Sailor Strap Skinny Jimmy Camera Strap Review:

There are a lot of great shoulder straps on the market these days made from many different types of materials.  One popular material that is often used is rope.  I’m not sure if Artisan & Artist was the first to start using rope but with their ACAM 301, they definitely were one of the first to help make the material very popular.  Another company, Sailor Strap, uses rope as well, and you guessed it, the material is actually real sailing rope.  Today, I’ll be talking about their Skinny Jimmy camera strap. [continue reading…]

Fujifilm XF 14mm f2.8 R Lens Review:

There are actually a lot of great ultra wide angle lenses for the Fuji X Series now.  Companies like Samyang or even Zeiss make great ultra wides in X Mount but so do Fujifilm.  They make the XF 10-24mm lens, which is a fun zoom to use but if you’re thinking about a prime, you’ll have to take a look at the XF 14mm f2.8 R lens, which is the lens that I will be talking about today.  This 21mm equivalent lens has actually been out for quite a while now but I haven’t had a chance to review it until now.  Here are my thoughts on it. [continue reading…]

Billingham Rucksack 25 Review:

When I was younger, I never even considered using a backpack to carry my photo gear.  The main reason is because you kind of have to take the backpack off in order to retrieve gear, and while that isn’t necessarily a hassle, it can be a little inconvenient at times .  But over the past year, I’ve started to see the benefits to using a backpack.  For one, if you’re carrying a lot of gear, a backpack is a great option.  Yes, you can buy a larger shoulder bag but it’s going to be a bit more awkward to carry around with so much gear.  A shoulder bag also won’t offer nearly as much support as a backpack.  The weight is more evenly distributed with a backpack, which is actually the main reason why I’ve been looking around for a decent one.  My back has been definitely paying for all the years I’ve been carrying gear in my shoulder bags :).  So, for a while now, I’ve been keeping an eye out for a backpack that I think would fit my needs, and it almost seemed like perfect timing because Billingham recently released two new bags.  One is the Rucksack 35, and thanks to Billingham, I was able to review the larger Rucksack 25.  Here are my thoughts on it. [continue reading…]

Fuji X-T1 Promotion With Free XF 35mm f2 And Accessory Kit:

Wow, I think this is a great deal for a great camera and lens!  If you’re thinking about trying the Fuji X Series system for the first time or need a great second body, you can get an X-T1 for $500 off the list price with a FREE XF 35mm f2 R lens (black or silver).  This offer is good for just the body or the body with one of the kit lenses, such as, the XF 18-55mm or the XF 18-135mm as well.  Either way, you will still get the XF 35mm f2 for free ($399 value), and $500 off the X-T1.  That’s a total of $900 saved.

This deal is from B&H Photo, and to top it off, when you’re at the X-T1 page, look under configurations where it says, Base, Base Kit, Free Accessory Kit, and Deluxe Kit.  Simply click on Free Accessories Kit, and you’ll get a 16gb card, spare battery, holster-style camera bag, and a microfiber cleaning cloth.  You can find all of this in one link below:

Fuji X-T1 With Free XF 35mm f2

If you want more info on both these pieces of gear, I reviewed them as well:

Fuji XF 35mm f2 R WR Lens Review

Fuji X-T1 Review