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The Westcott X-Drop Kit (5×7′) Green Screen is just what the Director ordered!


Green screen photography and filming is a very frequent part of in-studio and on-location work. Depending on the shoot, having a portable green screen that can be set up quickly is a great advantage, especially when time and resources can make or break the success of a shoot. While there are tons of green screen options available, I found that I needed something that I could easily carry and set up quickly, and it had to be not too big or not too small so that it would be usable for my one or two-person shoots.

I found just what I was looking for when I purchased the Wescott X–Drop (5×7’) Green Screen kit. This very lightweight kit comes with a very nice machine washable green screen that is 100% polyester, and apart from being wrinkle resistant, it smooths out perfectly once attached to the telescopic legs and arms. A nice carrying case is included, and since it can be assembled and disassembled rather quickly, it is my “go to” green screen.

You can pick one up at B&H Photo Video or Amazon for $119.90.

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The Westcott X-Drop Kit (5×7′) Green Screen is just what the Director ordered! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 19, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography

By now, many of you that have read my news stories can easily see my love for photography and even more, my love for macro photography. The ability to capture amazing images that have an interesting focal point, depth of field, and great bokeh, has become an obsession. When I am in the studio working on macro photography, there are times when my setup involves an object that I mount in a fixed position and a camera on a tripod that is focused on that object.

To get the perfect shot, there is usually the need to make micro adjustments to the distance between the lens and the object, and the left or right position of the camera. Making such adjustments by manipulating the tripod head simply does not work, and after many of my own failures trying to do just that, I purchased the Flashpoint Budget Macro Camera Focusing Rail Set, with 4 way and Fine Control.

I should immediately declare that cost was a major contributor to this purchase since many of the revered focusing rails cost hundreds of dollars. I settled on the Flashpoint rail because it was comparatively cheaper and because it had very good reviews. I must say that it turned out to be a great choice and a great decision. This rail is well built and capable of adjustments that are micro enough to do the job. It stayed in place with a relatively heavy DSLR camera with the extended battery grip with 2 batteries installed, and with the weighty Sigma 105mm macro lens attached. I was able to really get the position between the lens and the object dialed in perfectly and it has remained reliable for every shoot.

If you are in the market for a focusing rail and if you don’t want to put a hole in your pocket, head over to Adorama and pick one up for the bargain price of $54.95.

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The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer prints your selfies in a flash

Since the early years when my interest in photography was peaking, I always wanted to take great photos and be able to produce a hardcopy very quickly to display my work, without having to go through a time-consuming process. I have been looking at photo printers for a very long time, but I never seemed to find one that was cost effective with a small footprint, that produced pictures that were very close to being 100% true to color. While I still have not found the complete solution, I did find a great little Photo printer that is compact and very versatile, reliable, and very cost effective. I purchased the Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo printer, and I have been pleasantly surprised at its ability, and efficiency. It was also very easy to setup.

This little gem of a printer prints photos from 2.1” x 2.1” to 4” x 6”. In addition to the standard 4” x 6”, it prints those passport and application photos that most of us usually go running to a photo store or drug store to print. It connects via USB 2.0 and Wi-Fi and can even go with you on the road because it can be battery powered. It has a very nice 3.2” tilting LCD screen and uses Apple AirPrint or the Canon Print Mobile App for printing. Since its printing technology is dye Sublimation and thermal transfer, I have never had the ink dry out over time. It is capable of borderless printing, brightness correction, color adjustment, photo cropping, image optimization, red-eye correction and several other tasks. It comes with a sample pack of photo paper and ink, and if you purchase a replacement combination pack of 108 4”x 6” sheets of photo paper and ink, the entire set is available for under $30 at B&H Photo Video.

If you would like to give the Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer a try, you can purchase one at B&H Photo Video and Amazon for $109.97.

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The Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer prints your selfies in a flash originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 10, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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JustMobile Shuttergrip review


Nowadays, I use my phone for nearly all of my photography needs. It is just so simple to use and it is always with me. I have a nice tripod that I’ve used for my big camera and have been recently wanting to use it for the phone as well, so I picked up a simple tripod phone mount. Less than a month later, JustMobile offered to send their Shuttergrip, which is an easy to use mount, but also can be used for holding your phone steady and has a detachable a Bluetooth remote.

What is it:

The JustMobile Shuttergrip is a remote shutter combined with a grip for photography that is used with smartphones. It allows someone to utilize the camera on their phone in a more ergonomic, efficient way.

What’s in the box:

In the box, you’ll find the Shuttergrip, a hand strap, battery (CR2032 type), and an instruction page.

Design and features:

Pairing the Shuttergrip to my phone was simple, and there were no problems connecting whatsoever. I did not have to charge it up first since it uses a watch style battery instead of a rechargeable battery. Once paired, I was ready to go!

Attaching it to the phone is easy and I could use it with my case, which is something my simple mount could not do. I could slide it on and off with ease but it was still very firmly attached to my phone. It also paired without me even knowing after the initial pairing. I was testing the grip a few days later and accidentally took a picture. There is no real way to turn off the camera button that I’ve found. Instead, it goes into idle mode after three minutes of inactivity.

When using it as a grip for taking pictures with the phone, it was comfortable and easier to use than the buttons on the phone. My pictures always turn out slightly blurry when using the volume buttons, but with the Shuttergrip, I did not have that problem.

It fit well on my tripod and using the remote made taking scenery pictures easy. If I felt the need to inject myself into the photo, I can easily hide the remote since it does not need line of sight. That is much more useful than the remote I have for my big camera, since finding creative ways to hide the remote is a challenge at times.

To test the range on the Shuttergrip, I set it up in my room and detached the remote, walking through the house and pushing the button five times total. All five photos took, which showed me the range was pretty good.

What I like:

  • Very easy to use
  • Pairs so quickly that it never feels like it turns off
  • Usable with multiple types of phones/cases

What needs to be improved:

  • Simplicity is best. The only thing I’d improve is adding a bag to put it in for storage.

Final thoughts:

I am looking forward to going on a trip and taking this with me. It will pack very easily and be so useful, both in my hand when walking around, and on my tripod for great scenery shots. For someone like me who takes tons of pictures when out and about, the Just Mobile Shuttergrip will come in handy. I would recommend it if you are in the market for something like this. It is a very nifty product, with a good design that is also very easy to use.

Price: $39.95
Where to buy: JustMobile Website
Source: The sample of this product was provided by JustMobile.

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JustMobile Shuttergrip review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 10, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Sigma 105mm macro lens review

Photography professionals and enthusiasts are always looking for an opportunity to enhance their photography skills and to take better pictures. Those interested in macro photography seem to be involved in an ongoing search for the best lens to ultimately allow them to produce the most amazing pictures. Macro photography lenses have the ability to take really close-up photos with a nice depth of field and great bokeh (Bokeh is the blur produced in the parts of an image that are not in focus). I have a Canon EOS camera, and I recently purchased the Sigma 105mm Macro Lens for myself.

What is it?

The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens for Canon EOS Cameras is a mid-level lens specifically designed for macro photography (This lens is also available for Nikon, Sony and Sigma DSLR Cameras). Like many macro lenses, it is able to focus from infinity all the way into a 1:1 ratio which ensures a life-size reproduction of the image, from the lens to the sensor inside of the camera. This lens produces very clear images and its autofocus capability makes it much easier for even the entry-level photographer to take pictures that are sharp, in-focus and free of distortion.

What’s in the box?

In the box, there is a very nice lens case and carrying strap. The case is well padded and will very likely protect the lens in the event that it is dropped a few feet. Sigma also includes a lens hood, a hood extension for cameras with APS-C sensors, and protective lens caps for both sides of the lens. Of course, the warranty brochure and an instruction leaflet are included as well. This lens comes with a limited 1-year warranty for North and South America and a 3-year extended warranty if it remains within the USA.

Design and features

As with all macro lenses, this Sigma lens is quite heavy for its size. This is due to the additional glass inside that is necessary for the lens to be able to take macro images. The body is metal and it feels very solid overall. With an Aperture of f/2.8, this lens is capable of taking great pictures in low light conditions. The aperture and focus rings are nice and smooth and rotate freely without any binding. On the side of the lens, there are switches to select manual or auto focus, 2 types of Optical stabilization and a distance switch which is helpful with autofocus, by pre-defining the distance range between the subject and the lens. The Optical Stabilization is Sigma’s proprietary stabilization feature and does a great job at stabilizing when shooting hand-held. The “focus-Free” mechanical design creates a separation between the autofocus function and the mechanical focus ring which is great, since it allows you to hold the focus ring for support and still utilize autofocus without affecting the function. The lens can focus as close as 12.2” away from the subject and with the dual focus capability is easy to use without a tripod. The Hyper Sonic Motor makes focusing very fast and is relatively quiet.

What I like

After using the lens for a week or so, I can truly say that I am enjoying it. I like the build quality and how solid it feels. I also like the sharpness of the pictures it produces and the versatility of being able to use it for macro photography as well as portrait photography, and always get sharp photos with a great depth of field. The Bokeh it produces for my macro shots is very good, and my friends seem to love the photos.

What needs to be improved?

While this is obviously a great lens, I do think that there are a couple of things that can be improved. Despite its nice Hyper Sonic Motor, it is not as quiet as some of the other lens I have used. This would not usually be a problem for photography, but would be for videography, and would require the use of an external audio recorder for clean audio. I would also like to see 62mm ring adapters included with the lens, which is the size that is required for use with any lens filter or a ring flash. This size of ring adapter is not normally a part of most ring adapter kits, and must be purchased separately.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Sigma 105mm macro lens does a very good job of producing clean and clear images, and has the versatility to do so both for macro and portrait photography. It can also be used for other types of photography as along as the distance to the subject can be managed.  In my opinion, when compared to a revered lens like the Canon 100mm macro lens, the Sigma comes in at a very close second. If overall quality and price are the main considerations, it would be a better purchase than the Canon, since it is now available at a newly discounted price.

Price: $569
Where to buy: bhphotovideo.com and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds.

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Sigma 105mm macro lens review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 9, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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