Photography Gear

Is the Digital Camera Officially Dead?

It's been said for a very long time that the digital camera as a standalone gadget is a dying business. Smartphones are getting better as cameras, and as apps improve shooting and sharing photos, it has become less and less important to have a standalone camera. This past week I had two experiences that really sealed that message for me.


Incipio Focal Camera Case Turns iPhone into Point and Shoot

Shoot, edit, share – the mantra of modern photography in our instant world and the mission statement of nearly every hardware and software developer in this genre. Incipio, a southern California-based designer and manufacturer of mobile device accessories, recently provided GearDiary with the new Incipio Focal Camera Case for iPhone5/5s, a device promising to make you photograph like a pro.


The Narrative Clip, A Gadget I Really Wanted to Love

When the Narrative Clip arrived I was excited. Sure, having a small 5MP wearable camera that takes a new picture every 30 seconds would have been great during my recent trip to Israel but it sadly arrived the day after I left. Still, I could see many ways this unobtrusive gadget might make a great photographic diary going forward.



Think Tank Photo Airport Roller Derby Is Good For Pros and the Rest of Us

The Think Tank Photo Airport Roller Derby is designed for use by professional photographers who need to carry and protect a significant collection of gear. Thing is, the excellent AND flexible design of this bag makes it a good option for pretty much anyone who travels a lot. At just under $390 it is pricey, but it is equally impressive.


Think Tank Photo Offers New Products and a New Promotion

It has been a while since we covered anything from Think Tank Photo here on the site. We’ve review many of the products and I’ve always been impressed. The company just rolled out a few new products and new promotions for June 2014. If you are into photography both the products and the special deals are worth checking out!


Posterjack, Turn Your Images Into Art

It seems that today we all take tons of digital photos but very few ever become physical media. If there is a photo worthy of being on a wall, it is usually something special. Posterjack, Canada’s Photo Art Experts, now provides services in the United States. They offer quality printing on a variety of media. Read on for my experience. 


Grab Action Shots with the Pyle eXpo Hi-Speed HD Action Camera

If you are looking to grab action videos without having to spend a fortune on gear, you are in luck. The Pyle eXpo Hi-Speed HD Action Camera is packed with features and has a price under $250. With a 20MP camera, 1080p video resolution, a 2″ touchscreen, and 4X zoom, the camera is ready to capture your active lifestyle.


The Case for the Torkia TL-7010S Professional Lens Case

If you carry an extra lens with your DSLR or mirror less camera you want to make sure it stays safe. Large camera bags are great but a small case like the Torkia TL-7010S Professional Lens Case may be just the thing. T works great with my Panasonic camcorder too! Best of all this quality case is also inexpensive.



Let Your Pictures Take to the Sky with Eyefi Cloud

I’ve long known Eyefi to be a great way to wirelessly send images from my camera to my computer or mobile device. My Sony RX100 doesn’t have the WiFi of my NEX-6 so an EyeFi card is a must for me when I use it on the go. Now the company is upping the anti with their Eyefi Cloud service.


Make Awesome Slideshows and Movies with FotoMagico 4

If you want to bring your pictures and videos to life, but you don’t want to got to school to learn how to create a presentation that doesn’t look like a five year old did it, then you’ll want to check out FotoMagico 4. At $99 the application is pricey, but the ease-of-use and output results are amazing.


GE X450 Camera Lets You Put Your Photography on a Budget

General Electric is not known for its photographic equipment they have actually been producing some decent inexpensive options. No, these cameras aren’t as compact as your smartphone, and they aren’t as powerful as the offerings from Sony, Canon, or Nikon, but the GE cameras do get the job. Their most recent entry is the GE X450 camera. Let’s take a look.


Joby UltraFit Hand Strap with UltraPlate Makes Photography More Comfortable

Camera straps have a significant purpose – they are designed to protect your investment in case of accidents, clumsiness, etc. while also freeing up your hands while not shooting. For many, however, the traditional neck/shoulder strap is not their thing, and for these individuals Joby introduces UltraFit Hand Strap with UltraPlate designed for comfort, convenience and security.


Lowepro DSLR Video Fastpack 350 AW: A Big Bag at a Great Price

The Lowepro Video Fastpack line of camera backpacks is the workhorse of camera backpacks. I was impressed by the 150 AW and use my 250AW constantly. The Lowepro DSLR Video Fastpack 350 AW is the largest backpack in the line. Not much to look at, it has great features and holds a ton. Best of all it is under $150.


Google+ Gets HDR Scape and Zoom Editing

Google’s ubiquitous social network Google+ gets a picture editing update which allows for adding high dynamic range (HDR) effects to a single image, with a single click. HDR Scape is currently available in the Snapseed apps for Android and iOS and today you can use it in Google+ by editing a photo and clicking HDR SCAPE in the right corner.


Luxi Turns Your iPhone into a Professional Light Meter

For years, professional photographers and filmmakers have been using light meters to tell them just how bright or dim the scene being recorded is but these handheld meters are rather pricey. The Luxi system from Extrasensory Devices is a diffusion dome attachment that clips on your iPhone and provides a very good, very affordable alternative to those expensive professional meters.


Find Your Shutter Button with the Custom SLR ProDot

When the Custom SLR ProDot arrived, I wasn’t sure what sure what to think. A small white dot with adhesive on one side and a soft, brushlike material on the other? I initially thought it was a solution in search of a problem. I was wrong. This dot designed to go on top of a camera’s shutter button actually works.


Booq Goes Mirrorless with the Python Mirrorless Camera Bag

Lots of us have traded our big, bulky DSLRs for small but powerful mirrorless camera like my NEX-6. When we do we often find that big camera bags become overkill. Enter booq’s new Python mirrorless camera bag. Just $80, this small bag for mirrorless gear looks great, has booq’s signature style, and will keep your gear safe and organized.


Help Kerry Woo’s ‘Take the Long Way Home’ Project Hit the Road

Kerry Woo, past Gear Diary writer and current street photographer extraordinaire, has just launched his first Kickstarter project — the aptly named “Take the Long Way Home”. His goal is to “document a rich pictorial history of America’s back roads, [and] upload the images online with professional printing and direct mailing to you” while driving cross-country from Seattle to Nashville. And now, in my words: Kerry is someone who I have never met in person, but over the ten or so years that we have been communicating online, he has become a dear friend. Kerry has always had a quirky…


Leef PRO Ultra High Speed Memory Card – Not Exactly

One of the gifts I received from my husband Kev for Christmas was a Canon G16; he included a 32GB SanDisk Extreme SD Card and a spare battery — totally sweet, right? Around the same time, a 64GB Leef PRO SD Card showed up for review; comparisons were begging to be made, and I couldn’t help but make them …