is that you can add a Lens Extension Kit that has two add-on sleeves for 25.6” long. These models give you great flexibility and quite a few of the features found on more expensive models.
Right in the middle, for occasional use and great protection, like the Storm Jackets. Reasonably priced, these Aqua-nylon fabric covers cover a wide range of lenses and have bungee-cords for enclosures. They also have Velcro openings for your tripod or monopod. Sizes range up to 31” and the product pages give suggested lens size combinations. These covers give you repeated use and are compact for storage in your bag. These are our most popular covers!
So there you have it. Although there are numerous choices of rain covers, a little analysis of your lenses and your needs will point you in the right direction.
The title of this post is a line that photographers hate to hear when people comment on their images. I hear this one a lot at my art shows. Due to the digital and photoshop age, people tend to think great images are produced by great equipment, when in fact low-end camera equipment can produce good quality images in the hands a of competent photographer. The opposite is true as well: top of the line equipment can easily shoot bad images by a careless photographer.
I ran across a video on fstoppers.com called, “The iPhone Fashion Shoot By Lee Morris”. Lee proves that a good photographer can produce good image even with a camera phone.
He attaches his camera phone to a tripod with velcro, sets up some lighting, and does a model shoot to prove his point: that it’s not all about the equipment.
Here is a quote from Lee Morris:
“A few weeks ago I did a full fashion photo shoot with my iPhone 3gs. I posted a few of the images and asked people to critique them (never exposing that they were shot on my cell phone). I couldn’t help but laugh when a few of our readers claimed that these were “the best images I had ever taken.” Nobody ever claimed that they were too grainy, too soft, or lacked detail”.
If you can do this well with a camera phone, just think how good your images will look with a entry level digital SLR!
Most importantly, get out and shoot. Your images will improve, no matter what your equipment.
You can visit Mike's blog and learn about his workshops here: Tiny Landscapes
Mike's eBooks are available in the OPG store here: Mike Moats
In light of this country’s holiday weekend, we are proud to bring you products from our friends at Wimberley—a company whose products are made right here in the USA, and whose products set the bar for the highest standard worldwide.
Photographers all over the world know and respect Wimberley products for being the pinnacle in their category. Gimbal heads, flash brackets, lens plates and quick release clamps by Wimberley are procured by photographers who demand only the best.
The Wimberley story is a true example of the American Dream. David Wimberley started in 1991 with a unique idea of a tripod head. This gimbal mount design became so popular with nature photographers that Wimberley grew from a backyard project into a full-fledged company.
David was joined by his son Clay five years later. Together, their drive for quality precise solutions added new dimensions to their business, and pushed Wimberley to the worldwide stage, all while maintaining their American value of loyalty to their customers.
Wimberley takes a great deal of pride in the name that they have built for themselves over the years. Always striving for excellence, Wimberley has provided the global photography community with quality products—Made in the USA.
Induro's new 5-Way panheads hit the shelves today. We thought you would enjoy this video that illustrates the options this unique head has in store for all types of photography.
You can learn more, see detailed specs, and purchase a PHQ in the OPG store here: Induro
When the iPad was announced, I immediately started thinking about how this device would work into my photography. After a lot of thought, I boiled down the iPad's photography advantages to the five below. Where they enough to make me purchase an iPad? Yes, they were!
1. The Screen
The iPad screen uses a technology called IPS, the same display technology that is used by the coveted Apple Cinema Displays. The Cinema Displays' clarity and color reproduction are top notch. How does this help you as a photographer? Load up your best images on the iPad and use it as the most versatile and beautiful portable portfolio presenter ever made. When showing your images to prospective clients they'll be amazed!
2. Portability
The iPad is truly portable. It weights just 1.5 lbs, and the battery lasts for an incredible 10 hours. Apple makes a VGA adapter, and Apple's wonderful presentation program, Keynote, is available for the iPad. With the iPad, you have an incredibly portable solution to do presentations of your work through a digital projector, without having to carry a bulky laptop. You can show those same images you loaded for your electronic portfolio, or create amazing presentations with music and motion, and dazzle your audience.
3. Apps
Apple's iTunes store has over 170,000 applications for the iPhone. Guess what? All of them run on the iPad. On launch day, there were over 3,000 applications designed exclusively for the iPad. Out of these there are a great number of applications that I consider essential for photographers. Some of my favorites are LightTrac, Darkness, MagicHour, and Focalware.
4. Videos
All photographers, like most creative people, go through times when we feel uninspired, or when we feel out of ideas. For me, nothing cures the doldrums faster than watching some inspirational images or movies. They get my creative juices flowing! The iPad makes it easy to watch these movies anywhere, at any time. I don't have to squint at my iPhone, or unpack and set up my laptop. Some of my favorite and most inspirational movies include Baraka, Planet Earth, and any of the Natural History documentaries produced by Sir David Attenborough. Now I can have them with me all the time.
5. Photo Websites Anywhere
One of the most important aspects of the iPad for me is that now I have a full featured browser in the palm of my hands, at all times. The iPad allows me to keep up with all my favorite photography related websites with ease, in any room of the house. Some of my favorites include, The Digital Photo Experience, The Pixelated Image, Planet 5D and of course, Outdoor Photo Gear.
I would love to hear from you about your views. You can email me at juan@dpexperience.com. Or, take a minute to we have attached. It's a great way to see what other photographers are thinking! Check back in a few days as we publish the results.
Editor's note: Juan has two last minute openings in his Yellowstone & Grand Tetons in Spring instructional photo workshop taking place June 5 thru June 13. He's offering a $500 discount to any OPG customer who signs up for the workshop by April 15th. Check out the workshop details here, and just mention Outdoor Photo Gear to him when you sign up.
Current Results
Would you use an iPad with your photography?
Yes – 54%
No – 29%
Maybe – 11%
What's your photography "status"?
In-between – 54%
Amateur – 25%
Professional – 18%
How do you think you will use your iPad with your photography?
Showing photos to friends and family – 20%
Browse photography websites – 19%
Read photography related eBooks – 16%
Presenting photos to clients – 15%
Use photography apps while shooting – 13%
Give presentations – 11%
Use as a photo frame – 5%
Have you purchased an iPad?
No – 68%
Yes – 21%
Not Interested – 7%
Air travel is more difficult than ever before; it seems carry-on policy, size and weight restrictions, and additional fees imposed change daily. We need to save every ounce of weight and space possible while trying to safely transport our gear to and from location. To this end I had been placing my long lens hoods within my checked luggage, and although I stood them on end, all the hoods exhibit stress fractures from baggage handling.
Enter the Aqua Tech SoftHood solution; lightweight, collapsible and damage resistant it has proved a superior alternative to traveling with the manufacturers' round hard hood. The SoftHood conveniently lies flat for easy packing. Attaching the hood is quick and easy via compression straps with a “hook and loop” flap to the lens, a rubber channel firmly seats the hood preventing movement after attachment; the stiff batten-like ribbing within the fabric makes the hood strong and ridged enough to stand on end when in use.
Over the past few months I have traveled the globe using Aqua Tech SoftHood sizes for both 300/500, and 400/600 mm lenses. In short, traveling with the SoftHood use greatly reduces my equipment anxiety, and although some may consider the hood a luxury item, I find them well worth the additional piece of mind.Highly Recommended!
See you in the field or at the computer,
Chas
Read about Chas and his killer "Shoot The Light" workshops here.
I was recently given the opportunity test and review the Jobu BWG-Pro gimbal head. Outdoor Photo Gear arranged to have Jobu Design send a BWG-Pro my way so that I could test it out, write a review for OPG and provide feedback to Jobu Design. All-in-all, I was very impressed with the BWG-Pro’s design, construction and operation.
Background
I am a Juneau, Alaska based photographer who shoots everything from still life to landscapes to wildlife. I use Canon DSLRs and own a host of lenses, including a Canon 500mm f/4 IS. To date, when using my 500mm, I’ve been using a Wimberley Sidekick mounted on a ballhead (currently the RRS BH-55) all atop an old but sturdy Gitzo 1345. I should note that until spending time with the BWG-Pro, I hadn’t really tested any other full gimbal head to any great degree. I had always felt the ballhead/Sidekick combination was adequate for my needs and hadn’t been convinced otherwise when given the occasional opportunity to briefly borrow or try full gimbal heads. My tests of the BWG-Pro were my first chance to really put a full gimbal head through its paces and get comfortable with the "full gimbal way of life".
I should also note that, despite my best intentions and efforts, the weather and wildlife in southeast Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon were less than cooperative during the time I had the BWG-Pro. The early fall rains had begun and the salmon runs were in their lull between their regular summer runs and their late fall runs. The sated bears and eagles apparently decided to use the ugly weather and lack of food to rest up before the next and last influx of salmon before winter. So, sadly, most of my testing of the BWG-Pro was not done in the heat of the wildlife photo moment but in more controlled settings. The upside to this was that I was able to really give the BWG-Pro an unhurried, extensive examination.
Product Description
The Jobu Design BWG-Pro is the largest gimbal head that offered by Jobu Design, and I think it is the beefiest on the market. Weighing in at 3.5 pounds, its main arm is constructed from cast, heat treated, oversized stock. The BWG-Pro has full ball bearing support in its tilt-axis and its horizontal mount swing arm has spring loaded movement. It also uses soft-touch rubberized knobs and a unique low-profile lockout switch that locks tilt movement for travel. It comes standard with a 2.5 inch, knobbed, Arca-Swiss compatible quick release plate (longer plates are available) and is offered in two paint schemes, field green and matte black. It is recommended for use with lenses from 70-200mm F2.8 and up.
Construction, Fit and Finish
That the BWG-Pro is the largest and heaviest gimbal head offered by Jobu Design comes as no surprise, as it is built very, very well. With large, oversized main and swing arms, adjustable base plate, large, rubberized knobs and paired, instead of single, hex bolts, the BWG-Pro is obviously intended to securely handle very large and heavy lenses with ease. Although the BWG-Pro is fairly large and heavy, it is only .3 pounds heavier than my standard BH-55 plus Sidekick set-up. In use, while hiking, I never noticed that extra .3 pounds. The fit of the BWG-Pro is quality. The BWG-pro is solid, with no loose joints, rattling, loose knobs, etc.
The unit I tested was painted an appropriate field green. The paint job was quite nice and seemed durable but I was pretty gentle with the unit so I really can’t attest to its long term durability.
Operation
In use, the BWG-Pro mounted with my 500mm f/4 IS and Canon 1D2n, performed very well and made me a full gimbal head convert. Now I sheepishly understand what I’ve been missing! The movements of the BWG-Pro were silky smooth, and the unit was rock solid when clamped down, even at odd angles. I appreciated the positive, large, rubberized knobs. Not only did the knobs do a nice job of securing the arms, they were comfortable and easy to operate, even while wearing gloves. The unit was fairly easy to set-up, and once you have the adjustable height base plate set appropriately for your lens/camera combination, you’re good to go with a nearly “weightless” long lens experience.
The inclusion of the lockout switch is a nice touch. It locks the tilt arm in its neutral, vertical position so that when you move the tripod your lens and camera don’t freely tilt. This makes carrying and transporting your gear much easier and more pleasant than would otherwise be the case.
I do have some minor suggestions for Jobu. First, I’d like the option of a lever operated quick release clamp. While I understand that a knob operated clamp is more secure, I find that lever operated clamps are much more convenient, especially in cold weather when fiddling with a small knob means taking off your warm gloves. I also felt that while the adjustable height base plate is a nice, even necessary, feature and is very secure once clamped down, that it was a bit difficult to adjust if it was bearing any weight. I'd also like to see the tension knob placed on the side of the main arm, where the lockout switch is currently located, a location to which my hand would naturally move while shooting. I understand however that there are probably design/engineering considerations in the choice of the switch and knob positions. Of course, none of these quips rise to the level of deal breakers for me – the BWG-Pro is a quality piece of gear to be sure.
I also loaned the BWG-Pro to my friend and professional nature photographer, John Hyde and asked that he review it as well. I asked that he use his 600mm f/4 lens, which is both longer and heavier than my 500mm. He provided the following input:
“If you need a solid support for photographing subjects in motion with long, heavy lens the BWG-Pro is a must have.
Once you get the balance right for the lens being used it is always ready to go at a moment’s notice. Unlike a ball head which must be tightened down if you wish to back away from the camera and tripod, or move to a new location, this gimbal head can save precious seconds because it is always ready to go.
I used this in combination with my 600 F4 and two different pro bodies and it performed very well. Smooth panning operation even when set fairly tight, so tracking subjects is a breeze.
The trick to getting the best performance from this (and any gimbal head) is having the tension on the head adjusted for the lens and the tripod height adjusted correctly for height of the photographer. Once this is achieved both horizontal and vertical panning are optimized. If you are using a lens that can rotate within its collar, then that will make panning and tracking even easier. The height of the base can also be adjusted vertically as well.
Initially I had some concern that the base release was a bit small but the double tapped design held firm.
The bulk and weight of this head are more than a ball head but well worth it in terms of performance. It is essential for long lens use in my opinion.
And when you consider the price tag of those long telephoto lenses the cost of this head isn’t too bad. Especially when you consider the enhanced performance and ability to capture those photos that otherwise would have gotten away!”
Conclusion
After having spent time with my Canon 1D2n and 500mm f/4 IS clamped happily, securely and weightlessly on the Jobu BWG-Pro, I’m now convinced that, if at all possible, every nature photographer using big glass should at least try the Jobu BWG-Pro. My minor suggestions aside, I can’t see how one would improve on the construction and performance of the Jobu BWG-Pro. For me, now that I’ve tested one, it occupies quite a high place on my Spring 2010 photography gear shopping list.
You can find more information on the BWG-Pro in the Store.
When the iPad was announced, I immediately started thinking about how this device would work into my photography. After a lot of thought, I boiled down the iPad's photography advantages to the five below. Where they enough to make me purchase an iPad? Yes, they were!
John Batdorff's Black Friday List
Sunday, November 28th, 2010Is Black Friday almost over already? If you’re looking to buy something practical or just fun for your favorite photographer in the family, then here are a few favorites. You will notice a lot of these suggestions are from my sponsors and for good reason. These folks make quality products and have great customer service. I won’t buy cheap products nor will I recommend companies with questionable service, so I'll try to steer you folks towards companies I know and like. Anyway, here’s a list of things I currently own and really enjoy using.
Here’s my naughty or nice list:
$10-30 range
$30-70 range
$150-200 range
$300+ range
2. Drobo S–This is no doubt a big ticket but well worth the investment. I don’t care if your passion is photography, music, video or all the above. If you have digital files then this a rock solid investment for protecting them.
Learn more about John, view his images and check out his blog here.
Tags: artistic photo canvas, Batdorff Photography, blackrapid, Drobo, drobo s, equipment, General, gifts, holidays, photography, Silver Efex Pro, Software
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