Leica SL Shoot: APO Summicron-SL 90mm ASPH And Tiffany:

In addition to all the reviews, comparisons, and just in general, gear related articles, I’m also going to write up a post with photo sets each week.  I mentioned this a while back before my site went down, so now, I’m going to start.  Why am I doing this?  Well, portrait, fashion and boudoir are what I do when I’m not on this site.  I also believe that while all the technical descriptions in reviews are great, it’s important to also put the gear to good use.  I shoot with my own gear but often times, I will also use the gear I’m reviewing for my own work.  In this way, I can give all of you a more comprehensive review than just something filled with tech specs.  Often times, tech specs just don’t give you the whole picture of how a piece of gear will actually perform.  With that said, I bring you a shoot I did with Tiffany (Instagram). [continue reading…]

Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 First Impressions Review:

As some of you know, I’m a huge fan of Billingham bags.  They’re worth every penny because they protect gear so well, they’re extremely well-made, and more importantly, they last forever.  I have a bag that is over two decades old, and it’s still one of my normal day-to-day users.  It’s not an exception either; I have other bags from them that are many years old as well.  I treat them all like daily users, and trust me, I do not have, shall we say, the most delicate touch when it comes to my bags.  They get beat up, scraped, rained on, and snowed on.  One even had an unfortunate accident in my organic chemistry class a long time ago but it still survived ;).  My philosophy is camera bags are designed to protect my gear, and that’s how I’ll use them.  Anyway, I love Billingham bags, and I was definitely excited when I heard from them that a new bag was being released.  In fact, it’s not just a new one, it’s a new version of one of their most iconic, and best selling bag ever, the Hadley Pro. Thanks to Billingham, I’m sharing with you my first impressions of the new Hadley Pro 2020. [continue reading…]

Fujifilm X-T30 Mirrorless Camera Review:

The new Fuji X-T30 follows the same philosophy as its predecessors by taking the essentials of what makes the higher end X-T series camera (the X-T3 in this case) so adored by its users, and putting all of that goodness into a smaller yet also more affordable body.  It’s a great idea, if you think about it, and many users seem to agree.  Some are so happy with their X-T10s, and X-T20s that they don’t even see the need to ever upgrade to higher end models of the Fujifilm X Series system.  So, does this recipe still work with the X-T30?  Read on and find out. [continue reading…]

Viltrox 85mm f1.8 STM Lens Review: For Fujifilm X Series:

Note from Admin: My site went down this month for a bit, so I’m playing a bit of catch up right now.  My review of the Viltrox 85mm f1.8 will be shorter than what you might be accustomed to on this site.

Fujifilm has released a ton of great lenses over the years, and has pretty much covered their bases when it comes to focal lengths except maybe in the ultra long telephoto area.  There are also a lot of third party lenses that will fit the Fuji X Series cameras with and without adapters.  One new lens that I recently tested that comes in X Mount is the Viltrox 85mm f1.8 STM.  Factoring in the crop factor from the Fuji’s APS-C sensor, and this lens becomes a 127.5mm equivalent.  This focal length is similar to Fujifilm’s own XF 90mm f2.  However, price wise, the XF 90mm retails for $949 where as the Viltrox retails for just $379.  That’s a huge difference, and oh, by the way, the Viltrox is autofocus as well :).  So, it does seem like this would make a great alternative for those looking for a longer telephoto that’s much more affordable, right?  Let’s take a closer look at it. [continue reading…]