PhotographyBanzai.com

If you are into photography or videography, you have likely faced the question: should you ask for a photo every single time at an event? A recent experience at a local Halloween market brought it into focus for me. I was there to capture the atmosphere, the feel, and the experience of this event in a documentary style. This was my first time attending this market. I also make videos highlighting photography at fun events like anime conventions. One of the buildings used at the Halloween market. For the most part, the day was filled with positive interactions. The market was filled with awesome, creative people who were more than happy to let me photograph them and their products. I made a point to ask many of the vendors for their permission to take photos of their wares, and their welcoming responses were a highlight of the event.  I rarely took photos of the vendors, but each time in that case I'd ask. This article is focusing more on photographing the products and what could al...

More camera releases and announcements as of quarter 2 in 2025. Obviously, I haven't used these cameras myself, so this is just a bunch of my opinions based on the specs and what I've seen online.  Leica SL3-S The new Leica SL3-S full-frame mirrorless camera. First up, we've got the Leica SL3-S. If you're into expensive cameras and you specifically want a Leica, this is for you. It looks pretty nice and has that classic Leica control scheme. Spec-wise, it's a 24-megapixel camera that is very similar to something like the Panasonic Lumix S5ii. I wouldn't be shocked if they share some components or the two companies collaborated on it.  I don't really have a strong opinion on their cameras because they're just out of my ballpark. One nice thing is that it does shoot DNG RAW, and it has a ton of movie modes, so it seems like Leica's example of what they can do with video. DNG, or Digital Negative , is an open, lossless raw image format developed by Adob...

The Nikon Z5ii was announced recently. I haven't actually used this new camera myself, so keep that in mind. This is going to be mostly me looking at the specs and comparing it to the original Nikon Z5, which I've been using for a few years now. The original Nikon Z5 camera. Overall, the original Z5 isn't a bad camera. I've gotten it to a point where it works how I want it to and it's reliable for what I do.  My main use case is often anime and comic conventions, going there and taking photos of people in cosplay. I usually use the 40mm f/2 lens on the Z5, and it works well for that.  First-person view using the Nikon Z5 at an anime convention. Nikon Z5ii vs Z5: The Spec Sheet Comparison  Nikon has a handy comparison section on their Z5ii page, so let's break down some key differences based on that and my experience with the original. Nikon's website comparing the Z5ii and the original Z5 specifications. First up, the sensor. The Z5ii gets a backside-illumi...

Update 4/23/2025: News websites reported on Fujifilm suspending shipments to the USA. I'm going to assume other camera companies are doing or considering the same thing.  Fujifilm suspending shipments to the USA. Update 4/15/2025: I'm not sure I should be saying who, but one of my affiliates said they will be dropping commissions until at least May.  Retailers are concerned. To me, this happening at least feels like a good general data point to gauge economic direction that people can add to their research.  Something most reddit users wouldn't necessarily look for or have access to. I don't want to say the specific store, but my current list of affiliates are: B&H, KEH, Acdsee, Best Buy, Walmart, Adorama, Moment, and Amazon. Only of a few of those use Impact-dot-com for their affiliate program.  I posted on reddit and someone pointed out that it could be due to the retailer using any reason to cut rates, which might be true. I'll at least say that the company s...

Let's talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when using a phone for photography. Specifically, this is about my experience at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Wisconsin. I was primarily using my phone, but I also had access to a Sony a7R V, an impressive full-frame camera.  Let’s get into the benefits and drawbacks of using a smartphone for photography, especially in a scenario like this one.  I've also got a video where I feature the Sony a7R V camera at the same event.  The Good: Phone Photography Benefits The size of bag I tend to bring with to an event like this. Using a backpack instead would mean a very sweaty back and more to carry... First off, having a phone with you means you’ve got a camera in your pocket. It’s easy and convenient, especially since most of us use our phones for communication anyway. No need to carry around extra electronics if you don’t want to. I personally don’t like carrying a camera bag when I don’t have to, but for an event like...

A great overview by Gerald Undone on his experiences in the field of camera gear related videos! It is an important topic. The more open the better, I’d say.  After over 13 years making photography and videography gear videos, I’ve not had a huge amount of success comparatively, but I’ve also never been especially brand safe to begin with for these companies to consider me. 🤣 I think his mentions toward the end of the video are especially important. The unwritten pressure, or worse with companies like Insta360 , shouldn’t be acceptable and should be publicly called out more often. That’s probably the only way things will actually change for the better. More of my comments on the video… His YouTube channel. 4:30 I understand that’s what Gerald does, but are there situations where companies are paying for flights and hotel costs of other reviewers with the expectation of a video/article being produced? (EDIT: I’ve seen confirmation that companies pay for the flight and hotel in some in...

How much does online video and two websites pay a collective viewership of probably a bit over 1 million views/interactions per year? I’m talking all of my YouTube channels, on-site Amazon videos that get commissions, affiliate links I place in descriptions and on my websites. Not bothering to count Instagram and TikTok , but I do post videos on those websites too even though I can’t do click-able links or receive ad revenue sharing due to not meeting their requirements. Plus, only one of my 8 YouTube channels is monetized which accounts for 810k of the total in 2023. The YouTube channel homepage. The largest YouTube channel that is in YPP. You can see a clear downtrend over 2023 in addition to 13% fewer views than 2022. I post normal videos and Shorts on the channel. My best guess is that a lot of my 950+ videos have aged out of relevance besides global trends and YouTube itself.   Channel statistics for 2023. A bit less than $10k USD for the year before tax. My Amazon efforts...

The recently released Nikon DX 12-28mm looks pretty nice! I’d be tempted to go all Nikon if they’d release something with a video focus that’s a step above the Z30. I still have a pair of Canon EOS M6 Mark II cameras for mostly video that basically have the same feature set as the Z30, so little point upgrading sideways in my case.  The new wide angle APS-C Nikon Z DX lens. For people just starting to get into online video creation I do think the Z30 is a fine option. Especially with recent discounts taking the body price down to $607 on B&H (as of the creation of this article). The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens The lens I use the most with the M6ii is the Canon EF-M 11-22mm. Now that Nikon has something similar in focal length and features like close focus plus optical stabilization, they are on my radar as a future replacement to my EF-M equipment. The Nikon Z30 What I’d like to see in an improved APS-C video focused camera from Nikon: EN-EL15 battery to match most of th...