Photo Accessory News

Our friends across the pond at Canon UK are celebrating the 30^th Anniversary of Canon’s EOS camera system with a new line of company-branded apparel and accessories. 

Capturing “the decisive moment” is more than just clicking the shutter at the right time and it’s more than luck, too. It’s an artful combination of experience, talent, and preparation. Being prepared for the unexpected is just as important to photojournalists and documentary photographers as it is to a Scout and that includes selecting and using gear that can be deployed at that right time, even if preparing for a single shot or two takes several hours. Some of these tools may be obvious while others not so much.

Ever drop a camera? Ever have a camera strap break? Or bust apart near the D-ring? Put those worries out of your mind. UPstrap offers a full lineup of some of the toughest camera straps you’ll ever wear. And, as the name proudly announces, they stay UP on your shoulder, too. 

Some trends just won’t go away: Billboard magazine notes that U.S. vinyl album sales are up 53 percent, generating $416 million in sales. Stereophile, our sister publication, reviews new analog audio equipment and you can purchase new Nikon F6 or Leica M-A film cameras from Shutterbug advertisers. Ferrania is back making film and the Japan Camera Hunter website is making their own film, a discontinued Agfa emulsion they’re calling JCH StreetPan 400. Amazon’s top-selling photo item is Fuji’s Instax Mini Instant Film. There’s even a new twin-lens instant camera, Mint’s InstantFlex TL70, and yes, I gotta get me one of those.

We can’t argue with the appeal of this waterproof test: capture a pretty model in a gorgeous river/waterfall scene in slow motion.

Sports photography shares much in common with capturing images of wildlife: You’ve got an active scene captured at a distance requiring specialized equipment and knowledge of the subject’s activities while anticipating what they are going to do next…or not. Sure, you’ll need fast, long focal length lenses but you will also need camera supports and other gear that along with specialized knowledge separates the virtuosos, like Regis Lefebure (regislefebure.com), from the wannabes. Here’s a look at some of our favorite tools of the sports trade.

It’s better to give than to receive—but receivin’ ain’t so bad, either, especially if your gift list includes one or two of my favorites, which I’ve described for you here. Or if you’re looking for the perfect gift for the photo person in your life, here are your crib notes.