Now that Nikon is releasing a 58mm f/0.95 Noct for their Z system, it’s worth taking a look back at their older Noct lens – the 58mm f/1.2 – if only for curiosity’s sake. This is one of Nikon’s most famous lenses, especially for portraiture and nighttime photography, where its output is difficult to match. Recently, for a memorable week of photography, I had a chance to bring the 58mm f/1.2 Noct into the mountains and aspen groves of Colorado.
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Comparing 5 Top Wide-Angle Astrophotography Lenses
If you want to shoot sharp photos of stars, it helps to have the right lens for the job. After all, a good lens during the day might be a dud for resolving pinpoint stars in a photo’s corners at night. Here, I’ve tested five popular wide-angle lenses for astrophotography: the Laowa 12mm f/2.8, Rokinon 14mm f/2.4, Samyang 14mm f/2.8, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, and Irix 15mm f/2.4. How do they compare?
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The Refining Process: How Bad Photos Get Better
I suspect that many photographers have realized their best photos frequently come after several “getting there” images – scenes where something interesting stands out, and you gradually improve upon your early attempts, creating a composition that looks more and more refined by the end. The trend has been so clear in my personal photography that I thought it would be useful to show some examples, including how to apply this concept to your own work.
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Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S Performance Overview
To follow up on yesterday’s post about my initial impressions of the Nikon Z7 and 24-70mm lens, I’m including a number of additional sample photos and image quality crops in this article to answer some reader questions about how well the 24-70mm performs with the Z7. This includes vignetting comparisons versus the Nikon 24-120mm f/4 for the F mount, as well as 100% crops to test sharpness for daytime and Milky Way photography.
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Nikon Z7 First Impressions and Sample Photos
I’m sure you already know that we’re going to test the Nikon Z7 camera to its limits here at Photography Life. We have six orders coming our way in total, and we plan to put each copy through its paces while we travel to Jordan and Turkey throughout October. So far, one copy has arrived, and I’ve shot with it in Colorado for the past couple days. Here, I wanted to share my first impressions and sample images.
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Five Sigma Global Vision Lenses Announced
As part of a slew of Photokina-related announcements yesterday, Sigma has announced five new lenses. Four are for full-frame cameras, and one is compatible with Micro 4/3 and Sony E mount crop sensor cameras. The 28mm f/1.4 Art, 40mm f/1.4 Art, 70-200mm f/2.8 Sport, 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3, and 56mm f/1.4 (for crop sensor only) join Sigma’s growing lineup of “Global Vision” lenses. Pricing and shipping dates of most of the lenses have not yet been announced.
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Fuji GFX 50R Announcement
Fuji just announced their rumored (comparatively) affordable medium format mirrorless camera, the GFX 50R, a 51.4 megapixel camera with a rangefinder design, due in November 2018. The retail price is $4500, which, though not cheap, makes it the least expensive medium format digital camera ever upon launch. The GFX 50R’s specifications match those of the GFX 50S in many ways, with the biggest differences being the form factor – more similar to that of the Fuji crop-sensor cameras – and…
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Recommended Fuji X100F Settings
The Fuji X100F is the fourth in Fuji’s line of X100 cameras – the X100, X100S, X100T, and X100F. Although it has a refined design and fairly intuitive menu, the camera’s large number of options and controls can make it overwhelming for new buyers. Hopefully, this guide will help clear up some confusion and explain how to use the Fuji X100F, including our recommended settings for each option in the menu.
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Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack Review
Carrying the right amount of camera equipment in a comfortable, accessible bag is an eternal problem for photographers, or at least for me. At this point, I’ve settled on a system of a technical hiking backpack with a camera insert for my longer landscape photography trips, but I haven’t yet found the perfect bag for more moderate travels. Enter the Peak Design 45L Travel backpack, advertised as Peak Design’s top travel bag. Does it fit the bill?
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The Most Stubborn Myths in Landscape Photography
Chances are good that you’ve run across plenty of inaccuracies and misinformation in the online world of photography, landscape or otherwise. Some myths, though, stand the test of time, outlasting years of diligent debunking. Below are four of the most common myths and misconceptions you’ll find in the field of landscape photography, including some which are prevalent even among advanced photographers.
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Canon EOS R vs Canon 5D Mark IV
Now that Canon has entered the full-frame mirrorless world with their EOS R, it’s time to see how this new camera compares to Canon’s current generation of professional DSLRs – specifically, the Canon 5D Mark IV. Both the EOS R and the 5D IV share a number of similar specifications, but their differences are enough to target two relatively different groups of photographers. Here’s what you need to know.
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Canon RF Lens Announcements
Along with the EOS R mirrorless camera, Canon just announced four full-frame mirrorless “RF” lenses. Two of them are relatively standard for a new system launch – a 24-105mm f/4L and a 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro – but Canon also announced two very surprising lenses as well. The 28-70mm f/2L will be widest aperture 28-70mm lens in history, while the 50mm f/1.2L joins a highly select club of f/1.2 autofocus lenses. All four lenses have customizable control rings.
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Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4, EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III and EF 600mm f/4L IS III Announcements
Along with all the new Canon mirrorless announcements today, the company also released three new lenses – one wide aperture prime for their crop-sensor mirrorless EF-M mount and two EF mount telephoto lenses for their DSLRs. First is the EF-M 32mm f/1.4, the widest aperture lens currently available for this system. And for their EF mount, the 400mm f/2.8L III and 600mm f/4L III replace two of Canon’s top-end supertelephotos. Read more and pre-order below:
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35 Abstract Photography Tips and Ideas
What if the most interesting subjects to photograph aren’t subjects at all – or, at least, not ones you can recognize easily? I’m referring to abstract photography, the “grand unifying genre” of photography, relevant to everything from landscapes to portraiture. Sometimes, taking an abstract photo is the best way to convey the emotions you want; in other cases, it strips your images of vital context. Hopefully, the tips and ideas in this article will help you practice it properly.
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Nikon D3500 Announcement
Nikon just announced the D3500 DSLR, the most recent in their popular line of entry-level D3X00 cameras, with a starting price of just $499 with the 18-55mm AF-P kit lens. It has been two years since the prior model, the D3400, was released, and the new D3500 comes with a few noteworthy changes. Namely, the new camera has higher battery life than its predecessor (up from 1200 to 1550 shots), as well as a lighter and more ergonomic design.
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What Is an IPS Monitor? A Beginner’s Guide
Everyone who buys a new computer monitor needs to decide on the best display technology for their uses. This doesn’t just mean the size or resolution of the screen – you also need to decide on the panel type you want to get. That’s especially true for photographers, graphic designers, and anyone who works with color; the wrong decision could mess up the colors you see. This article explains IPS monitors and why you might need one for your work.
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Nikon 500mm f/5.6E PF Lens Announcement
In all the whirlwind Nikon mirrorless announcements yesterday, what normally would have been a top-tier headline – Nikon’s announcement of a new 500mm f/5.6E PF lens with a phase-fresnel element, selling for $3600 – almost became a footnote! That’s a shame, because this lens brings a lot to the table. For Nikon DSLR users, especially sports and wildlife photographers who want a lightweight option with as much reach as possible, it could be the lens you’ve been waiting for.
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Missing Features on the Z6 and Z7 – Which Ones Matter?
Continuing our coverage of the newly-announced Nikon Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras, let’s take a step back from the excitement and interest surrounding these two releases and examine the most important features Nikon did not include. As a first-generation release, some compromises were inevitable, but post-announcement chatter has gravitated toward a couple issues in particular. Below, I’ll cover the most glaring faults of the Z6 and Z7, as well as smaller issues that slipped a bit under people’s radars.
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Nikon Z6, Z7, and Z-Mount Lens Pre-Order Links
Nikon just released its pre-order links to the newest Z6, Z7, and kit with 24-70mm lenses! This camera is certain to sell out immediately, likely with huge a waitlist, so you will want to buy it as soon as possible if you want to get it early (Z7 shipping in late September, Z6 in late November).
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Nikon Z6 vs Nikon D750
If current excitement levels mean anything, the newly announced Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera looks like it will be a huge hit for Nikon. Indeed, it almost appears to be a “mirrorless successor” to the Nikon D750, released four years ago to glowing reviews. That’s partly due to the shared 24 MP resolution and somewhat similar ergonomics (a PASM dial with user-configurable modes). However, considering that Nikon launched the D750 at $2,300 MSRP and the Z6 at just $1,999, it is…
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