Just click here.

Check out the Red One (tm) video camera. It's a video camera that will shoot hi-res still images like no other video camera. I don't know much about it (and at nearly $17,500 for the body and between $4,950 and $8,500 per lens -- I better just get two of them...he-he-he...), but it looks revolutionary! The convergence of super high-quality still and motion picture capture devices is becoming reality.

If you are looking for a nifty lens bag for active "change on the fly" shooting...check out the Boda Bag. The Boda Bag is not inexpensive...but it gets rave reviews and appears to have everything a photographer would want in a compact bag. (Disclaimer: Those who've shot with me know I'm not the compact bag type...but...I aspire to be!)

This just in -- Canon has announced an upgrade to the EOS 1Ds. More information can be found on the Canon web-site. Woo-hoo! Way to go Canon. :)

Canon makes a very affordable, compact monopod -- just $29.95 at B&H Photo. For more information, go to:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/348374-REG/Canon_6195A005_Monopod_100.html

I am a big fan of using a monopod -- not only for extra-steadiness, but also to get shots from angles I might not easily be able to get to. Don't have a ladder handy for a group shot and you need a high angle? A monopod can help you gain another 4 feet or so! :)

Denny Manufacturing is one of the leading providers of studio backdrops and props for professional photography studios. Their selection is phenomenal and pricing is very competitive. You can request a free catalog (or download a PDF version) from the Denny Manufacturing web-site. Be sure you told them you heard about them on Daily Photo Tips!

Last week I mentioned that I toured the studio of Orlando photographer Curt Littlecott. Curt said something that really struck me (well, he said a lot of things that struck me...but I'll save some of those for future posts! ;c) ). He uses new compact flash (CF) cards for each wedding or shoot he does and then he files them in with the customer file until the file is closed. Curt said that the cost of media has dropped so much that he is able to easily afford to do this. That reminds me of the the film days!

I tend to keep my cards full until I absolutely have to format them for the next job (meaning I will have had a number of opportunities to back-up the files and verify that I've got good copies of the images well on their way thru my post-processing workflow).

Are any of you doing something like Curt where you are using new CF cards for important shoots?

How cool is that...they even make 'glow in the dark' versions!

I realize most photographers (advanced hobbyists to pros) are loyal to the Macintosh world...however, I'm still a PC geek -- have been for over 15 years. Our friends at Microsoft have recently announced their new Surface technology. Click here to check out a demo of Surface. You gotta admit it looks pretty cool. Stay tuned for more details on how this product will affect photographers and other creative types in the months and years to come.

(Though I still wonder how you can child proof something like this!)

At a wedding this past weekend, I had a guest ask me what lens she should get to replace the cruddy kit lens that came with her consumer DSLR. I asked her two questions...

"What do you photograph the most?"
"Where is that kit lens failing you the most?"

Let me back and define the "kit lens." A kit lens is essentially a starter lens that comes with most entry level digital SLR cameras. Most often it's a variable aperature zoom lens (i.e. the aperature value gets smaller as the lens is zoomed from wide to telephoto) and typically the aperature values are not very fast -- f3.5 to f5.6 or something along those lines (fast being a lens with aperature values of f2.8 or greater...i.e. f2.0, f1.8, etc.). A kit lens typically has a retail price of around $99 to $150 depending on where you shop -- and often the price difference between the entry level DSLR body only and kit price is around a hundred bucks.

The woman told me that most often she photographs her children...and the problem she encounters with the kit lens is camera shake or fuzzy pictures when photographing inside. She said she doesn't like the look of using flash (either on camera pop-up flash or a supplemental hot-shoe mounted flash). She didn't want to have to spend a ton of money to buy a pro calibre lens.

I queried her a little further -- does she have a lot of window light in the house -- could she take more photos of her kids near windows (you're almost always gonna get better light near windows vs. turning on a bunch of incandescent lights indoors). Her answer was that there was not a lot of window light in her house...and most often when she wants to grab a cute expression of one of her children...it wouldn't be feasible for her to always expect those priceless cute kid moments to happen near great directional window light (such is the law of photographing cute kids...).

I suggested that she consider the Sigma 18-50 mm f2.8 DC macro lens -- retail price around $420 depending on where you shop. I don't currently own any Sigma lenses (nor do I own an entry level DSLR!), but I have a number of friends who own and love their Sigma lenses. This lens would be a significant upgrade in quality from her kit lens (with the variable aperature zoom...boo!), while also being about half as expensive as similarly featured camera body manufacturer lenses (that is to say the Nikon or Canon equivalents!).

I found the SIGMA LENS 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC Digital Camera SLR Lens for Canon available on Amazon.com for $409.99 and the the Nikon mount for $391.83.

If you own this lens and you have comments -- feel free to post them here.

~Dan

Our friends at Manfrotto, makers of fine tripods (of which I own three different models!), have this fun online video game. The game challenges you to pick the right tripod, set it up properly, and capture images in various settings. It's addictive!!!

Click here to play. I'm not telling you what my scores have been so far...I'm not very good at video games!!

While you're on the Manfrotta web-site you can check out some of their free tripod use tutorials.

My friend Dan Schimpf of World in My Eyes Photography sent me this article from DPReview about Sigma's new amazing 200-500 mm f2.8 lens. The lens has some amazing features -- starting with the constant (non-variable) aperature, to the included teleconverter (which can transform the lens to a 400-1000 mm f5.6 lens!), to a very cool LCD panel built-in to the lens that tells you how far you are from your subject.

I plan on ordering one for each of my Canon camera bodies. ;-P

If you use image stabilizer lenses, there are several important things to keep in mind to use the feature optimally. As we've discussed in the past, don't enable image stabilizer (or vibration reduction in Nikon's world) if you don't need it -- the IS or VR device will cause internal movement for a shot that doesn't need IS or VR.

Another thing to keep in mind -- image stabilizer lenses tend to draw significant power from your camera battery. If you have a lot of shots where image stabilizer is needed, be sure to have fully charged batteries / spare batteries.

And, this applies to Canon IS lenses (not sure about Nikon VR lenses), know the difference between IS modes 1 and 2. Mode 1 will adjust for camera shake on both the horizontal and vertical axises, while mode 2 will only adjust for camera shake on the vertical (up and down) axis. You would employ mode 2 in situations where you intend to capture a certain degree of camera movement such as you are panning on the horizon with your subject.

Our good friends at Canon have put together a cool flash video that demonstrates how Canon lenses are made -- from glass formation to final assembly. Click here to access the Canon camera museum and tour the "virtual lens plant."