Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
I was outside taking some outdoor portraits earlier this week and had more lights than I had radio receivers to trigger them with. While all the strobes had the ability to trigger with optical slaves, the sunlight (even though I was positioned in the shade) prevented the optical slave from seeing my command flash (no matter how close it was to the slave cell).
This was one of those oh-crap, on-the-fly moments…
The 4-channel MicroSync radio triggers let you wirelessly trigger your remote strobes or speedlights. The basic transmitter and receiver kit will only set you back $100 and you can buy the components separately from there. Depending on how you use your off-camera lighting kit, the MicroSync kit could be just the right fit. [Read more…]
Just in time for the holiday rush, Westcott has put together a sweet Speedlight Accessory Gift Pack, which includes a bundles of light modifiers and accessories for your speedlights (or Speedlites for you Canon guys).
This kit is only $75 and includes all of the following items:
You can find this bundle at Amazon.com and Adorama.
The Elinchrom BX 500Ri is a powerful AC monolight geared for studio use. I think I first heard about the BXRi series from Scott Kelby at Photoshop World, and I’ve heard him rave about these lights from time to time on his blog and elsewhere. So if the big guy likes’em, they’ve got to be good, right? Well, after spending some time with a pair of these big dogs, I have to agree wholeheartedly with Scott – they are pretty darn slick. [Read more…]
The Vagabond Mini Lithium looks downright tasty for those who use AC monolights on a regular basis. This new AC converter uses a lithium battery to power your monolights for several hundred shots in the field.
While the Vagabond Mini Lithium was designed with Alienbees monolights in mind, it is also compatible with third party monolights. There are plenty of other tech specs to read up on, but the best news of all is the price.
The Vagabond Mini Lithium is set to ship with a battery, charger, shoulder strap and light stand mounting clamp for $239.95. Additional batteries will cost $89.95.
More details at AlienBees.com.
The Metz Mecablitz 58 AF-2 Digital is a new TTL hotshoe flash that is compatible with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony TTL systems. A dedicated model is available for each system. The Metz 58 AF-2 features a metal hotshoe and a USB interface for future firmware updates. Additional features of the 58 AF-2 include a modeling light, 24-105mm zoom head, pre-flash suppression for Canon models, high speed sync and flash bracketing.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
The Metz Mecablitz 50 AF-1 Digital is a new mid-range TTL hotshoe flash that is compatible with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony TTL systems. A dedicated model is available for each system.
The 50 AF-1 features a USB interface for future firmware updates. The 50 AF-1 is capable of being used as a slave in TTL systems and features a guide number 50 for ISO 100/21° and 105 mm.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
I recently took this ARRI Fresnel 3-Light kit for a spin while shooting a couple of interviews. I was seriously impressed with the ease of use and overall performance while working with these ARRI fresnel lights.
Read the full review over at Tech Tilt: ARRI Fresnel 3-Light Kit Review.
Just passing along a little public service announcement – Rob Galbraith just published an in-depth look at the action-stopping power of the new Einstein monolight from Paul C. Buff. The maker of Alien Bees monolights has really outdone himself. Just, wow.
If you are looking for a studio or sports strobe that delivers above and beyond its sub-$500 asking price, take 20 minutes or so and dig in to Galbraith’s article here.
Einstein specs and ordering info on Paul C. Buff’s site here.
The Litepanels MicroPro Hybrid is a new flash and continuous output light source that is geared toward DSLR shooters who crossover between stills and video. The MicroPro Hybrid is an LED light source that draws 9 watts and operates on 6 AA batteries. Because it uses LED bulbs, almost no heat is generated from the device.
The continuous light mode is fully dimmable from 0% to 100%, while the “flash” feature produces a 400% brighter burst. To enable the flash feature, you just need to plug the MicroPro into your camera’s PC port.
The MicroPro Hybrid includes a ball head shoe mount with a 1/4-20 thread. Of course, it can also be mounted off-camera for other lighting situations.
The MicroPro Hybrid delivers 5600° K daylight balanced output and includes three filters – a 3200° K filter, a 1/4 warming filter and a diffusion filter.
You can find the MicroPro Hybrid at B&H Photo.