Articles filed in Equipment Reviews.
The Evolution of Computational Photography
Computational Photography For a long time, I’ve wondered when traditional camera makers would catch up with computational photography. The iPhone does this every time you take a photo. If the iPhone can do it, why can’t our traditional mirrorless cameras have the same capabilities? Olympus Does It First OM System… Read More »
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OM System OM-3: A Vintage Camera with Modern Features
OM System Releases Retro OM-3 Today OM System released the retro OM-3 in response to the public’s desire to step back in time. Fujifilm started this trend with its retro-styled cameras. Nikon, also took a step in this direction with the Nikon ZF which looks like one of the Nikon… Read More »
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MicroFourNerds And Happy Snappin
Since the new Olympus OM-1 Mark ll came out, I’ve wanted to do a full-scale review. But I have to tell you, there are so many good people doing reviews that, so far, I’m content to sit on the sidelines. To drive home my point, I offer this excellent video… Read More »
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Testing the Olympus OM-1 Autofocus For Birds in Flight
Over the last four weeks, I had several opportunities to test the Olympus OM-1 Autofocus For Birds in Flight. What started as a typical AF series of tests morphed into that, plus a critique/comparison of the software I use to check for critical focus. The following are my findings on… Read More »
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OM-System Reborn As An Imaging Business
Olympus imaging has been reborn as OM-System. The time is right to make the switch.
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Lumix GH6 Has Much Improved Autofocus
The Lumix GH6 has much improved autofocus. Many of you may recall my association with Lumix pretty much ended for one basic reason. That was my frustration with autofocus issues on fast-moving subjects. Our official working relationship ended in September 2019. Now fast forward to mid-February 2022 when Mathew Frazer… Read More »
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Special Glass Is Expensive, But It’s Worth It
A recent blog post by the folks over at Petapixel inspired me to write my own take on how special glass is expensive, but I believe is worth it. I’m writing this having just finished a month in the wilds of South Africa and having shot over 13,000 images, most… Read More »
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Olympus 150-400mm & Sony 200-600mm Comparison Experience
Long time in the making My Olympus 150-400mm & Sony 200-600mm comparison experience is finally here. I’m grateful for everybody’s patience. Getting this out has taken longer than I expected. A big part of the holdup was a family emergency with my father. Dad went in for unexpected double bypass… Read More »
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Olympus 150-400mm versus Sony 200-600mm
Olympus 150-400mm versus Sony 200-600mm is starting this week. I’ve been waiting for this new Olympus lens for over a year. The development of the Olympus 150-400mm was first announced in January 2019 and my excitement has been hard to contain. Ultimate magnification The video above is a short introduction… Read More »
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Camera weather sealing, do we need to worry?
One of the benefits of the Olympus and Lumix Micro Four Thirds cameras is their superior weather sealing. Most models from these two manufacturers are so good I no longer even think about putting them away in inclement weather. Having such faith shooting in rain or snow for the last… Read More »
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Olympus Weather Sealing is Hard to Believe
Behind the Scenes of Olympus Weather Sealing Olympus weather sealing is hard to believe, as you can see below in a video and blog post by Dave Etchells of Imaging Resource. The more I use the Olympus E-M1X, the more impressed I am with the Olympus commitment to hardcore professional… Read More »
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Lumix Professional Services Offer Great Support
Lumix Professional Services Awhile back I shared a post about the relatively new program the folks at Panasonic implemented known as Lumix Professional Services. That was about one year ago and over the last twelve months, I’ve experienced exactly what Lumix Professional Services means. Lumix Professional Services offer great support. And… Read More »
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Photo Tips from the Field: Camera Packs & Roller Cases
Years of Carrying Too Much Gear The life of a traveling photographer is unique to say the least. I’ve been doing just that, full-time, since 1981. And though there’s nothing else in life I would rather do, like anything, it has its pros and cons. Schlepping lots of heavy gear… Read More »
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Comparing Sony, Olympus, Lumix Telephoto Sharpness
Editorial Note: I’ve amended this blog post due to an overriding interest in the fact I’m no longer a Lumix Ambassador. In all fairness to the folks at Panasonic, I’m still a very big fan of their equipment and the Ambassador news was taking away from the real reason for… Read More »
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Predictive AF to Excite & Inspire
Daniel J. Cox puts three cameras to the test for flying birds. They were the Lumix G9, Olympus OM-D EM-1X and the Sony A9.
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Panasonic Lumix G9 47,000 Pictures Over 10 Months
Panasonic’s Lumix G9 It’s been a little less than ten months since I first had the opportunity to shoot a pre-production model of the Lumix G9. Six months have passed since receiving a regular production model. Along the way, I’ve shot just shy of 47,000 pictures including geese and ducks,… Read More »
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Leica Magic With A Lumix Mount: The 200mm and 50-200mm Lenses
Leica magic with a Lumix mount—the 200mm and 50-200mm lenses have been part of a very exciting year for Panasonic and the Micro Four Thirds category of cameras. I had to check Mylio to see exactly when I first started shooting these two new Leica lenses, and I was surprised to… Read More »
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Attach Your Camera Strap
Camera straps are generally considered an afterthought when buying a new camera. Maybe it’s due to the fact most manufacturers include a strap with virtually every camera sold. The downside to getting a strap from your camera maker is that it’s most always going to have flashy advertising emblazoned across… Read More »
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Panasonic AU-EVA1 Video Camera
Panasonic continues their impressive push in to breaking the boundaries of stills and video cameras. With the announcement of the Panasonic AU-EVA1 video camera they’ve added a new model with groundbreaking technology for producing moving pictures. For those of you who HATE video and want nothing to do with it, you… Read More »
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Merry Christmas to All With Some Lumix News
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Gift Giving, or whatever you celebrate as long as it’s positive to your fellow homo sapiens. I thought I would share some Lumix news snippets for the holiday season including some preliminary tests with the new Leica 200mm with 1.4X and 2X teleconverters and Lumix G9. Panasonic… Read More »
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Joe Edelman Could Be My Twin Switching From Nikon to Micro Four Thirds
Switching from Nikon to Micro Four Thirds Seems Joe Edelman had an almost identical path in photography as I have. He started in the mid 70’s with a Nikon F2AS, just like me. He shot the Nikon system for over 40 years, just like me. He relied on Nikon cameras… Read More »
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Two Great Travel Lenses: Leica 12-60mm & Olympus 12-100mm
Two great travel lenses Leica 12-60mm and Olympus 12-100mm to foil carry-on police As traveling photographers, we’ve all been there. “There” is the point in the line where the gate agent looks you straight in the eye and asks you to place your carry-on in the make-believe overhead bin that… Read More »
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Predictive AF Comparison Tests Lumix GH5, G85, Oly EM-1 Mark ll, and Nikon D500
Let’s get right to the point. This post is a Predictive AF comparison test between the Lumix GH5, G85, Olympus EM-1 Mark ll, and the Nikon D500. I’ve been shooting the new Lumix GH5 for almost two months, and Panasonic’s DFD autofocus is now producing equal to or better results… Read More »
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Panasonic LUMIX G85 Shooting Experience Huge Bang For The Buck
Editors Note: Under the heading of no surprises I want everybody who reads this blog to know that I’m what is called a Panasonic Lumix Luminary. In other words, I do get compensated a small stipend each year for working with Panasonic. However, I can tell you straight up, the small… Read More »
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Leica 100-400mm Comparison Lumix Olympus
Leica 100-400mm Comparison Lumix & Olympus This morning I was inspired by a question on the blog to do a quick and dirty little test, comparing the Leica 100-400mm on both the new Lumix G85 (with updated firmware V.1.2), 100-400mm firmware update V1.1, and the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark ll. Here’s the… Read More »
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Drobo Mylio Combination Impresses Fred Kurtz
Editor’s Note One of the great benefits of traveling with so many enthusiastic photographers is the chance to share information about how each of them stores and processes their images. Anyone who loves photography knows how important it is to have a handle on where your favorite photos are at… Read More »
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How’s The Quality of Your JPEG Right Out of Camera?
The boys at The Camera Store TV are at it again with a new video showcasing several cameras and the JPEGs directly output from each model. In other words, they did a test to see how several different manufacturer’s JPEGs compared without running them through a RAW processor. It’s a great test since many… Read More »
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Newly Announced Lumix G85 Attracting Lots of Attention
Lumix G85 Attracting Lots of Attention Photokina for 2016 is now history and with its passing, more information about the new Lumix G85 is finally starting to emerge. To be completely frank, Panasonic’s new Lumix was definitely overshadowed by the announcement of the updated Olympus flagship, the OM-D EM-1-ll. Without… Read More »
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Lexar or SanDisk: You Decide
Awhile back I wrote a Blog post about how one of our NE Explorers, Rich Wilson, was having issues with brand new Lexar cards he took to South Africa with him. I shot a short video of the issue which was included in the Blog. Though I’ve tried many times… Read More »
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Lumix Diaries: Shooting the New Leica Lumix 12mm F/1.4
Shooting the New Leica Lumix 12mm F/1.4 This past February when I visited the Panasonic headquarters in Osaka, Japan, I spent time with engineers discussing many ideas and features for upcoming cameras. On the meeting room table were a few things I can’t discuss, but one item that’s now been announced… Read More »
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Mirrorless Telephoto Comparison Leica, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus
Mirrorless Telephoto Comparison Leica, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus Last December I was fortunate to receive the new Leica 100-400m zoom, built for the Panasonic Lumix cameras I’ve been enthusiastically shooting since 2008. A complete transition to Micro Four Thirds has been squelched by the fact we just didn’t have the long professional quality telephoto/zoom… Read More »
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Sony Getting Serious About Professional Users
Just a quick post about a recent video I saw with a photographer who recently received Sony’s new Pro Support package. If it’s all this photographer describes—he shows the unboxing so to speak—it sounds quite impressive. I’ve been a Nikon Professional Services member since 1981 and they do a great job supporting… Read More »
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Drobo & Mylio: The Best Keep Getting Better
Drobo & Mylio: The Best Keep Getting Better I will tell you right up front, this is a bit of a long story but it’s well worth the read if you want a safe, reliable storage solution for your pictures that doesn’t expose them to the seemingly lawless frontier known as… Read More »
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Lumix Diaries Sharks with Lumix TS5 Underwater Camera
Lumix Diaries Lemon Sharks with Lumix TS5 Underwater Camera Amazingly, there is not a lot to share on the technical side of this image. I simply put it on P (program) with AF and let the camera handle everything else. This image was shot with the Lumix TS5, an older version… Read More »
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Google’s Nik Software is Now Completely Free
Google’s Nik Software is Now Completely Free I have always been a fan of Nik software but once Google bought it I kind of forgot about it as I used other programs. I haven’t seen a lot of updates to Nik so I was concerned it was on the way of… Read More »
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Reviews of Leica 100-400mm Showing Up
Mixed Reviews of Leica 100-400mm Update of original Update 5/12/2016 The issues I had read about with AF and the new 100-400mm seem to have been solved. I know mine were. Have not heard any concerns in the past few weeks. Only have heard glowing reviews. I think Panasonic has got all… Read More »
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Leica 100-400mm Dual IS with Lumix GX8
I recently shot the Leica 100-400mm Dual IS with Lumix GX8 in my hotel room while on our 2016 Japan Winter Wildlife Photo Tour. This test was inspired by fellow Natural Exposures Explorer Dean Schwartz who sent me an image he shot with his new Olympus 300mm F/4 and the OM-D… Read More »
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Lumix Diaries Leica 100-400mm Samples
I’ve decided to share some images from the new Leica 100-400mm lens in this Blog post. There has been a lot of interest and requests from my readers to see full-sized, high resolution images ever since the assignment I was given to produce ad materials for then new Leica 100-400mm zoom. Sharing full-sized,… Read More »
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Olympus 300mm F/4 Pro Lens Update
Looking forward to testing this lens Dean. Thanks for the heads up. Based on the stellar performance of the Olympus 40-150mm F/2.8, this should also be an incredible option for those that need truly professional telephoto reach. This lens, along with the coming Leica 100-400mm zoom from Panasonic Lumix, will… Read More »
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Revenge of the Bridge Camera by Lumix Colleague Mark Toal
Revenge of the Bridge Camera. Just a quick heads up about the so-called “bridge camera.” What’s a bridge camera? Like my friend and Lumix colleague Mark Toal explains, “To me, a bridge camera has a long zoom lens attached to a point-and-shoot camera body and tends to look like baby… Read More »
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New Lexar 1000 and 2000 SDHC ll Cards Unreadable?
New Lexar 1000 and 2000 SDHC ll cards unreadable? Yesterday one of our Explorers came to me with a Lexar card issue I had never seen before on any card. Basically, two brand new Lexar cards, one 32GB 1000X and one 64GB 2000X SDHC cards could not be recognized by his Lumix… Read More »
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Are Filters for Lens Protection Worthwhile? Geoff Jones Wants to Know
Are Filters for Lens Protection Worthwhile? No apologies needed Geoff. This is a great question. My feelings are a very positive YES, a good UV or skylight filter is very much worthwhile for protecting the front element of any lens. Not only will it protect from the lens from scratches, dirt,… Read More »
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GX8 & OM-D EM-1 Image Stabilization Question from Ray Hirsch
GX8 & OM-D EM-1 Image Stabilization Ray, I don’t think trying a second copy of the GX8 is going to improve your in-body image stabilization concerns. I’m finding similar results with the 40-150mm on the GX8. Not stellar in-body IS with this lens but better than none at all for sure.… Read More »
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Lumix GX8 Sample Images
Lumix GX8 Sample Images Last week I attended the Lumix Luminary summit and had a chance to shoot the new Lumix GX8 which I wrote about in a previous post titled Lumix Luminary Summit Glancing Back Looking Forward with Lumix GX8. In that post when I spoke about the GX8 I… Read More »
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Lumix Luminary Summit Glancing Back Looking Forward with Lumix GX8
Lumix Luminary Summit Glancing Back Looking Forward with Lumix GX8 June 28, 2015 How does one truly appreciate what you are given? I’m certain most of us have all been there. Going about your everyday life when a vision from the past stops you cold. For me, this early morning… Read More »
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The Lumix Diaries With High Arctic Polar Bears
July 14, 2015 – Oslo, Norway The Lumix Diaries with high arctic polar bears. It’s been three days since we arrived in Oslo. Tanya and I like to be on our destination continent at least two days before our guests arrive. There’s nothing worse than feeling the physically debilitating effects… Read More »
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Lumix GX8 Reviewed by ePhotozine
Lumix GX8 Reviewed. Just a few days ago Panasonic announced their new GX8 and it’s boasting some amazing new technology that I’m super excited to test. ePhotozine just posted their hands-on review and they loved it. What caught my attention is the in-body’s 4-axis image stabilization that works with image stabilized Panasonic Lumix… Read More »
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Panasonic Lumix GH4 Unofficial Guide
Panasonic Lumix GH4 Unofficial Guide I recently became aware of a new book titled The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide. I’ve brought this guide to Svalbard with me since I may have some downtime on the ship. From what I’ve seen so far it’s written very well, with great information for… Read More »
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The Lumix Diaries: Printing Large Photos
Printing Large Photos – A Comparison of the LX100, GH4, and D800 The Lumix Diaries sets out in a test of printing large photos, mainly to see how large we can print from a Lumix GH4. A few weeks ago I received a question from one of our readers. Roberto Facchini wanted to know about… Read More »
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Which Rain Covers for Keeping Your Gear Dry?
Which rain covers for keeping your gear dry? Doug, sorry I missed this until now. I have to say I’m a minimalist when it comes to rain gear for my cameras. My favorite is without a doubt the cheap, yet very worthy, Op/Tech glorified plastic bag. These things are incredibly inexpensive so I… Read More »
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Panasonic Lumix Future Lens Development – Add Your Voice!
Panasonic Lumix Future Lens Development. This morning I’m working on a presentation for a meeting I have with Panasonic on June 2nd. Awhile back Panasonic contacted me to see if I would meet with two of their people from Tokyo to discuss future lens developments and they want to meet in… Read More »
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Yongnuo YN560-III Speedlite Question
John, there is nothing you should have to do to make any flash fire from the GH3 hotshot. I’ve never used a Yongnuo flash, but there should be nothing special you have to do to make it fire. If it’s not firing, it may be due to the Program Mode… Read More »
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The VERGE Takes a Look at Sony’s New Mirrorless A7 ll
The VERGE takes a look at Sony’s new mirrorless A7 ll. One of my favorite online websites that reviews all things digital recently looked into the new Sony A7 ll. I couldn’t agree more with their less than enthusiastic look at this camera. I’ve handled the A7 ll and unfortunately… Read More »
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The Lumix Diaries LX100 Colorado Avalanche and Nate MacKinnon
The Lumix Diaries LX100 Colorado Avalanche and Nate MacKinnon. This past two weeks of the Christmas season has been a whirlwind of family activity. The gift of being together is better than anything I could ever imagine under the Christmas tree. Along with family comes the opportunity for lots of pictures but… Read More »
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Lumix FZ1000: Is It The Only Camera You Need?
John, Not sure what you are referring to when you ask about “the present (P.) 4/5th sensor size?” Are you thinking about 4:3 proportions? The 1 inch sensor in the FZ100o is considerably smaller than the Lumix sensor in the Lumix Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras. Image below is for comparison.… Read More »
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JVC Joins MFT Camp with the Release of their new 4K Video Camera
JVC Joins MFT Camp with the Release of their new 4K Video Camera. Though it’s a traditional video styled camera, it does take the growing line of Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lenses. That’s good news for all MFT users. The more companies that join the party the better. Thanks to… Read More »
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Olympus Currently Shipping Spectacular 40-150mm F/2.8
I just heard from the folks over at 43Rumors that at least one of their readers has shipping confirmation from Olympus of his pre-ordered 40-150mm F/2.8 lens. I have one on order with F11 Photo in Bozeman, Montana, so hopefully mine will be on its way as well. I can’t wait… Read More »
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Olympus 40-150mm & Lumix 35-100mm Shoot Out
Olympus 40-150mm & Lumix 35-100mm Shoot Out by the omnipresent boys from Calgary TCSTV. As people get their hands on the new Olympus lens, we’re starting to see more and more comparisons being performed. This one is by the two guys from The Camera Store TV in Calgary, Alberta. They… Read More »
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Hard Drives and Digital Photography Workflow
Hard Drives and Digital Photography Workflow go hand in hand. Over a year ago I became aware of a company called BackBlaze which is a cloud based backup service I’ve been using ever since. The most amazing thing about this company is how inexpensive it is. I’m getting to the Drive… Read More »
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The New Olympus 40-150mm F/2.8 Getting Spectacular Reviews
The new Olympus 40-150mm F/2.8 Getting Spectacular Reviews and I have one on order from F11 Photo in Bozeman, Montana. Just a reminder, all MFT lenses need to be multiplied by two, so this lens is actually an 80-300mm F/2.8. I hope to have it upon my return from Romania in… Read More »
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Panasonic LX100 Development Story With Samples
Panasonic LX100 Development Story With Samples. A week or so ago I wrote about the Lumix LX100, a new camera announced by Panasonic at Photokina. It’s an all in one “compact” like, “point and shoot” like, picture taking machine. But being “like” a point and shoot and all in one compact is… Read More »
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Consumer Reports Rates Lumix Cameras The Very Best
Consumer Reports Rates Lumix Cameras The Very Best and Panasonic’s Lumix brand is helping prove my prediction that 2014 will be the breakout year for mirrorless cameras. I’ve been predicting 2014 would be the year people finally start to realize that mirrorless cameras in general and Micro Four Thirds in particular are… Read More »
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Photokina Brings Good News For Micro Four Thirds Cameras
Photokina Brings Good News For Micro Four Thirds Cameras. One of the biggest hits of Photokina is the new Lumix LX100 which I’ve mentioned in an earlier post. However, there was a YouTube video I recently found in which Panasonic’s Matt Frazer gives more details about how its new revolutionary camera was… Read More »
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The Lumix Diaries: Adventures in the Pantanal (Continued)
The Lumix Diaries Adventures in the Pantanal (Continued) is an update to what I started writing a little over a week ago. I had high hopes of being able to keep up with photography, helping our Explorers, and writing the Blog during this time. Alas, I’m a bit behind on the… Read More »
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The Lumix Diaries: Adventures in the Pantanal
August 2, 2014 – Pantanal Brazil The Lumix Diaries Adventures in the Pantanal. It’s our first full day at the lodge in the Pantanal of Brazil. I’m here with a group of enthusiastic photographers who are part of our Brazil Pantanal Jaguar Wildlife Photo Expedition Invitational Photo Tour. Before I left… Read More »
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Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 All-in-One Camera
The Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 is Panasonic’s newest release into the world of digital photography. The FZ1000 is what’s referred to as a Bridge Camera, a term used to describe the gap that exists between the all-in-one point and shoot and the more sophisticated interchangeable lens cameras like the GH4. I’m typically not… Read More »
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Guest Post-Fred Kurtz Evolving From DSLR’s to Micro Four Thirds
Guest Post- Fred Kurtz Evolving From DSLR’s to Micro Four Thirds. Every now and again I reach out to one of our NE Explorers to share an experience or information I feel others might be interested in. One of our most traveled Explorers, Fred Kurtz, is a dear friend and… Read More »
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Olympus OM-D E-M1 – A Very Short Review
Update 5/26/2014 The Olympus OM-D E-M1 – A Very Short Review is in fact, very short and in all honesty barley a review at all. It’s really more of just an opinion piece and for good reason. I had a very hard time forcing myself to even use this camera after coming to grips with… Read More »
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Auto Focus Shoot Out With Lumix GH4, Fuji, Sony and Olympus
Auto focus shoot out with Lumix GH4, Fuji, Sony and Olympus. The boys from The Camera Store TV are at it again and doing another great review of several different cameras. As Chris Nichols points out, all the camera manufacturers are beating their chests with grandiose claims suggesting each of their newly… Read More »
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Canon or Nikon? Lynn Owsley Guest Post
Canon or Nikon? The following is a guest post by Natural Exposure’s Explorer Lynn Owsley. Lynn has been traveling with us for several years and when she first started she was struggling with her photography. When I met Lynn she was shooting Canon. By the time she joined us for… Read More »
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5 Tips for Printing Your Own Photos
5 tips for printing your own photos are some tips I decided to offer based on popular request from our traveling Explorers. Unfortunately, it’s not a simple answer so I thought I would pick out the five most important things to know and understand to get the best results. If you want… Read More »
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Panasonic Lumix GH4 & The Speeding Pooch Test
I recently received a pair of Panasonic Lumix GH4 cameras and I couldn’t get them in my hands fast enough. They’ve been in the wild so to speak since about last Friday, April 25, 2014. Ray Norouzi from Samy’s Camera in LA was fast out of the blocks and called… Read More »
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One Year Testing the Panasonic Lumix GH3
I’ve had one year testing the Panasonic Lumix GH3, which all began with the Blog entry, Testing the Panasonic GH3, during a shoot in Kenya, Africa. Overall, during that first review, I came away feeling the GH3 was quite impressive, especially when you take into consideration it’s reasonable price, superbly appealing size and weight… Read More »
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Micro 4/3’s Lenses Sharper than Full Frame Lenses? You Decide
There’s quite an interesting discussion ragging over on one of my favorite web sites DPReview regarding the sharpness of Micro Four Thirds lenses compared to some very famous Full Frame Canon’s Nikon’s, Leica’s and other world famous optics. It an interesting read having been reported by slrgear.com. I’m a little… Read More »
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Lumix GH4 with 4K Video – Pull Still Frames from Your Video!
The Lumix GH4 with 4K video bridges the divide. I’ve been predicting that video capture and still photography would eventually merge for the past 10 years. It finally happened in 2007 with the release of the Red One camera. Red One was the first video camera to shoot 4K video… Read More »
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Official Nikon Lens Rebates – $400 Off the Amazing New 80-400mm VRll
Tanner, a young man from one of our favorite camera shops, Bozeman Camera, recently alerted us to a new rebate program from Nikon. He sent info on the official rebates from Nikon on many of their lenses including the new version of the 80-400mm zoom. I was shocked by this… Read More »
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Nikon’s Turn to Update Their All-in-one Compact Coolpix P600
Today was Nikon’s turn to update their all-in-one compact – Coolpix P600. In earlier posts I’ve mentioned that for some people all-in-one compacts are actually something to consider. It was an all-in-one compact from Canon that one of our NE Explorers had in Yellowstone last month that caught my attention and… Read More »
Read article →Panasonic To Announce GH4 Tomorrow, Feb 7th
Panasonic To Announce GH4 Tomorrow, Feb 7th. The rumor mill is alive and well, talking about Panasonic’s newest Lumix that will be announced tomorrow Feb. 7th. It’s speculated to be an update to the current GH3 which I’ve been using for a bit over a year now. The newest GH4 will… Read More »
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The Olympus Stylus SP-100EE
The Olympus Stylus SP-100EE is a new all-in-one compact camera that looks extremely interesting. The all-in-one compact category of cameras include the ones that typically have a very wide ranged zoom, wide angle to telephoto, that’s not removable and fixed permanently to the camera. In other words it has many… Read More »
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Canon EOS 1DX Firmware Update Released
Canon EOS 1DX firmware update released. Thanks to Explorer Jane Norris for sending me an alert on this. Kudos to Canon for giving such great improvements via a firmware update rather than making all of their users buy a whole new camera. You can read below for more detailed info on… Read More »
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Seabourn Quest Update: Mirrorless Camera Info, Polar Bears, Seabourn Quest Video Update
I’ve compiled some updated information regarding questions I had onboard our recent Seabourn Quest cruises. Numerous guests were interested in the small cameras I was shooting. Several folks wanted to know more about seeing polar bears in Churchill, and finally I have some news about the Seabourn Quest video Wolfgang… Read More »
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Nikon’s New DF Retro Camera
UPDATE: As I’m literally writing this post MYNIKONLIFE just announced Nikon’s new DF retro camera so all the speculation below is now no longer speculation. It’s real. Take a look for yourself. Much of what I wrote below was not about the specs but rather why. Nikon’s on a roll… Read More »
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Video #3: Nikon Pure Photography, No Clutter, No Distractions
So Nikon has released the third video of the Nikon Pure Photography ad series. It shows a bit more of the actual camera. Based on the lens the photographer is cleaning around the campfire, it’s not a small camera. I guess that hope is out the window. I love the… Read More »
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Panasonic Lumix GH3 Review by NE Explorers Mark & Cathy Pemberton
Just for the record this is a Guest Post. I like to get our Explorers involved on the Blog when possible. I feel like it’s a great way for real people to relate to real people. That might suggest us professional photographers are not the norm 🙂 I could go… Read More »
Read article →Q&A: How Do The Old and New Nikkor 80-400mm Lenses Compare?
Jan, the 80-400mm lens I wrote about in Outdoor Photographer is a completely new design. The first version, the one you had trouble with in SA, was truly not up to the standards needed for low light and quality photography. That has all changed with the newest version. Don’t hesitate… Read More »
Read article →Q&A: Which long lens, Nikon, Sigma? Teleconverter, no teleconverter?
Marcus, Unfortunately, I’ve never used the Sigma 80-400mm lens nor have I used the Sigma 120-300mm lens. The second Sigma, the 120-300mm, has a very good reputation for being sharp and optimal quality. One of the best options for comparing sharpness of lenses is the DxOMark website. They do a… Read More »
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Outdoor Photographer Features Dan’s Work With New Nikon 80-400mm Zoom Lens
For those interested in seeing published results of the new Nikkor 80-400mm lens, you may want to pick up the October issue of Outdoor Photographer. OP is featuring a short piece I did for them on my enthusiasm for zoom lenses. You can see the article for yourself titled The… Read More »
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Testing the New Nikkor 80-400mm Zoom Lens
Testing the New Nikkor 80-400mm Zoom Lens I’ve been meaning to write this post highlighting Nikon’s newest zoom, the updated 80-400mm, for quite some time. Unfortunately a lot of travel has kept me from being able to run the proper tests, but finally I was able to put Nikon’s newest… Read More »
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The Future of Photography~Sony Rumors Nails It.
Sony Alpha Rumors is a web site I regularly follow. I do believe that, without a doubt, Sony is leading the big three, Canon, Nikon, Sony, in new ideas, taking chances and rethinking what a camera should be going forward. There is so much technology in the photography world that… Read More »
Read article →Nikon Rumors Highlights DxOMark Super Telephoto Tests Between Nikon, Canon and Sony
Nikon Rumors posted some interesting comparison’s of tests recently performed by DxOMark. DxOMark is the go-to website for detailed information on the tehnical qualities of the super telephoto lenses from Nikon and Canon. Nikon’s 20mm F/2 is listed as the sharpest Nikon lens ever tested and one of the sharpest lenses DxoMark… Read More »
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Panasonic Lumix GH3 Predictive AF Tests
Awhile back I wrote about the new Panasonic GH3 and how it performed in Kenya, Africa. I was quite pleased overall but I knew there was one other test that had to be conducted to really see if this camera was up to the standards as my beloved Nikons. Those… Read More »
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Canon Shooters Rejoice – I think? Canon 200-400 on its way for nearly $12,000.00 USD
Back in February of 2011 Canon announced that they planned to announce, the announcement of their recently announced, up and coming 200-400mm lens. Yes, I intentionally used the word “announce” that many times 🙂 Seems one of the hottest lenses Nikon ever built was finally hitting a nerve with Canon’s… Read More »
Read article →Nikon Releases an Updated 80-400mm Zoom – Finally!
Nikon finally updates one of their most popular lenses for the photo enthusiast group, the Nikkor 80-400mm zoom. This lens was the first Nikon-branded product to incorporate their VR technology. The first generation of this optic, which came out twelve years ago, was a descent lens but nothing really special… Read More »
Read article →iPhoto – Simple, Extremely Easy and Now Customizable
One of the questions I’m often asked is what program I recommend for working with photos. I often respond with a few questions of my own to better understand the person’s comfort level and capabilities with computers. If they are new to digital photography, but computer literate, I often suggest… Read More »
Read article →Newsworthy Notes – Dell and Panasonic
Dell recently announced what sounds like a phenomenal series of monitors. They come in 24 and 27 inch models but their biggest claim to fame is they promise 99% coverage of the AdobeRGB color space. If true, that’s a big deal. We’ve been using Dell monitors for the past couple of… Read More »
Read article →Canon 200-400mm Super Zoom Is Almost Here
Canon announced their version of the highly coveted 200-400mm lens over two years ago. On the Nikon side, this is the lens that has kept me shooting Nikon for a couple of decades. Now it’s this lens AND Nikon’s amazing high ISO capable full frame cameras. For the Canon folks,… Read More »
Read article →Update: Shooting the Panasonic GH3
In a recent Blog post titled Testing Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds Camera, the GH3, I promised I would be printing two images of a leopard I photographed with both the Nikon D4 and the Panasonic GH3. Before heading to Patagonia I had the chance to do that and I wanted to… Read More »
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Testing Panasonic’s Newest Micro Four Thirds Camera: The GH3
January 3, 2013 Many of you may already know that Panasonic recently released the Lumix GH3, their newest addition to their growing line of Micro Four Thirds cameras. Being a big fan of the Micro Four Thirds system I scrambled, searching the web, calling contacts and eventually got my hands… Read More »
Read article →Micro Four Thirds Camera Industry Gains Five New Members
Olympus recently announced that five new camera-makers have joined the Micro Four Thirds camera technology group. You can see a list of the new members by following this link. In 2008, Panasonic and Olympus started the Micro Four Thirds consortium with the intent to develop a new category of cameras… Read More »
Read article →Red Digital Cinema’s History & How To Video Series
Red Digital Cinema continues to steam roll the competition and impress the image creation world with phenomenal new technology for still and moving images. I first heard of the Red One several years ago. The Red One was Red Digital Cinema’s first barn storming camera that turned the video creation… Read More »
Read article →DPReview Crowns 2012’s Best Cameras
DPReview, my favorite go to website for all camera information, recently took a poll from their readers to get their thoughts on the best camera of 2012. And the winner is the Micro 4/3’s Olympus OM-D EM-5. Nikon’s D800/D800E was second and the Canon EOS 5 Mark lll came in… Read More »
Read article →Which Camera for Christmas? Nikon D600 Versus Canon 6D by Jett
I recently ran across a great video that compares the Nikon D600 and Canon 6D. Jett H. has put a terrific comparison video together and goes over many of the features that will interest both still and video enthusiasts alike. He mentions that he is not a professional in either… Read More »
Read article →Atomos Ninja-2 – Firmware Update & Donation to ADP
A few weeks ago I met Heather Williams from Atomos at the Kenmore Camera Photo Expo. She was showing an exciting new product for the Nikon D800 and other HDMI capture devices. The new tool is called the Ninja-2. It’s an LCD screen that shows a larger view of what you’re documenting… Read More »
Read article →Apple Updates Camera RAW Adding the Panasonic GH3
For anyone thinking that Apple isn’t serious about Aperture, the recent lightning fast updates to Camera RAW seem to prove otherwise. I just got back from Churchill to find an OSX message that included information about a new ITunes and Camera RAW update. One of the cameras included in that… Read More »
Read article →Panasonic’s GH3. Why Are Photographers Wanting Smaller and Lighter?
Tonight I wanted to share with you a recent video produced by the relatively new web show known as Camera Diner. I stumbled upon this video they produced by accident. It’s a great preview of the upcoming Panasonic Lumix GH3. The camera has been expected for awhile but just recently… Read More »
Read article →Testing the Nikon D4, D800, D600 in Predictive Auto Focus
I recently made the decision to move almost exclusively over to all Nikon FX bodies. For those not familiar, FX is the designation Nikon makes between their so-called Full Frame sensors and their DX 1.5X cropped APS sensors. My main reason for switching from the DX sensor cameras, the D300… Read More »
Read article →Nikon’s D600 & Other News from Kenmore Digital Photo Expo
I recently took part in the Kenmore Camera Digital Photo Expo in Seattle and it was fun to get out and meet so many digital photo enthusiasts. Nikon’s booth was extremely busy with people lining up to checkout the D4, D800 and especially the new D600 FX camera bodies. Rose Whitaker,… Read More »
Read article →Digital Media Cards Are Not All Created Equal
A few months back I had the good fortune to meet Peter Liebmann from SanDisk. We met on the Mentor Series Oregon Trek and during a couple of lengthy bus rides he shared with me and all the Trekkers great information about digital media cards. I was so impressed with… Read More »
Read article →Shooting Nikon’s New D600 in Brazil
Tanya and I just finished our first two week shoot in the wilds of the Pantanal of Brazil. I was shooting the D4 and the new D800 on this first trip. I’m still processing the images so I don’t have anything to share, but it was so exhilarating to be… Read More »
Read article →Quick, Easy, Free! Video Editing on the Mac With Quicktime
Many people often ask what program I use to edit my movies. Most of the time it’s Apple’s iMovie, and soon I plan to move to Apple’s Final Cut Pro X. Not sure if that will replace iMovie but we shall see. iMovie is so powerful and easy. Its main… Read More »
Read article →Pixelmator: Watermark Copyright Protection and Practically Free at $14.99
Creating watermarks for your photographs is something every photographer should be doing. It tells people you are proud of your hard work and at the same time offers a warning to those who wish to pirate your images and use them for their own purposes. All photographs are technically and… Read More »
Read article →Canon Steps Up With the EOS-M Mirrorless Camera
Canon has finally joined the mirrorless, interchangeable lens revolution and by the looks of the introductory videos all over the web, it is a great first attempt to this fast growing category in photography. This is a positive sign for all of us wanting to see this class of camera… Read More »
Read article →Comparing Nikon’s 24-70mm f/2.8 to Nikon’s 24mm PC Lens
Rainy days and time away from a busy studio setting can be very productive. Especially if you’re as far north as Churchill, Manitoba. I’m visiting Churchill documenting summer in the arctic for the Arctic Documentary Project. I’ve been here for a few days staying at the PBI house. My first… Read More »
Read article →Getting the Most From Your Mac for Photography and Everyday Use
On the eve of what is rumored to be Apple’s largest release of new products in the company’s history, I want to offer some ideas on how to get the most of the amazing tools they provide us. Tomorrow is Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco… Read More »
Read article →Apple Keeping Pace With Digital Camera RAW Functionality
Apple just announced the update of their Digital Camera RAW software to the most current version 3.13. Go to your Apple logo in the upper left corner of your Mac and select Software Update to get the newest version. This is big news in my mind since this is the… Read More »
Read article →Nikon Coolpix AW100 Update: Print Test and Video Sample
A few days ago I highlighted my experience with Nikons new Coolpix AW100 “adventure camera”. I mentioned I wanted to reserve my final opinion based on the quality of prints you could make from it. On my way home from Peru, I sent my assistant Jill a JPEG to make… Read More »
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The Nikon Coolpix AW 100 Underwater Point and Shoot Camera
Just before I left for the Galapagos, I decided to pickup the relatively new Nikon Coolpix AW100 underwater point and shoot camera. I made the decision not to bring the huge amount of equipment normal large DSLR cameras create when shooting below the water’s surface. I wanted light, quick, and… Read More »
Read article →My Favorite Camera Review Site: DPReview Details the Nikon D800
DPReview is the first web page I go to for information on all things new in the photography world. These guys do an amazing job. They recently released their in-depth, hands-on review of the new Nikon D800. For anyone planning to purchase this camera, this will give you all the… Read More »
Read article →Nikon’s D800: A Very Short Hands-On Preview
I recently returned home from India, walked down to my local camera shop and found one of Nikon’s D800s sitting on the shelf. It wasn’t there due to lack of interest, rather it had been set aside as a demo. So I asked Jen, “Hey Jen, any chance I could… Read More »
Read article →Canon Announces 4K Ready Video/Still Camera, The EOS 1D-C
Several years ago I wrote a post about new cameras that produce a combination of stills and video. I’ve been predicting for several years how eventualy stills and video will merge. The first camera to really make that a reality was the Red One Video Camera that captured 4K resolution… Read More »
Read article →Canon Announces Their New EOS 5D Mark III
Canon recently announced the newest version of the hugely poplar Canon ESO 5D Mark III. Interestingly, this is the camera apparently meant to compete with the new Nikon D800, yet the two cameras are SUBSTANTIALLY different. Nikon chose a huge 36 megapixel sensor. Canon has gone with 22 megapixels. Nikon… Read More »
Read article →Layne Kennedy Gives a Brief Intro on the Use of Lens Baby
Recently my good friend and old college buddy (University of Minnesota, Duluth) Layne Kennedy, shared his creative thoughts and instructions on one of his favorite tools, the Lens Baby, which he attached to a Nikon D3 camera. This short video is a basic introduction to this interesting way of capturing… Read More »
Read article →A Mixed Bag of Photo Techniques, Climate Change and Damn Tired
Sometimes to get inspired to write I just have to let things flow. That’s what the first part (the top) of this blog is all about. The good stuff is towards the middle and below. Skip to that if you don’t care for my period of warming up. There’s a… Read More »
Read article →Not All SD Cards are Created Equal
When I first started shooting digital cameras back in early 2003, I was introduced to the Lexar CF compact flash card line. They were very reliable and I was a loyal user for many years, but over time Lexar just seemed to fall off of the map. No advertising, no… Read More »
Read article →What Do YOU Think About Nikon’s Two New DSLR’s – D800 & D4?
I just returned from an extended time away from the studio, traveling to Kenya and Costa Rica. During my time away Nikon announced information on their two newest DSLR’s and they are both very interesting. I’ve not had a chance to handle either the D800 or D4 at this point… Read More »
Read article →Mirrorless Cameras Continue to Change the Photographic Landscape
As I’ve been saying for quite some time now the mirrorless camera revolution is a freight train that will be impossible to stop. A new survey out of Japan, the leading country of all great new ideas in photographic tools, shows that mirrorless cameras are now selling better than all… Read More »
Read article →The Red Scarlet Versus Panasonic GH2
I recently ran across this article on the Video Blog EOSHD that compared the inexpensive Panasonic GH2 against the newly released Red Scarlet. Both shoot still photos, with the Panasonic being known for mainly being a still photo capture device. That said, Panasonic also equipped it with fabulous video capture,… Read More »
Read article →Contour GPS MiniHD Video Camera
I recently posted the image below on our Natural Exposures Facebook Fan Page of my Godson Colter helping me rig one of the newest additions to my image capture arsenal. He was working to connect my Apple iPad and iPhone to a MiniHD, video camera known as the ContourGPS so… Read More »
Read article →A Few Highlights From PhotoPlus Expo
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m attending the 2011 PhotoPlus Expo in New York. It’s an interesting year and the show is a bit different than other PhotoPlus Expos I’ve attended. The biggest difference I’ve noticed is there are many more Japanese engineer types, executives, etc. obviously from… Read More »
Read article →PhotoPlus Expo Starts Tomorrow-I’ll Be Covering Right Here
I just flew into New York in preparation for PDN PhotoPlus International Conference & Expo. I’ve been attending this show for nearly twenty years, sometimes as a guest of Nikon and others, sometimes just on my own. This trip qualifies as just on my own. It’s a great trade show,… Read More »
Read article →Nikon Joins the Mirrorless Camera Game
About two weeks ago I posted an entry on the Corkboard titled My Predictions of Changes in Camears Coming True. It was a short piece that included a news item from Bloomberg highligihting the Mirrorless revolution taking place with nearly all camera manufacturers except Nikon and Canon. Well, a lot of… Read More »
Read article →My Predictions of Changes in Cameras Coming True
Those of you who have spent time with me on our Invitational Photo Tours know that I’ve been predicting that future cameras will be missing the traditional mirror designs we’ve all been shooting the past 50+ years. I’ve been talking about this for over two years now. The new technology… Read More »
Read article →Arctic Documentary Project – Svalbard, Norway Final Post #5
August 10, Danskøya Island 37F Click on this link to see photos of our favorite images from the Svalbard shoot for the Arctic Documentary Project This morning is cold. Most definitely the coolest we’ve experienced. Danskøya Island is on the northwest part of the archipelago and is on the edge… Read More »
Read article →Svalbard Photo Equipment List
July 18, 2011 Yesterday I received a note on Facebook from a friend of mine in South Africa. He saw the picture I posted of Tanya with all our bags and asked if there was any camera gear inside. We’ve traveled together so his comment was just a friendly poke.… Read More »
Read article →The Changing World of Digital Photography- Update
Many of you may recall a post on the Corkboard I wrote a couple of years ago titled The Changing World of Digital Photography discussing my introduction to the realm of Micro 4/3s digital cameras. It all revolved around a new camera called the Panasonic GF1. I was in Yellowstone… Read More »
Read article →Nikon’s New D5100 SLR – A Hands on Reveiw
I recently had a chance to spend some time shooting with the new Nikon D5100. One of the reasons I requested this camera from Nikon was my desire to get my hands on one of the smallest, lightest bodies they are currently making. Also, I do get people that travel… Read More »
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