Equipment
Effective Headshot Photography Techniques on Location
Creating a headshot is as simple as pointing your camera to a face and shooting. But creating an effective headshot is a much more complicated process. Lighting, expression, location and a million other variables come into play, and can drastically change the feeling of the image. And for many,…
Optical Quality Assurance
*Pinhole images from new, but optically decentered lens. Olaf Optical Testing, 2016* After we published a number of posts about copy-to-copy variation, people were quick to say that this company or that needs to ‘just’ improve quality control. I totally agree but realize most people don’t have a…
What Actually Happens When You Stop Down a Lens
I got an email the other day that got me thinking. A guy simply asked “How far do I have to stop down a lens to get maximum performance. I’ve heard two stops from wide open. I’ve heard down to f/8. Which is correct?” I asked him which lens he was referring to, and was he talking about the center…
How to Use AF Microadjustment on Your Camera
The most common questions and complaints I hear almost always have to do with AF accuracy, in one way or another, even if they don’t seem like it at first. “I’m trying to focus on this person’s eyes, but the ears are in focus instead,” or, “This lens is front focusing like crazy,” or, “This fast…
The Biggest Product Announcements at CES and Their Availability for Rental
This past week in Las Vegas, was the Consumers Electronics Show (CES), where hundreds of tech companies come and announce some of their biggest products for the upcoming year. While typically for photography and videography, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), PhotoPlus Expo, and Photokina…
Proper Techniques for Using Shotgun and Lavalier Microphones for Video Interviews
The audio from an interview recording truly is the single most important piece of media you capture. Without a clean, quality recording of your interview subject’s testimonial, your story is lost. No amount of b-roll or text on screen will create the same amount of emotion, drama, or interest that…
Leica SL: A Hate/Love Story
I’ve been a mirrorless camera fan for a while now, starting back when the Olympus OM-D E-M5 first came on the scene and continuing now through the Sony a7RII and the new Leica SL. There are lots of things I love about them, and lots of things I wish were better, but every new body keeps improving…
Best Handheld Stabilization For Your Money? The DJI Osmo Handheld Gimbal
With offerings like the Nebula 4000, the Feiyu G4, and many, many more all being released around the same time, the handheld gimbal market is starting to look a little crowded. A lot of these products, though, are poorly made, badly designed, and just generally not worth your time. So how do you…
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Teardown
Last week we did a tear down of the Canon 35mm f/1.4 Mk II, an expensive, large, weather-resistant lens. Then we did a tear down of the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA lens, and expensive, weather-resistant lens with very different technology. Today we’re going to tear down the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM A1…
The Best and Most Rented New Photography Gear of 2015
Here at LensRentals, we have a unique perspective to the market trends. With over 100,000 pieces of gear that are rented out regularly, we’re able to effectively monitor what products are the most interesting for photographers and videographers. Here is where we’ll show you all our own market…
Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens Teardown
Last post, we took apart the Canon 35mm f/1.4 Mk II lens. Continuing the 35mm theme, today we’re going to do the same to the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA lens. And chill out, we’ll do the Sigma 35mm DG HSM f/1.4 Art lens next and one of the Zeiss after that. *Lensrentals.com, 2015* Before we start, let’s…
5 Pieces of Photography Gear to Spark Your Creativity
When the weather is colder and the days are shorter going outside to shoot may become less appealing. A good way to combat a winter rut is to try something new and shake up your photography routine. I have put together a list of 5 pieces of gear that will help spark your creativity. ## Lomography x…