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Posts under ‘Camera Equipment’

Phottix Odin—The Ultimate Flash Trigger?

My Phottix Odin flash triggers just arrived, and oh, man, it’s like Christmas came early at my house. Finally a gear-maker has delivered all the features I’ve been wanting in a flash trigger for years! TTL Metering? – Check High Speed Sync? – Check Second Curtain Sync? – Check Manual Power Settings? – Check Multiple [...]

Canon 320EX — Do You Need It?

Canon’s new 320EX flash is the first to feature a continuous LED light for shooting video. Sounds great, but will it still meet your needs up as a dedicated flash? Watch the video to learn why I have serious doubts about the 320EX as a flash for still photography.

Phottix Strato Flash Trigger – Now Even Better!

If you follow my product reviews at my photography training website, you probably know that the Phottix Strato has long been my favorite radio trigger for off-camera flash photography. (If you want to learn why, you can watch my video review of the Strato.) Well, the geniuses at Phottix have just improved on perfection by [...]

Product Review: Gorillapod Takes Manhattan

As an early Christmas present for myself last year, I bought a Gorillapod Flexible Tripod before traveling to Manhattan.  I knew I didn’t want to carry a full-size tripod on the crowded subway, where I might accidentally probe someone and get into trouble.  The Gorillapod, which fits in my camera bag (or even a big [...]

First Look: Cactus V5 Wireless Flash Trigger

I recently had the privilege of Beta testing the new Cactus V5 Duo Wireless Flash Trigger during its development phase. Now that the veil of secrecy has been lifted, I’m happy to report that this new trigger is a big leap forward over its predecessor, the V4, and it gives a good run for the [...]

Review: Phottix Strato Wireless Flash Trigger with TTL Pass-Through

Phottix sent me a pre-release set of these new triggers to test, and now that the product is on the market I can finally talk about it. I love this trigger. It’s got all the 2.4 GHz reliability of the Yongnuo RF-602 (previously my favorite in the low-budget trigger market), but with the added advantage [...]

Flash Photography Tips (video)

Gotta love YouTube for always coming up with a splash screen where I have a funny expression on my face. They must have a special filter that searches for those frames. If you’re interested, here is my course on Off-Camera Flash Photography.

Gearing up for Burning Man

Preparing for Burning Man is only slightly less daunting than packing for a polar expedition — or perhaps a mission to Mars is a better analogy. Each year my packing list grows longer and more complex (it now spans 8 pages of closely-spaced typing), and each year I nevertheless forget several important items and end [...]

Canon Flash Blinking Display: Mystery Solved

Every wonder why the display on your Canon Speedlite 580EX or 430EX flash is blinking at you?  Ever want to throw it against the wall because you can’t get it to stop?  Here’s the solution. Warning: It’s a bit of a rant.

Wireless Flash Triggers Compared

Here’s my breathless 10-minute rundown of all the current contenders for radio-triggering your off-camera flashes. This is an update of the information contained in my course, “How to Shoot Professional-Looking Headshots and Portraits on a Budget with Small Flashes.” This technology is changing fast, practically daily, so I’ll make periodic updates available as things evolve. [...]