If you are considering a new remote, you will find that there are currently numerous models available on the market. Thus, I have decided to share my thoughts and do a few brief reviews of some of them. The Nikon ML-3 Modulite Remote Control is kindly provided by B&H Photo – the world’s largest photo and video equipment reseller where we buy most of our equipment.
With spring here and thunderstorms in the forecast, I thought I would review the Lightning Strike Pro, a lightning shutter trigger from AEO Photo which has been kindly provided by B&H – the largest photo reseller in the world that we use more than any other to buy our photography gear.
The AEO Photo Lightning Strike Pro makes capturing a photo with lightning easy – and potentially safer. Without a lightning strike trigger, one would either utilize a long exposure and hope that you capture the moment or you would have to hope your shutter finger is fast enough to react to the first millisecond of flash. Now, there is an easier and better way to capture lightning strikes with your camera. It is so easy in fact, that the first time I tried to use it, I set it up on my backyard deck, and since the sporadic lightning occurring was more of a flash in the clouds as opposed to a bolt, I left the set-up on the tripod and did a few minor chores around the house. After about 10 or 15 minutes, I came back to check the pictures. What I found was that amongst a number of shots of a cloudy but lit up sky, was one shot that included a lightning bolt. Kind of like those commercials on television, you can set it and forget it, it is that easy. Not only easy, but it is also safer than standing outside exposed to the elements while trying to grab a photo.
Nikon has also officially announced the WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter to team up with the new Nikon D3200 DSLR body. The somewhat surprising news is that the WU-1a will provide the ability to control your D3200 remotely and transmit and share images wirelessly only to Android smart devices initially. That is a disappointment to the Apple fans who expected to use it in conjunction with their iPhones and iPads. Don’t fret Apple fans, all is not lost, the device is expected to be iOS compatible later this fall.
I recently reviewed Kata 3n1-33 which is my main travel pack for camera equipment. However, as I mentioned in that review, there are better choices if you need a backpack for hiking – for that I prefer the Lowepro Flipside 300. Obviously, it doesn’t carry nearly as much gear as the Kata 3n1, but then, while backpacking, I wouldn’t normally want to bring a laptop or a kitchen sink with me.
While there are many good bags and packs, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, this is one that I enjoy a lot, so if you are on a lookout for a good, light backpack, read on!
What I like about this pack is the fact that it is streamlined and will carry a pro camera body with the 300/2.8 lens attached (hood reversed) and still have room for another lens or two and/or some accessories. Compact, lightweight design of Flipside 300 backpack lets you carry your pro digital SLR without worry. The unique back compartment entry gives you safe, easy access to camera gear when you’re setting up, plus extra security when you’re on the move. Outer storage panels are great at keeping gear accessories and personal items close at hand.
You can carry 1 Pro DSLR with a 300mm f/2.8 lens attached plus 1–3 additional lenses or flash units, 1 tripod, multiple cables, memory cards, manuals and other accessories.
This is a review of the Large version of the Kata D-3N1-33 3 in 1 Sling Backpack. So you just got a nice new Nikon D800 or D4. What, you shoot Canon? OK, you just got a new Canon 5D Mark III or 1D X, now what do you carry it in? You can read a number of reviews about bags, most of them written after they were used briefly after purchase, but how about a review after long-term use? I have had this bag for 2 years, having purchased it shortly after Nasim recommended it in his “must-have DSLR accessories” post. Since then, it has been my main gear bag for travel.
Below are the specifications from the Kata website:
This is a quick review of the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit designed for Nikon DSLRs that have built-in support for an external GPS unit. Traveling and photography go together, so the idea of geo-tagging and mapping your photos in Lightroom, Aperture or iPhoto is appealing to many of us. The price for the ability to geo-tag using a Nikon DSLR is a bit steep when you consider new point and shoot cameras include this feature and don’t cost much more, if any, than the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit itself. So is this added feature worth the $200?
The GP-1 does a good job of what it is designed to do – tagging the latitude and longitude coordinates, but the altitude is not extremely accurate. I have found that the unit is a bit slow at locking in the satellites, other reviewers have found it to be within 30 seconds to a minute, my experience has been slower. I understand the concerns of being indoors, tall buildings, etc., but I found this to be the case even outside with no buildings or tall trees nearby.
This is a quick review of the Oben AC-1410 4-Section Aluminum Tripod with BA-0 Ball Head. While simultaneously testing a number of digital cameras from Sony, Nikon and Olympus, I realized that I need another tripod that is light, easy to use / setup and affordable. I already have a heavy duty Gitzo Systematic tripod with an Arca-Swiss ballhead that I use for my photography needs, but I found it too painful to remove the quick release plate every time I needed to mount a camera. In addition, there were situations when I wanted to use two tripods simultaneously.
While I was photographing the beautiful scenery of the Glacier National Park at sunrise, I realized that some filters are pretty much required to get good results when photographing landscapes. While many photographers think that some of the built-in tools in Lightroom and Photoshop can simulate filter behavior, making filters redundant in the digital age, some filters in fact can never be simulated in software, while others help in getting even better results in post-processing. If you do not know what filters are and what they are used for, I highly recommend reading my “lens filters explained” article before you continue to read this one.
A polarizing filter is a must-have tool for landscape photography. It is typically the first filter landscape photographers buy to instantly improve their pictures and and add vividness and contrast to them. A polarizer can reduce reflections from objects such as water and glass and can be used to darken the sky, bring out the clouds and even reduce atmospheric haze, making the scene look much more vivid. For all normal lenses that have a filter thread in the front, you can get a circular polarizing filter, also known as a “circular polarizer”. A circular polarizer is very easy to use and once you attach it on the front of your lens, all you need to do is rotate it clockwise or counter-clockwise to get a different amount of polarization. Polarizing filters work by blocking certain light waves from entering the lens. Rotating a polarizer allows certain types of light waves to pass through, while blocking other ranges of light waves. Thus, you could turn a sky from light blue to very dark blue or increase/decrease reflections by simply rotating the filter.
The effect of polarization cannot be reproduced or simulated in post-processing, especially when dealing with natural reflections. Take a look at the below image:
This is a quick review of the Samsung 8GB Micro SDHC memory for phones, PDAs and digital cameras. Folks from MemoryCardZoo.com contacted me earlier this year, asking me to review a memory card for them. They described it as “practically indestructible” and allowed me to do whatever I want with it. “Sounds good, send it over” was my response and I already planned some things in my mind for this little puppy.
This is a review of the Black Widow Jr.3 (BWG-JR3) Gimbal head by Jobu Design. A good, reliable and flexible tripod head is a must when using long telephoto lenses. While there are many different tripod heads and mounts out there, the “Gimbal” type head is preferred, because it provides excellent stability and balance with full flexibility to rotate the lens and camera with ease. Any other tripod head type, including ball-head requires constant loosening and tightening when tracking moving subjects and if not properly tightened, could potentially go off balance and damage the equipment. There is no such threat with a gimbal-type head once everything is properly balanced and the camera with a lens could rotate in all directions without the need to adjust anything.
