Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D300s Review and Comparison: Why I Recommend the D7000 Over the D300s

Comparing the Nikon D7000 vs the Nikon D300s, and Why I Recommend the Nikon D7000 over the Nikon D300s.

Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS: First Impressions After a Few Hours Shooting on my Nikon D7000

My first impressions of the new Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS after a few hours of shooting it on my Nikon D7000.

Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS Unboxing (for my Nikon D7000)

Unboxing of my NEW Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS for my Nikon D7000.

The MTF charts show the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 OS is off the map for sharpness. In fact it smokes the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8, and it has image stabilization!

Stay tuned for my on-going reviews of the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS!

Nikon D7000: Thom Hogan says Time Heals All D7000 Complaints

Discussing Thom Hogan's article "Time Heals All [ D7000 ] Internet Complaints".

Colors - January / February 2011 Art of the Image Photo Contest

Colors, the latest and greatest Art of the Image Photo Contest has begun!

The contest is FREE to all. There is NO CHARGE to enter. Each person can submit up 10 photos each for consideration. The contest starts today and runs until the end of February 2011.

The winner will be selected in March, at which time we'll announce the grand prize winner. For the Grand Prize, Peter Gregg has generously agreed to donate one of his awesome A Better Bounce Cards, and Art of the Image will be adding your choice of any DSLR battery we carry to sweeten the pot!

That's right folks! Top prize to the winner will be a A Better Bounce Card and your choice of any DSLR battery we carry!

So power up your digital cameras and start pressing your shutter buttons! Get those submissions in!

Post your submissions on Flickr at
Colors - January / February 2011 Art of the Image Photo Contest

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1584105@N20/

Kodak Zi8 HD Video Test: Ella Playing the Kitty Cat Keyboard

I was looking for a small, ultra compact HD video recorder for doing quick videos with little set-up or fiddling around required.

My first thought was the FLIP, but after checking out some reviews and specs, it became apparent the Kodak Zi8 was a better choice and a better price.

I got mine on sale of a little over a $100, and the Zi8 does 1080HD video whereas the FLIP video recorder doesn't (at least not the ones I was looking at the time).

So far I'm thrilled with the Zi8. It has great color and really good video quality. The Zi8 even has a macro setting that works quite well.

Even better, the Zi8 has a mic in jack to use an external microphone! Bonus!

Here's a sample video I shot with my Kodak Zi8 of Ella playing the Kitty Cat Keyboard. Basically un-edited HD footage.

Little Things Photo Contest Winner!

Well, once again it took longer than I thought to go through all the great photos submitted for the Little Things photo contest, but we've finally got a winner!

There were a LOT of great photos submitted. It's always fun to see other people's photographic vision and have a peek into their photographic psyche. :-)

That said, it's a lot of work going through all the photos and trying to decide on a winner! Mostly because there were so many we liked.

In any case, without further ado...

the winner is....

Drum roll...



Danbo meets the Mrs.. by Tim Sharp Photography

Tim wins the grand prize... an A Better Bounce Card, generously donated by the brilliant photographic inventor Peter Gregg, and his choice of any DSLR battery we carry!

Thanks to everyone who entered for all the great submissions, and start your cameras for the January/February 2011 Colors Photo Contest!

Best AA Rechargeable Batteries for Speedlight Flash (Nikon SB-900 SB-700 Canon 580EX 430EX)

No matter what Speedlight flash you're using, batteries are an important consideration.

Whether you're shooting with a Nikon SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, or SB-600, or a Canon 580 EX version I or II or 430 EX version I or II, or any of the Sony, Pentax, Metz or other Speedlight flashes, you'll get better performance using better batteries.

There's lots of talk on many forums about what AA rechargeable batteries are the best to use. I've used quite a few brands over the years, but for the last few years, Eneloops have been my favourite.

Here's why...

Canon 60D: Has Canon Secretly Improved the 60D Auto Focus and Kept It Hush Hush?

Continuing on in my testing of my new Canon 60D, I'm impressed with the auto focus. It seems much snappier and has less out of focus images than say my Canon T2i 550D or my previous Canon 40D for example.

Has Canon snuck in some improvements to the Canon 60D Auto Focus? Yes, the 60D has more cross-type sensors, but I'm a focus / recompose shooter for the most part so I wouldn't think these would make a difference.

Shooting both, I certainly get the impression that my Canon 60D is faster and more accurate than my Canon 550D (T2i).

Here's a couple of possible explanations...

Canon 60D and Canon 18-55mm IS: Pretty Impressive for a Cheap Little Zoom!

Wow! For a cheap little zoom, the Canon 18-55 IS performs well.

On my Canon 60D, the little Canon 18-55 IS is small and light, and works very well.

Best of all, it's very inexpensive!

Sure, the Canon 18-55mm IS isn't the best lens in the Canon line-up, but it's pretty sharp, performs well, and is capable of very good image quality.

Canon 50mm f1.8 II Lens Review: The Best $100 You'll Ever Spend on a Canon Lens

I'm a big fan of 50mm lenses, and the Canon 50mm f1.8 II is no exception.

The Canon 50mm f1.8 II is fast tack sharp, small, lightweight, and an excellent performer.

Best of all, it's only around $100.00!

You can't really go wrong by adding the Canon 50mm f1.8 II to your kit.

Canon 60D: First Impressions After a Few Hours of Shooting

Charged the battery, grabbed some lenses, and went for a photo walk around the house. Shot the Canon 60D with the Canon 50mm f1.8, Canon 18-55mm IS, and the Canon 55-250mm IS. Ran the 60D through the settings, including high ISO.

Here's my first impressions of the Canon 60D after a few hours of shooting...

Related posts...

Canon 60D Unboxed

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 3

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 2

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 1

Canon 60D Unboxed

It's always fun to get new gear, and a new Canon 60D is no exception.

Here's the unboxing video of my new 60D. We'll take a quick look at the Canon 60D, and everything that comes in the box with it.

Contents:
- Canon 60D
- Canon LP-E6 Battery
- Canon Battery Recharger
- Manual
- Software Disc
- Warranty Card
- Interface Cable
- Stereo AV Cable

Related posts...

Canon 60D: First Impressions After a Few Hours Shooting

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 3

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 2

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 1

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 3

Part 3 in a 3 part series on How to Make Your Canon 550D or Canon 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII.

Related Posts...

Canon 60D: First Impressions After a Few Hours Shooting

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 2

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 1

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 2

Part 2 in a 3 part series on How to Make Your Canon 550D or Canon 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII.

Related posts...

Canon 60D: First Impressions After a Few Hours Shooting

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 3

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 1

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 1

Part 1 in a 3 part series on How to Make Your Canon 550D or Canon 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII.

Related posts...

Canon 60D: First Impressions After a Few Hours Shooting

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 3

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 2

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 1

Canon 550D: Why to Buy the Canon 550D ( T2i ) Over the Canon 60D

With the Canon 550D (T2i) on sale for the Holidays, many people are asking whether they should buy the Canon 550D or the Canon 60D. Here's why you might want to buy the 550D over the 60D.

Related posts...

Canon 60D: First Impressions After a Few Hours Shooting

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 3

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 2

How to Make Your Canon 550D or 60D Video and Photos Look Like It Came From a Canon 5D MkII - Part 1

Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Flash: Much More Than Just An Up-Date to the SB-600

Reviewing the impressive new Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Flash and discussing why it's much more than just an up-date to the SB-600.

Related posts...

Nikon SB-900 Speedlight Review: A Look at Nikon's Flash Flagship and Why You Might Want to Up-Grade


Nikon SB-800 Overview: Two Big Reasons to Step Up to the SB-800 Over the SB-600

Nikon SB-600: A Great Speedlite Flash For New Nikon DSLR Shooters To Start Off With

BEST Way to Light a Green Screen - ChromaKey - Cheaply WITHOUT Using Halogen Shoplights

A lot of readers have asked how I light my Green Screen to use chromakey backgrounds for video.

Good question!

When I started doing Chromakey or Green Screen video, I did a lot of research online and on Youtube to see how others were doing it.

The prevalent method was to use halogen shop lights, so I went out and spent just under $200 on halogen shop lights only to find they don't actually work that well. They're too hot, and they don't light the Green Screen very evenly which is VERY important.

Tweaking a photography lighting method I've used, I came up with a MUCH better way to light my green screen, and even better, it was WAY CHEAPER! Here's how I do it