Outdoor Photo Gear » equipment

Shall We Play a Game? Lens Chess Set

Roger Cicala — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:53:01 +0000

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 [...]

John Batdorff's Black Friday List

John Batdorff — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:41:17 +0000

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.

Choosing Rain Covers for Your Gear

Chris Klapheke — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:54:24 +0000

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.

Wow! You Must Have A Good Camera!

Mike Moats — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:15:06 +0000

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.

Introducing Wimberley

Chris Klapheke — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:16:58 +0000

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 [...]

Introducing Induro's New PHQ 5-Way Panheads

Matt Dennison — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:05:10 +0000

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

Five Reasons the iPad is a Great Tool for Photographers

Juan A. Pons — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:09:37 +0000

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!

Aquatech Soft Hood Mini Review

Charles Glatzer — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:54:02 +0000

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.

Jobu Design BWG-Pro Gimbal Head Review

Joe McCabe — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:41:54 +0000

Introduction

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".