Youtube was a new frontier, only a few years in its infancy when the original TCSTV youtube channelcrew, Jordan Drake and Chris Niccolls, set up a shoot to capture The Battle at F-Stop Ridge. Several of The Camera Store’s staff went out with a huge assortment of gear to stage a ‘camera war’ commercial. At the time, the store was closed, and the store owners were unaware of what transpired in a local park.
The one-minute video that resulted would go viral, beating the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyonce for a day or two. Not only was it a video hit, but it also set the stage for the dynamic duo Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake to grow a successful camera review YouTube channel.
The chase to create another viral video was exciting, yet not fruitful. At least not in the way the pair originally expected or hoped. The production quality on The Battle at F-Stop Ridge 2, as well as another concept titledWorld Photo Gamesimproved dramatically. But, they simply did not have the same je ne sais quoi factor as the original battle video.
That being said, the impact of the video was a huge deal for the channel. It propelled Jordan and Chris to new heights, with respect and recognition around the world. Camera brands began recognizing the value of putting their latest products in the hands of The Camera Store’s reviewers. TCSTV continued to grow and improve drastically in terms of production quality and showmanship.
In the spring of 2018, the camera review website DPReview invited Chris & Jordan to join their team. It was a difficult decision for Jordan and Chris to leave the channel that they created and grew to over 310,000 subscribers. But, it was a move that gave them the opportunity to focus their careers on exclusively doing what they love, creating content for the photography and videography community.
They left TCSTV in the hands of Jordan’s wife Evelyn Drake and her co-host Dave Paul with appearances from other TCS staff and local photographers. They continue to produce camera reviews and photographer features on the channel that currently has over 335,000 subscribers and 68-million views. Click here to watch and subscribe.
Our friend and colleague, Kaitlyn Kerr, had all her photography equipment stolen in Athens, Greece last week. On the evening of February 24th, 2020 she was waiting at a bus stop near Syntagma Square. Everything she had was in a black ONA canvas backpack with a padlock. Poof! Just like that, it was gone.
The bag contained her computer, 4 hard drives, film, her cameras, lenses, and almost everything that she has been carting around Europe for the last five months since departing Calgary. Someone spotted the bag and snatched it. The gear would probably be sold quickly, the hard drives and film, likely trashed.
We just discovered the LEE Swatch – Lighting App for iPhone and Android. It’s a free app that takes the guesswork out of using LEE gels for photo and video lighting. It’s not new by any stretch. But it’s pretty slick and handy. Slide through the swatch colours for inspiration, then tap to add to your palette. Review detailed information about each colour, including spectral charts. Professionally designed palettes to get you started, plus the tools you need day-to-day.
Sigma has three professional-quality F2.8 zoom lenses including a wide, standard and telephoto lens that are known in the photography community as “The Big Three”. This selection covers a great focal range with F2.8 brightness throughout. These three lenses are made to be durable, high-end models featuring high performance for professional use.
Just announced, two new lenses and a camera just joined the Canon family. Now, I am not talking just any kind of new lenses or camera. I’m talking about the new, RF 85mm F1.2L USM DS, the first lens to feature defocus smoothing, the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM, the world’s smallest and lightest lens in its class, and finally, Canon has announced the development of the new EOS-1DX Mark III! Since I have you hooked now, let’s dive deeper into all the details Canon gave us on these three new products.
In a day full of announcements, SIGMA comes rolling in with a big one! The SIGMA fp, the world’s smallest and lightest mirrorless digital camera (as of July 2019) with a full-frame image sensor. For this pocketable full frame, it is all about portability and power. Let’s check out the details that really make this a small and powerful camera!
If you have not heard the news yet, Fujifilm just announced in a livestream the development of the X-Pro3 Rangefinder at the Fujifilm X Summit in Tokyo, Japan, earlier today. Keeping the excitement rolling, Fujifilm teased lots of wicked new designs and features, including a strong but lightweight titanium body in three colours, a hidden LCD screen and a 10th film simulation.
Who is a sleek, retro-styled mirrorless camera with a fully articulating screen, and a refined autofocus system in a kit for under $900? It’s me, the Fujifilm X-A7!
Fujifilm just announced a new little camera that is their entry-level competitor against other new mirrorless cameras in the 24-megapixel range. (i.e. Sony A6100, Canon M50, etc.) They say it is designed to attract new photographers or people who have been primarily photographing with their phones.
As many people in the photo community already know, it is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to two of the most influential photographers of our time, Peter Lindbergh and Robert Frank. Our condolences to the friends and family of these remarkable photographers. If you have not heard the news, or are not really sure who these photographers are, let me quickly enlighten you.
