Folks around these parts may or may not know that I'm a sucker for a good method of securing my gear to my body. Both in fashionality and functionality, photography gear holds a special place in my heart, and it takes a lot to impress me. A few months ago, I raved about the Peak Design Ltd. Capture Clip V2 and how great of an addition it was to my current lineup of gear. I jumped on their Kickstarter and never looked back, and despite one tiny snafu, the capture clip has been firmly attached to my ThinkTank Photo Pro Speed Belt.
Recently, Peak Design Ltd. started up a new Kickstarter, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on some pre-production versions of the items they're selling. Peak Design Ltd. are currently attempting to pre-sale kickstart (at this point in time, it's been fully funded) a new type of strap (slide), hand strap (clutch) and strap accesory (anchor links), and I've had the chance to put these items through the ringer, and put a few words on screen to tell you what I think about them!
It should come as no big shock to anyone that has even remotely glanced at a word I've said over the last few months that I'm absolutely in love with the Samsung NX1100. I recommend the NX system to just about anyone looking to break into photography based on a few reasons, which I outlined in my review.
The one thing I had qualms with, however, was the kit lens that came with the camera. I made mention that it wasn't the fastest, and when compared to the Canon L glass that I'm used to using, it was a tiny bit depressing that I couldn't get more out of that lens.
Screwing this lens into my NX1100 completely changed the way I look at the camera. What started out as a fun little project camera has evolved into something that could legitimately become something I would use for client work. To say that the Samsung 30mm lens is a game-changer would be an understatement.
So what makes this lens so great? Read on for my thoughts on the lens, and a breakdown of the pros and cons!
It's been a little while since ZEP.com picked up any new DSLR gear. There's been the occasional purchase of mirrorless gear, but for the most part, it's been all quiet on the western front. At the end of last year's wedding season, my wonderful, beautiful, amazing second shooter mentioned that she really loved my Canon 24-70L, and that she'd really like to start using it. Seeing an opportunity I couldn't pass up, I made the offer to loan that piece to her indefinitely, as long as I could get my hands on one of the newest pieces of glass to come out of camp Sigma, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Lens.
gear. Longtime fans of the blog may remember my devotion to Black Rapid and the ThinkTank Photo gear. That being said, I'm starting to get a little older, and it can be tough to have that much weight resting on my back and shoulders for 8-10 hours. I began to explore the option of having some sort of belted system when, through sheer dumb luck, I happened upon Peak Design Ltd.'s Kickstarter campaign for their Capture Clip V2.
One of our members over at The Photowalk Alliance was in the market for a new lens to do some portrait work. Fellow TPA Co-Founder, Joe Sterne mentioned that she should be careful about lens distortion, especially if she was using specific camera sensors, or had limited space. Come to find out, she was going to be shooting in a very tight space, and had considered using a wide angle lens to do her work.
I wanted to throw something together quickly just to show the differences between wide angle lenses and the "nifty fifty" when used on both a full frame sensor (Canon 5D mkii) and a crop sensor (Canon 7D). All shots are OOC, and taken from about three feet away. The 50mm lens is the Canon "Nifty Fifty" and the wide angle lens is the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens. It's also important to note that the 50mm is a EF lens, and the Sigma is their equivalent to a EF-S Canon lens. That's the reason behind the black circle on the 5D photos.
Hoo-rag advertises themselves
to a large number of different types of folks, and I questioned how it
might be applicable to photographers. Anglers use the Hoo-rag to keep
sun off of their neck and face. Its moisture wicking material lends
itself to keeping people in warm, outdoor settings dry and well
ventilated. Runners use the Hoo-rag to cut down on the wind that might
hit them in the face as they're trucking along. Snowboarders might use
the Hoo-rag to block the winter chill and snow from freezing their
stylish mustache.
How, then, was I going to demo this product and make it applicable to photography? Read on to find out...
One of the things that I did not get a chance to do before I reviewed the Think Tank Airport Takeoff was to actually USE the bag in a setting that didn't involve just having the bag be a storage facility. Luckily, for me, I took a trip to Naples, Florida shortly after purchasing the bag and, despite being on vacation, still felt it necessary to bring nearly every single piece of equipment that I own. I figured that the only way to get a true read on how well the Takeoff was going to work was to really put it to work, and I have to say that, without a doubt, the Takeoff held up its end of the bargain.