Artisan & Artist ACAM-301 Woven Silk Cord Camera Strap Review:

Nowadays, camera straps are a big thing in the camera world.  And why wouldn’t they be?  The world today is about personalization.  Everything we buy can be customized to our satisfaction.  Some car companies now will even paint your car any color that you would like (for a small fee, of course 🙂 ).  We now have more camera strap companies than ever before, and that is not a bad thing.  Some may say it’s a waste to “bling” your camera out but hey, it’s YOUR camera, and you can add whatever you want to it.  I remember when I first received my M3, I wanted a leather strap so badly for it.  I wanted that old school look to really resonate from my camera.  I was 12 then, and at that time, they didn’t really have any third party camera strap companies.  Now, they do, and one company that has earn the respect of many photographers is Artisan & Artist.  I spoke of Artisan & Artist straps before in my ACAm-280 Kobe Strap review, and today, I will be showing you the Artisan & Artist ACAM-301 silk cord. [continue reading…]

Gepe Card Safe Mini Review:

Hey everyone!  I received something cool from Amazon the other day, and I thought I’d share it with you all.  It’s the Gepe Card Safe Mini.  Right now, I currently store my memory cards in Gepe Card Safe Extreme Cases, which I reviewed before.  I love the cases, and I use them all the time, especially since memory cards can get lost fairly easily because of their small sizes.  But, sometimes, I walk around the city, and I don’t bring a bag because I don’t want to carry the weight.  Plus, extra stuff usually equals me being more cumbersome.  Sometimes the extreme cases are a little too big for my jeans so I decided to try out these new card safe mini’s.  Plus, like many photographers out there, I like new toys :). [continue reading…]

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS Lens/X-E1 Kit Lens Review:

When Fuji announced that they were coming out with the X-Pro1, it got many photographers out there excited because finally, there was a digital camera that reminded them of how cameras use to be built.  The Leica M digitals evoke the same feelings but they also cost a lot more.  The X-Pro1 was a camera that really allowed photographers to take an active role in the photographic process instead of letting the camera do everything for them but for several times less than something like an M9.  Furthermore, the X-Pro1 had many of the same attributes of a traditional rangefinder even though it was in the mirrorless class.  Many thought that just like a traditional rangefinder, only fixed focal length lenses could be used.  Then Fuji surprised us by announcing that they would be creating zoom lenses for the XF Series lineup.  The first of these zoom lenses is the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R Lens, which is the lens that I have here today for review, and the lens that came with my X-E1 kit. [continue reading…]

The Fuji X-E1:

Hey Everyone!  I have with me here today the much anticipated Fuji X-E1!  I must admit, when I first heard news that Fujifilm was going to make a cheaper alternative to the wonderful X-Pro1 (you can read my review), I had no plans to purchase one because I was completely content with my X-Pro1.

But like many photographers, and gear nuts out there, I began doing a little more research, which btw is usually bad for my wallet ;).  For instance I read that the new Fuji X-E1 was going to have the same exact wonderful sensor as the X-Pro1 yet the body was actually going to be smaller than the X-Pro1.  To top that off, the X-E1 was also going to come with a nice kit zoom (XF 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 R lens can be bought separately as well).  The most important piece of news that I heard about the X-E1 was that it was going to cost just under a $1000, which means that it’s basically 40% cheaper than the X-Pro1!  Best of all is that if you buy the X-E1 with the kit zoom, the whole package costs just under $1400.  The kit zoom is $700 alone, which means that you can save $300 on the zoom if you buy the kit. [continue reading…]