Read Next
How An Auto-Leveling Tripod Makes Life Easier For Photographers
Getting your tripod level can be...
Fujifilm X-H2S Review
Read our review of the X-H2S to find...
5 Reasons To Buy A High-Quality And Adjustable Tripod
Shopping for a tripod can be confusing....
Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Review
Nobody else makes a lens like the Sigma...Featured Articles
Read More
National Parks Safety Tips For Photographers
Before heading into the wild, read these tips for planning and enjoying a safe, successful photo adventure.
Read More
Dolly Sods
Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia.
Read More
Tips For Creating Moody Landscapes
Depending on where you live, clouds may dominate your skies for 250-plus days of the year. This is more the...
Read More
How To Use Histograms
For precise exposures that best capture a scene’s dynamic range, ignore what the image preview looks like and rely on the histogram.
Read More
Columbia River Gorge Photo Locations
Waterfalls, wildflowers and stunning mountain backdrops await in the Pacific Northwest.
Read More
Parks For The People
George Grant toiled in obscurity for nearly three decades as the first official photographer of the National Park Service. Ren and Helen Davis want to make sure his story isn’t lost to history.
This is the 1st of your 3 free articles
Become a member for unlimited website access and more.
FREE TRIAL Available!
Learn More
Already a member? Sign in to continue reading
In Focus: June 2013
A compact, 7.5-ounce body with interchangeable lenses, providing RAW+JPEG stills and full 1080 HD video, the Sony NEX-3N makes a great compact backup camera, but it’s easily capable of doing the heavy lifting. The 16.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor boosts maximum ISO to 16,000 for low-light shooting, and a zoom lever on the top of the body gives fingertip control of the lens length. The BIONZ processor provides area-specific noise reduction and sharpness without loss of detail. The 7.5cm LCD screen flips 180º for shooting at difficult angles or self-portraits. Estimated Street Price: $498. Contact: Sony, www.sony.com.
Recently, the popularity of metallic prints has been growing in the photographic art world. Moab has designed the new Slickrock Metallic Silver 300 for photographers looking for ultra-shine and increased depth in an inkjet paper. The metal-like surface provides the deep blacks and bright metallic highlights, but is still able to be handled right off the printer. Prints show detail, brightness and luminosity inherent in the metal surface. It’s available in 25-sheet boxes sized 8.5×11 and 13×19 inches, A2 and A4, as well as rolls of 17, 24 and 44 inches wide by 50 feet long. Estimated Street Price: Varies. Contact: Moab by Legion Paper, moabpaper.com.
The unique design of the Giottos YTL Tripod makes it a light and easy travel companion. The new “Y”-shaped center column adds strength and rigidity to the tripod while also allowing the legs to close 30% closer to the center than traditional round center columns, reducing bulk and weight. The legs have three adjustable angle positions with separate locks on each leg. The Giottos Quick Lever leg lock system and index markers on the lowest leg section make setup smooth even with gloved hands. The 2-way version allows you to raise, lower and reverse the center column, while the 3-way version allows you to move through 180º and lock the center column where needed. Available in aluminum or carbon fiber. Estimated Street Price: $149-$456. Contact: Giottos (HP Marketing Corp.), www.hpmarketingcorp.com.
Take full control of your camera from a distance with the CamRanger wireless tethering system. Ideal for macrophotography, CamRanger connects to your camera via USB and then turns your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch into a live control pad using its own WiFi connection up to 150 feet away (no outside network needed). From your mobile device, you can change basic camera settings such as aperture, shutter speed and ISO. For complete focus control, the CamRanger gives you touch focus, incremental adjustments and focus stacking. Set up your intervalometer and HDR or record movies and use live touch focus during recording. Photos are saved to your camera’s internal memory card and optionally may be saved to your iOS device, as well. With Client mode, friends and family may wirelessly view photos as they’re taken by the photographer at the camera. Estimated Street Price: $299. Contact: CamRanger, www.camranger.com.
The incredibly slim, vertical-style Zuma 32 Photo/iPad Bag from Tamrac is ideal for carrying your daily necessities in a sleek silhouette. A front pocket with two neoprene compartments holds most compact DSLRs or mirrorless cameras with a lens attached and an extra lens. The middle, foam-padded pocket holds an iPad or 11-inch MacBook Air. A back pocket with mesh and zipper pockets holds cords, adapters and larger items such as a mini-tripod. It features two carrying handles and a sliding shoulder strap for comfortable toting. Estimated Street Price: $80. Contact: Tamrac, www.tamrac.com.
Packed with powerful professional features while still fitting in your pocket, the Nikon Coolpix A has a 16.2-megapixel, APS-C-sized CMOS sensor and fixed ƒ/2.8 28mm equivalent lens providing highly detailed images. A manual-focus ring offers professional control. The camera shoots RAW files, at 4 fps for fast action stills, as well as full HD video at 1080p with stereo sound. It comes with WiFi accessibility with an optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter for instant sharing ability or wireless triggering from your smartphone. There’s also a full-sized hot-shoe port, which is compatible with other Nikon accessories already in your bag, such as Speedlights. Available in black and silver. Estimated Street Price: $1,099. Contact: Nikon, www.nikonusa.com.
Lighten up your camera bag by letting your phone take over some of the duties of your wireless trigger system with the Satechi BT Smart Trigger. In Regular Shot mode, it utilizes Bluetooth technology for your iOS or Android phone to effortlessly become an intuitive wireless remote. Manual Shot mode gives long exposure and timed shot options, while Time Shot mode turns your phone into an intervalometer for advanced time-lapse photos and videos. Bluetooth 4.0 reaches up to 50 feet in range. Battery life lasts 10 years. Estimated Street Price: $45. Contact: Satechi, www.satechi.net.
Viewing a small LCD screen on a bright sunny day is often futile, but the Flashpoint Swivi HD DSLR LCD Universal Foldable Viewfinder Version II with 3.0x Magnification helps make the LCD screen viewable, making clear focus and accurate exposure obtainable. In Magnification Mode, a 3x magnification is provided to view details and ensure focus. The viewfinder loupe attaches to the camera with a mounting plate and fits on most DSLRs with a 3-inch LCD. The rubber eyecup may be rotated for either right- or left-eye-dominant shooting. Estimated Street Price: $120. Contact: Flashpoint (Adorama), www.adorama.com.
Positioned in an area of rich color, culture and art, Leica has added the new Leica Store Miami in the thriving Coral Gables shopping district along the Miracle Mile. The 2,200-square-foot showroom will display products such as the Leica X2 Edition Paul Smith, as well as showcase photography displays. This store joins the current Leica Store DC and Leica Store SoHo. Leica reports they will continue to grow in 2013 by opening additional Leica store locations in North America. Contact: Visit leicastoremiami.com for event information.
A versatile, travel-friendly support that gets you low to the ground, the Induro 75mm DR Hi-Hat Tripod Set keeps you shooting sharp photos. The aluminum-alloy tripod has a 75mm bowl and half-ball adapters to support up to 165 pounds of equipment. The tripod braces work close to the ground on uneven surfaces with two-section extensions and three steps of variable angle adjustment on each leg. The rubber feet pivot and include reinforced mounting holes for added stability. The Hi-Hat folds compactly for both travel and storage. Estimated Street Price: $249. Contact: Induro, www.indurogear.com.
Shooting with a mirrorless camera’s smaller grip is now more comfortable and secure with the Ultra Light Hand Band by BosStrap. Meant to wrap around your four fingers instead of your wrist, the band fully adjusts to fit small bare hands or large gloved hands, and features a double-lock safety sleeve so it stays in place. The 3⁄8-inch-wide strap only attaches to the camera strap lug, leaving the tripod socket free and giving easy access to battery and memory card slots. Estimated Street Price: $11. Contact: BosStrap, www.BosStrap.com.
When out on a shoot, you need fresh, fully charged batteries that are easy to find and safe from the harsh environment. Made of rip-stop nylon, the Pro DSLR Battery Holder by Think Tank Photo keeps your batteries together in one place. The slim, soft case has two individual pockets, one for each battery, and folds in half for compact, flexible storage. When empty, the bag flattens for space-saving storage. Compatible with pro-sized batteries for Canon and Nikon bodies. Estimated Street Price: $18. Contact: Think Tank Photo, www.thinktankphoto.com.
Lighten your load as you hit the trail with the Canon EOS Rebel SL1. Weighing in at just over 14 ounces, this is a DSLR that’s small in size, but big in action. Canon’s newly designed 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 Image Processor deliver increased image quality and continuous shooting up to 4 fps. The camera has a wide ISO 100-25,600 range for low-light shooting. With full HD video capture at 1080p, Canon’s Movie Servo AF provides continuous autofocus tracking of moving subjects. The smudge-proof, touch-sensitive, three-inch LCD screen allows for quick, intuitive, multi-finger gestures such as zooming in, active focus point and shutter release while shooting. Estimated Street Price: $649. Contact: Canon, www.usa.canon.com.
With 7x magnification and a sharp field of view up to 124.6 yards away, the Minox MD 7×42 C Monocular helps zero in on birds and other wildlife with the ease of single-handed operation. Additionally, it has an integrated compass for navigation while on land and water or in the air. The metal body protects the optical system in rough conditions and is watertight to a depth of 16’5″. Available in both black and white. Estimated Street Price: $119. Contact: Minox, www.minox.com.
Receiving a photo review from an industry expert just became a bit more convenient and affordable with Eyeist.com. The first web-based photo review service (no software needed), Eyeist.com offers photo and website reviews, as well as career guidance from leading photographers, art buyers, picture editors and museum curators. You can choose a reviewer or be automatically matched based on your needs. Turnaround time once you’re paired with your reviewer averages 72 hours. Registration and image uploading is free, and you choose from a variety of review packages. Estimated Street Price: $100-$350. Contact: Eyeist, www.Eyeist.com.
Constantly rotating your arm around for vertical shots can sometimes leave you fatigued. The Vertax Battery Grip from Argraph may be just the thing to take the awkward out of that vertical rotation, as it includes a vertical shutter release, shutter and aperture control wheels for Nikon and a single wheel for Canon, an exposure lock and multi-function control buttons. In addition, it’s made of the same raw materials as the Nikon and Canon cameras, and provides dust and moisture seals, plus a rubber hand grip to prevent slips. Estimated Street Price: $89-$116. Contact: Argraph, www.argraph.com.