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Hitech Pro Stop 10 ND Filter Review

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This is a quick review of the Hitech Pro Stop 10 ND Filter, designed to dramatically decrease the amount of light that enters a camera lens. Why and when would one need such a filter? With less light passing through the lens and reaching the film or digital sensor, slower shutter speeds/longer exposures have to be used, which ultimately blur any kind of motion. This neutral density filter is specifically designed for landscape photography: for photographing waterfalls, flowing rivers, moving…

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Hitech 105mm Circular Polarizer Review

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This is a quick review of the Hitech 105mm Circular Polarizer, designed to decrease reflections, reduce haze and saturate colors in photography (see our article on how to use a polarizing filter). The filter is specifically created for the Hitech Filter Holder system to be used with a 105mm plastic threaded ring that the polarizer mounts to and then both get attached to the filter holder.

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Nikon D600 Review

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After many months of rumors of a budget full-frame camera, Nikon finally announced the Nikon D600 right before the Photokina 2012 show. Priced at $2,099 MSRP, the D600 is currently the cheapest full-frame DSLR from Nikon, around $900 cheaper than its bigger brother, the Nikon D800. The camera is designed for any kind of amateur and professional photography – from landscape and studio, to event and wildlife photography. In this review, I will not only provide detailed information about the…

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Oben CTM-2400 Carbon Fiber Monopod Review

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This is a review of the Oben CTM-2400 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod. I have often thought a monopod would be useful to have in low-light situations such as wedding receptions. There are times when there’s almost enough light to get the shot, but my shutter speed is low enough that I’m worried about motion blur. A tripod can be cumbersome, especially at a wedding reception, so a monopod seems like the ideal compromise between having a stable camera and not…

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Impact Quickbox Softbox Review

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This is a review of the Impact Quickbox Softbox. It’s a 24”x24” collapsible softbox that’s made to be used with any hot shoe mountable flash unit. I was pretty excited to use this softbox, as I’ve never had a light modifier for my Speedlights that I felt was suitable for portraits. Would this be an acceptable, more portable replacement for my studio lighting kit?

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Oben CC-2320L Tripod Review

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This is a review of the Oben CC-2320L 3-Section Carbon Fiber Lateral Tripod with BB-2 Ball Head. As photographers, a sharp photo usually means a steady camera. Regardless of what you photograph, I think every photographer will eventually need a tripod at some point. Personally, I don’t use a tripod for any of my portrait work, but I have found them to be useful when shooting wedding details inside of a dark reception hall. Additionally, I tend to use a…

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Impact 7″ Grid Set Review

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This is a quick review of the Impact 7” Grid Set. This grid set comes with 10°, 20°, 30° and 40° grids that fit into standard 7” reflectors. I was happy to find that they work perfectly with my Alien Bees and I’m sure they would work just fine with most other lighting systems that use 7” reflectors (although they apparently don’t work with Broncolor or Profoto systems). I typically grid my lights to add a controlled splash of light…

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Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 VC Review

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This is an in-depth review of the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD – world’s first image stabilized standard zoom lens for 35mm sensor cameras that was released in April of 2012. I have been shooting with the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G for a while and although I love it for its super fast and accurate autofocus and durability, it has its share of problems. It is huge and heavy, has rather poor corner performance at fast apertures and suffers…

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Impact 52” Collapsible Circular Reflector Review

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This is a review of the Impact 52” Silver/White Collapsible Circular Reflector Disc. It is commonly used for bouncing natural light or flash onto subjects when taking their portrait. I use reflectors with almost all of my portrait work and consider them to be an indispensable tool that I always have with me. I’m used to using a smaller, 30” Lastolite TriGrip by myself, so I was curious to see if I’d still be able to use such a big…

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Nikon 24-85mm VR Review

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This is an in-depth review of the Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G VR lens, also known as “AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR”, which was announced together with the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX in June of 2012. The Nikon 24-85mm VR is an affordable consumer-grade lens targeted at photo enthusiasts that need a mid-range zoom lens with optical stabilization for everyday photography. It is an update to the short-lived Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED that was introduced in 2002 and discontinued…

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Think Tank Airport International v2.0 Review

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In our previous bag reviews, readers have commented positively on their experiences with Think Tank products, a company well known for making quality photographic bags and accessories. When carrying substantial amounts of gear while traveling, it is nice to have the features of a roller bag, so let’s take a look at how their Airport International v2.0 stacks up.

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The Importance of Having a “Good” Lens

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After testing a set of brand new 28mm lenses for my Nikon 28mm f/1.8G Review a couple of weeks ago, I was rather disappointed by the overall performance of the lens. Both samples that I tested exhibited visible focus shift and field curvature issues, which impacted performance in a “wavy” pattern. This weekend, I decided to give another Nikon 28mm f/1.8G a try and see if it has the same optical issues (borrowed from our team member Bob Vishneski).

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Nikon D800 – Caviar, Sardines, or…Spam?

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After reading slews of posts by others that received their D800s, I finally received my camera from B&H last week. I have to admit that my initial enthusiasm was a bit tempered by the many reports of the D800 having autofocus issues. I began to wonder, “Just what am I getting – a good D800 or a bad D800?” (think Wizard Of Oz…). Or perhaps more appropriately, did my camera fall into the Caviar, Sardines, or Spam category?

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Gitzo Traveler Tripod Review

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This is a review of the Gitzo Traveler Tripod (GT1542T Series 1, 6x Carbon Fiber, 4-Section), a very lightweight tripod designed specifically for hiking and traveling purposes. Choosing a tripod for photography needs can be a rather frustrating experience, given how many different tripods are available on the market today. Depending on what you shoot and your budget, there are literally hundreds of different choices available – from compact “GorillaPod” to heavy duty tripod systems designed for super telephoto lenses.…

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Canon 5D Mark III Review

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This is an in-depth review of the new Canon 5D Mark III, a highly anticipated DSLR update to the Canon 5D Mark II that was released back in 2008. Built on the success of the 5D Mark II and featuring the most advanced autofocus system Canon has released to date from its EOS-1D X line, the Canon 5D Mark III is a rather promising upgrade to the 5D line. With an enhanced image sensor with ISO 100 to 25,600 native…

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Lastolite EzyBox Speed-Lite Review

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This is a review of the Lastolite EzyBox Speed-Lite, a small 8.6 x 8.6″ softbox designed to be used with a speedlight. One of the most dreaded situations for most photographers is walking into a venue that has dark walls, very high ceilings and no ambient light. No matter what camera system you shoot with, working in such environments without flash is simply not an option. Lack of light can create a myriad of problems, from focusing issues to image…

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Nikon MC-36 Multi-Function Remote Review

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After reviewing the Nikon ML-3 Compact Modulite Remote and the Vello FreeWave Plus remotes with more basic features, we now turn our attention to the Nikon MC-36 Multi-Function Remote which has been kindly provided to us by B&H Photo – the world’s largest photo and video equipment reseller where we buy most of our equipment.

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