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Lensrentals.com Macro Photography Shot Breakdown
Here at Lensrentals.com, not only do we have one of the largest selections of rentable gear in the world, but we also have a pretty dedicated and hardworking staff. And with perks that include access to over 111,000 items, you may have guessed that almost everyone who works at Lensrentals.com is…
“Help, I Can’t Open These Raw Files!”: What To Do When New Cameras are Released
Every time a new camera is released, and usually, for a couple of months afterward, I get lots of calls and emails from customers asking why they can’t read the Raw files they just shot. “They’re just CR2/NEF/ARW files that I should be able to open! Something is wrong with the camera you sent me.”…
The Ultimate Light Modifier Shoot Out and Test
As someone who has taught off camera lighting for some years now, as well as taught dozens of workshops on the topic – I’ve always heard the same question from photographers who are using off camera lighting for the first time. “What’s the difference between \_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_.” When working…
The (sort of) Great 400mm Lens Shootout!
I get asked a lot about different telephoto lenses. Is the 400 DO II better than the 400 DO? Which is better, the Tamron 150-600mm or the Sigma 150-600mm? You’ve probably noticed that I don’t answer those questions. The reason is simple. Our optical bench is designed to test lenses up to 2.5kg…
More PhotoGeekery: Finite Conjugate MTF Bench Tests for Macro Lenses
For the last several years we’ve talked about the fact that lens performance can vary with focusing distance. Our optical bench tests at infinity. Computerized target analysis (Imatest and DxO) tests at close distances. But when the results of target analysis and bench tests differ it’s hard to…
How to Use Interview Transcripts as an Editing Tool
I was introduced to the benefits of interview transcription a surprisingly long time after I’d started learning about documentary filmmaking. Tired of introductory-level film classes and spending hours discussing editing theory between screenings of Koyaanisqatsi, I decided to take a Journalism 101…
The Zeiss FE Batis 25mm f/2.8 & Loxia 35mm f/2 Lens MTF Charts
For quite a while now, some you have asked where the MTF results were for the Zeiss Batis and Loxia lenses, and my answer has been not done yet. There were a lot of reasons for that. Chief among these was the lenses are so popular that we can’t get as many as we want and keep them in stock long…
Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
*Metro Goldwyn Mayer* ## A Reasonably Non-Geeky Guide to Lens Tests and Reviews Hardly a day goes by that on some forum somewhere a nasty argument is going on about lens testing and reviewing. (Going forward, I’m going to use the abbreviation R/Ts for Reviewers and Testers.) As with all things on…
An Argument for the Sony FS5
When I first saw the Sony FS5, I figured that it could be a fun secondary camera and not more. I expected to use it primarily as a slow-motion camera when I need one; I didn’t see it becoming too much more than that. Sony’s FS5 is the smaller and lighter sibling of the Sony FS7. This little guy…
My Third Grader Analogy for Lens Reviews and Testing
I make a joke about this sometimes, but I think it’s more and more appropriate. Every day, I see more and more people take some single bit of data published on a lens and extrapolate the entire meaning of the photographic universe from that bit of data. My joke has always gone, “a single lens…
Here Are Our Top Ten Favorite Products of the Last Ten Years
With the recent celebration of being ten years in business, there is a sense of nostalgia throughout the office. What started as an idea by Roger, and a small garage full of camera gear, turned into an incredibly successful business that has been able to help and service millions of photographers…
A Look at Sony’s Latest Camera System – The Sony a6300
The Sony a6300 is pretty stunning for what it can do within the limits of an APS-C sized sensor and at such a budget-friendly price. It’s supposed to be replacing Sony’s a6000, and it’s very well built toward both photo and video functionality; the trusty a6000, just upgraded. It’s light, it’s…