DC Event Photographer. Commercial Photographer. Automotive Photographer. Destination Weddings. Armin DeFiesta.

Olloclip Review

Armin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:24:50 +0000

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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.

This is what a wide-angle view looks like. Despite the expected distortion, you get some wide coverage.

I think the macro lens is my favorite of the three.

Wide angle lens - view of the back seat in a mid-size SUV.

Wide angle lens used here. The closer you are to your subject, the more distortion you get. An inherent trait with a wide angle lens.

The Fisheye lens is fun to use, especially for tight spaces like this play tunnel.

There is vignetting though when using the Fisheye lens. If it bothers you, just crop it out using the iPhone's "edit" function. Or use any photo editor you want.

Macro! Yes, this is from a fortune cookie.

The macro lens is used here for the back of the little iPod Shuffle.

A macro shot of the Apple key or Command key on a Mac keyboard.

Macro shot of a cardboard box. You can really start to see those fibers.

The New Canon G1X Announced!

Armin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:47:45 +0000

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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

ACTION MOVIE FX FOR THE IPHONE

Armin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:31:19 +0000

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This is a fun app so far. I shot and edited both clips in the iPhone. The effects were done using the ACTION MOVIE FX app, a free download for a limited time created by Bad Robot, J.J. Abrams’ production company. GET THE APP!

MISSING RACING SEASON ALREADY

Armin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:00:05 +0000

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The Daytona 500 in February can’t come fast enough!

WEBSITE UPDATE | ARMIN DEFIESTA PHOTOGRAPHY

Armin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:35:24 +0000

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In case you haven’t checked it out, the website’s got a new look. Clean and simple and dominated by commercial work. I will be happy to still take on a few weddings so don’t hesitate to ask! http://www.armindefiesta.com

IPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARMIN DEFIESTA

Armin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:19:20 +0000

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Remember yesterday’s post about motorsports photography tips and the “mystery car”? Well here’s how I did it. Pretty simple actually.

This is THE ORIGINAL photo, shot with my iPhone 4. It's a toy die cast car my son was playing with and a spontaneous idea came to mind. The window light was right, and placing the phone on the green table to enhance the scope and perspective of the toy car helped add some realism. I then used one of the vintage settings in the Snapseed app. Below is the result.

The result! Pretty cool stuff I guess. The toy car is one of the animated cars from the Pixar film CARS. I think the slightly exaggerated dimensions and design of the toy car might impact a viewer's perception, provided the conditions are right. Hope you enjoyed this fun little shoot!

MOTORSPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS BY ARMIN DEFIESTA

Armin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:13:20 +0000

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Shooting motorsports these days require long days, physical and mental stamina. Having an interest in the sport also helps a shooter get through the long race weekends. Heck, if you have a passion for racing, even better. With hundreds of sports shooters and fans with cameras at the tracks, the competition is high, and the images are abundant. It isn’t like the old days when only a handful of photographers had the coveted images for all the sports magazines and media. Nowadays, everyone has something “great” to contribute, saturating the playing field. So what keeps me wanting to shoot these high octane events? I love cars and racing, simple as that. I definitely don’t do this for big money. And honestly, I may have to limit the amount of travel for the 2012 season. I’d like to share some of my experiences and lessons learned from this year. Hopefully these tips might be useful to some of you interested in this dramatic and dangerous sport.

Race weekends are amazing. You show up very early (e.g., 7am or 8am), check in, get your creds, attend the photographer meetings, gear up and find your spots. Many places say these meetings are mandatory, I highly recommend you go everyday, even though the information might be the same each time – the biggest thing is track safety. This is one of those sports where athletes are at risk of injury or dying and they have. Spectators and photographers are equally at risk, especially photographers. Always keep safety in mind because you just don’t know what’s going to happen on the track, and things happen very fast.

NEVER cross a hot track, I don’t care who you are. For one thing, you will very likely be banned from shooting the rest of the race and weekend. No arguments about it. Ejected. And when you’re in the pits, be very very mindful of the race teams working there. You do not want to be an unnecessary problem to worry about. The pit action is fast, close, very intense, dangerous, and unpredictable.

Have a good pair of shoes for walking, because you do a lot of it. Wear footwear that provides good stability and comfort. And have good carrying gear too, makes all the difference when you’re on your feet 10, 12, 16 hours a day. Thanks to Think Tank Photo I carry my gear efficiently and safely.

There are many other details and tips I could share, but I think safety, gear management and comfortable attire are the most important things. I love auto racing, but shooting it is a very tough job. My passion for the sport is what motivates me though and I hope to continue.

This is a recent photo I took just for fun of a race car after the NASCAR season ended. I normally do not use a lot of post-processing effects, but I thought it would be nice to indulge myself. Other than the gritty and moody texture, this photo is left up to interpretation.

But what exactly is this car? Who is the driver? How’d I shoot it? Anyone? Anyone? ;)

THINK TANK PHOTO RETROSPECTIVE SHOULDER BAG SALE!

Armin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:11:55 +0000

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One of our sponsors Think Tank Photo is having a great sale. Buy any Think Tank Photo Retrospective shoulder bag and GET MONEY BACK!

Between now and the end of December, whenever you order any of Think Tank Photo’s Retrospective shoulder bags, you will receive up to $20 back. Use this link code: http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/shoulder-bags/retrospective.aspx?code=AP-470

The Retrospective bags are inconspicuous, soft-sided shoulder bags with a simple exterior that blends into the environment. They range in size from the Retrospective 5–which carries one standard size DSLR with one to three lenses or a complete Micro Four Thirds or rangefinder camera system—to the Retrospective 30, which holds two pro size DSLRs plus three to six lenses. Click on the “Support” tab on each Retrospective product page to download your rebate form. And don’t forget, in addition to receiving the rebate check from Think Tank, you also get to select gear to receive for free with your order when you order using my special link code! http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/shoulder-bags/retrospective.aspx?code=AP-470

TONY STEWART IN THE MOBIL 1 #14 CHEVY WINS THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP!

Armin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:37:20 +0000

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Congratulations to Stewart-Haas Racing Driver Tony Stewart taking his #14 Mobil 1 Chevy to the finish line in one of the closes points finishes in NASCAR history. Stewart faced adversity in the beginning of the race with a damaged grill that ate up precious time in pit lane. It was up to him and his team to catch up to championship contender Carl Edwards in the #99 Aflac Ford. Both drivers raced it out just points away from each other in the Chase. They tied in points in the final laps, but the driver with the most wins, in this case Tony Stewart with 5 Chase wins, takes the cup home!

It’s been a long racing season for me and I hope to be involved in more motorsports work next season! Bring it on 2012!

2012 Chevy VOLT At The UPFROMUNDER.ORG Event

Armin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:44:24 +0000

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The future of car tech is here, the Chevy Volt, featured at the UpFromUnder event in Washington, DC. at Long View Gallery. Chevrolet was one of the major sponsors. Silent auctions for art photography and sponsor products took place, including a week’s worth of driving the Chevy Volt which one of the guests won. Now that’s awesome! This event is the result of Shutter Wars judge Nicole Wolf’s determination and efforts to support Haiti recovery, education and home rebuilding projects. The event was catered by area celebrity chefs including Brian Voltaggio. Congrats to her, the entire crew and support staff for the great work!

Chevy was one of the major sponsors at the UpFromUnder.org event supporting Haiti recovery and homebuilding efforts.

Plug and Play!