Photography Life - Page 11 of 81

Nikon D7100 Review

This is an in-depth review of the Nikon D7100 DSLR that was announced on February 20, 2013, along with the Nikon WR-1 wireless remote controller. … [Continue Reading]

Nikon 50mm f/1.8G for Wedding Photography

As promised in my Nikon D800 for Wedding Photography article that I wrote a couple of days ago, I am continuing the series and this time with the … [Continue Reading]

Which Nikon Prime Lens to Buy First?

Buying a DSLR often means having several accessories to go with it, among which are lenses. But choosing your first lens isn't easy - there are so … [Continue Reading]

How to Read MTF Charts

When my article on field curvature was published a while ago, where I talked about how one could do a quick analysis of lens MTF data and determine if … [Continue Reading]

Which Nikon DSLR to Buy First?

Even though quite a few of our readers are beginner photographers, we often talk about things that, while simple to us, are much more difficult to … [Continue Reading]

Nikon D800 / D800E for Wedding Photography

While I had talked about my plan to use the Nikon D800 / D800E for wedding photography on our site a few times before, I never had a chance to post … [Continue Reading]

Photography Life is Hiring!

Jan

2013

January 2, 2013

By Nasim Mansurov 4 Comments

NOTE: Due to an overwhelming number of responses, we are no longer accepting applications.

We are looking for creative writers to contribute content to our blog and help expand our reach in 2013 and beyond. If you like what we do and you would like to be a part of our growing website, please contact us as soon as possible. The opportunity is for 100% remote work, so you can do everything from home at your own pace and schedule. This is a part time, pay per article opportunity, with a potential to become a full time position in the future. Please see the below requirements before contacting us.

There is no need to send your resume/CV, as long as you meet the below requirements:

Must be at least 18 years old
Must be fluent in English and have solid writing skills
Must have good general knowledge of photography and be current with the latest trends in the industry
Part-time professional photographers and advanced amateurs preferred
United States and State of Colorado Residents preferred, but not required

We are also looking for a person who can write gear reviews (in addition to content writers, as outlined above), specifically on cameras and lenses. This particular opportunity requires US residence (lower 48 states), since the person will be receiving gear for testing from our partners.

If you are interested, please use the form in the “contact us” page with the subject line “Photography Life Job Opening”. Please include a short bio of yourself, the position you are interested in, a link to your online portfolio (important, since your pictures tell a lot about you) and whatever else you feel like sharing with us. Also, if you have previously applied to work with us before, you can reapply this time again.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Photography Life

Full-Frame Sony NEX in 2013?

Dec

2012

December 31, 2012

By Romanas Naryškin 10 Comments

Back in September, just after major Sony announcements, we predicted an upcoming full-frame Sony NEX mirrorless camera. We are not usually ones to speculate and spread rumors, but this time evidence was rather convincing. First of all, NEX-VG900 35mm sensor camcorder, the first of its kind, was launched. As it packs NEX E mount we now know it’s compatible with full-frame image circle. This cleared out any technical reasons why a large sensor NEX would be out of question. Secondly, with the launch of latest NEX-6 camera, they’ve indicated and APS-C sized sensor at its heart on the camera body itself, something they’ve never done before. And the only reason for such an indication we can think of is the existence of a larger or smaller sensor. Now, a smaller than APS-C size sensor doesn’t make all that much sense, of course, and recently many other photography websites have been reporting rumors of the upcoming full-frame Sony NEX camera.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Photography News Tagged With: Mirrorless, Sony Alpha, Sony NEX

Sony NEX-5R Review

Dec

2012

December 29, 2012

By Nasim Mansurov 35 Comments

Overview

This is an in-depth review of the Sony NEX-5R mirrorless camera that came out on August 29, 2012, an update to the existing Sony NEX-5N that I reviewed last year. While I loved the image quality from the NEX-5N, its AF performance was a bit sluggish, certainly not anywhere close to the Nikon 1 series cameras. Sony revamped the NEX-5 series with the 5R, introducing its first hybrid AF system that uses both phase and contrast detect AF to acquire focus, added WiFi connectivity options and a couple of other layout/control tweaks, making the NEX-5R a compelling option for new and existing owners. In this Sony NEX-5R review, I will go over the features and capabilities of the camera and compare it to other mirrorless options, including the Nikon 1 J2, Olympus OM-D E-M5, Canon EOS M, Sony NEX-F3, NEX-6 and NEX-7 series cameras.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Camera Reviews, Mirrorless, Sony, Sony NEX, Sony NEX-5R

The Most Desired Future Nikon Lenses

Dec

2012

December 27, 2012

By Nasim Mansurov 140 Comments

One topic that many of us Nikon shooters often discuss between each other in local groups, online forums and various photography clubs, is lenses that we wish Nikon had. Sometimes a desired lens comes from our experience from using a lens from another brand, sometimes it is something that does not exist, but we wish existed to make our photography easier, more fun, etc. While Nikon has been doing a great job filling in the holes during the last several years, with lenses like >Nikon 16-35mm f/4G VR, 24-120mm f/4G VR, 28mm f/1.8G, 50mm f/1.8G, 85mm f/1.8G and 70-200mm f/4G VR, there are still plenty of lenses that Nikon should have in its arsenal. In this article, I will go over the most desired future Nikon lenses, the ones that have not been released yet, but I really wish to see come to life soon. I guess you can also call the below a “wishlist” of unannounced Nikon lenses.

1) DX LENSES

I will first start out with DX primes. While I believe the DX market will probably go away sometime in the future (as I pessimistically shared in my “why DX has no future article“), thanks to the fast growth of the mirrorless market and lack of attention to DX users from Nikon, there are still a lot more DX cameras out there today than FX. If Nikon wants to keep its DX line attractive for the next 5-6 years, it should not only develop great DX camera bodies, but also great DX lens options.

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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Lens, Nikon, Nikon Lens

Canon 5D Mark II Discontinued

Dec

2012

December 26, 2012

By Romanas Naryškin 4 Comments

One of the best last generation full-frame cameras, the Canon 5D Mark II, has been officially discontinued. At its time the successor to the original 5D was only rivaled in its popularity by Nikon D700 in the full-frame market. Also, along with Sony A900 and A850, it was the cheapest high resolution full-frame camera (at a time when Nikon D3x would set you back a preposterous $8000) and the first to do Full HD video good enough for Hollywood.

After Nikon D800 was launched, I’ve talked about how D700 is not obsolete. The situation is quite the same with 5D Mark II. It doesn’t have the best AF system, true, but is still used by many professional photographers to deliver stunning images. Very nice high ISO performance coupled to a high amount of resolution and excellent Canon lenses makes 5D Mark II as tempting as it ever was. When you consider it to be better built, with roughly same sensor and AF as the new budget Canon 6D, and for less money at that, the 5D Mark II is one of the best and cheapest ways into full-frame territory.

Fetch it new while stock lasts from our most trusted reseller, B&H, for a bargain $1599 (with $400 instant savings when added to cart). You will find great deals in the used market, too. If you’ve never bough used gear, read our detailed guide on “How to Buy Used DSLR Cameras”.

Filed Under: Photography News Tagged With: Canon, Canon 5D Mark II, DSLR Camera, Nikon

All I Want For Christmas Is… A Working Computer!

Dec

2012

December 25, 2012

By Bob Vishneski 51 Comments

Some intermittent PC problems, followed by a serious crash and some toasted devices, and work associated with reconfiguring a new PC have consumed more of my time lately than I care to admit. All the while, a pile of photography gear has been staring at me daily, crying out to be reviewed. Computers, in their various forms, have become rather ubiquitous. Most of us tend to take them for granted, at least when they are working properly. One cellphone provider recently advertised that upgrading our smartphones wasn’t just about improving technology, but rather an improvement to our very lives. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is fair to say that some of us indeed identify too much with our technological toys!

“A Little Neglect May Breed Great Mischief”
“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.
For want of a horse, the rider was lost.
For want of a rider, the battle was lost.
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”
- Ben Franklin
Poor Richard’s Almanac

When things go awry, however, we are reminded just how important technology can be to both our professional and personal pursuits. The following post details my recent experience and some insights that may help you prepare for the worst.

Attempting To Resurrect The Dead

Having had every model of PC since the original IBM PC produced in 1981, including a few I custom-built, and a number of Macintoshes along the way, I am pretty comfortable dealing with all manner of both software and hardware issues. I have successfully brought a few PCs back from the proverbial “dead.” As such, I have a healthy sense of paranoia regarding PC technology and realize that if anything can go wrong, eventually it will!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Howto, Tips for Beginners