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Universal Truth (pt. 1)

You got your toy for the holiday. Now you want extra stuff to make your toy more fun. The toy probably works to some extent just the way you got it, but that extra stuff, now that’s gonna make more useful. More fun. This is how it was with Hot Wheels, G.I.Joes, Barbies, you name it as we were growing up.

This is how it is with the toys we use as adults (I hesitate to say grown ups) too.  Let’s say you got a lens shutter (point and shoot) digital camera for the holiday. (I waited for you to say it, did you say it? Say it NOW or I won’t continue.) That was to easy, NOW buy every thing that I recommend in the post. NO? Can’t blame me for trying.

So you got your new point and shoot digital. Is that it, are we done? No so, a mini tripod from Trekpod, or one of those Bogen Manfroto tripods or a way cool Joby Gorilla pod will give you so many more opportunities to exorcise your inner Ansel. An accessory case or bag can add safety and protection to your memory maker, and piece of mind to you. Extra batteries will double your next urban safari time. A car battery charger can insure that when you arrive at Aunt Tilly’s Cotillion you can capture every terpsichorial treat. Lastly do I even have to mention memory cards? Stock up our SD memory cards, and Flash Memory cards are still at holiday prices. Since you will have extra memory, get a Memory card reader so you don’t have to tie up your camera for downloading.



7 Million Dollar Home: Video Review

Alright, in honor of my bag upgrade we’re going to start a specialized segment of Roberts Raw for bag capacities. We’re going to kick it off with my own personal kit (actually, there was some space left so I borrow a few extra products from our display rack to pad it out) and a Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home to show you about what you can expect it to hold. Because, let’s face it, if you’re anything like me you read the interior dimensions of a bag and go “that’s great, now how much is that in equipment?”

You can watch the video below, no frills, just quick bag packing, to see how much equipment this particular bag can swallow. If you want to see a specific ag you’ve been eyeing packed, hit us up in the comments or email me at dmartin@robertsimaging.com. We’ll select two bags a month and pack different types of kits–Canon digital SLR cameras, Nikon flashes, Sony lenses, compact camcorders, you name it–all specifically chosen to give you a good visual estimate of how much you’ll be able to squeeze in.

This particular bag held all this equipment: Olympus E-3, Olympus 50-200mm, Olympus 18-180mm, Olympus 12-60mm, Olympus Zuiko 50mm, Lensbaby 3G, Nikon SB-25, Metz 58 AF-1, Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom, Induro SA-0, Roberts card wallet, miscelleneous small bits and accessories.



Waiting for a New Bag

7 Million Dollar Home So, I tok the dive and decided to upgrade my bag. This is a big step in a man’s life, maybe not as important as his first date or his first cup of coffee, but important nonetheless. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of variables have to be carefully weighed and examined before a choice can be made. What equipment do I have? What equipment will I have? How much do I want to carry day-to-day? What style? What color? These days there’s a dizzying, near-infinite combination as answers and a different bag for each (here at Roberts alone we have around 800 different style/color options available).

So, I sat down, and I thought about my “tackle.” An Olympus digital camera, mid-sized. A fairly chunky but not huge telephoto zoom. A standard zoom. A Lensbaby 3G. A very tiny Zuiko prime from the 70s. An aging but still excellent SB-25 (found in the Nikon flashes down in our used store). I’ll be adding a Metz 58 AF-1OP as soon as the funds come up next year. I’ve got a Gorillapod SLR-Zoom with an Induro SA-0 on it (a nice substitute for camera tripods, useful for remote flash work.) A slew of the usual digital camera accessories: an extra battery, some cables, the aperture for the Lensbaby, a spare compact flash memory card or two.

In the future there might be another lens or two, and I might start carrying around a back-up body, so I need a bag with a lot of space and a bit more I can milk out of it.

But I hate those monolithic black ballistic nylon backback bags. Don’t get me wrong, companies like ThinkTank Photo make some very slick offerings in that style. But it’s not for me.

So I have a Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home on its way, in the tasty brown/oatmeal/green (they’ve apparently done away with the brown/green/blue version) color combo. Expect some pictures to come as I attempt to fit everything inside it.



Confessions of a Coffee Addict, pt 1

I Gots the Jitters 1

Hi everybody, I’m glad you could join us today. My name is Derek, and I’m a coffee addict (murmur of support and hellos). I know, I know. It’s just, it’s such a nice arrangement, my addiction. I get to not have splitting headaches, and hey, I’m providing revenue streams to developing countries, right? Right?

But, I’m not going to let it get in the way of things that matter to me, like my photography. So, I’m here to tell you about the world where dark roast meets lens hoods.

We’re going to start with tripods. Now, me, personally, I don’t like them much. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something inexplicably neat about them, I just hate having to use them. I tend to shoot available light because tripods hinder my mobility to move around and explore a subject.

But, good luck hand-holding even a stabilized camera once the sun sets and getting a crisp shot (no, honest, the blur is an artistic decision, not a technical failing, I promise!). Especially since after a pot or two my hands aren’t exactly surgeon-steady. So, tripods.

The big names here of course the Bogen Manfrotto tripods or Gitzo tripods. But, since I’m an art shooter (read: not getting paid for this) I have a hard time justifying a tripod that costs twice as much as my camera when I’m only going to use it for one out of fifty shots.

Induro A214Fortunately, there’s Induro. They make camera tripods that approach the quality of the big guys, if not meet it, except at a price I can afford. I’ve been playing around with them, and I’m thinking of getting one soon to replace my current studio tripod. I have their brochure on my coffee table. I use one of their SA-0 ballheads on a Gorillapod Zoom to hold a wireless flash unit. But, how can you not love something like the A214 (pictured), 20.9″ Folded / 65.84″ Extended for under 130 bucks. Now, that I can justify.

Next time, getting mobile without getting shaky.




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