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There are lots of choices in zoom lenses. There is also a lot of misinformation and confusion that makes a purchase decision more difficult. In this video, I try to make things simpler by touching on the points that will matter and breaking zoom lens selection into three major categories, the all-around zoom, the wide angle zoom and the telephoto zoom. Enjoy!
Read MoreAs regular readers know, I get frustrated by manufacturer intransigence be it in the form of ridiculously high prices for connection cables (PocketWizard) to leaving out basic functionality (Canon). Fortunately, photographers have a helpful resource in Lon and Bonnie at FlashZebra.com
Read MoreMany photographers using wide focal length ranging zooms have been experiencing sharpness issues. In this video, I try to address the problem and offer a simple solution.
Read MorePhotographers who push their boundaries particularly in the realm of flash are always looking for ways to enhance their work. I have recently been approached a fair bit about the value of second or rear curtain sync and the difficulty of getting it working with Canon cameras.
Read MoreAs part of my ongoing review of the Nikon D4s, I wanted to go a bit deep on Nikon's CLS flash management system. With the support of Chris Atkinson at Henry's Newmarket, I was able to use a Nikon SB-910 and a Phottix Mitros for a 48 hour period. Nikon's flash is great, but pricey and while I have had excellent experience with the Phottix Mitros+ flashes that have radio transceivers built in, this is the first time I have tried the regular Mitros.
Read MoreCanon has announced a new 50mm f/1.8 lens. Why might you care? Read on and find out...
Read MoreIf I want to get a large group of photographers together, I just have to run a fill flash workshop. I do these things not for massive profit, but to help photographers cut through the crap and fog to be able to mix flash and ambient light easily.
Read MoreYou know I love Think Tank products. Well you may not know that MindShift is related to Think Tank. They do cool gear for more than just photography, but today, I want to tell you about my favourite MindShift product.
Read MoreI recently received a Nikon 1 V3 with grip and EVF kit along with a couple of lenses from Nikon Canada for review. While mirrorless adoption is growing, the Nikon 1 lineup has not garnered a ton of support in the marketplace
Read MoreFor those who have already climbed aboard the Lightroom CC / 6 ship, be sure to check your Creative Cloud Application Manager or Updates function as Adobe has released the first set of bug fixes for Lightroom CC / 6.
Read MoreWhenever new software comes out there's a rush followed by consternation about whether the upgrade is worth doing. As a Lightroom instructor of some vintage, I thought it might be worthwhile to get my thoughts down on the subject for readers of the site.
Read MoreRegular visitors will notice a change here at ThePhotoVideoGuy.ca I have moved away from Wordpress and Netfirms to Squarespace. Despite a lengthy presence using Wordpress, I had too many issues and my site was hacked one too many times. So, while the move was non-trivial and more expensive, I have made the transition. It's possible some content in older posts didn't make it. If you see a missing element, let me know and I will try to fix things. I am afraid that Wordpress just became too much of a target to keep using it and while the people at Netfirms were always pleasant, getting help was becoming a lot of work just to get folks to listen.
So thanks for coming by and I promise to continue to produce information of interest to you.
Regular readers know that I am big fan of the bags from the folks at Think Tank. My friends at Think Tank Photo, who are celebrating their 10 Year Anniversary, just announced a special offer. Whenever you order one of their Urban Disguise Shoulder bags between now and May 15th you will receive a Shoulder Harness V2.0 backpack harness by mail for free. This harness is pretty amazing for it easily converts your shoulder bag into a backpack. It’s great for freeing up your hands to sprint through airports for flights, for example. To partake of this special offer, simply order the Urban Disguise bag of your choice and download and submit the online form. Think Tank will ship your new harness right out. And, don’t forget that by using my special URL you will receive a free gift from Think Tank with your order as well as free shipping.
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/shoulder-bags/urban-disguise.aspx?code=AP-743
Nikon has been busy. Not only have they been building a string of successful full frame cameras, they've been pushing hard in the crop sensor space with the new D7200. While there has yet to be a successor to the D300S, Nikon has not dropped the ball at all. How can I say this? Read on... Let's start with the core specs.
Read MoreOnOne, the well respected independent software provider of tools for photographers has released an updated version of their complete suite of such tools. The Perfect Photo Suite 9.5 brings a series of integrated photo editing and manipulation tools into a single package.
Read MoreCanon's EOS Cinema lineup has up to now had one 4K solution, the C500. Brilliant but pricey piece of kit, where other video camera manufacturers have been pushing harder sooner. Blackmagic Design has the URSA and Sony has the killer PSW-FS7 but both came in at a lower cost than the C500. Canon has announced two new cameras, and a new recording format to try to establish a leg up in 4K.
Read MoreLast year I started following this photographer from Glasgow by name of John G Moore. I like his work. In addition to his work with people, he does some fabulous landscape work and he tends to post these as black and white images. Since then, we've communicated back and forth and I am unabashedly giving my friend John's Lightroom Presets a push to my readers. There are 30 BW presets in the kit, it sells for nine pounds ninety nine via PayPal and the stuff is great. John recommends you do all your edits before applying the presets, and you can of course still tweak after that if so inclined. It's Lightroom after all.
If you like making black and white images, and want to accelerate your work with excellent presets head over to John's website and purchase the package. Here's an example of an image of Kettle Lake near Caledon Ontario using John's Anselmo-2 preset.
My recent post on microshake and micro blur has generated a lot of very positive feedback and I thank folks for their grace and courtesy. This article discusses steps to take when you've done all you can and believe that the issue is the combination of lens and camera. It get's a little deep, so be brave and read on... So you've decided that your hard earned lens is not as sharp as you think it should be. You might be right.
Read MoreIt happened again this week. A former student sent me an email, "I should give up or get a different camera. Everything looked great on the LCD but when I got the pictures into Lightroom they weren't tack sharp. I don't know what I am doing wrong and it's making me depressed." We've all been there. Let's look at getting to a happier place.
Read MoreWe hear a lot about using luminosity masks. I hear the term thrown around a lot, but when I dig in, folks often understand that they are great tools, but don't know where they come from, what one can do with them and how to make them. In fact, I have encountered nice people who are paying $$ for Photoshop actions that make luminosity masks. Ok. I'm going to teach you to make your own as well.
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