It’s a common question we get at Photofocus. Should I buy a refurbished camera/lens? Is it safe? Will it work? What about warranty?
In my 30 plus years of experience buying cameras, I’ve never had a bad refurb experience. I have HEARD about a few people being unhappy with their refurb purchases, but then again some people just don’t want to be happy.
I purchased a Canon 20D, 30D and 40D for gifts and prizes – all came with a 90 day Canon warranty. All of the bodies came in white boxes with all the accessories and instructions. All were as good as new in my opinion. I’ve also purchased a Canon 70-200 F/4 lens refurbed, a Canon 20 mm F/2.8 lens refurbed and a Canon 580 flash refurbed. All were flawless and worked perfectly.
I’ve also purchased a few Nikon teleconverters and lenses that were refurbs. Again – all were flawless. In most cases, refurbs are simply floor models or retail returns where someone sent the camera back for whatever reason. The refurb process includes making sure the product is restored to its original new condition. The only thing you don’t get is the longer warranty and pretty box.
Not all camera stores offer refurbished products. More importantly, and the only potential gotcha here is, not all camera stores are ALLOWED to sell refurbs. Stick with very well known retailers if you’re thinking of buying refurbished products. Also, ONLY buy refurbs from an authorized reseller representing the brand you like. For instance, if XXX Camera Store in Brooklyn sells Canon refrubs, make sure that Canon can confirm XXX Camera Store is indeed an authorized reseller. If not, run away as fast as you can. If you deal with a reputable reseller and seek refurbished gear, it’s almost always a good buy and always a better deal than you’d get if you bought new.
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Image and Post by Rick Sammon – Follow Rick Sammon on Twitter
Photographers certainly need the right camera to record their memories. They also need accessories to protect their gear – especially during the summer months, when quick rain and sun showers can show up in a flash.
In this quickie blog post, I’ll share just a few of my favorite accessories to keep you gear safe and sound – in and under water.
Small plastic bag
A small plastic trash bag is the most affordable accessory listed here, but it can save the day in the rain, sleet and snow. It can make the difference between a photograph and no photograph. Sure, store-bought camera protectors are available, and some are listed below. But if you keep a plastic bag tucked in your camera bag, you will never miss a shot during a sudden downpour.
I recommend using small bags to avoid too much bulk around your camera. Before you go in the field, cut a small opening for the viewfinder in the bottom of the bag.
Keepin’ Dry
A step up – a big step up – from a plastic bag is Kata E-702 Large Digital SLR Camera Raincover
Tote your gear in all weather
For the traveling photographer, the Lowepro Stealth Reporter D550 AW Camera Bag
shoulder bag allows you to quickly access your gear, which can be organized however you like it with the removable, adjustable dividers. An all-weather cover and hood wraps entirely around the bag for ultimate protection against the elements. The bag also includes a foam-padded shoulder strap and waist belt slots to distribute the weight more evenly.
Enter the Dry Zone
The Lowepro DryZone 200 Camera Backpack
Protection in rain, sleet and snow and even underwater
Ewa-Marine flexible camera housings are designed for photographing underwater, but can also be used to protect your camera from rain, ocean spray, humidity and sand. The housings are made of thick PVC and come in several variations to fit nearly all types of digital compact and SLR cameras. Secure and durable, they adjust to the water pressure and allow you to take your camera to depths of down to 150 feet. Contact: Ewa-Marine (RTS Photo), (631) 242-6801, www.rtsphoto.com.
Take a Dive
The underwater systems offered by Ikelite are heavy-duty, thick wall housings that are molded from clear polycarbonate material. You can choose from the many different models to fit your specific camera. The compact systems, safe to use at maximum depths of 200 feet, give you full access to the camera’s controls, sealing them with reliable Quad-Ring seal glands. The provided magnifier offers improved viewing while wearing a diving mask. Contact: Ikelite, (317) 923-4523, www.ikelite.com.
I’m experimenting with AudioBoo – if it works it will allow me to do short Q&A sessions in between regular Photofocus podcasts. You need to follow me on Twitter to find out when I post a boo. Follow me at http://www.twitter.com/scottbourne.
“Photofocus Via Audioboo” by The BooBot on audioboo.fm
UPDATE – You can also follow me on AudioBoo at http://audioboo.fm/profile/ScottBourne
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This post sponsored by LensCoat
Today’s critique starts out as a great shot. I like everything about it except three things. The little stuff in the water to the left of the subject needs to be cloned out. Check. The color could use a bit more punch – but not so much that it appears to be unrealistic. Check. And most importantly, the horizon needs to come out of the center of the picture. This really disturbs the viewer sometimes so remember, not only is it important to use the rule of thirds to position the subject, but use the same concepts to position the horizon.
Unfortunately, because of the angle and focal length used here, it’s not easy to find a decent crop that retains enough of the cloud – so some might leave the horizon in the center of the image. I went ahead and cropped anyway.
I used a Vibrancy Layer in Photoshop to pop the colors. I also made a Curves Layer to bring a bit more pop and contrast to the image. Lastly I used the Sponge tool set to SATURATE to bring out a big more of the red in the sky.
Scott's Take
As usual, there’s no right or wrong here, just opinions and the hope that someone can learn something from the critique. If you’re not one of the 800+ photographers who’ve joined our Scott’s Critiques group, come on board. Submit an image for critique or chime in on one you see in the thread. We do this every Monday.
The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW 
I recently used the lens while scouting Mt. Rainier for the Aperture Nature Photography Workshops. All I can say is WOW! This is my new favorite Nikon lens. This puppy is S H A R P. The focus is fast and precise. The low-light performance is superb in every possible way. The build quality is good but I’d prefer it weren’t made of plastic, especially at $469. The thing I did like about the build quality was the smooth focus ring.
Copyright Scott Bourne 2009 - All Rights Reserved
Others have complained that this lens needs VR. I don’t miss it. I use this lens on a tripod for critical landscape work and the VR would go to waste for me anyway.
I tested the lens on a D3. The color and contrast were as close to perfect as can be. At F/1.4 the lens is very, very good. At F/1.8 it’s wicked good.
The manual override autofocus mode is valuable on this lens when you’re shooting wide open. Sometimes minute focus adjustments matter at that aperture if you want to guarantee sharp focus when working with very narrow depth-of-field.
I do wish this weren’t a G-lens. That means there is no aperture ring available.
The lens comes with a nice hood and a very nice soft case. It’s simply a must-have lens for those who need to shoot in low-light and who want really sharp images.
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This post sponsored by ExpoImaging
UPDATE: We’re testing a new host for the show. Here’s a link to episode 01 http://photofocus.podomatic.com/player/web/2009-07-07T10_51_19-07_00
Here’s a link to episode 02
http://photofocus.podomatic.com/player/web/2009-07-07T11_22_04-07_00
Here’s a link to episode 03
http://photofocus.podomatic.com/player/web/2009-07-07T13_16_36-07_00
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Photofocus Episode 8
Hosts: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne) and Rick Sammon (www.ricksammon.com or www.twitter.com/ricksammon)
Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)
Welcome to Episode Number 8 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne and Rick Sammon. The show devoted to your photography questions about anything photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. You can also send your questions via Twitter to either Scott or Rick. Use the hashtag #photoqa to make sure that we can find them. We will try to answer as many as we can but we get a lot of questions so we’ll try to take a collection of questions that represent a particular topic and present them together.
This week we are starting off with a question about White Balance.
Question One – Alternatives to a Grey Card
Andrew Kelly would like to know if he just use a plain piece of white paper for setting White Balance?
Scott: Yes you can if it’s pure white. If it’s not pure white it might not come out exactly right however my recommendation is that you try to use a grey card. It’s better to use a grey card to set your white balance and use a white object to set your white point.
Rick: I agree with your thoughts Scott. I use the Expo Disc as I like to get it right in camera rather than fixing it later in post. If you want to save some money you could use the underside of a Pringles top, a coffee filter, etc.
Question Two – Image Stabilization with a Monopod
Tom Albright travels often to Kenya and photographs the wildlife from a moving vehicle so bringing a tripod is generally out of the question. He is wondering if he can use Image Stabilization with a monopod?
Rick: You can but the camera manufacturers recommend that you turn off IS if you are using a tripod or a monopod. I’d recommend using a bean bag or if you want to save some money, bring a sock and fill it up with rice or beans and use that as your personal bean bag.
Scott: The new versions of the Image Stabilization on some of the bigger lenses does work on a tripod or monopod but generally in this type of a situation a monopod is just going to get in the way and a bean bag is the better way to go. I am trying out the Apex bean bag which is great if you’ve got a big lens as you can even attach a Wimberly head to the bean bag.
Speedlights & Speedlites: Creative Flash Photography at the Speed of Light
Authors: Lou Jones, Bob Kennan and Steve Ostrowski
Publisher: Focal Press (Elsevier)
Review by Conrad J. Obregon
The relatively new flash systems offered by Nikon and Canon, which allow an amazing degree of automated control over illumination (with an increase in a certain type of complexity) offer amazing opportunities for photographers to capture images. Lou Jones and his fellow authors address those opportunities in this book.
There are just two chapter headings: One Light and Two Lights. But within those two chapters are discussions of many of the ways to use the new speedlights (as Nikon calls them) or speedlites (as Canon refers to them). The book is aimed at owners of the flagship flashes of each of the manufacturers: the Nikon SB 900 and 800 and SU800 and the Canon 550EX, 580EX, 550 EXMKII and 580 EXMKII, as well as compatible cameras. Owners of other flash units may or may not benefit from reading the text.
The publisher is to be congratulated for trying many techniques to make the information accessible. Instructions applicable solely to Nikon or Canon are coded purple and green respectively. Distinctions between textbook, anecdotes, warnings, etc. are also color coded. Lighting diagrams for each of the illustrative images are included in the back of the book.
One of the book’s strong points is the discussion of the nature of light, whether natural or from flash, and the point that thinking of all light the same way will make it easier to control. Moreover the book urges you to allow the automated systems to do their work and to control the results by a few simple adjustments. There were also occasional tips on how to get more from a flash, like how to rotate the head of the flash to overcome the effect of the inverse square law.
I must confess that I was confused on my initial reading. The illustrations each include some lengthy text, and then require flipping to the back of the book. That combined with the war stories made it difficult to follow the instruction, especially since the illustrations didn’t often relate to the instruction. However, when I read the text over without considering the text relating to the images or the war stories (the latter didn’t seem to add much to the teaching points) the author’s lessons became crystal clear.
Although aimed at specific Nikon and Canon flashes, this is not a guide to setting up those units. For that one must rely on the manual or some other book. The authors do not spend much time discussing lighting for portraits. Discussion of ancillary equipment like stands or snoots is limited.
Still, the lessons, which became simple and clear once I had finished my second reading, are important and not often conveyed by other books on lighting with flash.
Tiffen W3 Universal Folding Dolly with Handle
Whether it’s a small video camera or a DSLR you’re going to use in a studio setting, placing your tripod on a dolly can make life much easier than setting up, tearing down, moving, setting up, etc.
I don’t have much experience with consumer-level products like this so I thought I’d toss $40 at Amazon and try the W3 out for myself.
It’s pretty sturdy for $40. The manufacturer says it will hold up to 35 pounds – but to be safe I’d quit at 20 pounds.
I tried it with three different Gitzo tripods and found no problems getting a good fit. The W3 breaks down into a very portable and hand-holdable unit thanks to the handle. It’s much lighter than a professional-level dolly.
The wheels seem to rotate smoothly on carpet, wooden or tile floors. On rough surfaces the W3 is pretty useless. For me this is no problem since I need it for studio use. The wheels each lock into position easily with a press of the foot pedal. Unlocking requires very dexterous toes :)
The W3 has a modest 31″ footprint. This makes it easy to move around in small spaces.
The W3 is noiseless – which is a bid deal if you want to use it for video. I am impressed with it’s ability to support a heavy DSLR in the studio as well. I’m not impressed with its ability to move a video camera smoothly.
Now for $40, you can’t expect perfection. It’s sturdier than I thought it would be but not nearly as sturdy as a pro-dolly. If you have a tripod with a center column, you can make the W3 sturdier by hanging a sandbag off the tripod hook.
I’d be concerned about using this for anything other than the convenience of moving a camera around in the studio before locking it into position. As a tracking dolly, it’s not sturdy enough for my taste.
I’d recommend it as long as you realize you’re getting what you’re paying for, i.e., about $40 worth of stability that works well in studio but not out.
