Photography Life - Page 9 of 81

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Impact Turtle Base C-Stand & Grip Arm Kit Review

Feb

2013

February 2, 2013

By Bob Vishneski 1 Comment

As you know from reading this website, Impact makes a number of excellent products that offer quite a bit of bang for your photography buck. The Impact Turtle Base C-Stand & 20 Grip Arm Kit is no exception.

1) Initial Thoughts

This Impact stand is an impressive piece of gear. It is attractive, very solid, and well made. If a C-Stand fits your studio needs, you should consider this model.

2) Product Specifications

Accepts Wheels: No
Material: Chromed steel and aluminum
Minimum Height: 3.3′ (1.0 m)
Maximum Height: 5.9′ (1.8 m)
Closed Length; 3.3′ (1.0 m)
Footprint Diameter: 39.3″ (1.0 m)
Riser: 20″ (51 cm), 2 section
Grip Arm; Bar length: 20″ (51 cm)
Grip head: 2.5″ (6.35 cm)
Maximum Load: 22 lbs (10 kg) used as a stand
Attachment Size: 5/8″ (16 mm) male stud
Weight Kit: 18 lb (8.2 kg)
Stand alone: 17 lb (7.7 kg)

2) Features

- Fold-away, twist and release locking legs
- Durable finish resists all weather conditions
- Innovative design on the C-Stand base allows individual legs to be set at any angle, and can be positioned in locations not possible with classic stands
- Ergonomic T-shaped handles are captive – they do not come off of the stand when unscrewed, preventing loss
- Each riser section has an external rubber gasket, which protects your equipment and fingers from sudden drops in stand elevation

Depending on the angle of the riser, this unit will position a beauty dish or softbox between 6-7 feet. It also acts as an excellent short boom/stand combination for a hair light.

3) Construction And Operations

This chromed steel stand and steel/aluminum grips are not only classy looking, they are well-suited for the task of handling professional lighting heads and light modifiers. This unit easily balanced my Bowens Gemini 500W head, reflector, and Photo Wizard control, which weighed about 8 lbs. Throughout the grip’s range of motion – even at 90 degrees – this Impact stand proved to be extremely sturdy. I put a significant amount of pressure on the grip arm with my hand and it didn’t budge an inch. As long as you align the riser with the upper leg, this unit is simply not going to move. With a larger softbox attached, I would likely add a 10 – 15 lb sand bag for extra stability.

The handles are very large and easy to grip. Locking them required very short turns and very little pressure. The base of the unit has a ring, which, once pulled, allows the legs to fold together for compact storage. Tightening the nearby handle ensures that the legs remain locked.

4) What Is In The Box?

- Turtle Base C-Stand – 5.9′ (Chrome)
- Grip Head for Lights and Accessories – 2.5″ Diameter (Chrome)
- Extension Grip Arm 20″ (Chrome)
- 1 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty

5) Quality

This stand is extremely well made and stylish as well. It is a solid piece of gear that will probably last longer than the rest of your photo gear combined.

6) Value

At $154.95, this stand offers a good value for your photography dollar. Oddly enough, I found that Impact also makes another variation of this stand which extends to nearly 11 feet, includes a 40 inch arm, weighs 5 lbs more, but costs less – $128.95. The reason for this price difference is not apparent from the specifications. Perhaps Impact judged that a slightly smaller and lighter C-Stand should carry a premium price tag.

7) Suggested Improvements

It is tough to suggest any improvements apart from some optional wheels, which might be useful for hard core studio photographers, who need to move their gear quickly with minimal effort.

8) Conclusion

Impact has made a solid C-stand and grip combination which compares favorably to those made by the name brand manufacturers. The only caveat I would add is that the Impact Turtle Base C-Stand Kit – 10.75′ may be a better value if you need the extra height and weight isn’t a concern.

9) Compared To

This Impact stand can go toe-to-toe with any made by Kupo, Avenger, Matthews, and other studio equipment companies.

10) Where To Buy

You can find the Impact Turtle Base C-Stand & 20 Grip Arm Kit at B&H Photo for $154.95.

Impact Turtle Base C-Stand & Grip Arm Kit Review4.6999999999898Nasim Mansurov2013-02-02 22:35:07Impact makes a high quality C-stand that matches and exceeds those made by name brand manufacturers.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Unwanted: Photographers And Models?

Jan

2013

January 30, 2013

By Bob Vishneski 33 Comments

Imagine that instead of setting up for weeks’ worth of fashion photography, complete with models, hundreds of outfits, hair stylists, and makeup artists, you create a virtual catalogue based on computer generated models, photos of body parts, and photographs of clothing items and accessories that customers can interact with. No glamorous models. No famous photographers. No make-up artists. No hair stylists. No expensive studios. Sound surreal? It is already a reality – a virtual one – but a reality nonetheless. Looklet is a company that has developed and delivered the technology that makes this scenario possible.

Technology – A Walk Back In Time

Ever since my days of working in an engineering software company, I have been keenly interested in seeing how fast CAD and imaging innovations would develop and how far they would progress. First came 2D wireframe modeling, which rapidly progressed to 3D surface and solid models. Eventually, integrated CAD modeling software enabled mechanical engineers to provide detailed “walk throughs” of ships, buildings, and car designs. The process of “rendering” further enabled engineers to create much more realistic looks for their designs. The associated rendering software, which blended realistic surfaces, textures, shading, and light reflections on the engineering models, required very expensive computer software and servers – often costing upwards of $150,000 or more. The rendering process could easily take a few days before the software completed its magic. And while impressive in their day, the resultant animated “walk throughs” of the objects could be rather slow and amateurish compared to the simplest of today’s video games.

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Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Photography News Tagged With: Lifestyle Photography, Studio Photography

Nikon 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR Announcement

Jan

2013

January 27, 2013

By Nasim Mansurov 55 Comments

Along with the Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED lens, the Nikon 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens has also been announced (the first announcement was posted here). Initially, I wanted to post both announcements in a single article, but after reading about the new 800mm lens in detail, I decided to do a separate post on it. Why? Because the new 800mm has a lot of new technological advancements that I believe will make their way into future Nikkor lenses. At a jaw-dropping price of $17,899.95, the Nikon 800mm f/5.6 is surely not for everyone. However, considering what this lens has to offer, there is no other equivalent lens on the market today in terms of optical performance – more on this below.

Until the 800mm f/5.6 came out, Nikon’s longest super telephoto lens was the Nikon 600mm f/4G VR. To get longer focal lengths, one would have to use teleconverters – 2.0x with the 400mm f/2.8 to get to 800mm f/5.6, 1.4x with the 500mm f/4 to get to 700mm f/5.6 or 1.4x with the 600mm f/4 to get to 840mm f/5.6. Unfortunately, no other TC combination resulted in acceptably good autofocus performance and accuracy. So why do we need a dedicated 800mm f/5.6 lens, if one could get to 800mm with teleconverters? Because teleconverters degrade image quality, AF performance and AF accuracy, whereas properly arranging optical elements inside the lens can yield maximum performance. So a true 800mm lens will always yield better results than a shorter lens with a teleconverter attached to it. In addition, with the latest generation Nikon DSLRs that can autofocus at small apertures up to f/8, one could get even longer focal lengths with a separate teleconverter. Which is exactly what Nikon did with the 800mm that ships with the TC800-1.25E teleconverter that provides additional magnification to get to 1000mm. Sounds like an overkill, but it has its uses – whether in sport, news, wildlife photography or other special needs.

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

Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Announcement

Jan

2013

By Nasim Mansurov 64 Comments

Along with a slew of new point and shoot cameras (which we at Photography Life do not particularly care about), Nikon announced an updated version of the Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens – a budget lens designed for both DX and FX cameras. The new Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED replaces the 13 year old 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D lens, which had never been a popular lens to begin with. So it was about time to update the lens with better optics, AF-S and other newer technologies.

So what does the updated 18-35mm bring to the table compared to the previous model? First of all, the focus motor has been replaced with the latest generation AF-S motor, which means that autofocus will work on any modern Nikon DSLR, including entry-level models like D3200 without a built-in motor. Second, the optical formula has been updated – the new 18-35mm has 12 elements in 8 groups, versus 11 elements in 8 groups on the AF-D version. More ED and Aspherical lens elements have also been added for better clarity and contrast. Third, thanks to this updated optical design, the minimal focus distance has also been shortened to 0.28m from 0.33m. Fourth, the new lens is of “G” type, which means that the aperture ring is no longer there. Fifth, the lens exterior has been completely redesigned to make it look just like all modern AF-S lenses and the typical M/A / M switch has also been added. Lastly, the new 18-35mm is slightly larger than the old version and also weighs 15 grams heavier.

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

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Review

Jan

2013

January 23, 2013

By Nasim Mansurov 81 Comments

Overview

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 mirrorless camera was released on February 7, 2012 right before the CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging show in Japan. Along with the E-M5, Olympus also released two lenses for the Micro Four Thirds mount – the 75mm f/1.8 and the 60mm f/2.8 Macro. The E-M5 generated a lot of buzz among the photography community when it was released, because of its impressive specifications, compact weather sealed body and a beautiful retro style design – all to satisfy the demanding needs of the enthusiast and professional crowd. Within a relatively short period of time, the camera became a huge success, thanks to raving reviews from respected photographers. I did not pay much attention to the E-M5 at the time, because I was too busy with the Nikon D800/D800E announcements and tests. However, I really wanted to check it out sometime later, after all the dust settles. Summer and Fall were very busy seasons for me professionally, so I had to postpone my plans even more. The camera finally arrived in mid November, along with a bunch of other mirrorless cameras from Sony, Nikon and Canon. It only took me a week with the E-M5 to realize that it was exactly the camera I had been longing for.

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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Micro Four Thirds, Mirrorless, Olympus, Olympus OM-D E-M5

Mastering Lightroom: How to Use Virtual Copies

Jan

2013

January 18, 2013

By Romanas Naryškin 20 Comments

As all previous versions of Adobe’s popular photography management and post-processing software, Lightroom 4 offers catalog system. Such a choice has both positives and negatives. One of the positives is non-destructive editing, which basically means the original image file remains intact no matter what you do to it within Lightroom environment (you can, however, delete the file entirely if you wish so). A side result is a very useful feature called Virtual Copies. In this Mastering Lightroom series article, I will explain how to use Virtual Copies. By the end of the tutorial you will learn how to copy, delete and compare them, as well as see different situations when creating a Virtual Copy can be very useful.

1) What are Virtual Copies and Why Should I Use Them?

As the name suggests, Virtual Copies are copies of an image file created virtually. In other words, they are copies created within Lightroom environment only. Creating a Virtual Copy does not copy the source file physically. Lightroom only stores editing information within its catalog. Among other things, such an approach also saves disk space (you only need to store information about the adjustments, not both that and a copy of the RAW file itself).

What is Field Curvature?

Jan

2013

January 16, 2013

By Nasim Mansurov 19 Comments

Field Curvature, also known as “curvature of field” or “Petzval field curvature”, is a common optical problem that causes a flat object to appear sharp only in a certain part(s) of the frame, instead of being uniformly sharp across the frame. This happens due to the curved nature of optical elements, which project the image in a curved manner, rather than flat. And since all digital camera sensors are flat, they cannot capture the entire image in perfect focus, as shown in the below illustration:

In a simple field curvature scenario like above, the light rays are perfectly focused in the center of the frame, at Image Plane A (where the sensor is). Since the image is curved, sharpness starts to drop as you move away from the center, resulting in less resolution in the mid-frame and much less resolution in the corners. The circular “dome-like” image in three dimensional form is shown to the right of the illustration. If the corner of the image is brought into focus, which would move the image plane closer (Image Plane B), the corners would appear sharp, while mid-frame would stay less sharp and the center would appear the softest. The effect of field curvature can be very pronounced, especially with older lenses.

Sony NEX-6 Review

Jan

2013

January 13, 2013

By Nasim Mansurov 51 Comments

Overview

This is an in-depth review of the Sony NEX-6 mirrorless camera that was released on September 12, 2012 during the Photokina event, along with three lenses for NEX cameras: Sony 10-18mm f/4, Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 and Sony 35mm f/1.8. Just like the Sony NEX-5R that we reviewed last year, the NEX-6 also comes with WiFi capability and the new hybrid autofocus system, offering both phase and contrast detect for quicker focus acquisition and accuracy. The camera is the first from the NEX series that offers a real PASM control dial, along with an ISO standard hot shoe for triggering on and off-camera flash. In this 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 and other Sony NEX series cameras.

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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Sony, Sony NEX, Sony NEX-6

Think Tank Hydrophobia 300-600 v2.0 Review

Jan

2013

January 11, 2013

By Tom Redd 14 Comments

If you don’t get out to take photos when it’s raining or snowing, then you are missing some great opportunities! In this review of the Think Tank Hydrophobia 300-600 v2.0, I will go over the features of this protective cover, talk about its use and how it helps me capture unique photographs of wildlife in the most difficult weather conditions.

When it comes to protecting your gear in inclement weather, you can go the cheap route with a plastic bag, or if your gear fits, really “go big” with a plastic protector with cinch closure such as the Optech Rain sleeve – better than a plastic trash bag, but still not the best option. I have used the Optech Rain sleeve in the past and while it is light, takes up almost no room and is cheap, it isn’t very durable and isn’t as easy to use as the more expensive rain covers. For instance, one limitation is the single opening that your hand has to go up to control the camera. I tend to keep one of these available in a backpack if I am not planning on bad weather but want to be prepared just in case. They work in a pinch and for brief showers so they are good for the unexpected, but for real protection, you’ll want to invest in a dedicated rain cover that will allow you to fully operate the camera and still protect it from rain, snow, dirt or sand. If you are likely to run into bad weather or harsh conditions such as wind blown sand or dirt, consider a more complete system such as the Hydrophobia from Think Tank, a complete system that is built like its manufacturer’s name – a tank. To suit your needs there are 3 different sizes to choose from: one to fit a 70-200mm lens, one to fit a 70-200 with a flash mounted and lastly, the Hydrophobia 300-600 v2.0, designed to fit lenses from 300mm to 600mm f/4 and which we will review here.

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Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Gear Reviews, Product Reviews, Think Tank

Zeikos D800 Battery Grip Review

Jan

2013

January 10, 2013

By Bob Vishneski 40 Comments

Nikon received quite a backlash when it released the MB-D12 battery grip and priced it at a whopping $616. While Nikon users have long been willing to pay a premium for genuine Nikon products, it was pretty clear that a good percentage of D800 customers were not going to bite at the MB-D12 price.

Third party accessory providers saw a huge opportunity and wasted no time in exploiting it. The first wave of MB-D12 imitators started showing up for sale on the internet in June of this year, approximately 4 months after the announcement of the D800. There are now a number of third party MB-D12 suppliers. Pixel, Meike, Zeikos, Phottix, and Vello are among the more popular names you will find serving this market. Some no-name grips even sell for as low as $25 on eBay. And although Nikon’s website still lists the MB-D12 for $616, you can now find it selling for $389 at B&H.

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Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Gear Reviews, Product Reviews

Featured Articles and Reviews

Which Nikon Prime Lens to Buy First?

Nikon D800 / D800E for Wedding Photography

How to Read MTF Charts

Nikon 50mm f/1.8G for Wedding Photography

Nikon D7100 Review

Which Nikon DSLR to Buy First?