Posted 1/16/2015 on www.shutterbug.com. Originally published in Shutterbug Magazine.

One outing with the new Nikon D810 pro digital SLR convinced me that this camera is not only thoughtfully designed, a good fit, and easy to work with right out of the box, but that it’s also a solid performer that’s beautifully crafted. It has looks, smarts, and savvy, without being pretentious. And unlike enthusiast and entry-level cameras, it’s not filled with a bunch of useless toys no one really needs, wants, or uses (well, except for maybe a few of the post/retouching effects that seem to be wasted on this camera).

Boasting a new and improved 36.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, the FX-format (full-frame) D810 ($3296, body only) is decidedly a serious camera aimed at the serious—translation, professional—still photo and video shooter. This camera incorporates features first introduced in the D610 and D7100, while paving new ground. Making it an even better camera than its D800-series progenitors is one missing element, for starters. READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.

When my fascination with macro began, all my work was done by available light. Getting sharp images at life-size magnification took all the resolve I could muster, especially when dealing with heat and humidity or frigid conditions. It’s tough to hold a camera steady in those situations. What I wouldn’t have given for image stabilization!

Well, the new Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro gives me my favorite macro focal length, plus adds Tamron’s proprietary image stabilization: Vibration Compensation, or VC. And I get all that in a lens designed for a full-frame D-SLR, in this case my Nikon D600 (currently the D610). (The lens is also available for Canon, and without VC for the Sony Alpha.)


CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED REVIEW ONLINE: TAMRON 90mm MACRO

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Lifesize Capture with Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro + Flash
I prefer a macro in the short telephoto range because it's easy to handhold and gives me more breathing room between camera/myself and skittish subjects. For this shot, keeping the lens's Vibration Compensation (image stabilization) engaged, I disengaged autofocusing (AF), instead focusing manually. At these magnifications, AF becomes iffy and a time-consuming effort with any lens. (ISO 100, f/11, 1/125 sec flash exposure)

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Tamron 24-70mm at Maximum Aperture
Pritzker Pavilion, in Millennium Park, Chicago, captured with a handheld Canon EOS 5D and Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 lens with Vibration Compensation (VC) engaged. (@24mm, ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/15 sec.)

The difference between a “constant” aperture zoom and other standard zooms is that when you increase the focal length on the standard zoom the maximum aperture becomes smaller. This might make the difference between being able to hand hold or not when zooming in, and may indeed force the use of higher ISOs. Known as “fast” lenses, constant aperture zooms are pricier and bulkier than their variable-aperture counterparts. And to sweeten the pot, we’ve seen more and more fast lenses with built-in image stabilization, which gets you even more low light and camera-shake-free capability.

Enter Tamron’s new SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Model A007. Selling for $1299, it’s not cheap, although less expensive than comparable OEM lenses. The image-stabilized Tamron 24-70mm F/2.8 VC is available for D-SLRs from Canon (tested on a Canon EOS 5D) and Nikon (also for Sony sans built-in stabilization). The lens is targeted at full-frame cameras, but is also compatible with APS-C (cropped) sensor D-SLRs, upon which you’d be working with around a 36-105mm equivalent focal length, depending on camera model.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED REVIEW ONLINE: TAMRON 24-70mm

A handheld meter is not just for studio work. Tricky lighting situations, high contrast, and unusual subject tonalities can often pose problems for camera metering systems, as advanced as they are. Beyond that, the camera meter can’t help with studio flash.

The first step toward taking tighter control with a broader range of lighting situations is to use a handheld meter. Enter the new Sekonic LiteMaster Pro L-478DR (PocketWizard version). Out of the box, it measures incident light. This exposure meter will also prove valuable when working with studio (or any manual) flash or a mix of ambient light and flash.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED REVIEW ONLINE: SEKONIC L-478DR

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The New Sekonic L-478DR vs My Old Sekonic L-558R.
Compare the new with the old. My trusty, but huge, L-558R offers one distinct benefit - a built-in one-degree spot meter, whereas the new L-478DR is ultra-compact with a touch-control user interface, with added functionality (read the review for more details).

By Jack Neubart • Posted: Sep 27, 2013 • Published in SHUTTERBUG MAGAZINE: Aug 1, 2013
The Phottix Odin is a radio frequency-controlled system, or simply radio remote. The basic package includes two units: a transmitter and a receiver. Additional receivers are optional. You only need one transmitter to sit in the camera’s hot shoe and trigger compatible i-TTL strobes, but you need a receiver for each off-camera flash. And recently, Phottix introduced a new combo pack that includes one additional receiver—perfect for my two-speedlight setups. The unit tested here is for Nikon and I worked with my Nikon SB-900 speedlights.
The Odin Transmitter is also the Control Unit (which is why it’s called a TCU), and it sports an easily readable, user-friendly digital display. In fact, if you’ve used your Nikon in Commander mode, it’s not a big leap to work with the Odin. I even found the Odin simplified working with off-camera flash when using Nikon’s WU-1b wireless mobile adapter with my D600 and iPad.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED REVIEW ONLINE: PHOTTIX ODIN

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Tabletop: Light Ratio Mode 
The light ratio mode (via the Option menu screen) lets you easily adjust TTL lighting when only two Nikon SB-900 speedlights are used. In these two examples (shown with Odin light ratio settings that I used), I first positioned the Group A flash (with diffusion dome) in the front-left corner of the set aimed into the ceiling but angled slightly downward toward the subject. Then I added the Group B strobe, on the floor, bounced into the wall at an upward angle so that it hit the white plastic sweep at the back. A silver card was added on the right for fill. You can see the effect that adjusting the light ratios has on this still life. I prefer the shot where the key light is stronger (4:1) because it gives the crystal goblet more of a high-key feel, while giving the candy wrappers increased presence. ©Jack Neubart

By Jack Neubart • Posted: Sep 11, 2012 • Published in SHUTTERBUG MAGAZINE: Aug 1, 2012
While I’ve found Nikon’s wireless TTL system to be a great asset, I also understand that it has inherent weaknesses when used around obstacles that block the signal, as well as outdoors beyond a few feet or under sunlight. Enter PocketWizard’s ControlTL (Control The Light) TTL-auto radios for Nikon (originally introduced for Canon). These radios are designed to respond in every respect as a dedicated extension of the Nikon CLS/i-TTL system. And they have the potential to do that, provided you keep on top of firmware updates (www.pocketwizard.com/support). I conducted my tests using my Nikon D300 together with the Nikon SB-900 speedlight (verified by PocketWizard as compatible) and briefly an SB-700 (not confirmed at time of testing).

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED REVIEW ONLINE: POCKETWIZARD CONTROLTL