Review: Tiffen Low Light Polarizer (rotating)

It may seem overkill to write a review on a filter, but the bottom line is, there doesn’t seem to be much valuable information out there concerning these rather expensive accessories. So, today I am reviewing the Tiffen Low Light Polarizer.

Now This is Cool: Gizmon iPhone Case

It wasn’t too long ago that I said to myself, “someone should make a really cool case for the iPhone that makes it look like a camera.” Then I saw a few efforts, but they fell painfully short of my expectations. And last night, I came across this...

Goin’ Mobile

With the acquisition of a new iPad 4, I’m gearing up to take on a whole new workflow; Tablet post-processing.

The Collection

IKEA Detolf
glass-door display cabinet

It was never a cognitive decision to become a collector of cameras. It just sort of happened. After acquiring about five collectible pieces, of which I have no idea as to how I came about them, it seemed to be a logical outlet to my fascination with these precision little devices.

Vello 52mm Snap-On Petal Lens Hood

Vello Snap-on Petal Lens Hoods; a breakthrough product.

The original snap-on petal lens shade series by Pearstone was a breakthrough product in that it could be easily installed simply by clipping it on like a standard lens cap. In contrast to the awkward thread-on style which requires you to tighten a locking collar to secure it, these were a pleasure to use. However, unlike an OEM bayonet hood, you couldn’t reverse install them on your lens to keep them at the ready.

Panoramic Video for the iPhone 4S

The Kōgeto Dot is an ingenious lens attachment for the iPhone 4 and 4S which works in tandem with a dedicated app to create immersive 360° panoramic videos.

It draws no additional power from the camera, and the Looker app allows you to capture, view and share your panoramic videos by eMail, Facebook, Twitter or Dotspot, a dedicated panoramic video sharing website.

The unit clips to your iPhone, which you then hold flat (camera-side up) to allow the lens to capture the action in a 360° band. The app then converts the lens’ projection into the camera into a horizontal panorama, and allows you to view your own content, or that shared by others.

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For more information on this exciting new product, visit the Kōgeto website.

The Panoramic Camera

The panoramic image is a popular pursuit in photography. So much so, that features to assist or create them are almost always incorporated in modern digital cameras.

Holga Camera Bag

LowePro Advetntura 170 Camera Bag

With two Holgas and a slew of accessories, I was looking for an inexpensive bag to store all my Holga gear in one place. Something off brand. I even tried the Lomography store (even though that would NOT have been particularly inexpensive), but I just couldn’t find the right bag.

First Impressions: Gossen DigiSix Exposure Meter

For me, this little gem is not so much an exposure meter as it is a Photographer’s Swiss Army Knife. In addition to being a compact exposure meter, it also includes a clock, alarm, countdown timer and thermometer.

First Impressions: Sigma EM-140 DG Macro Ring Flash

Santa was generous this year, and brought me this welcome addition to my macro outfit.

Review: Hoya Pro1 Digital MC UV(0)

It may seem overkill to write a review on a filter, but the bottom line is, there doesn’t seem to be much valuable information out there concerning these rather expensive accessories. So, today I am reviewing the Hoya Pro1 Digital MC UV(0).

First Impressions: Nikon SB-28DX Speedlight

I was in the market for a speedlight for my N80, but it’s not as simple as just ordering the current model. Film bodies require D-TTL, the original through-the-lens flash technology released in the mid 8o’s, and with the discontinuation of the SB-600, Nikon no longer supports D-TTL.

Review: Nikon Circular Polarizer II (slim)

It may seem overkill to write a review on a filter, but the bottom line is, there doesn’t seem to be much valuable information out there concerning these rather expensive accessories. So, today I am reviewing the Tiffen Low Light Polarizer.

Get ’Em While You Can

So smitten am I with the Janco 3-Color Pop-Up Flash Diffuser that I decided to order a second one as a backup. At its low price, why not.

Getting Serious with the P5100

A while back I mentioned that the polarizer is one of the essential filters for both digital and analog cameras. This comes from the fact that it makes a vast improvement in your images that’s not attainable in Photoshop. In studio photography, you can change the look of the photo by changing the position and intensity of the flash or hot lights. In nature, the polarizer allows you to change the “lighting setup” as well, by selecting which of the rays reflected by the subject enter the camera. You can change the contrast and saturation in Photoshop, but you can’t select which light rays you use to do it.

Best Buy: The Essential SLR Flash Accessory

Janco Flash Diffuser for On-Board Flash

This might just be the best $12.00 I’ve ever spent.

While planning the purchase of an external flash for all of my Nikons, I came across this little gem on Amazon. It’s a knockoff of the Gary Fong “Puffer” flash diffuser, only this incarnation comes with two extra domes, one warming and one cooling.

Marketed under the Janco brand, at less than half the price of the Gary Fong version, it wasn’t even worth my while to borrow the idea and build my own. So, I ordered it; I had no expectations.

When it arrived, I was surprised to find that the manufacturing quality was much better than I had expected. Not at all “knock-off” quality. But the real joy came with the first image I captured with it.

Fleshtones gain soft shape and saturation. Gone Is the pasty, blown-out look. Colors are richer. Shadows are slightly softer. Alas, the built-in flash of my camera is now usable!

View from behind; the diffuser attaches to the hot shoe, and is adjustable for height.

Sliding into the hot shoe like an external flash, It fits on the camera as if it were made for it. I will never use my built-in flash without it!

I’m looking forward to experimenting with off-camera flash used in conjunction with this, in Nikon’s Commander mode.

The color domes will be most useful. I can white balance with them in place, and on slow sync the blue dome will warm the ambient light, and the yellow dome will cool it. Plus, the neutral dome makes a great attachment point for gel filters of other colors.
But wait, there’s more.

I plan to keep this with my camera at all times, for several reasons. The other day, while shooting my daughter’s violin concert at her school’s gym/auditorium, I discovered a quick and dirty way to tame the rather odd combination of fluorescent lighting and early evening sunlight. You guessed it! Placed over my lens, the diffuser makes an excellent incident-light white balance device. It’s dome shape allows it to fit over my 67mm filter and average the incoming light from all directions. It works perfectly, calibrating ever so slightly (less than 1%) on the warm side, which is exactly how I like it.

With all due respect, I’m sure Gary’s version is of the highest quality and yields better results. I just couldn’t pass up a bargain.

Filters, and the final Chapter of the UV Saga

My Hoya Pro1 Digital MC UV(0) filters arrived today. Thankfully, they passed the blacklight test, and their response is identical to the standard Hoya UV(0) filter formula, which is to say they actually work.

They’re very well made; nice and thin, have filter threads on the front (a requirement for me), a knurled edge, and a unique, teal-colored coating. This must be due to the “Digital” version of their multi-coating. The usual color for a multi-coated filter is green and for a single-coated filter, a pale blue-violet.

So, finally, I have lens protection for all my current lenses that will also enhance my photos.

I also now have a 67mm Hoya three-position lens hood, which I can use on smaller lenses that I’ve stepped up to 67mm (just in case the bayonet hood doesn’t fit), or for lenses like my Voigtländer Ultron 40mm that don’t accept bayonet hoods.

To be honest, I might find myself using this hood for more than just a solution to the step-up issue. It’s the first really practical, really well-made hood I’ve seen in years. It adjusts for several focal lengths by folding in three different positions, and it works really well. It’s made of heavy rubber, with plenty of glare-diffusing ribs on the inside, and a metal mounting ring. The only down side (and it’s a minor one at that) is that it doesn’t have front filter threads. This would be OK, as I would never mount a filter to the front of a hood, except that it also means I can’t put the lens cap back on. But then, that’s kind of what the UV/Protection filter is for.

So, my filter “system” to date is as follows:

• 67mm (for lenses with 67mm and smaller filter threads)


• Nikon Circular Polarizer II (multi-coated)


• Hoya Pro1 Digital UV(0) (multi-coated)


• Tiffen Haze 2A (uncoated)


• Hoya R72 Infrared (single-coated)


• Hoya Didymium Intensifier (single-coated)


• B+W Orange 041 (single-coated)


• Hoya Screw-In Rubber Zoom Lens Hood


• Fotodiox 52 to 67mm Step-up Ring


• Fotodiox 58 to 67mm Step-up Ring

(Each of these filters produces an optical effect that either cannot be achieved in post-processing, or cannot easily be achieved. The actual intention of the B+W Orange 041 is to simulate “redscale” film photography in the digital medium. For black and white photography, I’ll probably use the digital in-camera filters for monochrome capture, or post-processing for color capture.)

52mm (for lenses with 52mm or smaller filter threads):

• Hoya Pro1 Digital UV(0) (multi-coated)


• Hoya R72 Infrared (single-coated)


• Generic 46 to 52mm Step-up Ring (for P5100)


• Nikon UR-7 28 to 46mm Step-up Ring (for P5100)

(I also have several “legacy” filters which I’ll hang onto for now, but will most likely replace them with their 67mm equivalent in the near future if I need to. These include, in order of usefulness, a “Pro” 81A (uncoated), Tiffen Sky (1A) (uncoated), “Optical Filter” Skylight (1A) (uncoated), Hoya Skylight (1B) (single-coated), and ProMaster Circular Polarizer (uncoated). All of these filters are inferior to their 67mm counterparts.)

Cokin P Series (for lenses with 67mm and smaller filter threads):

• P152 ND2 Neutral Density


• P153 ND4 Neutral Density


• P003 Deep Red


• P Series Filter Holder


• A Series Filter Adapter


• 72mm Adapter Ring


• 67mm Adapter Ring


• 52mm Adapter Ring


• 2 Modular Hood Sections


• Lens Cap

Cokin A Series (for lenses with 58mm and smaller filter threads):

• A002 Orange


• B056 8-point Star


• A185 Radial Zoom


• A830 Diffuser 1


• A151 Graduated Fog


• A121 Graduated Neutral Density


• A216 Speed


• A Series Filter Holder


• A Series “Shoe” type Filter Holder (see below)


• 58mm Adapter Ring


• 52mm Adapter Ring


• 1 Standard Hood


• Lens Cap

I’m still a big fan of Cokin filters, but feel they’re best used only for certain effects. When I was a teenager and relatively new to filters, my plan was to go all Cokin, and buy only one filter for all my lenses. But I’ve since moved beyond the limited quality of resin filters. My current plan is to only buy P Series filters that make sense in the square format, which include:

• Graduated neutral density


• Varicolor polarizer series


• Diffusers and soft focus


• Prismatic and other special effects

The A Series filters will be largely dedicated to the Nikon P5100. Many of them were recently purchased to achieve effects similar to those of a DSLR.

Incidentally, I use the Cokin “Shoe” type filter holder along with the standard A-hood as an LCD shade for my P5100. (The standard, one-piece hood is no longer available from Cokin, but two of the newer “modular” hoods stacked together can be used in its place.) It also works great with the D90 if I’m shooting in Live View mode (such as when capturing video or doing studio or “Lensbaby” work.) I put it on the camera backwards, attach the hood, and I’m good to go. It fits each camera equally well, and cost me a whole five bucks.

Filters and “Straight” Photography

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m big on filters. In the world of digital photography, where anything can be changed on a whim, I like the option of making the best possible photograph with the camera, and not through post processing. In fact, having done retouching professionally, I like to think of it as a last resort, and not a means to an end.

At the turn of the last century, the big debate was whether or not photography could be considered an art form. Image manipulation is not new. No sooner had the first image been printed that someone found a way to manipulate it. In fact, the art of photography had become more about pictorialism than realism. “Group f/64” was founded in 1932 to move away from this mindset, to establish a discipline of “Straight Photography”.

I view the use of filters in digital photography as a means to accomplish straight digital photography. Certainly there are an enormous amount of features built in to each digital camera to control how the image is rendered. But these, like Photoshop, act on the image after it forms on the sensor. I like the notion that I can control the image before it forms on the sensor.

Does this mean I’ll stop tweaking my camera’s white balance, contrast and saturation, ISO, etc, etc? No. But I do like to continue to employ filters and explore the effects I can achieve with them.

The Truth About Filters…Confirmed.

Buying new lenses has meant having to buy new filters, since the lens I will be using most often has a different filter size from any I’ve had in the past. There seems to be a lot of myths and misconceptions regarding filters, so before investing any more money, I decided to do my homework before making any more purchases.

The Truth About Lens Hoods

The use of a lens hood is absolutely essential to photography. Professionals, amateurs and consumers alike should all use lens hoods.

The functionality of the hood is enhanced by its size or complexity. The best type of hood to use is either a petal-shaped hood used on large-diameter wide-angle lens, or an extra-long hood on a very long lens. Faster lenses tend to use larger diameter objective lenses, and the larger diameter of the required hood also enhances its functionality.

Bayonet hoods are best, as they can usually be reversed to fit over the lens for storage in the camera bag. This ensures that you will always have your hood with you, but even more importantly that you will use it, since it usually needs to removed prior to using the lens, which means that you’re only one step away from flipping it around and putting it back on.

If there’s no bayonet hood available for you lens, you may choose from the many third-party hoods available. I would recommend the rectangular, expandable bellows-type, which in many instances may be larger than the camera and lens itself. You cannot go wrong with an enormous lens hood.

There are many practical reason why you need to use a hood; here are just a few (please note that these are not necessarily in order of priority)

1. You are shooting toward the sun or some other bright light source.


2. Your height is less than 5'-10".


3. You are single, and in the proximity of one or more attractive females.


4. You are in the company of fellow photographers.


5. You have low self-esteem.

Some professional photographers however choose not to use a hood. Instead, they use their hand to block the light source from creating a flare. This technique works best if you are left-handed and shooting hand-held with a very long telephoto lens at f/8 or above, using a heavy camera (for stability) that is fitted with a battery grip (for extended battery life). The extra length of the lens combined with the battery grip compensate for the lack of the lens hood.

Seriously?
While many may debate the technical benefits of using a lens hood, none can dispute its coolness factor. Happy April Fools’ Day! Seriously, like coatings on filters, lens hoods can help to avoid flares under certain, but not all, shooting conditions. Like filters, they can protect your expensive lenses; in fact, they can protect your expensive filters.

I remember it was always a challenge to find a bayonet hood for a used lens, but a nice bonus if I could. So far, all the Nikon lenses I plan to purchase will come with bayonet hoods. Judging by the outside diameter of the lens, and the fact that the hoods reverse over the lens barrel, I should still be able to use the hoods with 67mm filters and a step up ring, even though the filter sizes of these lenses is 52mm and 58mm. Here’s how I’ll do it:

1. Mount the bayonet lens hood.


2. Install the 67mm filter on the required step-up ring.


3. Attach the pinch-type lens cap to the 67mm filter.


4. With the lens facing down, screw the filter/step-up ring comb onto the front of the lens, using the lens cap as a “wrench”, since I can’t grip the edge of the filters which is blocked by the hood, and I don’t want to get fingerprints on the filters.

If I don’t screw them on too tightly (and how could I) I should have no problem getting them off.

So remember, lens hoods are our friends. Let’s all use them for the right reasons.