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With dual pixel AF technology and a fully articulating screen, the 80D is a versatile camera for the price. I had hands-on time with the EOS 80D DSLR. Because I mostly use Nikon, I compare my experiences with Nikon to the 80D.  The Canon EOS 80D. The 80D’s dual pixel auto-focus is a big benefit to this camera in live view and video recording situations. Other than that, it’s a pretty standard DSLR. My video about the camera. Get the Canon EOS 80D DSLR Camera through my links: Used on KEH.com , eBay.com ,  BHPhotoVideo.com , Amazon.com , and Walmart.com   As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  The fully articulating screen on the 80D. General ergonomics A no nonsense camera with a flat black exterior. The button text and icons stand out well. A good deal of direct button control in line with this price point. Many of the buttons are within range of your index finger, which is interesting coming from Nikon.  Cameras these days have bec...

Today we are taking a look at the entry level standard F-mount Nikon DSLR in their line-up. This is the latest iteration in their D3000 series of cameras started in 2009.  With lower cost DSLR we can expect certain features like FP sync not being included as well as fewer direct control dials and other buttons. For this iteration it comes with a 24.2 megapixel DX (APS-C) sensor with a sensitivity range of 100 to 25600.  My video on the camera. Get the Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera through my links: Amazon.com , BHPhotoVideo.com , Used on KEH.com , Walmart.com , and eBay.com As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  The D3500’s sensor is visible in cleaning mode. There is no shake reduction in the camera, but the kit lens does have VR. The standard optical viewfinder has 95% frame coverage with a 0.85x magnification.  The DSLR focusing system is the 11-point Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection giving you a detection ran...

The B600 is Nikon’s latest in their lineup of relatively compact and lower cost long telephoto all-in-one cameras. It comes with the usual specifications of this lineup, but loses the AA batteries for a lithium ion battery pack and also loses the back tilt screen compared to the B500. The camera’s layout is similar to the previous version, but everything seems trimmed back and made sleeker. My hands-on with the B600 Get the Nikon COOLPIX B600 Digital Camera here through my links: Amazon.com , BHPhotoVideo.com , Used on KEH.com , and eBay.com   As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  What you gain by the removal of physical features is a slightly smaller camera, though it’s still not pocket-able. Autofocus felt decently chipper given it’s using contrast detect on it’s 1/2.3″ sensor. This camera is more of the same as previous bridge cameras, but if that’s your thing then this might be something to check out. I have additional sample photos and video c...

I had hands-on time recently with the Nikon D5600. Is it a solid mid range DSLR? Let’s find out! I compare this to my Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and also comment on what type of person the D5600 might be a good fit for.  The Nikon D5600 The D5000 series is Nikon’s step up from their entry level with a little bit more of everything over the 3000 series. The stand out feature of this camera is the fully articulating screen. Get the Nikon D5600 DSLR Camera here: B&H Photo Video ,  Amazon.com ,  Used on KEH ,  Used on eBay.com   As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  Check out a few sample photos in this 4k slideshow video .  Specifications ( full info ) 24.2 megapixel APS-C sensor (6000×4000 photos) with an ISO range of 100 to 25600. Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder, Approx. 95% horizontal and 95% vertical, Approx. 0.82x magnification. 1/4000th of a second maximum shutter speed with 1/200th of a second flash s...

The initial goal here was to find the cheapest camera I could get and see what I could do with it. My focus was to see if this camera could meet the needs of someone on an extreme budget.  Canon EOS 30D and a lens. Kinda like my non-existent YouTube production budget, haha. I think you get the idea here. If this ends up being successful, that will motivate me more to try this with other cameras. Links are potentially affiliated in this article, I earn from qualifying purchases!  The video where I receive the camera and work on it to make everything functional. That idea morphed as I spent an unnecessary amount of time browsing used camera shops like KEH.com and UsedPhotoPro.com where they give you some type of warranty on gear, which is a nice bonus or necessary depending on your needs. KEH had a 12% off coupon at one point and I took action. It was under $50, but shipping added a bit of extra cost. See what used Canon EOS 30D camera bodies KEH has here (I signed up to be an ...

The Fujifilm X-T4 is official. If you are fine with APS-C, this is the the most advanced and fully featured camera there is by a good margin. It’s an absolute power house and really versatile.  The black version of the X-T4 with the 16-80mm f/4 kit lens. Here is my assembled hybrid Fujifilm kit with the X-T4 as the keystone. Or you can check out the camera itself on B&H . Links are potentially affiliated in this article, I earn from qualifying purchases!  Based on the specifications, I see it as the near perfect hybrid for a combination of photo and video work. They enhanced many aspects of the camera compared to the X-T3. I don’t have access to the camera, but I’d like to go over various aspects of it here. Just keep that in mind that I’ve not had any hands-on time with it. Important changes… Sensor based stabilization up to 6.5 stops with most of their lenses. This was apparently totally revamped technology compared to the X-H1 (mechanical springs vs. magnetic). ...

I haven’t had great luck with the used Canon EF 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 USM lens I bought a few months ago. Though, a lot of the problems so far are from not having enough light to try smaller apertures hand held. On this photo outing I was able to get out in the field early enough and brought along a tripod plus a wired cable release. The YouTube video you can see visuals of the photo outing. Get the Viltrox Speedbooster on B&H or Amazon . Get the Canon EOS M5 on eBay , B&H or Amazon . Get the Canon EOS M50 on B&H or Amazon . Look for the Canon 100-300mm on eBay here .  As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  Combining a brighter day with the Viltrox 0.71x EF to EOS M speedbooster adapter allowed me to really test things out. I was using the Canon EOS M5 for photos and the M50 for video. I walk around a snow covered state park to try out this combo so that I could better learn what the lens is capable of along with just enjoying photograph...

Get out there and enjoy photography. It doesn't always have to be about taking amazing works of art… The video where I attempt taking photos in the bitter cold for 10 minutes with a phone. Technically I had two phones and spent time filming the video. If you want to get some photography practice in, but have limited time, then I think this could be a fun photography challenge. While I was out for the day, I brought a small kit that included my main phone for photos (LG Stylo 3), an older one for b-roll (XG L Power), and a small flexible tripod. It was 17 degrees F and I didn’t have a set goal in mind until I thought of limiting it to 10 minutes to see what I could manage in that amount of time.  This park has fun lighting at night. It’s great to experiment with. This isn’t about quality or taking perfect images. It’s about pushing yourself and always trying to learn, practice, and grow in your craft. Always try to keep moving forward. In my case I’m usually doing a mixture of photo...

We are taking a look at the Dolica GX600 photo tripod legs and B200 ballhead. They are sold as a pair for a reasonable price (at least at the time of purchase). I’ve had them for at least a few years, so I thought it was time to give it a review.  The tripod. Here is a link to the Tripod on Amazon.com . They have two newer models as well that you might want to consider instead. Extra quick release plates are available. Make sure you get the correct one for your head.  B&H has the alternative AX620B100 tripod if you prefer that higher-end model. As of this article they don’t currently have the GX600B200 tripod combo. Links are potentially affiliated in this article, I earn from qualifying purchases!   Watch the related video where use this tripod to do nature photography. Here is the tripod with full extension. I think it’s decently stable in this configuration, but that will be up to what you are used to. I didn’t mention in the video that the hook piece transforms...