Posts Tagged photography
Lowepro Photo Sport 200 AW
Camera bags aren’t always easy to bring along on outdoor adventures. If they’re sturdy enough to protect your DSLR and lenses, they’re often also heavy, or they lack the space necessary to combine your gear into one, convenient bag. But the Lowepro Photo Sport 200 AW is a backpack and camera bag, in one convenient package.
The pack is lightweight but sturdy, and its padded shoulder and hip straps are enough to keep it securely attached to you. Even more straps are included for additional gear. There’s also a built-in rain cover, to keep the pack protected from the weather.
The padded camera pocket protects your camera gear with an extra cinched section to keep it from bouncing around while you’re out being active. A side-access pocket allows you to rotate the pack to the front, unzip, un-cinch and get to your camera quickly. Much better than having to take the bag off and dig around for your camera, only to have the perfect photo moment pass you by.
You can see a slick HD video with eye candy scenery of all this in action at this link, the narrator alternately trail running along the ocean with this pack and whipping out his camera to get some good shots.
The upper compartment of the pack provides up to 13.9 liters of volume for you other items—whether you’re out for a multi-day hike, or a day of mountain biking. There’s also a hydration pocket for a 2-liter hydration reservoir, however the reservoir is not included.
The Lowepro Photo Sport 200 AW comes in orange or black and lists for $199.99 on the Lowepro website. It’s also available at Amazon and Summit Hut.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear on April 20th, 2012
Joby Flexible GorillaPod Hybrid Camera Tripod
We’ve written before about the distinctive tripod items from Joby, including the iconic original GorillaPod and the Gorillatorch Flare high-powered multi-mount light.
Their latest product is another item that looks strange enough to make you do a double-take and works well enough that you realize this is how it goes when form and function come together as one. The GorillaPod Hybrid is meant for heavier cameras that need more support than you can get from a mini tripod. It has stronger, thicker legs to grab onto whatever object is around, with the capacity to hold a camera weighing up to 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). That’s enough for super-zoom cameras and many compact DSLRs. The rubberized legs wrap well and stay in place on their own, but the knobby design also enables you to really lock them around each other when necessary.
There are a few nifty additions to this formula though that go beyond the cool factor of being able to wrap your tripod around a branch or flagpole as pictured here. There’s a swivel ball system that allows you very precise movements after you have the legs secured. It will move up or down 90 degrees and will swivel 360 degrees. You loosen the ball, get the camera situated at whatever angle works, then tighten it in place.
The other great addition is a level integrated into the design: no guessing on whether your shot will be parallel to the horizon or not. This is especially helpful when you’ve got a camera hanging in a strange place or the light is dim and you’re taking a timed shot with a long shutter speed. (It’s that green part with a bubble in the shot to the right. In the photos at the top it’s facing the photographer.)
There’s also a quick-release hub that can be separated from the tripod. This allows you to just pop your camera on and off in different positions instead of having to unscrew it and rescrew it when taking shots with and without the tripod in use. If you want to use the GorillaPod for a remote flash, there’s an add-on accessory you can get for that.
There was a time when the SLR version of this tripod was a lot more than the $40 this lists for—and it didn’t do as much. This new Hybrid introduction uses “Japanese medical-grade ABS plastic and German TPE.” I take it that’s a good thing and declare this item an excellent value.
You can get this GorillaPod Hybrid flexible tripod direct from Joby, get it at Amazon, or check prices at other online retailers.
* Win a Joby Gorillapod original! If you’re using a regular point-and-shoot, you can use a Joby GorillaPod original version to get better photos with no shake. So we’re giving away one to our readers. Two ways to win: 1) Go join us on Facebook for the first time and leave a link to your wall in the comments below, with the make and model of the camera you use. 2) If you’re already following us there, just leave a comment below with the kind of camera you use. We’ll wrap it up and pick a winner at random on March 15, 2012.
Update 3/19/12 – Congratulations to Theresa J. who scored the original GorillaPod tripod. Go shoot some great new shots!
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on February 23rd, 2012
Black Widow Spider Camera Holster
*Note: A few corrections have been made to address comments from the manufacturer.*
I schlepp a heavy DSLR with a 28-300 lens around with me when I travel. It’s on a classic camera strap. I love the kit, I get great pictures with it, and I like having just one lens. I’m not a paranoid traveler as such but I’m practical, I wrap the strap around my wrist so it can’t be grabbed without getting me, too, and I don’t leave it sitting on café tables. As I’ve mentioned, it’s heavy, and I do get tired of carrying after a while. Pocket cameras have jumped ahead light years and I carry one of those too, but I still like the control and excellent optics I get with a DSLR. I’m attracted to a “Plan B” for carrying around a few pounds of camera.
I was interested in checking out the Spider Holster (Black Widow) because it straps the camera to your waist instead of using a traditional camera strap. The idea is that your hands are free at all times – nice – and your camera is easily accessible from the quick release holster. You can put the holster on your own belt, or use the wide Velcro closed belt that comes with the kit.
The camera locks into the holster using a pin that’s screwed into the tripod mount on the bottom of your camera. The pin sticks out about ¼ of an inch. When the pin is in the holster, your camera is wobbly when you put it down; a minor nuisance, but noticeable all the same.. If you’re just doing hand held photography, this isn’t an issue. You can use a tripod and the holster at the same time if you get the bits but I can’t speak to this issue as I didn’t try it.
My biggest issue with the Black Widow holster wasn’t a technical concern, it was an emotional one. I didn’t trust it. There’s no real reason for my distrust, I just didn’t feel like my camera was particularly secure. The belt had plenty of grip and stayed put, the quick release mechanism seemed sturdy enough, and the pin, which I tightened into the bottom of my camera did not wobble. But I didn’t like have 700 dollars of lens hanging from a metal pin at my waist.
It’s possible that this an item that grows on you with use. I can appreciate the concept, and again, there was no indication that my camera was less that perfectly secure. It was nice not to have the weight on my shoulder or at the end of my arm, but I’m not ready to make the jump just yet.
The Black Widow Holster is available directly from Spider (the folks that make them). Heads up, there are a bunch of little pieces – the pin, the holster itself, a pad that keeps the camera from knocking against your hip, the belt, and a bunch of different adapter plates. The basics, a pin and the holster, start at 49 dollars. Start your shopping here on Amazon.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear, General Gear on August 19th, 2011
Mountainsmith Zoom Camera Case
When your camera is an in-between size, you need to hunt a little harder for the right camera case. For super-zoom cameras, like the Nikon Coolpix L120 I reviewed a few weeks ago, a case for a regular point-and-shoot is too small, while one for a DSLR is overkill.
It’s been a while since we reviewed something from Mountainsmith, but they’re a great brand when it comes to hauling things around or keeping gear organized. Our Mountainsmith Borealis camera backpack giveaway was a big hit and Kara loved the company’s modular hauler for road trips.
They make a whole array of camera cases in various sizes, all of them rugged and well-suited for travel. Tiny cases for tiny cameras, up to whole camera backpacks with compartments for zoom lenses.
I’m finding this Zoom Small camera case to be more reliable than the camera I’m putting inside it. I can say for sure I’ll never use the strap that enables you to secure it to your waist, fanny-pack style, but otherwise all the features are useful and appreciated. There’s a shoulder strap to enable you to carry it like a normal case. There’s a flap on the back for attaching it to a belt or backpack strap, and a handle on the top for picking it up or carrying it with your hand. An adjustable bungee cord on the front works for securing other items to the case. “Elastic rigging” on the bottom is hidden away behind a Velcro strap.
Inside the seam-sealed top zipper is a cushioned case with yellow lining on the inside—making it easier to see what’s in there than the usual black. A removable compartment with Velcro enables custom sizing, though for my Nikon it was fine without it. A top compartment can hold memory cards, lens cleaning cloth, or whatever else small you want to take along. Don’t worry, there’s another zippered pocket on the front for spare batteries and two mesh pockets on the sides.
Here’s the cool cherry on top: the bag materials are made from ReDura recycled PET, as in 100% recycled materials. The equivalent of three 16-ounce plastic bottles saved from a landfill with each bag.
Besides that, all the materials on this quality case are above and beyond what you’ll get in a cheapie one, from the pulls on the zippers to the good metal buckles and swivels on the strap.
The Mountainsmith Zoom small case lists for $35. Look around online and you can usually find it for a bit less. Follow these direct product links for eBags, Altrec, and REI.
See more photography gear reviews on Practical Travel Gear.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear on July 28th, 2011
Nikon L120 Super-zoom Camera not so Super
The popular Nikon L120 comes with some nice features and a great 21X zoom in a reasonably small package, but the lack of manual controls, no viewfinder, AAA batteries, and lackluster picture quality combine for underwhelming results overall.
I’m a big fan of super-zoom digital cameras and recommended this category in my travel writing book for writers and bloggers who want to publish good photos consistently, but don’t want to lug around a big DSLR and various lenses. These cameras let you zoom in far closer than you can with a basic point-and-shoot, they have a better lens, and usually have a faster shutter release time. They offer a good trade-off between convenience and quality.
Usually.
I must say it’s mixed bag with this Nikon Coolpix L120 one I picked up recently, on sale at Best Buy for $238 plus tax. I was under pressure to buy something in a hurry after my beloved Kodak Z1012 wigged out on me recently and started putting itself into Sport mode at random moments and getting finicky about when it was ready to shoot or not. I had very few beefs before with that camera besides so-so resolution in low light on auto mode (much better with manual tweaks) and a battery that required lugging around a too-big separate charger. It took photos great enough for print magazine spreads and I published hundreds of shots on the web I took with it, some in award-winning articles.
A shot too tough for Nikon's auto-focus
I’m ready to ditch this Nikon after two weeks, however. I’m still fiddling with the few manual controls there are to improve image quality, but I’m not optimistic this will meet my needs. I need to go back to the drawing board and do more research this time before buying a better camera. This one seemed the best of what was on offer when my wife called on the phone saying she needed to buy a new camera in an hour to have at the wedding she was attending. “Get the Nikon one,” I said. “The price is right and it should be reliable.”
Wrong. I’ll get to the quirks in a moment, but the main problem is, this camera just plain doesn’t take great photos half the time. If the light is not perfect, the photos comes up short. If you’re in low light conditions and trying to get a shot that’s not full of noise/distortion, you may as well be using an iPhone: forget the 14 megapixels and the high-ISO settings touted in the specs as they won’t do anything except give you big file sizes to store. It’s like this camera’s sensor just throws up its hands and says, “Sorry!” Since there are very few manual overrides (I had plenty on my Kodak), you’re mostly stuck with what the camera gives you automatically unless you drill down to the right situation mode, these mostly being for cases where you’ll use a flash.
Typical results in low light without a flash
It also dials back the shutter speed quite a bit if the light isn’t bright (again, you can’t adjust this), so I’ve been ending up with blurry photos in conditions where I’ve never encountered them with far cheaper cameras. There’s anti-shake technology supposedly, but I now don’t trust it unless it’s sunny where I’m shooting. I feel like I have to hold this camera like it’s a sleeping newborn. Video quality is just okay. It’s higher resolution than my Flip camera and records in stereo—plus there’s a handy wind noise reduction feature—but you have to pan more slowly with this one to keep it from being blurry, especially indoors. It’s better suited for outdoor pursuits.
This Nikon also uses 4 AA batteries instead of a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which makes it heavier than it should be considering all the plastic parts, and requires lugging around a charger that holds 4 AA batteries, plus an adapter if you’ll be in a country with different voltage. The memory card is under the same flap as the batteries, which means all 4 can spill out when you’re just trying to switch out a card. Dumb design.
There’s also no optical viewfinder, which drives me batty. Looking at a screen while trying to shoot in bright sunlight, all while holding the camera steady away from your body, is asking for trouble. It’s like shooting blind sometimes. I know this is a common problem with compact point-and-shoots, but it shouldn’t be with a camera this size.
The Plus Sides of the Nikon L120
We’ll keep this camera for family snapshots and day trips though because it does do some things very well. The 921,000 dpi 3-inch screen on the back is beautiful and it’s easy to tell if you got a keeper shot or not. The buttons are few and the menus are fairly intuitive, though all the non-automatic options are groups under “night landscape” except for “smart portrait” (detects eyes for focusing) and “sport continuous.” The latter function works quite well, at up to 20 frames at 15fps, but the resolution goes down.
In good light, good results
The main reason to get this kind of camera—the 21X optical zoom—is smooth and impressive, allowing you to get up close and personal without getting in anyone’s face. It’s fast too. One nice feature with this Nikon is that you can control that zoom from two places: the usual spot by the shutter release, plus an extra button on the left side of the lens. Keep in mind though that 21X is a pretty shaky shot to hold, especially with no viewfinder besides the screen on the back. It’s hard to get a shot in focus when extended full length without a tripod.
This camera performs better than any other I’ve used when the flash is on, even without the situational overrides. It illuminates without washing out, red-eye reduction works well automatically, and the colors don’t get too distorted. If you take a lot of photos of your friends partying, this will do the job well.
Overall though, since I so seldom use a flash, I’d give this Nikon L120 a C- because to me it feels less than average. Looking at the Amazon reviews I’m in the minority, so maybe if I weren’t comparing it to my past Kodak and Casio cameras it would rate higher, but I guess I’ve been spoiled.
This camera is gifted in some areas, plus it’s hard to complain too loudly when the price is this good (under $250 at some merchants). There’s a lot crammed into that price, which is probably why it is selling so well. But the main reason you buy a camera—especially one you take traveling—is to end up with better than average photos. With the definition of “average” rising higher each year, Nikon fell behind on this model. It’s a good value if your budget is tight and you want a serious zoom. But spend a bit more for something better if you need high-quality results you will publish or frame on a wall.
Get the Nikon L120 at Amazon or search prices online.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family on July 7th, 2011
