Archive for the 'Accessories' Category

5 Little Things Every DSLR Photographer Needs You To Buy Them For The Holidays

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So for the last few weeks I have been toying around with the idea of doing a holiday gift suggestion post, but until now I couldn’t get motivated to do it. Why? Who knows, maybe because most of these so-called “gift guides” are nothing more than paid advertisements and big wastes of time. So you might ask, what motivated me to finally get off my ass and do it? This…

Well, to be more specific, the first page. Now, I do love PopPhoto, and usually get a lot out of what I read there, but when this one popped into my feed reader and I clicked through, I almost didn’t make it past the first page. I mean, a 3D space navigator mouse thingie? an $80 card reader? a USB thumb drive? and a few other things that if I received I would smack someone. But seriously, what photographer wants this crap. There is a LensPen, good, at least one ray of light. Luckily, I was able to suppress the urge to break things long enough to get to the second page, and there we are, some good stuff, and the PopPhoto gift guide was saved, and actually has some really cool stuff, some of which I will mention here. If you plan on checking it out, I suggest starting on page 2 :)

So now you are probably wondering, what do the crazies at CameraPorn think you should get for that special photographer you love? Well, everything I’m going to list are things you should get for yourself, and if you have a few bucks left over, buy your friends something. I’ll keep it short, sweet and cheap. List after the jump.

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Nikon Gear CameraPorn? Hell Must Have Frozen Over…

Serious CameraPorn

No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. What you see above is Nikon gear and a LOT of it, courtesy of a friend (thanks Scott!) who had the whole kit basically sitting in a closet collecting dust. Yes, I know, sacreligious to let this much gear to sit idle, so your friends at CameraPorn have come to the rescue! Kit breakdown after the jump…

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The Ultimate Guide - Part 3: Getting Equipped - The Average Joe’s Dream Kit

Part 3 - Getting Equipped

After much delay, and lots of threats on my life from friends who really wanted to read about the Average Joe Kit, we are back with the third part of our "Ultimate Guide" series. If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 before continuing.

And so we begin Part 3: The Average Joe Dream kit. This kit was put together as a well-rounded mid-range option, some may call it pro-sumer as the camera and lenses are more feature rich and of higher quality than entry-level consumer bodies and lenses. Like all three of the kits we are recommending, it contains the following items:

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The Ultimate Guide - Part 2: Getting Equipped - The Po’ Man’s Dream Kit

Part 2 - Getting Equipped

Finally, I’m back with part 2 of our “Ultimate Guide” where I will begin to break down three different kit suggestions spanning three different affordability levels. Originally, I planned on presenting all three kit options in one post, but due to the ongoing harassment :) from readers to get Part 2 posted as well as the surprising amount of time it takes to put these posts together, I decided to go ahead with the post to include only the first of the three kits, focusing on a low price range option to start. To make sure everyone has a good fix of CameraPorn, I’ll include a list of the items to be included in the next two posts. Parts 2 and 3 will focus on a mid-range and high-range priced photo kits. If you havent read “Part 1: Getting Prepared” we suggest taking a look before continuing.

Before I begin, I will again reiterate that no one, not even the gear-obsessed wackos that run this site would expect the average DSLR newbie to buy everything we suggest for a kit all at once. What I’m suggesting are well rounded kit options that contain items that cover the needs of most hobbyist photographers. In reality, all you need to get started is a camera, a memory card and one lens. You will also notice, all the cameras and lenses are from Canon. There are off-brand lenses such as Sigma and Tamron that offer quality and sometimes lower-cost alternatives to what I will be mentioning below, but what can I say, I’m a brand-whore. No, but seriously, aside from off-brand lenses Canon is not your only option. Nikon offers perfectly suitable alternatives to the DSLRs and lenses below at similar price points, but personally I love and use Canon gear, so thats what I’ll be suggesting.

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The Ultimate Guide To Starting Your Own DSLR Obsession - Part 1: Getting Prepared

Start Your obsession

After multiple suggestions from friends and readers in combination with the fact that today a friend joined us in our DSLR obsession with his own shiny new 30D and corresponding accessories, I was inspired to share my thoughts on the most effective ways to get started on your own fanatic DSLR journey. Being that my goal is to make the the “ultimate” guide, this post will be part one in a series of three. I’ll start out in part one by discussing what it takes to get started as an educated DSLR consumer, including shopping and research resources. In part two, I will discuss different equipment options broken down into three categories, corresponding to small, medium and large budgets. Part three will focus primarily on getting the shot, mentioning basic tried and true techniques as well as an outline of the best sites and blogs I frequently use for learning and reference.

Before jumping into it, I’d like to preface the whole deal with the statement that these are merely suggestions, and come from my own experiences becoming a DSLR-aholic. As much as I wish I was, (Canon, where you at?) I’m not being paid, endorsed, yadda yadda yadda for any of this. The choices I’ve made are the choices I feel I would or should have made if I was properly educated prior to jumping into photography. I’d also like to say that it is no coincidence it’s all Canon based. I happen to be a “Canon guy” only because its where I started based on suggestions from friends and it is the realm in which I can most effectively make suggestions. At this point I’ve used both Nikons and Canons, and though I definitely have no ill thoughts toward Nikon, my preference is generally with Canon products. Why? I think we should leave that one for a whole other post. All that said, lets get to the cameraporn… Continue reading ‘The Ultimate Guide To Starting Your Own DSLR Obsession - Part 1: Getting Prepared’

Is That A Giottos Rocket In Your Pocket Or Are Ya Happy To See Me?

  • Sexiness Ratings:
  • Value to your kit
  • :(5 of 5 stars)
  • Build quality
  • :(5 of 5 stars)
  • Jealousy Factor
  • :(3 of 5 stars)
  • Bang for your buck
  • :(5 of 5 stars)
  • Overall Sexiness
  • :(4 of 5 stars)

Giottos Rocket Blower

 

Simply put, one of the most valuable accessories you can buy for your DSLR kit. Ya, it may look funny, but it works and it works well. I primarily purchased the Giottos Rocket Blower for quick sensor cleaning, which in most of today’s DSLRs, is a big issue. Since most manufacturers recommend you never directly touch the sensor, this is a safe, manufacturer approved method for getting rid of that pesky sensor dust.

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BG-E2 Battery Grip - Size Does Matter

  • Sexiness Ratings:
  • Value to your kit
  • :(4 of 5 stars)
  • Build quality
  • :(5 of 5 stars)
  • Jealousy Factor
  • :(3 of 5 stars)
  • Bang for your buck
  • :(4 of 5 stars)
  • Overall Sexiness
  • :(3 of 5 stars)

BG-E2 Battery Grip

 

Hello out there in camera land, this is chl coming at you with my first review! This, as it turns out, is the first piece of gear we’re talking about that does not affect image quality in any way. Thus the lack of image quality rating stars up there. Nonetheless, I consider this to be a critical component to my kit.

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580…you’re soooo hot

  • Sexiness Ratings:
  • Value to your kit
  • :(5 of 5 stars)
  • Image quality
  • :(5 of 5 stars)
  • Build quality
  • :(4 of 5 stars)
  • Jealousy Factor
  • :(4 of 5 stars)
  • Bang for your buck
  • :(5 of 5 stars)
  • Overall Sexiness
  • :(4 of 5 stars)

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Right out of the box, i was amazed by the performance of Canon’s 580EX flash. Being that i had only used the puny flash built in to my 30D, i realize i didn’t have much to compare to, but WOW was i impressed. The even lighting, the lack of shiny hotspots on peoples faces, the range… this thing is the real deal.

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