Maybe you're on a trip and you only brought a lightweight tripod, or maybe you were seduced into buying that cheap tripod that came in a package with your camera. Either way, you'll find that using a lightweight tripod often ruins the pictures you're trying to make. A tripod is supposed to be a steady platform for shooting, but if it's too light then a breeze can make the whole thing shake during an exposure and ruin the picture with movement blur. The following techniques will help you get the most from your lightweight tripod even in less … [Read more...] about How to Compensate for a Lightweight Tripod
VR
What to Look For At NAB 2016
It is that time of year again. NAB is just around the corner. My inbox and social media have already been flooded with official announcements and "unofficial" leaks. What am I excited to see on the show floor? There is a lot to cover, so let's dive in. Lytro Cinema — Lytro's light field cameras caused quite a stir in the photography community a while back. And, while the consumer market was not ready for the Illium, Lytro has not been idle. I knew they had VR projects in the pipeline, but I did not see Lytro Cinema coming. … [Read more...] about What to Look For At NAB 2016
Nikon Challenges GoPro With 360/VR Capture
GoPro created the action camera segment. Many others followed but, with the exception of Sony, all have met with limited success. With today's announcement at CES, Nikon enters the fray and brings something entirely new to the table … 360 degree video. Named the "Key Mission" (KM), Nikon's first action cam is scheduled to deliver 360 degree, 4K video, the backbone of Virtual Reality (VR) capture. Technical details of the new camera remain vague, including battery life, price, recording codecs/formats and a delivery date. Slightly … [Read more...] about Nikon Challenges GoPro With 360/VR Capture
Quick Tip: Turn Off Stabilization When Using a Tripod
Many lenses these days, especially zoom lenses, have some type of stabilization on them. It is usually labeled as IS, OS, OIS, or VR, and it can be turned on or off with a switch on the side of the lens. This feature is beneficial for hand-held photography, and will oftentimes give you an extra stop or two of light (for example, with stabilization turned on, you might be able to get away with hand-holding a 200mm lens at only 1/60th of a second). However, when using a tripod, the stabilization feature works against you. In order to get sharp, … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Turn Off Stabilization When Using a Tripod
Photofocus Podcast January 25
NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE: The Photofocus Podcast Feed HAS CHANGED! Here is the new feed: feed://feeds.feedburner.com/photofocuspodcast Download episode here... or get it on iTunes PLEASE BE PATIENT - OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH. Rich and Scott catch up on a bunch of topics to help photographers of all levels. The importance of image stabilization Which settings to use in different shooting situations When to turn image stabilization off Tips for landscape … [Read more...] about Photofocus Podcast January 25
Image Stabilization
If your photographs are out of focus, camera shake is always a likely culprit. Image stabilization technology can help solve that problem and it's starting to work its way into even the consumer-level cameras. On the professional and pro-summer side, several manufacturers, including Canon and Nikon, make lenses that incorporate image stabilization technology. Canon labels its technology IS (Image Stabilization), and Nikon labels its as VR (Vibration Reduction). Mechanisms inside the lenses compensate for any movement by the photographer (or … [Read more...] about Image Stabilization
