Highly focused LED Fresnel

June 2019 issue Tech

© Courtesy NanLiteThe NanLite LitoLite 8F Focusable LED Fresnel is compact and suited for use on-camera, on a light stand, or on a tripod. It’s easily portable at only 0.7 pounds and offers powerful, flicker-free light output in a range from a 10-degree spotlight to a 60-degree flood, dimmable from 0 to 100 percent.It uses high-efficiency LEDs that produce up to 560 lumens of illumination, comes with warming (3,200K) and cooling (6,500K) filters, barn doors, and a case, and also has an... Continue Reading >

Camera review: The Olympus OM-D E-M1X is more of a good thing

By Theano Nikitas
April 2019 issue Tech

Full-frame mirrorless cameras are trending, but that hasn’t stopped Olympus from making waves with a new mirrorless Micro Four Thirds professional model—the 20 megapixel OM-D E-M1X. Olympus can claim a number of innovations in the photo industry, including Live View and a built-in dust reduction system. With the OM-D E-M1X, Olympus has improved its exceptional 5-axis image stabilization and added a handheld multi-shot high-resolution option, dual processors, and more.© Courtesy... Continue Reading >

Clothing designs with photographers in mind

By Betsy Finn, M.Photog.Cr.
April 2019 issue Tech

Pockets aplentyHave you ever lugged your camera bag along on a shoot just because you didn’t have enough pockets to hold your memory cards, batteries, or other camera accessories? Or, worse yet, maybe you’ve given up on pockets completely because every single pair of women’s pants you own have pockets that are either fake or so ridiculously small they can’t even hold a lens cap?© Betsy FinnI’ve done both. But that was before I heard about Scottevest clothing. The company has... Continue Reading >

Review: Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens

By Ellis Vener
12.24.2018 Tech

For the love of BokehThe Sigma Photo 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens is part of the company’s Global Vision line of Art, Sport, and Contemporary lenses. It is a solidly constructed, large-aperture, large-bodied (for its focal length) autofocus lens designed for full-format (24x36mm) cameras. And like the other Sigma Art lenses, it delivers superb optical performance at a reasonable price. One thing about Sigma’s Art series lenses is that they make you feel as if the people who make them truly... Continue Reading >

Over the Lens: PolarPro Filters

By Stan Sholik
December 2018 issue Tech

 Despite the wide availability of digital post-processing filters for still photography, there are some  effects that still require a lens-mounted filter. A strong neutral density (ND) filter can be used to capture moving water and clouds with a dreamy effect, for example. Less strong ND filters are essential to keep the shutter speed at or below the maximum sync speed when you’re using on-camera flash for fill in sunlit situations.Videographers have different needs, and some of these can... Continue Reading >

Design Value: ProMediaGear BBX Boomerang Flash Bracket

By Ellis Vener
December 2018 issue Tech

I’ve had an ongoing tolerate-hate relationship with flash brackets for decades. Each one I’ve owned has been an awkward one-trick pony. But the ProMediaGear BBX Boomerang has changed my feelings about flash brackets. Designed by working photographers, the Boomerang has gone through a series of refinements since it was introduced in 2010 by ProMediaGear’s engineer-photographer Fudala brothers. The bracket’s name is derived from the boomerang-like curve of the arm, an asymmetric arc that... Continue Reading >

Pro review: Cactus V6 II wireless flash trigger

By Betsy Finn, M.Photog.Cr.
11.25.2018 Tech

Canon or Nikon? What do you shoot? As photographers we often start conversations like this because once you’ve made that decision, you’re committed. But when it comes to speedlights and flash units, that’s not the case thanks to the Cactus V6 II wireless flash transceiver.Cactus calls the V6 II “the world’s first wireless flash trigger that supports cross-brand high-speed sync (HSS),” including power output and zoom features on speedlights manufactured by Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon,... Continue Reading >

Easy swap Westcott Switch Series

By Betsy Finn
November 2018 issue Tech

Have you ever settled for a soft box during a session because the one you really wanted to use had the wrong mounting ring? You’re not alone. And now there’s a solution with the new Westcott Switch series.You may be familiar with the Rapid Box, a collapsible soft box that can be assembled in moments. The Switch series soft boxes and beauty dish are collapsible, plus they have easily interchangeable mounting inserts.© FJ WESTCOTT Rapid Box Switch Octa-M, attaching insert This is... Continue Reading >

Review: Sigma 70mm F2.8 Macro Art Camera Lens

By Ellis Vener
November 2018 issue Tech

Macro photography reveals the art of the smallMacro photography is always tricky, but when done well, it reveals a world our unaided eyes cannot perceive. Macro photography is hard because it comes with its own set of problems: The depth of field is shallow (unless you use focus stacking), and the small scale makes lighting control difficult. True macro photography covers the 1X to 10X magnification range of a subject. Lenses that natively magnify greater than 1X, like Canon’s MP-E 65mm... Continue Reading >