Browsing all posts in Cameras.

Image Stabilization and Vibration Reduction Explained

I have pretty much arrived at the point where, with just a few exceptions, I will only purchase a lens if it has image stabilization capabilities. Image Stabilization (IS in Canon lenses) or Vibration Reduction (VR in Nikon lenses) greatly improves your chances of getting a sharp photograph at long focal distances, or in dim [...]

Review – First Gen Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS

Back in July I rented the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L II IS telephoto lens, for our Maine vacation. Then, a couple of weeks ago I rented the first generation of this lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L, to use when we attended the MotoGP race in Indianapolis. I wanted to see if the performance differences [...]

Unboxing – One of Life’s Great Joys

Let me ask you, as one photographer to another… are there many things better in life than unboxing a brand new camera? Not many, I think! A serendipitous sequence of events lead to the ability to buy my Canon EOS 7D with 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM kit lens – which I have greatly coveted since [...]

Better Point and Shoot Pictures

Has anyone ever said to you, “Your camera takes great pictures!”? Folks may have the tendency to believe that the camera makes the photo, but that is entirely not true. Any kind of camera, in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing, can take a great photograph. This applies to film SLR’s, digital [...]

Upcoming and Elsewhere

My next project in the process of self-education is the use of off-camera flash. With that in mind I began my perusal of the internet for good sources of information, and discovered Strobist. The site contains a wealth of information and takes a complete newbie to flash-photography through the entire learning curve; beginner education leads [...]

Lens Review: Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L II

The second lens that I rented for our Maine vacation was the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens (the first was the telephoto I wrote about in this article). I have nothing but positive things to say about this lens – probably because it felt and acted very similarly to [...]

Lens Review: Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS

I rented a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for my trip to Maine. Let me tell you, WHAT a beast this lens is! Attached to my Canon Digital Rebel XTi, with the lens hood, AND my battery grip, the whole setup certainly looked impressive. The lens by itself is 52.6 [...]

Guest Entry – Is a Hand Held Light Meter Really Necessary?

This guest post is kindly provided to us by Steve Russell. You can contact Steve at steve.russell@russellpc.net. ———- Is a Hand Held Light Meter Really Necessary? By: Steve Russell Recently Tiffany Joyce posted an article about determining correct exposure by reading histograms. She opened the article by questioning the need for the use of a [...]

Maine Photo Highlights

Hello friends! I am back from our ten day vacation in Maine, with over a thousand pictures now safely loaded onto my hard drive, and a million memories to look back upon when homesickness hits me. As evidenced by the shot above, we cannot go back without taking the obligatory shot of the Portland Head [...]

Review – Manfrotto Monopod and Ball Head

This is my newly-purchased Manfrotto 680B Monopod and Manfrotto 494RC2 Ball Head with Quick Release. I bought both for use at the MotoGP race this August in Indianapolis. The Motor Speedway doesn’t allow for tripods in the stands, and I’ll be renting a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens from Pro Photo [...]