March, April & May 2023's News
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Nikon vs Canon vs Sony Full-Frame Mirrorless Mirrorless vs DSLR
Canon: EOS R3 R5 R5C R6 II R6 R R8 RP R7 R10 R50 R100 1DX III 1DX II 5DS/R 5D Mk IV 6D II 90D T8i SL3 T7 T100 Flash Lenses
Nikon: Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 II Z5 Z fc Z50 Z30 D6 D850 D780 D7500 D3500 Flash Lenses Best Nikon Lenses
Sony: A1 A9 II A9 A7R V A7R IV A7R III A7 IV A7 III A7R II A7S III A7c A7 II ZV-E1 ZV1 II A6600 A6400 A6100 A6000 ZV-E10 RX10/4 RX100/7 RX100/6 Flash Lenses
Fujifilm: GFX100S GFX100 GFX50R X100V X100F X-H2 X‑H2s X-T5 X‑T4 X‑T3 X‑T30 X‑Pro3 X-S20 X‑S10 X‑E4 X‑T200 Film Lenses
LEICA: SL2 SL2 S Q3 Q2 Q2M M11M M11 M10-R M10M M10P M10 M240 M-E M9P M9T M9 M7 M6/TTL CLE M3 IIIf IIIa Lenses
OM SYSTEM: OM-1 M.Zuiko ED 90mm f/3.5 IS
All Reviews: Apple Audio Zeiss Tamron Sigma Tokina HASSELBLAD Contax Olympus Pentax
Take Better Pictures How to Shoot Film Recommended Cameras Best Cameras Gifts random
Links: Adorama Amazon B&H Crutchfield eBay How to Win at eBay Tutorial Videos Think Tank Infrared
Adorama's Daily Deals Amazon's Deals-of-the-Day
Crutchfield's Sales B&H's Deal Zone B&H Holiday Deals: MacBook Pros, Fuji Cameras, Oben Tripods & Loads of Hand-Picked Accessories.
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31 May 2023, Wednesday
NEW: Nikon Z 24mm f/1.7 DX, also at Adorama.
46mm filters, 4.8 oz./136g, 0.4'/4.7"/0.12m close-focus, 0.19× macro ratio.
A tiny little lens for when you need speed rather than the convenience of a zoom. Personally I prefer the tiny Z 16-50mm DX, but that's just me. We're all different, which is why there are so many lenses offered.
NEW: HN-42 hood for Z 24mm f/1.7 DX.
$100 Off: Canon EOS R7 & RF-S 18-150mm: $1,799.
My favorite APS-C camera and most likely the best camera, period, for birds and sports unless you have at least five figures to spend on longer full-frame ultratele lenses. The RF-s 18-150mm is also my favorite APS-C lens, doing it all in one tiny lens.
$100 Off: Canon T7, EF-s 18-55mm IS II & EF 75-300mm III: $499.
It's a day of contrasts. While the R7 above is the world's best APS-C camera, the world's only self-levelling camera, and the kitted RF-s 18-150mm is among the best lenses going in APS-C, the T7 is a surprisingly crappy DSLR that often misses and makes out-of-focus pictures. Combining it with an unstabilized 75-300mm will ensure that many of your photos are blurry. This really shouldn't be sold in the USA and should be reserved for ROW markets. Reviewing the T7 a few months ago was a trip down memory lane to 15-20 years ago when DSLR AF systems didn't always focus properly; the T7 somehow brings yesterday's technology back for sale today.
29 May 2023, Memorial Day
Canon EOS R50 and RF 18-45mm IS STM.
NEW: Canon EOS R50 Review & Sample Images.
Winner winner, chicken dinner! The R50 is so tiny it feels like a toy around my neck, while its images are purely pro-grade, just as good as from the R7 at twice the price! Just look at the snaps I got from it just walking around.
$500 off: Canon EOS R3: $5,499.
$300 off: Canon EOS R6 w/RF 24-105mm f/4L IS: $3,099.
$300 off: Canon EOS R6 w/RF 24-105mm IS STM: $2,299.
$100 off: Canon EOS R7: $1,399.
$100 off: Canon EOS R7 Creator Kit: $1,999.
Nest Week: SPRING Photo Tour & Workshop: 07 ~ 10 June 2023.
Morro Rock at Sunset, Morro Bay, California, 7:28 P.M., 22 April 2022. Nikon Z9, Z 24-200mm VR at 44mm at f/8 at 1/320 at AUTO ISO 64 (LV 15.0), Skylum Aurora HDR (now part of Luminar Neo) and then Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.
My friend Dave Wyman and I are leading a tour and workshop along California's Central Coast next month. We're arriving Wednesday afternoon, 07 June and shooting all day and night through Saturday morning, 10 June 2023.
Tour Details. Here's what I shot last year.
We're almost full, with just a spot or two left if you'd like to come join us.
Hope to see you all next week!
27 May 2023, Saturday
In-Stock!!!: Nikon Z8, also in-stock at Amazon.
NEW: Canon V10 VLogCam, also in silver.
26 May 2023, Friday
NEU: LEICA Q3, also at Adorama and at Crutchfield.
It's the extremely popular Q2, now with 60 MP at up to 15 FPS, 8K video, a 5,760,000 dot finder, and weighs 26.2 oz. (743g).
NEU: LEICA BP-SCL6 Spare Battery für Q3. $170.
NEU: LEICA HG-DC1 Wireless Charging Grip für Q3. $195.
NEU: LEICA Drop XL Wireless Charger für Q3. $175, also at Adorama; works with HG-DC1 Grip.
NEU: LEICA Hot Shoe Cover (3 colors). $40!
NEU: LEICA Leather Half Case für Q3. $235.
NEU: LEICA Aluminum Lens Cap für Q3 (3 colors). $50!
NEU: LEICA Lens Shade für Q3 (3 colors). $230!
NEU: LEICA Aluminum Soft Release Button für Q3 (3 colors). $70!
NEU: LEICA Brass Thumb Support für Q3 (3 colors). $245!
NEW & In-Stock: Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM. (review)
NEW: Canon Creator Accessory Kit: $199.
Zoey writes most of the content here. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max camera system at its 2× setting (which magically crops from the 1× camera's 48 MP sensor and 6.9mm lens to a full-frame equivalent of 48mm) at f/1.8 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 80 (LV 7.9). bigger.
Note how even with Zoey running all over my desk like a crazy dog, my iPhone instantly focused on her eyes (not her nose) and made it perfect, no more missed photos!
25 May 2023, Thursday
Canon EOS R100 and RF-S 18-45mm.
NEW: Canon EOS R100 Review.
The world's lightest digital interchangeable-lens camera with a viewfinder. Even the LEICA IIIa and IIIf are much heavier.
The Pentax Auto 110 from the 1970s weighed less — but even in the 1970s 110 cameras couldn't make decent prints even at 4x5" and we knew it!
24 May 2023, Wednesday
NEW: Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM.
Full frame, 8 elements in 7 groups, 55mm filters, 4.2 oz. (120g), 9.1'/0.23m close-focus, 1:5.9 (0.17 ×) macro ratio.
NEW: Canon R50 Creator Kit.
NEW: Fuji X-S20.
26 MP APS-C, IBIS, 6K/30NEW: Fuji XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR.
12mm equivalent ultra-ultrawide (not a fisheye!).
NEW: Fuji X-S20 & 8mm Kit.
OM SYSTEM OM-1 and M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 II.
NEW: OM SYSTEM OM-1 Review & Sample Image Files.
NEW: OM SYSTEM OM-1 Complete Plain-English User's Guide.
Finally! I've been working on this since April 4th, longer than any other review.
The OM-1 does so much more than any other camera that it took me this long to figure out how to use everything and write it up.
New: Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 and Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 Classic. Also at Adorama, as is the Classic.
No one asked me, but the regular version looks far more classic than the Classic version.
Special: Adorama's VIP Program
Adorama has a VIP loyalty program where we can earn points today to use with more purchases tomorrow. The regular VIP level is free.
There's a promotion from today through May 31st with 5% Back in VIP Reward Points versus the usual 1% (one point per dollar spent).
There's a "Pro" level members ($49.99 per year ) get 7% back in VIP Reward points versus the usual 2%.
Of course there are some limitations; for instance this doesn't apply to LEICA, as if any LEICAMAN would want a discount. Details at the program's page.
23 May 2023, Tuesday
New: Sony ZV1 II: $898, also in white and also at Adorama.
This is a small-sensor (2.7× crop factor) point-and-shoot with a rear flip screen but no finder, optimized for video. Its fixed (non-interchangeable) 6.9~17.6mm lens is equivalent to an 18~50mm lens on full-frame. These are very popular with vloggers.
NEW: SPRING Photo Tour & Workshop: 07 ~ 10 June 2023.
Morro Rock at Sunset, Morro Bay, California, 7:28 P.M., 22 April 2022. Nikon Z9, Z 24-200mm VR at 44mm at f/8 at 1/320 at AUTO ISO 64 (LV 15.0), Skylum Aurora HDR (now part of Luminar Neo) and then Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.
My friend Dave Wyman and I are leading a tour and workshop along California's Central Coast next month. We're arriving Wednesday afternoon, 07 June and shooting all day and night through Saturday morning, 10 June 2023.
Tour Details. Here's what I shot last year.See you next month!
22 May 2023, Monday
$1,700 Off, today only: 16.2" MacBook Pro M1 Max: $3,199!!! (was $4,899)
$115 Off, today only: Lowepro Photo Active 200 AW Backpack: $39.99!!! (was $154.99)
$30 Off, today only: Senal SMH-1000 Headphones: $44.99!!! (was $74.99. SMH-1000 Review)
$100 Off: GoPro HERO8 black: $199.99.
19 May 2023, Friday
$2,479 Off: FLIR LS-XR Thermal Night Vision Scope: $1,799.99.
This is a serious scope, so serious it's unable to be shipped outside the USA. If you want to see and not be seen, this scope sees by passive thermal detection, not needing an infrared illuminator that would give you away.
It's hand-held, and also has a video output.
$300 Off: Canon R6: $1,999.
New at Crutchfield: Nikon Z 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR DX: $356.95.
$700 Off: 16.2" MacBook Pro w/M1 Pro: $1,999.
18 May 2023, Thursday
I'm getting closer with my OM SYSTEM OM-1 review, and today it's $200 less than its been for the six weeks I've been working on its review:
OM-1 Body-only: $1,999.99 at B&H, at Adorama and at Amazon.
OM-1 and M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 II: $2,599.99 at B&H, at Adorama and at Amazon.
OM-1 and M.Zuiko ED 90mm f/3.5 IS: $3,499 at Adorama.
OM-1, 12-40mm f/2.8 II and 90mm f/3.5 IS: $4,099.98 at Adorama and at Amazon.
Body-only about $1,700 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
NEW: Sony GPVPT2BT Wireless Grip Pod.
Works with most anything Sony over Bluetooth.
29% off: SanDisk 16GB Ultra UHS-1 80 MB/s SDHC: $5.99!
Don't laugh; I use cards slower and smaller than this half of the time!
17 May 2023, Wednesday
NEW: LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH.
NEW: LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35mm f/2 ASPH.
Up to $500 Off: Sale at Crutchfield.
12 May 2023, Friday
Nikon Z8 and Z 14-24mm f/2.8.
NEW: Nikon Z8 Review.
10 May 2023, Wednesday
$200 off: Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4: $1,146. Review.
09 May 2023, Tuesday
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Some OM SYSTEM Menu Tabs.
New: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji & OM SYSTEM Menu Systems Compared.
New: Lumix S5 IIX; also comes as a kit with 20-60mm lens.
Did You Know? Olympus makes a 9mm f/8 manual-focus fisheye for Micro 4/3 — for only $100? You can get a gray-market verison at Amazon for $79.54!
08 May 2023, Monday
$200 ~ $1,700 Off: Canon Bundle Deals.
In-Stock: Sony ZV-E1.
$1,500 Off: Olympus OM-D E-M1X : $1,499.95.
$650 Off: Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III w/12-45mm: $1,199.95.
$450 Off: Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III : $749.95.
In-Stock: OM SYSTEM OM-1: $2,199.99.
It's crazy; I've been working on my OM SYSTEM OM-1 review for over a month and I'm still not done. It has more features than any camera I've ever used, and thus it's taken this long to try to write up and explain what it can do! Hopefully later this week I may have my review and guide ready for you.
$500 Off: Lumix GH5 II: $1,197.99.
$160 Off: Lexar 128GB 2000x UHS-II SD Cards (two): $169.99 (add to cart to see discount, ends midnight NYC time/9PM West Coast).
07 May 2023, Sunday
Updated: Nikon F3 HP Review.
I added some photos, updated current and historical prices, and brought the page up to modern design standards.
Canon T70 with 50mm f/1.4 FD.
Updated: Canon T70 Review.
Not a very interesting camera today, other than it was Canon's first clunky 1984 attempt at the computerized cameras of today.
I simply made my page bigger to fit modern screens. It still sells for about $40 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
06 May 2023, Saturday
Hockey, Toronto, 6:25 P.M., Wednesday, 03 May 2023. Mild crops from OM SYSTEM OM-1 at 50 FPS in SH 2, 3,200 × 2,400 pixel JPG MEDIUM original images, i-Enhance Picture Mode, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO Ⅱ at 40mm (80mm eq.) at f/2.8 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 2,000, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 8.0), Perfectly Clear (now called Radiant Image).
Updated: Why We Need High Frame Rates for Sports.
I added some 50 FPS samples from the OM SYSTEM OM-1, which cheerfully tracks focus and exposure at these rates.
The OM-1 is an amazing camera with more computational and other features than any other camera, and thus I'm still working on its review after three weeks nonstop! Half of this time has been spent writing a User's Guide so we can figure out how to make all this stuff work.
Not to worry, you'll all be the first to know when I complete these.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR.
Deal: Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 VR: $1,057.
The 200-500mm f/5.6 VR has always been a lens unique to Nikon: long, fast, sharp and very, very inexpensive for what it is. For many people it makes the Nikon system unique.
It's always been a bargain at $1,400, and now it's down to $1,057. It works in DSLRs and on the FTZ and FTZ II and works with F-mount teleconverters (details in my review).
04 May 2023, Thursday
New & In-Stock: Sony ZV-E1: $2,198.
$900 off open-box: Lumix GH6: $1,297.99.
$900 off open-box: Lumix GH6 w/12-60mm: $1,797.99.
03 May 2023, Wednesday
$849 off: Canon EOS R5 & BG-R10 Grip: $3,399!!! R5 Review.
$500 off: Canon EOS R5 & RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM: $4,499!!!
$649 off: Canon EOS R6 & BG-R10 Grip: $1,999!!! R6 Review.
$479 off: Canon EOS R5 C & Canon LP-E6NH Battery: $4,399.
$200 off: Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM: $1,099. Review.
$100 off: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM: $1,799. Review.
$300 off: Nikon Z6 II: $1,696.95. Review.
$300 off: Nikon Z5: $996.95. Review.
$300 off: Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8: $2,096.96. Review.
$340 off: Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 VR: $1,056.95. Review.
$10,000 off: RED DSMC2 DRAGON-X Set: $9,950.
$30 off: Samsung Portable 1TB SSD: $69.99.
28 April 2023, Friday
Hasselblad 503 CX (1988-1992, cubical body only weighs 610 g and is about $1,200 used if you know How to Win at eBay, or about $2,500 used as shown with 80mm f/2.8 CF lens, A12 back and waist-level finder at 1,510 g total).
Updated: Best Film Cameras.
I added this update:
Most people think of 35mm cameras for shooting film, and they are fun and easy, however for ultrasharp, grain-free images (like digital), look to medium format cameras like HASSELBLAD for use on a tripod or the Mamiya 6 or 7 for use handheld.
35mm was mostly for sports and action where you shot at high frame rates on an SLR, however today we shoot film more carefully so you ought to investigate a rangefinder 35mm camera like the LEICA or Olympus 35SP for their superior lenses, and ideally medium format for superior image quality. Large Format is for the truly afflicted; even Ansel Adams shot everything from about 1950-on on his HASSELBLAD, not his large-format camera with which he was so famously pictured in his earliest days.
Today all 35mm SLR brands cost about the same used because people have forgotten what huge differences there were between them.
Nikon's 35mm cameras were the pro's overwhelming choice from the 1960s through the 1990s and what everyone wanted, but was so expensive that normal people settled for Canon or lesser brands like Pentax, Minolta and Olympus. If you're serious, stick with Nikon. Nikon's manual focus cameras were the best they've ever made and the cameras on whose reputation Nikon still rests today.
You may as well get the very best that we all wanted but couldn't afford back when they were new. That means go NIKON for 35mm.
Canon was never a leader in the pro market until autofocus became popular with pros in the 1990s, and Canon has always been hugely popular with consumers and amateurs, especially before Nikon started making consumer cameras in the late 1970s. Canons are also great cameras. I'd completely forget about Pentax, Minolta and Olympus unless you're just collecting them for goofs; people bought those new because they cost less, not because they're what anyone really wanted.
For manual exposure and manual focus, look for a Nikon FM or FM2 or FM3a. All of them are sturdy professional level cameras always praised by pros for their simplicity and durability. Back when they were new, pros would carry an FM as a backup because regardless of extreme temperatures, physical abuse or anything, the FM always got the shot. I have a 40+ year-old FM on my desk that a friend gave to me after she found it dumped in a paper bag sitting in the street. It still works fine. Feel free to get an F2, but the photos are the same while it weighs much more.
For manual focus with aperture-preferred auto exposure and center-weighted metering look at the FE, FE2 or FM3a. For full program auto exposure and matrix metering get the FA, with which all you have to do is point, focus, and shoot!
The best autofocus 35mm SLR today is the Nikon F6. The autofocus Canon EOS 1V was the best 35mm SLR ever made for sports and action, but are you shooting sports on film today? Probably not, but a huge advantage of the Canon 35mm EOS system is that all its EF lenses work great on all their DSLRs and even all their newest mirrorless cameras today with a simple EF to RF adapter for complete compatibility. Nikons lack this compatibility; its cameras and lenses more than about ten years apart usually aren't completely compatible — but every EF lens from Canon since 1987 is 100% compatible with all their EF cameras made even today, so any Canon EF lenses lenses you get as a goof for film can serve you well on modern digital, which is not the case with Nikon.
If getting a Nikon manual-focus camera, the best part of the system are its manual-focus AI and AI-s lenses. It's true bliss shooting Nikon's AI and AI-s manual lenses. Nikon lenses have been mostly crappy plastic ever since they went to autofocus in 1987, while its manual-focus lenses are all-metal mechanical works of art.
The best things Nikon ever made were their manual focus cameras and manual focus AI-s lenses. Do not put a non-camera brand lens on any of these cameras; the magic comes from the extreme quality with which the manual focus cameras were made.
I get all these from eBay.
Ever since DSLRs got to 24 MP around 2014 I have shot very little 35mm film. Unless I'm projecting film slides with a film projector or doing optical darkroom printing I don't use 35mm anymore. If I'm doing any part of the process in the digital domain I lose so much in scanning that I'm better off shooting in digital in the first place, so my 35mm suggestions are for the truly affected who insist on shooting 35mm just because that's what they like.
If you want real quality, step up to medium or large film format, and step up to the HASSELBLAD system; no one wanted Pentax or Bronica or Mamiya back in the day; we all wanted HASSELBLAD but it cost three times as much.
27 April 2023, Thursday
Not News Yet: Nikon might announce something on May 10th.
26 April 2023, Wednesday
In Stock: Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2.
In Stock: Sigma APS-C 16mm f/1.4 for Nikon Z.
In Stock: Sigma APS-C 30mm f/1.4 for Nikon Z.
In Stock: Sigma APS-C 56mm f/1.4 for Nikon Z.
In Stock: LEICA SUMMILUX-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH (Edition 2023).
The lens that defines photography's next decades.
In Stock: Sigma Full-Frame 17mm f/4 for Sony.
In Stock: Godox SL150IIIBI Bi-Color LED Monolight.
25 April 2023, Tuesday
Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji & OM SYSTEM Menus Compared
Aha! I thought my OM SYSTEM OM-1 had a better menu system than even Canon, and it became obvious after I created this graphic of how the OM-1's eight main menu tabs look:
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OM SYSTEM OM-1 Main Menu Tabs. Click any to enlarge. All are actual photos of the rear LCD shown here at lower resolution.
See how each line item is the same color as the rest of its menu tab? This makes it easy to remember in what tab to find it next time.
The OM SYSTEM OM-1 has eight main menu tabs, and none of them has more than eight well-marked and sorted pages underneath each so it's easy to find things again. It's trivially easy to use the rear dial to select among each tab's several pages, which is much better than Nikon's and Fuji's vague vertical scrolls inside arbitrarily longer pages.
Canon does the next best job with less color, but still color around each line item:
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Canon EOS RP Menu Tabs. Click any to enlarge. All are actual photos of the rear LCD shown here at lower resolution.
Canon's system also is great. While the EOS RP is a simpler camera, bravo for having only six tabs and never more than 6 pages under any one tab. It's easy to find things the next time.
Nikon (in this case the Z7) doesn't use color properly. While the screen is colorful and the menu tabs are different colors, every line item is the same yellow which is no help trying to find an item again:
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Nikon Z7 Menus. Click any to enlarge. All are actual photos of the rear LCD shown here at lower resolution.
Sony has exactly the same problem, except that everything is the same orange, and worse than OM SYSTEM, Nikon and Canon, Sony has never gotten their menu items properly organized:
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Sony A7 R III Menu Tabs. Click any to enlarge. All are actual photos of the rear LCD shown here at lower resolution.
Sony has only six primary menu tabs, and some of these have as many as 14 pages, so forget trying to remember how to find anything next time even if Sony did have a color menu system.
Fuji's menus are the worst in the industry, disorganized and with cryptic names. This is the weakest thing about Fuji's cameras. It's a bear trudging through all the menus. Everything looks the same:
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Fuji X-T30 Menu Tabs. Click any to enlarge. All are actual photos of the rear LCD shown here at lower resolution.
These are devoid of color, so it's nearly impossible to have any clue where to find an item the next time we need it.
Even if we could find menu items in this blah and sub-generic landscape, Fuji is the worst when it comes to hiding important things, like card formatting, in obscure places. Formatting is hidden at MENU > WRENCH/SET UP > User Setting > Format. User Setting? Really? Isn't everything in the entire menu system a user setting? You'll have to see my X-T30 User's Guide to figure out how to get something as simple as an RGB histogram while shooting.
NEW: DJI Mavic 3 Pro Drone & Remote.
Neu: LEICA SL2 Bundle w/ 35mm f/2.
Neu: LEICA SL2-S Bundle w/ 35mm f/2.
Neu: LEICA SL2-S Bundle w/ 50mm f/2.
24 April 2023, Monday
$200 Off: Sony A7R Mk IV A: $2,998 (review)
$100 Off: Sony FE 16-35mm f/4G PZ: $1,098 (review)
$50 Off: Sony FE 85mm f/1.8: $548 (review)
Good while supplies last:
$1,200 Off: 14.2" MacBook Pro M1 Max: $2,899.
$1,200 Off: 16.2" MacBook Pro M1 Max: $4,899.
$500 Off: 14.2" MacBook Pro M1 Pro: $1,999.
$300 Off: 14.2" MacBook Pro M1 Pro: $1,699.
Mac Mini M1: $699.
22 April 2023, Saturday
NEW: Sony ZV-E1L w/28-60mm: $2,498, also comes in white.
Subliminally it spells Z EVIL 1.
$500 Off: Sony Zeiss FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA: $995.
Sony Zeiss FE Planar T✻ 50mm f/1.4 Review. This is the older, heavier version of today's newest Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM which is still on my to-review list.
21 April 2023, Friday
NEW: Voice Notes added to the Nikon Nikon Z6 II.
Also I updated the prices; the Z6 II is a steal today:
Z6 II body-only: $1,697 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,500 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z6 II with discounted 24-70mm f/4: $2,297 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z6 II with discounted 24-200mm: $2,397 at B&H. (My favorite combo.)
Z6 II with discounted 24-70mm f/4 and FTZ II adapter: $2,447 and at Adorama and at Amazon.
Wow, just since Janaury the Z5 has also dropped by $300 ~ $400:
Z5 body: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $875 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z5 body and Nikon Z 24-50mm: $1,297 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z5 body and Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4: $1,597 at B&H and $1,994 at Adorama.
Z5 body and Nikon Z 24-200mm: $1,697 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield. (my favorite combo.)
Ditto for the Z30, down $100 ~ $150:
Z30 body-only: $607 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $550 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z30& Z 16-50mm VR as shown: $697 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z30, Z 16-50mm VR & Z 50-250mm: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z30, Z 18-140mm VR: $1,244 at Adorama.
The Z7 II and others are also much less expensive than they were a few months ago.
20 April 2023, Thursday
Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM.
NEW: Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM.
NEW: Sony ZV-E1, also in white.
In-Stock: Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, also at Adorama.
$300 Off: 16" M2 Max MacBook Pro.
Half Price, Today Only: RucPac Headlamp: $19.99.
Less than Half Price, Today Only: Manfrotto 504X Fluid Head, Carbon Tripod, Ultrasone Headphones & Amplifier: $849.
Less then Half Price, Today Only: Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds: $19.95.
NEW: Pentax AD 10x32 ED Binoculars: $349.
NEW: Pentax SD 7x42 ED Binoculars: $379.
NEW: Pentax SD 10x42 ED Binoculars: $399.
NEW: Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome DSLR. Also at B&H.
The reason for any monochrome digital camera is that you can remove the RGB color Bayer filter array. Because you removed this light-blocking filter you roughly triple a camera's sensitivity to light, and more double its effective resolution. You also can choose to let it remain sensitive to infrared.
Of course you now have to use colored filters in front of your lens for outdoor daylight shots exactly as we do with film, and otherwise if you ultimately make B&W photos these have their advantages.
Use an orange filter outdoors to make the clouds look strong. A yellow filter is weaker, and a red filter is much stronger. Also consider a green filter to lighten greenery and make the sky less washed-out. If you don't use a colored filter outdoors, the sky will often be a washed-out light gray with few clouds.
Bird of Paradise. OM SYSTEM OM-1 and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO Ⅱ at 40mm at f/3.5 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 200 (LV 11.6), Perfectly Clear (now called Radiant Image). bigger.
Just a snap from a walk last night. It's taking me a while to write my OM SYSTEM OM-1 review because it does so many things that other cameras can't do.
I'm impressed that my OM SYSTEM OM-1 seems to have in-body stabilization much better than anything else (I still have to test this in my lab), and my M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 II seem to focus way closer than any other nonmacro lens. Again, all coming.
Here are two crops from my traditional ISO tests, shot with the same lens from the same place. showing how miraculous is the 80 megapixel high-resolution scanning mode. Unlike other systems I've tried with never did anything useful because camera and subject motion was always enough to screw things up as they needed to stay solid to fractions of a pixel, OM SYSTEM's system works wonders, and it's almost as impressive hand-held!
18 April 2023, Tuesday
Nikon Z 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR DX.
NEW: Nikon Z 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR DX Review.
Nikon wins! This is the first mirrorless APS-C ultrawide from either Nikon or Canon, and it's priced right: $359.95. No longer do we have to lug the 10-20mm DX AFP and FTZ. I've been waiting for this; it was a big hole in the Nikon Z APS-C system.
This is a Power Zoom (PZ), like the zoom on a camcorder.
Order today and expect it in mid-May.
Now all we need is a similar excellent inexpensive mirrorless ultrawide APS-C zoom for Canon RF. Today for the R7, R10 and R50 we have to use the excellent EF-s 10-18mm IS STM on an RF to EF adapter. It's an excellent lens, but more cumbersome with the adapter than a native RF lens will be.
I'd forget the optional Nikon HB-112 hood at $42. Forty-two dollars? The lens is a steal but Nikon is hoping to make it up on hood sales. Hint: Hoods rarely do anything useful on a zoom, especially an ultra-wide zoom. I simply use my hand to block the sun if it's a problem.
New & In-Stock: Canon R8, also at Adorama.
New & In-Stock: Canon R8 w/RF24-50mm, also at Adorama.
New & In-Stock: Canon RF 24-50mm IS STM.
17 April 2023, Monday
OM SYSTEM OM-1 and M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 II.
As you may have guessed, I've had an OM SYSTEM OM-1 here all month and am now working on writing its review.
I feel a bit silly having ignored OM SYSTEM, the camera company formerly known as Olympus, for the past few years. The last interchangeable lens camera I reviewed from Olympus was their very first Micro 4/3 camera ever, the PEN E-P1, back in 2009. I observed that its tiny sensor worked as well as a DSLR with a larger sensor, but without a finder, only two lenses in the entire system and slow AF I blew it off. The photos were great, it just wasn't a system yet.
Fast forward to today, where I'm amazed at the flagship OM SYSTEM OM-1. Not only are its menus and ergonomics superior to Nikon and far superior to anything from Sony or from Fuji, the images from its 2x crop factor sensor are just as good as from APS-C and full frame, and it can shoot with tracking AF and auto-exposure at 50 FPS and even has a hand-held scanning mode that gives 50 MP! I've never used any other high-rez scanning mode that actually worked, even on a tripod.
I've also not yet plumbed the depths of its superb in-body stabilization. While my stabilized M.Zuiko 90mm Macro gives 5½ real-world stops of stabilization giving me tripod-equivalent sharpness 1/8 of a second on my OM-1, even with my unstabilized M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 II everything I shoot even at 1/8 is coming out perfectly - and I haven't tried its iPhone Night-Mode-like "Handheld Live Composite" mode yet.
This is why you haven't seen many new reviews recently other than the M.Zuiko 90mm Macro; I've been busy shooting my OM SYSTEM OM-1 so I can write about it.
$100 Off: Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM: $499.
$30 Off: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM: $169.
$100 Off: Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM: $1,499.
$200 Off: Nikon 17-28mm f/2.8: $996.95.
$200 Off: Nikon 100-400mm VR: $2,496.95.
$250 Off: Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR: $2,996.95.
DEAL: $499 for a complete three-light 600 Ws strobe kit.
DEAL: $529 for a complete three-light 900 Ws strobe kit.
DEAL: $699 for a complete three-light 1,200 Ws strobe kit.
All of these 600 Ws (200 Ws × 3), 900 Ws (300Ws × 3) and 1,200 Ws (400 Ws × 3) kits have more than enough power for tabletop product shots. I've used a 500 Ws (total) kit for all my work for over 20 years, including the portraits above. The first two kits cost about the same and you can vary the power with all of these, so you may as well get the 900 Ws version. All of these new-for-2023 kits has LED modeling lights.
DEAL: $949 for a complete three-light 1,800 Ws (600 Ws × 3) strobe kit.
This kit offers even more power for working at longer distances or with larger groups of people. This older set uses hotter 150W halogen modeling lights, but I'll bet you you can swap-in household LED bulbs just as I did into my 1990s-era Novatrons.
You can buy all the power you want, but for tabletop and headshot use I find 500 Ws (total) to be perfect, so any of these kits is more than enough power for any household use.
15 April 2023, Saturday
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko ED 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO.
NEW: OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko ED 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO Review & Sample Images.
Surprise! For serious macro use, this is the best lens made today. All the other lenses from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji and LEICA lack the extreme 4× equivalent magnification and this lens' 180mm effective focal length. Whoo hoo!
Updated: How to Shoot Macro.
I added the critical secrets I usually share in part in macro lens reviews, now all in one place.
You have to use flash or strobes and a long (180mm, 200mm or equivalent) macro lens to get the right perspective.
14 April 2023, Friday
NEU: LEICA M11 Monochrom. Also at Adorama.
NEU: LEICA SUMMMILUX-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH (Edition 2023), also in silver. Also at Adorama at also at Adorama in silver.
This is only LEICA's third 50/1.4 optical design since 1961. Hopefully this one is sharp; the SUMMICRON have always been superior to the SUMMILUX "speed" lenses in 50mm.
The original 50/1.4 (1961~2004) was a "speed" lens that sacrificed ultimate sharpness in the quest for speed. The previous ASPH (2004-today) had far superior bokeh (the best of any LEICA lens I've seen), but paradoxically also sacrificed sharpness for it. Let's hope they get it right this time.
NEU: LEICA SUMMICRON-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH.
NEU: LEICA SUMMICRON-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH.
06 April 2023, Wednesday
NEW: Sony SRG-A12 4K 12x zoom Robocam: $3,049.95.
First it was Canon, and now it's Sony Watching Me.
03 April 2023, Tuesday
$100 off: Nikon Z fc: $856.95.
$100 off: Nikon Z fc w/28mm f/2.8: $1,096.95.
Updated: Canon EOS R6 Review.
Updated: Canon RF 15-30mm IS STM Review.
Updated: Canon RF 24-240mm IS USM Review.
I added my October photos to each review as appropriate.
As you've seen, the 20 MP of the EOS R6 is more than enough for anything, and likewise, I clarified how and why the RF 24-240mm IS USM is my favorite lens of all time.
NEW: Canon CR-N700 15x zoom Robocam: $10,899.
With a name like Rockwell, how can I not think Someone's Watching Me?
03 April 2023, Monday
NEW: Sigma Full-Frame 17mm f/4 for Sony E & LEICA L.
NEW: Sigma Full-Frame 50mm f/2 for Sony E & LEICA L.
NEW: Sigma APS-C 23mm f/1.4 for Sony E & LEICA L.
NEW: Sigma APS-C 16mm f/1.4 for Nikon Z.
NEW: Sigma APS-C 30mm f/1.4 for Nikon Z.
NEW: Sigma APS-C 56mm f/1.4 for Nikon Z.
$100 off: Nikon Z fc w/16-50mm: $996.95.
$200 off: Canon EOS R6: $2,099.
$200 off: Canon EOS R6 w/24-105mm f/4L IS: $3,199.
$100 off: Canon PowerShot PICK Robocam: $399. also in black.
$479 Off: Neumann MT-48 USB-C Interface.
I didn't know Neumann made audio interfaces. Cool!
01 April 2023, April Fools' Day
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Updated: All Apple Watches Compared.
Yes, my Apple Watch ULTRA review is underway. Likewise I have an EOS R8 here for review, and an Olympus OM SYSTEM OM-1, 12-40mm f/2.8 II and 90mm f/3.5 2× MACRO are on the way.
As you may have gathered, I'm still playing catch up from having a broken arm. The EOS R8 is interesting as it's Canon's least expensive EOS-R series camera ever, and the 90mm f/3.5 2× MACRO focuses continuously to twice life-size, which is equivalent to four times life size on full frame. The OM System's smaller sensor format should make it easier to keep things in focus at those and all distances. Something as tiny as 9 × 6mm can fill the frame, but what I'm really looking forward to is seeing if I can get more depth of field for my macro product shots.
31 March 2023, Friday
Sale: Backup Day Specials.
Isn't every day Backup Day? It's like Veteran's day; I give thanks every day for the people who got out there and get the job done. Backing up only once a year sort of defeats the purpose.
The Milky Way as seen from Twin Lakes Road, Bridgeport, California, 9:35 P.M., 19 October 2022. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max 1× (6.9mm actual or 24mm eq.) camera, f/1.8 for 10 seconds at Auto ISO 12,500 (LV -8.6, that's LV minus 8.6!). bigger or fit-to-screen.
Updated: How to Photograph the Milky Way.
I added how to do it on iPhone.
30 March 2023, Thursday
iPhone 14 Pro Max in Apple leather case.
NEW: iPhone 14 Pro Max Review.
NEW: iPhone 14 Pro Max Tutorial & User's Guide.
NEW: Mamiya RB67 Repair.
This is a hardcore DIY repair from a reader who's not afraid to pull out his lathe and 3D printer to get the job done. Everyone should do this: document what you've learned so everyone can benefit. He even shares the CAD files to print your own parts. Bravo!
29 March 2023, Wednesday
20 Years of Number One
Canon's seemingly always been number one, at least as long as digital has been around. To make it official, Canon just announced that they, as if it wasn't obvious, have sold the largest share of interchangeable-lens digital cameras for every one of the past 20 years since 2003, when digital first became popular for most people shooting.
Nikon was ahead of Canon for the first couple of years of digital, back when digital cameras were awful and the $5,000 Nikon D1 was the first practical DSLR and least expensive out there. It took until 2003 when Canon introduced the world's first Digital Rebel that shot them to number one for serious digital, and they've been there ever since.
Bravo!
Sony ZV-E1, FE 24mm f/2.8G and optional grip.
NEW: Sony ZV-E1, also in white, also comes as a kit with 28-60mm lens and that kit also comes in white. Also at Adorama.
The ZV-E1 is a 12MP 4K Full-Frame no-viewfinder camera optimized for selfie run-and-gun video.
Sony's pretty excited about this camera because it comes closer to how well the iPhone just works for video.
Sony's pitch mostly emphasizes how many faces it can identify for autofocus and video frame rates and so forth — all number claims. Your video's not going to look any better or get more likes at 4K/60 than it will at 1,080/24. All that matters is the quality of your story and how well you tell it, not your frame rate or pixel depth.
My curiosity is if it deals with real-world suboptimal lighting as well as the magic HDR of iPhone that makes auxiliary lighting mostly obsolete, and if the ZV-E1 has stabilization as good as iPhone which renders gimbals obsolete as well. 4K/120 and 1,080/240 are promised later in a firmware update.
The other huge difference is format. If you want everything sharp and in focus, iPhone does that best with its small sensor and short lenses. If you want soft backgrounds, the larger sensor of the ZV-E1 has an advantage, although iPhone's CINEMATIC mode will do the same thing.
The other real-world question is if the ZV-E1 can clairvoyantly keep everything in focus all by itself as well as iPhone does. When we shoot anything in Hollywood it's always all manual focus, with one guy, the focus puller, in charge of nothing but pulling focus back and forth between actors. You need exceptional care in focus with the limited depth of field of larger format cameras, while iPhones with their smaller sensors, larger depths-of-field and active LiDAR focus systems always nail it.
Updated: How to Smooth Motion with Long Exposures on iPhone.
Lee Vining Falls, 11 AM, 24 October 2017. 2½ second time exposure, hand-held. bigger.
iOS 16 does this differently than iOS 11 did when I first wrote this, so here you go.
Open a LIVE PHOTO in Photos and find the LIVE icon top left: |
Tap LIVE for a drop-down: |
Select Long Exposure: |
…and you're done! |
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28 March 2023, Tuesday
Up to $250 Off: OWC Drive, SSDs & RAID Arrays.
I've been working a week and a half writing up my Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max review. It's taking forever because the iPhone does so much so well, and does it differently than big cameras.
27 March 2023, Monday
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM.
Updated: Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Review.
I brought this page up-to-date and updated prices, which today is about $1,000 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This is a great lens that works great on mirrorless with an EF to RF adapter, however its autofocus was always very slow and precise, optimized more for scientific and astronomical use rather than journalism. Today, the RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM lenses and EF 85mm f/1.4 L IS USM have much faster autofocus.
$240 Off: DJI RSC 2 Gimbal Stabilizer Pro Combo: $499.
Oben ALF-6194L Tripod with 90° Lateral Column: $199.95.
25 March 2023, Saturday
Weekend Report
50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon in Lossless High-Resolution Multi-Channel Audio!
NEW: Apple Music Review.
I was going to include this as part of my upcoming iPhone 14 Pro Max review, but Apple Music just showed me this new 50th anniversary release of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and I just had to turn this into its own review.
What few people realize is that as of June 2021 Apple Music now provides its entire catalog of over 100 million songs in lossless formats, which means that you get every single bit that's on the studio's master delivered to you with absolute bit-for-bit perfection, both in regular (up to 24-bit, 48 ksps) and usually high-resolution (up to 24-bit, 192 ksps) versions.
Not only that, but many new releases like the new 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon are available in discrete multi channel audio! Play it on your home theatre or multichannel audio system and sounds will be happening all over your room!
As a lifelong music lover, Apple Music is the best thing to happen to recorded music since the Compact Disc over 40 years ago.
24 March 2023, Friday
I'm Very Much Here
People ask, seeing the crazy news of the past few days that DPR is going away.
While I can't really believe the news, it's true.
I'm still just one guy and there aren't any changes here. I'm still just me pedaling as fast as I can working on my site all alone — and loving it.
I've been here five years longer than Facebook, six years longer than YouTube, seven years longer than Twitter and eleven years longer than Instagram.
While I've seemed slower the past two months since I have a broken elbow and was working on my Photographs from Yosemite & California's Eastern Sierra, my EOS R50 and Think Tank Retrospective Everyday EDC Backpack just arrived for review. I also think I have some Olympus gear on the way for review; I know you guys want to hear about that, too.
If you know anyone at DPR or its owner and there's anyway I can help preserve it, let me know.
It's crazy to think I outlasted DPR and that I'm the last remaining still-major one-man-only site from the 1990s (obviously DPR added other authors years ago). Honestly, I still can't quite grasp it, and I'm usually pretty good at understanding these things.
I guess slow and steady wins the race. First and foremost, the way I or any operation continues to grow is that my only goal for this site has always been everyone else's long-term best interests — not my own. You know I tell you when you don't need to buy a new camera, and thank goodness I've never been so selfish as to pollute my site with display ads like every other site. There, I said it: display ads don't help readers, they just crap-up a site so we have to guess what is content and what's just garbage. I hate that; I take my site personally like any other work of art and want it to be the way I wish all sites were: clear and to the point and not littered with ads. As you know, I'm primarily supported by your use of any of these links to where I get my own stuff when you get anything, and again, the only reason I recommend these places so strongly is because I use them myself, and I've used most of them since the 1970s when I was just a kid and they've always treated me right as a customer - even before I had a checking account or credit card. That's why Adorama, B&H and Crutchfield have continue to grow. Crutchfield, also still run buy the guy who founded it back in 1974, just celebrated their 49th anniversary.
Do I get a catch phrase like "All Content, All the Time?"
Thanks for asking!
Ken (also working on my iPhone 14 Pro Max review this week)
Workshops
Keep an eye here and on my Workshops page.
My pal Dave Wyman and I are planning to plan maybe a Route 66 trip a couple of weeks after Easter 2023, A Yosemite waterfall trip in May 2023 and one or two for fall in October 2023 as traditional, as well as the Central Coast of California for June 2023. Who knows; it's all up in the air — and we take requests.
23 March 2023, Thursday
IN STOCK: LEICA Q2 Ghost Edition "Hodinkee".
This is a hard-to-find special edition. Get it now if you can!
In Stock: Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2.
$460 Off: SanDisk 4TB Extreme Portable SSD V2: $339.99.
$160 Off: SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD V2: $89.99.
$190 Off: DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo Drone: $1,109.
$102 Off: Godox UL60 Silent LED Video Light: $197.
21 March 2023, Tuesday
New at Crutchfield: Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM: $1,298.
New: Canon Trade-Up Program.
Canon is offering discounts between $20 and $1,000 (typically a few hundred dollars) when you trade-in any old working 35mm or digital interchangeable-lens body or lens when you buy any of quite a range of new products — and you also get the trade-in value of the item on top of the discount!
The amount of discount depends on how expensive is the new product you're getting, but it has nothing to do with what you're trading in. It seems like you get $1,000 off the RF 1,200mm f/8L IS or just $20 off the RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, regardless of what you trade-in. Of course the additional trade-in value you get for the item itself depends on when you hand over, but the overt discount doesn't change.
20 March 2023, First Day of Spring
$50 Off: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM: $349.
Up to $300 Off: Nikon sale.
Up to $300 Off: Olympus sale.
Did you know that I just heard that Olympus is trying to rename itself, now calling its cameras OM SYSTEM rather than Olympus OM? Oddly half its cameras today say OLYMPUS on their pseudoprism housings, and the rest say OM SYSTEM. Weird.
For some odd reason they seem to be shying away from saying Olympus, which is too bad as Olympus has for over one hundred years stood for a magnificent company that has always been at the forefront of optics. They've been making great medical and research microscopes since 1920, and Zuiko camera lenses since 1936. Olympus is still at the forefront of optics and research; one of the many reasons I'd much rather shoot Olympus than something like Sigma.
500 Server Errors?
I've been trying to work with my hosting company to fix the 500 Server Errors I've been seeing since January — frustratingly to no avail. If you see these, just keep refreshing the page (the ↻ icon) until it comes in.
17 March 2023, St. Patrick's Day
Sunrise over Mono Lake as Seen from Conway Summit, 6:53 A.M., Tuesday, 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 62mm, wide-open at f/5 at 1/50 at Auto ISO 100, (LV 10¼). bigger or fit-to-screen.
NEW: Previsualization versus Presets.
Seeing all the people hawking presets, I realized a difference between how an artist rather than a consumer creates.
In Stock: SONY FX30.
In Stock: Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8.
Free Lens: HASSELBLAD 907X 50C w/45mm f/4 P: $6,399. (same price as body-only)
NEW: WD 22TB "Elements" Desktop HDD: $549.99.
NEW: WD 22TB "My Book" Desktop HDD: $599.99.
The "My Book" version adds hardware encryption.
Heh heh, I shoot JPG and thus everything I've ever shot, video and photos, easily fits on an 8 TB drive. I don't shoot much video, though.
Updated: Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM.
I updated the current price, only about $3,600 used at the links in the review, and should work awesome on the EF to RF adapter on mirrorless.
16 March 2023, Thursday
In Stock: Canon EOS R50. (also at Adorama.)
New: DJI Mini 2 SE: $339 ($300 off)! (also at B&H.)
New: DJI Mini 2 SE Fly More Combo: $489 ($30 off). (also at B&H.)
Small, easy-to-use photo drone.
13 March 2023, Monday
Daylight Savings Time
While our iPhones and iPads and Macs and Apple TVs all set themselves, don't forget that few if any cameras set themselves to daylight time.
I always forget and shoot pretty well into summer until I catch this, and then all those files are tagged as an hour earlier than they actually were shot.
Make a point to go in now to reset your cameras to daylight time.
When I forget, it is easy to use the TOOLS > ADJUST CAPTURE DATES AND TIMES tool in Photo Mechanic to fix this — but again, only if you catch it consciously. By the time I catch it each year, I have a lot of files to correct.
Of course if you forgot to set your camera to standard time back in November, you're already good!
Sale: MacBook Pros with M2 Max and M2 Pro on sale.
11 March 2023, Saturday
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Normal
settings, too dark! |
Add
+1 or +2 exposure compensation |
Old: How to Photograph Snow.
I was going to write a new article in response to people wondeing how to get snow to look like snow rather than dark gray, but my Search page showed me that I'd already written this article back in 2005! It's fun as it was from back in the days of my yellow-background pages when film was still 50% of what we shot.
We simply need to remember to add exposure compensation to make white snow look white, rather than 18% gray. While modern Matrix and evaluative meters usually do OK with snow in sunlight, they have always gotten confused under overcast light.
Likewise we need to add exposure when shooting under stormy or overcast skies, where meters usually underexpose due to the skies being much lighter than the dark foregrounds. This isn't a problem in daylight, but with a lot of news coverage coming out the past years from places where it's often overcast, we still need to be vigilant to ensure we get the correct exposures. Modern meters still get fooled; this has always been a difficult part of photography that often takes deliberate exposure compensation, and is why all cameras and even iPhones have these controls. See How to Photograph Snow for how to do this on iPhone.
I'm Still Here!
One reader wrote lamenting how his favorite beacon of common-sense photography information sold out to commercialism since he hadn't seen much from me these past months.
Nah. As I've said before, when you don't see a lot of real updates here, it's because I'm working on something cool and complicated. I've been working the past two months on publishing my photos from my fall color trips in October, all of which I will share with you soon.
I'm still here and not one to whine, but here's what happened since you're curious and someone asked.
Ever since I returned from my fall color trips a lot of what you've seen are many of the holiday deals that popped up each day. I don't find them all that interesting, but many of you do, so that's why I share them. That took a lot of time in November and December as I worked on my fall color photos offline.
I was so looking forward to hitting the books and finally getting to work on my images full-time after the holidays, but a pipe burst and flooded my house just before dawn on the first day back to work after the holidays on January 3rd. BOO!
I flew out of bed when the fire alarm went off since it also had flooded, and to my half-asleep surprise I slipped on the sloshing floor and broke my elbow. I had surgery for it in February. It's been horrible not being able to hold a phone or use a computer very well these past two months, and even if my arm wasn't broken, for over two months now I've had demolition and reconstruction guys in my house banging and hammering and moving and sawing and sanding and spraying every day for over two months straight — enough to drive anyone crazy. Supervising everyone and shopping for materials and colors for paint and carpet and plumbing and flooring and everything has taken huge amounts of time as well.
I've also been trying to work with my hosting company to fix the 500 Server Errors I've been seeing since January — also frustratingly to no avail. If you see these, just keep refreshing the page (the ↻ icon) and it will come in.
Sorry, but you asked. Wah, wah, wah, back to work!
09 March 2023, Thursday
NEU: LEICA Vario Elmar 100-400mm für L-Mount.
NEU: LEICA 1.4× Extender-L für 100-400mm.
Deals & Closeouts
$1,201 off: Olympus OM-D E-M1X: $1,799!!!
84% off - almost free: Beschoi Messenger Bag: $15.99.
75% off: Beschoi Messenger Bag: $24.99.
$432 off: LG 38BN95C-W 38" 3,840×1,600 144Hz HDR Curved Monitor: $1,196.99.
$520 off: Surface Pro X 13" 2-in-1 Tablet: $779.99.
Half off: SmallRig simorr Wave U1 USB Mic: $22.45!!!
$68 off: Samson Go Mic USB Mic: $32.39!!!
67% off: Froggi Extreme Sport Action Camera Accessory Set: $9.99.
53% off: JOBY GripTight Action Kit: $27.99.
$100 off: Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II Bluetooth Speaker: $229.
$40 off: Togo Power Pioneer 288WH Power Station: $289.99.
$150 off: Fender FA-235E Guitar: $219.99.
06 March 2023, Monday
It's almost Yosemite!
I just about have my photos from October ready to share with you.
For now, I'm really loving Skylum Luminar Neo, which lets me go from pretty good to Wow! in seconds with just a couple of sliders. Here's an example. I used the Enhance slider, the Sky Enhance slider, added some deliberate vignetting to keep your eyes in the picture and voilà:
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Cathedral Rocks, as-shot. bigger. |
After Luminar Neo. bigger. |
Shot with Canon EOS R6 in square-crop mode and RF 15-30mm IS STM.
03 March 2023, Friday
In Stock: Sony 20-70mm f/4G Full-Frame.
New at Crutchfield: Canon EOS R8.
New at Crutchfield: Canon EOS R8 & RF 24-50mm IS STM.
New at Crutchfield: Canon RF 24-50mm IS STM.
In Stock: Sony XLR-H1 XLR Handle Unit.
This adds more XLR audio inputs and a huge grip for the FX3 and FX30.
In Stock: Profoto Clic Octa 2.7' (82cm) Softgrid.
02 March 2023, Thursday
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NEW: Canon EOS R vs EOS R8 vs RP.
You asked, so here you go. While I usually compare the R8 to the RP since they're based on the same body mechanics and finder, you've asked because the EOS R is the same price today. The EOS R sells for $900 less today than it used to.
New at Crutchfield: Canon EOS R50.
New at Crutchfield: Canon EOS R50 & 18-45mm IS STM.
New at Crutchfield: Canon EOS R50, 18-45mm IS STM & 55-210mm IS STM.
New at Crutchfield: Canon EF-S 55-210mm IS STM.
NEW: Sony Trade-in Deals.
NEW: More Sony Deals.
Up to $600 Off: Sigma Deals.
67% Off: CAD Large-Diaphragm Condenser Mic: $49.99! (today only: expires midnight NYC time or 9PM west-coast time)
01 March 2023, Wednesday
78% Off: SanDisk 16GB Ultra UHS-1 SDHC Card: $7.99!!!
Half-off Today Only: Oben ALF-6193 Tripod: $84.95.
In-Stock: Canon 6D Mk II: $1,399.
In-Stock: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 for Sony: $849.
What Was New in:
January & February 2023: How to Learn Photography, Canon EOS R8, Canon EOS R50, Canon RF 24-50mm IS STM, Canon RF-S 55-210mm IS STM, Canon EOS Rebel SL3 Review, Canon EOS Rebel T7 Review, Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8, Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2, Sony Full-Frame FE 20-70mm f/4 G, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II Review & Sample Images, Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, Olympus 90mm f/3.5 IS Macro, Think Tank Retrospective Everyday Backpack.
December 2022: Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8 Review, Nikon Z Full-Frame Ultrawides Compared, Canon Rebel T100 Review, Canon EF-s 18-55mm III Review, Sony A7R V Review, 2022 version of the LEICA M6, ThinkTank SpeedTop Bag Review.
October & November 2022: Canon EOS R6 Mark II, Canon RF 15-30mm IS STM Review, Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM Review, Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM, Canon EL-5 Flash, Nikon Z 40mm f/2 Special Edition Review, Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 Review, Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR, Nikon Z 1.4× Teleconverter Review, Nikon Z 2× Teleconverter Review, Nikon MC-N10 Remote Grip, Sony A7R V, Sony ZV-1F, Fuji X-T5, Fuji XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro, LEICA M6, Edition 2022, Venus Laowa 25mm f/0.95 Review, beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO Review.
July, August & September 2022: Photographs from California's Central Coast, Canon EOS R7 Review, Canon EOS R10 Review, Canon EOS R7 vs. EOS R10, Canon RF 15-30mm IS STM Review, Canon RF-s 18-45mm IS STM Review, Canon RF-s 18-150mm IS STM Review, Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM, Canon EL-100 Flash Review, Nikon Z30 Review, Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8 Review, Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR, All Nikon 105mm Macro Lenses Compared, Sony FX30 E-Mount Cine Camera, Fuji X-H2, Fuji GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR, Fuji XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR, Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 for Fuji, LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH (2022), NiteCore NB20000 Ultralight Power Bank Review, Oben CT-2491 Carbon-Fibre Tripod Review, SmallRig AD-01 Fluid-Head Video Tripod Review, Venus Laowa 10mm f/4 Review & Sample Images, beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Review, beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO Review.
May & June 2022: Canon EOS R7, Canon EOS R10, Canon RF-S 18-45mm IS STM, Canon RF-S 18-150mm IS STM, Nikon Z30 Review, Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 Review, Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 Review, Nikon Z 100-400mm VR Review, Nikon Full-Frame Z Midrange Zooms Compared, Sony ZV-E10 Review, Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 G PZ Review, Sony E 10-20mm f/4G PZ Review, Sony E 11mm f/1.8 Review, Sony E 15mm f/1.4G Review, Fuji X-H2s, Fuji XF 18-120mm f/4 R LM WR Power Zoom, Fuji XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM WR OIS, Fujifilm's 2022-2023 Lens Roadmap, HASSELBLAD PME Prism Meter Finder Review.
January ~ April 2022: Photographs from Yosemite & the Eastern Sierra, The Effect of Scale, Canon EOS R3 Full Review & Sample Image Files, Canon EOS R5C, Canon RF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM, Canon RF 1,200mm f/8L IS USM, Canon PowerShot ZOOM Review, Nikon Z9 Review & Sample Images, Nikon Z9 User's Guide & Tutorial, Nikon Z 18-140mm VR DX Review & Sample Image Files, Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 Review & Sample Image Files, Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 SE Review & Sample Image Files, Nikon Z 40mm f/2 Review & Sample Image Files, Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 VR, Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR, Sony A7 IV Full Review & Sample Image Files, Sony A7 IV Tutorial & User's Guide, Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 G PZ Power Zoom, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Review & Sample Images, Sony HVL-F60RM2 Flash Review & Sample Images, Sony HVL-F46RM Flash Review & Sample Images, Sony SD Card Reader, LEICA M11, Apple Mac Studio, Apple 27" 5K Studio Display, 5th generation 10.9" iPad Air, Cooke S8/i 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm and 135mm T1.4 Lenses in PL mount, Huion Kamvas Pro 13 (2.5K) drawing tablet review, Kodak GOLD 200 in 120 format, OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock Review, OWC ATLAS S PRO SDXC Card Review, OWC ENVOY PRO ELEKTRON SSD Review, OWC USB-C TRAVEL DOCK E Review, Oben CFT-6194L Lateral Carbon-Fibre Tripod Review, Oben CFT-6394 "Big & Tall" Carbon-Fibre Tripod Review, Oben BC-139 Review, Olympus OM-1, M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO II, M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4 PRO, Panasonic Lumix GH6, Sigma 16mm f/1.4 for Fuji, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 for Fuji, Sigma 56mm f/1.4 for Fuji, Sigma 20mm f/2 full-frame for Sony E, Sigma 20mm f/2 full-frame for LEICA L, SmallRig 3457 Compact Fluid Head Review, ThinkTank Retrospective 75 Duffel, ZEISS Supreme Prime 15mm T1.8, Feet, PL Mount, Jackery Explorer 1000 Power Station & Solar Generator Review, Jackery Explorer 300 Review, Jackery SolarSaga 100W Panel Review, Nitecore BlowerBaby Review, B&W 702 S2 Speakers, beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X headphones review.
November ~ December 2021: Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Review, Canon RF 100-400mm IS USM Review, Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC Review, Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8, Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8, Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3, Leica Q2 Reporter Edition, Best USB-C Card Readers, Docks & Hubs Compared, Mitakon 90mm f/1.5 Review, McIntosh MQ 107 Environmental Equalizer Review.
October 2021: Nikon Z9, Nikon Z 18-140mm VR DX, Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4, Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR, Nikon FTZ II, Canon STEREOSCOPIC RF 5.2mm f/2.8L 190º Fisheye, Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Review, Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus Review, Sony A7 IV, Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II, Apple Watch Series 7.
July ~ September 2021: Nikon Z fc Review, Nikon Z7 II User's Guide, Nikon Z FX 28mm f/2.8 Special Edition, Nikon Z 40mm f/2, Nikon Z 50mm f/2.8 Macro Review, Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 VR Macro Review, Canon EOS R3, Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM, Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Review, Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM, Canon DM-E1D Stereo Mic, Canon ST-E10 Speedlite Transmitter, Canon AD-P1 Android Data Transmitter Adapter, Canon AD-E1 Normal to Multi-Function Shoe Adapter, Sony ZV-E10, Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Review, Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 Review, Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 Review, Sony FE 50mm f/2.5 Review, Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM Review, Fuji GFX 50S II, Fuji GF 35-70mm, Fuji GFX 50S II w/35-70mm, Fuji X-T30 II, Fuji XF 23mm f/1.4, Fuji XF 33mm f/1.4, Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN, Sigma 90mm f/2.8 DG DN full-frame für LEICA L, Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 for Sony and for LEICA L, Tamron 18-300mm for Sony APS-C and for Fuji, Tamron 35~150mm f/2~2.8 for Sony, Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 Review, Godox Ving V860III TTL Li-Ion Flash, Megadap Sony to Nikon Z Lens Adapter, TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 ASPH Review, Voigtländer Heliar Classic 50mm f/1.5, Audeze LCD-XC Planar Magnetic Headphones full review.
April ~ June 2021: Photographs from California's Central Coast, Canon EOS R3, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM III Review, Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Review, All Canon 100mm Lenses Compared, Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS, Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS, Nikon Z7 II Review, Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 Review, Nikon Z FX 28mm f/2.8 Special Edition, Nikon Z 50mm f/2.8 Macro, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 Review, Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct Review, Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 VR Macro, Sony A1 Review, Sony A6100 Review, Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G Review, Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Review, Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM Review, Sony E 70-350mm G OSS Review, Fujifilm X-E4 Review, Fuji X-S10 Review, Fuji XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR Review, Fuji XF 18mm f/1.4R LM WR, Fuji XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR Review, Fuji XF 70-300mm R LM OIS WR Review, LEICA M10-R in black paint, Pentax K-3 Mk III, iRig Pre 2 XLR Mic to Mirrorless, DSLR, iOS, Phone or Computer Preamplifier, Robus RTH-1050 55-lb Capacity Ball Head Review, Ritz Gear 256 GB CFexpress card, Turboant Thunder T1 Electric Bike Review.
January ~ March 2021: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM review, Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review, Canon RF 85mm f/2 MACRO IS STM review, Canon EL-1 Flash review, Nikon Z9 review, SONY A1 review, Sony A7C review, Sony FE 28-60mm review, Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G, Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G and Sony FE 50mm f/2.5 G, Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM, Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM review, iPhone 12 Pro Max review & guide, Apple Watch Series 6 review & guide, LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-M 35mm f/2 ASPH, LEICA 50mm f/1.2 NOCTILUX-M ASPH, Fuji GFX 100S, Fuji GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR, Fuji X-E4, Fuji XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR, Fuji 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR, Ritz 256GB 265/120 MB/s V60 SD card, Mitakon 50mm f/0.95 review, 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 review, Polsen MVP-3 Micro Shotgun Microphone, Polsen MVP-6 Shotgun Microphone, Polsen MO-CPL2 USB-C Lavalier Microphone, Polsen SCL-1080 Dual-Pattern Shotgun Microphone
October ~ December 2020: Canon 1DX Mark III Review, Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Review, Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Review, Canon EOS M50 Mk II, Big EL-1 flash and odd compact PowerShot Zoom 100-400mm P&S, Canon PIXMA Pro-200, Nikon Z5 Review, Nikon Z6 II Review, Nikon Z7 II Review, Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 Review, Nikon Z 24-50mm Review, Nikon Z 24-200mm Review, Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 Review, Fuji 50mm f/1.0 Review, Fuji X-S10, Fuji 10-24mm f/4 OIS WR R, LEICA Q2 Monochrom, LEICA SL-2 S, ZEISS ZX1, Audeze LCD-X Headphones Review, TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 ASPH Review, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Macro for Sony E or LEICA, Megadap Any Lens to Nikon Z Autofocusing Adapter Review, Oben CTT-1000L Compact Tripod Review, MacCase iPad Pro Case Review.
May ~ September 2020: Canon EOS R5, Canon EOS R6, Canon EOS R, RP, R5 & R6 Compared, Canon RF 15~35mm f/2.8L, Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS, Canon RF 24-105mm IS STM, Canon RF 24-240mm, Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L DS USM, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L versus f/1.2L DS, Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM, Canon RF 100-500mm, Canon RF 600mm IS STM, Canon RF 800mm IS STM, Canon RF 1.4× extender, Canon RF 2× extender, Canon 90D, Canon Rebel T8i (EOS 850D), Nikon Z5, Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8, Nikon Z 24-50mm, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2, Nikon Z TC-1.4× teleconverter, Nikon Z TC-2× teleconverter, Sony A7c, Sony A9 II, Sony A7S III, Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM, Sony LA-EA5 Adapter, Apple Watch Series 6, Fuji X-T4, Fuji X-T200, Fuji XC 35mm f/2, Fuji XF 50mm f/1.0, LEICA M10-R, LEICA Q2, LEICA Q2 User's Guide, LEICA Q2 vs Fuji X100F vs iPhone 11 Pro Max vs Canon 90D, LEICA vs iPhone vs Fuji vs Canon, LEICA SF-24D, Hasselblad 907X 50C, ZEISS SONNAR 50mm f/1.5, Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4, Luxli Timpani, Cello and Viola2, Audeze LCD-1 Headphones.
April 2020: Fuji XF 16-80mm f/4 Review, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM, Canon C300 Mk III, Canon 25-250mm T2.95 Cine, Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mk III, Irix Full-Frame, Manual Focus 45mm f/1.4, Laowa 210º 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye, Lensbaby Velvet 28mm f/2.5, Rokinon AF 75mm f/1.8, Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 for Sony, DJI Mavic Air 2 , DJI Mavic 2 Pro 4K , BlackMagic Pocket Cinema 6K, Zoom H6 Recorder Review.
January ~ March 2020: Photo Products of the Decade 1820~2020, Nikon D6, Nikon D780, Nikon D780 Plain-English User's Guide, Nikon 120-300mm f/2.8 FL VR, Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8, Nikon Z 24-200mm, Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, Nikon Coolpix P950, Canon 1DX Mark III, Canon Rebel T8i, Canon EOS-R5, Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM, Canon RF 24-105 f/4~7.1 IS STM, Canon QX10 Pocket Portable Printer, Sony A7R IV Review & User's Guide, Sony FE 20mm f/1.8, Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS, Sony E 55-210mm OSS, Fuji X100V, Fuji X100V Plain-English User's Guide, Fuji X-T4, Fuji X-T200, Fuji XC 35mm f/2, Fuji GF 45-100mm f/4 OIS, LEICA M10 Monochrom, LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH Edition "LEITZ Wetzlar, LEICA S3, Tokina 85mm f/1.8 for Sony full-frame, Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2× Ultra-Macro, Think Tank Retrospective Backpack 15, Fringer Canon EF -> Fuji X Adapter, Fringer Canon EF -> Nikon Z Adapter, DJI Mavic 2 Zoom with Smart Controller, Senal SMH-1200 Review.
November & December 2019: Fall Color from Yosemite and California's Eastern Sierra, Nikon Z50 Full Review, Nikon Z50 Plain-English User's Guide, Nikon Z DX 16-50mm VR Review, Nikon Z DX 50-250mm VR Review, Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 Review, Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 Review, Sony A6600 Review, Sony A6600 User's Guide, Canon EOS Ra Astro Mirrorless, Fujifilm X-Pro3 Review, Fuji GFX 100 Review, Fuji GF 50mm f/3.5 Review, Apple Watch Series 5 Review, Apple 32" Pro 6K Display, Apple 32" Pro 6K Display w/nano textured glass, Photo Mechanic Software Review, Tokina 100mm f/2.8 Full Frame for Canon EF, LEICA SL2, Sigma 24-70/2.8 for Sony, Sigma 24-70/2.8 für LEICA L, Turboant X7 Review.
August ~ October 2019: iPhone 11 Pro Max, Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8, Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS, Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM, Canon EOS 1DX Mark III, Canon 90D, Canon EOS-M200, Canon M6 Mk II, Fuji X-Pro3, Fuji X-E3 Review, Fuji X-A7, Fuji XC 15-45mm PZ OIS Review, Fuji XC 50-230mm OIS Review, Fuji Touch Screen Settings, Nikon D3500 review, Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 S Review, Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 Review, Nikon Noct-NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95, Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 16-50mm DX VR, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR, Nikon 200mm f/2 VR II Review, Panasonic S1H, Panasonic 24-70mm f/2.8, Pansonic LEICA DG 25mm f/1.4 II, Rokinon AF 18mm f/2.8, Sigma fp w/45mm lens, Sony A9 II, Tamron 20mm f/2.8, Tamron 24mm f/2.8, Tamron 35mm f/2.8, Voigtländer Nokton 75mm f/1.5, Auray TT-6220 Telescoping Tabletop Mic Stand Review, Auray PFNY-6 Mic Pop Filter Review, Senal SCM-660 Microphone Review, XUMA MTA-300B iPhone/Smartphone Tripod Adapter Review.
July 2019: Rockwell.TV on YouTube, Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 Review, Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 Review, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 Review, Canon RF 24~240mm IS, Sony A7R Mark IV, Sony RX100 Mark VII, Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 review, LEICA M-E typ 240, Hasselblad 907X Special Edition, Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR, Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR, ROBUS RC-5570 Tripod Review, Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 for Sony E und für LEICA L, Sigma 35mm f/1.2 for Sony E und für LEICA L, Sigma 45mm f/2.8 for Sony Eund für LEICA L, Sigma fp mirrorless camera.
April ~ June 2019: Nikon Z6 Review, Nikon Z6 User's Guide, Nikon Z7 User's Guide, Nikon Z 14-30mm Review, Nikon NIKKOR 135mm f/2 AI-s Review, Nikon NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8 AI Review, Nikon NIKKOR✱ED 180mm f/2.8 AI-s Review, Nikon NIKKOR✱ED 200mm f/2 AI-s Review, Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 Review, Sony E 20mm f/2.8 Review, Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro Review, Sony E 35mm f/1.8 OSS Review, Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM Review, Sony 200-600mm G OSS Review, Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS Review, Tokina FiRIN 100mm f/2.8 Macro for Sony E, Voigtlander 21mm f/1.4 for Sony Full-Frame, Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 full-frame ultrawide for Sony E, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 for Canon RF, Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 for Canon RF, Canon SL3 (EOS 250D), Fujifilm X-H1 Review, Fujifilm X-T30 Review, Fujifilm X-T20 Review, Fujifilm 8-16mm f/2.8 Review, Fujifilm 16mm f/2.8 Review, Fujifilm GFX 100 Review, Fujifilm GF 32~64mm f/4 R LM WR Review, Fujifilm GF 100~200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Review, Medium-Format vs. Full-Frame Image-Quality Comparison, Apple iPhone Xs Max Review & User's Guide, Apple Watch Series 4 Review, All Apple Watches Compared, new 13" MacBook Pro, new 15" MacBook Pro, Olympus TG-6 Underwater Camera, Panasonic LEICA VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm f/1.7, Panasonic DMW-STC14 1.4× teleconverter, Panasonic DMW-STC20 2× teleconverter, Think Tank "Digital Holster 150" for ultrateles, Oben CTT-1000 Mini Tripod Review.
March 2019: Nikon Z7 Review, Nikon Coolpix A1000, Nikon Coolpix B600, Sony E 16mm f/2.8 Review, Sony E 18-200mm OSS PZ Review, Sony E 18-200mm OSS LE Review, Sony RX0 II, Canon IVY CLIQ Instant Camera, Canon IVY CLIQ+ Instant Camera, Fujinon XF 80mm f/2.8 Macro OIS Review, LEICA Q2, LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH, Pixel X900 Flash Review, Rokinon Full-Frame ultra-ultra-wide 10mm f/3.5 for Canon EF, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 Ultra-Ultrawide for Canon RF, Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 for Canon RF.
February 2019: Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S, Canon EOS RP Hands-On Review, Canon EOS RP User's Guide, Canon EOS RP vs EOS R, Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM Review, Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM Review, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS, Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, Canon RF 24-240mm IS USM, Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM, Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM, Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM, Fujifilm X-T3 Review, Fujifilm 23mm f/2 Review, Fujifilm 200mm f/2 Review, Fujifilm 50mm f/2 Review, Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8 WR, Fujifilm X-T30, Panasonic S1 Full-Frame System, Polaroid POP cameras, Ricoh GR III, Ricoh WG-6 underwater, Ricoh WG-6 in Orange, Ricoh G-900, Tokina Opera 16-28mm f/2.8, Tamron 35-150mm, Tamron 35mm f/1.4.
January 2019: LEICA M10-P Safari Edition, LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 Safari Edition, Verum 1 Planar Magnetic Headphones review, Olympus OM-D E-M1 X, Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S review, Sony 10-18mm Review, Sony A6400 Review, Sony 18-135mm Review, Sigma 28mm f/1.4 ART, Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S and Irix 150mm f/2.8 Macro Review.
November & December 2018: Moment 18mm review, Photos from Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra, Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF Review, Adapted Rangefinder Lenses on Nikon Mirrorless, AlienBoard Hoverboard review, LEICA D-Lux 7, Why You Need an Apple Watch, Sigma 60-600mm Review.
October 2018: Loads of Canon and Nikon mirrorless revelations, First Chinese Nikon Z adapters, Canon EOS R Review, Canon EOS R User's Guide, Wimberley Gimbal Tripod Head Review, Sony 400mm f/2.8 Review, How to Photograph Air Shows, LEICA M10-D.
August & September 2018: Nikon vs Canon vs Sony Full Frame, Mirrorless vs DSLR, Do You Really Need Two Card Slots, Canon EOS-R Review, Canon EF to RF Lens Adapters, Canon RF 24-105mm Review, Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L, Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 Review, Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM, Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS II Review, Canon EF400mm f/2.8L IS III, Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM, Canon 580EX II Review, Canon 580EX II User's Guide, Sony 24mm f/1.4, Sony RX100 Mark 6 Review, Sony RX100 Mk VI User's Guide, Nikon's full-frame mirrorless system, Nikon Z7, Nikon Z6, Nikon Z6 vs. Z7, Nikon FTZ Lens Adapter, Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4, Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8, Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF, Nikon D3500, LEICA M10-P, iPhone Xs Max Bokeh vs Full-Frame Professional Cameras, Tokina "Opera" 50mm f/1.4, Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 G2, Fuji XT-3.
June & July 2018: Nikon Mirrorless hinted at, Fuji 8-16mm f/2.8, Fuji 200mm f/2, Fuji XF10, Sony RX100VA, Nikon P1000, Tamron 100‑400mm Review, best 80-400 and 100-400mm zooms compared, How to Win Photo Contests, Tamron 18-400mm review, Sony 400mm f/2.8, Images of Yosemite in Springtime, Kodak Medalist II Review, Canon 70‑200mm f/4L IS II, Canon 70‑200mm f/2.8 L IS III and my Sony RX100 Mark VI review.
May 2018: Marc Silber's Secrets to Creating Amazing Photos, Sigma 105mm f/1.4, Fuji X-T100, Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 IS/VR Review, beyerdynamic Amiron Home Review, Sigma 70mm Full-Frame Macro Art Lens, Nikon D1 High ISO Samples, Vello MB-D18 (BG-N19) Grip Review, Sunpak RD2000 Review, Small Flashes Compared.
April 2018: Irix 11mm f/4 Review,Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, Canon 85mm f/1.4 L IS Review,Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VR/IS Review, Best 70-200mm f/2.8 Lenses Compared, Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 VR/IS Review, Best 24-105mm Lenses Compared, MindShift 18L Backpack, Blackmagic 4K Pocket Cinema Camera, Fuji GF 250mm f/4, Fuji GF 1.4X TC WR Teleconverter, Fuji MCEX-45G WR Macro Extension Tube, Fuji MCEX-18G WR Macro Extension Tube, Sony RX10 Mk IV Review, Sony RX10 Mk IV User's Guide, beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless Review.
March 2018: Nikon 70-300mm AFP E FX Review, Nikon 28mm f/1.4 E FX Review, Nikon 10-20mm Review, Nikon D7500 Review.
February 2018: Sony A7 III, Yosemite Photos, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Pancake-NIKKOR review, beyerdynamic DT1350 review, beyerdynamic DT240 review, Canon SL2 review.
Janaury 2018: Nikon 180-400mm, Canon 6D Mk II review, Canon 18-135mm USM review, Fuji X-A5, Sony 18-135mm.
December 2017: Canon 35mm f/2.8 Macro review, Sony A7R III review, Sony A7R III user's guide, Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS review, Sony FE 100mm STF G OSS review.
November 2017: Sony 50/2.8 Macro Review, Sony 90/2.8 Macro Review, LEICA CL, Sony 70-300mm G Review, Panasonic G9, iPhone X Review, How to Make Time Exposures with iPhone, 1X Photo Contest, Tamron 100-400mm.
October 2017: Nikon D850 review, Nikon D850 user's guide, Sony A7R III, Sony 24-105mm G, Sony 85/1.8 review, Canon G1X Mk III.
June, July, August and September 2017: Canon 6D Mk II, Canon SL-2, Canon 85/1.4L, Canon TS-E 50/2.8, 90/2.8 & 135/4, Nikon D850, Nikon 70-300 VR DX AF-P, Nikon 28/1.4E, Metabones Mk V Canon EF -> Sony E-mount adapter.
May 2017: Nikon 10-20mm DX VR, Nikon 8-15mm FX Fisheye, Canon 77D Review, Canon Rebel T7i Review, Canon 18-55mm IS STM Review, Springtime in Yosemite, Irix 15mm f/2.4 Review, Sony 16-35/2.8 GM, Sony 12-24/4 G, Fuji X100F Review, Laowa 12mm Review, Olympus TG-5.
March & April 2017: Nikon D7500, Nikon 19mm PC-E review, Nikon D3400 review, Sony A7 Mk II review, Nikon D5600 review.
February 2017: Canon 77D, Canon Rebel T7i, Canon EOS M6, Sony 24-70/2.8 GM, Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM , Sony 70-200mm f/4 G OSS, Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS, Sony FE 85mm f/1.8.
January 2017: LEICA M10, Fujifilm GFX 50S, Fujifilm X100F, Nikon D5600.
November & December 2016: Fuji X-A10.
September & October 2016: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 FL, Nikon 19mm PC-E, Sony A6500, Sony RX100 Mk V, Sony Alpha 99 II, Canon EOS M5, Canon EF 70-300 IS II USM, Sony 50mm f/2.8 Macro.
July & August 2016: Canon 5D Mk IV, 16-35 IS II, 24-105 IS II, Nikon D3400, Nikon 105mm f/1.4, Fuji XT-2.
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I support my growing family through this website, as crazy as it might seem.
If you find this as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may have had to take, feel free to help me continue helping everyone.
If you've gotten your gear through one of my links or helped otherwise, you're family. It's great people like you who allow me to keep adding to this site full-time. Thanks!
If you haven't helped yet, please do, and consider helping me with a gift of $5.00.
The biggest help is when you use any of these links when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. It costs you nothing, and is this site's, and thus my family's, biggest source of support. eBay is always a gamble, but all the other places always have the best prices and service, which is why I've used them since before this website existed. I recommend them all personally.
Thanks for reading!
Ken