by Welcome again to HDR News. It’s summer and time to travel. Of course we’re bringing our photo gear along and in this issue we cover gear as well as provide some creative direction. We show you that going with a crop sensor mirrorless camera can give you superior quality at a reasonable price. dpReview gives us the low down on a critical piece of equipment, the ball head and reviews a tele zoom that you might find irresistible. For photo inspiration we point you to a tips video from one of National Geographic’s best shooters and we alert you to the Portrait Photographer Of The Year winners. Let’s get going!
Six Reasons To Choose The New Canon EOS M50 Mark II
You want to go mirrorless but the $3100 price tag on the Nikon Z7, the $4000 price tag on the Canon EOS R5 and the $6500 price tag on the flagship Sony mirrorless may make you hesitate. Then, why not consider a mirrorless with a crop sensor. The current crop sensor mirrorless cameras out there use much of the advanced technology of their flagship cousins. And, when looking at an image on your computer we dare you to tell us whether it came from a crop sensor or not. If you’re a Canon shooter check out this article which takes you through the crop sensor decision. We were also amused at the author’s explanation video at the end in which he spoke (presumably) Dutch.
Read the review HERE.
Tripod Head Round Up
There’s no argument about a photographic fact; you need a tripod. You may not need it all that often but when you do it needs to perform smoothly and quickly. With changing light in your landscape or a fussy model in your studio having a tripod and head that gets your camera in position with the least amount of hassle is essential. We believe that the tripod head may be more important than the tripod legs themselves. Check out dpReview’s look at this important piece of equipment.
See which tripod head is best for you HERE.
International Portrait Photographer Of The Year Award Winners
Photo competitions are many. The winning images can be the result of the judges’ learned experience and good taste or the results can be pure serendipity. So for us at HDR News when we spend time viewing the winners of a competition we tend to look at the totality of the winning images, not only for the enjoyment of the images themselves but as review of the judge’s capabilities. In this competition the judges appear to be right on the mark. Hey, David Burnett is one of the judges. It’s a collection you should see.
See the winning portraits HERE.
DPReview TV: Tamron 150-500mm f5-6.7 Di III VC VXD Review
If you’re a birder, sports shooter or wildlife photographer your lens sweet spot is between 300mm and 600mm. Going even longer is even nicer. And, if you’ve ever shot with a Canon or Nikon 600mm f4 or one of their wonderful 100mm to 400mm zooms you know first-hand the joy of creating razor-sharp tele images. But these lenses can go for over $12K; ouch! However there are alternatives that give you excellent image quality with zippy autofocus at an obtainable price point for the regular guy. Read on.
Check out this great value of a lens HERE.
Using Shallow Depth Of Field For Landscapes
Sometimes sharpness through the depth-of-field of your scene won’t provide you with a memorable images. If you’re a landscape photographer you are most likely up to speed on techniques that will give you front to back sharpness like hyper focal focusing and focus stacking. Well folks, it’s time to tap into your creativity and leave all that sharpness behind. Picking out the right element in your scene and letting the remainder go soft may be just the technique you need to shake up your images.
Learn about shallow depth of field HERE.
Travel Photography Tips From National Geo’s Jim Richardson
Yes, after laying low close to home we’re all itching to get out and shoot. It’s time to get some inspirational tips from one of the world’s best travel and nature photographers, National Geographic’s Jim Richardson. This seven minute video is all about Richardson laying key shooting truths on you accompanied by examples of his work. The tips are super useful and the images will illuminate the fact that Richardson is a really, really good photographer. Want more of Richardson? Check out his website at jimrichardsonphotography.com
Get Richardson’s insights HERE.
How To Save Your Camera’s Battery Life
In the “Good Ole Days” camera batteries rarely lasted for your day of shooting. While batteries have improved measurably over the years, they are being challenged again by mirrorless cameras. Unlike with an optical viewfinder it takes juice to power the viewfinder in a mirrorless camera. So, in many cases we’re back to finding ways to conserve our batteries. This article has some great tips.
Get the battery saving tips HERE.