Aug 13

LENSTOPIA Part IV — The Top 5 Lenses for Your Micro Four Thirds Camera (+ a few others)

The Voigtlander 17.5mm, 25mm, and 42.5mm f/0.95 lenses.
Data tells me that more than 100,000 of you caught my earlier Top 5 Nikon, Top 5 Canon & Top 5 Hasselblad lens posts, but it's intuition that tells me what many of you are really wanting is today's post on Micro 4/3 and mirrorless lenses. And yes, I rarely write about gear since there are entire websites dedicated to that pixel peeping universe... but my hope is that this makes the few times I... read more ›
Apr 02

Hands-on with My Favorite Still Photography Camera

Hello camera geeks, gearheads and… well… those of you who just want the best tools for your trade. You heard right, I'm back with another unboxing, this time of the hotly anticipated Nikon D4s -- generously sent to me to by my friends at DPReview for a hands-on first impression, and it's available from my homies/gear partners at Adorama. So here goes… First impressions: that familiar Nikon gold box looks pretty much like... read more ›
Jan 21

Nikon Df Unboxing Video + Test Images + First Impressions While Actually Shooting Photos [gasp!]

Video thumbnail of unboxing the Nikon Df camera
When the Nikon Df arrived on the scene a couple months back, I tried to temper the hype (my own included) with a good dose of high expectations. Yes, it looked bad ass. Yes, it housed the same sensor as the D4. Yes, the optical viewfinder has 100% field of view. But as a compact camera fiend and someone whose owned probably 50 cameras or more, I'm no pushover. So when Adorama shipped... read more ›
Nov 22

LENSTOPIA – The 5 Top Lenses For Your Camera, Part I: Canon

Canon 24mm f/3.5 TS-E II
So you just dropped an entire month's pay on a super nice camera body. Ok. Take a breath. That was a big jump, and we want you making smart moves going forward. Yes, the lens is important. And yes, you can spend 10x what you just spent on a body on good glass. But before you go cashing in that 401k to buy one of each (dear god don't), soak in the knowledge below. We... read more ›
May 30

The Fuji X100s Review: Brutally Simple & Highly Effective (Even If You Didn’t Want to Admit It)

The Fuji X100s. Better, Faster, Stronger.
I was onto the rush of mirrorless cameras pretty early - mostly from manufacturers sharing with me what was "coming soon", but I admit that I didn't really "get" it, until I started receiving early versions, prototypes and demos from the marketing folks at all your fav manufactures. Only then did I truly understand the punch that these little cameras pack - because they're good. I loved the concept, but hated the tiny sensors and... read more ›
Apr 09

4 Great Ways to Get the Look of Film in Your Digital Darkroom

A lot of us still shoot film for love and for fun. I'm often dragging around my Polaroid 600, my Hassie 500cm, some Lomo stuff (or these other film cameras)... but it's next to impossible to have clients get fired up to shoot film in a professionals setting. They wanna see their picture NOW. Well, if you've ever been in a pickle over how to get... read more ›
Mar 26

Photo Geek Alert — The Camera Sensor as Emulsion + Why Your Digital Camera is More Like Film Stock Than You Realize

Geek alert. Although the mentality stems from the last century, the megapixel wars are not over. It is, however, safe to say that those of us familiar with our cameras have started to realize that they are much more than megapixels + dynamic range. There are other factors that we have come to admit are important to consider - case in point, the sensor. Some are noisy, some are big, some are juicy, others are...well...... read more ›
Jan 02

DSLR Killers — Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Best Mirrorless of Them All?

The OM-D EM–5 from Olympus.
UPDATE: if you dig mirrorless cameras or want to find out why everybody else loves them, you're in luck. creativeLIVE has courses on mirrorless cameras by the talented John Greengo. Go here to check it out, learn more, enroll, etc. ______ I like to shoot with the newest, biggest, baddest DSLR as much as the next guy. And I'm lucky enough to do so on the regs for my commercial work; however, when it comes... read more ›
Sep 24

Best New Cameras and Photo Gear — 8 Products for the Photographer’s Daydream

ChaseJarvis_SonyRX-1_creditpopularphotography
PhotoKina, the photography industry's extravaganza of products and announcements, went down last week. Every two years, the tribes gather in Cologne Germany to showcase the latest and greatest and give us a peak into the future. I did not attend this year. To be straight-up, I'm not a big fan of trade shows. No offense to anyone who digs the gadgetry and flood of products and promotion, but these fluorescent-lit extravaganzas sort of give me... read more ›