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24-70 f/2.8 Zoom MTF and Variation
We’ve finished, mostly, our fairly long series of articles on SLR prime lens variation. We started with prime lenses for several reasons. They are much quicker (and quicker is a relative term here) to test than zooms. They are simpler lenses and we expected that meant they would have less…
Using the Zacuto Zgrip Relocator for C100 with the Movi M5
We are currently teaming up with our friends over at Zacuto as a part of the #withmycamera Giveaway. Today, you can win a $600 LensRentals.com Rental Credit as well as a $1250 Zacuto Gift Card! Check out all the details here! I think this would be a great opportunity to talk about one of my…
Supertelephoto MTF Curves
Brandon has accomplished much during his summer with us, including several things I never thought we’d be able to do. One of those things was measuring the MTF of supertelephoto lenses on our optical bench. A vertical bench just isn’t designed to handle the mass of those big lenses and technically…
Using ND Filters to Balance Ambient Light With Artificial Light
A week or so ago, I posted an article about some of the features on the Profoto B1 that separate it from the competition. Among those features, was High-Speed Sync, allowing you to use off camera lighting at shutter speeds faster than 1/200th of a second. Today, I would like to tell you about how…
A Quick Guide to Teleconverters
Teleconverter use and compatibility can easily get confusing. I’d like to shed some light on the subject for those looking to get more length out of their lenses without the extra weight or cost. Teleconverters can add versatility to your camera bag by giving you extra length and a variety of looks…
Variation Measurements for Telephoto Lenses
We’re nearing the end of the Varation series for prime lenses. If you are joining in late, you may want to go back to the original article for an introduction into the methods used. Today will look at the short telephoto group, lenses ranging in focal length from 85mm to 150mm. We’ve also included…
Variation Measurements for Wide-Angle Lenses
When we started this series, we introduced our methods using 24mm lenses, then followed up with looks at the 50mm and 35mm groups. Today we’re going to go back to the wide-angle lenses; the ones we expect to have the most variation of all. We probably should call this post the Zeiss Invitational,…
Second Shooting a Wedding: What I Use When Gear Is Unlimited
I get asked quite often what gear I recommend for shooting weddings. Almost always, recommend the same old tried and true things: high end bodies with good low light performance, f/2.8 zooms, and if you’re feeling frisky, fast aperture primes. But no one ever asks me about their second shooters. I…
Five Features On The Profoto B1 Not Seen On Other Strobes
I’ve said it hundreds of times now, I really love the Profoto B1. Years ago, I would use my Alien Bees strobes at a fraction of the price, and scoff at those who chose to go with the more expensive strobe solutions. I’d often laugh, and say light is light, and that if you need a 2 thousand dollar…
First Impressions of the Canon XC10
Over the July 4th weekend, I had the chance to mess around with the new 4k capable Canon XC10. The feature heavy system packed into a smaller form factor had many videographers intrigued, Here are the first few shots along with some quick first impressions. (All shots were captured hand-held in…
Variance Measurement for 35mm SLR Lenses
Last week we posted optical bench MTF and copy-to-copy variation measurements for 50mm SLR lenses. We’re going to continue that series this week with the same measurements for the 35mm lenses. This set should fill out the wide-to-standard range lenses and gives us a lot of interesting data as we…
The Venus 60mm Macro – A Hidden Gem for Macro Photography
Including macro shots in a portfolio or wedding album is a great way to add variation and make the work stand out. This is the time of year when we get a lot of questions not only about macro lenses but about which lenses are best for shooting weddings. These questions are often asked in the same…