Equipment
Should I Buy a Medium-Format Digital Camera?
I get asked this question a lot; so often, I will write a general response. This doesn’t replace the personalized advice that I have given and will continue to give, but it will add to it. For whom is this article intended? I’m thinking of someone who already owns an interchangeable lens full frame…
Best Travel Cameras for 2024
Travel offers the chance to witness unforgettable sights and experiences, and having a good camera is an ideal way to capture those moments. But the best camera in the world doesn’t always make the best travel camera. You want something relatively easy to use, compact, and feature-rich. Given these…
Investigating the Medium Format Look
I’ve been a fan of digital medium format for a long time. 10 years in fact, first shooting with a Hasselblad H4-D50C, and then with the PhaseOne IQ250, only to be using my current camera with the Fuji GFX 100S. But my love for medium format has always been with the resolution available in medium…
How Photographers & Videographers Bring the 2024 Olympics Together
There have been some incredible photo and video moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics this year – highlighting incredible moments of victory for the world’s greatest athletes. However, many people don’t realize the amount of pre-production that goes into gearing up for the Olympics, so much so that…
A Technical Look at the Hasselblad XCD 135mm f/2.8
The Hasselblad XCD 135/2.8 is one of the first batch of lenses for the Hasselblad X1D and X2D (X mount) cameras. It is usually sold bundled with a matched 1.7x teleconverter (TC) and a tripod collar that attaches to the TC. Except for the focusing ring, the lens is completely devoid of controls –…
Comparing the Leica M11 & Leica M11 Monochrom
Leica – a brand synonymous with German craftsmanship and quality, is also a brand associated with a high price, and if you’re in the right (or possibly wrong) circles, a lot of cynicism. While they’re a brand known for creating lenses with some of the highest quality optics available, they’ve also…
Technical Review of the Hasselblad XCD 55V Lens
The Hasselblad XCD 55V is a 55mm f/2.5 lens for the X1D and X2D (X-mount) cameras. It is one of the V-series X-mount lenses. The line currently consists of 25mm, 38mm, 55mm, and 90mm lenses. All have f/2.5 as their widest aperture. All have high-speed leaf shutters, which are great for outdoor…
Your Breakdown of Lens Filters
We’ve talked about filters on the blog a few different times before – from Roger’s deep testing of the clarity levels of UV filters to my discussion on how to use ND filters to help balance natural and artificial lighting on location. But despite these years of articles about various filters, I…
Your Guide to Backing Up Your Files
Many years ago, I wrote an article on backing up photographic images. Quite a few bytes have flowed under the figurative bridge since then, and the original article is sufficiently obsolete as to be nearly useless. So, I’m going to take another crack at it, with liberal self-plagiarization from the…
Explaining the Different Types of Tripod Heads
A quality tripod can last your entire career as a photographer or videographer, so finding the right tripod system for you is immensely important. While the legs for a tripod are pretty self-explanatory, find one that matches the height you need, decide on carbon fiber or aluminum, and click buy.…
A Brief History of Chromakeying
Chromakey has become a staple in all video productions, from big-budget Marvel films down to your local weather report – but the history of chromakeying and masking is a long and storied one, that dates back over 100 years, well before the digital tools that make it easy today. Being that it’s a…
Finding an Alternative to the Fujifilm X100VI – My Time with the Fujifilm X-T5
I’ve never really found much use for walkaround cameras. Believe me, I want to love them, but as a commercial photographer, I don’t feel super comfortable carrying my camera around with me – it has always been a tool for the work I produce. As a photographer, I’ve always believed in purposeful…