Beware This Wikipedia Photo Copyright Scam
Heads up, photographers (and content publishers): scammers are apparently now changing the copyright ownership data on Wikipedia photographs in order to trick people who use the photos legally.
Viltrox Warns that Some of Its Lenses Can Damage the Fuji X-Pro3
Earlier today, Viltrox released an official statement that "reminds" users of the Fuji X-Pro3 that three of Viltrox' X-Mount lenses can actually cause damage to your camera body, and should be avoided.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra’s Camera Glass is Shattering for Some Users
If you're the proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, you may want to start being extra careful with the smartphone -- some users are reporting that the glass covering the large 108MP module is unexpectedly shattering on them for no apparent reason.
Don’t Update to macOS Catalina Yet if You Use Photoshop or Lightroom
If you're a Mac user who regularly uses Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom Classic CC, we don't recommend updating your computer to macOS Catalina just yet. Even though the new operating system has been in beta for months, updating your Mac today will lead to a few annoying issues that you might want to wait for Adobe to iron out.
PSA: This is Why You Should Always Be Checking Your Camera Strap Anchors
Always (always always) check your camera's anchor points when you have your gear attached to a camera strap. As photographer Tamara Zawada recently learned the hard way, even the best gear can fail without you even noticing there's a problem.
‘Overpayment’ Scam Leaves Wedding Photographer with $4,600 in Debt
A British Columbia-based wedding photographer is out $4,600 after falling prey to something called the "overpayment" scam—an insidious scam that often targets wedding and event photographers, and has allegedly cost its victims nearly $5 million this year alone.
eBay Scam: Buyer Steals Camera by Pretending to Receive Wrong Product
When it comes to selling your used camera gear online, many consider eBay to be one of the safer options. But as one photographer found out recently, there's a new scam that gets around eBay's "protections" and could cost you thousands of dollars and your camera gear.
PSA: Buy a Gray Market Sigma Lens, Pay an Extra $250 for Servicing
So-called "gray market" products are popular in the world of photography, but buying your Sigma gear through an unauthorized reseller will cost you in the long run. Not only will Sigma not honor the warranty on gray market products, they'll actually charge you extra to fix them.
PSA: Fotodiox’s Nikon to Sony Adapter Could Kill Your Camera
Fotodiox sells a wide range of adapters for using lenses and cameras of different mounts, but one particular adapter is causing a major headache for both photographers and the company. At least two photographers are claiming that their Sony mirrorless camera was ruined by the Fotodiox Fusion SmartAF Nikon to Sony adapter.
PSA: Posting to Instagram from the Flickr App Destroys Photo Quality
Here's a quick PSA for those of you who have a mobile workflow that involves posting to Instagram from the Flickr app. Don't. For some reason, sharing from Flickr to Instagram on your phone absolutely destroys photo quality, leaving you with a pixely mess.
Kentucky Man Allegedly Hid Bombs in Trail Cameras, ATF Says Beware
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued a public service announcement this week warning Kentucky residents to stay away from any trail cameras they find in Harlan County. Not because they'll ruin a photo... because these cameras might have bombs inside them rigged to explode.
PSA: This is Why You Need to Dress Up When You Shoot Weddings
I recently shot a wedding with a buddy of mine where there were other hired professionals doing what they do: videographer, musicians, coordinators... you get the idea. My friend and I do our best to stay out of each other's shots, but just in case it's unavoidable we both wear formalwear so we can easily blend in as guests.
Rant: Stop Overvaluing Your Gear and Lowballing Mine
This is a public service announcement.
I've been selling a lot of camera gear lately, changing systems, testing new lenses/bodies, etc. I've met up with a lot of different types of people, pro and amateurs, veterans and newbies, and guess what? We're all into photography. We all love gear, so why not treat the community as such?
Russia Unveils ‘Safe Selfies’ Campaign as Death Count Grows
This headline may sound like a piece of satire, but unfortunately it's not: Russia has just launched a new public safety campaign called "Safe Selfies" to warn citizens of the dangers of taking careless and risky self portraits. Apparently there have been a large number of deaths and injuries in recent days that have been directly caused by selfie-taking.
PSA: Some GoPro Hero4s May Get Dangerously Hot when Attached to a Battery BacPac
If you're in the market for a GoPro Hero4, and especially if you've already purchased one, listen up, because there seems to be an overheating issue with some of the cameras that could potentially be dangerous.
PSA: Why You Need to Be Careful When Placing a ‘Preorder’ with PayPal
There are a lot of reasons people use PayPal to pay for things online. It's convenient, it's (or at least it should be) secure, and the option is available on pretty much any site where you can buy things. But there are also cons, not the least of which being that pre-ordering things with PayPal can be a risky and dangerous game to play.
Musician Takes on the Dreaded Vertical Video Syndrome in Song
"Please film in landscape mode, turn your phone please turn your phone..." sings musician Jonathan Mann in his most recent video extolling the virtues of shooting videos in landscape. It's a humorous short PSA music video in which Mann takes on the dreaded problem of Vertical Video Syndrome (or VVS) by taking to the streets.
Snapping Pictures While You Vote Could Get You In Trouble with the Law
As you make your way to polling places today to cast your votes, you might want to look into your state's laws before pulling out your camera and snapping photographs inside your voting booth. Certain states have pretty strict laws with regard to snapping and sharing photographs of ballots. Earlier this year, Wisconsin election officials specifically warned voters that sharing photos of ballots on Facebook or Twitter is a Class I felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a $10K fine.
How to Shift the EXIF Timestamps for a Large Batch of Photos
Here's a friendly public service announcement: remember to time on your camera before and after Daylight Savings Time (which just ended yesterday in the United States) -- unlike cell phones, digital cameras generally don't adjust their own time. If you accidentally forgot and now have a bunch of photos with timestamps that are off by an hour, there are some programs out there that can help you set things right.
Ritz Camera to Go Up For Public Auction Tomorrow, Use Your Gift Cards Today
As we first reported back in June, Ritz Camera is putting itself on the auction block as …