cheap

Ever since embarking on a cross-country move last August I’ve been meaning to display some of my cameras and, at last, spurred by a recent PetaPixel post, I finally did.

Typically, the term “gobo” is reserved for the lens filters and patterns that are affixed to theater lights. The terms “flag” or “cucloris/cookie” are actually more accurate for what we’re going to be using in this post, which is an object placed between the light and the subject, but not attached to it.

The inspiration suddenly came to me while I was having a shower. I’ve always been highly interested in fashion shooting, but since the bar to entry of a great fashion photo is so fixated on the clothing, why not make them out of paper?

Quick, simple, cheap, and useful—you can't ask for much more from a quick photo gear tip, and this quick tip meets all four criteria.

Traveling and photography go hand-in-hand, but without the right gear it can also be a pain. Fortunately, there's some great affordable travel photography accessories out there that will make traveling with a camera a joy.

We already knew Chinese electronics brand Xiaomi would be releasing a drone today, but we were only hoping that it would be the first truly affordable UAV on the market. Well, Xiaomi has confirmed our hopes.

Want to mix things up a bit, gear-wise, without breaking the bank? Photographer Mathieu Stern has an idea for you. In this short video he shares four cheap toy camera lenses that he thinks are worth your time.

Shooting stereoscopic 3D images usually means breaking out a cool old film camera like the one used here, but this $30 eBay find from 1950 can make shooting 3D images on your DSLR as easy as shooting a regular 2D still.

Wish you could capture smooth, shake-free video or photographs on the move with your smartphone? Wish no more. The new "Smoovie" is an affordable, effective stabilizer for your smartphone or GoPro that literally fits in your pocket.

If you ever need to soften your flash in a pinch, you can go the MacGyver route and fashion a diffuser for yourself using an ordinary piece of paper. They usually cost about $0.01 per sheet, so this is one of the cheapest diffusers you can make.

Cheap lens aficionado Mathieu Stern just released this 2-minute video review of the Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm f/2 lens.

Here's a major deal alert: Lexar 2933x XQD memory cards are currently selling for 50% off right now.

Want to add some flexible LED panels to your lighting kit without breaking the bank? This 19-minute video tutorial by DIY Perks is for you. It's a step-by-step guide on how you can assemble your own LED panel for about $60 by buying high CRI LED strip lights (~$25), a PWM LED dimmer (~$8), an articulating DSLR camera arm (~$18), some faux leather for the backing, some wiring and a solder gun.

If you enjoy do-it-yourself photography hacks and projects, here's an interesting one for you to try: buy an old Soviet MIR-1B camera lens for about $45 on eBay, open it up by unscrewing the front, and reverse the front lens element. The result is a "reverse globular lens," photographer Mathieu Stern says.

Smartphone camera quality has gotten pretty darn good in recent years, but one of the limiting factors is still the tiny lens that's found in front of the (usually) tiny sensor. Accessory makers have started addressing this problem by creating add-on lenses that you can attach to your phone to improve the look of your photos -- even ZEISS jumped into the game this week.

Jake Burgess wanted to use his Canon SLR lens on his iPhone, but he didn't want to pay the high prices it takes to buy a commercial one. So, he came up with a makeshift solution that costs $0.

Here's a 5-minute video in which photographer Jon Legge shows how you can put together a tabletop studio for well-lit product photos. It'll cost you just 10 to 15 minutes and about £25 (~$40) in materials.

Want to see what Lytro’s light field camera technology is all about? You can now take the plunge for …

We don’t share deal alerts here very often, but this one is pretty sweet: Canon is running …

Photographer Isiah Xiong made this 3-minute video tutorial showing how you can quickly, easily, and cheaply build a grid spot for your flash using black straws. Instead of gluing things together, Xiong uses strips of masking tape.

If you want to prevent your GoPro lens from fogging up when you're in cold and humid environments, GoPro sells Anti-Fog Inserts that you can stick into your camera case. If you'd rather not pay $15 for 4-use inserts, you can actually make some makeshift anti-fog inserts for yourself using some paper towel strips.

Hyperspectral cameras can see things in the world that the human eyes can't by capturing information from across the electromagnetic spectrum beyond visible light. This type of technology has all kinds of interesting applications -- researchers are using the cameras to uncover secrets in old documents and paintings, for example.

The HyperCam is a new hyperspectral camera that aims to make the technology cheap enough to be casually used by the masses.

Pawn shops are hit and miss for photographers, but when they're a hit, they can be a freaking HIT.

During one of my bi-monthly visits to all the local pawn shops in my town, I came across the sight above. It was a popular Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens that had an "As Is" label and a $99.99 price tag. A hundred bucks? Even for a broken copy of this lens that's a great deal -- you can sell just the parts on eBay for between $200 and $500...

After sharing his DIY square "ring light" build here back in July, photographer Isiah Xiong is back again with another DIY project. This time, Xiong is explaining how he built a DIY version of the $300 the Eyelighter reflector for around $40 to $50 in materials.

You can find the step-by-step tutorial in the 3-minute video above.

Want some cheap and simple do-it-yourself photo equipment? Check out the IKEA store near you. In addition to being affordable options for home items, a number of IKEA products can also be repurposed for your next photo shoot.

French photography website Shootr.fr recently published the above 2.5-minute video that shares 6 different hacks you can do with IKEA items.

If you'd like to experiment with some do-it-yourself photography hacks and tricks, check out this new video by DigitalRev. Over the course of 10 minutes, Kai shares 10 different cheap and simple hacks you can do with ordinary things you'll find lying around your house.

If you need an accessory for mounting your camera to random places, instead of purchasing a Gorillapod (or something similar), you can go a thrifty do-it-yourself route. For just $8, Instructables member Megan Yeomans crafted her own affordable solution that uses vinyl tubing and copper wire. The result is a three-foot flexible 1/4” piece of kit that can be used as a standard tripod, a selfie stick, or an articulated mount.

Back in 2011, we shared a simple tutorial on how you can create a sturdy camera strap using about $7 worth of paracord. Hamburg, Germany-based photographer Bo Ismono recently published the 3-minute video tutorial above on how you can use paracord to make a cheap, simple, and durable wrist strap.

Want a light stick for light painting but don't want to spend a lot buying a commercial product? Light painting photographer Eric Pare recently discovered a cheap and easy solution: tube guards (also known as lamp guards).

Photographers are familiar with the ring light, which produces a pleasing ring-shaped highlight (or “catchlight”) in a subject’s eyes. It’s often used in the fashion industry to create images you see in many magazines. The Square Ring Light is just like that — except it’s a square. I find it makes a unique, almost otherworldly catchlight that really draws attention to the eyes.

Amazon has a rather unusual Lightning Deal going on right now for Prime Day. The company is offering a "Mystery Digital Camera" bundle for 43% off the regular price. The $500 camera is being sold with a case and 16GB memory card for $419.

Tokyo-based editorial photographer Irwin Wong is starting a new series of videos titled …

Last year we reported that Yongnuo is planning to expand its third party lens lineup to include Nikon lenses by the end of 2015. If you've been eagerly waiting to get your hands on a cheap (and possibly look-alike) Nikon lens, your wait will soon be over. The company is planning to launch 50mm and 35mm lenses for Nikon cameras in the coming months.