The Camera Store Blog Posts

Pentax K30 & WG3 Outdoor Shoot

Jordan.Drake — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:16:17 +0000

Jordan writes about his experience at the Pentax K30 & WG-3 Adventure Shoot.

I’m a Pentax fan. Pentax DSLRs are my favourite stills cameras to bring along whenever I know the camera might be in for some abuse. The weather sealed Pentax K30 is a particular favourite of mine, as it is by far the least expensive, properly weather sealed DSLR. Chris was a big fan as well, as you can see in our K30 Field Test Video. However, I had never really shot any video with a Pentax camera, outside of the short snippets I shoot for the videos to check out image quality.

When we were told about the video contest Pentax and The Camera Store were holding, Chris and I were interested in shooting a sample video with Pentax cameras. As we were trying to emphasize the ruggedness of Pentax cameras, we brought out a couple WG3s and K30s. I considered shooting with the Pentax K-5IIs, but the K30 features full manual control in video, which I think is almost a necessity for DSLR video work.

Shooting with the K30 was a lot of fun. The control layout is very intuitive, and the screen is very sharp. I did have to use a Zacuto Z-Finder to be able to gauge exposure accurately, but I found focussing to be very straightforward. I also used the very cool P&C Gearbox Cage, to make the camera easy to move around while climbing. I wasn’t sure what image settings to use, and there wasn’t a lot of information online about recommended settings, so I just shot with the flattest profile possible, with Saturation, Contrast and Sharpening turned off. I was happy to find that footage actually responded to image adjustments quite well. I would recommend slight over-exposure to keep your shadows from blocking up, but overall I was quite happy with the footage from the K30. I particularly enjoyed shooting the puddle footage, with a K30 strapped to the front of the truck. This is a shot I would never consider attempting with my more conventional video equipment.

The WG3 is a tough little underwater camera, so I treated it like I would a Go-Pro. We stuck it in small spaces, which you can see as Craig climbs past it in the footage. I thought Mark Langridge had a great idea putting the camera half in the water and having Chris cast his line right in front of it. Like other underwater cameras, the WG3 doesn’t offer manual video exposure, but I was happy to find an included filter thread. This allowed me to use a small three stop ND filter to keep the shutter speeds slower. I think the footage turned out quite nice, the I’d love to see an exposure lock option in the next version.

Overall the Pentax shoot was a lot of fun and I’m quite happy with the results. If you do stills and video in rugged environments I can’t recommend these two cameras enough. Also, if the K30 looks like a good camera for you, don’t forget to enter the Outdoor Adventure Film Fest, and you could win a great weather-sealed kit!

Pentax K-30
The K-30 is an affordable, weather resistant, dustproof, coldproof and lightweight high-performance DSLR body. Whether it’s a sandy day at the beach or a trek into the wet rainforests of Belize, the K-30 is weather sealed body and intuitive ergonomics give you the flexibility and comfortability to shoot what you want.

For your chance to win a K-30 Prize Pack, check out our Pentax Adventure Video Contest!

Pentax WG-3
The WG-3 is a rugged adventure proof camera that lets you dive deeper, climb higher and explore longer. Built for life's adventures, planned and unexpected. Capture outstanding images in any element with its brighter 4X optical zoom, Shake Reduction system and high resolution sensor. Dive deeper, climb higher, explore longer, and capture even more of your journey with the PENTAX WG-3.

For your chance to win a WG-3 Prize Pack, check out on Pentax Outdoor Adventure Photo Contest!

Pentax Cameras Built for Adventure

Evelyn.Drake — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:48:41 +0000

Find Out Why The Pentax K-30 and Pentax Optio WG-3 Cameras are Built For Adventure!

Recently our TCSTV crew organized a multi-sport adventure day with friends. We captured rock climbing, ice climbing, fishing, wood chopping, 4x4ing, puddle splashing, mountain biking and even hot dog roasting.

Not only did we set out to have fun, our adventure had a purpose too. We used this opportunity to demonstrate just how tough Pentax cameras are. We have been telling everyone how hard-core these cameras really are but as they say, "we need to see pics or it didn't happen".

To shoot the adventure, we chose the Pentax K-30 and the WG-3 to capture all the stills and video footage. We strapped the DSLR to the front of a 4x4 while trudging through rough and muddy roads. We dangled the WG-3 from dusty rock faces as our adventurous friends climbed passed and when it was all done the cameras got a nice ice cold wash. Yes, that's right. We washed the mud and dirt off in the sink!

After a day of what would normally be considered camera torture, the Pentax cameras survived and are ready to take on our next outdoor journey.

Here's what video specialist Jordan Drake had to say about the shoot: "Since I typically work with delicate and expensive video equipment, it was refreshing to have the chance to rough-house the Pentax K-30 and WG-3. It was not only fun working with the cameras, I was also impressed with how well the footage held up in post. Stay tuned for my complete take on this shoot next week on The Camera Store Blog."

Pentax K-30
The K-30 is an affordable, weather resistant, dustproof, coldproof and lightweight high-performance DSLR body. Whether it’s a sandy day at the beach or a trek into the wet rainforests of Belize, the K-30 is weather sealed body and intuitive ergonomics give you the flexibility and comfortability to shoot what you want.

For your chance to win a K-30 Prize Pack, check out our Pentax Adventure Video Contest!

Art of The Portrait Workshop For a Cause

Evelyn.Drake — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:46:43 +0000

For the third year in a row, Dan Bannister is doing his Art of the Portrait workshop.

For the third year in a row, Dan Bannister is doing his Art of the Portrait Workshop, a one day workshop in his studio that's become a very popular annual event. This is the only opportunity you'll have to learn from one of the busiest commercial photographers in Canada. Dan's workshop is limited to only 8 people and all the proceeds go to support the Ride to Conquer Cancer.

In the morning session, Dan will review some of the equipment and techniques he uses to create stunning portraits for fashion and lifestyle clients. He'll discuss how to use natural light, reflection and shadows to sculpt beautiful portraits as well as reviewing some broad concepts about people photography that will help you improve your work.

After a short lunch break and discussion, you will break into small groups and work with models and the studio equipment to create your own portraits and problem solve various scenarios.

This will be a very full and busy day with lots of opportunities to discuss all aspects of portrait photography, lighting, styling and workflow.

All proceeds from the workshop go to support the Ride to Conquer Cancer.

Dan Bannister is a Canadian commercial, fashion and editorial photographer. Dan shoots everything from annual reports for some of the largest companies in North America to advertising campaigns and fashion for clients all over Canada and the US.

Portraits of South Sudan Pt. 2 The Elders

Fri, 03 May 2013 00:08:24 +0000

Robert Scott shares portraits from South Sudan that he shot to help raise awareness on the need for water in this developing area.

Calgary based photographer Robert Scott shares portraits from South Sudan that he shot to help raise awareness on the need for water in this developing area.

"It’s important to state that the main reason why my camera and I were excepted into the village was that I was introduced to the village elders to explain my presence and to ask permission. I was immediately brought in as family. The elders of the community are highly respected and they speak for the entire community. As soon as I had their blessing my trigger finger couldn’t keep up."

Click here to read Robert's blog post and to view more of his photographs from this project.

Robert Scott is a landscape and portriat photographer in Calgary. He hosting a seminar at The Camera Store classroom called: Landscape Photography: Death Valley on May. 11th, 2013. Click here for more info.

Pentax Adventure Photo & Video Contest

Evelyn.Drake — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:52:51 +0000

Upload your photo or video of any outdoor activity for your chance to win great Pentax prizes!

To show just how durable, fun and capable Pentax cameras are; we gathered some adventurous friends, drove down miles of treacherous roads and had some good times out in the mountains. All this, while capturing the action in some less than friendly conditions. We hope you enjoy watching the video as much as we enjoyed making it.

This isn't just about us though, we'd love to see what adventures you have! In partnership with Pentax we have both a photo contest AND a video contest, both with awesome prizes. Keep reading for details on how to enter.

Show us your outdoor adventures by entering the Pentax Outdoor Adventure Photo & Video Contests Between May 1st - June 30th, 2013.

PHOTO CONTEST:
Upload Your Outdoor Adventure Photos to Win One of Three Pentax Optio WG-3 Prize Packages! View full details and upload your photo on our Facebook page!

VIDEO CONTEST:
Share Your Outdoor Adventure Video Footage as a response to our YouTube video for a chance to win a new Pentax DSLR!

DEADLINE:
The deadline for entries is June 30 2013 at Midnight (Mountain Standard Time)

THE PRIZES

The Photo Contest Prize Pack:

The winner from each photo category will win a Pentax Optio WG-3 Prize Package Which Includes an Apex 30AW Camera Case from Lowepro and an Original Joby Gorillapod.

The Video Contest Prize Pack:

Pentax K30 with 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 WR Prize Package with a Lowepro Flipside Sport 20L and a Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom. The Runner-Up Will Win a Q&A Skype Session with our TCSTV Crew Jordan Drake & Chris Niccolls.

Portraits of South Sudan Pt. 1 Women and Water

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:27:03 +0000

Calgary based photographer Robert Scott shares portraits from South Sudan that he shot to help raise awareness on the need for water.

Calgary based photographer Robert Scott shares portraits from South Sudan that he shot to help raise awareness on the need for water in this developing area.

"My job was to document the people and their condition in order to raise awareness and then ultimately financial support from you in the hopes that we can bring fresh water to these people as soon as we can. A fundraising gala will be held this October in the hopes to raise $12,000 U.S for the construction of the well. I’ll be posting more information as the event nears."

Click here to read Robert's blog post and to view more of his photographs from this project.

Robert Scott is a landscape and portriat photographer in Calgary. He hosting a seminar at The Camera Store classroom called: Landscape Photography: Death Valley on May. 11th, 2013. Click here for more info.

Call for Camera Donations

Evelyn.Drake — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:03:41 +0000

Your retired digital camera can take on a new life, and help save lives.

Your retired digital camera can take on a new job, and help save lives.

2.5 billion people in the rural developing world use crude open fires to cook meals.The consequences of this are enormous: 1.6 million women and children die annually from upper respiratory disease related to indoor cooking smoke.

BURN Design Lab designs stoves that are optimized for regional fuel supplies and cooking requirements. More than that, they provide mentoring & training so the stoves can be mass produced locally.

The positive effects of using effiicient, clean burning stoves are numerous, including:

Drastic reductions in toxic and CO emissions.
Reduced demand for fuel. A single $20 stove can save 128 trees from destruction and additionally save a family 1300 hours per year in fuel gathering.

Burn Design Lab's will use donated cameras to document their work in the field and the lab. Photos & video are an important part of sharing the story, both for education and fundraising.

Drop off your used (but functioning) digital cameras and lenses to The Camera Store by June 30th, 2013 to support this cause. (Please include batteries, chargers and any other accessories you have available)

"BURN Design Lab is a nonprofit organization located on Vashon Island, WA whose mission is to save lives and forests in the developing world through the design and commercial distribution of clean burning cookstoves. We bring together the best minds in product design, engineering, and manufacturing to develop user- centered, aspirational products. BURN’s research and design center creates the tooling and manufacturing processes to enable mass production of our stove designs in developing communities."

Follow BURN Design Lab on Facebook.

Canon Rebel T5i Hands-On

Jordan.Drake — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:23:20 +0000

Chris takes a look at the Canon T5i to see what's changed this year

The Canon Rebel line have always been excellent entry level cameras, so Chris and I were eager to check out the specs on the latest camera. We discovered quickly that the T5i is essentially a Rebel T4i with a new kit lens. We felt that the shortest TCSTV review ever was the appropriate response, and here you have it.

The video was shot with the Sony FS700, and the Canon 24mm F1.4, 100mm F2.8 IS Macro, and the Sigma 35mm 1.4. As has been the case lately, I used the Metabones Speed Booster to adapt the lenses.

Fiilex LEDs for Portrait Photography (With Rob Caleffi)

Jordan.Drake — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:44:18 +0000

We check out the incredibly flexible LED lights from Fiilex.

Some of my favourite tools in our TCSTV video kit are Lumahawk LEDs, which have allowed us to have portable, color adjustable lighting that we can bring anywhere. My only issue with the traditional LED panels, was that could not be modified in the way that our old hot lights and HMIs could be. Often, I wanted a tight spotlight for my hair light, and it was near impossible to get the right look with our large LED panels.

Enter the Fiilex P360, these are wonderful LEDs that accept not only Fiilex modifiers, but also the entire line of Profoto accessories. I was already sold on the system for video work, but Chris and I were curious how the lights would perform for still photography. To that end we brought in Rob Caleffi, a wonderful portrait photographer who had been utilizing constant light to brilliant effect for years.

The results can be seen in the video above, I think they speak for themselves. My major issue while shooting the video was that all our lights were being used to photograph Christina, our model, leaving me to fight for any scrap of light I could find to illuminate Chris. This is where my beloved Metabones Speed Booster came into play, as it allowed me an exposure of F1.0 when used with the Sigma 35mm F1.4. As a result, the depth of field in this video was shallower than I’d usually want, but at least Chris and Rob can be seen in the darkness.

I’m certainly a convert to Fiilex system, and if you think it could improve your work in stills or motion, I’d suggest checking them out. We just added a set with modifiers to our rental pool, so if you’re local and want to get more creative with your lighting, there’s no excuse not to give the Fiilex a shot.

Thoughts on M4/3 by Seyil Yoon

manager — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:14:45 +0000

A former Nikon shooter shares his experiences on switching from a Nikon DSLR to a Micro 4/3rds system for documenting his outdoor adventures.

By: Seyil Yoon

As someone who spends a lot of time in the backcountry, I'm always looking to lighten my load. Whether it be climbing, backcountry skiing, or scrambling, every gram counts. Even more important than weight, though, is bulk and usability, since squeezing through small chimneys or taking photos while trying not to slide down an avalanche chute can be more challenging than skiing 30km in a day.

This desire to trim down led me to evaluate the camera system I was carrying. My previous Nikon kit typically tipped the scales at around 15 pounds, and would reach 30 pounds for longer trips (due to more lenses and accessories).

The various mirrorless systems appealed to me for their reduction in weight and bulk, but my concern was that I would be unhappy with the image quality produced by these cameras. With the release of the Panasonic DMC-GH3 and Olympus OM-D E-M5, I felt that the micro four thirds system had matured to a point where they would be worth a look. Certainly, the lens selection was already there, in contrast to the other mirrorless systems.

I spent a number of months playing around with various bodies and lenses, and of course reading numerous reviews. In the end, I chose the GH3 as the ergonomics of the body felt much better in my hand, in spite of being slightly heavier and bulkier (or perhaps because of) than the E-M5. Buttons and controls were both plentiful and easier to reach.

After having shot with the GH3 and my new collection of lenses (Olympus 12/2, Olympus 17/1.8, Panasonic 45/2.8 macro), here are my thoughts. Perhaps others will find these impressions useful.

The weight savings is WONDERFUL. My previous "lightweight" kit was the D700 and 35/1.4, which weighed around 2.8kg. My current kit weighs around 1.5kg, while giving me more flexibility in terms of focal length. Furthermore, I can downsize my support as well (going from a Gitzo 1531 + BH-40 to a RRS TFA-01 + BH-25).

The image quality of the GH3 at base ISO 200 is noticeably noisier than the D700. This was actually a surprise to me, as I knew that high ISO performance would be considerably worse, but figured that base ISO would be about the same. I do miss the clean files that the D700 generates.

Dynamic range of the GH3 at base ISO has been great. Very similar to the D700. I can't really tell a difference.

Continuous autofocus of the GH3 is not very good (I might even say bad). Tracking people as they ski by is very hit-or-miss. Some lenses are better than others (the 17/1.8 is usable, the 45/2.8 is not, but then again, it is a macro lens), but overall the tracking logic can get fooled pretty easily (e.g. track a particular key on a keyboard, and then watch as it picks other keys as the camera is panned side-to-side).

Since I'm using a couple of Olympus lenses on a Panasonic body, not all the in-body corrections are being applied, but I don't mind. One thing I've had to deal with in post-processing on a regular basis is chromatic aberrations.

Another problem I've had which I didn't anticipate is constantly hitting the 1/4000s shutter speed limit. In an FX world, I frequently shot at f/5.6, which would typically give me 1/3000s shutter speeds on sunny winter days (a little off the Sunny F16 rule, but perhaps due to additional glare off the snow). Now, if I want the same depth-of-field, I have to shoot at f/2.8, but then that results in a required shutter speed of 1/12000s. As a result, I have to watch my highlights a lot more carefully. I could carry a 2 stop ND filter, but thus far I've been too lazy to do so.

Long lenses are a bit of a weakness still. I wasn't too impressed with the 35-100/2.8, the 45/2.8 is a slug at focusing, and the reviews of the other variable apertures zooms haven't been fantastic. I've heard the 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 are quite nice, but at those focal lengths I'd like to have some sort of image stabilization, so I'm limited to Panasonic lenses. The 45/1.2 and 150/2.8 look interesting, but those won't be available until the beginning of 2014 as per the rumour mill.

As the micro four thirds system matures some more, the two things I look forward to most is better continuous autofocus / focus tracking and long telephoto lenses with Panasonic's O.I.S. (or for Panasonic to release a body with in-body image stabilization comparable to the E-M5). However, I'm still satisfied with what is available now as it has allowed me to have more enjoyable days in the backcountry.

BIO

Seyil Yoon moved to Alberta in 2004 to be closer to the mountains. He is now surrounded on all sides and likes it that way.
You can read about his adventures plus see more of his photos at: http://wings-lifeinthemountains.blogspot.ca/