My Top Three Pieces of Photo Gear for 2016
To kick things off in 2017 I’ve just launched a new vlog, and for the first episode I’ve taken a look back at the top three most trusted pieces of photo gear from my kit in 2016.
Gear Reviews
Digital camera reviews, lens reviews, strobe reviews, camera bag reviews and more.
Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E VR Review
Exploring the Creative Possibilities of a Super Telephoto Lens I’ve been a Nikon DSLR shooter for over 10 years now. Starting out with the small but mighty 6-megapixel D70S that did so much to crack open the hobbyist/amateur market, I’ve been lucky enough to build up my skills and photographic repertoire just as digital photography technology seemed to evolve and mature in parallel. For many, that initial leap in to the DSLR world is soon followed by the realization that the performance and creative capabilities of any camera are limited nearly as much by lens choice as by megapixels, shutter …
F-Stop Kenti Photograpy Pack Review
The Kenti photo pack is another addition to the popular Mountain Series of bags from f-stop. These bags are designed specifically with outdoor, nature and adventure photographers. Compared to the other Mountain Series bags, the Kenti has some very different design features, namely, zippered access to both sides of the bag. Two camera bodies with lenses already attached can be quickly reached and stowed away again in record time. If speed is important in your photography then you should definitely read on. Bag Design & Features Without a water bladder in the bag the Kenti is a very comfortable pack. …
Canon Vs. Kenko Extension Tubes
Extension tubes are a useful accessory that allows you to shorten the minimum focus distance of a lens by moving it further away from your camera’s sensor. In other words, it allows you to get closer to your subject and often create macro-like images without the need for a dedicated macro lens. If you aren’t yet familiar with extension tubes, I would first encourage you to read my guide: The Ultimate Guide to Extension Tubes. Having read the guide, or perhaps you already know all about the tubes already, you’ve obviously come to the conclusion that you’d like to buy …
New Peak Design Everyday Backpack, Tote and Sling
UPDATE These new bags were funded via Kickstarter and are now available on the Peak Design store. At the end of 2015, photography accessory manufacturer Peak Design launched their incredibly popular Kickstarter campaign for the Everyday Messenger bag. Before the campaign was over, they’d raised over $4.5million and broken some serious Kickstarter records! This week their back at it again, and now they’re looking to expand their photography bag lineup by introducing the Everyday Backpack, the Everyday Tote and the Everyday Sling. Being the kings of Kickstarter, they set a $500,000 goal and promptly blew through that (and the $1million) …
Think Tank “My 2nd Brain” Laptop Bag Review
NOTE: Sadly this bag has been discontinued. I liked it a lot, so I’m hopeful that they will eventually launch a new version but for now I would direct you to the Think Tank Retrospective 30 for 15″ laptops and the Retrospective 7 for 13″ laptops. The Best Laptop Bag for Photographers? For a lot of photographers, being on the road is part and parcel of the job and that means having a way to easily carry around a laptop, along with hard drives, power cables, memory cards holders and maybe even a Wacom tablet. There are camera bags that …
Lowepro Highline RL x400 Travel Roller Bag Review
Lowepro’s First Travel Bags Lowepro have been making photography bags for decades, but recently they launched a series of travel bags that applies their knowledge to a new market. I was particularly interested in the Highline series, but it must be underlined that the Highline backpacks in that range are not camera bags at all. They have no internal padding for camera gear whatsoever. It’s a Lowerpro bag, but not as you’ve seen before! At the top of the Highline series is the x400 roller bag, and this one instantly peaked my interest for a number of reasons. The backpacks …
MindShift BackLight 26L Outdoor Photography Pack Review
MindShift Gear have been extremely busy recently, to the benefit of all those that like to be outdoors when they take their photos. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, MindShift is the sister company to Think Tank Photo, except that they concentrate primarily on camera bags for outdoor, adventure and wildlife photography. Their patented Rotation 180 system (see here in R180 Trail review) put them on the radar of lots of photographers, myself included, and they released a strong series of bags based around that unique rotating system. The original R180 Pro (review) is probably still my favourite, and …
First Look: Lowepro HighLine RL x400 AW
Lowepro recently released a line of travel bags that are aimed at adventure travellers, and one of them, the HighLine RL x400 roller, has a unique feature for photographers when used in combination with the Whistler backpack series.
What’s the Best Camera Bag for Mountain Biking?
I’ve answered this question for several readers via email, so I thought it was time for a post about it. What’s the perfect camera bag when you want to go mountain biking? The R180 Trail for MindShift Gear is my answer, and here’s why…