Ask yourself: Would I use anything other than Instagram? It’s a tough pill to swallow for most photographers, the idea of changing away from, or not using a nearly ubiquitous tool for image sharing — the platform boasts as many as 500 million daily active users. A Google search of ‘Instagram alternatives’ brings up camera apps, but they are not new social media platforms for sharing images. That being said, I know I can’t be the only one worried about news regarding the ethics of social media. Turns out, I’m not. John Veldhoen, a regular contributor here at the TCS blog, as well as our curator of books, offers with me a critical look into photography’s favourite, and only viable social media platform.
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The Loupedeck is a product that at first glance I did not want to like. It looks cheap and the price tag is higher than expected. And, to be honest, once I had the deck in my hands, I was still against the product. It feels cheap – plastick-y and like a toy. Cost cutting from every angle before a product gets to the consumer plagues camera accessories.
In a straight-up comparison at its $250+ price point, the Loupedeck loses in so many different ways. Compared to a mechanical keyboard at that price point, the deck has very little tactile feedback, and the keys feel like chicklets – something I experienced while editing; sometimes I was sure I pressed a key, but it still did nothing. Compared to an audio deck the knobs and dials feel awful. Made of cheap molded plastic there was nothing about the product that ever felt ‘premium.’
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There is a sort of metaphoric beauty to shooting images that rely on the use of a mirror. Looking through mirrors and creating an image using that vision is one of the most compelling reasons to hold on to and keep shooting with a DSLR. It is the major defining feature separates a DSLR and a mirrorless camera. With the industry moving full speed towards mirrorless full-frame cameras, the question that has been popping into my mind is, ‘Do mirrors matter? Will they matter? Will we yearn for the days where our cameras were built with mirrors inside of them?’ Or will we look back at DSLR cameras with disgust at a platform that contained far too many moving parts?
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The OrangeMonkie Foldio is a small and portable light box setup that is primarily used for product photography. The Foldio is meant for both professional and amateurs alike to create excellent photographs with a white or black backdrop – the lightbox also comes with LED strips attached to the top of the box to light up all of your products from the top down creating a nice shadowless look.
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The Tether Tools Case Air is a wireless tethering system that we are very excited to be carrying at The Camera Store. The Case Air creates a WiFi network allowing you to connect your camera to your device. It is compatible with iOS, Android and PC’s. Once connected you can control your camera through the Case Remote App, then you can adjust settings to your liking as needed. The device is primarily suited for studio shooting. The Case Air plugs in to the camera’s USB port and creates a Wi-Fi hot spot that is not dependant on an existing wifi network.
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Not only do the TCS staff like to chat about photography together, and hum and haw about shooting and composition – sometimes the staff here like to go out and shoot. When we do we’re always looking for quality products to carry our gear around. Peak Design has proven itself to us time and time again.
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At this juncture, I don’t believe the Sigma Art series of lenses really needs any introduction – having launched in 2013, the Art line has been nothing short of incredible for professional and amateur photographers alike. The Art primes have always showcased a lot of value for your dollar. Today, I’m going to talk about how often I’ve used these lenses in the field during work, as well as share some samples.
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About six years ago I bought a set of Yongnuo 622C Wireless ETTL Flash Triggers, and these are some of my thoughts about how they’ve held up through years of professional use in a variety of settings, and some tangents on gear that is made in China.
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BLACKRAPID is one of the best-selling and most ubiquitous camera strap brands that The Camera Store has to offer. Whether we are professionals or enthusiasts, we all want a genuine feeling of safety and comfort when it comes to carrying our camera gear. I’ve used BLACKRAPID’s straps for everything I shoot from travel to my portrait work, and they have proven themselves to me time and time again for 5 solid reasons.
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