Entries Tagged 'Photography Equipment Review' ↓

PSA - Public Service Announcement

Every go anywhere and find that you forgot something, well it happened to me in the world of photography. Brought everything I needed but the battery, when to start shooting and looked at how many pictures on my card….

BLANK SCREEN…

I thought, oh no something is wrong. I hope nothing was broken as I flicked on on/of dial. Nada…

When to reset the battery in case the camera had just froze…. BINGO!!!

The battery compartment was empty. I guess there is no shooting for me today, so sad.

Just glad it wasn’t a paid gig (but then I check the equipment like 50 times… so no worries).

End of Public Service announcement.

I’ll repost my comment here from an article from engadget on the newest underwater from pentax, the Optio W60.

If your into seriously taking a camera into/under water with you, you should skip these types in-body water-proofing as they are notoriously good at leaking and other smaller problems. These types of cameras are only good for beaches or in wet weather. They are getting much better but have a server depth limitation (13ft), here is another quick comparison review vs the Olympus brand, but as I state for serious underwater photography, consider a waterproof case, you’ll likely be happier in the end if you do.

—

I think the Optio W60 is perfect for the majority of vacationers who want to take it to the beach and maybe into the water to take some quick picts of fish.

I would want to wait until we got some serious reviews before purchasing it and using it for even snorkeling. With waves, salt water and the camera bouncing off rocks I’m not sure that even the W60 will be able to survive.

Of course the closest option (for only a bit more money) is the Canon brand of cameras. Most can have an optional water proof case that is sturdier than any Optio (It is what I use for my underwater pictures). At only $150 in addition to the camera (which is better picture quality then the W series) you get significantly better pictures.

So I think I’m going to pass on the W60, for those who already have a digital P&S, $150 for 30 feet is better deal.

Got my Nikon D80 back from repair and everything seems to work great. It seems that there was an issue with the circuitry so the replaced it. Now I’m off to do some more shooting!

Well when you have a big photo-shoot like “The Mill” you should expect something to go wrong.

As of right now my Nikon D80 is in for warranty repair due to the sensor quality had begun to crash; hotpixles and white-balance issues made it impossible to use for this shoot.

On the plus side (if you can take it as a plus side) Nikon is generally really good at fixing problems with their cameras and I will be borrowing a Nikon D200 for the shoot. The D200 will meter all my manual lenses such as the 58mm Noct-Nikkor. So take that Murphy, whereever you are.

As for the D80 I’ll let you know how it shoots when it returns in 4-8 weeks; I expect like new but we shall see. I will be posting Shots from the Mill next week so stay tuned for those plus some more helpful photography tips (except on a D200 rather than a D80). Also I plan on showing some Megapixel examples and how you can get an excellent picture out of a point and shoot.

While in Philly I was able to use the mini-tripod in a new way (which people there though was neat). Rather than carrying around a large tripod to zoos, you can use a Mini-tripod instead. What you do is balance the tripod on the railings (alternatively you get a gorilla pod) which allows you to stablize your camera.

It is best used on the Telephoto’s tripod collar (if yours has one) rather than the camera body. This will allow you to balance the camera a bit better on the railing. The Feet actually go on either side so that you get the pivot point.

If you have VR or IS lenses or camera gear then you’ll have no problems. Without them this technique works but you still have to take it slow (especially in heavy overcast or indoors). But Again they are really useful, and when traveling drops a few pounds off your luggage. Which considering the way the airlines are going, it a good thing.