The camera lens on the iPhone 4/4S does a fine job for a mobile device. But as a photographer who’s used to having options I  sometimes want a wider angle or tighter close-up shots. This is why I decided to try the Olloclip – a 3-in-1 lens that includes a fisheye, wide angle, and macro lens. But you don’t need to be a photographer to enjoy this cool little lens from the invention team Patrick O’Neill and Chong Pak. You just need around $70. You can buy the Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S at Amazon.com

Here’s how they describe it on their website–

The olloclip is a quick-connect lens solution for the iPhone 4/4S that includes fisheye,wide-angle and macro lenses in one small, convenient package that easily fits in your pocket. Nestled in the palm of your hand, the olloclip connects to the iPhone within seconds so you’ll be sure to capture the image you want…if you don’t see the picture you’re looking for just flip it over to switch lenses.

The Fisheye lens captures approximately a 180 Degree field-of-view and produces some striking images. The Wide-Angle lens is great for when you need that extra field of view, approximately double that of the normal iPhone.The Macro lens applies roughly a 10X multiplier and allows you to focus the iPhone within 12-15mm of the subject. The Macro lens is cleverly concealed within the olloclip and can be accessed by unscrewing the Wide-Angle lens that is normally attached to it. 

The olloclip ships with a carrying bag made from a microfiber material that doubles as a lens cleaner and conveniently holds the supplied-lens caps or the Wide-Angle lens when removed for Macro shots.

Unfortunately it does cover your flash, however, that’s not a problem for some people. Personally I am not a fan of the flash anyway. And yes, you can take video with this lens attached – it simply slides onto your iPhone over your camera.

PROS:

• Small, portable and lightweight.
• Very easy to use, just slide it onto your iPhone 4/4S over the camera lens.
• No noticeable degradation in image quality.
• Well made, well designed.

CONS:

• The $69 price may be off-putting for some.
• Very easy to get your fingerprints on the lens, but that’s what the included microfiber cloth bag is for.
• Covers the flash – that might bother some users.

One other thing to be aware of is that when using the Fisheye lens you will see vignetting or an offset shift which will vary from phone to phone. However, in video mode the iPhone 4′s crop-factor does away with the shift.

This lens is a lot of fun. I haven’t tried any of the other comparable aftermarket lenses for comparison, but I am pretty happy with this one so far. The easy-on/easy-off/easy-flip design is a plus for ease of use. The microfiber pouch is a nice touch and helps keep your glass clean. I don’t go anywhere without my Olloclip now. You can order the Olloclip on AMAZON or check your local Apple Store like I did and pick one up. If you love taking photos with your iPhone and want to add some new perspectives, I recommend you pick one up too.

For those looking for DSLR performance and amazing image quality in the compact size of a point- and-shoot, the new Canon G1X might be for you! Today’s announcement sparked excitement because for around $799, Canon says you get the first compact digital camera with a large sensor. When it comes to a sensor’s impact on image quality, many argue that size matters.

Canon PowerShot G1 X Digital Camera will be available at B&H Photo.

Key features:

• Large 14.3 MP CMOS, DIGIC 5, HS System
• Compact 4x zoom; Intelligent IS
• 7.5 cm (3.0″) vari-angle LCD; OVF
• Full Manual, RAW, DPP
• Full HD, HDMI
• High-speed Burst HQ
• Smart Auto
• Extensive accessories
• HDR mode and ND filter
• Optional 40m waterproof case

The folks at Pictage have a new product offering that blew my wife and I away – Acrylic Prints. I sent Pictage a photo of our daughter to have them print on acrylic so I could see how it would look. I’ve seen these kinds of prints before and they’re always showstoppers. When we opened the box we were very impressed with the 20×30 presentation. First of all, the colors were spot on. Second of all, the acrylic was clean and cut nicely, no sharp edges, easy to handle. And the hardware was included for easy mounting on a wall. For something as nice as this with “wow” factor, I recommend this creative photo product as an art piece to sell to clients or a wall display you can light up in your studio. It’s beautiful, it jumps out at you, it makes a bold statement. It’s definitely not your usual wall print and something I believe clients will want. A huge thanks to the folks at Pictage for their continued awesome service and support – Jim, James, Craig, and the whole crew, thank you!

Here’s a video of the actual unboxing we took:

Here are some details about these acrylic prints–

Acrylic Prints let your room’s natural light bring out the rich color and intricate detail of the image. A giclée print is face-mounted to a crystal clear acrylic substrate. This process maximizes image clarity and crispness, resulting in an overall effect that’s vivid and modern. All acrylic prints receive polished edges, and can be either floated on a recessed mounting bracket or finished with aluminum stand-offs.

Product Highlights

• 1/4″ thick crystal-clear acrylic substrate with glossy smooth surface and flame polished edges
• Available in 15 different sizes
• Each Acrylic Print is individually packaged in a specially-designed box to ensure safe delivery
• Brushed aluminum standoffs in each corner hold the print 1″ off the wall and give it a sleek finishing touch

Some quick shots of this fantastic creative photo product:

I was always fascinated by Steve Jobs’ story, vision, and the company he co-founded, Apple. He influenced business, technology, and had a tremendous impact on the world. In his short life he has changed the way people live with useful tools starting with the creation of the personal computer, and created products we thought we never thought we wanted or needed like the iPad.

Learn more about this influential man on Bloomberg’s 2010 documentary about Steve Jobs (5 parts in this YouTube playlist):

His Stanford commencement speech was one of the best I’ve heard…

And one of the best Apple ads, oldie but goodie…

Today I want to show you a laptop sleeve, the AcmeMade Skinny Sleeve for the MacBook Air.

I know this is my photography blog, but sometimes I must indulge myself with a little product review every now and then that’s not directly related to photography. I took a few product photos of my own but you can see more pics on the AcmeMade website. I was going to even go as far as a video review, but AcmeMade did one themselves, why double the effort?

Check out the company’s promo video for this amazing MacBook Air sleeve.

The MacBook Air is in my opinion one of Apple’s most beautiful products. Perhaps the biggest selling point is their ultra-portability. Very thin, very lightweight, and very powerful for its form factor today. And with all the heavy gear I already carry on the road and on airlines, this is perfect for the traveling photographer.

With up to 1.8GHz Intel processors, faster memory, high quality display, full size backlit keyboard, full size trackpad, and a fast Solid State Drive, the MacBook Airs are capable of running Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop without a hitch. It’s a nice balance between ultra-mobility and main workstation. Although most prefer to bring the work back onto the mothership back at the office.

So how is one to carry this beautiful ultra-portable device? Well in a nice looking ultra-portable case or sleeve of course! There are many laptop bags, cases and sleeves out there for the MacBooks, something for everyone. But for the Air I wanted to find something that doesn’t take away from its main purpose as an ultra-portable, lightweight, no frills notebook. Plus this is a sleeve, not a case. So it’s slim enough to fit inside a case or bag. It fits very easily into my Think Tank Photo Shape Shifter backpack or Think Tank Photo Airport Security roller bag.

Here’s the company’s product description:

The Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens was loaned to me by the wonderful folks at Canon Professional Services for me to evaluate. I mainly used it for the Baltimore Grand Prix, but also tried it out at a wedding shoot. I don’t do full spec reviews, I’d rather leave that to the more technical folks. Instead I try to stick to practical scenarios.

Let’s take a look at the Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS next to my workhorse telephoto, the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

Now on to some samples from motorsports. This is where I think the lens shines. Shooting sporting events typically requires a longer focal length to get close shots of the action. Many editors want as much detail and in-your-face action shots as much as possible. And when you’re limited to where you can shoot from you need to be prepared to have that reach. With 400mm this is not a problem. Add that to a crop sensor like on my 7D and you have more than 400mm at hand.

Now on to some wedding photos I shot for my friend and photographer Laurie Bracewell. The image quality is as good as expected from a Canon L lens. Because of its push-pull zoom design and variable aperture I did not have high expectations for a wedding shoot. But I was pleasantly surprised by the results. The image quality, fast autofocus, and lightweight made this a good performer at a wedding. However, I would still choose my 70-200 over this mainly because of it faster and constant aperture of f/2.8. The biggest challenge some will have to contend with on the 100-400 is the variable aperture of f/4.5-5.6, not a fast lens compared to a constant aperture of f/2.8 on other telephoto lenses.

PROS:

• Excellent image quality that’s sharp and clear.
• Lightweight and very versatile for most situations, particularly sports.
• Excellent build, function, and performance that deserves the “L” designation.

CONS:

• The push-pull zoom takes some getting used to. I personally did not get used to it, not my favorite feature at all.
• The friction/tension ring is something I found myself constantly adjusting.
• Variable apertures are not my thing, I still prefer faster lenses.

Overall this is an excellent and very versatile lens for most situations requiring the reach you need. Both affordable and lightweight, it could be one of the most popular lenses for sports shooters.

I’ve been asked by some photographers about this particular lighting setup I shared on Facebook recently…

It’s simple and relatively inexpensive, although there might be less expensive alternatives and DIY versions around. If you know of some, please leave a comment and let us know about them! I’ve been using this setup for over a year now and until I find something even more streamlined and portable, it’s working well for now. Now I am a fan of the softbox but sometimes speed is the priority, particularly when getting around a busy city where getting the couple to the reception on time is important.

Here’s the lightstick product list–

• Lastolite Triflash bracket
• Ezybox Extension Handle
• PocketWizard – pictured is a Plus II 
• PocketWizard MiniTT1 – attaches to your camera hotshoe to trigger the remote PocketWizard on lightstick, but you can use any compatible PocketWizard transceiver.

For this mobile lightstick setup just add your Speedlites and you should be set. Now this Lastolite Triflash bracket can actually hold up to three flashes, but two is usually enough for my needs. If you want to use three Speedlights for more power just attach the PocketWizard to one of the flashes or caddy it to the Ezybox Extension Handle. In this setup I have one PocketWizard firing both Speedlights using a Y-adapter you can find at a Radio Shack, connect that to your PocketWizard sync cords.

Natural light is great, but sometimes you lose details in important things like wedding gowns. Off-camera lighting can bring some of that detail back into the mix with the right exposure balancing ambient and your lights, then tweak your exposure settings to taste.  I still favor the softbox or other light modifiers for more controlled situations. But the mobility and portability of the lightstick setup I’m currently using has its benefits, especially when I travel a lot. It’s easy to pack for a plane ride or bus ride when you want to keep things lightweight and compact.

Hope some of my fellow photographers enjoyed this post. Let me know your thoughts!  Here are some sample photos:

The 2011 Baltimore Grand Prix for IndyCar and American Le Mans Series was an inaugural motorsport event where city streets were turned into high speed straights and technical corners. Professional drivers like Dario Franchitti, Bill Auberlen and Danica Patrick sped their way around Inner Harbor, Camden Yards, and the Baltimore Convention Center in an effort to take victory lane.

Photographing on assignment for Eye On Annapolis required me to be mobile at all times. I needed a solution that would be lightweight, easy to manage, and comfortable for a full day of photography. Like many event and sports photographers I carried both cameras around my shoulders, one with a wide angle lens, the other with a telephoto. This method ensures you’re ready to shoot anything, because in motorsports, you’re a reactive photographer since the action is fast… about 180 mph fast! While I typically favor the one-body-lens-switching method I felt the two-camera solution would give me an edge letting me focus on being ready for the moment (hey, that’s Think Tank Photo’s slogan!).

So I needed a shoulder bag that would double as a lens bag AND a camera bag. My current Boda lens bag is great but limited to just, well… carrying lenses and accessories. It’s not designed to carry a camera body. But the Speed Freak V2 fills that gap with mostly good features that meet my requirements.

On Friday’s practice session for the drivers, I opted to start with this setup––

• Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2 shoulder bag/beltpack
• Think Tank Photo R U Thirsty (absolutely a necessity at an event like this, stay hydrated!)
• Think Tank Photo Lens Changer 75 Pop Down (a good solution for belt carry of long telephotos like the 70-200 or 100-400 with lens hood attached)
  
• Think Tank Photo Lightning Fast (easy to carry your speed light in a pouch for quick access)
• Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens (perfect for getting close when you can’t, and it’s lightweight with great image quality)
• Canon EOS 7D SLR Digital Camera (Body Only) (at 8 fps, good for action and sports)
• Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera (Body Only) (the obvious choice when you want the full frame look)
• Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens (great for capturing the scenes at big events like a grand prix)

Photo of me with all the goodies on Friday––

The construction quality and no-nonsense design is top notch as usual from Think Tank Photo. Designed by professional and experienced photographers FOR professional photographers.

The Speed Freak V2 is not only a shoulder bag, but also a belt pack. It includes concealable belt straps you can easily deploy for added security and support. The belt straps have the Modular rails so you can attach Think Tank Photo’s Modular or Skin components to increase gear carrying capacity as needed. Hence why I attached my R-U-Thirsty water bottle pouch, Lightning Fast speedlight pouch, and Lens Changer 75 Pop Down pouch. The 75 was great when I needed to briefly “holster” my camera with telephoto in the event I needed to take some of the weight off my shoulder. The “Pop Down” part is a simple expandable bottom that you can drop out for added length of longer lenses, clever indeed.

Inside the Speed Freak V2 I carried all the basic essentials a photographer needs such as CF cards, AA batteries, SLR batteries, pens, business cards, ibuprofen, bandaids, gum, speedlight sync cord, wallet, iPhone.

The Speed Freak V2 does the job well and then some. It is comfortable to wear and easy to work from since you can carry your SLR with a wide lens attached inside the bag, plus one or two extra lenses. The top hinges open, up and away for rapid access. Close it up and there’s yet a clever full length zipper on the “lid” for more discreet access. The Canon 100-400 compresses down to the length and size of a Canon 70-200 so it was easy to put it away inside the Speed Freak V2 at the end of the day.

The Speed Freak V2 definitely delivers on its promise as a shoulder bag with the versatility of a belt pack. It also meets my requirement of having a rigid shoulder bag that carries my camera body AND lenses together. Sure my Retrospective 10 bag could do this to, but that’s more geared toward casual use in most situations (e.g., travel, vacation).

The only complaint I have with the Speed Freak was that after 8 hours or so at the race, my left hip was feeling the weight and pressure (the bag rests on my right hip, or slightly in front of it). Concentrated weight on one side of the body is bound to result in some discomfort on the side that’s balancing the load. Perhaps a slightly wider waist strap or optional wider and padded insert can help distribute the weight balance better. One of the ways I alleviated this pressure was to simply put away the belt straps and let my shoulder do the work. Of course, I sacrifice the functionality of the modular rails. Otherwise, this bag is awesome and will continue using it for events and even as a lens bag that can also carry my SLR when I need to put it away. Currently, I use my Boda Lens Bag when I shoot weddings or events, but I feel the Speed Freaks V2′s ability to carry my SLR as well gives it the edge.

So was this the only bag I used for the Grand Prix? NOPE! On Saturday and Sunday I brought out the Think Tank Photo Shape Shifter backpack and Pro Speed Belt with Modular Set. Scratching your head are ya? Well keep watching out for this blog, subscribe, so you can see my next review. I’ll answer the why, what, and how I shot the Baltimore Grand Prix using Think Tank Photo gear. Don’t forget that if you order through MyPicDaddy Think Tank Photo banners and links you’ll get a free gift with your purchase. In the meantime, check out my work blog with some race weekend pics from the IndyCar and American Le Mans Series. 

The mission of my new blog site, MyPicDaddy, is aimed at educating and inspiring new photographers, particular new DSLR owners. Parents with cameras, camera enthusiasts, and aspiring photographers, MyPicDaddy is for you!  Consumers not only want a nice entry-level SLR, they want to know how to get the most from it.

This is also an effort to separate my “how-to’s” from this blog and keeping my missions on point.  While MyPicDaddy‘s mission will focus on the “how do you do that”, ARMINBLOG‘s mission will continue to share my latest work.

So if you got a new camera and want to know and understand lighting, what accessories to get, where to find good deals, and how to get the most from your camera gear, visit MyPicDaddy to help get you up and shooting!  PLEASE let me know what kind of topics you’d like me to cover to ensure the content stays as relevant as possible.  See you there!

The Canon 7D is one of the coolest digital SLRs I’ve had my hands on. Thanks to Canon Professional Services I had the opportunity to shoot a destination wedding with it. Take a look at the wedding gallery in my blog post of Jessica & Ara’s destination wedding in Costa Rica. I shot all those images with both a Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon 7D.

Now take a closer look at the photos, can you really tell the difference between what might’ve been shot with the 5D Mark II versus the 7D? If you thought “no”, that’s my point. The image quality is quite excellent for a prosumer SLR. Okay, enough suspense. I had my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens attached to the 7D the entire day at the wedding. So basically, the photos that have that telephoto compression quality were shot with the 7D. I’ll save you some trouble and share a few sample images in the gallery below…

Canon EOS 7D review_001 Canon EOS 7D review_002 Canon EOS 7D review_003 Canon EOS 7D review_004 Canon EOS 7D review_005 Canon EOS 7D review_006 Canon EOS 7D review_007 Canon EOS 7D review_008 Canon EOS 7D review_009 Arminblog

In short, the camera is user friendly and performs up to the standards a professional like me expects from Canon.  While this is primarily marketed to the high end consumer or semi-pro photographer, I would never hesitate to use this as a second body, back-up or even a primary. It has many professional features that wins a spot in my gear bag. The AF feature set alone is awesome. I know there are camera dads like me, or parents in general, that can probably afford a higher end SLR. If you want something that’s a step up from the Canon T3i or Canon 60D, the 7D is the answer. You will be the envy of your neighbors! And for the semi-pros out there, this is the SLR to get today.

My favorite features:

• 1080 HD video
• 5 auto focus modes, 19 point AF… an awesome feature set
• Dust & weather resistant
• 8fps Burst Mode
• Wireless Speedlite EX Control
• Ergonomic design

Price for a Canon 7D at B&H Photo is around $1600. But through July 30, 2011, B&H has some great Canon deals going on! Click on the hyperlinks here or on the banner to the right of this blog post.

Check out the video about the 7D from B&H Photo.