ariane c design

Photography

Apr27

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Lowepro’s Urban Photo Sling

Posted in: Bags, Electronic Accessories, Photography, Product Reviews

Lowepro’s latest camera bags in their ‘sling’ lineup is the Urban Photo Sling. This just-released product comes in two sizes and is completely customizable.

I was sent the larger 250 model that can accommodate a pro DSLR (without grip) with an attached 70-200mm lens, two extra lenses or flash units, or a flash and one lens, a digital tablet, and a small tripod or water bottle in its side pocket. There’s also room for accessories and personal items, as well as a velcro-enclosed pocket for an SD card.

The Urban Photo Sling’s little brother (150) fits either a DSLR with attached 55-200mm lens plus either two extra lenses OR a flash and one lens plus a tablet, accessories and personal items. Another possible configuration is a CSC with attached kit lens, three extra lenses or a flash plus two lenses and tablet.

The Urban Photo Sling offers a modern, comfortable, and versatile way to carry and access both camera gear and digital tablet. You can wear it three ways: front, back, or side. It can be loaded two ways: either from the top or with the front panel fully opened.

A dedicated tablet compartment with protective padding is located inside the bag at the rear. I loaded the bag and tried various configurations with the camera body, lens, and flash unit.

As with many camera bags on the market, you can resize the interior sections via repositioning them on the velcro walls on either side. On the bottom, there’s two black panels that velcro together that will secure any smaller lenses that you pack down there.

I like the idea of carrying all my gear in a sling fashion, as the gear’s more readily available than most backpack models I’ve seen. The padded, adjustable shoulder strap includes a band to catch the excess strap length.

The Urban Photo Sling’s top flap contains a small, non-obtrusive honeycomb pattern design. That same flap is secured via two side clips as well as velcro in front. Once lifted, a small zippered section can store a couple of smart phones, notepads, pens and a set of keys (using attached key clip). I like the simplicity and practicality of this bag.

Additional storage on one side will fit a small water bottle or tripod, while on the other, a slim, velcro-enclosed pouch will be great for loose change, a bus pass, or pocket map.

As well, a tiny interior velcro pocket can stow an SD card.

Both models include a waist belt that tucks away when not needed and a carry handle on top.

The 250′s dimensions:
Exterior: 10.8″ (27.5 cm) wide, 8.1″ (20.5 cm) deep, 13.6″ (34.5 cm) high
Interior: 8.3″ (21 cm) wide, 4.7″ (12 cm) deep, 11.8″ (30 cm) high

For comparison, the smaller 150′s dimensions:
Exterior: 10.6″ (27 cm) wide, 7.2″ (18.3 cm) deep, 11.6″ (29.5 cm) high
Interior: 7.7″ (19.5 cm) wide, 4.5″ (11.5 cm) deep, 9.8″ (25 cm) high

Pros
Doesn’t look like a camera bag
Back of bag and strap both padded
Configurable interior that works with a variety of camera bodies and accessories

Cons
The weight of the sling (when loaded) takes a little getting used to, depending on both your body frame and how you’ll ultimately wear it

The Urban Photo Sling 150 retails for CAD $89.00; the 250 for CAD $109.00 and is available in black for now, however the line may expand to offer other colours in the near future.

Disclosure note: I was sent the Urban Photo Sling 250 for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2

Mar12

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The Nikon Coolpix S1200pj Reviewed

Posted in: Photography, Product Reviews, Technology

Nikon Canada recently provided me with a Coolpix S1200pj to check out its features, particularly great for a Mac user (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch compatible) who embraces social media. Since I fall into both those categories, let me start by saying that this is a feature-rich point and shoot with 5x wide optical zoom and 14.1 megapixels.

It’s part of Nikon’s new S-Series that also includes the S8200, S6200, and S100.

The key selling point of this model is the projector. Users can stream live video from an iPhone, computer, iPad or iPod Touch (over wifi or 3G) and project it onto a wall. The optimal distance is 26 cm (10 in.) to 3.1 m (10 ft).

Using an additional dock connector cable, you can project pictures and movies stored on your Apple device or stream content from YouTube onto any surface in 640 x 480 VGA format. I was sent a Belkin cable to do that very thing.

The cool factor is definitely there, but I wouldn’t count on watching a full length movie with the S1200pj. First off, the camera does heat up when using the projector, and the manual strongly recommends letting the projector cool down before using the camera again. The S1200pj’s battery is rated for up to one hour in projector mode, typical for a battery-powered pocket projector. The built-in speaker is adequate.

There’s a little stand that pops out so that the projected picture won’t be obstructed by the surface on which the camera is placed. This tilts the camera slightly, creating a keystone effect. On a side note, there’s a remote control (available separately) that can be pointed at the infrared receiver (within five metres). As well, the design incorporates illuminated buttons for quick and easy control in the dark.

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Jan24

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Lowepro’s Passport Sling Camera Bag

Posted in: Bags, Electronic Accessories, Photography, Product Reviews

Lowepro’s Passport Sling is what I’ll be taking on our holiday travels abroad this week. This DSLR camera bag is meant to work as either an equipment or everyday bag. There’s enough padded space to accommodate a DSLR body with an attached lens, plus either an extra lens or a flash unit.

I’ve been packing various combinations into the Passport Sling and found that my Nikon D90 (with a 35mm prime attached) plus the Nikon SB-700 speedlight works best.

Once I took off my camera strap, I was able to find the perfect solution to really grabbing the camera on the go. The photo below shows the camera with a 35mm prime lens placed into the bag in a side orientation. Unzipping the bag brought my hand right to the D90′s grip.

The bag can also store extras such as a battery charger or everyday essentials. I was able to get away with carrying three items: the camera body with attached prime, an 18-200mm lens, and in the additional area, the speedlight in the square Nikon carrier bag that came with it.

Side pockets will store small maps or guidebooks, and there’s a front section for a water bottle, point and shoot camera, or small umbrella. A small velcro flap inside stores a memory card.

Two interior side velcro closure pouches are perfect for batteries.

Size, quality, and feature-wise, it compares favourably with BUILT’s Cargo Camera bag (though the two are sweet bags for different reasons).

A great feature of this bag is its ability to collapse down and fit inside your suitcase or carry-on.

The padded shoulder strap is both comfortable and adjustable, and the excess strap tucks neatly into the pocket below.

As well, the cam buckle closes firmly, maintaining the strap’s length without creeping. Lowepro’s attention to detail includes a small square non-slip patch in the centre of the shoulder strap to help keep the strap in place on your shoulder.

This is a smartly-designed bag that will even expand (suitcase-style) in front to store up to 30% more stuff.

What I like best about the bag is that it doesn’t look like a typical camera bag – important when taking on the road and into high traffic tourist spots.

I’ll be taking this bag around long after our travels, as it’s both easy to wear and fits a variety of everyday needs.

The Passport Sling is available in Black (with green interior), Sky Blue, and Mica. There’s a lifetime warranty with Lowepro’s products as well.

The Passport Sling’s dimensions
Interior camera compartment: 4.1″ (10.5 cm) wide, 7.5″ (19 cm) deep, and 7.5″ (19 cm) high
Fully expanded interior (excluding camera compartment): 5.1″ (13 cm) wide, 6.3″ (16 cm) deep, and 15″ (38 cm) high
Weight: 1.1 lbs. (0.5 kg)

It’s available around town (I’ve seen it at London Drugs) for $50 CDN.

Pros
Doesn’t look like a camera bag
Collapses down to store inside luggage
Comfortable to wear
Strong 600d Polyester Polymesh outer fabric (interior contains 210DNylon Brushed Tricot Velcro)
Great for travel, with space for guidebooks, water bottle, small umbrella, souvenirs
Good quality bag for price point

Cons
Inside padded area could be a tad larger to hold larger lens without being too packed in (maybe a future version in “large”?)

Disclosure note: I was sent the Passport Sling for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2

Jan16

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BUILT: Cargo Camera Bag

Posted in: Bags, Electronic Accessories, Photography, Product Reviews

Together with BUILT’S Cargo Travel Organizer, I was on the go with their Cargo Camera Bag last week. I’ve seen a lot of BUILT’s popular neoprene laptop sleeves around town, but their camera bags haven’t (yet!) taken off in Vancouver.

[The Cargo Camera Bag, just out of the package]

Both are made by BUILT NY, a company specializing in colourful, functional neoprene bags, cases, and totes for a wide range of products and accessories.

I tried fitting various gear into many configurations, but the best set up for me was my Nikon D90 DSLR body with a 35mm prime lens attached, an 18-200mm zoom lens, a Nikon SB-700 speed light plus a point and shoot Canon and its charger. This should give readers an idea as to how much will comfortably fit inside the camera bag.

With the above collection of gear, fitting a DSLR charger and cord made it just a wee bit too tight to zip up. I imagine that packing in a smaller zoom lens would solve the problem. There’s also a large version of this bag available, with an extra compartment for carrying one more lens.

The padded shoulder strap is adjustable and clips to the bag on alternate sides, helping to better distribute the weight of the gear. I also like the bag’s carry handle that makes grabbing it a cinch.

As with BUILT products, the material is neoprene, stain resistant, and easy to hand wash and drip dry. The Cargo Camera Bag also contains semi-firm EVA in its construction. The removable compartments have velcro sewn onto their edges, allowing them to fit different camera body sizes and gear. There’s also padding in the base of the bag to provide an additional layer of protection.

The four interior pockets can hold anything from an iPhone to a Pixel Pocket Rocket digital card holder, small wallet, etc. I’m pretty pleased with these pockets located just inside both sides of the bag, making it an easy grab for anything small that I need to access.

The Cargo Camera Bag’s dimensions are 13.5″ (34.3 cm) wide, 11″ (28 cm) high, and 5.5″ (14 cm) deep and retails for $69.99 US. It’s available online in Canada from Macinbag for $79.99 CDN.

Disclosure note: I was sent the Cargo Camera Bag for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2

Jan3

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The Nikon 1 J1 Reviewed

Posted in: Photography, Product Reviews, Technology

The Nikon 1 J1 is a gorgeous little thing that is not only easy to take around, but has some pretty cool features that are new to Nikon technology.

The big plusses include 10 fps continuous shooting in AF Mode, full HD 1080p video recording, Smart Photo Selector and Motion Snapshot photo animation.

The fast, new and advanced Hybrid AF system has 73 focus points, the most of any camera to date. When the Nikon 1 is in Focus Mode, it will automatically chose between “focal plane phase” detection and “contrast-based detection” for optimizing your shooting scene. It will also default to the faster “phase detect” AF. The Smart Photo Selector (similar to Nikon’s Best Shot Selector) captures a burst of up to 20 frames and then saves the five best based on various criteria, including exposure and facial recognition.

First off, the camera and its design. The 1 comes in two formats: the J1 and the V1. The V1 is the more expensive of the two, with both a mechanical shutter and electronic viewfinder, resulting in more accurate exposures. The V1 is also a bit heavier, but then again battery life is better with that increased size and weight.

[Nikon 1 J1 with 10-30mm lens]

For now, both come with a standard 10-30mm zoom, and both will fit the 10mm pancake lens, 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, and VR 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 PD-ZOOM, all available separately. The V1 can accommodate an SB-N5 speed light or GPS module. It has a stereo microphone input (with optional ME-1 stereo mic accessory) to deliver professional quality audio.

[Colour and lighting: shot with 10-30mm lens]

All aside, these are Nikon’s first mirrorless 2.7x crop models with interchangeable lenses. And now onto the J1. For the purpose of this review, I’ve shot all images using RAW quality.

Unpacking the box revealed a Nikon world in white for me. The strap, body, lenses and lens caps are all shiny white. The J1 is also available in black, red, pink and silver. Sleek and elegant in form, could this little camera work with low light conditions as well as take successful macro shots with the pancake lens?

[Nikon 1 10mm pancake lens]

I compared the Nikon 10-30mm lens at 10mm to the pancake to see how they would compare.

[Nikon 1 shot with 10mm pancake; 1/15 f/6.3, ISO 1100 10mm]

[Nikon 1 shot with 10-30mm; 1/15 f/5.6, ISO 1600 26.7mm; photo cropped]

Looks like I was able to get a better result with the 10-30mm, as the lens took in more of the overall lighting in the room. The stone elephant’s detail comes through better in the cropped photo.

Here are a few shots taken both indoors and out on the town, under different lighting conditions.

In this photo, taken at a new Gastown, Vancouver watering hole, I was able to capture the bright vintage neon sign while keeping the small lantern on the wall visible in the background, maintaining the nuance of the lighting. I used the camera’s Programmed Auto mode to see how the low lighting available would turn out in the photo.

This Christmas market capture taken outdoors shows two crisp nutcrackers at the forefront of the photo, with a nice natural depth of field created by the greenery behind the remaining nutcrackers.

Chinese characters are recognizable through the lantern photo below, while maintaining the bright pink and red of the hearts. This photo was taken at a winter solstice festival in East Vancouver. I zoomed in about halfway on the 10-30mm lens; the J1 even captured the texture of the paper.

Other photos taken with the Nikon 1 J1 can be viewed in the following Flickr photo sets:
Daytime shots
Vancouver Christmas Market

Night/low light indoor shots
Winter Solstice Lantern Festival
Clough Club opening

The Nikon 1 J1 has four shooting modes:
Motion Snapshot, to record photos with about a second of movie footage. The movie will play back in slow motion over 2 1/2 seconds, followed by the photograph originally snapped.
Smart Photo Selector, where releasing the shutter will let the camera select the best four shots based on both composition and motion.
Still image mode, the camera’s default, where the J1 will adjust camera settings to suit the subject (automatic scene selection)
Movie mode, for shooting HD or slow-motion films. With an aspect ratio of 8:3, slow motion films are recorded silently at 400 fps and play back at 30 fps.

I found that the faster the moving subject was, the better the slow motion film results were. I can think of many cases where this would be a fun feature to have on a camera.

Being a regular Nikon DSLR user, I had to get used to similar menus with different button placement. The biggest adjustment of course was going back to using an electronic viewfinder.
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Dec25

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Christmas at Kits Beach

Posted in: Holidays, Inspiration, Photography, Vancouver

Not technically red and green, but my favourite capture of today’s walk along the beach in the sun. Happy Holidays to all my readers! May 2012 bring a fruitful, healthy year filled with accomplishment.
Oct25

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35 Year Old Instamatic Pix Developed

Posted in: History, Photography

A couple of weeks ago, I relocated my first camera, stored for years in its case. The Kodak Instamatic 110 was a hip little gadget in its day, complete with stickers to personalize it.

What I hadn’t realized (or somehow forgotten about, maybe due to having received a newer camera?) was that a used roll of film sat in the camera for decades. I contacted London Drugs, and to my luck, 110 rolls are still processed locally.
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Oct18

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livemenu Preview at LIFT Restaurant

Posted in: Branding, Dining, Events, Gadgets, Photography, Software, Technology, Vancouver

With the runaway success of Apple’s iPad, many companies have been busy launching third party applications and coming up with intelligent uses for the tablet device. Binnj, a one and half year-old Ontario startup, has brought major restaurants to the iPad with their interactive menu software. livemenu™ aims to replace paper menus once and for all.

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Sep29

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The Vintage Kodak Instamatic 110

Posted in: History, Photography

I hadn’t taken out my Kodak Instamatic 110 camera since the late 70′s. My Smile Saver was a childhood gift that I never had the heart to toss away like so many other fantastic toys and gadgets that came my way.

Fast-forward to this year’s 12×12 YVR photo marathon. While reserving a pair of tickets for the post-event exhibit (held last weekend at PhotoHaus Gallery on West 7th Avenue), I happened to mention to Angela Chih that I’d be bringing in some show and tell that evening.

This promise is what motivated me (to get my husband) to head to our crawl space in order to dig out the box containing the camera and case, not to mention the 4-sided Magicube bulb and holder.

Here are a few photos of the camera. I recovered a used roll of 110 film in the brown furry-lined case that I am going to take to London Drugs for developing. Stay tuned, as I’m hoping to show them off (it’ll be a surprise to everyone, myself included, as to what my ‘last roll’ contained) in a follow-up post.

Specs:
Years in production: 1973-1976
Lens: 25mm, f/11 Meniscus
Shutter: 2 speed
Film type: 110 cartridge
Picture size: 13mm x 17mm
Original list price (USD): $23

I just hope that the years spent in boxes didn’t ruin that roll of film beyond repair. I also aim to purchase several rolls of pocket Instamatic film while there’s still a few rolls left to be had.

How I wished I’d saved the packaging and collection of stickers that came with the camera! At the time, tennis was my thing, but I’m hitting the internet to try and find an original sticker sheet to recall what the other choices were.

Anyone else out there with a 110?
Sep8

6 Comments

Black Rapid RS-W1 Camera Strap

Posted in: Photography, Product Reviews

The search for the perfect way to carry a camera has led me on a hunt for camera bags, backpacks, and bags with enough space for both a camera and lens.

Little did I know that an award-winning company out of Seattle has perfected the art of wearing my DSLR in style, while saving my neck in the process. Black Rapid, makers of an assortment of straps, fasteners, and add-ons for smart phones, now carries the RS-W1, specifically designed by women photographers to fit a woman’s build.

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