Ron Martinsen's Photography Blog

REVIEW: Topaz Star Effects–Going beyond Photoshop Flare

2012-01-27T04:14:00.001-08:00

Star Effects is a new product by Topaz Labs that is kinda fun because it allows you to do some interesting things with flare and stars to spice up your photos. Here’s a couple cool before and after examples that Topaz has provided me with:

Here’s the user-interface for this product so you can get an idea of how it works:

It’s your typical Topaz UI framework with presets on the left and all the knobs for fine tuning on the right. Like most Topaz products you begin by selecting a preset (not required) and then you dial in your settings from each of the four categories shown below::

Options include various star types and the ability to add and remove them as shown here:

Click for a larger view

This of course opens the door to all sorts of possibilities, but this is one I couldn’t resist doing:

Yeah, that’s the ticket – that is what was missing from that shot – ha, ha!

All joking aside, for many photos the results can be pretty cool with just ONE CLICK of a preset. Here’s my famous Chicago shot where all I did was click the City Lights I preset and voilà – instant sparkle right where I wanted it:

Instant City Sparkle with only one click

Conclusion

This is a neat little product that on the right photo (like Chicago above) you just say “wow, how did it know where I wanted my sparkles”. It just works! It’s way easier and faster than Photoshop, and all sorts of flare options are available.

Click here to download the free trial. If you decide you want it, then just be sure to use the Topaz Labs coupon code found on my discount coupon code page to save money off your purchase!

Disclaimer

I may get a commission if you make a purchase using the links found in this article.

Let Ron Edit YOUR Photo!

2012-01-24T23:59:00.001-08:00

I get a lot of positive feedback when I do my "Photo Thoughts" articles that show a before and after edit of a photo. I thought it would be fun for the next installment to feature one of my readers photos on this day that I celebrate the 700,000 visitor to ronmartblog.com.

To qualify send me an email using the form at http://ronmart.zenfolio.com/contact.html with the following information:

A link to an unprocessed version of the file you'd like me to edit. It should be a small version now - if you are selected, I'll ask for a larger file size (800px on the long end).
A list of what software you have considered using to edit your photo (so I can demo that software in action)
A link to a popular forum or third party site where you've posted a link to a ronmartblog.com article. (i.e., dpreview, canonrumors, fredmiranda, nikonrumors, etc...)

I'll choose one winner and feature the photo in an upcoming photo thoughts article. I'll also video the edit on my Mac so you can see exactly how I did it.

NOTE: I do not want to see your after photo until I'm done with my editing. This way we can compare how you and I processed the shot to illustrate a point I'd like to make.

Thanks for supporting my blog and feel free to share this article with your friends!

Ron

P.S. You would retain all rights to your photo and only release it for the purpose of the article and video. I have no use for the photo beyond the article, so this is simply my attempt at drawing more audience participation.

Impact Master Century C Stand Kit - Avenger Quality without the Avenger Price!

2012-01-24T01:38:00.001-08:00

The Impact Master Century C Stand Kit with 42" Riser, Grip Head & Arm - Chrome, 10.75' ($128.95) is a little bigger and heavier version of my Avenger A2030D Turtle Base Century C Stand Grip Arm Kit - 9.8' (3m)($176.50), but it’s 27% less (as of 1/24/2012). What’s more, is that its easier to use thanks to a brilliant lock design on the bottom:

and it’s every bit as functional:

If you are setting up a new studio and are shooting with anything bigger than a speedlite, then you owe it to yourself to get a great set of C-Stands. However, if you are like me you don’t relish the eye of spending so much money on a hunk of metal that does nothing more than hold your lights. Sadly I didn’t know about these when I set up my studio, but now that I have one I realize what a waste it was for me to buy the Avengers!

Now, I do like the feel of the Avenger D200 grip head a little bit better, but the handle on these is better and its functionally the same. I also love that the grip arm pole is not polished (it’s a cool looking buffed look) so that it doesn’t slip and rotate as easily. It’s also a lot easier to grip under weight which makes it superior to the Avenger design.

I totally trust this with my expensive Elinchrom lighting setup.

Conclusion

I know a lot of generic stuff out there is crap, and I’ve been disappointed with some Impact products, but this isn’t one of them. This is the real deal and a rare bargain product that actually outperforms the product it copies. In fact, if you’ve gotta get the Avenger then do me a favor and buy mine so I can get another one of these and pocket the spare change!

Click here to order yours at B&H today.

Disclosure

B&H is a partner of this blog and has provided me with a review unit. If you make a purchase using the links in this article, I may make a commission. Thanks for supporting this blog by returning when you are ready to make a purchase!

BorrowLenses.com discount is back!

2012-01-24T01:15:00.001-08:00

BorrowLenses.com has teamed up with ronmartblog.com again to offer you a 5% when you use the coupon code RM5 as shown here:

I loved the service and web site at borrowlenses.com when I first reviewed them, and they’ve only gotten better with age. Now is the chance to rent that lens or camera body that you’ve always wanted to try out but just can’t afford to own. Click here to get started!

Disclosure

I may make a commission if you make a purchase or rental using the links in this article.

Canon C300 available for Pre-Order / Shipping January 30th

2012-01-23T01:51:00.001-08:00

The Canon EOS C300 Cinema EOS Camcorder Body (EF Mount) (also available in PL Mount) is one of the hottest video camera releases in quite sometime. Videographers have been moving to the 5D Mark II in droves, but it’s a DSLR that lacks a lot of the features a videographer really needs. Canon has finally answered that call with a product that will probably thrill videographers with big budgets.

You can order a Canon EOS C300 Cinema EOS Camcorder Body (EF Mount) (also available in PL Mount) from B&H today with units expected to ship on January 30th (EF Mount only).

Visit www.canoncinemaeos.com for more information and sample video footage.

Disclosure

I may make a commission if you make a purchase using links found in this article.

PREVIEW: Creative Lighting by Harold Davis

2012-01-23T01:37:00.001-08:00

Creative Lighting: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques by Harold Davis is a book that I never expected to grab me like it did. Honestly, I had never heard of Harold Davis but he’s actually written quite a few photography books, so it’s no surprise that I quickly found myself engulfed in his book.

Now, I’ll be up front and say that I didn’t read every page cover to cover of this book because I simply didn’t have time, but I read and skimmed enough to feel comfortable giving this book a thumbs up (just as I had done with Sketching Light). One of the reasons why is that I strongly believe that a great photography book starts with great images that appeal to my subjective taste, and this book is chock full of that. In addition, it features a lot of techniques and theory in a way that I can digest it (unlike Photographically Speaking).

Now by looking at the images, I wouldn’t call Harold Davis a Photoshop Guru, but I would call him a composition guru. Since that’s an area where I lack, I got a lot of inspiration from the content of this book.

You can peek inside here to get a quick taste of what this book has to offer and how Davis discusses “understanding light”. If what you see their grabs you, then I’d suggest adding this book to your reading list because what follows seems to only build from there.

It is available in both Print and Kindle formats and may be purchased by clicking this link.

Disclosure

I have read a portion, but not every page of this book. I have thumbed through every page and feel it meets my standard of a quality photography book. If you purchase using the links found in this article, I may get a commission.

Metallic Paper Comparison: Red River Polar Pearl vs LexJet Sunset Photo (Coupon Code Included)

2012-01-19T04:36:00.001-08:00

Red River Polar Pearl Metallic
is my preferred paper for my popular Manhattan Nightscape print
Copyright Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

When I did my printing series the first third party paper I tested was LexJet’s Sunset Photo Metallic which I learned about from Eddie Tapp. It is a great paper that I raved about in my review, but it’s pretty expensive. What’s more, the discount that I negotiated for you only lasted a short time and LexJet never renewed it. I get lots of requests to bring the discount back or offer a comparable paper for a better price, so I’m here to share some exciting news about that happening.

I’ve been using LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic for over a year and Red River Polar Pearl for over four months. During my testing I’ve found the papers to be identical in performance, so I’ve been able to use the same printer profile for both papers from a given printer and get identical results! If you like Metallic paper, both will serve you well but Red River Polar Pearl Metallic will just cost you a lot less.

Red River Polar Pearl Metallic Specifications

Here are the key facts that I have gathered about this paper:

Basis Weight	255 g/m²
Thickness	10.4 mil
ISO Brightness	78 (est)
Base Material	Resin-coated (RC) photo paper
Surface Finish	High-gloss, metallic

Click here to learn more about this paper. For Canon printers, I disagree with their recommendations and suggest that you go to LexJet’s site to get the Sunset Metallic Media Type file (AM1 file) for your printer and use it instead of the the Photo Paper Glossy (I & II) media type.

Paper Profiles

You can get Red River Paper Profiles here, but I’ve done a quick link to printers covered on this blog:

Canon ipf6300/ipf6350 & ipf8300 – I tested this profile and it more accurate than the Lexjet profile, but I personally prefer the additional warmth found in Lexjet’s profile. Precise color matching work should use this profile with the Relative Colormetric rendering intent.
Epson 3880 – This profile appears to perform better than what Lexjet offers since they only offer a 3800 profile. I prefer Canon printers over Epson for this paper, but you can get accurate results with this profile. On Epson my preference is still to use ColorByte ImagePrint (my review of version 9 is coming soon).
Epson 4900 – Currently Red River Paper is using the profile they generated for the 7900 and 9900 which is incorrect. While the 4900 uses the same ink and print head technology, I’ve discovered (and verified with printer driver experts) that the 4900 differs just enough that it requires its own paper profile for the best result.
Colorbyte ImagePrint – I am now testing version 9.0.0.1 and it had profiles for both my 3880 and 4900. I printed using both the Red River Polar Pearl Metallic and Lexjet Sunset Photo Metallic profiles and the results were identical.

How To Walkthrough

My Sunset Photo Metallic article had a walkthrough which showed how to use this paper with PC’s and Mac’s in Photoshop and Lightroom. Everything in that article applies to this paper – you can even use the Lexjet profiles and settings OR you can just substitute the Red River profile. As a result, I won’t redo all of that discussion for this article, but I have included some screen shots using the Red River profiles to point you in the right direction.

Canon imagePrograf Print Plug-In for Photoshop

Canon iPF6300 Print Plug-In for Photoshop
Lexjet Sunset Metallic Media Type and Red River Polar Pearl Paper Profile

Colorbyte ImagePrint 9.0.0.1

Colorbyte ImagePrint 9 settings for an Epson 4900
(change display lighting and speed to suit your needs)

Epson 4900 in Photoshop CS4 Printer Dialogs

Do this to center your image to the paper

Photoshop CS4 Settings*

I continue to advice those who care about color matching to use Photoshop CS4 instead of CS5 for printing. Unfortunately CS5 appears to add its own saturation enhancements to your photos which makes soft proofing and accurate color matching impossible.

Conclusion

In all of my testing, I found the performance of Red River Polar Pearl Metallic to be identical to LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic. You can use either profile with either paper, but my preference is for the Lexjet profiles which are a bit warmer. The biggest con against Red River is that they do not currently offer rolls for this paper whereas Lexjet does for Sunset Photo metallic. The Red River paper costs less and that is BEFORE the special offer (see below) on this blog which makes it even more affordable. With 12 sheet sizes offered by Red River versus only 3 by Lexjet, the odds are that you’ll find the size you need and can save some money.

Special Offer

Click here to visit Red River Paper and enter the coupon code ronmartblog to save on ALL your Red River Paper purchases! As of the time this article was written you could save $11.05 (28%) off the price of LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic’s 50 sheet box of 8.5x11.

Offer subject to change. See my discount coupon code page for the latest terms, and the printing series page for more Red River Paper articles.

Disclaimer

I may get a commission if you make a purchase using links in this article. I also was provided with sample paper to test for this review.

Ron Martinsen Online Courses and Portfolio Reviews

2012-01-18T03:44:00.001-08:00

After a successful workshop and numerous happy students from previous classes, I find myself wanting to teach some courses again. However, I’m also finding it difficult to fit my schedule and everyone else's schedule into a time that works for us all. One solution to this problem might be an online course offering.

I’m considering offering a few online courses that would feature videos that you watched at your own leisure and featured a personal interaction (i.e., chats, hangouts, email, or even a conference call). I’m also considering offering a portfolio review service.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please take the following survey so I can better tailor the course to your needs:

Click here to take survey

Please use the comments in this article if you have any other suggestions or recommendations. I’d also be willing to consider a guided photo vacation where we meet in a city for a day or two (i.e., New York, Tokyo, London, etc…) and do a photo walk or workshop like the one I did in Seattle. If anyone is interested, then please let me know via my contact page. Please include details about the location, days and your budget for a course of this nature.

Photo of the Week–Fort Foster Park #1

2012-01-17T02:59:00.001-08:00

This is just a great all around B&W shot. The sky isn’t overblown and there is a wide range of tones that make this feel like it covers the full zone.

Be sure to click this photo above and leave some feedback on Flickr so this reader can get your feedback both good and bad (be gentle) and feel the love from our readers here!

Learn more about how you can participate in the Photo of the Week contest by clicking here.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make purchases using links from this article.

Getting Started in Boudoir Photography

2012-01-16T03:07:00.001-08:00

Art of Boudoir Photography with Speedlights eBook

Go on, admit it – at least once in most of our lives we dream of being behind (or even in front) of the camera for a sexy photo shoot. In fact, I’d bet if someone did an anonymous survey and found out the REAL reason why many people bought their DSLR is so they could possibly live that dream one day. Of course deep dark secrets and reality are two separate things, so few admit it and even fewer actually get a chance to do it.

I think one of the reasons why people never try doing these sexy shoots is because they simply don’t know where to begin or what to do. Let’s face it, it takes enough courage to ask a partner or model to pose for you, but then you have to know what you are doing right?

Well everyone starts off with no experience at some point in their life, so don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if you make a mistake – models (especially significant others) understand. In fact, I can’t recall ever having a situation where a model wasn’t a pleasure to work with and actually made me feel more comfortable than I expected.

The Art of Boudoir Photography by Michael Zelbel

I recognize that some people really want to study up so that they seem in control and know what they are doing, so I’m please to tell you that I’ve found the first (and only one that I know of) book that really does a brilliant job of educating you on “Boudoir” (read naked <g>) Photography from start to finish. I mean practical stuff too – this isn’t another “hey, check out my great nude portfolio of hot models that will never give you the time of day” books. The only book I’ve read so far that I can truly recommend is The Art of Boudoir Photography by Michael Zelbel.

Here’s a censored peek inside of The Art of Boudoir Photography by Michael Zelbel, but you can click here to get an uncensored view:

This book is extremely well done – it covers everything from A to Z and has tons of practical advice and useful diagrams. Now from the pictures, you are probably thinking “oh this is just another boobs book”, but honestly it covers almost everything you’ve probably fantasized about once or twice.

In short, if you’ve looked at most popular sexy shots and wondered “how did they get that shot”, odds are this book is going to show you exactly how you can do it – with equipment that you can actually afford!

In addition to the eBook itself, there is a mobile PDF that you can use on your phone for your shoot. More importantly there’s a brilliant “cheat sheet” that shows you a bunch of pose ideas:

I’ve found it extremely helpful to just show your model a photo and say “I want to do this kind of shot”, and honestly the worst they’ll say is “I’m not comfortable with that.” Believe it or not that’s actually rare and most will try to give you something close to what you want if they say no, so this cheat sheet is probably worth the price of the book alone. After all the first time can be scary so when the cat has your tongue, you can just point and say “how about this”.

What if I want to shoot the opposite sex?

All of the core concepts in this book apply no matter what sex you intend to shoot. What may change are some of the poses which may make the cheat sheet a little less helpful, but with the ideas here you can quickly do an image search on Bing or Google and build your own little list. Tip, you may need to turn Safe Search off but only do that at home as you’ll get XXX when you do.

I’m a model, will this book help me?

YES! Understanding where your photographer is coming from, what shots they may want you to do, and how to prepare for a shoot is invaluable for your photographer. You can skip over the geeky camera talk, but much of the book goes into outfits and poses that

Getting the gear to get the shots

Well I’m assuming since you are hear that you already have a camera, but if you don’t check out my Which DSLR Should I Buy? article. Any lens will work, but typically ones that focus fast in low light work best. My Which Lens Should I Buy? article offers recommendations, but if your space is big enough I’ve found the 70-200mm (Adorama) lenses to offer the best AF performance. Sure a nifty 50mm or a dreamy 85mm will be awesome when you get the shot, but they typically have bad minimum focus distances and horrible low-light AF performance. What this means is that you end up with lots of occasions where you press the shutter release and nothing happens because your lens can’t get the focus, and nothing scares a model (or spouse) off faster than you lingering around without them hearing those shutter clicks!

Flashes [2 or 3] – You’ll need at least two flashes and something to trigger them, so I found three was best as the flashes also make great flash controllers. Canon shooters should opt for the 580EX II (Adorama) while Nikon shooters should go for the SB-900 / SB-910 (Adorama). Sure there are cheaper options, but once you start doing this stuff you quickly realize how anything less than two good flashes can be very frustrating. Some cameras can trigger flashes (i.e., Canon 7D [Adorama]), so you can hold off on a flash if you already have a flash trigger.

I do not recommend the Canon ST-E2 (Adorama) as a trigger when working with models.
Westcott 43" Umbrellas [2] (Adorama) – You’ll want two and this is my personal favorite.
Umbrella Swivel Adapter [2] (Adorama) – For each umbrella you’ll need one of these PLUS something to mount your flash on. Personally, I like to use the shoes that come with your flash to stand them up and just screw them into the included brass stud.
Manfrotto 5001B Nano Black Light Stand - 6.2' (1.9m) [2] (Adorama) – You’ll also need two or more of these, and trust me they are worth every penny. Sure there are cheaper stands, but these collapse up very nicely which make them easy to transport to off-site shoots.

I’m just an amateur, what do I need to know about my gear and photo post-processing?

If you are still struggling with your camera then check out my Which Books Should I Read? article to brush up on your skills. If you have the photography down, but not the Photoshop then my What Photoshop Books Should I Read? article is a must.

My favorite book for photo retouching is Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers using Photoshop. If you don’t have Photoshop and only have Lightroom then you are going to at least need some Skin Softening software, so I highly recommend Portraiture. Color Efex is great too and includes a good Dynamic Skin Softener filter, but I like Portraiture (to avoid the wax figure look).

I DO NOT recommend Portrait Professional. Sure the ads are very convincing and the trial even got me excited, but when you actually use it you’ll quickly discover it’s not its all cracked up to be. More importantly, you’ll end up with amateur looking results that aren’t tremendously fast to achieve over doing it manually once you get the hang of it.

What if I want to print my photos?

Well if they are simply R rated, then you shouldn’t have any trouble getting them printed at most places. If they are a bit more risqué then I recommend playing it safe and printing them yourself. Printing isn’t as straight forward as you might imagine, so you might want to pick up my Printing 101 eBook to help you get the most out of your printer investment.

Ron’s Personal Tips

Honestly, I don’t do a ton of nudes as I have little use for them on my blog. However, I have done it and I’ve worked with many who do as well. Here’s some practical tips I highly recommend:

ALWAYS get a model release – even if it is your significant other – so you can protect yourself if for any reason your photos should get stolen and end up on the Internet. This article is a good place to start and learn more, but I personally love using the easyRelease app on my iPhone. It keeps up with industry changes and is accepted by stock agencies. It also supports Android as well.
ALWAYS take a photo of their ID – require a drivers license, passport or state issued form of ID. If your model doesn’t have it then cancel or reschedule the shoot as you do not want to accidentally end up photographing a minor who is pretending to be an adult. You can just take a quick shot of their ID with your phone or camera to prove that you checked it. If your model has privacy concerns – too bad – find another model. Any legit model will not have a problem with this.
NEVER, EVER, EVER photography a minor – I know this is a “no shit Sherlock” statement, but if your model is minor then they better be wearing a parka or something close to it as you don’t want to ruin your life doing a swimsuit or boudoir shoot with the 17 year old model that “looks like she’s 21”.
Know who you are photographing – Communicate with your model in advance. Find out about tattoos, scars, current hair color & length etc… to avoid surprises at the shoot. Most models change appearance for their shoots and Photoshop may have removed that big tattoo or scar you didn’t know about.
Expect an escort – A smart model will always bring an escort to the shoot. It is best to have the escort wait outside the door so you can focus on the shoot and avoid extra stress or an immature escort. Setting them up on the TV with a soft drink usually works for most. For those who insist on being in the studio / room simply put them in a chair in the corner and ask that they not make eye contact or speak with the model during the entire shoot.
No jewelry or contacts – I can’t tell you how many shoots have cost me hours in Photoshop or were ruined because I didn’t notice my model’s clear eye contacts or crooked necklace. Earrings catch the light and can frequently ruin a shot if you aren’t careful. As a rule, I say all jewelry (including belly button rings, etc…) should be removed.
Pre-shoot instructions – Always give your model an idea of what is going to happen in the shoot and what your expectations are. In addition, you can ask them to not wear products that you might be allergic to or might cause issues in the shoot (i.e., generally less makeup is best). It’s best to exchange cell phone numbers as well in case the shoot must be rescheduled or someone is sick. Check the number you are given in advanced too as some give phony numbers until they are sure you aren’t creepy. Finally, make sure your model does not wear tight fitting garments or elastic in any place that you intend to photography as those marks can be a challenge to fix in Photoshop.
Pay attention to the makeup – Make sure the model (or makeup artist) brings extra of all makeup that will be used in the shoot. Models should freshen up often as lipstick on teeth, crooked fake eyelashes, half worn off lipstick or powder will kill you in post processing. It happens on every shoot, so be aware during your shoot of what is going on. Eyelashes in eyes are common too, so chimp your camera at 10x zoom to double check.
Consider Assistants – Assistants can save your life with reflectors and reduce your stress, but for boudoir shoots your beer buddy isn’t going to cut it. You want an experienced assistance that is the same sex as the model. If you don’t have one, consider approaching another photographer of the same sex as the model to work with and split the costs of the shoot.
Make your model comfortable – Shoots are stressful when a photographer and model come together for the first time – no matter what you are doing. It’s even worse when you are doing this type of photography, so talking to your model in advance is essential. It can be via phone, chat or email but prove to your model that you aren’t a creep looking for a new girlfriend. In addition, your shoot should be in a safe location with a place for your model to change. Finally, you should always have a robe for your model (most will bring their own) and something for them to drink (bottled water is best – even if they say no). I also find letting your model play their favorite music on their phone can help them relax.

There’s dozens of more tips I could give, but these are the most helpful ones to get you started.

Where to find models, make up artists (a.k.a., mua), etc…?

Model Mayhem (aka MM) is the place to go. Even top pros are using it these days and the best part is that it is free. You typically should schedule one shoot that’s just casual portrait stuff before you ask a model to do a sexy shoot, but some will do it the first time for a fee. Free models are in abundance, but if your model does a good job you should tip the going rate you are quoted from other models on MM.

TIP: Please don’t be a jackass – too many “guys with cameras” (GWC) have ruined models for good photographers by just wanting to shoot porn or paying rates far beyond the reasonable and customary rate. Talk to other photographers before you get started and remember that you will scare off models and get no shows if you are a creep.

Conclusion

I highly recommend The Art of Boudoir Photography by Michael Zelbel. I wish I had it when I got started photographing models – even though I wasn’t doing nudes. His advice is practical for all photo shoots and budget model photography. In fact, this article started out as a book review and grew into more as I tried to answer the questions I get all of the time from photographers wishing to work with a model for the first time – for any purpose.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make a purchase using links in this article. I do not condone any illegal activity or mistreatment of any human being. Please obey all laws and respect the will of your model at all times.

REDIpix.com Dazzle–A Backlit Print That Will Rock Your World

2012-01-13T02:18:00.001-08:00

REDIpix.com Dazzle Gallery Wrap – Are you ready to be Dazzled?

It’s been quite some time since I’ve written about REDIpix.com – my favorite gallery wrap printing service. They did a fantastic job with one of my prints with their awesome Satin Cloth Gallery Wrap Elite product (see my review), so when David Elmore (the owner) said he wanted to show me a cool new product he had – I was all ears!

The Dazzle Gallery Wrap is a cool product that is wrapped with smooth cloth instead of nasty bumpy canvas so you enjoy a smooth finish to your product. This is awesome for big signs from Times Square like the Palace Theater shown above. It’s also great for fog (the difference it makes will blow your mind), nightscapes, and so much more. When I first heard about the Dazzle I knew I’d be impressed with the result, but this just blew me away!

How the Dazzle is Built

It even comes with a remote and everything you need to hang it (multiple options)!!!

Your photo is giclée printed on smooth Satin Cloth and wrapped around the sides of a MightyCore box that is open on the front. Several rows of LED lights are attached to the back of the 2-inch-deep box to light up your print. They provide a power adapter that plugs into the wall outlet and a remote control dimmer. The 12V white wire from the adapter to the print can be hidden behind the wall.

Be creative with the sides

I provided the image and they automatically created the imaging for the sides
NOTE: The red neon lights are at different levels in real life,
so they look funny in the photo but those are not artifacts

Their Photoshop artist prepares the sides for you with your choice of eight options or a combination of them. Although image wrap is popular, this often crops the photo too much as viewed from the front. In my case they applied a mirror image of the border of my image. Solid color sides or a blurred image are also good choices. Some of their customers design original borders using a repeating small image that goes all the way around, so you can control this if you like.

You can change the image

The image is stretched and held tight to the back with tape. It takes about 10 minutes for you to remove the old one and stretch on a new print. They provide detailed instructions on how to do this.

Long-lasting low-power LEDs

The LEDs will last over 6 years of continuous use at full brightness and draw only 12 watts for a 16x24" print. It comes with a remote control on/off/dimmer that will work from anywhere in the room. Since you probably do not want it on all the time, they can also provide an optional digital timer that will turn it on and off at times you choose. Or leave the brightness turned low at night -- it makes a great nightlight.

Video Demonstration

Play in HD

Conclusion

My photos and video in this article don’t do this print justice because when I turn on the lights a different exposure is required that really needs to be HDR to capture all of the details. This is A LOT cooler in real life than I can possibly capture in this article. If you are ever by my office then give me a shout and I’ll try to make arrangements to show you as this is something you really need to see to believe!

I should note that the print featured in the video was done from the original in-camera JPEG whereas the Dazzle was re-imaged from the RAW file so processing differences caused the shift in colors. Please see my review to learn how REDIpix.com sends you proof images before they print anything so you can see how it will look before your product is made. The color in the Dazzle is exactly what I approved based on the reimaged version.

To learn more visit http://redipix.com/GalleryWrapDazzle.php and be sure to use your RONM coupon code to save when you order! See my discount coupon code page for the latest offer details.

Special Offer

Enter the RONM coupon code to save when you order products from http://REDIpix.com! THIS CODE AND OFFER TERMS CAN CHANGE. See my discount coupon code page for the latest offer details.

Disclosure

I was provided a Dazzle for the purpose of doing this review. I also may get a commission if you make a purchase using this offer.

REVIEW: Photographically Speaking by David duChemin

2012-01-11T00:49:00.001-08:00

Photographically Speaking: A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images is the latest book by David duChemin that focuses heavily his idea of what makes a compelling photographic image. It is a masterfully assembled book that is sure to please those with engineering minds who like to dissect a photograph. It reminds me very much of Michael Freeman’s hit book, The Photographers Eye.

The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos is a well known and respected book on photography composition that many have told me was a very important book in their photography education. I read that book and while I can see how it may appeal to some, in all honesty I found it too boring and dry for my taste. The cover was fantastic so it got me to give it a close look, but the contents quickly caused me to lose interest due to the dry delivery style.

I found David’s book to be significantly more interesting than Michael’s, but honestly the photos presented in the book didn’t feel like stronger images to me. In fact they left me underwhelmed or bored. This is not a strike against David because art is subjective, so what is art to one may be garbage to the other. He would most likely find my images to be uninspiring and tacky, but that’s how art works. I don’t care for his images used in the book, but I respect his work and his attention to detail in how he takes the time to educate the reader on how he composed 20 shots is commendable.

It’s clear that David duChemin knows his stuff and is an masterful educator of photography. David provides excellent detail about the crop he chose and its use of the rule of thirds. When applicable he provides good examples of the golden spiral is applied, which is rare to find in photography books these days.

A Look Inside

Click here to see inside the book on Amazon

This book is divided into three parts:

The Photographers Intent – The book starts off with a rather enjoyable chapter called “It Means Something” where he discuses why you just like some photos based on intuition or unexplainable reasons. This is something I think we can all relate to as photographers, so I actually enjoyed it.
Visual Language – This is the meat and potatoes stuff that I think most photography books lack that many analytical/engineering minds wish for in a book. This is where he gets into great discussions about how lines, repetition, contrast, colors, light, etc… impact a photograph. He follows this with a text-book like chapter on framing, cropping, gesture, and other photographic principals. I’ll be referring my engineer friends to this chapter when I get questions from those wishing to approach photography as a math problem rather than an intuitive expression of one’s self definition of art.
Photographs – I really commend David for taking the time to break down 20 photos in a way that makes you feel that you are looking at ones of his prints on the walk and he’s telling you the story of how he made the photo. If you like David’s work, then you’ll be thrilled with this part of the book!

Conclusion

If you find that Scott Kelby and Bryan Peterson books leave you wanting more detail and depth about the composition of the shot, then this book is for you. If you liked The Photographer’s Eye, then it’s a must have.

However, if you are the naturally gifted artist that grabs a camera without reading the manuals and just gets solid images with no clue why then this book will bore you to tears. The rebel photographer with ADD who works on instinct will not last through the first chapter. I don’t see a middle ground, either you’ll love it or you’ll be bored (but perhaps you can respect it as I do).

This book isn’t my type of book so it won’t make any recommended list. However, I respect the book for what it is and acknowledge that my learning style is different from some. I fully expect those who are much more analytical than me to absolutely love it.

Please see my Which Books Should I Read article for my advice on photography books.

If you intend to purchase this book, then please support this blog by purchasing from Amazon using these links:

Disclosure

I was provided with an unsolicited copy of this book with no obligation to review it.

REVIEW: DroboPro–Up to 24TB with Fast iSCSI Support

2012-01-10T04:09:00.001-08:00

DroboPro (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

For years Scott Kelby and many others have been singing the praises of Drobo as an inexpensive way to reliably backup your data using spare or inexpensive hard drives, and grow as your budget allows. Even one of my mentors last year had a drive crash in his Drobo, but thanks to the dual disk redundancy feature he just swapped the drive and kept going. He was ecstatic and sang the praises of Drobo, so I decided to finally give it a look.

I’m not your average Drobo customer. Are you?

When I started to do this article I spoke with the folks at Drobo and explained to them the dilemma that myself and other pros have expressed. We need fast, reliable, redundant storage that just works and doesn’t cost a bazillion dollars. When I need to free up space off my laptop or system drive I want to be able to move it quickly to a safe location and not wait weeks for CrashPlan or some other backup service to catch up with me.

I also expressed my concern about some solutions like my Buffalo 4TB LinkStation NAS that uses RAID 1+0 because I had the network card stop working for a few days. I thought I lost the 2TB of data I had entrusted in it, but the network card came back to life. It’s a good thing too because Buffalo's support was horrific! I also wasn’t able to use online backup with a NAS (without a hack), so that data was very vulnerable. I wanted reliability, but when I needed to pull something out of the archive like a 650MB PSD file I wanted it quickly (in fact, editing in-place should be an option).

I already had 2TB of redundant storage filled, and then I had a 500 GB C drive, a 1TB E drive, a 500 GB ioSafe Solo D drive, and a 1TB ioSafe SoloPro drive. After many, many months I had all of this data backed up to Mozy only to have their service price go up so I had to move it to CrashPlan and start over. While I liked the idea of online backup, it’s just too damn slow to protect me against short term losses or accidental deletion so I needed a better solution.

I thought I had a lot of space requirements, but when I started talking to other pro photographers who are dumping their 8 and 16GB cards onto their drive frequently, I found out that I was small potatoes. I heard horror stories of 6 – 10 drives that were configured to be the perfect fire hazard and no reliable backup existed (beyond some cd/dvd’s burned occasionally for an important shoot).

I decided that I needed a smoking fast solution that would keep up with the frantic pace of new big files being added to my machine, but it also needed to run non-stop with backing up to the cloud. In short, I wanted:

A local copy of my original protected on my ioSafe (the only product I trust for my original photos) so I was covered against fire or flood.
I wanted all my local drives backed up automatically to a device with dual disk redundancy so even a hard drive crash or two wouldn’t lose my backup.
I wanted redundant backup in the cloud so that I’d be covered against local theft or other unforeseen losses.
I wanted something that would grow with me so my 8TB needs of today wouldn’t be an issue when I needed 16TB or 24TB down the road. With 100 megapixel sensor cameras and 4k video already in development, being future proof was critical.

I also wanted it to be affordable (i.e., not more than a new camera like a 5D Mark II or a great lens like a 70-200mm). Granted, gear like that isn’t cheap, but it’s peanuts compared to my life's work, so I figured that was a reasonable starting budget.

In all my research everything kept pointing back to Drobo. It was recommend by some peers and others wanted my 2 cents before investing. After talking with the folks at Drobo we concluded that the Drobo S would meet the needs of most “normal” photographers, but guys like me really needed the DroboPro.

For this article I tested a DroboPro on a 64-bit Windows 7 PC because that is where I keep all of my data. Drobo’s work with Mac’s as well, but given the nature of this device I did not test it on my MacBook Pro.

What is a Drobo?

Simply put a Drobo is like a empty computer with no hard drives. It’s a device that has its own intelligence on board that can control how it works with your hard drives to give you all the things you need (and I mention above), but you provide the hard drives. This makes sense when you think about it because you may have a handful of small drives lying around that still work but are just not in service anymore. If they fit, they’ll work (unlike RAID which requires matching drives) and the system is designed to grow with you. It also allows you to shop for the best price on drives or add more storage as hard drive sales happen.

Unlike a NAS, your connection to the Drobo is local so it just acts like another external hard drive on your computer rather than a separate computer on your network (a NAS).

Here’s a page to learn more about how Drobo works, but the key bit is its BeyondRaid technology.

BeyondRaid

Drobo has a great page that explains how BeyondRaid works, but the beauty of the design is that it is flexible and it grows with you. In fact, when I began my testing the maximum size my Drobo could support was 16TB, but a firmware update to support 3TB drives boosted the limit up to 24TB. That can never happen with RAID, so I was pretty jazzed to see this technology grow without me doing anything on my end!

How does the DroboPro differ from the smaller models I’ve seen?

The Drobo and Drobo S are effectively the same as the DroboPro but they have fewer storage bays and neither support the super iSCSI connection type (think faster than eSata & USB 3). Drobo FS is a NAS, which has strengths and weaknesses, but not what I wanted for my solution (where speed was critical).

Here’s a look at the front of the DroboPro where you insert your drives after you take of the sexy magnetic cover:

It can hold up to eight 3.5” SATA I, II or III drives, but you’ll want to use their guide to see what drive is right for your Drobo. These bays are not hot swappable though, so you must power off to add or remove drives. Due to the performance characteristics of iSCSI and the potential for heat, Drobo recommends Enterprise (business) class drives:

Sadly despite my best effort to clear my drive selection with Drobo in advance, I ended up with non-Enterprise class drives (which BTW are not refundable). Fortunately they still work, but they aren’t designed for 24/7 use so I might be testing out the dual disk redundancy feature more often than if I would purchased what I was supposed to.

Here’s a look at the rear of the unit where you connect your cables:

I started with USB to get things going, but eventually I moved to iSCSI to get the best performance. As you can see, Mac users can also use Firewire and there’s a Kensingston lock port for locking the device down (which makes little sense because you can just remove the drives out the front).

iSCSI vs USB

iSCSI sounds odd, but simply put it is just the act of plugging a network cable from your computers network card into the Drobo and away you go. It’s cheap, fast and works. The kicker is that you need a free network port, but I just switched to using wireless to free up my port and I was in business. If you can’t do that then you will need to support a second network card that is compatible with your computer (and be careful as network cards these days want to go in the slot dedicated for your graphics card).

On the PC when when things work as they should, it’s just plug and play. If it doesn’t, then begin here. On the Mac you have to install some software to get it working so you’ll want this article handy.

Drobo Dashboard

Once you’ve installed your drives, got things set up and have updated your software and firmware as needed from http://support.drobo.com, you’ll begin setting up your Drobo using the dashboard as shown above. It’s a sexy UI that is easily approachable, so when things work smoothly it’s a pleasant place to be.

Speaking of drives, I managed to use a variety of brand new drives that I got on sale from New Egg (some based on the advice of my Drobo contact) and ended up with a configuration like this:

Yes, you are reading that right. I have three 3 TB drives, four 1 TB drives and a 2 TB drive (15 TB) yet I only have 8.15 of available disk space. This is partially due to dual disk redundancy and partially due to how BeyondRaid uses the disks. Here’s a nice UI in the dashboard that shows you how it uses the drives:

Confused? At first I was too! Essentially the algorithm is that it uses your two largest drives for protection and then what’s left is usable. However, dual disk redundancy is just that – using twice the space for each file for extra protection so you end up with a lot of space used for protection.

Drobo has a fantastic capacity calculator tool to show you exactly what to expect when you use your drives. Of course you have to keep in mind that manufacturers approximate so your 3TB drive might really be closer to 2.7TB, etc… and you can see the impact of dual disk redundancy via the checkbox.

Here’s where I currently stand with the DroboPro:

But I’ve accomplished all of my storage goals. Of course I wish they had deduplication technology to conserve space for obvious wasted duplication (i.e., same file in multiple locations, 10 photos of the same thing with just minor differences in the exposure, redundant metadata, etc…). Sadly they don’t, so it’s up to me to do that task which I have zero desire to do.

Things have been working flawlessly with my current unit (shipped 11/28/11), so I’m very happy with the DroboPro overall.

Drobo Copy vs Drobo PC Backup

DroboCopy shows such promise when you see its user interface:

but sadly it is a very low tech file copy was very fragile. If files are open it’s game over and you’d be surprised how many files are open when it runs! If it has trouble with a file for any reason it would just quit instead of skip and continue. You are much better off using robocopy (included with Windows) than using this delicate daisy.

The good news is that some units (although sadly not the DroboPro) offer a free license for Drobo PC Backup. This is a “better than Drobo Copy” solution that isn’t so fragile, but like Drobo Copy it will bring your computer to its knees. As a result you’ll need to schedule it to run while you sleep or else find a different computer to use when it runs.

In the UI above the failed to backup files are files that are locked and won’t allow read access (i.e., the registry, pagefile.sys, etc…). The huge difference in backup size was due to me putting all of my data from my Hawaii trip onto my computer at once.

While the UI has its quirks that will drive you mad (like try to only backup your profiles in c:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color), it gets the job done. It also beats manually doing an XCopy, RoboCopy or BeyondCompare.

My 3+ months with the DroboPro(s)

Murphy’s Law is my life story. I’m well acquainted with the fact that what can go wrong will go wrong. It’s also well-known that if electronics aren’t built just right then they going to fail miserably and typically very quickly. Sadly that happened with my first DroboPro that arrived, but given it is fast and miserable death I chalked it up to bad luck.

With a new DroboPro in hand I swapped the drives from the first bad DroboPro into the new DroboPro. In theory I should be able to get to my data again, but given what happened with the first drive I just decided to do a full do-over and repartition and format the drives in the Dashboard again.

When you get low on space things get colorful

Sadly, lightning struck twice and I just so happened to have my primary hard drive – a Western Digital – began to fail. This was the third time in 18 months (on two different machines) I had a Western Digital drive die, so my opinion of their drives has somewhat diminished. The good news is that I was successfully using my 2nd DroboPro with Dual Disk Redundancy and it had five 1TB drives, so I just snatched one and put it in my computer. After about a day the DroboPro had recovered from losing the drive and I was back at fully protected with Dual Disk Redundancy – that was pretty cool!

When you run out of disc space, Drobo tells you what to do

I recovered my failing drive with Seagate’s drive cloning software which worked great – even though I had gone from 500GB to 1TB, so I was pretty impressed with that solution! With everything rocking along on USB 2 I decided to be brave and try iSCSI. Sadly that did not go well and things got really ugly for over a week. To be on the safe side tech support wanted me to try another DroboPro, and that unit is the one I have today – it’s been flawless.

My Configuration

Here’s the drives I used in my configuration:

Hitachi 3TB Deskstar 3.5" SATA Internal Hard Drive Kit (x 3) – I know Hitachi Deskstars are called “Deathstars” but in 3 years of using Hitachi’s I’ve never had one fail. With dual disk redundancy, I think I’m mostly covered if I’m wrong though.
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB (x 1)
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB (x 4)

Despite having some of these drives recommended by my contact at Drobo and running them all past him before ordering, when I was having troubles I often heard that I was using “unsuported drives”. That REALLY pissed me off. So while this worked, if you want to have a whine free experience with support I’d suggest getting the recommended enterprise class drives.

My total cost for all of these drives was $938.60 thanks to some screaming sales on B&H and Amazon, so this was an expensive review to bring to you. When things weren’t going well I was pretty upset that my investment was going to go to waste, so I’m very happy my DroboPro is rocking along now.

I’m currently enjoying a fast and error free performance using iSCSI, but it has cost me a little bit of overall performance since I went from a wired connection to my router to wireless. The biggest place this hurts me is in my backup to the cloud performance which seems to take about 4x longer now.

I have one 16 TB NTFS volume as shown below, but I regret doing this for performance reasons. A more intelligent approach would have been to have done two 8TB volumes.

The Good

During my trials and tribulations, I got to learn how great the support staff at Drobo is. I highly recommend that if you have a problem or if something is suspicious that you don’t’ want around – just contact support right away. Odds are they’ve seen your (not mine <g>) problem before and will get you going again in no time.

The cool thing about my woes is that I got to test swapping drives to a new device – twice. When going from the second to third there was no data lost so I saved myself quite a bit of time. It also gave me great confidence in the safety of my data because if I was using RAID I would have most likely lost my data.

Because the DroboPro just acts like an external drive, it works with CrashPlan. I have my backup in the cloud underway, but I fear Comcast will shut me down for excessive bandwidth usage!

Once I had a unit where the iSCSI works, it’s smoking fast. It was also plug and play, so I’ve really enjoyed this feature. In fact, when I tested the Lexar USB 3.0 Dual-Slot reader on this machine (which only has USB 2.0), my transfer rate went from 9 to 11 mbps to 47+ mbps. The only difference was using USB 2.0 to the Drobo versus iSCSI, so I was pretty happy with the real-world performance.

I worry about my drives being cooked, so I’m happy to report that the DroboPro has excellent cooling. It never ran hot and was always cool to the touch. Even when I shut the device down and removed the drives (hot swapping is not supported) to swap the DroboPros, I was happy to see my drives were cool the touch.

The Bad

If you value your time, then DO NOT create 16TB or larger volume. It is painfully slow when you boot up for a partition to mount, but once it does then live is good (with a properly working DroboPro).

iSCSI was very unreliable until the 3rd unit and definitely not plug and play, but I’m going to chalk that up to bad units. With that said, if something goes wrong with the plug and play then a serious geek or nerds required to solve the problem.

DroboCopy was lame file copy that isn’t even as robust as xcopy, but even more fragile. Drobo PC Backup improves, but will bring your machine to a crawl. Sadly you can’t put it to sleep (ala CrashPlan) or throttle how much bandwidth it will use so plan to curse it as often as you would your most hated browser or email client.

I wish it was quieter. As it stands it is not obnoxious, but much like a tower system from a few years back where you knew it had a fan running all of the time – not tiny super noisy fans though

The Ugly

You better have Enterprise class drives if you don’t want to hear support tell you that your drives aren’t supported. This felt very much like a “Blame the Customer” scenario when … To be fair their site does offer a Choosing the Right Drive page as I mentioned earlier. It’s also worth noting that third parties who sell Drobo’s will typically bundle drives so those solutions might be your best bet when getting started.

If iSCSI fails, you are screwed. I’m a 20+ year programmer who has worked on complex database system, networking, and much more. Despite this, I found myself fighting the Windows iSCSI software. I managed to get things to work, but I won’t begin to explain to you how I did it as I’d be as complex as explaining to someone how to start a car with a toothpick instead of a key (and just as fragile).

Conclusion

With complex electronics failures can and do happen, so I chalk that one up to bad luck. Based on the 200,000+ customers Drobo has had and all of the great testimonies I’ve heard, I’d say that your odds of getting a bad unit are about the same as being struck by lightning. Now the second unit ran fine but I had iSCSI troubles around the same time I had my second lightning strike – a failed boot drive on my PC. While the second unit was replaced, it ran fine otherwise the iSCSI problems could have very well have been related to remnants of issue of the first failed unit or my failed hard drive, but either way the third unit has been flawless.

Since the third that runs like a champ, I am much more optimistic but a bit guarded. It works very well right now but the issues with the first two units really made me call into question the quality control of the manufacturing process. I hope it was a fluke and I’ll report to you if anything comes up, but consider things to be running flawlessly until you hear from me otherwise.

Recommendation: If you don’t need a huge 8 bay, then go for the Drobo S for a local storage solution. If you’d rather have a NAS then go for the Drobo FS. If you find down the road that you need more storage you can always get a another Drobo S, turn off dual disk redundancy and let Drobo PC Backup send copies to both units when you backup. I also recommend a max volume size of 8TB (or smaller if you can live with it)

Where to Buy

Drobo makes a wide array of products to suite your needs. To purchase one today, please support this blog by using one of the following links:

Disclosure

Drobo provided me with a DroboPro unit to review at my request. If you use the links in this article I may get a commission.

Canon G1 X replaces G12 with 6x bigger sensor–available for pre-order now

2012-01-09T12:00:00.001-08:00

Canon G1 X (Adorama, B&H)

Pre-orders are available now at Adorama and B&H!

Word was already on the street that a new G12 replacement was coming, but this is much cooler than I expected. I’m probably in the minority but I’m VERY GLAD it is not a interchangeable lens camera as I love the heck out of my X10’s ease of use and amazing image quality. The size on this sensor is a massive 1.5” which is nearly as large as what you’d find on a 60D (APS-C size):

Image Courtesy of Adorama

While it is still a smaller sensor than the mighty X100, you know from my point and shoot comparison article that the G12 is one of the most user friendly cameras on the planet for a pro, and the X100 is probably the most UN-Friendly (but still cool <g>).

I can see this camera hurting Rebel sales for smart shoppers who realize that they want better quality but not the expense and hassle of a DSLR. The question is – will this camera make me want to sell my beloved 2 month old Fujifilm X10? I’ll let you know in my upcoming review.

Check out the in-depth articles from Adorama and B&H.

Here’s the press release from Canon for this and some new Elph’s…

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., January 9, 2012 – Continuing to revolutionize the digital camera market, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the introduction of a new flagship PowerShot model, the PowerShot G1 X, in addition to two stylish PowerShot ELPH models, the ELPH 520 HS and ELPH 110 HS. The PowerShot G1 X camera will feature a 1.5-inch, 14.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, the largest sensor to date for a PowerShot model, delivering approximately nine times more light sensitivity and helping to produce amazing depth-of-field and high-quality images in tough low-light conditions. For those users looking for a camera with advanced features in a compact form both the PowerShot ELPH 520 HS, the world’s thinnest 12x optical zoom with a 28mm lens¹, and PowerShot ELPH 110 HS feature a sleek design and compelling creative capabilities.

“The new additions to our PowerShot lineup further demonstrate Canon’s commitment to delivering users innovative imaging products,” said Yuichi Ishizuka executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “These sleek and compact cameras bring together powerful features, intuitive controls and unrivaled portability while maintaining high image quality.”

The Power of DIGIC 5

Living up to its reputation as a leader in the digital camera marketplace, Canon has incorporated the DIGIC 5 image processor into the HS SYSTEM for all three models. Achieving better quality images in low-light settings, boasting faster operation and providing improved color accuracy, the DIGIC 5 image processor ensures users are able to produce high-quality images in the most difficult of lighting conditions. The processor will also enable the PowerShot G1 X camera to utilize the High-Speed Burst HQ² feature allowing photographers to shoot images at high speeds at full resolution to capture the perfect moving shot. Additionally, to ensure images are crisp and clear, advanced noise reduction and a smarter multi-area White Balance can be utilized to achieve accurate color reproduction for a balanced image.

Advanced Smart AUTO

Advanced Smart AUTO, available in the PowerShot ELPH 520 HS and ELPH 110 HS, can detect up to 58 scenes varying from non-human moving subjects to people, landscapes, pets and vehicles, helping the camera determine the best mode of shooting. This technology has been enhanced to include a new Face ID feature, allowing users to register up to 12 people on the camera and have the camera recognize and prioritize each person. When registering individuals on the camera, users can take up to five images of a subject at various angles or facial expressions and enter their name and birth date. This allows the camera to make one of three age distinctions: Babies (0 to 1 year old), Children (2 to 12 years old) or Adults (13 years or older). Based on these different groups, the camera will give focus priority to the youngest recognized group in the frame and makes the images searchable as well with the ability to view only those images of a particular person.

Further additions to this new feature are Smile Recognition and Sleeping Face Recognition. With Smile Recognition, the camera will take three consecutive shots of a scene such as a smiling baby or of grandparents at a family get together and select the best out of the three for the final image. For Sleeping Face Recognition the flash, assist beam and sound is turned off for that precious moment to be captured while not disturbing one’s sleep.

PowerShot G1 X Digital Camera

Ideal for photography enthusiasts looking for the highest image quality in a compact, point-and-shoot design, the Canon PowerShot G1 X camera features the largest sensor to date for a Canon point-and-shoot model. The camera has a brand new, large 1.5-inch (18.7 x 14mm), 14.3-megapixel High-Sensitivity Canon CMOS sensor, delivering shallow depth of field, a wide dynamic range, an ISO range of up to 12800 and incredible light gathering ability helping to ensure brilliant images in even tough low-light conditions. Featuring an amazing Canon lens with 4X Optical Zoom, an aperture of f/2.8 to f/16 for beautiful images when shooting portraits and amazing clarity when shooting landscapes along with wide-angle capabilities starting at 28mm, the PowerShot G1 X camera makes certain that users will have the right optics for most any situation. Further adding to the EOS-like feature set of this new model is 14-bit, RAW+JPEG shooting and compatibility with accessories such as Speedlite, Macro Twin Lite or the Macro Ring Light flashes. HDR Shooting has been included to ensure the best possible shot is captured as well. The PowerShot G1 X camera also shoots in Full HD 1080p video ensuring memorable moments are captured in the highest quality.

The Canon PowerShot G1 X camera has a bright, large 3.0-inch vari-angle LCD with 922,000 dots of resolution providing photographers with the highest quality available in a point-and-shoot. The inclusion of the Mode Dial on the top of the camera and the Front Dial helps provide more intuitive control of the camera.

The estimated selling price of the Canon PowerShot G1 X camera is $799.99 and is scheduled to be available in February. Pre-orders are available now at Adorama and B&H!

PowerShot ELPH 520 HS Digital Camera

The feature-packed Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS camera resurrects the original PowerShot ELPH design with a more contemporary and radiant look and feel. This new stylish model has a 10.1-megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor along with a 12X Optical Zoom lens, ISO range of up to 3200 and wide-angle capabilities starting at 28mm. For photographers on the move, this camera also has Full HD 1080p video capture capabilities, a 3.0-inch LCD for easy viewing of images and High-Speed Burst mode where images are continuously captured at 6.8 frames per second.

The Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS camera will be available in black, silver, red and blue in March with an estimated selling price of $299.99. Adorama is taking pre-orders now.

PowerShot ELPH 110 HS Digital Camera

Canon’s PowerShot ELPH 110 HS camera comes in a variety of fun, bright colors (black, silver, red, blue, green and pink) and is the ideal camera for new photographers. With a 5X Optical Zoom lens and wide-angle capabilities beginning at 24mm, this camera provides the user with the ability to fit an entire landscape or a specific area of a subject into one shot. The camera also features a16-megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS Sensor, ISO range of up to 3200, 3.0-inch wide LCD and Full HD 1080p video capture for brilliant, high resolution quality. High-Speed Burst mode has also been included for continuous shooting up to 5.8 frames per second.

The Canon PowerShot ELPH 110 HS camera is scheduled to be available in February with an estimated selling price of $249.99. Adorama is taking pre-orders now.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With more than $45 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranked fourth overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2010†, and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility.

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Specifications subject to change without notice.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Availability, prices, and specifications of all products are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make a purchase using links in this article. Thanks for supporting this blog by using my links!

Photo of the Week - Reaching From the Core

2012-01-09T02:48:00.001-08:00

Congrats to Greg Sharpe for posting a shot that inspired me to bring the Photo of the Week back to life. I had grown a little tired of seeing the same shots, so I simply avoided doing these for a while. If you are reading this then consider showing me some of your new work as I’m looking for fresh new stuff!

This shot was taken with a Canon Rebel T2i using the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS set to 80mm and f/4.5 for 1/45 sec at ISO 400. The EXIF metadata reports that the post-processing was done with Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery 6.0.6001.18000, so this is a great entry to point out that you don’t need expensive gear or software to make the Photo of the Week – you just need an interesting shot like this!

Be sure to click this photo above and leave some feedback on Flickr so this reader can get your feedback both good and bad (be gentle) and feel the love from our readers here!

Learn more about how you can participate in the Photo of the Week contest by clicking here.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make purchases using links from this article.

Great Canon 1D-X Videos on how to use the camera

2012-01-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

Ever since I had my hands on a Canon 1D X I’ve been eager to learn more and use one. Here’s a cool series of videos by Canon in Europe that I think Canon geeks will enjoy on this day of D4 hoopla:

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/education/technical/eos1dx_using_the_camera.do

Hopefully Adorama and Canon will start taking preorders soon!

Nikon D4 Available for Pre-Order from Adorama & B&H

2012-01-06T07:34:00.001-08:00

Adorama is taking orders NOW via THIS LINK.

B&H is now taking pre-orders too

The Nikon D4 has been announced and B&H has created a great page that offers info about it here. You can pre-order now which usually means B&H is expecting to get a decent size shipment in. I suspect this means earlier rumors about it shipping at the end of February are true so if plan to plunk down $6k for one then you’ll want to get in line as soon as you can as I’m sure the pre-orders will be nuts.

I’ve seen no official word on the D800 yet. Here’s what’s on Nikon’s site about the D4 though.

Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device

2012-01-05T02:30:00.001-08:00

The X-Rite i1Display Pro, ColorMunki Display, NEC SpectraSensor Pro and Eizo (DataColor) EX1 are all current wide gamut colorimeters NOT spectrophotometers. The purpose of this article is to demystify a lot of confusion about display calibration devices on the market and educate you on some new models to let you know which display calibration device is right for you.

WARNING: I go super geeky at first to help clear up terminology and massive confusion, so if you know what you want and can’t deal with the geeky stuff then page down until you see a picture of the product you want to buy or research.

Profile vs Hardware LUT Calibration

What this means is that they are designed to calibrate your display against a series of colors swatches for which the display calibration software used knows exactly what value the sensor should read for each swatch.

The results of this data obtained by the sensor is used by the display calibration software in one of two ways:

To create a display profile (most common) – this is where the display calibration software does what it can to adjust your display to show colors accurately and it creates a lookup table of differences in a file a profile. In simple terms it’s like having yellow paint that is supposed to look green so you keep a measurement of how many drops of blue you mix into the yellow paint until it is the shade of green that you want. The profile is that sheet of paper where you jotted down the information about how much blue is needed. Your computer operating system uses these profiles to work with your display card and monitor to make color adjustments to the red, green and blue channels to render color more accurately. This method works well, but it is system dependent and can’t be dynamic.
To program a display lookup table (LUT) – Expensive and advanced displays improve upon the model above to actually write this data into the monitor hardware itself so that the monitor can do a better job than your OS at rendering accurate color. The method has the advantage of allowing you to use the same display with different computers without the need to calibrate because your operating system is bypassed for color rendition. This is less common, but the most accurate way to soft proof prints in products like Photoshop. The downside to this design is that you MUST use ONLY the proprietary software by the display maker (i.e., NEC SpectraView II, Eizo Color Navigator or EasyPIX, etc…) as other third party software (i.e., the software included by X-Rite or DataColor) usually can not program the display LUT directly and will resort to creating a display profile (very bad when using a LUT based display).

A Word About NEC & Eizo (proprietary) Display Colorimeters

The NEC SpectraSensor Pro is a colorimeter built by X-Rite specifically for NEC to calibrate wide gamut displays built by NEC using its proprietary SpectraView II software. The Eizo EX1 is a colorimeter built by DataColor specifically to calibrate Eizo displays using its EasyPIX software. They both can be used with their corresponding software to program the LUT of supported displays and therefore are offered as bundle when buying Eizo and NEC displays.

These colorimeters are just fine as they have been developed and tested under the supervision of the display maker to ensure they are able to program the monitors LUT using their proprietary software.

NEC SpectraView (i1 Display) Colorimeter

NEC used to also offer a special version of the i1 Display as shown below that supported wide gamut display calibration (the X-Rite i1 Display DOES NOT support wide gamut):

If you are a NEC display owner with one of these devices (or are considering buying one used), you do not need one of the products discussed in this article as it will still calibrate your NEC wide gamut display accurately. NEC and X-Rite also have upgrade programs as future versions of calibration software will eventually phase out support for this product. Using today’s software and this hardware you should be able to accurately display any NEC display that supports SpectraView II, so an upgrade is only necessary in the future when you upgrade your operating system and/or SpectraView software to a version that no longer supports this device (won’t happen overnight).

Spectrophotometers – Display and Printer Calibration

Spectrophotometers like the ColorMunki PHOTO
calibrate displays plus create paper profiles

Click here to read an article that does a good job at explaining the difference between a colorimeter and a spectrophotometer.

A spectrophotometer can be used to create paper profiles which is the process where you print out color swatches of known RGB values it and then measure the colors using a spectrophotometer to compare what color actually gets printed. The operating system, the printer, the inks and paper you use all combine to contaminate the color that ultimately ends up on the paper, so a printer paper profile used in conjunction with a display color profile (or calibrated LUT) is critical to get the colors you see on your screen to look the same way on the paper that comes out of your printer.

This is a tricky process due to all of the variables that come into play, which is why X-Rite created a great product called the ColorMunki PHOTO (which is a spectrophotometer, NOT a colorimeter like the ColorMunki Display (discussed later in this article) along with its proprietary software to make this whole process work smoothly. I talk about this in my color management article, but know that currently this is the most easy to use and accurate method for getting your prints to look like what you see on your display (excluding the limitations of your display).

If your goal of reading this article is to match your prints with your display then my advice is to go get a ColorMunki Photo from Adorama or B&H as that’s a color management workflow issue. Advanced print master (discussed in my printing 101 eBook) will use even more advanced and complex products like these:

B&H sells the i1iSis – an expensive spectrophotometer

i1 Pro shown with a
i1iO Automated Scan Table

X-Rite has replaced the i1XTreme I reviewed with thei1Photo Pro UVcut Professional Color Management for Photographers and offers the i1iO Automated Scan Table (shown above with a i1 Pro attached). It also offers the i1Sis which is only used for fast creation of paper profiles so a separate colorimeter is required.

Now before you go out and get a spectrophotometer besides the ColorMunki PHOTO, be aware that you will invest thousands of dollars and lots of time so mere mortals are going to find their money best spent on a product like ColorByte ImagePrint (new version 9 is awesome) that just has all the profiles you need available on demand so you are back to only needing a colorimeter to calibrate your display.

Colorimeters

Okay if you read the stuff before this then I’m sure your head is spinning. I’m happy to say that I won’t get too geeky from here on in as I’ll simply focus on which “gizmo” you need to make your display to the best job it can at showing colors accurately.

WARNING: If your display sucks, a colorimeter may not help!!!!

Please keep in mind though that colorimeters aren’t miracle workers. If you are using a crappy display you got free with your computer, then it may not be able to display color accurately no matter what you do. I know that on paper many displays seem like they are “just as good” but as the saying goes “there’s lies, damn lies and statistics”. Statistics do not tell the whole story my engineer friends, so if you are serious about color management then you’ll need to invest a good wide gamut display (and no you can’t get one off eBay for $100). Here are a few models that I’ve used and have witnessed them display color as accurately as possible with todays technology:

Eizo ColorEdge CG243W – The best photography display I’ve ever used, but also the most expensive. If you have a Ferrari or Rolls Royce sitting in the garage, then this is what you want to buy. Joking aside, it doesn’t get better than this.
Eizo FlexScan SX2762W – You insist on Eizo quality but can’t stomach the price? Then this display is a nice alternative.
NEC PA Series – If you a working middle class grunt who wants near Eizo quality for a fraction of the price, then this will rock your world. I use the PA241W and love it, and only a trained eye will see the difference between this an a Eizo.

I’m told HP has DreamColor displays that are fantastic too, but I’ve had such bad luck with HP products over the last decade that I’d recommend sticking with highly trusted brands like Eizo and NEC.

If you must choose a different brand then you’ll want an IPS display that can display at least 95% of the Adobe RGB color gamut, has a DisplayPort (even on the PC), has a programmable LUT for hardware calibration, and supports a minimum resolution of 1920x1200 (not 1080). 10-bit color is an added plus. If the display you are researching lacks any of these features then I’d advise you to keep shopping.

X-Rite i1Display PRO – (Ron’s Favorite)

i1Display Pro ($269.00 MSRP – Adorama, B&H)
Professional Display Calibration for the Most Demanding Color Perfectionists

In the summer of 2011 X-Rite released two new calibration devices to replace their popular X-Rite i1 Display 2 and Pantone Huey PRO colorimeters – neither of which supported wide gamut display. The i1Display Pro and ColorMunki Display have the following in common:

Wide gamut color calibration
X-Rite ADC [Advanced Display Control] to control supported hardware to ensure the highest quality results.
Support profiling projectors (i.e., Canon SX-80 Pro Photography Projector) and includes a tripod mount to assist with calibration in large venues
Multiple Displays Supported (but more advanced via software for the i1Display Pro)
Flare Correct™ compensates for flare light falling on the surface of the display (but honestly I hate this feature <g>)
The ability to measure the ambient light to include that data in your profile when your display is not in an ideal viewing environment with a hood
and more….

Unique to this model is the bundled software is based on the all new i1Profiler software (which I’ll be reviewing soon). It can run in both a simple mode as well as advanced mode which means this solution can grow with you as your color management skills improve.

This model has advanced multiple displays support that also is useful in workgroups where you need all of the displays in your facility to be viewing colors the same way. Now based on my experience is that you need all of the same series displays built and purchased at the same time for the best result, but that’s not usually possible so this does the best job that I know of at getting you in the right ballpark.

This device will work with the latest version of NEC’s SpectraView II. Here’s how to set the preferences for this device:

It should be noted that if you use a NEC display that supports hardware calibration then you must use SpectraView II and therefore can not (and should never) use X-Rite’s included software. Windows 7 will automatically detect and install the “i1Display 3” driver and it will work the next time you start SpectraView II and change your calibration sensor preferences as shown above.

NOTE: VIdeo Walkthrough coming soon.

If you have a photography business, then this is the device you need.

X-Rite ColorMunki Display – the photography hobbyist ideal solution

ColorMunki Display ($189.99 MSRP Adorama, B&H)
Advanced Display Calibration Made Easy for Color Perfectionists

Simply put, if photography is your hobby and not your profession then this is a great solution for you at a reasonable price. The software is a little more user friendly with no advanced mode, but the colorimeter device itself is identical so the end result of calibrating your display versus a i1Display Pro will be identical on a single display. The i1Display Pro has advantages for multiple displays, but this device supports multiple displays as well so don’t get too hung up on that point.

I like this device because its easy to use and it typically just works (unless you are like me and you are using 6 different devices without rebooting <g>).

Here’s a video walkthrough of the ColorMunki Display calibration process on a MacBook Pro in Easy Mode:

Click here to play in HD. Viewing in full screen is recommended.

Here’s another video walkthrough showing the Advanced Mode:

Click here to play in HD. Viewing in full screen is recommended.

NEC SpectraSensor Pro (NEC Display Owners Only)

NEC SpectraSensor Pro

If you currently own or will in the future own a NEC display that supports hardware calibration and you don’t have a calibration device already, then this is device you’ll want to buy. In fact, if you haven’t purchased your display yet then I’d advise that you purchase the bundle that includes it with your display (only one per computer needed).

When using SpectraView II it can be a little confusing choosing the sensor type if the Auto-Detect button doesn’t work properly (usually it does) or if you have more than one sensor installed. The reason why is because you must choose “XRite iOne Display Pro (i1D3)” as the sensor type as shown here:

The software actually reads the model information from the device so you can tell that this is really the NEC SpectraSensor Pro device, but it can be confusing so it’s worth mentioning that here.

Eizo EX1 by Datacolor (Eizo FlexScan Owners Only)

For the last month or so I’ve been using a Eizo FlexScan SX2762W for the purpose of doing my review. To my dismay the only way it could be calibrated was using Eizo’s EasyPIX solution which bummed me out as Eizo’s Color Navigator software is much better. However it worked well enough, so if you own (or are buying) an Eizo FlexScan SX2762W (or equivalent) then go for the bundle and get this.

This is just a Datacolor Spyder 3 rebranded so I was actually able to use it with my NEC SpectraView II software to calibrate my NEC PA241W (note you must physically plug it into the display you are calibrating when doing hardware calibration). Here’s how to configure it in the preferences:

NEC SpectraView II Calibration Comparison on a NEC PA241W

To compare the devices in this article I used the NEC SpectraView II software because it does a good job working with a large variety of sensors, it has good reporting info, and the hardware calibration means that no operating system issues will skew the results. With that said, here’s my calibration settings:

The Eizo EX1 (Datacolor Spyder 3) was the sixth device I have used to calibrate this display on this machine so SpectraView is pretty good about letting you most of the popular colorimeter sensors on the market. For as long as I’ve been in the computer industry, I’m honestly shocked I was able to get all but one of working on one machine in harmony without my system crashing – well done X-Rite!

In the sections that follow I’ll discuss how a variety of products performed when calibrating this display. To be fair I had the display turned on for over 6 hours before doing the calibration so the display was fully up to temperature. My methodology for testing on a 64-bit Windows 7 system with was as follows:

Making sure that NEC SpectraView II wasn’t running, I’d plug one and only one sensor directly into the same USB port on the NEC PA241W.
I’d launch the software, go to Edit | Preferences and click Auto Detect to make sure that the sensor type selected was correct. I visually confirmed the model name as well.
I’d run the calibration and also confirmed that the sensor shown during the placement step was the same as what I was using.
At the conclusion of the calibration I pasted the results in this article. I ran each test two or three times more to see if it was statistically any different.

Eizo EX1 (Datacolor Spyder 3)

This was by far the worst result and multiple runs didn’t produce significantly better results. When analyzing a calibration the first thing you want to do is look at the Delta E value. Many say that 2.0 or less is acceptable, but closer to 0.50 or less is realistically possible these days. Chromix has the following statement in their definition of Delta E:

A Delta E of 1 or less between two colors that are not touching one another is barely perceptible by the average human observer; a Delta E between 3 and 6 is typically considered an acceptable match in commercial reproduction on printing presses. (Note: Human vision is more sensitive to color differences if two colors actually touch each other.)

The 1.20 Delta E below my expectations because I’m accustomed to looking at a calibrated display that typically has a Delta E of 0.50 or less. The targeted 6506K white point is being calibrated to 6633K which in practical terms meant my display had an unusual blue cast to it and was not calibrated accurately enough for print soft proofing.

The contrast ratio (the larger the first number, the better) was lower than expected as well at 258:1. As a result I have to give this device, on this display using this software (which granted it’s not purposely built for) a UNSATISFACTORY grade. This device plugs in and runs, but I wouldn’t recommend it for accurate color calibration on this display using this software.

Of course I’ll be fair in reminding you that this device is designed for use in calibrating an Eizo FlexScan SX2762W with the EasyPIX software, so I am using it in an unsupported fashion. When using it on the Eizo with the EasyPIX software I got a Display Luminance of 99.7 and a temperature of 6507K. Easy PIX doesn’t report contrast ratio, but overall the results were acceptable on the Eizo. There was still a touch more of a blue cast on the Eizo than the NEC, but I’d say this device does well for what it is designed for, so perhaps there’s some tweak in it for Eizo that doesn’t translate well to NEC and/or SpectraView.

If you are considering a Datacolor device I’d suggest borrowing a friends Datacolor Spyder 3. You can’t return calibration devices so do your own tests to make sure you are happy before purchasing if possible. In fact, the the new Spyder3 Elite might perform better, so try it if you can.

X-Rite ColorMunki PHOTO Spectrophotometer

I was unable to test the ColorMunki Display colorimeter due to the OS not recognizing it for some reason. I plugged it in and tested on my MacBook Pro and Lenovo W510 with no problem so it was an issue specific to my Windows 7 system and this device (perhaps because I had installed the i1Display Pro).

At any rate, I was curious to test its big brother the ColorMunki PHOTO to see how this spectrophotometer would do compared to its big brother, the i1Pro. I ran the test three times and got statistically the same result each time so I was a little disappointed to see that the Delta E was 0.94. Of course this is below 1.0 so in theory this is acceptable.

Ironically with this one the contrast ratio was 615:1 so I’m not sure what to make of that result. The white point was only 14K off its target and the luminance was just 0.4 over 100.0 so to my eyes the result seemed ACCEPTABLE.

NEC SpectraSensor Pro

This device is made by X-Rite for NEC so it should do the best job, right? I must admit that I was shocked when I ran the results and saw that the Delta E was 0.72. At 6543k and a contrast ratio of 513:1, the calibration felt “about right”, but the data proved it was off more than the maximum 0.50 Delta E that I prefer to see for everyday use. Ironically if I used the i1 Pro sensor type in the preferences dialog I was able to get the Delta E to drop to 0.68.

The Delta E was well below 1.0 so I’m going to give this device a GOOD rating.

My only explanation here is that there’s probably some manufacturing tolerance that comes in to play so this is probably considered within specification so it shipped. Your copy might be better than my copy so I wouldn’t consider this to be a wide enough margin for you to refrain from getting this. In fact, I’d let price be your guide because as I said – under 1.0 is going to be impossible for most to notice.

X-Rite i1 Pro UV Cut

This is the most expensive sensor I have on hand, but it is a spectrophotometer so it can do paper profiles too. It did a VERY GOOD job with a 0.32 Delta E and a 469:1 contrast ratio. Of course it cost about 4 to 5 times as much as the other devices so it should do well right?

X-Rite i1Display Pro

Before running these tests my gut feel was that this was the best device, and my testing verified that was correct. In fact I ran this test 3 times just to make sure I wasn’t making a mistake. With a Delta E of 0.23 it performed the best and gave me the result that to my eyes seemed most accurate when soft proofing. Again, there’s probably some variation from unit to unit, but it’s no doubt this one is a dandy.

Conclusion

X-Rite is an industry leader in color management solutions, and a brand I trust. This article simply confirms my belief in their products is valid.

My bottom line advice is that if you aren’t going to be doing your own printing then you don’t need a spectrophotometer. If you are using a monitor that supports hardware calibration then get whatever bundled calibration device is offered with it and the display makers software. If you are going to be doing software calibration then go for the i1Display Pro (Adorama, B&H) if you can afford it, but if not then go for the ColorMunki Display (Adorama, B&H).

Amateur printers should get a ColorMunki PHOTO (Adorama, B&H) as the best cost effective solution. See my color management article to learn why. If you are print master then I’ll have more for you soon in my i1Publish article, so stay tuned to this blog to learn more.

Disclosure

Eizo, NEC, and X-Rite all provided me with calibration devices used in this article. The Eizo EX1 was not intended for this testing, so it was only included because I had it on hand. If you make a purchase using the links in this article I may get a commission, so thanks for supporting my blog by using my links when you are ready to make your purchase.

REVIEW: Eizo FlexScan SX2762W–27” Wide Gamut IPS Photography Display

2012-01-03T21:08:00.001-08:00

Eizo FlexScan SX2762W

In early January 2011 Eizo had a press release for the FlexScan SX2762W that seemed to be too good to be true – a IPS LCD panel with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440, a maximum brightness of 270 cd/m², contrast ratio of 850:1, 6 ms gray-to-gray response time and 178° viewing angles – without the typical several thousand dollar Eizo price tag!

Here are some key features:

Wide color gamut reproduces 97% of the Adobe RGB color space.
10-bit display allows the monitor to show 1.07 billion colors simultaneously from a 16-bit look-up table (LUT).¹
Digital Uniformity Equalizer (DUE) compensates for fluctuations in brightness and chroma uniformity that are characteristic of LCD panels.
EIZO-patented technology stabilizes the brightness after start up or coming out of sleep mode.
Integrated sensor counteracts the influence that changes in ambient temperature have on the display of color tones.
On-screen button guide for easy adjustment in dark work environments.
USB 2.0 hub with one upstream and two downstream ports.
Consumes less than one watt in power save mode and no power when turned off.
Simulation of two types of red-green (protanopia and deuteranopia) and one type of blue-yellow (tritanopia) color blindness.³ This allows designers to ensure their color schemes can be recognized by people with all types of color vision.
Limited five-year manufacturer's warranty.⁴

All of these features add up to a nice display that seems to be more consumer focused than their other offerings. One such feature is its EcoView sensor. This feature puts the display in sleep mode when you aren’t actively moving in front of the display. I had to disable this feature as apparently I don’t move much when I’m working and for photography you want the display running at full operating temperature when you are working, so this feature really isn’t for Photographers.

How does it compare to the CG243W?

The Eizo CG243W is the best monitor I’ve ever used – period. While the SX2762W is nice because it offers a big honking amount of screen real estate and lots of cool new eco friendly features that make it cheaper to operate, I just never liked it as much as the CG243W. I’m probably biased as the CG243W was my first long-term personal experience with Eizo displays, but this display didn’t have that super high-end feel of the CG243W.

From what I can tell, this is not a hand inspected display like the CG series so it doesn’t come with an inspection report. The out of box quality of my test unit was outstanding (no dead pixels, calibrated very well out of the box, and fantastic edge to edge performance).

How does it compare to the NEC PA Series?

See my NEC PA Series article for comparison details.

Very unhappy with the calibration story

Let me state up front that this display supports the superior hardware calibration design and can be calibrated accurately. I just hate how that process works with this display.

Eizo tried to make this display easier to calibrate with its own Eizo branded EX1 Color Sensor, but honestly I hated the EasyPix calibration software. It also really annoyed me that it kept a window open all of the time so my task bar (instead of the system tray) was always occupied with a running app that I couldn’t close. I already own 4 other sensors, yet this display requires you to use their sensor to calibrate which is honestly just lame.

If you haven’t invested in a calibration solution then this shouldn’t deter you as the software works fine and using their sensor makes it very easy to calibrate your display accurately. However, I think hard core calibration geeks with existing hardware will be very frustrated as I was. Eizo users who have used Color Navigator will probably be rather upset at the dumbed down solution of the EasyPIX Software. I give Eizo kudos for trying to simplify the calibration process, but I absolutely dread this product,

WARNING: This display (like all good high-end displays) requires hardware calibration, so you may NOT use a third party calibration solution or software to calibrate it. Doing so is virtually useless.

Ordering

I recommend that you order the FlexScan SX2762W from the company who made this article possible – CHROMiX (makers of the killer color profile analysis tool ColorThink Pro). You can also order Eizo displays from Adorama, Amazon, and B&H, but CHROMiX does price matching and offers Instant Rebates so you should give them a try first.

**** PLEASE enter the word RonMartBlog in the comments section as shown below when ordering ****

Special Offer

I know it sounds cheesy, but I can't actually type out the the price because of an Eizo’s minimum advertised price policy. I can tell you that you will ultimately get $50 off of Eizo's minimum advertised price shown on their web site. You do the math. That's a GREAT price (probably the best on the web). This price also includes free US-48 shipping.

Similar killer deals that are the best on the web are possible with other Eizo displays from CHROMiX, but ONLY if you put RonMartBlog in the comments. You don’t see the price right away, but you can cancel your order if you don’t like the price. Call CHROMiX (877-265-6743, USA & Canada) if you want to know before completing your order.

About CHROMiX

CHROMiX is the one of the first authorized Eizo dealers in the US and one of its largest. They are color management experts who I go to for my color management questions. They also:

Are technically superior supporting Eizo's than anyone
Can provide Color Management-level support to our customers
Can assist you with your end-to-end color management issues

If you are like me you probably have never heard of them before, so I wasn’t too sure what to think about them at first either. However, I can tell you based on my experience that they are great people who you’ll be glad to have on your side when trying to get the perfect color managed workflow. In fact, they are big supporters of the Pacific Northwest Color Management Users Group.

Conclusion

If you are used to an Infiniti or Lexus car and you end up in a Nissan or Toyota that is functionally equivalent to the luxury brand, you can’t help but still think that the product you are in is inferior. Now a data analysis might suggest they are identical, but there’s that subjective thing that keeps getting in the way. This is basically how I feel about this display.

It’s a good product that performs well and is a true Eizo display, but it feels a bit like some magic is missing. I’m sure if I looked at it objectively I’d have to pinpoint my feelings on my desire to have more control over the calibration process using my preferred calibration hardware, so it really isn’t anything to do with the monitor itself. As a result, I think I can honestly give this display a solid recommendation as I can’t imagine anyone not loving the great picture it offers (especially when calibrated) as well as its great size and feature set.

I’d say that Eizo faithful are still probably going to be happier spending the extra money on something like a CG275W, but this display is half the cost of that so it’s hard not to choose this model instead. That’s the magic that NEC has enjoyed with its PA Series, and after having this display side by side to an NEC PA Series for a couple months, I’d say that the picture quality is probably better on this display. Given the superior warranty and Eizo’s good name, it’s tough not to spend the extra bucks and go for the SX2762W.

Disclosure

I was provided with a loaner display for review. I may also get a commission if you make a purchase using the links in this article. Thanks for supporting the blog by using my links!

REVIEW: Black Rapid SnapR Camera Bag + Sling Strap

2012-01-03T01:22:00.001-08:00

Black Rapid SnapR Camera Bag + Sling Strap (SnapR 35 Left, SnapR 20 Right)

BlackRapid has a great reputation for creating high quality camera straps like the RS-7 I reviewed, but until I saw their display at PhotoPlus Expo I had no idea that they also made a camera bag. I was very impressed with the SnapR product line when I first saw it because typical bags for this size are simply plastic pouches with cheap zippers, velcro or snaps. What I really wanted for my G12 and X10 was something that was built like a ThinkTankPhoto bag, but BlackRapid took that wish to the next level and threw in even more.

Here’s a short little video that shows how this bag not only offers a rapid strap, but also a hand strap for the bag or just for the camera. The net result is a nice design that offers multiple ways to transport and protect your camera:

Play in HD

SnapR 35 – Great for Mirrorless and Micro Four Thirds Cameras

SnapR 35 with a Nikon 1 V1 and 10-30mm lens

The first SnapR that I got my hands on was the 35 which was great because I was in the middle of my point and shoot comparison testing. It could hold my biggest camera, the V1, so everything else would work too. I loved having this bag for this testing and it was awesome for the bulky V1. I could even put the 10mm lens in the side pocket:

SnapR 35 with Nikon 1 10mm lens in the side pocket
with a V1 (with 10-30mm attached) zipped in the main compartment

It was too small to hold the massive 10-100mm lens, but I suspect few V1 owners would consider this bag if they had that big lens anyway. This is really a bag for those traveling light as this bag will hold the essentials in its two side pockets.

I tend to carry my smaller flip cage in the outer pocket (but it won’t zip when I do that) so I can have a tripod on the go. The iPhone also fits nicely in the outside pocket too!

SnapR 20 – Great for Mid-Size Point and Shoots like the Canon G12 & Fujifilm X Series

SnapR 20 with Fujifilm X10 inside (lens cap on)

Since I own a Canon G12 and now a new Fujifilm X10, I decided that the SnapR 35 was a little more bulky that what I needed for my cameras. As a result I decided to try out the SnapR 20 to see if it was a better solution for my cameras. It turns out that the G12 fits perfectly and the X10 fits, but it’s a little snug for rapid insert and removals with the lens cap on. It glides in and out better without the lens cap off, but I always want my lens cap on so I’ve just dealt with the snug fit. I’ve also kept my camera strap on the X10 which really isn’t needed with this bag, so that would free up some space too. Personally I’d rather the smaller bag since it works for my X10 and is a perfect fit (with plenty of space) for my G12.

Here’s a shot of how my X10 is attached by its tripod mount to the shoulder strap for a true BlackRapid experience:

The built-in shoulder rapid strap means you are always connected
by the tripod mount for rapid removal, stability, and safety

Using the SnapR

The SnapR is more than just a camera bag. It’s a versatile camera strap system. You can make it as simple as a wrist strap design as shown here:

Wrist Strap Connection
Photo Courtesy of BlackRapid

Or you can leave the camera attached to the rapid strap as shown here (my preference):

SnapR 10 shown with rapid strap use in action
Photo Courtesy of BlackRapid

When you are done using the camera you just leave it attached and insert it upside down back into the case as shown here:

Cameras are inserted upside down while still attached for rapid and safe removal
Photo Courtesy of BlackRapid

It’s a really cool design that works better in practice than you might think.

These are great bags with a sturdy external design, strong clips, and a super soft interior that won’t hurt your LCD or lens.There’s also a quick release zipper design for the front pouch that makes it really quick to remove your camera and pull it up the rapid strap.

Conclusion

Plain and simple – if you own a camera smaller than a DSLR and you want a great case and strap for on the go action, this is your bag. I’ve seen nothing on the market that I’ve liked as much so I highly recommend this product!

If you own a thin point and shoot like a Canon s100 then order the SnapR 10, if you have a mid-side point and shoot like a Canon G12, Fujifilm X10 or X100, then order the SnapR 20. If you have a mirrorless or micro four thirds camera that’s a little bigger then order the SnapR 35.

Disclosure

I was provided with sample bags for evaluation by BlackRapid and I may make a commission if you make a purchase using links on this blog. I believe in this product and use it personally, so I can honestly say that I would have bought it even if I wasn’t provided with sample bags by BlackRapid.

I live in the Seattle area so I was actually surprised to find out that BlackRapid is actually based in the Fremont area of Metropolitan Seattle, so that kinda gave me an extra reason to like them.

Guest Blog: Five reasons to try out Digital Photo Professional by Andrew S. Gibson

2012-01-01T01:37:00.001-08:00

Canon Digital Photo Professional

Andrew S. Gibson is an expert on the Digital Photo Professional software that comes on the CD included with all Canon cameras. While most people ignore this software, he’d like to talk about a few reasons why you should consider installing it. Personally I use it as my RAW file processor when I need the best results out of RAW image, even though I’m no fan of its dated user-interface. Andrew has a few thoughts thoughts that might make you reconsider the usefulness of Digital Photo Professional (DPP). Here they are in his own words…

What Raw conversion software do you prefer to use? If you have a Canon EOS digital SLR, you're probably aware that it came with a free copy of Digital Photo Professional, Canon's proprietary Raw conversion software. What you may not know is that while it's not as advanced as applications like Lightroom 3, it's still a very good program. I know photographers who use nothing else. If you haven't yet, here are five reasons to try out Digital Photo Professional.

It's free – and so are updates.
Yes, that's right. DPP is free and presumably always will be. It means that there's no immediate need to buy Raw conversion software if you've just bought your first Canon digital SLR. You can get started with DPP, and buy a more advanced program sometime in the future if you need to. DPP doesn't do everything – it's a Raw converter, not an editing program; but it works well in conjunction with an inexpensive editing program like the latest version of Photoshop Elements.

Tip: If you purchased your EOS camera some time ago, you won't have the latest version of DPP. You can download an update from http://software.canon-europe.com/ (and Canon USA). It's free, but you do need an earlier version of DPP installed on your computer for the update to work.
DPP works in harmony with your EOS camera
The controls in DPP mirror those on your EOS camera. For example, settings like white balance, Picture Style, Auto Lighting Optimizer and Peripheral Illumination Correction can all be set in DPP as well as your camera, as long as you are shooting in Raw.
DPP has a Canon lens database
DPP's database contains lens correction information for the majority of Canon lenses. You can use DPP to correct the effects of vignetting, chromatic aberration and barrel or pincushion distortion.
You can download extra Picture Styles
EOS cameras (and DPP) come with six built-in Picture Styles. You can download another six Picture Styles from the Canon Japan website and either upload them to your camera or use them in DPP. You can even create your own Picture Styles with the Picture Style Editor application that also comes with your camera.
DPP is ideal for beginners
For me, this is one of DPP's biggest advantages. I know (I've seen the queries on photography forums) that there are a lot of photographers who are new to Raw processing and somewhat put off by the expense and complexity of programs like Lightroom. While is not as advanced; DPP is much much simpler and easier to learn than Lightroom. As it also works in harmony with your camera's settings (see point two) it is an ideal way for newcomers to Raw processing to learn.

Understanding DPP

There isn't much written material available to help you learn to use DPP. Until now, that is, as I've just written an eBook called 'Understanding DPP' aimed at photographers who would like to learn to use the software. Understanding DPP is the most comprehensive resource that I've seen. It's available here and for a limited time only readers of Ron's blog can get a discount of £2 on the selling price. Just enter the discount code Ron2 when you checkout to get the deal.

The offer lasts until the end of January, 2012.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make purchases using links found in this article.

How to Print a 4x6 sheet of prints with the Canon Print Plug-In (UPDATED: 1/1/2012)

2011-12-31T14:40:00.001-08:00

How to Print a 4x6 sheet of prints with the Canon Print Plug-In
Start by Exporting an Image Strip from Lightroom (or QImage)

WARNING: In this example I’m using a 24” wide roll of paper, but if you are using a different size (i.e., 17” or 44”) then you should replace every occurrence of 24 with the width your paper roll.

In Lightroom (I’m using 3.6), you need to create a new Single Image/Contact Sheet layout style with rotate to fit. For the layout section all the margins and cell spacing must be zero, the rows should be 1 (but it can be more if you want) and the columns should be 6. The cell size should be 6.00 in height by 4.00 in width. See the photo above for my settings.
In Lightroom you won’t print to the printer but instead you’ll choose Print To: JPEG File and set the file resolution to 300, the JPEG quality to 100 and the custom file dimension to 24.00 in x 6.00 in. Since I’m printing to JPEG I just choose sRGB for the profile and Relative for the rendering intent. Some will argue with my settings, but honestly for 4x6 prints this is fine as I don’t consider 4x6 to be fine art. :)
You can now open this JPEG up in Photoshop (required – both CS4 and CS5 work for me). DPP should work but doesn’t because it has a 6000x6000 pixel size minimum requirement for some stupid reason.
In Photoshop you have to choose File | Export and in my case I’ll choose iPF6300 Print Plug-In…
Go to the Page Setup tab and choose Borderless Printing (Input Image Size should say Width 24.00in x Height 6.00in – if it doesn’t, go create your JPEG again in Lightroom). Orientation must say Portrait and Paper Source must be Roll Paper. The Roll Paper Options must say Automatic Cutting Available and the checkbox for No Spaces at Top or Bottom (Conserve Paper) MUST BE CHECKED!
For the Main tab choose your settings as usual. Again, for something like this I’d usually use the Canon Premium RC Photo Luster paper with the Print Mode set to Highest and Output Profile to Auto (Color) (because it’s a Canon Paper) and Matching Method set to Perceptual (People, Dark Areas) (only available with the Auto (Color) option). You can set this page to anything you like as only the Page Setup is important here.

Here’s how I configure my Main tab

Here’s how I configure my Page Setup tab

Conclusion

I hope this helps people. Use the comments below if you have any questions. I’ve only tried it out on a iPF6300, but it should work on anything that uses this plug-in. The key thing to remember is that I’m using a 24” wide roll of paper. If you are using a different size (i.e., 17” or 44”) then you should replace every occurrence of 24 with the width your paper roll.

If you enjoyed this article please consider making a donation. You may also enjoy my Printing 101 eBook and my printing series articles.

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using the links in this article I may get a commission.

Tripod Recommendations–2011 (Updated 12-31-2011)

2011-12-31T04:16:00.000-08:00

Recommended Tripods From Left to Right:
Gitzo GT3530LS, Slik 700DX, Gitzo GT2531EX & GT1541
Photo by Ron Martinsen - All Rights Reserved

Thom Hogan back in 2003 wrote the definitive article on tripods where he states that he can save you at least $700 if you by the right stuff the first time, but I didn’t listen. I followed the exact path he says most consumers follow and guess what – he was right. I ended up wasting about $700!

As great as Thom’s article is, it’s woefully out of date which is no surprise giving the dizzying array of tripod choices. In this article I hope to offer some selections based on my conversations with experts at B&H as well as a non-scientific poll of pro photographers and club members.

My objective was to find at least 4 excellent tripods that met the needs of most photographers, and I’ve accomplished that goal. I think all of the tripods I’ll mention are an excellent investment and worth owning, but which one depends on your needs. Like most things in photography, there is no good “one-size fits all” solution. I REALLY wish there was, but there isn’t.

Like you, I face the dilemma of needing to purchase a new tripod myself and as much as I wish to win the lottery, I haven’t. As a result, I must decide where to spend my limited resources for my next tripod so I invite you to join me as I go in-depth on my research on each of these tripods.

My needs may not be the same as yours, so you can purchase any of these with confidence that you aren’t getting a piece of junk that you’ll replace in a few months. However, there are tradeoffs for each one so consider your needs carefully before making the right choice. Going for the cheapest, the most expensive, the lightest, or the most flexible could be a critical mistake if you don’t really give thought to how you’ll actually use your tripod.

My 2011 Tripod Recommendations

Thanks to the great people at B&H,I have had the pleasure of reviewing some of the coolest Gitzo tripods on the market right now as well as a excellent value tripod by Slik & Induro.

The models featured in this multi-part series are:

Slik 700DX Pro Tripod Legs (Titanium Finish) (Review)– For less than $100 (on 5/4/2011), these are excellent tripod legs for the money. I’ve always wanted to have a economy set of legs to recommend, and now I have found one. It’s no wonder these have earned a 5 star rating from over 40 reviewers (as of 5/4/2011) on B&H. Naturally there are major trade-offs at this price point, but these will get the job done without breaking your back or bank account.
Gitzo GT1541 Mountaineer 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs - Supports 17.6 lbs (8kg) (Review) – I LOVE these legs! The best tripod is the one you have with you, and when your tripod is too big and bulky to carry around it’s easy to leave it at home. These are easy to attach to your backpack and carry all day, so for hikers you’ll love hearing more about this really awesome set of legs. In fact, I loved them so much that I bought these legs in August 2011 at B&H (for the same price you would pay).
Induro Carbon 8x CT014 Tripod Legs – Supports 11 lbs (5kg) (Review) – Lust for the Gitzo GT1541, but just just can’t swing the price? This is a great alternative for $401 less (at the time of this writing), but be sure to read my warning about the stud height.
Gitzo GT2531EX 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs - Supports 26.5 lbs (12kg) (Review) – These legs feature the killer cool rapid column and a revolutionary locking design that make this the Spiderman of tripod legs. There’s basically nothing you can’t do with these legs.
Gitzo GT3530LS Long Systematic 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Review) – With no center column to reduce stability, this is basically your portable wall that can handle up to 39.6 lbs (18kg). If you are using a gimbal head to hold a big lens, then this is the ultimate solution for being able to handle big weight without carrying a tripod that weighs more than your big lens!

You will notice that there are no Bogen Manfrotto legs in this list. This is because the legs I replace are Bogen Manfrotto and they have really let me down. I’ve had some serious problems with Manfrotto products over the last year, and my current Bogen Manfrotto legs are falling apart (see my Induro CT014 review for details). As a result, I went to the brand that everyone seems to trust the most – Gizto for what is arguably the best legs in the business. To learn more about Gitzo, visit http://www.gitzo.com/.

What about Heads & Kits?

In August 2011, I did a tripod head comparison where you can learn more about some of the great products on the market.

Here’s what I use:

When it comes to heads my favorite is the BH-55 made by Really Right Stuff (RRS). This is a big endorsement too because I DO NOT get a commission if you buy from them. I am in NO WAY affiliated with RRS, but I’ve had well over 50 well respected pros say there’s nothing better in the business. RRS doesn’t endorse or sponsor pros (that I am aware of) so they have to make a recommendation like that, I think it is because they believe it - and for no other reason. Yes, they really are that good.

Yes, they are insane expensive. I hate the price and I resisted them for years because I thought it was nuts to spend that much money on a stupid head. I still feel that way, but the BH-55 is the head to get – period. It’s durable, flexible, and works extremely well. Am I biased, hell yes. Am I fanboy, hell yes. This is the last ball head you need to buy (well until RRS comes up with something better, but they have other ways to get thousands more of your hard earned dollars).

Yes, they nickel and dime you to death. Yes, their web site sucks. Yes, they shouldn’t cost that much. Yes, there are Acratech, Arca-Swiss, Gitzo, Induro, Kirk, Markins, etc… that people will swear on the Internet that are just as good or better. I encourage you to read my tripod head comparison article to see how they stack up against this head and make an informed decision about which head is right for you.

But what about the BH-40?

Don’t buy a BH-40 new, instead search for one used. You’ll find plenty. It’s a great head, but you’ll find that most end up needing the added support of the BH-55, so this becomes a frequent buyers remorse purchase that ends up on the used market so that the person in question can get the BH-55.

What about Monopods?

Click here to see my monopod recommendations article.

Will you be doing any other tripod reviews?

Yes. Like many of you out there, I have limited funds and would love a tripod that met more of my needs than any of the offerings in this series. I love them all, but all have trade-offs that cause me to pause when spending this kind of money (excluding the Slik & Induro). If in the future I find a better tripod, I will update this article to include a link to my review.

Links to Tripod Reviews

I am doing in-depth reviews of EACH of the tripods mentioned at the top of this article. Come back to this page and click the links below (when they become live) to see my reviews and photos of my 2011 tripod recommendations:

Slik 700DX Pro Tripod Legs (Titanium Finish) – Review
Gitzo GT1541 Mountaineer 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs – Review (I bought this one in August 2011)
Gitzo GT2531EX 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs – Review
Gitzo GT3530LS Long Systematic 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs – Review
Induro Carbon 8x CT014 Tripod Legs – Review (see the warning in the review)
Velbon GEO E540 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod – Review coming soon (not recommended)

Disclosure

B&H has provided me with the tripods featured in this series on a loaner basis. I do not get to keep them and will be returning them back to B&H if I choose not to buy them. I will probably purchase one using my own money with no special discount from B&H or the maker. Induro, Gitzo and Slik had nothing to do with this article and as of this point and time I’ve never spoken to anyone from either company.

The selections made from this article were purely based on popularity recommendations from a variety of sources. I make no guarantees of any type, but all products that I am considering to purchase for my own needs. I am simply sharing my shopping experience with you.

If you purchase using the links in the article from B&H, I may get a commission. Thank you for supporting this blog by using my links when you make your purchase.

Monopod Comparison – Gitzo, Manfrotto & Slik

2011-12-30T05:19:00.001-08:00

Gitzo GM3551, Gitzo GM5541, Manfrotto 681B, & Slik 350

When I did my tripod recommendations article, I had no idea it would be so popular. It seems that many of you were just as confused as I was about the dizzying array of choices and were just as eager as me for someone to narrow the selection down to a few reasonable choices. So I’ve decided to do the same as I’ve done with my tripods and tripod head comparisons and compare some of most common monopods sold today according to my friends at B&H.

My current monopod is a Manfrotto 3245 Automatic Monopod similar to this, and honestly I didn’t realize how bad it sucked until I tested the monopods for this article. ANY of them are better than the automatic monopod design. The reason why is that the automatic monopod design tends to wear out over time which causes the lens to drop when shooting intense action.

Testing Methodology

I tested these monopods doing activities such as shooting a professional football game, Christmas lights at night, and general photography usage. My conclusions are based on the performance and usability of these models that I tested. Naturally there are bunch of models that I didn’t test, but I feel I have a good representation of what people are buying today based on a variety of needs.

Why Should I Buy A Monopod?

I realize a lot of my readers are new to photography so you may be wondering what a monopod is and why you need one – especially if you already have a tripod. The reasons for owning a monopod are simple:

It’s more compact and lighter than a tripod which makes it ideal for hiking and travel;
it can usually be used at places where tripods are forbidden or require expensive permits (tripods are often considered a safety hazard at crowded locations);
it allows for fast mobility (great for sporting events where you may be dodging athletes;
it provides more support than hand-held, yet offers nearly the same amount of freedom;
it is great for panning;
and they are much more economical (no expensive head is required)

With this said, YOU STILL NEED A TRIPOD. Tripods are required for long exposures and that is something that a monopod is still not suited to do (but works better than handheld in a pinch). Tripods are also superior for times when your shutter speed needs to drop below the minimum speed required by your lens (i.e., 1 / (<focal length> * <camera crop factor>) – e.g., 1/200*1.6 or 1/320 sec for a 70-200mm lens at 200mm on a 1.6x crop camera like a 7D or 60D).

My thoughts on the models tested

Gitzo GM3551, Gitzo GM5541, Manfrotto 681B, & Slik 350 Extended

In the following sections I discuss each monopod’s pros and cons as well as offer my recommendation. These findings are my own subjective opinions which may differ from others so I encourage you to purchase from a place with a no hassle return policy and make your own informed decision.

Gitzo GM3551 – Ron’s Recommendation for Non-Big Prime Glass Usage (which is most mere mortals)

Gitzo GM3551

The GM3551 is a very compelling monopod because it is fairly lightweight at 1.4 lbs (620g), yet it supports 39.6 lbs (18 kg) thanks to its use of carbon fiber. I’m a big fan of Gitzo tripods, so I was immediately drawn to this one.

When collapsed this monopod is 21.3” (54 cm) which actually made it the 2nd shorted collapsed monopod of the bunch. However, it was the tallest of all models tested because extended it reaches an astonishing 75.6” (192 cm). That is taller than my 6’1” body! As a result I felt like I could have done without its fifth leg and gone with a shorter model to save weight and collapsed length. In testing I tried to avoid extending the last leg segment which made it feel like a 4 segment monopod.

I really enjoyed the beefy and seemingly durable foam grip and the thick wrist strap of this model. Both Gtizos really shined with that feature and their trademarked Anti-Rotation Leg (ALR) System made it the fastest to extend, and the most durable to travel with. Really the only other major fault I could find with this monopod was its price, but as the saying goes – you get what you pay for!

Sadly the 4 section GM2541 wasn’t a good alternative to me as it can only support 24.6 lbs (12.0 kg), yet is only 0.3” shorter and 0.3 lbs lighter. While you could save $50 by going with this model, I think it’s smarter to have the sturdier GM3551. I also don’t recommend the GM2561T for anything beyond point and shoot camera use as it simply isn’t suitable for telephoto zooms like the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR/IS lenses that no photographer should be without.

I’d recommend this model for anyone shooting with lenses weighing under 4 lbs (1.815 kg).

NOTE: My personal rule of thumb is that I want my gear to max out at 20% – 25% of the weight capacity of my monopod for maximum stability because I bear down hard on my camera during pans. Some may disagree with this recommendation, but I find in practice that it is a good rule of thumb.

Gitzo GM5541 – The Sports & Bird Photographers Ideal Choice

Gitzo GM5541

This thing is a beast that can double as a baseball bat or weapon in a back alley street fight! Seriously, it’s so wide at the stop that some smaller shooters may not be able to wrap their hands around it completely. However, if you are going to be shooting with a big 300mm f/2.8 or 400mm f/2.8 lens, then this is the monopod you want. In fact, when I recently shot a professional football game this was the one I immediately reached for as I knew it could handle the load of any lens I’d be using that day.

When collapsed this beast is only 21.7” (55 cm) thanks to its 4 leg section design, yet it still extends to a respectable 63.8” (162 cm). This was virtual identical to the Manfrotto and Slik, and about what I’d call the perfect height for most applications.

With a staggering load capacity of 55 lbs (25 kg), I’d be easily comfortable with putting a pro body and a 600mm lens on this one. Of course this massive load capacity comes at a cost of weight, but at 1.9 lbs (0.9 kg) I found it to be totally manageable to carry around in my hand for a long length of time.

With an identical design to the GM3551, but with one less segment, I’d say this is the perfect sports or bird photographer monopod. If you aren’t going to be shooting with big gun prime lenses then GM3551 makes more practical sense.However, I think this is one of those investments that you’d make and never need to revisit again.

If I had the spare cash to buy a new monopod today, this would be it.

Manfrotto 681B – The Budget Solution for Non-Pro Gear

Manfrotto 681B

Honestly the best thing I can say about this monopod is that it is inexpensive, but also keep in mind that you get what you pay for. In this case you end up with a 1.7 lb (0.77 kg) monopod that feels just as heavy in your hand as the GM5541, yet it can only handle a measly 26.5 lbs (12 kg). However the part that bugs me the most is that it uses the crappy Manfrotto flip levers that break easily if the goons at the airlines ever handle your gear.

What I disliked the most about this monopod was that it only has 3 sections so its folded length was the longest of all models tested at 26.4” (67 cm), yet its maximum height of 63.8” (162 cm) was the same as the Slik and the GT5541.

I wasn’t a big fan of the hand strap on this one, so my advice is for readers to steer away from this model. If you are really on a tight budget, I’d probably take a look at the Induro CM34 as an option to consider as I’ve found their carbon fiber tripods to be a much solution than a Manfrotto product and the Slik unit in this article.

Slik 350 – The Point & Shoot Photographers Solution

Slik 350

Let me be clear when I say that I do not recommend this for any DSLR shooter. I consider this to be a great choice for point and shoot cameras (including mirrorless and micro four third cameras). While the flip levers drive me nuts due to their fragile design, it’s hard to beat the value of this unit over the carbon fiber twist lock design of the 382 that doesn’t really support any more weight than this one.

This is a simple 4 section design that extends to 63” (160 cm) yet it was the shortest folded unit (20.5”) in this test. It was also the lightest at 0.65 lbs which makes sense given its 11.02 lb (4998 gr) load.

I really enjoyed using it with my point and shoot for shots like this that probably would have totally failed had I tried entirely freehand:

Multiple-Exposure Pano (in-camera stitching) taken with a Fujifilm X10 on a Slik 350 monopod

Click here to learn more about the Slik 350 on B&H’s website.

What about heads?

Simply put, I don’t recommend using a head on a monopod. If you have really big glass you might consider a gimbal head, but honestly I’d rather use that on a tripod. I’ve tried various ball heads and other solutions and I simply didn’t care for them. If I need a different angle I just tilt the monopod to get the angle I need and shoot.

Conclusion

Just like with tripods, Gitzo offers a great selection of products but for a painful price. I know Gitzo is distributed by Manfrotto in the US, but they are entirely different build quality (it’s like comparing a Fiat to a Ferrari).

Monopods are certainly a place where you can cut corners in the never ending photography gear spending. However, I recommend all DSLR photographers consider a wise investment in a monopod that can support at least 30 lbs (13.6 kg) and can extend to 63 inches (160 cm). I also advise a twist lock design and a traditional design over the failure prone automatic gimmick design. This means for those units featured here, my best overall solution has to be the GM3551 unless you’ll be shooting with big heavy primes (5 lbs+) in which case you’d be wise to get the GM5541.

If you are really on a tight budget, I’d probably take a look at the Induro CM34 as an option to consider as I’ve found their carbon fiber tripods to be a much solution than a Manfrotto product and the Slik unit in this article.

Disclosure

I worked closely with B&H for recommendations based on the advice of their monopod experts and sales history. My goal was to have popular monopods with different price points and configurations. If you make a purchase using links in this article, I may get a commission.

Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, Canon s100 Real World Video Test

2011-12-28T00:29:00.001-08:00

Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, Canon s100 Real World Video Test 1 – Camera Setup

NOTE: This is part of my Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, & Canon s100 comparison articles. I highly recommend you enjoy this link before or after reading this article.

How many times have you looked at a video samples online of camera that you were considering buying, only to discover that the quality when you used it sucked? The reason why I think this happens is that reviewers don’t want to embarrass themselves by showing real-world video, but rather they’ll shoot video in ideal conditions and in some cases even post-process their videos to give you the image you want to see – not what you’ll really see. Well I hate those kind of reviews because I always feel so let down when I try the product myself and get crappy results. As a result I decided to sacrifice my perception as a photographer by shooting video in the EXACT conditions I would for real-life family events in my home.

It’s much like my Let the eyes tell the story notebook entry where I show how $12k+ worth of equipment can still give you a muddy looking shot if you don’t take time to process the photo. These videos can probably be cleaned up and of course you can always use manual settings to improve the results, but this is real world out of the box experience stuff here, so I hope you enjoy it!

Methodology

I lined all three cameras up in the same spot and had my wife start them all at roughly the same time so that there would be no advantage to one camera over another. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions based on what you see, but I know which camera I’d trust for my real-world family videos.

Since I didn’t have three tripods (anymore :)), I used my Gary Fong Flip Cage for the s100 and V1. For the X10 I used my tripod simply because the other cameras were already on the flip cages from my previous work. Before conspiracy theorists flip out, all three cameras demonstrated excellent stability during the video so this variable shouldn’t have any impact on the outcome.

In real life I wouldn’t use any support for video as I am no videographer – I’m just a point and record consumer when it comes to video. However, to reduce controversy I set up all cameras on stable support and pointed them to roughly the same spot (all three have different zoom lenses and crop factors, so this is an approximation).

This is not a test of video stability, my cinematography skills, or the level of the camera – this is a ballpark estimation of a real world usage. In fact on Christmas day I shot from both spots featured in these videos, so I consider this to be a real world scenario in my household.

Test 1 – Mixed Lighting in Dark Room

Natural window light from the left, tungsten back light and mixed light on the subject
with a shadow of the tree – it doesn’t get much worse than this

For this my goal was pretty much show the worst real-world scenario I’d likely get in real life to see how each of these cameras performed. I hate shooting anything in this room, but it’s the best place for the Christmas tree so I’m fighting all odds in here all the time. The tall cathedral ceilings don’t help either as little light gets reflected back down on the subjects.

All cameras were at maximum video resolution with factory default settings. Here’s the results in alphabetical order:

Canon s100

Play in HD

The Canon s100 did a reasonable job with the exposure, but it is still a bit on the dark side (although not as much as the Nikon V1). The white balance feels a bit cold on me, but perfect on the background. The focus and depth of field were rock solid. I’d say that it got the job done reasonably well – especially given its cost compared to the other cameras.

Fujifilm X10

Play in HD

The Fuji X10’s light meter nailed this exposure to produce the best overall result, but the AF system was a bit off. There seems to be more of a shallow depth of a field on this video as well.

Nikon 1 V1

Play in HD

The Nikon V1 did the best job of autofocusing and the image is pretty good, but the light meter sucks so it is way under exposed. I was also unimpressed with the auto white balance.

For reference, 10-30mm lens was used in this and the next video.

Test 2

Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, Canon s100 Real World Video Test 2 – Camera Setup

Good natural light was available for test 2

For this video I gave the cameras a little more help by facing myself towards a window that allows ample natural light through the window. It was about 4:00 PM in December in Seattle on a typical overcast day, so the light is diffused very evenly. The temperature is a bit cool, but easy for Auto White Balance (AWB) to do its job.

Canon s100

Play in HD

This video shows the lack of dynamic range of the s100 as the dark colors on me and the shades of green on the dinosaur get rather muddied. The white balance is reasonable, the audio is decent, and depth of field is good. I felt like the autofocus was bang on.

Fujifilm X10

Play in HD

The excellent dynamic range of the X10 really shines here. You can see that my shirt is a darker gray and that my jeans are dark blue. The full range of colors on the dinosaur are present and the auto white balance is excellent. I felt the autofocus and depth of field were much better in this video and the sound is acceptable for a point and shoot camera. The reds are rendered very well on the toys in the foreground as well.

Nikon 1 V1

Play in HD

Again the Nikon meter just misses its mark. The image quality and noise level is excellent. I can tell that the dynamic range of the foreground toy is very good, but it’s hard to tell farther back as the underexposure muddies everything.

A word about video editing software

I’d like to point out that all three camera companies have not stepped up to deliver a usable video editing solution for these cameras. Even simple tasks like clipping off a little of the video on the beginning or end is easier done on YouTube than with their bundled software. As a result if you are going to be doing anything serious with video you’ll need to invest in a better solution or rely on software bundled with your operating system. Thus far Adobe Premiere Elements 10 has been the easiest to use product that I’ve used for simple editing, and video is one area where the Mac is clearly the preferred platform for the video editing experience. I’ve been very disappointed with Final Cut Express and the full version of Adobe Premiere, and I have yet to try Vegas.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, I think it is easy for you to reach your own conclusions on this one. This isn’t rocket science – it’s just record, upload to YouTube, and play the results. I should also note that the HD results on YouTube are a fair representation of what I see from the originally captured videos.

NOTE: This is part of my Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, & Canon s100 comparison articles. I highly recommend you enjoy this link before or after reading this article.

Disclaimer

I’d like to thank B&H for loaning me the cameras for this review. The Nikon and Canon cameras were returned after this review and I purchased the X10 for my personal use. I may get a commission if you make purchases using the links in this article – thanks for supporting my blog by using my links.

REVIEW: Nikon 1 V1 with 10mm, 10-30mm, and 10-100mm Lenses (UPDATED: 12/28/11)

2011-12-28T00:05:00.000-08:00

Nikon 1 V1 shown with 10mm, 10-30mm and 10-100mm interchangeable lenses

Nikon caused quite a stir at the PhotoPlus Expo in October 2011 with the release of the Nikon 1 Mirrorless camera. It also caused quite a bit of confusion with the J1 and V1 models as consumers weren’t initially sure which model was the right one for them (pun intended). In this article I’ll dive into these topics and more to help you understand my personal opinion of this camera after using it for about 2 months.

J1 vs. V1

The J1 is the version that comes in sexy colors

The J1 model is the dumbed down version of the Nikon 1 cameras. It features sexy colors and a slightly smaller size (including a much lower resolution rear display), but sensor-wise is identical to its V1 sibling.Both cameras use the CX mount so you can mix and match lenses between both the V1 and J1 as you see fit (which can be handy for the his & hers scenarios).

For my review I avoided the dumbed down J1 as I was very unimpressed with it when I first used it at the PhotoPlus Expo in October 2011.

My advice to all readers is that if you are considering a Nikon 1 camera, then go for the V1. It’s build quality, display quality and features all make it a better value than its cheaper sibling (despite the additional cost).

Features

This camera sounds kind a neat on paper. It has a motion snapshot feature where it takes a short video clip with your choice of theme music. In my testing this feature played the audio in-camera, but when playing it back on the computer the audio track was absent.

This camera also has a best shot mode where you press the shutter button once and it will take a burst of shots. In-camera the camera selects the best one, but on the computer (including in Capture NX2) all the images are shown so you must do your image pruning in-camera or this feature is useless.

One nice feature Nikon touts about this camera is that you can take a photo while you are shooting video without interrupting the video. This isn’t something that I normally do so I did not test this feature in-depth.

One very useful feature is the hi-speed electronic shutter. In this mode the camera blasts up to 60fps. Of course this is really just a video that has been broken apart into still images, so most cameras that support video can get the same result simply by extracting single frames from the video. This feature makes this camera sound like a speed demon, but the reality is that this feature is a bit of marketing smoke and mirrors. The real burst mode at full resolution isn’t that impressive at 5fps.

The Nikon 1 V1 has a 2.7x crop factor (versus a 4x for the Fujifilm Finepix X10, and a 1.5x for the Fujifilm Finepix X100). This means that in theory it should have higher resolution image files, but in practice I didn’t find this to be the case.

The Interchangeable Lenses

One advantage of the Nikon 1 V1 over the point and shoots I’ve compared recently is that it offers interchangeable lenses. Here are some photos that show the lenses I tested installed on the Nikon 1 V1 which is attached to a Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro:

Nikon V1 10mm f/2.8 CX Format Lens
Shown on a Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro

10mm f/2.8 CX Format Lens was a great performer in my testing, but its lack of zoom made it difficult to keep on the camera. However, if you want good images out of this camera this is the lens you should be using. Of course, at this price point the Fujifilm X100 makes a lot more sense. If you are going to be stuck with a 10mm fixed length lens – at least the X100 camera takes amazing quality shots. The x100 also nails the shot once you get a focus lock (which can be tricky indoors sometimes).

Nikon V1 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 CX Format Lens
Shown on a Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro

If you have this lens in your line up then it will be the one you’ll keep on your camera most often. However, the problem with that is that this lens disappointed me more often than it made me sing its praises. While I wouldn’t call it a horrible lens, I would say that its image quality is below the quality of your average entry level DSLR kit lens. If you can accept that quality, then you are rewarded with a nice compact zoom with a reasonable range for typical daily shooting.

Nikon V1 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 PD-Zoom Lens for CX Format
Shown on a Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro

I wouldn’t advise anyone to buy this lens. Simply put, I think it sucks. The image quality is poor and its freakin huge. Now huge lenses with great image quality like the 70-200 from Nikon are worth the extra weight, but that is not the case here. This beast gives you dull, dark images that look like they were from a really cheap kit lens. Zoom is also done via a motorized zoom on the lens which is slow as molasses (no manual twist zoom is possible).

Living with the Nikon 1 V1

My biggest gripe about this camera is that manual mode is about the only way to get a good sharp shot indoors. It frequently would take images that seemed okay when looking at the wonderful rear LCD, but when evaluating them on the computer most were typically blurry. As a result, of the 24 images I took of my model only the following two were usable:

Unprocessed In-Camera JPEG using Nikon V1 10mm f/2.8 CX Format Lens
Aperture Priority f/5.6 1/25 sec Auto ISO (800)
Lens Distortion and working distance at 10mm was not pleasant

Nikon V1 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 CX Format Lens
Aperture Priority f/5.6 1/30 sec Auto ISO (640)

These shots were taken under identical conditions and at the same time as those featured in my X10 and s100 reviews.The V1 even had the advantage of having two lenses used during the testing so it had twice the chance to get great results, but it failed. I did not photograph this model with the 10-100mm due to time restraints (I had to do a real shoot afterwards).

Not only were the images darker than the point and shoot counterparts, they were blurry and generally unimpressive. Now I should have shot the 10mm fixed lens at 2.8, but this was the third camera I shot with so at the time I was trying to choose an aperture that would work for a side-by-side comparison on all three cameras I was testing. In retrospect I’d probably do things differently now, but there’s still no escaping the fact that the camera’s auto ISO didn’t choose a value that was sufficient enough to get me the shutter speed needed to photograph this model who I instructed to be perfectly still for each frame.

Of my casual testing where my wife or I used this camera as I would our G12, we had 95% of the shots come out unacceptably blurry. Fortunately for events like Thanksgiving we had multiple cameras so the event wasn’t lost, but if I was a V1 owner I would have returned it to B&H after the Thanksgiving failure. To be fair, I treated this camera like the point and shoots so I stuck with full auto or aperture priority most of the time. What I learned about this camera in my testing is that those modes can’t be trusted and it is really a camera that requires full manual. When you review the shutter speeds and ISO the camera chose it frequently was just way off. Perhaps a firmware update will address this problem, but I’d have to rate this camera as unacceptable for this reason.

When photographing my 2 1/2 year old toddler, this camera failed miserably every time. This was primarily due to the camera always choosing slow shutter speeds and it having a slow burst mode. During my testing I did not get a single shot worth keeping, despite this camera’s seemingly fast auto-focus system. Getting the focus quickly is only useful if you are in manual or if the camera choosing a reasonable shutter speed, but that didn’t happen in real world testing even in good lighting conditions.

The lack of a built-in flash is troublesome, but the problem is compounded by the fact that in most real-world scenarios you need great glass to give you the light you need. In the case of the V1, the lenses appear to be very substandard. However, that’s not all – the auto ISO feature tends to be too low, so even manual shooters will have to rely on manual ISO settings to get the shot.

Beyond a really great rear LCD and cool design of this camera, there was little that I liked about it in real world use. In fact, in every outing I went out with this camera (and in some cases others for side-by-side comparisons) I was always optimistic that I was getting great shots, but back at the computer most images had a greenish tint (via AWB); were blurry or soft when viewed at 100%; and underexposed by a couple stops. Despite reading the manual and making several trips out to shoot, I was always let down by this camera. In cases where this was the only camera I had, I was always left without a usable shot.

An Alternative To the Nikon Case

Nikon wants $60 for their case, but I found the BlackRapid SnapR 35 to be a brilliant choice with this camera. I’ll be reviewing this case later, but it’s basically a nice case with a built-in mini BlackRapid strap (see my RS-7 review) that is brilliant for point and shoot cameras. You can see above how there is room for this camera with plenty of extra space (although not enough for the beastly 10-100 lens. There’s also nice side-pocket storage as shown below to hold your 10mm lens as well as other goodies:

If you aren’t familiar with this case and its unique strap, then check out this cool short video. You can purchase it at B&H.

A Simple Portable Tripod

While reviewing this camera I got my hands on a Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro, so I used it as my tripod when I was out and about. Given the slow shutter speed issues with this camera this accessory became a mandatory companion to get a good sharp shot. I normally wouldn’t discuss another product like this in a review, but given the slow shutter speed issues with this camera I felt compelled to offer a solution to this problem.

Sample Photos

Here are some unprocessed in-camera JPEG images taken with the V1 during my testing:

This is my favorite V1 shot that looks good mostly due to overhead Solux lights

I was so disappointed with my first two sets of photos that I decided to try again on 12/20/11 to just triple check that I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I decided to mostly shoot in manual, but I did rely on the camera meter for the correct exposure. When using auto-ISO this resulted in dark photos.

I also decided to shoot more colorful objects and to use my Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro or a stationary object (i.e., railing, table, garbage can, etc…) wherever possible to reduce the influence of camera shake. In fact for all flip cage shots I used a 2 or 5 second timer depending on the stability of the surface (i.e., grass = 5 sec, concrete = 2 sec).

Using Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro

This has perfect lighting conditions, but the shot still left me underwhelmed

Spot Metering Example

ISO 6400

See a large sample of real-world test images (unedited and straight from the in-camera JPEG’s) at http://ronmart.smugmug.com/Blog/PointAndShoot/NikonV1

Video Performance

Click here to see my video comparison article.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that I am a Canon DSLR shooter, I loved the Nikon D7000. I’d love to own a D3s as well, but like many I just can’t afford it. I mention all of this to point out that I’m not a Canon fan boy, but rather that’s just where I invested my money years ago and its too expensive to swap platforms now. With that disclaimer I’m going to buck the trend of photographers gushing over this camera and say that I flat out do not like this camera.

My dislike for this camera starts with simple economics – you can get a nice D3000 with better sensor (1.5x crop vs 2.7x on the V1), features and image quality for about $500, yet the cheapest you are getting one of these is just under $900. What’s worse is that you are committing yourself to the unproven CX Format lens system with much less choices than full DSLR’s from Canon and Nikon.

My second biggest dislike of this camera is the very poor control layout scheme. While it can be manageable after you’ve deciphered it, I really despise having to navigate a web of complex menus to do things like change my camera mode.

Now all of these gripes could be forgiven if this was a great point and shoot camera with interchangeable lenses, but alas it is not. Instead you have a camera with no built-in flash (and an impossible back order for getting an external one). What’s more is that you can’t even have a flash if you want the GPS unit – a feature common in point and shoots these days.

As a result of all of this you end up with a camera that cost more than DSLR yet isn’t as flexible or as good as a much cheaper point and shoot. This begs the question – who is this quirky camera really intended for? It will frustrate the hell out of the DSLR photographer and be utterly useless to the point and shoot photographer, so you end up with an over-priced camera in the middle of both markets that does neither very well.

If Santa gave you one for Christmas then enjoy the cool display and video, but if he also included the gift receipt I’d say send it back. I’ve had more dark, off-color and blurry images with this camera than any I have ever tested. The problems begin with a horrible auto white balance, followed by a terrible auto ISO logic that hurts manual shooters as well. The brightness of the glass plays a big factor too, and these lenses are closer to old Sigma and Tokina lenses than they are Nikon lenses.

There’s a lot more great products to be had for this price point, so it makes even less sense than a Fujifilm X100 in my opinion. I chose the X10 as my camera and my point and shoot of the year for 2011, and after using the Nikon 1 V1, I’m so glad I did!

If you want a DSLR, check out my Which DSLR Should I Buy? article, and get a proper DSLR. If you want a point and shoot, then check out my article entitled COMPARISON: Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, & Canon s100 (plus Fuji x100 and Canon G12 & s95). However, I have to give this camera a NOT RECOMMENDED rating based primarily on its poor value and limitations at this price point.

Disclaimer

B&H provided me with a loaner camera and lenses for the purpose of writing this review. These items were returned to B&H at the conclusion of my comparison research. I was also provided a SnapR by BlackRapid and a Flip-Cage Pro by Gary Fong, Inc for review.

I may make a commission if you purchase using links found in this article. Thanks for supporting my blog by using my links!

REVIEW: Fujifilm X10 – 2011 Point & Shoot of the Year (UPDATED: 12/28/11)

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Fujifilm x10 (Actual Size)

When I reviewed the Fujifilm X100, I really loved the image quality and a few of the features. However, the price was obscene, the focus indoors was a joke, and the single fixed lens was ludacris. Despite this reality I was somehow drawn to keep using it as there was something about it that made photography so fun. I hated sending that camera back to B&H, but I had high hopes that the X10 would be more user-friendly and similar in image quality. Now logically I thought that wouldn’t be possible because if the image quality of the X10 was even similar to the X100, then why would anyone buy the X100?

Living with the X10

f/2 for 1/150 sec @ ISO 800 EXR Auto Mode

I haven’t been this excited about using a camera since I got my first DSLR. The great image quality and wonderful EXR, Adv, and SP modes do such a great job that I began to trust them enough to really just point and shoot. I felt confident that the white balance would be close enough to fix even with an in-camera JPEG, that the dynamic range would be excellent, and the noise would be satisfactory even at ISO 3200. As a result, I found myself tinkering around shooting everything in sight – even stupid things just because it was fun to see what the camera would do. However, what really impressed me during all of this was the number of in-focus frames I had! This camera’s AF logic and performance is excellent so I just got clear shot after clear shot which gave me time to experiment more and get drawn further in to the magic of this camera.

No other point and shoot camera has been happier in my hands than the X10, and that even includes the Canon G12, Canon Powershot s100 and the Nikon 1 V1. I just got addicted to this camera and wanted to take it with me whenever I went anywhere. In fact, there were a few times where I probably should have brought out the DSLR but I chose to use the X10 because I knew I could quickly get the shot and move on.

f/2.2 for 1/60 sec at ISO 1600 (11.7mm) – In Camera JPEG – Full Auto
The x10 was a hit at Thanksgiving with my guests
and represented 84% of the keeper shots

I have let several people, including my wife and a novice point and shoot photographer, use the X10, and everyone loves using it. Unlike the X100, it is pretty easy figure out what most of the controls do, and quickly start having success shooting. In fact, I had all four cameras from my point and shoot comparison article on the table for Thanksgiving dinner and 21 of the 25 keeper photos all came from the X10 (with everyone taking turns with all of the cameras).

This camera has a solid feel that makes it feel closer to an X100 than it does a typical point and shoot, which is a bit different than what I experience with the unit I held at the PhotoPlus Expo. Users immediately comment that this must be an expensive camera due to the solid feel. At 12.3 oz (349 g) it isn’t light (it’s 2x the weight of the Canon s100), but it 2 oz (56 g) lighter than a x100. Ironically it is almost identical to the weight of a Canon G12 (12.4 oz / 352 g), so I didn’t really have an issue with the size.

Model Test

f/2.5 for 1/150 sec at ISO 1250 Aperture Priority – In-Camera JPEG AWB
(Hover Over for 2nd image - f/2.5 for 1/50 sec at ISO 400 AWB)

Despite the fact that I shot at the same exact time under ideal studio conditions as the other cameras I’ve tested, the X10 was the easy winner with all of its shots in-focus and sharp. Aperture Priority with Auto ISO worked very well. Hover over the photo above to see a lower ISO shot and mouse out and click it to see a high ISO shot version.

Battery, Lens Cap, and Camera Strap Disappointments

The battery was one disappointment as I found that I would need an extra battery to be on the safe side for a full day of casual travel shooting, but at $32.95 (on 12/1/11 at B&H) it wasn’t as expensive as the s100’s batteries. I also hated the fact that there is a separate lens cap. While the quality of the lens cap is outstanding (felt-like interior & metal exterior), the fact that it isn’t integrated like the G12 or at least permanently tethered was a disappointment. While I’m used to lens caps with DSLR’s, their thin size make them easy to slide in my back pocket and keep shooting. The size of the lens cap for this camera made me put it in my front pocket, but because of the felt interior I’d usually set it down somewhere and lose it.

One final gripe I have is about the camera strap. It’s a bit cumbersome to put on and the leather-like material doesn’t feel very comfortable on the neck. I’d rather a traditional point and shoot wrist strap.

Photographing Children

You can get lucky indoors, but kids are still a huge challenge at night

I have a very active 2 1/2 year old son who I let get amped up on birthday cake and run around the house at night while I tried to photograph him. While the burst mode was much better than the s100 and G12, it still struggled to get a clear shot of him in these difficult conditions. Best results required the use of Shutter Priority and 3200 ISO, but the camera’s auto modes seemed to favor being at the ISO 1600 – 2000 range which resulted in shutter speeds of 1/70 sec or less – (far below the minimum 1/250 sec or faster required for my son). It would bang out enough shots where you’d occasionally get lucky though, so the success rate was significantly better than any other point and shoot I’ve used before.

Grandma’s during the day are no problem ;-)

Naturally during the day or even better outdoors on a bright day, kids aren’t an issue – it can keep up quite well.

Viewfinder has great glass, but 85% coverage is a joke

While the X10 only uses an optical viewfinder (with adjustable diopter) compared to the crazy cool hybrid viewfinder found on the X100, the quality is very good – especially for this price point. It’s a little odd in that its location causes you to see the lens barrel from 28mm until 50mm. At 50mm the distraction goes away and its similar to your average entry level DSLR. The problem is that what you see is only 85% (at best) of what your sensor sees, so in practice the actual image taken is not even close to what you saw in the viewfinder. Now some will call this “rangefinder charm”, but I call it crap. Personally I prefer to use the LCD for focusing on any camera of this size, so I didn’t really give a hoot about the viewfinder issue.

The Flash

The built-in flash is near useless like most point and shoots. What’s worse is the fact that flash exposure compensation can only be accessed via a long voyage through the menus makes it even more useless. However, there is a hot shoe for an external flash (EF42 or EF20) which opens up the possibility for a better flash experience. I didn’t have a chance to try the external flash during my testing though.

Image Quality

f/2 for 1/120 sec at ISO 800 Handheld Flower SP Mode

I’m pleased to say that in my subjective testing, I find the image quality of the X10 to be visually similar in real-world applications. Pixel peeping will put the X100 ahead, but not by a significant amount. Given the fact that the X100 was nearly tied with the Canon 1D Mark IV for image quality (click here), I couldn’t believe my eyes that the X10 was nearly as good.

Super Macro Mode

The minimum focus distance of this camera is insane. See the shot above for “super macro mode” where I got the shot of the s100 control dial (which was a crappy shot in poor light), and below shows where the lens was in relation to the subject for this shot.

1D Mark IV shot showing the minimum focus distance
of the X10 in super macro mode

Controls

Most of what you need is on the nicely designed rear panel (Actual Size)

The rear panel design is very nice. The LCD image quality is excellent and plenty large. The buttons included are useful, but I’d rather have the “RAW” button be a programmable button so that I could assign it something more useful like flash exposure compensation. There is a assignable Fn button on the top of the camera (which I frequently forgot about), but it doesn’t allow flash exposure compensation to be assigned. I felt that was pretty lame, especially since you could assign silly things like intelligent digital zoom (at least in firmware version 1.02).

The controls on the top are nice as well, but the blunder of the year goes to the stupid design that requires you to zoom the lens out to turn the camera on. At first I thought it was kinda neat and cute, but myself and others who I gave the camera to always struggled to remember to rotate the lens to turn it on. Fortunately my blog reader, Joshua Patterson, pointed out that you don’t have to remove the lens cap and rotate the lens just to turn the camera. All you need to do is hold the Play button for a few seconds and the rear LCD will turn on for photo playback.

Overhead View (Actual Size)
Notice the lame on/off switch on the lens
Extend the lens to turn the camera on, and retract to turn it off

The menu system is a little bit confusing and cumbersome to use, but it’s usable. I’d rather a design closer to what Canon offers, but there’s lots of good user-configurable options that can typically be found reasonably fast. A favorites menu would be handy to have as well.

On the mode dial on the top of the camera are three very useful modes – EXR, Advanced (Adv) and Scene Position (SP). All three are brilliant on this camera and are worth trying. While you do lose some control and there is no RAW support for these modes, the output images are typically good enough to call it a day for personal memento snapshots.

UPDATE: Since this is now my full-time point and shoot camera, I have used it for Thanksgiving, a trip to Hawaii and Christmas (including shooting outdoor Christmas lights). I’ve become so satisfied with the in-camera JPEG results for my snapshots that I’ve spent most of my time using this camera in EXR (Auto) for general purpose, Adv (Pano or Low-Light) for killer panos and tough low-light situations, and SP for fast great results (i.e., beach, sunset, night, etc…). My wife loves this camera and really trusts it to get results, and I’ve been leaving my DSLR at home more for simple family activities. In fact, this Christmas I shot all of my photos with the X10 and never even picked up my DSLR (first time since 2006).

The exposure of this camera is always bang on so I rarely find myself needing anything more than the exposure compensation wheel (rarely) when I’m set to Auto ISO (3200). The face tracking AF has been solid, but I prefer the manual AF point for non-people scenarios. This cameras controls and performance are great enough that it is truly a point and shoot that just gets it right 95% of the time. It’s also a heck of a lot of fun to use!

Sample Images

Click here to find more A LOT more sample images along with their originals (when on smugmug click the photo to open the lightbox and choose O to view originals).

In-Camera 120 degree (180, & 360 also avail) pano – unmodified from in-camera result
(must be viewed at original size and use browser horizontal scrollbars)

SP Mode – Sunset Setting – Point and Click (with food in my hands!!!!)

Super Macro Mode Rules!

I wish my Canon cameras had this light meter!

Lights are hard but a monopod and –3ev help!

Fill Flash was good for P&S

I still can’t believe this 180 degree pano came out!!!!

Auto White Balance was better than this Tungsten version,
but the dynamic range is insane!

No, this isn’t HDR, this is EXR in Auto mode – DSLR’s would struggle here!

Sample Video

Click here to see my video comparison article. Here’s a couple more examples:

High Speed Slow Motion Video (Hand Held)
1080p Video (Hand Held)

Conclusion

This is the best point and shoot I’ve ever used. In fact, I love it so much that I’ve actually purchased my evaluation unit. I’ve also awarded it my first ever Point and Shoot of the Year (2011) award as this is the pointing and shoot that really does allow you to leave the DSLR at home.

Due to time constraints, I was unable to finish this article at this time. However, I have decided to share what I have in the spirit of holiday shopping.

See what I think about other cameras in my article entitled COMPARISON: Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, & Canon s100 (plus Fuji x100 and Canon G12 & s95).

Click here to order the X10 from B&H, Amazon or Adorama.

Disclosure

While most popular blogs have mechanisms for generating revenue, few disclose it. I believe in transparency so I will disclose that B&H has given me an extended return period to review this cameras, but I decided to purchase it so they are giving me a discount for this used camera.

If you make a purchase using links found on this blog I may get a commission. I thank you for your support of more articles like this by your using my links when you are ready to make a purchase. If you are unable or unwilling to use my links, then a donation is appreciated for countless hours I spend while you sleep so that I may bring articles like this to you.

On behalf of my family, we thank you for your generous support!

COMPARISON: Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, & Canon s100 (plus Fuji x100 and Canon G12 & s95) UPDATED: 12/28/11

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, Canon s100 & G12

The Nikon 1 V1, Fuji x10, & Canon s100 (plus Fuji x100 and Canon G12 & s95) all have something in common this holiday season – they are collectively the hottest high quality compact cameras on the market. While some like the s95/s100 may be classified as a “point and shoot” camera, I really put all of these cameras above and beyond the typically low quality consumer cameras that we call point and shoots.

This article is the home page for other articles that cover each camera individually. I’ll send this series with a comparison article(s) that will cover how they compare in more depth. Please check back often to see links to new updates as my goal is to complete this series by mid-December 2011.

What about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, etc…?

Noticeably absent from this line up is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, but the reason is simple – I just could only do so much so I focused on the cameras I was most interested in. I’ve borrowed a friends DMC-GX1 briefly and it seemed like an okay camera, but I had my hands full with this comparison so other cameras simply didn’t make the cut. My apologies to the Lumix fans out there.

What do you mean by plus Fuji x100 and Canon G12 & s95?

When writing this article I had “on hand” the four cameras shown in the photo at the top of the page, but you can also read my existing reviews on the G12, s95, and x100. I am very familiar with those cameras and I own a G12 (as well as having extensive experience with the G9, G10, and G11) . However, the x100 and s95 was not on-hand for a side, by side comparison during my testing. I have all of my data from testing them previous and will discuss that during this comparison.

My Testing Methodology

While these cameras are DLSR-like, they are not DSLR’s. Instead, they are more portable so I wanted to test these cameras as my alternative camera for times when I didn’t want to have my bulky DSLR. As a result, the types of photos I’d take or situations I’d be in with these cameras are entirely different than what I’d do with DSLR’s. In short, I used these as every day practical cameras not only for myself, but I also shared it with my wife and friends to give me their subjective feedback on the real-world usefulness of these cameras. In fact, some of my friends might choose these as their step up from their current crappy point and shoot as a DSLR-alternative, so my testing drew lots of interest.

I carried one or more of these cameras to normal day to day activities and shot them as I’d normally shoot my G12 or iPhone. While I typically modified the settings to capture RAW files (when possible), I did try to take advantage of the auto features of these cameras and use their in-camera JPEG’s as much as possible. I did this because my idea behind owning one of these cameras is to sacrifice some quality (over a DSLR) in exchange for portability, easy of use (i.e., literally point, shoot, and move on), and faster post-processing times (either print or upload to the web “as is” from the in-camera JPEG, or only minor Lightroom edits).

At the conclusion of my testing I did put all of these cameras on a tripod and did various testing using different modes, focal lengths, ISO, etc… This testing is primarily for my own use, but I will share some of those images and data in this series. However, I’m not trying to replace what DPReview.com does – they have a staff and its their full-time job, so they can do a lot more than me.

If you want a scientific comparison to pixel peep until your eyeballs dry out, then go to dpreview.com. If you want a subjective opinion of Ron Martinsen, his wife and friends on what these cameras are REALLY like to own and use on a daily basis then you a have come to the right place. My goal of this comparison, much like I’ve done in my tripod & ball head series, noise reduction roundup, lens rental series, printing series, and web hosting series is to give you MY personal opinion of which product I like the most based on my own personal preferences. I test them as scientifically as I care to so I can try to eliminate any bias or preconceived notions, but the winner(s) here will be the camera(s) that I’d actually go out and buy (at B&H’s normal prices) just like you. I’ll also consider which camera my wife would want as well as she’s the one who will use it most often, and while image quality is important so are size, features and ease of use.

Detailed Review List & My First Impressions

Click the review link next to name of the camera below to see my full review. If there is no hyperlink then I haven’t published the review yet, but it is coming soon. I’m also including what my first impressions of each camera was which may differ from my final opinion based on my looking at the detailed data I’ve collected during testing. The cameras are currently listed in the stack ranked order from most favorite to least favorite based on my opinion today, but this list order may change before this article is 100% done – stay tuned.

Fujifilm FinePix x10 (P&S of the Year Review) – While this camera lacks some of the ease of use and creature comforts of the Canon G12, this camera is everything I hoped it would be and more when I reviewed the x100. I loved the image quality of the x100, but I thought it was pretty spendy, quirky, and impractical as a camera for my wife. The x10 sacrifices a little in image quality compared to the x100, but sheds a lot in price. It also works extremely well as a point and shoot for my wife and friends, and lacks most of the quirkiness/bugs of the x100. In short, I love this camera for still photos, ease of use, and excellent video. In fact, I loved this one so much that I bought the copy I reviewed.
Canon G12 (review) – While this camera lacks 1080p HD video, the killer high ISO performance, and dynamic range of the non-Canon cameras in this comparison, it is still a tough camera to beat. It’s hard dials make it super easy to switch to non-full auto modes and dial in the result to get the shot. My wife knows or cares nothing about geeky camera terms, but she quickly learned and loved how she could dial in a higher ISO or do an exposure compensation to get the shot. She couldn’t define or explain either to you, but she knows to rotate those dials to make the blurry images go away or modify the image brightness. She’s also appreciated the durability as this rides in her bottom diaper bag compartment where it takes a beating daily. She’s enjoyed the pivoting display so she can capture herself in photos or videos with the baby. However, the feature she enjoys the most is the speed – in short, when she uses this camera she usually gets the shot about 90% of the time (which is higher than me my DSLR as I’m usually too busy dialing in my settings). Regardless of what I do, my wife may not give up this camera without a fight.
Nikon 1 V1 (review) – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – the idea of a “mini-DSLR” to me is just stupid. I say this because you end up with a new proprietary system where you have to buy lenses and ultimately get trapped to stick with the platform. However, these systems offer less quality and cost more than the lower-end DSLR’s by Canon and Nikon. These cameras are also not very light or portable, so they fall into this gray area where they suck as a DSLR and they are too heavy/cumbersome to be a point and shoot. With that gripe out of the way, it is fun having these tiny lenses, a killer LCD on the back, and outstanding video quality in a package this small. However, the thing that really drives me the most insane about this camera is how Nikon buries nearly all of the controls in menus rather than having lots of external buttons (which is effectively their advantage / trademark when comparing with Canon). The exterior is so dumbed down that it can be infuriating at times. The full-manual mode wasn’t too bad once I got used to it, but I’ve just got to be able to have quick access to ISO and exposure compensation. I couldn’t’ do that with this camera and that really annoyed me. This is a good camera, but it really doesn’t belong in this comparison as a comparison against the DMC-GX1 would make more sense. That said, my review will still treat it fairly and tell you what I really think (i.e., it doesn’t suck). I will say right now for Christmas shoppers that it doesn’t have a significant edge in image quality over the cameras in this comparison which I think is due to cheap quality lenses, so don’t rush out to buy this thinking it can be like a mini D3000 – it’s not even close . (NOTE: I did use the sexier J1 at the Expo in New York and was underwhelmed – I’d definitely go for the V1 over the J1 any day)
Canon s100 (review) – I really struggled where to place this camera because it’s the most pocketable camera in the bunch and it is statistically so good. Canon has also packed it full of great features like built-in GPS tracking, a huge LCD on the rear for its size, amazingly good high ISO performance up to 6400, and an innovative ring selector on the front that is programmable so you can have your favorite feature readily accessible without going into menus. With that love aside, I don’t think it doesn’t live up to the hype. I’ve been very unimpressed with the build quality and reliability of both the s95 and s100 I’ve tested. I also find that despite how it seems on paper when you compare it to the G12, the reality is that when you are out shooting kids doing activities its shutter lag is annoying and it repeatedly underwhelms me with the images that come out of it. While you can use the High-Speed Burst HQ scene mode to get a fast burst of 8 shots, RAW is not supported and frequently the subject is out of focus. I’d rather have a 3 megapixel version of this camera that had much better dynamic range and faster performance than this dog. Despite its great stats on paper, a car analogy is in order – it’s much like comparing a Ford Mustang GT to a Porsche Cayman S. While the Mustang might fare well on paper, and looks are subjective, when you actually use both you realize there is no comparison. My wife liked the s95 when she compared it to the G12, but we ultimately went with the G12, Now that she’s a seasoned G12 owner, but she lasted 10 minutes with this camera before she handed it back to me in disgust and resumed using the G12. She said she still loved the compact size, but we made the right decision getting the G12. I couldn’t agree more.

From here, the Fujifilm FinePix x100 (review) would be next on my list despite all of its quirkiness and lack of a zoom lens. This camera just feels like quality your hands and it draws you in with its cool geeky features (like the innovative optical AND digital viewfinder). I couldn’t justify buying one and my wife could never live with it, but if someone gave me one for Christmas I’d be pretty jazzed. It just has an addicting quality to it much like a super fun but frustratingly hard video game.

The Canon s95 (review) can’t keep up with the s100, so if you’ve got to have a camera that size then go with the s100 – it is better. It does everything the s95 does, but better in my opinion. However, the s95 is dirt cheap this holiday season as the channel tries to sell out their remaining inventory, so if price is your only concern then you probably won’t find a better deal.

Video Comparison (NEW)

Click here to see my article where I compare the video of the s100, x10 and V1 of a subject all recorded at the same time in identical conditions.

Upgrade your Lightroom & Adobe Camera Raw

Photoshop will require Adobe Camera Raw 6.6 and you will need Lightroom 3.6 to use the RAW file format of the Nikon 1 V1 (*.NEF), Fujifilm Finepix x100 (*.RAF), or the Canon s100 (*.CR2). If you don’t have those versions you can still read those image formats using the latest versions of Capture NX2 (2.2.8+), SILKYPIX (3.2.5.0 & up), and DPP (3.11 & up).

The Perfect Case For These Cameras

Nikon wants $60 for their case, but I found the BlackRapid SnapR 35 to be a brilliant choice with the V1. I use the SnapR 20 with my X10 as well, and it would work for the s100 as well. I’ll be posting my review soon, but it’s basically a nice case with a built-in mini BlackRapid strap (see my RS-7 review) that is brilliant for point and shoot cameras. You can see above how there is room for this camera with plenty of extra space. There’s also nice side-pocket storage as shown below to hold your accessories on both sides:

If you aren’t familiar with this case and its unique strap, then check out this cool short video. You can purchase it in various sizes at B&H.

A Simple Portable Tripod

While reviewing these camera I got my hands on a Gary Fong Flip-Cage Pro, so I used it as my tripod when I was out and about. The Pro size is needed for the V1, G12 & X10, but a smaller size flip cage can be used with typical point and shoots like the s100.

Conclusion

None of these cameras are bad cameras. In fact, compared to most consumer products out there they are excellent. The s100 may be my least favorite, but it is a joy to use and comes in the perfect package. The Nikon 1 V1 seems pointless to me, but it can take a decent photo and the interchangeable lenses open up new options. With that said, all are good but only one is great – the Fujifilm X10.

I love the X10 so much that I’ve actually purchased my evaluation unit from B&H. If I was buying for my wife only I'd wish a G12 replacement was out, but she loves the X10 based on our real world experiences at Thanksgiving, in Hawaii, and Christmas (including Christmas lights outdoors). The other cameras are nice and have their benefits, but my money goes to the X10 for the best overall performance.

Please use the links to the cameras found in this article to make your purchase, and feel free to enjoy my discount coupon code page to save even more on your favorite photography products.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on your favorite forums and social networking sites so that others can enjoy it as well. See at the bottom of this article for links to help make that simple and easy to do.

Where to Buy

B&H made this comparison possible at a time when it was near impossible to get access these cameras. Please support this blog and their generosity by using the following links when you make your purchase:

Disclosure

While most popular blogs have mechanisms for generating revenue, few disclose it. I believe in transparency so I will disclose that B&H has given me an extended return period to review these cameras, but I returned the s100 and V1 when I was done. I purchased the X10 based on my findings at an open box discounted price.

On behalf of my family, we thank you for your generous support!

High Speed Drop Photography–Getting Started by Joseph Calev

2011-12-26T00:13:00.001-08:00

There are many things in photography that if given enough time and financial resources, I’d probably try out. However the reality of my life is that I don’t have enough time or money to do cool things like High Speed Drop Photography. As a result, my friend Joseph Calev is here to guest blog again to tell you about his experience getting into this cool new world.

NOTE: The content that follows is Joe’s opinion. I have not made edits beyond fixing typos or sizing.

Ron

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Introduction

For quite some time I have been interested in high speed photography. Last week I finally bit the bullet and picked up some gear to make this a lot easier. In the following article I will discuss my setup and some of the decisions I have made thus far. Keep in mind when reading this that I have been doing high speed photography (so far just drops) for only a week and I am still figuring a lot of things out. Below is one of the first shots I took with my setup.

Water Drop by Joseph Calev

The basics of high speed photography

Some time ago I spent a great deal of effort photographing drops from melted ice. I spent several hours outside with my camera in the exact position I needed it and continuously pressed the shutter at the right moment. More often than not I missed my goal and out of every 100 shots I would wind up with about four or five in focus. Of course, of the photos in focus many of them were quite uninteresting. As you can imagine, it took quite a few shots and a lot of time to get something decent.

The real problem in high speed photography is improving the odds by making sure you have something in focus in the viewfinder with each shot. This allows you to spend more of your time working on the most crucial part - making a photo that is actually interesting. The key here is firing your camera and flash at the exact moment you need to. There are really four parts to high speed photography.

The trigger - This is the thing that has to happen for some action to start. For all of my water drops thus far this has been the act of pushing a button. There are many types of triggers though. You have infrared and laser triggers, microphones, and special triggers for ballistics. The idea is something needs to happen to start the events in motion that will lead to your photo.

The flash - This is one case where it is better to have a small speedlight rather than a larger powered light. You need your flash to freeze your subject as most cameras only go down to 1/8000 second - too slow for a lot of high speed work. What many do not know about lights is that a 'more powerful' flash creates this by holding the light for a longer period. Therefore for high speed photography you need to set your flash at the lowest setting. I currently use two 580EX flashes set to 1/128 - which gives a duration of around 1/40,000 second. At some point I hope to pick up the Microflash Pro. This flash gives the same power as two 580EX flashes at full power at a speed of 1/28,000 second. Alternatively it can go down to speeds of 35 microseconds. However, at a price of £1800 it was too much to include in my initial setup.

The camera - As I previously mentioned it is the flash that illuminates the subject. The camera doesn't do much in the equation except cause problems. :) The main issue is there exists a lag between when the camera is triggered and when it actually fires. On Canon cameras, this lag actually varies unless you use mirror lock. With mirror lock, I measures my 5D Mark II to have a shutter lag of 83.7 milliseconds. For drops this is not much of an issue. You simply need to factor your shutter lag into the equation. However when photographing things that move invariably and quickly - such as insects - this will not work at all. For this type of photography you need a special solenoid shutter that typically fits in front of your lens. You then place your camera in bulb mode and trigger your solenoid. A good solenoid shutter will have a lag of less than 5 milliseconds. I currently do not have such a shutter but I anticipate having one by the summer.

The orchestrator - The most crucial piece of equipment you need is something that reacts to the trigger by firing the flash and the camera. There are several triggers available on the market today.

Hiviz - These are very simply hobbyist triggers that depend on the camera being placed in bulb mode in a dark room. Given a particular trigger it then fires a flash. Images from these triggers typically have dark backgrounds. The triggers themselves are not very sophisticated compared to the other options.
Mumford Time Machine - This is one of the first high speed devices I heard of and I almost purchased this model. It is close to the Stopshot in functionality, but I found the specs of the Stopshot to be more flexible. Stopshot offers more outputs and a lighted screen (add ons to the Time Machine) and it is possible to connect two Stopshots together. The user interface of the Stopshot also appears to be better.
Cognisys Stopshot - This is what I ended up purchasing. I had a lot of questions about this device before I purchased it and they were very prompt and helpful in answering them. They are also continuously innovating - unlike the other triggers which seem more like static products.
Phototrap - While I am sure this trigger works just fine, from looking at the specs it appears to do less than the Stopshot. I have the feeling this trigger is more geared towards wildlife photographers in the field, but they do seem to heavily push their system through wildlife photography classes. Basically you take a wildlife photography class where a photographer shows you some of the great things you can do with the trigger and you wind up buying it before you are done. From what I can tell though the Stopshot and Time Machine will do more for less money.

My setup

Below is a shot of my current setup. As I have already stated, keep in mind that I have only had this gear for a week and am still working on things.

One aspect in which I have deviated significantly from many drop photographers is I prefer to use store bought components rather than building things myself. A quick search on the web will reveal a number of different ways to create a drop setup from wood. However I wanted something that offered more flexibility. I am also quite limited in time. Therefore the following is what I put together.

On the sides you can see two light stands. It doesn't really matter which ones they are. I tend to prefer taller air cushioned ones but I currently own four different light stands - none of them the same.
At the top of the light stand I have a Bogen Clamp on either side. Between the two light stands I then have a Bogen Arm. Originally my plan was to attach a background stand holder to each clamp and then rest the arm on the holders. However this allowed the arm to spin - which is very bad for precision scenarios. Therefore I have the arm actually held by each clamp and the clamps screwed in to the top of the stands. This is one great advantage of buying flexible parts as it allows me to improvise when necessary. This setup allows me to easily vary the height of the siphon.
On the top you can see the water siphon from Cognisys. This comes as part of their water drop kit. Here is a close-up.

The siphon is attached to Cognisys's tripod holder for the siphon. I am not crazy about this holder but it works. The most annoying thing is I have to unscrew it to take the siphon out. I would have preferred some type of clamp and someday I may look into whether there is some type of bracket the will attach to a Bogen Clamp that will do a better job. The tripod holder is screwed into another Bogen Clamp (can you tell I really like Bogen Clamps?!) Immediately below the siphon is the water valve (with the red wires attached). This connects to the Stopshot and releases the water. Below the water valve is a small infrared trigger. I am actually not using this right now as the trigger is a button push but this will factor in when I begin using multiple liquids. To the left of the siphon I have another Bogen Clamp with a heavy duty Bogen Flexible Arm holding another tripod bracket. In the future this will hold another siphon - which I already have. This will allow me to work with multiple liquids at the same time. On the far right of the shot is yet another Flexible Arm + Bogen Clamp for a third siphon. The blue inside the siphon is from food coloring. The upside down Sub-Zero box behind the setup is a fort my kids made (most expensive fort yet).

Here is a close-up of the bottom setup.

I am currently targeting the drops to a setup of brightly colored bowls I bought at a local store. In the future I plan to also buy some straight pans and put a white background behind it. I can then change the color of the background by modifying the flash illuminating it. I am still playing with lighting setups but for now I have one 580EX on a small Gorillapod. The other is held up by another Bogen Flexible Arm attached to another Bogen Clamp. I have no preference for one way or the other but I only own one Gorillapod. In this shot I have both flashes gelled with Rosco modifiers from the Color Effects kit (which comes in sheets that I cut to 3" x 5" gels). In this particular shot IMHO I would have been better off without the gels.

In the corner of the table you can see the Stopshot. The Stopshot is connected to the water valve above. A special cable connects the Stopshot to my camera and I have both flashes connected to the same output via an RCA Y cable. The camera itself is on my tripod that I previously discussed on Ron's blog [see Ron’s tripod & head recommendations]. It is a Gitzo 2541EX with an Acratech GP ball head and two Really Right Stuff macro rails. It is the same tripod I typically use for macro photography. On the camera itself is the 100mm 2.8 IS Macro.

Other miscellaneous items on the table are a ruler to measure the height of the water valve (to do calculations for the timing), a pencil I use for focusing, and a measuring glass I use for pouring liquids (don't tell my wife though - she still wonders where it went to...)

Below are some of my results so far.

Drop Monster by Joseph Calev

Water Man by Joseph Calev

Overall I am very pleased with the Stopshot thus far. Once you figure it out it works quite well - though this is definitely one piece of equipment where you need to read the manual. It also provides a good lesson in cable organization as I counted exactly 30 cables in the box with my kit. I now have a rack in my garage just for cables. I still have a lot of things to learn. For example I have not dealt with the following yet.

Different liquids provide different types of drops. I have yet to work with milk are additives to water other than food coloring (rinse aid, guar gum).
As previously stated I want to try setting the background color via a white background and a gelled flash.
I currently own three siphons, but am only working with one thus far. In the future I want to use multiple drops of different liquids. With a single siphon multiple drops are supported but are obviously of the same liquid.
I also own the cross laser trigger. In the future I will use this for insects but it has other uses I haven't had time to investigate yet.
I also own a microphone trigger, but haven't played with that yet either.

Disclosure

Joe approached me about his excitement getting these products, so I extended an offer for him to blog about his experience. Neither Joe nor I have any known direct affiliation with most of the companies mentioned on this blog. In the limited cases where I do (i.e., Amazon, Adorama, & B&H), I may make a commission if you make a purchase from their site.

Travel Photography: Photographing People At Night In New York City (Manhattan)

2011-12-22T22:39:00.001-08:00

How many times have you gone on a trip where you see some cool nightscape and you tell your loved one – “hey, let me take a photo of you against that great view”?

Now think about how many times you’ve been happy with the result. If you are like most people, the answer is usually “very few” (at best). For most when you throw in the challenge of the evening shooting where high ISO’s and slow shutter speeds are virtually inevitable then things get even worse!

I’m no stranger to this problem myself, but I’ve learned a few things over the years that certainly help – A LOT! All of the shots in this article were taken in New York City in 2011 while I was there attending the PhotoPlus Expo. Most shots are at ISO 3200 or 6400, but I was also lucky to have a great assistant or two and borrowed lights to get some shots that I’m happy with.

I hope you’ll enjoy both the advice and the shots as you read through this article.

Introduction

Shooting at night in a big city like New York introduces some serious problems.

Your subjects are typically backlit against bright lights or mixed lighting. If you’ve been to the Flash Bus Tour, Strobist or Planet Neil then you probably know that you’ve gotta start by exposing your background first and then adding your fill light. This means you’ll be shooting manual and you’ll not always trust what your camera meter is telling you.

To get good results, you’ve gotta know your gear. If you don’t then I highly recommend you read my Which Books Should I Read? article and possibly get a subscription to Kelby Training (see my discount coupon code page for details).This article will not go into those details as that is beyond the scope of this article. Off-Camera Flash Techniques, Speedliter's Handbook, and Sketching Light all offer great advice on how to to get the shots shown in this article.

1. If you plan to shoot when travelling then come prepared

A Lastolite EzyBox and an assistant will get you great shots in the field

Many of us don’t have the budget to shoot on location, so our travels will be business trips or family vacations. If your goal is to get great shots during your limited shooting time on one of these events, then you really have to be prepared. While more gear is always better, there’s way to be smart and still have a great shoot.

First and foremost you need to be realistic about what you can accomplish with the gear on hand and the objective of your trip. What I mean by this is that if the objective of your trip is to get great photographs, then bring (or rent) the gear you need to get the job done. Companies like LensRentals.com will drop ship your rental gear to your destination so you can have what you need without hauling it on the plane.

Here’s the minimum kit that I recommend (in addition to your favorite camera):

A comfortable backpack like the Streetwalker Pro or if you have a lot of gear then a roller bag like the ThinkTankPro Airport Security. Your shots will be much better if you are comfortable and can bring everything you need. For me I always load my Airport Security bag with everything I need when shooting is my primary objective.
I like to have a 70-200mm lens and a 16-35mm lens so I can do both wide angle and telephoto shots. I usually use sneaker zoom for the rest. I’ll take my 24-105mm when I just want the one size fits all compromise lens.
A Lastolite EzyBox and an assistant will get you great shots in the field. This is really how the big boys do it, so if you want to look like a pro you’ve gotta bring the good stuff. This also means you’ll need some remote triggers like the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1, Flex TT5 and AC7.
At least one good reflector like the Lastolite TriGrip. Even better, consider using what small flash master Joe McNally uses as shown here at B&H. See the 2nd part of my PhotoPlus Expo article for my 2 cents on Joe’s collection.
Rogue FlashBender and Rogue Lighting Filters are a must to help you throw light where you need it as well as control the color of the light.

Sure there are a bazillion other things you can bring, so you can see my gear page or my holiday gear guide to get ideas on what else you can bring. Personally I pack my bag as full as I can stand it.

2. At a MINIMUM, bring a good flash for outdoors

If you want good shots then you are going to need good light.

At a minimum this can be an on-camera flash like a 580EX II or SB-910. Indoors the cheaper flashes can work, but outdoors you are going to want a the best flash money can buy (e.g., the Quantum QFlash is great too).

The shot above of Sandy is an example of a shot done just with a 580EX II on my camera with it pointing directly at my subject (something you can kinda get away with outdoors). I also had an orange Rogue Gel on my flash to warm up the light hitting her skin.

Tip: If you haven’t already, read On-Camera Flash Techniques to learn how to get great shots with the on-camera flash.

3. Avoid photographing your subject in the dead center of the frame

As Rick Sammon says, Dead Center is Dead Wrong. If you want to convey a sense of being in a different location, then your photos should include a little of the location with you. How subtle or pronounced it is depends on your proximity of the subject and the ability of your equipment, but the key thing is to have both – with one dominant subject. The way you do that is to put your subject at the left or right edge of the frame and pay attention to the background.

In the photo above I get Wall Street in the background and only let Kaethe occupy 25% of the frame (the minimum your subject should be in most shots). While the physical distance and laws of physics make it impossible for me to have both subjects in focus at the same time, you can appreciate a nice portrait and your memory will fill in the blanks. Wall Street adds a nice splash of color and you can tell that there’s something big happening in the background.

4. Take your cityscape and portraits separately

Your photo should only have one primary subject. While it would be great to have photos of Manhattan and your friend, don’t try to do both in one shot. In the photo above I successful capture beautiful QiaoQiao with a nice Manhattan backdrop for a splash of color and location. However, I don’t try to make them both subjects in the same shot.

When I was done with the shot above I stepped to the side of QiaoQiao and took this Manhattan shot:

The net result is that I have two good shots instead of one crappy shot that doesn’t do justice for either QiaoQiao or Manhattan. (TIP: Topaz Labs Adjust 5 (review) is for processing city shots)

5. Groups - the same rules apply, but it’s more tricky

Mouse Over for Before “Fail” Shot
Mouse Out for After (Fixed using InFocus by Topaz Labs)

Groups are always tough, but they are even more tough to shoot when you are out having fun and are trying to do an impromptu group photo. The key thing to remember is that you need to apply the same rules as your individual shots, but you’ll need to configure the people differently.

In the above shot I decided to line group up in an alternating pattern to make them more interesting, but I also was mindful of the background so I could convey the sense that they were in Times Square. I then tried to use the top third of the shot to get the nightscape to give a sense as to where these girls were.

What I did fail to do in this shot actually is adjust my aperture (hey, shit happens) so f/2.8 got all of the girls except for the foreground girl in perfect focus. The foreground girl was totally blurred, but I used Topaz Labs InFocus to bring her back into the shot. While this photo won’t end up in a portfolio or a gallery, it’s still a decent group shot that these girls can show their friends when talking about their great trip to The Big Apple! Let this be a lesson though – either shoot with a larger f-stop number or get everybody on the same plane.

6. If you have a friend in your destination city, ask them if you can borrow their gear

The last time I was in New York City, I was extremely fortunate to have one of my blog readers – Cliff Pickett – offer to help me out. Not only did he act as an assistant, he also loaned me gear which helped me to get a lot of great shots while I was there. He also got me access to the best place to shoot in all of New York City!

Keep this in mind when you are travelling – there may be a friend, or long lost cousin that might be able to help you out when you are in town. You never know, that cousin you never met that your Mom tells you to see when you visit city X, might just be a cool photography geek that can be a huge help to you!

They may save you some rental expenses or extra luggage fees too, so plan to treat them to dinner too! :)

7. Be ready for the unexpected

Seriously, I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years that I’d see Elmo in Times Square on his cell phone making a call in front of a huge bottle of Corona beer! Shit happens when you are in the big city, so always have your camera ready to shoot. This means flash on, lens cap off, and camera settings dialed in as conditions change.

If I didn’t have my camera (and in this case my crew) ready to go, there’s no way I would have go this shot.

8. Be spontaneous and get your subjects to come to life

As a photographer we need to think of so many things when shooting that it is easy to make a technically strong, but terribly boring shot. Instead of taking DMV mug shots outside, ask your subject to get a little crazy and then start firing away. Have them look off camera and think about something that makes them happy and fire away.

Another thing I’d like to point out is that keeping an eye on what is behind your subject is important. The crap in the background like power lines, signs, lamp posts, garbage cans, planters, etc…. are all nasty to look at in your photo so try to avoid them if you can. While a quick shot of Elmo dancing my get you a free pass on the background clutter, generally speaking it can just ruin a shot.

9. Photograph strangers

This is a tough one for many people, but you’d be surprised how many people will let you take their photo if you ask. It helps to have a business card and tell them who you are and what you do first, and you should always offer to give them a free image in exchange for their time. An 8x10 print or 800px on the long side JPEG is sufficient. What’s more, is that you can have them fill out a release for you after they contact you to get their print. This keeps you from shoving a contract in their face while on the street, and lets them go about their business.

Tip: Ask the people who you find attractive! Yep, that’s right, try asking the good looking folks because generally good looking people are happy to get their photo taken, and you’ll be happier with shots of people you find pleasing to look at! Once you do, you’ll have people of all sorts of looks asking to have their photo taken!

10. Find or recruit buddies to help assist

Taken with the Canon 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye Zoom (review)

There are lots of photographers in the world these days, and local groups for strobist, smugmug, etc… mean there are always people willing to go out and do a photo walk. As a result, you can recruit these people to help you out and help them in exchange as well. It’s tough to get great shots without an assistant, so I highly recommend you find one and plan ahead!

I’d like to thank my buddy Joe Gambardella who I met at the Bryan Peterson Workshop in Seattle (review) and Cliff Picket for their generous time and support during my Times Square and Rooftop shoots.

Conclusion

Travel Photography is one of my favorite things to do, but I’m only able to travel once or twice a year. Being out of my element sparks new creativity possibilities, but also new challenges.

Most of us aren’t Joe McNally so while we read great books like Sketching Light and think I’d like to try that sometime”, few of us actual do – especially when we are out of town. However, I’d like to encourage you to stop making boring shots when you travel. Haul a little more gear with you and go make some great shots!

Feeling Trapped And Longing For More Creative Outlets?

As photographers we get into creativity ruts from time to time, but travelling is the best way to see the world differently. Reading books like Learning to See Creatively or taking a course from The Perfect Picture School of Photography can really help inspire some new thinking, so a new environment may be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing again. I know it always helps me!

See the introduction part of this article for more ideas on how to improve your camera skills too!

If you like this article and want to see more like it, please leave a comment on the blog to let me know what you think.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make purchases using links in this article. Thanks for supporting this blog by using my links!

REVIEW: Gary Fong Flip Cage

2011-12-22T03:04:00.001-08:00

Gary Fong Flip Cage shown on the X10, iPhone 4s, s100 and G12
The large unit is the Pro and the smaller is

Gary Fong is best known for his lightsphere product which I actually owned (one of the original versions). While there are lots of strong opinions about the lightsphere, I think the Flip Cage should be a little less controversial. What this gadget does (for under $20) is provide your small camera with a easy to carry tripod that also acts as a LCD protector and/or light shield. The front unit can also serve as a flash bounce for your small camera. In fact, there’s even an adapter that allows you to use this with your iPhone 3Gs or 4/4s which can be very handy on vacation (as I discovered in Hawaii).

Here’s couple shots I took of it using a Nikon 1 V1:

While big lenses will test the strength of the flip cage pro, it still worked just fine.

Here’s a shot I did with the Nikon 1 V1 with it mounted as shown above to a Flip Cage Pro during a 1 second exposure:

In-Camera JPEG for a 1 second exposure using the Nikon V1

Additional Uses

Here’s some photos courtesy of B&H that show some alternative ways to use this product:

Conclusion

I dig this little gizmo – especially for the iPhone! It’s small and easily fits in a pocket while its attached to your camera. While I didn’t get much testing of the diffusion panels, I thought it was clever for Gary Fong to include these panels, but if you don’t like them then they can easily be removed. At less than $20 for most versions (except iPhone), they make a great stocking stuffer or gift for a photographer friend.

Ordering Info

Please support this blog by ordering using the the following links:

Click here to order your size and color Flip Cage. Larger cameras like the G12 and X10 or X100 will require a PRO model. This link also contains models for your iPhone 3Gs or 4/4s.

Disclaimer

I was provided with test units by Gary Fong, Inc. I may also get a commission if you make purchases using links in this article.

PREVIEW: Sketching Light by Joe McNally

2011-12-19T01:10:00.001-08:00

Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash
Excerpted from Sketching Light by Joe McNally
Copyright © 2012. Used with permission of Pearson Education, Inc. and New Riders

Normally I don’t talk about a book on my blog until I’ve finished reading it, but for this book I’m going to make an exception. The reason is simple – I enjoyed The Moment It Clicks and Hot Shoe Diaries enough to know what to expect from this book. When I started to skim this book I quickly discovered it took the best elements of Joe’s first two books and included a bit more detail (i.e., lots of lighting layout diagrams). This is a great start as depth was something that was lacking from his earlier editions, but the great photos and stories made up for it. In this edition you get all of that (including some of the same past photos discussed in more depth) and more.

At 417 pages, Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash is way more of everything than you’ve seen in Joe’s past books. I can assure you that if you liked The Moment It Clicks or Hot Shoe Diaries, you will LOVE Sketching Light! If you’ve never read one of Joe’s books, then let me say that you are in for a real treat so this should be high on your list of recreational reading books.

A Peek Inside

Thanks to my friends at Peachpit Press, I’m able to share with you an exclusive look at some of the content from this book not found anywhere else (not even on Joe’s blog!). I don’t typically ask publishers for content or do this sort of thing, but for this book I made an exception because I think it’s really important to show you why I love this book. I think you’ll also see why it’s still worth you getting even if you own Joe’s other books.

Fantastic Images

Fantastic images are nothing new for Joe McNally book – I mean the guy is a freakin photography legend, but Joe cranks the dial to 11 in this book. While the content of some of the images may be subjective (see below), the color, exposure and technical skill required to pull of the images can be appreciated by all photographers.

Joe begins his chapters with a large image and an intro where you are taken on a voyage to learn what all went into Joe making each chapters shot. Here’s one example, and you can find more on Amazon and Joe’s Blog.

More Details

I like Joe’s books, but in the past I felt they were more coffee table books than instructional books. The reason was simple – you saw a photo of a great shot learned a bit what went into making the shot, but there wasn’t enough detail for us mere mortals to go out and pull it off. While this edition still lacks the brilliant easy of use of Kelby’s Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It, it does give you more in-depth details where an intermediate and advanced photographer can stand a fighting chance of getting the shot. Here’s a great example that gives you a tiny taste of the new level of detail:

What is even more important is that this edition isn’t like the Ikea car instructions as they were in the past. Instead Joe shows you how he builds the light to get the shot. Here’s a snippet of one of the many examples where Joe goes deep:

Conclusion

I’m reading this book now and loving the hell out of it. It’s going to be my holiday vacation companion (even more so after I get my Kindle Fire on Christmas <g>), and I think you might enjoy doing the same. This version has more depth and details as well as a couple chapters to set your bearings before he dives in to the good stuff. Based on a 2 hour skim of the entire book, I see nothing that will keep this one off my highly recommended list, so I’m going to jump the gun and say this is a “great to have” book.

NOTE: Nikon shooters will enjoy knowing that Joe even covers the new SB-910 in the last chapter!

Click here to order yours today in print or electronic format.

Disclaimer

Peachpit press a copy of this book to me in advance of its retail release for my review. They also provided me with exclusive images from the book at my request. If you make a purchase from this article I may get a tiny commission.

REVIEW: Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Ringflash ECO

2011-12-16T04:36:00.001-08:00

Ranger Quadra Ringflash ECO

A couple years back I reviewed the RayFlash as an alternative to expensive ring flashes (which cost $1000 – $3000 back then). I was pleased with the results, but it took a lot of battery juice and forced me to shoot at ISO 800. In short, it worked but it wasn’t ideal.

Now fast-forward to Photo Plus Expo NYC 2011 where I discussed the latest and greatest gear from the top photography related companies in the world. One of those companies showing off their new gear was Elinchrom and they were quite proud of their new affordable ring flash. Now, this ring flash still cost over $500, but that’s less than half the cost of their Elinchrom Ranger RX 1500 Watt/Second Ringflash. That makes it much closer in price to the $200 RayFlash than it does its big brother, so I’d say that qualifies as affordable!

Using the RingFlash

A Diffusion Cover is offered (mouse out),
but I preferred it off (mouse in)

This gadget must be easy to use because it comes with directions that are less detailed than what you’d get from your average one-page instructions from Ikea. That said, I figured out how it worked without too much trouble and used it on both short and long lenses. In the end I preferred using it with my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM the most. Here’s what the ringflash looked like installed on that lens :

Getting it perfect straight is a bit of a choir, but the reality is that it worked fine both crooked and straight. I couldn’t tell the difference. The arms adjust so it works for both short and long lenses, but this was as long as I could extend it, so you couldn’t use it with a beast like the 200mm f/2L IS USM.

While I show it on a tripod here, the reality is that I like to shoot handheld so I just carried it in my hands and shot. You definitely get tired when you do this, but it is doable. You have to be mindful of the Quadra cord and you need to strategize on how to set the camera down, but beyond that it works fine attached.

Shooting Lessons Learned

I loved the light and the rim shadows you get with the ring flash

I’m not a ring flash shooter and I honestly don’t know much about them. As a result I think I had a pretty good experience that many of my readers will relate with.

At first when you use the ring flash it takes a little getting used to dialing in the right settings. It can be like using a sensitive shower where it’s super easy to go too far in one direction (i.e., too bright or dark). While I don’t use a light meter in my studio, I’d suspect this thing would give it fits – but who knows. Here’s one of my test shots that shows exactly what the image looked like straight out of the camera (only a dust spot removed, a simple crop and sharpening added – zero other edits):

What I liked about my starting point is that the models skin looked really nice and curves of the bone structure had nice highlights. Sometimes the shots would be a bit too bright as shown above, but it was easy to correct in RAW.

It took me about 3 shots before I had my desired brightness dialed in and then I was cranking out shots like the one at the top of this section where I enjoyed the ringflash look. The breasts especially (and those are natural ones) seemed to take on a more curvy look, chins, cheekbones and lips also seem to really benefit from the extra punch of light.

What About Catch Light Rings In The Eyes?

With short lenses, ring catch lights are common

When using a 70-200mm I didn’t have a single shot with the signature ring catch lights in the models eyes. However, to get them it took a little more work than I expected so I volunteered my big eyed daughter Sierra to show the effect above.

With that said, at normal viewing distances you aren’t going to notice them as shown below:

What you will notice though is that with short lenses its easy to overpower your background lights (which I had cranked to the max in the shot above). Perhaps this is why you usually see models on dark wall-like backgrounds when ring flashes are used, but I found that if you get farther back with a long lens then its much easier to get your white seamless to look more white than gray.

Give your model a break!

One thing my models pointed out really quickly was that the ringflash is blinding to them since the light goes directly into their eyes. After several blasts in a row they were seeing circles and their pupils got tiny. Keep this in mind when you are shooting with shy models who might not speak up. Working at longer distances helps too, so consider going a bit farther back if you can –this gun have a enough light to get to your subject without blinding them in the process!

Great for a serious, sexy or edgy look

While the shots of my daughter Sierra above show that these ringflash shots don’t need to be super hard edged when processed, I just gravitate that way for fun when I do them. To me this device just creates images which are perfect for serious, sexy and/or edgy looks like this:

I love edgy processing with ring flash shots! (hover to see before editing)

RingFlash versus RayFlash

RayFlash Sample Shot

I enjoyed my RayFlash and it created a nice similar look, but the added power of the portable Quadra pack helps a ton. Even if having a cord is a bit annoying, its worth it. It’s also worth noticing that the adjustable bars on the ringflash give you a lot more options than the fixed size of the RayFlash, so those finding the need for multiple RayFlashes to fit their gear may be able to get along with only one ringflash.

After this experience, I’ve decided that it’s probably time to sell my RayFlash. I want this ringflash as great results are much better easier to obtain. As a result I ended up buying my test unit and plan to use it more often in my studio.

Conclusion

I’m not a ringflash shooter so I expected it to be much like the RayFlash where I thought it was fun to review, but I’d probably never use it much. However, I found myself very surprised at how much I loved the look from this gizmo. It was especially nice when shooting people like myself and my daughter who have inset eyes as it really brightened the eyes. I also loved what it did the to skin on models (like the chest shot of Erica at the beginning of “Shooting Lessons Learned”.

Ringflashes are super hot in fashion photography, and with a good one you quickly understand why. I’m hooked, and recommend this one for Quadra users! If you are looking for something different to spice up your shots, this is a nice toy to enjoy!

Where To Buy & What You’ll Need

You can click on the following items below to order everything needed to make your ring flash work:

Ranger Quadra Ringflash ECO (required)
Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Head S Standard Set OR Ranger Quadra Head S Pro Set (can be used for non-ringflash purposes)

For more info about what I use, see my lighting setup page.

Disclosure

I was provided a loaner unit to review which I purchased using my personal funds at a used price rate. I may make a commission if you purchase using the links found in this article, so if you enjoy the article please use my links to support this blog.