Digital SLR Camera and Lens Reviews Now on Photocrati

Dear readers, we've recently moved our extensive collection of digital slr camera and lens reviews to Photocrati, the pro photography blog and photographer community. Here are quick links to relevant sections: Nikon Digital SLR Camera Reviews , Canon Digital SLR Camera Reviews , Nikon Lens Reviews , Canon Lens Reviews , Sigma Lens Reviews , Tamron Lens Reviews , Camera Bag Reviews , Tripod Reviews .

Choosing a Polarizing filter

Polarizing filters eliminate glare on non-metallic surfaces like glass or water. Additionally they can be used to increase the contrast and color saturation of your images. I use my polarizer not only to eliminate glare, but also to make skies a nice shade of blue or to get "pop" out of clouds.  But when it comes to choosing the right polarizing filter for your needs, there are several options to consider. Common options include, linear vs. circu...

Canon 24-70mm F/2.8 Lens Comparison

This is a personal comparison of the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8 L USM lens (24-70) vs my other Canon wide angle lenses the Canon EF-S 17-55mm Image Stabilizer (IS) lens (17-55) and Canon 17-40 F/4 L USM lens (17-40).

The 24-70 looks and feels like a heavy quality precision jeweled instrument that should last two life times.  I originally purchased it as a backup to my 17-55 IS for wedding photography.

I love the look and handling of primes but during a we...

The FireFly SLR digital sensor cleaner

Switching to digital sensors from film brought a lot of advantages.  But, with that switch we picked up one big problem, contamination on the sensor.  When using a film SLR contaminants like: dust or pollen would occasionally  fall on the film.  Howe...

Protecting your front lens element

From my many conversations with other photographers there seems to be two thoughts on how to protect the front lens element.  There are those that believe filters offer the best protection, while others claim filters reduce image quality making lens ...

Image Stabilization: sharp photos in shaky situations

In the old days if you needed a sharp photo at slow shutter speeds on dark cloudy days or at night all we had were: tripods, leaning against a wall or buying really fast film. Thanks to technology from years of advancements in military, space and co...

Understanding Filters

Filters have been around for almost as long as cameras.  Not only are there many types of filters, there are potentially unfamiliar terms and naming to go with them.  Those that are new to filtering may find the options confusing.  Hopefully I can he...

A Well Thought Out, Quality Product: A Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control Review

Even with this remote’s basic use as a shutter release, The Canon TC80N3 timer remote is a handy tool to have. To eliminate possible camera shake, it’s advisable to use a shutter release combined with mirror lock-up and placing your camera in on a tr...

DOF: Depth of Field, what is it?

DOF or Depth of Field is the depth of area in a photograph that is in focus (such as one fence post being in sharp focus).  DOF is often used in portraits and macro photos to emphasize the subject while displaying non-essential items as a non distrac...

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is an awesome tack sharp lens!

Bokeh: What is it, what does it do for you?

Bokeh:  What is it, what does it do, how do I get it and what lenses have the most?   Bokeh comes from the Japanese noun boke which means fuzzy or blurred when it comes to the out of focus areas in a photograph.  Images made by a camera lens such as ...