Equipment

Photographers use all kinds of equipment to craft their art, from cameras and lenses to lights and accessories. We cover the latest news and information on the tools of the trade in the photography industry.

Why Aren’t Cameras More Expensive?

It was January 2009 and I was preparing to shoot the newest campaign for the television show, Deadliest Catch. Truth be told, I had made very little the year prior because the world was experiencing a market recession, and the first budgets that many companies cut were in advertising. But then came the phone call saying that I had been awarded the photo shoot. I immediately called the camera store, for I actually didn’t own a camera at the time, having sold my Nikon D3 in the preceding weeks.

Camera Canopy Puts a Roof Over Your Camera to Keep it Dry

The camera rain cover is a popular option for keep cameras dry while shooting in wet weather, but there's a new product that brings a new idea to the table. It's called Camera Canopy, and it puts a hard roof over your camera gear to shield it from the elements.

Canon EOS RP Revealed in Leaked Photos and Specs

Canon is gearing up to announce its second full-frame mirrorless camera following the EOS R. It you can't wait for the official announcement just around the corner, today's your lucky day: the upcoming Canon EOS RP has been revealed in leaked photos and specs.

Shooting the New Kodak Ektachrome 100 in the City at Night

Last week, after much anticipation, I received back my first rolls of the new Kodak Ektachrome 100, exposed in Chicago over the Christmas holiday (thanks to Denver Digital Imaging Center). After all the hype and fanfare surrounding Kodak releasing a new chrome film this far into the alleged afterlife of film, I was excited to see the results. Spoiler alert: the wait was worth it.

This Lens Filter Faithfully Recreates the Look of Kodak Aerochrome IR Film

Kodak Aerochrome was a popular infrared film that produced a distinctive look photographers have utilized for various projects. Discontinued a decade ago, a 24-exposure roll of Aerochrome can cost over $80 these days. If you want the look of Aerochrome without the cost, the new IR Chrome lens filter for digital cameras was designed just for you.

Film vs Digital in Music Photography: I Shot the Same Show With Both

Film is very rarely used in music photography anymore. The reason for this is primarily because of social media and instant news. There’s no time to go home and start pouring chemicals onto film to develop it or wait until the morning until a lab opens to do it for you.

Photo Chemistry Giant Tetenal Closing Shop After 172 Years: Report

In late 2018, it emerged that Tetenal, one of the largest photo chemistry companies in the world, was in serious financial turmoil. It now appears that efforts to save the business have failed, and Tetenal will reportedly be closing up for good after a whopping 172 years in the analog photography industry.

How to Make a DIY Foot Pedal Remote Shutter Release

I have been looking into shooting other sports outside of the motorsport world, and I have been particularly interested in soccer, basketball, and baseball. After doing some research, I found that some sports shooters covering these type of events use different remote trigger setups such as foot pedals and cable release buttons.

The Medium Format Experience

To shoot medium format had been a longtime dream of mine, but I have to admit I didn’t know it would be such a mindblowing experience. The 51.4-megapixel Pentax 645Z arrived on the market in 2014 and was the first camera to ever exceed 100 points in the DxOMark sensor test. For some unknown reason, the score and review weren't published until 2017.

Kodak Ektachrome Coming in 120 and Sheet Formats This Year

If you've been excited by reviews of Kodak's rebooted Ektachrome film so far and can't wait for it to be available in formats other than 35mm rolls, your wait is coming to an end. Kodak Alaris has announced that Ektachrome 100 is coming in 120 and sheet formats in 2019.

I Designed and 3D-Printed My Own LED Softbox

I got my first 3D printer recently, but it sits in a dark corner of my room, so I thought I'd design a light for it. Then I realized I could kill two birds with one stone and design it to be useful for photography as well.

Using a MIDI Controller with Lightroom for a More Efficient Workflow

Editing images with software like Lightroom typically involves changing parameters like exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and so on for more than 90% of your work. These parameters are controlled using sliders that you have to drag with your mouse -- sliders that emulate physical controls. But why not use such physical controls like sliders or control dials directly?

Is GoPro Failing as a Company?

Almost every year, GoPro releases a new action camera, and for the last few years, they’ve been pretty disappointing. Also, every year I seem to fall for their marketing and buy one of their action cameras only to lament that decision. I understand it’s my fault, I should know better. Clearly, I’m operating with heaps of wishful thinking.

This $6 Flea Market Projector Lens is Surprisingly Great for Portraits

While browsing a flea market, photographer Mathieu Stern came across an old slide projector and managed to buy the Rollei 90mm f/2.4 MC lens mounted to it for just €5 (~$5.70). With a little bit of ingenuity and effort, Stern converted it into a camera lens and found that it's a terrific lens for shooting portraits.

This is Sony’s New Real-Time Tracking in Action

In unveiling the new a6400 last week, Sony also announced its next-generation AI-based tracking features that are also coming to existing cameras in a firmware update. Sony Artisan Patrick Murphy-Racey shared this 2-minute video showing just how impressive the tracking is.

Using a Single DIY Globe Modifier for Simple, Stunning Portraits

It’s not often I get to shoot very simple, clean white light shots, but in a recent shoot the model asked if she could get some updated ‘Polaroids’. For those of you not familiar with the term when used in reference to a model shoot, it’s actually not the now-obsolete and ludicrously expensive single-shot film, but a request for very basic portraits of the model for their agency.

Turn a Broken Laptop’s Screen Into a View Camera Ground Glass

Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami loves experimenting with camera equipment, from flipping a lens element for "magic bokeh" to creating a working analog watch camera. His latest experiment is also off the beaten path: he found that a display from a broken laptop works perfectly as a view camera's ground glass.

A Review of 35mm Kodak Ektachrome E100 Film

Those who follow my work know that I consider myself a large format photographer. I will photograph with a medium format camera, particularly when I’m trying to save weight on a backpacking trip or save time when I’m teaching a photography workshop, but 35mm has been somewhat shunned in my arsenal, being a format I deemed too small to be used effectively for my work.

Backpacking the World with a 500mm Prime Lens

6 months ago, my girlfriend and I finally did what we had always dreamed of doing: quitting our jobs and traveling the world. This is a relatively normal narrative for western couples in their 20s, but the difference here is I am a passionate wildlife photographer.

100MP+ and IBIS Coming to a Canon EOS R Camera: Report

Canon's $2,299 30MP EOS R was its first full-frame mirrorless camera, but it has long been reported that it's a middle-tier camera and that entry-level and pro-grade models are on the way. Rumors are now heating up that Canon has a 100-megapixel EOS R camera in the works -- one that packs in-body image stabilization.

Two Months with the Canon EOS R

2018 was a weird year and one that I’m glad is behind us. One highlight late in the year was Canon announcing the EOS R.

Experiments in Antique USSR Film

Want to hear a communist joke? Well, they are only really funny if everyone gets them, but if you still want to hear it, then Soviet: A worker standing in a liquor line says: “I have had enough, save my place, I am going to shoot Gorbachev.” Two hours later he returns to claim his place in line. His friends ask, “Did you get him?” “No, the line there was even longer than the line here.”

The Move to Mirrorless From DSLRs

Back in May of last year, I finally made the move and got myself an a7 III. I had wanted a Sony body for quite some time but was hesitant to switch. Before getting into my long-term review, I’ll first explain what made me make the switch.

Canon: An 8K EOS R Camera is On the Way

Canon stood on the sidelines while the mirrorless industry went 4K and didn't introduce a 4K mirrorless camera until the EOS M50 in February 2018. But it seems the company is done being complacent: Canon says an 8K EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera is already on its roadmap.