Rode Stereo Videomic Pro Review

The Rode Stereo Videomic Pro is an upgrade to to the previous Stereo Videomic in a much smaller and more lightweight package. It takes a lot of design cues from the new Videomic Pro, using the same style of suspension system and a metal hotshot. Many who owned the original Videomic will know that the weak point in its design was the strength of this suspension system so it’s nice to see upgrades across the board now in Rode’s on-camera range. Watch the video below for some first hands on impressions and it will also give you an excellent idea

Outlets To Go 320 – A New Travel Essential

The Monster Outlets To Go 320 has just been added to my Travel Essentials list.  This tiny little device will expand one plug socket into three, and also add two USB ports at the same time.  The USB ports are powerful enough to charge an iPhone or an iPad and most importantly for me, the unit itself is compatible with 110v to 250v.  This means that it will not go POP if you plug it into a wall in the UK or other European countries.  Note that it is not a voltage converter though, but this is not a problem

FujiFilm Releases Lens Roadmap For X-Series

Valhalla, N.Y., June 25, 2012 (EMBARGO UNTIL 10:00 PM ET) – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced plans to offer an expanded selection of FUJINON XF lenses for the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera System that will offer a wide range of new shooting opportunities for professional and advanced photographers. From super wide single length focus to telephoto lenses, users will now be able to freely choose which XF lenses match their shooting style, and allow them to experience the extraordinary image quality of the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 in a variety of new ways. Fall 2012Beginning in the fall of

Canon 40mm f2.8 STM Pancake Review

Just a few days ago I took delivery of this exciting new lens. I posted an article outlining some initial impressions which I’m sure many of you have read. If you haven’t read it then be sure to watch the short video below which gives you an excellent idea of the size of the lens in my hands. I’ve now had a short time to take some simple images with it and draw some conclusions. I went up to London to find a few subjects that could test the usual things like sharpness, vignetting and chromatic aberration. Unfortunately the weather

Drobo Unveils Their Thunderbolt Products – 5D & 5D Mini

Today Drobo has unveiled two new products that feature both dual Thunderbolt ports and USB3 making them equally enticing for both Mac and PC users.  Thunderbolt storage arrays have been a bit thin on the ground since its launch but everyone has had their eye on Drobo waiting to see what they were working on.  It wasn’t a case of if but when and that when is today.

Drobo have unveiled two new models, the 5D and the 5D mini.  At first glance the 5D will look familiar, sharing a design with the previous eSata version of the Drobo, apart from an extra SSD slot in the base.  The 5D mini is an all new design though and I think this is going to grab all the headlines.  It’s only 7″ x 7″ x 2″ but it will take 4 x 2.5″ drives (HDD or SSD) and also features a 5th slot in the base for a further low profile SSD.  Designed for portability, the 5D mini has a rubberized ‘rugged’ exterior and also has an option carry case.  This is big storage on the go.

Both 5D and 5D mini ship with custom 1m thunderbolt cables (thank god!) and we will hear more about shipping dates in July.

As I sit here writing this I’m away on a long photo trip myself.  For this trip I totally underestimated how much storage space I would need and that meant that yesterday I ended up in the local computer store buying an ’emergency’ 1TB drive.  Wish I’d had one of these Minis with me really.  I like the fact that they have designed this for the pro on the go, it makes sense as few photographers or videographers create in the own back yard.

Thankfully both products have dual Thunderbolt ports.  There have been FAR too many Thunderbolt enabled products launched with just one port.  All of them saying it will have to be at ‘the end of the chain’ which totally defeats half the purpose.  Drobo have done it right though, so you can still plug in two separate drive into one port on the computer.  This is important because most pros will want to split another backup up and travel with it in a second location.  I don’t like to travel with all my eggs in my laptop bag even if that is a redundant solution within itself.  Putting a further copy in your checked baggage is a good idea.

Pricing

Drobo 5D will start under $850

Drobo 5D Mini will start under $650

These prices will of course NOT include drives so don’t forget to factor that into your calculations.  Both will take either HDD or SSD.

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Hands On With The New Canon 40mm f2.8 STM Pancake Lens

I’m away in Europe at the moment and I got word that a store in the UK had the new 40mm f2.8 Pancake lens.  I’m pretty excited about this lens since I’m always trying to shave some weight off the gear that I carry and I’ve never been satisfied with ANY of Canon’s 50mm offerings.  A pocket sized 40mm might just be the ticket so I ordered one right away.  Below I have posted a hands on video with the lens so that you can get a bit of a feel for how small it is.  I also give some

Le Mans 24 Hours – 2012 – What worked & what didn’t ?

Whenever I set out on a lengthy photography trip there are always many considerations when it comes to packing. Every trip requires something slightly different and my recent trip to Europe was no different. This trip was firstly to shoot the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a motorsports event in France. I shot this race last year as well and wrote an extensive report on it at the time, along with a short video about the gear that I packed for that trip. Last year the sole purpose of my trip was to shoot the race, but this year my

Firmware Updates for Canon 60D and 60Da

Firmware Version 1.1.1 incorporates the following fixes. Fixes a phenomenon where the camera’s serial number that is displayed in the shooting information of the image does not display the correct serial number. *1) Corrects errors in the Greek, Italian, and Portuguese menu screens. *1) If the camera’s serial number is 2147483648 or higher and the camera firmware is Version 1.1.0 or earlier, the images captured with the camera will be affected by the phenomenon listed in 1. above. This phenomenon only affects the EOS 60D, and does not affect the EOS 60Da. Both of these cameras are equipped with the

Think Tank Launches New Laptop Sleeves

Like all Think Tank Photo gear, the Artificial Intelligence™ laptop sleeves provide functional protection without excess bulk and clutter. A gusseted, zippered opening provides expandable storage for personal items and the rear document pocket securely holds files and papers. The business card slot keeps cards at the ready. The removable shoulder strap provides flexibility when traveling. These cases can be incorporated into appropriately sized Think Tank Photo Airport Rollers and Backpacks for additional security. This series of laptop cases provides an alternative to the typical thick, bulky cases that typifies those in the marketplace.  Features include: As always with Think

Canon T4i In Stock Now

Today the major online stores have received stocks of Canon’s new Rebel T4i and the T4i with new EF-S STM lens.  For info on the new (and impressively specc’d camera) click here.         B&H Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital Camera (Body Only) Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens Amazon Canon EOS REBEL T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 3-inch Touchscreen and Full HD Movie Mode (Body Only) Canon EOS REBEL T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18-135mm EF-S IS STM Lens