Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Bogen has another free webinar coming up soon. On September 18, 2009 at 2-3 p.m. ET, Adam Barker and David Fisher will host a webinar and provide tips on how to shoot fall foliage. As usual, Bogen also has some giveaways to those who attend the live webinar. If you can’t make it though, you should still register so you can watch it later at your convenience.
You can register here.
More details in the news release below. [Read more…]
Bogen is putting together another free webinar this Friday, June 17, 2009 from 2 p.m to 3 p.m EDT. This one is all about wildlife photography and centered around getting great shots at your local zoo. Bogen is also giving away a $195 National Geographic Walkabout Satchel to three winners at the end of the webinar.
Here’s more on the webinar from Bogen:
Listen to our special speakers, David Fisher, webinar host, and Julie Maher, Wildlife Conservation Society Staff Photographer.
During this session David & Julie discuss:
- Best practices for shooting through fences, wires, and glass partitions
- Selecting the best gear for a day trip
- Best times to visit and developing a unique perspective
Also, learn about Julie’s recent trip to South America and a report on the ongoing Conservation photography efforts at the WCS.
Go here to register – it’s free.
This is a reminder for those of you who didn’t sign up when I mentioned it earlier.
Press Release
Ramsey, N.J. (April 14, 2009)– Bogen Imaging, a leading distributor of top quality photographic support products and accessories in North America, announces a free webinar titled “Fashionable Wedding Photography: Roundtable with Claudio Basso.” Part of the company’s Bogen Café series of free instructional webinars, the seminar will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT, on Friday, April 17th. Seasoned fashion photographer Claudio Basso and David Fisher, Bogen Imaging’s Metz and Gossen Product Manager, will discuss new techniques and what photographers need to know when it comes to capturing stunning and fashionable wedding photographs.
Internationally renowned in the fashion-photography industry, Claudio Basso’s work has appeared in magazines including American and Italian Vogue, New York Woman, French Elle, Vanity, and Grazia. Basso’s remarkable images have also been featured in high-fashion catalogues, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and Bonwitt Teller. With over 20 years of experience, Basso currently shares his talents and knowledge with others as the primary trainer for Renovance.tv (http://www.Renovance.tv).
Webinar participants will have access to a number of exclusive benefits, including one?on?one interaction with the guest speaker, and will be automatically entered in a chance to win one of three Metz 45 CL-4 Digital Handle Mount Flashes, each valued at $474. Winners will be announced at the end of the webinar, so participants must attend the event in its entirety to be eligible to win. A free recorded version of the webinar will also be available to registered participants within 24 hours of the event. Winners must be US residents.
To register for the free Bogen Café webinar and for additional information, please visit http://www.bogenimaging.us/webinar/
Additional information about the Bogen Café as well upcoming webinars can be found at www.bogencafe.us.
About Bogen Imaging
Bogen Imaging Inc is a leading distributor of key accessories brands for the photographic, video, cine and lighting production markets. Bogen is an international company within the Imaging Division of the Vitec Group, which owns the following leading international brands: Manfrotto, Gitzo, Kata, National Geographic Bags and Tripods, Avenger, and I.F.F. As the exclusive US distributor of Metz, Gossen, Elinchrom, Lastolite, Reflecmedia, Formatt Filters, and Rotatrim, Bogen offers the most complete range of exceptional camera and lighting accessories in the business. The Bogen Imaging international network covers the USA, Germany, France, Italy, UK and Japan.
Bogen is putting on another free webinar, this time for wedding photographers – Fashionable Wedding Photography. It takes place April 17th from 2 pm to 3 pm EDT.
At this Webinar our speakers, David Fisher & Claudio discuss:
Special guest Claudio Basso is renowned from Milan to London, Paris and New York for creating editorial for prestigious magazines such as American and Italian Vogue, New York Woman, French Elle, Vanity and Grazia. The elegance of his work has also contributed to such prominent catalogues as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and Bonwitt Teller.
More details and sign up available at Bogen Imaging.
Bogen is hosting a free webinar this Friday on how to create simple lighting to enhance your images. Will Crockett, a respected pro shooter, will be leading the session and it will be held this Friday, the 13th from 2-3 PM EDT. Registrants will also have the chance to win a Metz flash at the end – so it’s quite worthwhile aside from the valuable learning opportunity.
While I can’t join in live, I’ve gone ahead and registered because you can watch the recording for up to 24 hours afterward. Yeah, I’ve got big Friday night plans!
More details in the press release below, or just you can just go ahead and register now. [Read more…]
I picked up the Manfrotto 679B Monopod last week because I was heading to the 10 hour Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta on Saturday. As a motorsports fan, I’ve been trying to make it to this race for the past 4 years; however, scheduling conflicts had prevented me from going – until this weekend.
Since I’ve been to Road Atlanta before and carried around my trusty Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, I expected that it might get a little heavy during a 10+ hour trek through pre-race festivities and during the race itself. Adding a monopod to my personal kit has been long overdue. A little shopping around proved that the 679B was probably the best bang for my buck. Turns out that I guessed right – the 679B is a real winner.
The Manfrotto 679B Monopod is built in 3 sections, two of which are telescoping via thumb-latches located at the top of the two lower sections. The 679B features a 1/4″ and retractable 3/8″ screw attachment for attaching your camera or lens collars. The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens comes with a detachable collar, which attaches securely to the 1/4″ screw and really balances well on the monopod.
The rubber foot on the 679B is thick and robust, providing a solid footing on all the surfaces I encountered. It’s now more of a red color than the black rubber due to the vast quantity of red clay around the track at Road Atlanta.
Fully extended, it reaches about 63.5″, which I found to be about right in most situations. (I’m about 6’0″) Granted, there were a few instances where I could have used an extra inch or so due to the downslope that I was standing on. If you were inclined to add a tripod head to it, then you’ll get a little extra reach out of it.
A tripod head would also allow you to adjust the angle to your liking. However, I found the tripod collar on my Sigma 70-200mm lens to permit sufficient maneuvering of the lens – such that a separate head would be unnecessary and probably more cumbersome for the subjects I was shooting.
There’s nothing really sexy about the Manfrotto 679B Monopod – it just works. It’s well built but still relatively light and compact. It can support up to 22 pounds per the specs – I bet it would hold more just fine. As a tool, the Manfrotto 679B can really make your job easier and help you produce better pictures through a much cheaper image stabilization system than you’ll find in high-priced pro lenses.
In short, I’ve got nothing but praise for this light and affordable monopod ($45-50). If you’re in the market for a monopod or plan on shooting a sporting event for an extended period of time, the Manfrotto 679B Monopod deserves some serious consideration.
Most of your serious photography retailers will carry the Manfrotto 679B Monopod. I recommended shopping at Amazon, Adorama and B&H Photo. These are the trusted online vendors where I personally shop for almost all of my photography gear.