There are times when you want to trip the shutter of your camera with as little trauma as possible. When using long exposure times, long lenses or shooting close-ups with macro lenses, for example, pressing the shutter button can introduce vibration that might degrade the image quality, or even ruin it altogether. The easiest way of avoiding this issue is with the humble cable release. This screws into a threaded hole in the shutter button and provides a plunger you […]
On occasion, a camera captures a little too much. Its ability to freeze time creates detail of a somewhat arbitrary nature – waves stilled at the moment of breaking, for example, or the leaves of trees being blown by the wind rendered with exquisite precision that doesn’t necessarily match the mood of the scene or the emotion you’re trying to convey. The technique of using long exposure times to allow moving subjects to blur has a long pedigree in the […]
Having bought a new tripod, I needed something to put on top of it.
You generally want two things from a tripod – you want it to hold the camera rock-steady and you want it to be light enough to carry around. Pick one.
This is the third Black Rapid strap I’ve bought – not because I break them or wear them out but because they suit the way I work so well. A little background first. There was a time when I thought nothing of hanging two SLRs fitted with motordrives (yes, that long ago) and heavy, fast lenses around my neck. Then, a few years ago, I started to realise that I couldn’t even wear one reasonably lightweight DSLR this way. Arthritis […]
I’ve always been an SLR guy, to be honest. While I’ve had moments of lust for a Leica, and also love my Fuji X-100, the big bulky system camera is the tool of the real photographer. Or so I thought until recently… Bridge cameras seem like an uneasy compromise. You have the general form factor of a DSLR, although lighter and smaller. But they’re not as portable as a genuine compact. And they still make you stare at a screen to […]
We photographers are picky about our equipment. Photography is a technical art and the equipment you use has a significant impact on the work you produce. It’s all about having the right tool for the job. And so one regular feature on this blog will be reviews of the gear I use. You won’t find any benchmarks or benchtests in these posts. There’ll be no lens test charts or resolution figures. The reviews will be my personal responses to the gear […]