PhotoGearUser.com is a website I’ve been working on for photographers to rate and review their photography equipment.  In return for airing their thoughts and carrying out a public service to other potential users, reviewers get a link back to their own website.  So if someone reads your review and finds they want to know more about you they can just click on your link.

There’s a few reviews already up.  I’ve posted a few and others have contributed.  I’d really like to get more product reviews and have been thinking about possible incentives such as gift vouchers or maybe even cold hard cash.  Maybe run a monthly lucky draw and an award for the best review.  What do you think?

The list of products is far from complete so if there’s something you want to tell the world about or just have a rant and it’s not yet listed just drop me a line.

Does that make the photograph any better?

After all, it’s not as if image files coming out of a camera are untouched by any form of processing as each digital camera will carry out its own manipulation of the image before it’s spat out.

As far as I can recall, I don’t think I’ve taken an image that couldn’t be improved with some post processing.  What does that say about me?  What does that say about my camera?

The whole point of me shooting in RAW is the latitude I get for post processing.  I’m not yet quite arrogant enough to think I won’t need it.

Perhaps, my photographic karma will suffer the consequences of post processing, but I don’t think straight-out-of-the-camera shots are big nor clever.

Am I wrong?

I’d also just recently taken delivery of a Cokin P neutral density (ND) graduated filter set and was keen to try them out on a landscape shoot.

So, just after 7am this morning, we (I dragged my able assistant along - don’t worry, she’s a morning person!) arrived at the waterfront to find a number of other photographers already set-up and the sky was already turning a light blue.  I felt like a schoolkid arriving late for class!

Anyway, with auto-bracketing on and my new ND grads in place in front of my EF-S 17-55mm, I set about taking a series of shots with the intention of stitching them together.

Why stitch?  I could easily fit the most significant parts of the Liverpool cityscape into frame with my lens set to 17mm, but the resultant image would be too much sky and river.  There’s just not enough detail to be able to crop down a single shot so I prefer to take several and fill the frame with more buildings.

Here’s an image that’s actual comprised of 15 individual exposures - 5 sets of 3 bracketed shots tone mapped and stitched.  It’s too wide to see in full here so click it and view the original size to see it the detail.

I’m happy to say that this particular pic has been featured on the RedBubble Liverpool group.  Now, if only someone would buy a print…

It wasn’t easy, getting up so early on a weekend, but I will do it again and next time I’ll be further to right so that I can get the sunlight reflecting off the other side of the buildings.  I’ll also shoot in vertical format instead of horizontal so I can get more sky and water without losing any detail.  It means a bit more post processing, but when I’m faced with clouds and reflections like this I’d prefer to capture them.

All you need is:

• A copy of a sunrise/sunset chart
• A compass
• The sunset/sunrise time
• A timepiece

With these handy charts, you can see exactly which direction the sunset and sunrise is going to be all year round.  Print one off and stick it in your wallet, purse or keep a copy on your phone!

As well as the f/1.8, there are f/1.4 (2/3-stop faster than f/1.8) and f/1.2L (1/3-stop faster than f/1.4) versions each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

• 50mm f/1.8 (aka nifty fifty) offers sharpness, shallow depth of field and low-light capability in a very light and inexpensive lens.
• 50mm f/1.4 improves on the build quality, image quality, autofocus performance and bokeh of the f/1.8.
• 50mm f/1.2L delivers the best sharpness, image quality and build of the range, but at a cost of money and weight.

On a full-frame camera these lenses offer a versatile focal length suitable for a wide variety of different subjects.  On a cropped sensor body, the 50mm focal length moonlights well as a short portrait lens, highly usable for full-body through to head and shoulder portraits.  The maximum f/1.4 aperture is very effective at blurring backgrounds helping subjects to really pop out of a photo.

I used to own a 50mm lens on my old Canon 1000FN, but must admit that it didn’t get to see much action.

Now, with my 1.6x cropped sensor 40D, my 70-200mm f/4L is just too long to get the kind of bokeh I really want for portraits and as good as my EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 is sometimes its depth of field just isn’t shallow enough.

After seeing its almost cult-like following and a number of wonderful shots (including this one), I decided to take the plunge again with a 50mm lens after deciding the EF 85mm f/1.8 would just be too long for portraits on my 40D.

Interesting to note that Canon’s 50mm f/1.4 seems to fall behind in the sharpness and contrast stakes when compared against Sigma’s own 50mm f/1.4.  Here’s a link to a 100% crop comparison of Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM and I’m afraid to say that the difference is very apparent.

Given that the Sigma costs about £100 more than the Canon it ought to perform better, but of course they’re just photos of charts.  What’s more important is their performance in the field and I’m glad to report the Canon’s no slouch in any department.  What’s more, the shallow depth of field and bokeh - albeit octagonal - make for very pleasing results.

There wasn’t as much activity on the lake as I’d seen on previous visits, but the conditions made it ideal for capturing some waterscapes with this being my favourite:

This image is actually a composite of 3 separate long exposures blended together using HDR techniques.  Personally, I think this composite represents what I saw more accurately than any of the single exposures.

There was another shots I was trying to get and it involved this boat:

As soon as I saw the light from the setting sun hitting the boat, I made a run towards it in my brand new pair of walking boots only to discover the sand was not quite as solid as I thought it was…

Oh well, at least I got to test them out properly.  Though, next time, I’ll take wellies too.

If you’re in the Wirral area and the weather’s looking photogenic then I’d strongly recommend a visit to the marine lake because there’s just so much to take photos of there.

As the lake is less than an hour’s drive away from me, before setting off, I check on the very handy West Kirby marine lake web cam to see what the sky is like and whether there’s any activity on the lake.

If you’re wondering exactly where it is, then here’s a useful map:

View Larger Map

As you can see, the exhibition was very crowded and I left St. Georges Hall somewhat disappointed that I wasn’t able to get any clear shots without people clambering all over the statues and into frame.

When I got back home and reviewed my shots, I was no happier, but that was before I turned to Photoshop…

Using the Fractalius plugin, I was able to change the distracting elements of the photos into elements of completely different images.  All of a sudden, the other visitors became transformed into shapes and splashes of colour.  They were helping to create the ‘different’ Superlambanana images I was looking for!

With a Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW or one of its siblings, this isn’t the case (or rather the bag).

The SlingShot 300 AW is the largest of the SlingShot family and it’s probably just as well because it’s not a small bag by any means.  Able to carry a ‘professional’ camera body (or a camera body with a grip) as well 3 to 4 lenses, accessories and other non-photographic kit, the 300 model is probably the most capacious bag you’d want to carry with a single shoulder strap.  Saying that, I’ve seen some more traditional shoulder sling bags (think Billingham) that are probably just as sizeable.

Some of the features of the bag include:

• Interior Dimensions Inner Dimensions: 11.8W x 6.5D x 11.8H in / 30 x 16.5 x 30 cm
• Separate compartment for accessories or non-photographic paraphernalia
• Single padded shoulder strap and a padded waist belt
• Built-in rain hood
• SlipLock loops for add-ons
• Small compartment on front of the bag for accessories
• Built-in memory card pouches

Now, there are plenty of bags that can carry just as much as the SlingShot 300, but the main unique selling proposition of this bag is the way in which it can be swung from the wearers back, under the left arm and then sit just under chest level.  With the side access panel then facing up at the wearer, there’s no longer any need to take the bag off before getting access to your equipment.

From this position, the bag also provides an excellent support to rest elbows on.

The video below demonstrates just how the bag rotation process works.

Having a side access panel as opposed to the more traditional front opening, I feel, makes it more difficult for someone to remove the contents from the rucksack without the wearers knowledge.  With potentially thousands of pounds worth of equipment, my preference is to keep it in sight or at least feel confident about where it should be and for me this is a great feature that offers such reassurance.  The contemporary single shoulder strap design also helps to make the bag look less like a camera bag and therefore is less likely to attract unwanted attention.

There are two clips that, when fastened, restrict how far the side panel can open.  As well as being an additional security feature, these help prevent your equipment from spilling out onto the floor should you be in a hurry and over enthusiastically unzip the panel.

Whilst the bag is perfectly comfortable in use, it can become uncomfortable when laden due to the single shoulder strap.  Extended periods of use may well need to be broken up, but with lighter loads it’s much less of an issue. It is possible to carry the bag across the other shoulder instead, but this is not what the bag was designed to do, feels slightly awkward and you lose the ability to swing the bag to get at your equipment.

To protect your equipment, there’s plenty of padding in the lower compartment which can be customised thanks to the dividers being attached to the sides of the bag by Velcro.  I was able to carry my Canon EF 70-200 f/4 IS lens mounted onto my Canon EOS 40D together with additional lenses and flashgun without any problems.

Protection from rain is provided with a built-in rain cover which stows neatly away when not in use.

For those wanting to carry a tripod with them, there are SlipLock loops on the front of the bag positioned to allow one to be slotted through vertically.  Now, the bag is quite deep and with a tripod carried in this manner you really need to be careful you don’t hit people with it as you turn.

Conclusion

There is a lot to like about this bag and for those photographers who want to be able to switch from ‘carry mode’ to ’shoot mode’ in as little time as possible this is a great choice.  The bag is constructed using high quality materials and feels like it’s built to last .  There’s plenty of room for a variety of photographic equipment and should hold enough to last through an entire day of shooting if not longer.

The sling design is both its killer feature and Achilles Heel. For photographers likely to be carrying heavy equipment for an extended periods of more than a few hours at a time then the single shoulder strap could become uncomfortable.

For everyone else or for shorter periods of use, the Lowepro SlingShot 300 AW is a high quality, spacious portable storage solution that should serve its purpose very well.

Pros:

• Offers super fast access to camera with mounted lens.
• Modern one-shoulder sling design.
• Padded waist strap helps spread the carrying load.
• Capacious.
• High quality construction.
• External tripod loops.
• Built-in rain cover.

Cons:

• Single shoulder strap design could become uncomfortable when carrying a heavy load for a few hours.

Photographs of the Lowepro SlingShot 300 AW in use

No payment exchanged hands for these as I was just happy to see them being used and appreciated by others