A Pleasant Surprise. Meyer Optik 58mm F1.9 II Review

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I’ve tested several Meyer Optik lenses. And they’ve never been easy to work with. Meyer Optik has also made perplexing decisions, but the 58mm f1.9 II is mostly different. It’s easy to get it sharp wide open. It’s also got beautiful colors in addition to its bokeh. In many ways, it’s my favorite lens from Meyer Optik. But for the price point, I’d expect more. For example, why isn’t this lens weather resistant? And why aren’t there autofocus contacts?

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Donato Di Camillo Likes to Focus on Stories most Photographers won’t.

Inside The Photographer’s Mind is back, and this week we speak to Brooklyn-based photographer Donato Di Camillo. He’s made a name for himself in the street photography community, and he’s best known for focusing his lens on stories most other photographers won’t. He’s a colorful character and has no issue with expressing his opinion on various topics within the photo industry. It’s a great hour of photography conversation, and he’s what to expect.

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The New ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Have 800/MBs Read Speed

CFExpress Type A is pretty new when it comes to standards. At the moment, not many cameras use them. Many are still sticking to SD–but some accommodate CFExpress. Type A though, is pretty new, and they have a great advantage. With a few Sony cameras, they fit right into the SD card slot. And the really cool thing is just how fast these are. The new ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A cards have a 700 megabyte a second write speed. But when you hook them up to your computer, they can be read at 800 megabytes a second. Hopefully, the card reader you’re using can work accordingly.

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Are Old DSLR Lenses Still Worth Your Money in 2021?

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Old DSLR lenses can be enjoyable to use. They’ve got imperfections that you don’t see in most modern lenses. Plus, they really make you work for the shot. In a world where photography is so simple, they’re refreshing. But in the past 10 years, lots of manufacturers have only cared about clinical perfection. This has surely satisfied tons of different photographers who wanted to get it all finalized in post-production. So what lenses are worth buying? And who should buy those lenses?

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The Most Modern SLR of 2021. NONS SL42 Mk2 Review

A few years ago, we took a very hard stance on SLR gear. We told manufacturers we wouldn’t review them. We also said we probably wouldn’t report on new news about DSLRs. That’s one of the factors that’s put a strain on a few manufacturer relationships we have. But the industry itself also decided to pivot. The DSLR, in 2021, is for the Luddite. And depending on what side of the table you’re on, the NONS SL42 Mk2 is totally new. It’s the successor to the first SLR-style camera to specifically shoot Instax Mini film. The Mk2 gets a few upgrades from the original. And if you really want full control over your Instax shooting, this is the best chance you’ll have.

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Bad Photo Tip: Use Presets to Make Your Photos Less Unique

Fact: people like the same thing and similar variations of it over and over again. They can’t get enough of it. It’s why so many fast food options have similar menus. It’s a great reason why every Bollywood movie follows iterations of the same plot. But it’s also crept into other parts of life. With the way app algorithms work, it’s also made us like so many similar images. They’ve got similar looks and content. And so, you should genuinely just give up hope on being creative. Instead, deliver just what the clients want: which is more of the same. That’s why presets are great!

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The Surprising and Puzzling Paradox with Modern Cameras and Lenses

I’ve spent a lot of time pondering a critical issue with cameras. In many ways, it still feels like we’re caught in a traditional problem that hasn’t disappeared. It starts with modern cameras. Lots of things about them are rooted in tradition. And that’s wonderful. Photography needs to be loyal to where it began. But embracing digital still hasn’t truly happened. One of the most perplexing things about modern cameras has to do with lenses. My hope is that it doesn’t take long for a lot of rapid change to occur.

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Some of Our Favorite Olympus Lenses Have Great Rebates

If you’ve ever wanted the Olympus f1.2 lenses, this is the time to get them. Rebates are currently in place with lots of camera manufacturers. And we found some of the best. There are lots of offerings available from Olympus until October 3rd. Some of our favorites? Well, you can grab the Olympus OMD EM1 Mk III and then also pick up the 17mm f1.2 PRO lens. Together, you’ll have tons of documentary and candid potential. That lens is basically a 34mm equivalent at f2.4 depth of field. Essentially, you’re getting the light gathering of f1.2 and the depth of field of something more shallow. It’s hard to complain, honestly. Check out these other deals after the jump.

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These Portraits by Phil Sharp Make You Wonder

“One hopes to get to execute the A-Plan, but I’ll always have a B-Plan, C-Plan in place,” says London-based commercial photographer Phil Sharp about his approach to his work. He began his career shooting on a Nikon F-mount enabled Kodak body but uses more medium format these days for portraits. A man of few words (as the posts on his website and Instagram suggest), we take a look at some of his favorite portraits.

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Why It’s Crucial to Show More Positive Photos of Developing Nations

There’s something I’ve thought about for quite some time. Whether it’s countries in Latin America, Asia, or the Middle East, why do we only see images that show these parts of the world in a negative light? It’s mainly the mainstream portraying the doom and gloom, but even documentary photographers tend to focus on the pain rather than the pleasure. The results are damaging, and it’s time for the photography industry to help drive change.

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How I’m Finding a Photography Community in the Most Unlikely Place

I’ve longed for a meaningful photography community. And it’s been difficult to ascertain in the real world, especially during the pandemic. So, like most photographers, I turn to an online community. Instagram is a waste of time as it feeds narcissism. Facebook seems to be more about online fighting rather than togetherness. Flickr is okay, but I never got on that hype train. Then I turned to Twitter. And to my surprise, I’m finally finding a photography community that I was close to thinking was only a utopia.

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The Fujifilm XT3 and XT30 Have Great Rebates Right Now

These rebates are currently in place with lots of camera manufacturers. And we found some of the best. check these out from Fujifilm. You can get bundles for the Fujifilm XT3 and the Fujifilm XT30 right now. These are in effect until September 26th. And if you’re curious, you can read our XT3 and XT30 reviews at the according links. We recommend grabbing them with a 16-80mm f4 R WR lens. It’s incredibly difficult to beat that combo. The XT3 is also weather-resistant, and the last generation of high-end camera before the XT4 got the new battery.

Nannimensch Escapes to the Outdoors to Create Poetic Photos

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“I only use my camera, my feeling and the given frame. I don’t think about what I do or how I do it”, says Nannimensch, who doesn’t always refer to herself by the term ‘photographer’. Her images convey the moods and emotions she felt at the moment of the click. Without the aim of developing a signature style, she lets her feelings dictate the flow of the shoot at her various outdoor locations.

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5 Photographers go High to Create Marvelous Rooftop Photos

Rooftops are the ideal vantage point for making photographs from a different perspective. While the world goes about its day, the rooftop photographer can document what’s going on, without anyone knowing they’re there. Rooftop photos aren’t only about looking down. The pinnacle point of a building is also a cool location for conceptual photography. We’re going to take a look at it all in this article, bringing you the very best of the rooftop photos we’ve published over the years.

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5 Proven Tips for Regaining Confidence in Photography

Photographic confidence comes in ebbs and flows for many photographers. Not to be confused with a creative rut, photographic confidence relates more to not believing in yourself, even if you shoot consistently. It’s a horrible spot to be in and leads to many photographers giving up. But I don’t want that to happen to you. So, in this article, I’m sharing some tips on regaining and maintaining your photographic confidence.

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These are Awesome! 4 Portrait Lenses No Photographer Can Deny

The art of portrait photography is one that’s got a whole lot to deal with talking to people. There needs to be a connection. And oftentimes, you should talk to someone before you shoot their portrait. But of course, you don’t always have the time to do that. So instead, you should make sure you’ve got the best gear you can. That means getting fantastic portrait lenses. We dove into our reviews index to get just what you’re looking for. And here are four of our favorites.

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Our Comprehensive Sony Lens Guide Now Has 79 Great Lens Reviews!

We’re incredibly excited today to announce that we’ve updated our Sony Lens Guide for full frame photographers. We encourage you to check it out. We’ve reviewed over 79 lenses for Sony full frame cameras. What’s more, you’ll find pretty much anything you’re looking for. Of course, there are Sony lens reviews. But there’s also great stuff from Tamron, Sigma, Zeiss, Zenit, Tokina and more. Many journalists have worked on these reviews over the years. And in the Sony Lens Guide, you’ll find pricing and snippets from each of our reviews. More importantly, we’re only linking to the lenses that we’ve done full reviews on. As you probably know, we’ve reviewed the most lenses of any photo publication around. We invite you to head on over and take a look at our Sony Lens Guide.

Stop Hoarding Film! The Best Time to Shoot Film Photography Is Now!

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Fact: You will seldom know when the perfect moment is happening. That’s the truth. If you’re like me, you’re a hybrid photographer: you shoot film and digital. You shoot any medium that gets the job done. But for a long time, I’ve been told that I should get as much film as I can, freeze it, and then just shoot it whenever I want. That’s a great idea, but I think the pandemic taught me that the best time to do something is now. Don’t put it off. You never know when you’ll have the time to shoot some film. So I’ve started to go through lots of films for the pure joy of shooting. That, and it’s a joy to not look at a screen on a camera.

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E-Ink Screens Could Rekindle Photography’s Romance of the Print

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Confession: I really hate staring at screens. I think the Fujifilm X Pro 3 and the Leica M10D are two of the most brilliant cameras of our time. They help keep us focused on what’s important. The E-Ink screen on the X Pro 3 also uses super low amounts of energy. With that said, I think it’s time that we make photography romantic again. I’ve written about this a number of times. And as the world progresses, the photography world has become better and better. But I think that E-Ink screens are the next step camera manufacturers need to take. Specifically, they need to find a way to make the refresh rate increase, add touch capabilities, and more. For what it’s worth, it’s not like any of that isn’t possible right now.

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