Cardinal

Using presets to establish and enhance your photographic style

What size camera is right for you?

It is a truism in photography that the best camera is the one you have with you. In that spirit, whenever I’m asked for advice on what new camera someone should buy, I try to figure out not just their budget and needs, but how much camera they’re really likely to be willing to carry around. For many, it isn’t obvious what they gain by “trading-up” to a larger, heavier, and more-expensive model. While it is always dangerous to generalize, there are certain rules of thumb about the pros and cons of various types of current-model digital cameras. We’ll help you sort through your options…


Nikon D810A: The ultimate gift for the astronomer who has everything

Nikon has announced a highly-specialized version of its popular DSLR, optimized for astrophotography – the . It is nearly identical to the D810, except for a few key upgrades that make it ideal for astronomers:

  • Sensitive to H-alpha wavelengths (helpful for solar & nebulae photography)
  • Enhanced Live View operation when long exposure times are used
  • Additional information displayed in the Viewfinder to assist night time shooting
  • Manual-mode shutter speeds extended to 900 seconds (in M* mode)

Sony A7 II Field-tested: A pro-friendly upgrade to the full-frame A7

Profiling curved monitors & TVs

I was struck by the large variety of curved TVs, and some monitors on the floor at CES. Clearly they are positioned to become mainstream this year. However, it might have already occurred to you that they are tricky to profile. I’ve written up some . For those looking for a way to replace two monitors placed side-by-side, the pictured 34” curved Ultra-wide unit from Dell looked gorgeous when I saw it in their suite at CES. , which sounds like quite a bit, but it is almost 2 monitors worth of monitor!

Cardinal Photo Resources: Presets for your use

Adobe releases Lightroom Mobile for Android: No-brainer for CC subscribers

Adobe Lightroom Mobile Gallery ScreenshotNine months after its initial release for the iPad, Adobe has brought Lightroom Mobile to Android (4.1 Jellybean or later). I’ve been running the pre-release version on both phones and tablets for a few days and it works reliably and is at full-feature-parity with the iOS version.

Quick tip: Taming the sun with a Multiply layer in Photoshop

Sometimes you just can’t control the clock or the sun. The monastery in Nyaung Shwe (in Myanmar’s Shan State) is famous for its historic round wood windows. But finding them with novices peering out from the study hall inside was a special treat. Harsh light or not, it was a great photo opportunity. Having a certainly helped me capture the full tonal range of the image from light to dark, but another trick was needed to make the image look good…

Lumix LX100 Field-tested: The Leica you always wanted, for a fraction of the price…

I’ve always lusted after a Leica Rangefinder camera. They were, and for some still are, the epitome of image quality and style. However, by the time I had enough money to even think seriously about buying one, much of my photography involved wildlife and sports – so my photo budget went to big cameras, bigger lenses, and travel to places where I could find my subjects. So it was with great excitement that I started my fieldtest of Panasonic’s with Leica lens…

Holiday Gift Ideas: Ten Travel Accessories I can’t live without

We’re getting down to the wire for holiday gifts, and if you’re like me, there are always a couple people that are hard to shop for. So I wanted to pass along my top travel accessories, in case one of them would help fill the bill:

The amazing “one-legged” fishermen of Inle Lake, Myanmar (Burma)

Inle Lake in Myanmar is famous for its “one-legged” fishermen. They perform the seemingly impossible feat of rowing (and steering) their small, teak-hulled, wooden boats with one leg wrapped around a single oar while managing to fish with a net at the same time.

Shop Black Friday at home with B&H!

iStabilizer monopod: More than just a 'selfie-stick'

2014-10-29 11.07.40_scaled_There is no doubt that the biggest market for the novel iStabilizer "monopod" for your smartphone (or small point and shoot) will be taking better selfies. Getting the camera away from your face, and not having to hold your arm at an awkward angle is a big win. But as a photographer, I was also intrigued by the possibilities it offered for getting shots from unusual perspectives….

Some new ways to enhance the color of your wildlife photos

Finally! Canon replaces nearly-antique Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 Lens

Canon shooters who don’t want to lug a huge and expensive telephoto zoom along with them, and haven’t wanted to go third party have had only one option for the past 16 years (believe it or not, that’s how long it has been). Finally Canon has introduced a totally revamped model, the . The new lens has all the right specs:


Pages