FUJINON 56mm f/1.2 XF LENS Announced at CES Available for Pre-Order NOW at BHPhoto

Great portrait length, crazy fast at f1.2, the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 XF Lens shows Fuji is REALLY serious about their lens line-up for their X series mirrorless cameras.

With a 35mm equivalent of 85mm, the new Fujinon 56mm f1.2 will be sure to be a favorite of any portrait photographer shooting with the Fuji X series, and the f1.2 aperture just adds icing to the cake. 

Pre-order the Fujinon 56mm f1.2 XF Lens at BHPhoto NOW to make sure you get yours.  These babies will likely be in short supply for some time.

Canon VIXIA HF R52 Full HD Camcorder Announced at CES & Available for Pre-Order NOW at B&H!

CES is in full swing, and as always, there's some great new photo and video gear being introduced.  I'll be posting the most interesting stuff that I see, and I'll include pre-order links for you if they're available.

One of the first new pieces of gear that caught my eye from CES is the Canon VIXIA HF R52 Camcorder which looks sweet!  I love my earlier version (HF 200 if memory serves), and I wouldn't mind getting my hands on this new one!

If you're looking for a new camcorder, check out the Canon Vixia HF R52 here at BHPhoto. 

DPReview Poll Names Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mirrorless Camera Of 2013. Here's Why I Disagree.

Sony a7             Panasonic-GX7            Olympus E-M1            Fuji X-E2

So DPReview asked their readers what the best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera of 2013 was, and they responded with an over-whelming vote for the Olympus OM-D E-M1.

The poll showed the Olympus OM-D E-M1 got 34.1% of the vote, and the next closest was the Sony a7R at 21% which is interesting because I would've put the Sony a7R over the Olympus E-M1.

Why you ask?  Well, for two big reasons.  The Sony a7R has a full frame sensor and does better video.  Better image quality and better video quality.  Done deal for me.

But there's more.  The Sony a7 got only 10.3% of the vote, and for me, the Sony a7 wins over BOTH the Olympus E-M1 and the Sony a7R.  It's full frame, does great video, and is a LOT cheaper than it's big a7R brother.

Wait though!  Hold on a sec... there's another contender that I found disproportionately ranked in DPReview's reader poll.  The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 got only 6.8% of the vote, which I found strange because frankly, I'd rank it at least second, if not first place.

The Panasonic GX7 has everything I want in a camera.  It's small and light.  Has great image quality, and even better video quality.  I love the lenses available to the M4/3 system, especially the Olympus 45mm f1.8 which is one of my favorite lenses of all time.  To me, the Panasonic GX7 may be the perfect camera.

Which underlines a very important point.  None of the rankings matter if the camera isn't the right one for you.  Maybe the Fuji X-E2 is more your cup of tea.  Maybe you agree with the poll and the Olympus E-M1 is the best mirrorless for you.  Maybe you're like me and prefer the Panasonic GX7.  Regardless, the important thing is to find the camera that fits best for you!

Best New Camera of 2013? Canon 70D Nikon D7100 Fuji X-E2 Panasonic GX7 Sony a7 Olympus E-M1

The year was 2013.  It was a year of change, it certainly was in the camera industry as well.

We saw a lot of great new entries into the market.

Nikon introduced the Nikon D7100, their shiny new update to the SUPER popular Nikon D7000.

Fuji introduced the Fuji X-E2, a promising update to the much loved Fuji X-E1.

Panasonic rocked the mirrorless world with the Panasonic GX7, a camera so awesome it took a lot of the wind out of the Panasonic flagship's, the Panasonic GH3, sails.

Sony introduced the brothers, the Sony a7 and the Sony a7r, two cameras who made it so hard for photographers to choose between them that many just threw their hands in the air and bought both.

Olympus brought us the Olympus E-M1, the camera many Olympus shooters had been waiting for.

And last but not least, Canon set the DSLR world on fire with their new Canon 70D, a camera revolutionary for it's new Canon Dual-Pixel Hybrid autofocus system.

So which was the best new camera of 2013???

Well, you tell me!  Leave a comment and let us know your vote.

What's that?  You want to know my vote?  But won't that influence yours?  I mean, I don't want to sway you one way or the other now.

Ahhh... OK!  To me, it was a fairly easy choice for the Best New Camera of 2013 crown.  The Canon 70D brought us such revolutionary technology with the Canon Dual-Pixel Hybrid autofocus system that I think there's no question the Canon EOS 70D is the Best New Camera of 2013.

The Canon Dual-Pixel Hybrid autofocus system changed video forever, and every manufacturer out there is scrambling to come up with their own version.  At the moment, there really is no other choice for me when it comes to DSLR video.

If I were buying a new camera today, it would be the Canon 70D, simply because I want that Canon Dual-Pixel Hybrid autofocus system.  I shoot a lot of video these days, as much or more than I do photos, and the Canon Dual-Pixel Hybrid autofocus system is something I wouldn't be without in a new camera.

That said, I'm really looking forward to Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, and Sony catching up and introducing their own version of the Canon Dual-Pixel Hybrid autofocus system!  Come on guys.  Don't leave us hanging. :-)

Go WIDE Young Man, Go Wide! (and FAST!) ONLY $449 Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX Autofocus Lens

When you want to go wide, you need WIDE!  And the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X is a really popular lens for Canon APS-C DSLRs because it's not only WIDE, it's FAST!

This ain't your mother's f5.6 wide angle.  At f2.8, it's as fast as it gets in a zoom.  And the Tokina is highly rated too.  Just check out the ratings at BHPhoto from all the customers who've bought it!

On NOW for ONLY $449 with FREE SHIPPING, but they're not telling me for how long, so get 'em while you can!

$199.99 for the Sigma 70-300 f/4-5.6 DG OS Lens for Nikon Digital Cameras SAVE $160 (44%) + Free Shipping

  
BH keeps rolling out the deals!  Any of you need a 70-300mm zoom, you can't beat $199.99!

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS Lens for Nikon Digital Cameras

SAVE $160 (44%) + Free Shipping

Top 4 Ways To Be A Better Photographer

1. Practice.  You've heard it before, and I'm reminding you again.  Practice, practice, practice.  Practice makes perfect.  Just like Malcom Gladwell proves in his book Outliers, it's all about the time investment.  10,000 hours baby!  Put the time in, and you will be the best of the best.  

It doesnt matter if you use the best equipment like a Nikon D4 or a Canon 1Dx, or you use a bargain priced Sony NEX-3N or Canon T5i, it's the photographer that makes the photo.  And the skilled photographer, the one who has practiced countless hours and honed their craft, can take a great photo with just about any camera or image making device. 

2. Learn lighting.  Even a single $59 Speedlight used off camera with an inexpensive $40 radio trigger, heck even an old school flash cord, will make all difference in the world to your photo if you know how to light it properly.  

I am constantly amused how many photographers advertise themselves as "natural light" photographers.  Basically they're telling everyone that they don't have a clue how to do lighting, which in effect is saying they aren't really that great a photographer because they haven't taken the time to learn one of the most important aspects of the craft.  

Sure, there are few amazing "natural light" photographers, but they are also the ones who know photography inside and out, are skilled at lighting, and have then chosen to shoot predominantly without artificial lighting.  There are VERY FEW of these photographers out there.  The bulk of photographers who say they shoot with "natural lighting" just don't know how to use artificial lighting, hence they try to make themselves sound artistic by trying to make their ignorance sound like an advantage.

3. Get it right in Camera.  In other words, shoot it properly when you take the picture.  Know your settings.  Know your equipment.  Know your lighting.  Anticipate your subject.  

Poor shooting, and then saying you'll just fix it in post with Photoshop or Lightroom, is lazy and degrades your skills (if you have taken the time to acquire any.  A lot of times when a photo isn't shot right at the time, the photographer did it out of ignorance because they didn't have the skills to begin with.  See #1.)

4. Be prepared.  Extremely critical for the professional photographer, but still very important for the amateur enthusiast photographer, be prepared is a great moto to live by.  There's a reason it's the Scouts' motto! 

Have your gear prepared prior to your shoot, batteries charged, memory cards ready, lenses cleaned, cameras synced.  

If you're going out to shoot a landscape at dawn, know your sunrise times and scope out where your best vantage point is ahead of time. 

If you're going out on an assignment for a tricky client shot, run the scenario through in your head before the big day.  Try setting up a similar shot at home or in your studio and figure out possible problems and solutions ahead of time.