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A Technical Review of the Nikon 58mm f/.95 Noct
This is an outstanding lens. I’ve worked with f/0.95 lenses before, and they’ve all been severely optically compromised. You can’t say that about the Nikon 58mm f/.95 Noct. It’s sharp across the frame wide open, and amazingly so stopped down to f/1.4. It has few aberrations by any standard, and…
The Biggest Photo & Video Product Announcements for 2024 (So Far)
We’re now past the halfway point of the year, and it has been a big year for gear releases in both the photography and videography markets. And so, we thought it was worth spending some time, looking at the latest announcements and releases, and highlighting some of the new products that we’re both…
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…
Comparing Canon’s Best Mid-Range Zoom Lenses
With their introduction into mirrorless six years ago, Canon has had one of the most aggressive lens development periods in photographic history – averaging over six lenses each year to help fill out their RF series lens lineup. While there are still some holes in their lineup (most notably only…
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…
First Impressions With the Hasselblad CFV 100C
Hasselblad has certainly put its name in the ranks of legacy cameras – with over 180 years in the field of photography. From their work in manufacturing surveillance cameras during World War II, to their time on board the Apollo 8 – Hasselblad has found themselves at many of the significant moments…
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…
A Basic Understanding of Color Theory
If you’ve been a frequent reader of this blog, you’ve probably heard me tiptoe around color theory, and say that I’m not going to go into it further; as a post on color theory deserves a book or several college courses and not something a few paragraphs can do justice. However, it is a frequent…
The Art of Backlighting
When lighting a subject, it makes the most sense to have the light in front of the subject. However, when shooting with the light in front of your subject, it’s easy to make your image appear flat and uninteresting. By using a backlight, you’re able to further separate your subject 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.…