Post Archive By Jason Polak - Page 8

SmallRig AD-01 Video Tripod + Fluid Head Review

Recently, SmallRig released a heavy-duty, inexpensive tripod called the AD-01, which ships with a fluid head. As someone who shoots both stills and video, I was very excited to try it out. However, after testing the tripod, I have some reservations. In this review, I'll tell you what I think...

Choosing the Best Lens for Wildlife Photography

Wildlife photography is one genre where the right lens makes a big difference, and the wrong one simply won’t let you get the shot. Wild animals may not be at optimal distances and they frequently appear in challenging light. So, how can you find the best lens to overcome the challenges of wildlife photography?

The Best Lenses for the Nikon D500 (2024)

The Nikon D500 is the most advanced Nikon APS-C DSLR. Because it uses the F-mount, it can use any of the over three hundred lenses in existence. But the D500 has one of the most advanced autofocus systems and so certain lenses will shine on the D500 much more compared...

Staying Motivated in Photography

Do you find your interest in photography to be constant or does it waver? Passion and interest are a complex topics for me. I find myself trying to answer why my interest in photography has remained strong over the years even through distractions and challenges along the way.

Bird Photography in Southeastern Arizona

At the beginning of May, I travelled to southeastern Arizona on a wildlife photography trip. This is one of the southernmost areas of the United States. Thanks to its dry desert environment, the species here are quite different than those found in many other parts of North America. After arriving,...

13 Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

One of the great challenges of wildlife photography is that there are so many things to consider in such a short amount of time. Even if you do everything right, the uncontrollable stuff can still stop you from getting "the shot." However, there are some basic tips that are easy...

How to Buy the Best Camera for Your Needs

Quick question: what's more complicated, buying a house or getting married? Answer: neither, it's buying a camera! That's right, and I wrote this guide because if you don't go about it right, then one day you'll realize you've made a horrible mistake and you'll give up photography. Okay, that could...

What Is Dynamic Range in Photography?

Dynamic range is the ratio between the strongest and weakest signal measured in a given context. For example, the dynamic range of a camera sensor is the ratio between the brightest and darkest signal that can be captured in a single image. Like most other things in photography, dynamic range...

What Are Megapixels and How Many Do You Need?

It's impossible to read about cameras and not encounter the terms "pixels" and "megapixels." Nowadays most cameras have 20 megapixels (MP) or more, and there are some monstrosities with 100MP. I still have memories of walking into camera shops as a teenager and seeing the higher end models having 2...