Product/Service Review: Your Photo on Canvas/Pro

April 16, 2010 By PictureSoup 9 Comments

By Diane Berkenfeld

WPPI was the location for the debut of a new-to-the-photo-industry canvas printing company, who’s parent company has been in business for over 20 years, providing artists with high quality giclée and canvas printing—Your Photo on Canvas (www.yourphotooncanvas.com).

The company has a consumer facing retail website and also a pro website section where professional photographers are able to order canvas gallery wraps at wholesale prices. Pros receive custom branded product and packaging, an online order history, ICC color profiling, and quick turnaround with shipping in 2-4 days, with low, flat rate ground shipping ($9.95 per order).

The website’s pro area (www.yourphotooncanvas.com/pro) has an easy to use uploader for images and your logo. You upload your logo and the company outputs it to the back of each of the canvases you order, which is a great marketing tool for your studio. Canvas sizes range from 8×10 through 40×60 in a wide variety of shapes/sizes. Another great feature of the site is that the price list includes both the wholesale and MSRP of each size, so its easy for you to mark up your work to an appropriate amount.

Each canvas is coated with a UV protective layer that is specifically designed for the company’s combination of canvas and inks, ensuring the longevity of each print.

Image files only need to be 150 DPI, as the company has found that resolution combined with the latest RIPs allows them to produce extremely sharp prints. The file uploading system allows you to choose your image to wrap around the stretcher bars, 1.5-inches deep, or for you to choose a black border for the sides of the gallery wrap. When uploading files, the website shows you a visual of your image, so you can choose exactly what part of the image will print on the front of the gallery wrap, so you can make sure the cropping is correct before ordering.

The company also offers an affiliate program for businesses that want to offer such services to their customers.

My Photo on Canvas

diane berkenfeld picture-soup blog photo

Original image © Diane Berkenfeld

Diane Berkenfeld picturesoup blog photo on wall

An image of the canvas hanging on the wall. Although the color of the canvas print is exact to the image file, the ambient lighting has added an overall slight red cast. Photo © Diane Berkenfeld.

To be honest, I actually had an image printed via the company’s consumer facing side but the quality of the output is the same whether you’re a consumer or a professional photographer—high quality, crisp, vibrant, sharp canvas gallery wraps. When I received my canvas and opened the box, I found it to be packaged well, with a claw hanger already attached to the rear of the wrap, ready for hanging. The image looked absolutely beautiful [if I do say so myself].

I was definitely impressed with the quality and will likely be using the pro services to output canvas gallery wraps for my clients’ images.

For more information on Your Photo on Canvas, go to the website www.yourphotooncanvas.com/pro.

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Product Review: ExpoImaging's Ray Flash Ring Flash Adapter

February 4, 2010 By PictureSoup 2 Comments

By Diane Berkenfeld

The Ray Flash is an adapter that fits over the head of your DSLR’s accessory flash and turns your flash into a ring flash. The Ray Flash uses the power of your flash—redirected through the adapter’s body—onto your subject. The Ray Flash has a center diameter of 4 1/8-inches and can accommodate most professional 35mm interchangeable lenses.

A range of models are available so you’ll want to check the ExpoImaging website for your DSLR/flash combination to see which one will work for you. The reason behind this is that there are differences in the height of different models of flashes sitting on various camera bodies. Originally the Ray Flash was designed to work with Canon Speedlites (580EX and 580EX II) and Nikon Speedlights (SB800 and SB900) but they will work with a range of other camera/flash combinations including cameras/flashes from Olympus and Sony; as well as flashes from Metz and Sigma.

The question is, when so many camera manufacturers and some lighting equipment makers make dedicated ring flashes, why would you go with an adapter instead? Price. The price ranges start at around $225 to $400 or so for dedicated ring flashes from camera makers and companies including Sunpak and Sigma; and upwards of $1,000 to $1,800 for ring flash heads from companies like Lumedyne, DynaLite, Comet, and Elinchrom. The ring flash heads average 3,000 watt seconds (w/s) of power. And if you own a lighting system that isn’t compatible, you’re out of luck—unless you’re willing to go out and spend thousands of dollars more for a full system of lights.

But when you’re looking for portability, a smaller unit is necessary. Street price for the Ray Flash is $199. which is a less than the cost if you were going to go out and buy a dedicated ring flash. And, by design, you’re getting more versatility out of your equipment, since you can most likely use a flash you already own.

Using the Ray Flash

(l. to r.) Installing the Ray Flash on a flash is quick and easy. Just slip it on, and turn the locking mechanism (on the top of the Ray Flash) to secure the adapter to the flash.

(l.) Final image; (r.) Close-up in Adobe Lightroom. Note the distinctive Ring Light highlights in the eyes. Photos © Diane Berkenfeld.

You will lose one stop of light from your flash by using the Ray Flash adapter. Because of the design, you can still use TTL modes with the Ray Flash adapter. Depending upon your shooting situation, though, you may want to use the flash on manual instead of TTL, to compensate for the light loss. A locking mechanism secures the adapter to your flash head, so it won’t slip off. And there is no change in color temperature.

Another example of the soft lighting from the Ray Flash. Photo taken with the Ray Flash on a Sigma EF 530 DG Super flash, Nikon D300s. Photo © Diane Berkenfeld.

The lighting from a ring flash is distinctive—virtually shadowless lighting on the front of the subject with a soft halo of shadow around the edges. The further away your subject is from the background, the harsher the shadow behind the subject will be. With other lighting methods, it is usually the opposite, in that you’ll get softer shadows the further your subject is from the background.

The Ray Flash, or any ring flash for that matter is ideal for Macro photography, however you can use the Ray Flash for wider compositions such as portraits too.

I tested out the Ray Flash (model #RAC 175-2) with a Nikon D300s body, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G lens and Sigma EF 530 DG Super flash. I also decided to try it out with the Lensbaby Composer and Fisheye optic on the D300s and the Sigma flash.

Using the Ray Flash adapter is very easy, it just slips over the head of the flash. I had no problems using it, in fact, when using the Nikkor lens, I held the D300s body with my right hand, and zoomed the lens with my left. When I tried taking photographs with the Lensbaby, which was much shorter than the Nikkor, I found it a little more difficult to shoot, but not impossible. Because I was using the Fisheye optic, I could see the back of the Ray Flash adapter in the viewfinder. For the image of Mardi Gras beads (below) that I shot with the Fisheye Lensbaby, I actually liked the circular crop that I ended up with.

(l.) This image was captured with the Lensbaby Composer on a Nikon D300s, using the Fisheye optic. The black ring is the back of the Ray Flash - visible because of the Lensbaby's shallow physical size and Fisheye's wide field of view; (r.) Final cropped image, exposure adjusted slightly, bringing out the blacks. The outline around the circle was created in Photoshop. If you look really closely you can see the reflection of the Ray Flash in the highlights. Photos © Diane Berkenfeld.

If you’re looking for an economical ring flash lighting solution the Ray Flash adapter might be right for you.

For more information, go to the website www.expoimaging.com.

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Product Review: M-Rock 671 – McKinley Photo Backpack

January 16, 2010 By PictureSoup 7 Comments

Article & Photos By Kristin Reimer

With the newly arrived M-Rock 671 McKinley bag filled with gear and packed into the truck, we set off on our expedition and drove into the wild. The temperatures were in the single digits, the blizzard blinding us as our truck veered precariously on the icy road. The rapids of the river below us was roaring. Would the McKinley’s “water resistant exterior zippers” withstand the maelstrom and protect my gear? As we made our way I had confidence my equipment was tucked away safely thanks to the reinforced interior of my new M-Rock bag.

Okay. Well, the reality of it is, coming from Brooklyn, Pennsylvania is indeed wild country and the Delaware River can get some um, well, mild rapids. And there was snow! That I was on my way for a holiday family reunion, can that be counted as an expedition?

In any event, I had the perfect opportunity to test out a new camera bag. Like many others, I love camera bags, so I was excited that this would be my first review here on Picture-Soup.com.

As a wedding photographer, I rely most heavily upon my roller bag. My typical kit consists of three camera bodies, three Speedlights, and about five lenses. I usually have a smaller bag to carry various accessories. My current bag tends to stay packed and it’s always ready to go. In the frenetic pace of the day, this bag will receive a nice beating as I rush from place to place. So when applying for the job of the Photomuse (my studio’s name) gear bag, your qualities had better be: spacious, portable, easy and strong. Good looking is always a bonus.

The McKinley was a hopeful player. I received a large number of dividers, a removable accessory bag that could be tied around my waist if desired, in addition to multiple compartments both inside and out. I could fit a 15” laptop in a soft pouch in the bag (or an optional hydration pack for those extra special weddings!) and there was a nifty little “wire port” that would allow headphones to pass through should I decide to turn this bag into a backpack.

The McKinley was a charm to customize to my tastes. The bag seems to be constructed very well (though I lost several of the nylon zipper pulls quickly), the size was decent and I managed to get in most of my gear. Once I began to fill in the outside compartments (batteries, chargers, card wallet and cords) I found that I was pretty stuffed and use of the inside compartments would not happen.

This bag is designed to be flexible which is a great thing. Its portability is from the added trolley that you can remove and thus turn it into a backpack when desired. The removable accessory bag can further be added onto a modular belt system. The concept is brilliant. The M-Rock’s interior is fantastic, the cushioning is thick. The flaw I found in it is because the bag is not a part of the trolley, once I had it filled up, the bag itself would slip away slightly from the trolley and I could not get it to stand upright, it kept tilting forward and almost falling on top of itself. The trolley aspect needs to be more sturdy and secure to support the weight inside of the bag.

Overall, this bag wouldn’t work for me on my wedding jobs, due to the way I like to work. The quick access to the lenses is nice, but I find myself switching between camera bodies and lenses often and I like to have quick access to the entire bag’s contents by opening one zippered compartment, not multiple ones. For a travel photographer, it might be your fit. It’s flexible and tough. When you are no longer in transit, remove your trolley, slip it onto your back, slide your tripod into the bungee cords on front and head on out! You can drink from a hydration pack while hiking with it on your back and you can hook into your tunes. What a way to tune out and focus in.

For specs and more information, be sure to check out M-Rock’s website at: www.m-rock.com.

? Upon graduating with a BFA in photography from Pratt Institute, Kristin went on to become the studio manager for the esteemed Magnum photojournalist, Elliot Erwitt. Under the tutelage of Elliott, Kristin acquired a more capacious understanding of the history of photography and of the unique and diverse contributions of those who define the field. Her work with Elliott also provided a forum from which to create and develop her own artistic style.

In 2002 Kristin founded Photomuse (www.photomuse.com), a fine art/documentary style wedding company. Kristin is an award-winning member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), a professional organization composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world as well as the Artistic Guild of Wedding Photography (AGWPJA) and the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers (ISPWP).

Look for more articles from Kristin here on Picture-soup in the future.

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Product Review: Snaptotes Photo-Personalized Purses & Totebags

December 4, 2009 By PictureSoup 1 Comment

By Diane Berkenfeld

(l. to r.) A Snaptotes diaper bag created from portrait sitting images, and a Snaptotes clutch bag with an image from a pet photography session. All photos © Diane Berkenfeld.

Want to offer your female portrait and event clients something more unique than a print, something they can take with them wherever they go, showing off your images? [read: walking billboard.] If so, check out Snaptotes, the Durham, North Carolina-based company at www.snaptotes.com. Snaptotes makes purses, totebags and other items that are personalized by adding digital imagery. Products range from clutch and makeup bags, to satchel and bucket-shaped purses, tote bags, diaper bags, beach and workout bags, and more.

The images are made using a sublimation printing process.

Most of the bags are made out of a strong microfiber material that looks great. The beach totes are made of durable canvas. The products use high quality materials, with many featuring key fobs, feet to protect the bottoms of the bags, and plenty of interior pockets. Certain models also let you to choose a custom color interior liner.

And depending upon the model, you can have the image placed on both sides, for an additional fee.

Web-based File Uploading/Ordering

Snaptotes bags are easy to create, you simply upload your image, tweak placement if necessary, chose the lining if applicable to the style you are ordering, and they create the bag for you. It takes the company about three weeks from uploading ‘till your bag is delivered.

The company also has templates for each of their products that you can download and use for placement to make sure that no important parts of your image are cropped out.

Snaptotes asks for files to be under 5MB. Create the original image at full resolution and drop down the size of the JPG you’re uploading to the Snaptotes site. Exact file requirements are available on the company’s website.

Bags I’ve Had Made

I have had three bags made so far, a Satchel [not shown], Clutch, and Diaper bag. Each one was created with the photo(s) placed only on one side.

The Satchel has leather trim, feet, interior key fob, interior pockets and a large exterior pocket. I used a black and white image of a baby taken during a portrait sitting for this bag.

For the clutch, an image from a pet portrait sitting that was originally altered in Photoshop to look more like a painting than a photograph was used. This purse allowed for the choice of the interior lining and I chose pink, which went with the coloring of the image.

For the diaper bag, a layout was created in Photoshop using multiple images in two different sizes, color and black and white, in alternating placement. The final image was uploaded as one file.

I’ve been consistently pleased with the quality of the output of my imagery onto the Snaptotes products, as well as the overall quality of the products themselves. The company suggests that you Scotchguard the totes/purses once you receive them to further protect the printed image(s).

One of the cool things I realized when deciding upon images to use on the Snaptotes bags I ordered is that images with a little extra pizzazz looked even greater on the final product than they did on-screen. It gave me the ability to truly design one-of-a-kind pieces of usable photo art for my clients.

And the variety of the product line is large enough that there are styles that will appeal to a diverse clientele.

Although the website does sell direct to consumers, they pay full retail price, whereas professional photographers who sign up for the Snaptotes Pro Program receive wholesale pricing.

Snaptotes are a great way to add-on to sales from portrait or event photography. Check out the website www.snaptotes.com for more information and to see examples of some of the great bags that other photographers have made for their clients.

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Product Review: MOO MiniCards

November 10, 2009 By PictureSoup Leave a Comment

By Diane BerkenfeldMoo logo picture-soup image

MOO, the company known for their variable data printing solutions has introduced a new version of its well-known MiniCards. The MiniCards measure 1.1-inches x 2.76-inches, basically half the size lengthwise of traditional MOO business cards. Having created traditional MOO business cards in the past and reviewing them for this website, we jumped at the opportunity to review the new MiniCards.

The MiniCards come in packages of 100, and are delivered in a sturdy white cardboard box. Optional felt, acrylic and leather cases can be purchased from MOO as well as the company’s Mosaic frame, which displays 20 MiniCards. The Mosaic frame comes in two versions: solid white acrylic or solid black acrylic.

The basic concept behind MOO printed products is the company’s ability to offer variable data printing. What this means is that each card or MiniCard can be a different image. This makes Moo products ideal for photographers and artists to showcase their work.

The new version of MiniCards allows image uploading for use onto the front and back of the MiniCards, so you can upload images on one side and a logo on the other. Additional layout options include new templates, fonts and colors. And, the company now offers a bulk discount for customers purchasing its new 400 unit pack.

Unlike the traditional business card shape, think of the MiniCards as panorama images. Once you upload your images to the Moo.com website, you’re given the opportunity to tweak the cropping of your image(s). You’ll want to consider the final shape of the MiniCards when deciding which images to upload. I found that I liked the way the majority of my images turned out. There were a couple of images that didn’t work in the crop as well as I thought they might. So, if I create another batch of MiniCards, I know I’ll reuse certain images, and not use others. This is purely a subjective opinion on my part.

minicards photo

Here are some of the MiniCards I had printed. You can tell right away that these images work well in the MiniCard shape. At the top left of the image is the storage box that the MiniCards come in. All photos © Diane Berkenfeld.

The quality of the printing is just as good as the quality of the larger, traditional business cards that I’ve had printed by MOO. The paper quality has good heft to it, and the printing is high quality; text is easy to read. The one thing I would like to see in a future update is the ability to increase the font size on the side dedicated to your contact information more than is currently allowed.

There may be some folks who wonder if the MiniCards are an odd size for a business card, but there isn’t an absolute as to what a business card should look like these days. I’ve seen larger than normal business cards as well as small squares, the MOO MiniCards and those half the size of the Minis, as well as other shapes. What best represents your unique identity is what’s right for you.

The MOO MiniCards are definitely cool, and offer me another format for showcasing my photography. And, for the price of $19.99 per 100, they’re a great buy.

[Check out the Picture-Soup.com review of the traditional business cards by MOO here.]


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Product Review: Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 EX DC HSM Lens

September 21, 2009 By PictureSoup 1 Comment

By Diane BerkenfeldSigma 10-20_lens

The Sigma Corporation of America released the Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 EX DC HSM lens earlier this year. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 throughout the entire zoom range, and minimum aperture of f/22. Sigma offers the lens in mounts for Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax DSLRs that utilize an APS-C sized image sensor. What that means is, if you’ve got a DSLR with a full frame image sensor, or use the lens on a film SLR, you’re going to see vignetting in the image.

The Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 EX DC HSM is made up of two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element for correction of color aberration; four aspherical lenses provide correction for distortion and allow for a compact lens. A Super Multi-Layer coating reduces flare and ghosting. The lens also utilizes a Hyper-Sonic Motor for fast and quiet auto-focusing. You can also manually focus the lens if you’d like. Pentax users: Sigma notes that Pentax camera bodies that don’t support HSM will not be able to auto-focus this lens.

The image at the left was captured at 10mm, the image at right with the lens zoomed into 20mm. Photos © Diane Berkenfeld.

The image on the left was captured with the lens zoomed out to 10mm, and the image on the right was zoomed into 20mm. Photos © Diane Berkenfeld.

The lens offers a super-wide angle view of 102.4 degrees at 10mm and 63.8 degrees at 20mm. Place your subject(s) close to the edges and you’ll get an exaggerated perspective; center your subject(s) for minimal distortion. Sigma ships the lens with a nice padded case with a zipper closure, and a petal-type lens hood. The lens will take 82mm filters. At 18.3 ounces, the 10-20mm lens is pretty light.

I tested out the Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 EX DC HSM lens with a Nikon D100 DSLR, which utilizes the DX image sensor. With the DX image sensor, which has a 1.5x magnification factor, the zoom range of the lens is equivalent to a 15mm – 30mm lens on a 35mm camera. One subject the lens is great for, is street photography. I used to shoot such photojournalistic style images with a 24mm prime lens on a Nikon F3 film SLR and loved the wide view I had.

This photo was taken with the 10-20mm lens set at 16mm. It was shot during the Two Worlds, One Dream workshop. Professional photographer Doug Gordon is seen leading the workshop, complete with Bride and Groom, as attendees watch.

This photo was taken with the 10-20mm lens set at 16mm. It was shot during the Two Worlds, One Dream workshop. Professional photographer Doug Gordon led this portion of the workshop. Photo © Diane Berkenfeld.

This photo was also taken during the Two Worlds, One Dream workshop. Photo © Diane Berkenfeld.

For this image, the lens was zoomed into 18mm. This photo was also taken during the Two Worlds, One Dream workshop. Photographer Doug Gordon shoots the couple with attendees behind him. Photo © Diane Berkenfeld.

There are some folks who feel you can’t get high quality lenses from third party manufacturers, but this Sigma lens throws that argument out the window. The lens is bright and clear, and sharp. The minimum focusing distance of the lens is 9.4-inches throughout the entire zoom range. This is such a great feature, because once you’re at your minimum focusing distance, you know you can zoom in or out if need be and not have to move the camera to keep focused on your subject. I really liked the Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 EX DC HSM lens. It offers great quality for the price.

The street price of the Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 EX DC HSM is $649.99. For more information, check out the website at www.sigmaphoto.com.

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Product Review: Auto FX Software's Photo/Graphic Edges Platinum Edition v.7

August 15, 2009 By PictureSoup 3 Comments

By Diane Berkenfeld

I’m going to begin the review of Auto FX Software’s Photo/Graphic Edges Platinum Edition v.7 at the beginning—with installation. Photo/Graphic Edges will take about 30 minutes to install, not the five to 10 minutes that the installer says. And it may not look like it is doing anything right away, but be patient because it will install correctly. The software is Mac and Windows-based PC compatible and will work as a plug-in with Photoshop versions 7 through CS4 or as a stand-alone program. on a computer running at least MAC OS X (on an Intel or PPC Mac) or on a Windows-based PC, running Windows 2000, XP or Vista.

This version of Photo/Graphic Edges includes 32 new edge, border and frame effects. With all of the edges, frames, borders and overlays, adornments and embellishments you have thousands of options. For the pro photographer who wants to be able to add edges to a wide variety of images from baby and child photography to teens, seniors, couples and families, Photo/Graphic Edges provides edges, borders and frames appropriate for all. The software also features powerful tools to alter the edges, frames and borders. Many of them can be tweaked in a number of ways, from changing the hue, opacity, and other characteristics.

One of the additions to this version is the ability to add multiple layers to create unique images. You can save these new borders, edges and frames as presets so you can use them again. Photo/Graphic Edges Platinum Edition v.7 includes 300 pre-made layouts and instant effects, as well as the ability to add your own presets. Other new features include new storyboards and the ability to brush on edges. Auto FX Software has also improved the program with the addition of a new rendering engine and interface updates. An example of this is larger content previews. The content collections have also been reorganized so it’s easier to find what you want. And a favorites feature has also been added.

Using Photo/Graphic Edges

The software is simple to use, as a Photoshop plug-in or a stand-alone product, you launch the software, open an image and choose an edge, frame or border. You can add embellishments, adornments and overlays. If you don’t like the edges you’ve chosen, simply delete that layer and choose another. The edges and frames load pretty quickly too, so you won’t find yourself waiting.

When you are done with one image, and want to move on to another, you just open the new image and that automatically closes the first. It would be nice in a future version to have a ‘close image’ choice in the File menu, if only because everyone associates the word with the act of closing a working file.

When working with Edges, regardless of the one you choose, they reshape to fit the dimensions of the photo. When you are working with Frames, the Transform tool allows you to scale and position the photo as you want. There are actually two transform tools, transform frame/edges and transform photo so you can tweak the frame or edges and the photo exactly how you want. Auto FX notes that the Transform tools are dynamic and non-destructive.

Images can be saved as Bitmap, JPG, TIFF, and PSD files, however the software saves the PSD files flattened but with full transparency, so you can’t make any changes among the layers when opened in Photoshop. You need to do all photo editing and manipulation in Photoshop before you import the photo into Photo/Graphic Edges. One other thing you need to be aware of is that when you’re working with an image and Quit out of the stand-alone program, it will quit without asking if you want to save what you’re working with, so just don’t be too quick with your keyboard shortcuts. When you’re working with the plug-in, and Quit, it cancels the plug-in and returns you back to the host program, for example Photoshop.

I love the photo realistic darkroom edges like the filed out film holders, Polaroid film and Polaroid transfers. One of the cool things about the software is that you can add backgrounds for a full layout. Backgrounds include colors, gradients, textures, and more. Many of the frames and edges are for a single image, but there are also two-up and quad frames that can each hold a different photo. You can add text to images as well. There are frames that are designed to look like actual frames, as well as scrapbook style frames, embellishments and layouts. There are also geometric, digital, traditional, artistic, and more modern edges and frames as well as vignettes.

For software that incorporates so much content—a thousands items—you’ll have plenty to browse from, to find that exact frame or edge for your images. Photo/Graphic Edges Platinum Edition v.7 offers photographers such a wide range of options, that practically anything is possible. So much so, in fact, that you should definitely take a look at the manual before you begin, it comes as a PDF file. You might also want to view the free video tutorials on the Auto FX Software website.

For more information, go to the website at www.autofx.com.

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Product Review: Jill-e Chocolate Brown Suede Medium Camera Bag

August 8, 2009 By PictureSoup Leave a Comment

By Diane Berkenfeld

Jill-e Chocolate Suede medium bag with leather accents.

Jill-e Chocolate Brown Suede medium bag with leather accents. Note the double row stitching on the pocket flaps and handle straps.

Take a look in my gear closet and you’ll find almost a dozen different camera cases. I’ve got cases on wheels, backpacks, hip-packs, a messenger bag and a few standard-style bags in different sizes. Except for a small grey camera bag and deep blue tripod bag, all the other cases and bags I own are black. Pretty much all of them are made of the usual Denier nylon exterior material. Do they look like camera bags and cases? Of course.

The latest camera bag to join my collection however looks nothing at all like the others. It’s a medium sized camera bag from Jill-e. (Dimensions: (l.) 14 x (w.) 8 x (h.) 9.5 inches) The exterior is chocolate brown suede with brown leather accents to give it style and flair, and has the look and feel of a quality product. The bag has plenty of outside pockets with snap closures and a large back pocket that you can easily slip paperwork or maps into.

The bag, like other Jill-e models, has dual handles and a removable shoulder strap. One of the really useful accessories is a little pouch that can be tethered to the interior of the camera bag. I’ve found it to be great to house personal items like cash, keys and ID. Like most camera bags and cases, the Jill-e bag has moveable Velcro partitions, which allow for a variety of configurations based on your equipment needs. The interior is light brown with polka-dots, making it easy to see loose items when you’re in a hurry. Most of the time I carry a camera, three lenses, flash, media card case and a few other accessories. The medium Jill-e bag easily held all of that equipment with plenty of room for more. The main compartment has a wide zipper closure that is easily opened or closed with one hand.

Jill-e chocolate suede medium camera bag. Note the accessory pouch tethered inside the bag at the top left, moveable partitions, and accessory netting on the inside of the top flap.

Jill-e chocolate suede medium camera bag. Note the accessory pouch tethered inside the bag at the top left, moveable partitions, and accessory netting on the inside of the top flap.

Jill-e burst onto the photography scene in June of 2007 with the line of stylish camera bags that has changed the camera case landscape for the better. I really like the line of Jill-e camera bags. Just because you want to look stylish doesn’t mean you’re any less of a professional photographer. If we weren’t meant to have a choice of color, style and design then all luggage would look alike. With my Jill-e bag, I don’t have to sacrifice style just because I’m carrying around camera gear.

Jill-e added its Jack line of stylish bags and cases for guys in October 2008. They include medium, messenger and rolling cases in brown distressed leather.

The Jill-e line includes a range of bags, in different sizes from pouches and small to medium bags, as well as two sizes of rolling bags in a variety of great colors including pink, red, bone, pale yellow, and combo designs, to suit the needs of any fashionista photographer. Many of the bags are leather with leather accents, a few are suede with leather accents.

MSRP of the chocolate suede medium bag is $239.99. Check the website at www.jill-e.com for more information.

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Product Review: LensPen SensorKlear Loupe

August 6, 2009 By PictureSoup 3 Comments

By Diane Berkenfeld

(l. to r.) SensorKlear Loupe, with the light on in the photo, Hurricane Blower, SensorKlear II.

(l. to r.) SensorKlear Loupe, Hurricane Blower, SensorKlear II.

I have to admit that although I consider myself a techno-geek, who will add memory to a laptop myself with no second thoughts, I feared the idea of cleaning my own DSLR sensor for years. At one point, I even knew there was dust in my camera, but would spend tedious time in Photoshop digitally removing the dust from each image.

When the early DSLRs were introduced, we were told not to clean our own sensors (CMOS or CCD)—that we should send them in to the manufacturer’s service center for cleaning. That can become expensive, not to mention the downtime with no camera. Eventually sensor cleaning systems found their way to market. Some did the job, others were cheap products that you’d never want near your camera gear.

Most DSLR’s image sensors are not what you’re actually cleaning—instead a low-pass filter, which sits above the sensor, is where the dirt or dust accumulates.

In the past few years, LensPen has introduced the ideal DSLR sensor cleaning system, that even sensor-cleaning-phobics like myself could use. The system includes the Hurricane Blower, SensorKlear II, and SensorKlear Loupe:

  • Hurricane Bulb. Bulb air blower.
  • SensorKlear II. This is what you actually use on the image sensor or filter. The improved version II utilizes an angled head so you can easily pass it through the Loupe to clean.
  • SensorKlear Loupe. This is what you use to look at or magnify the dirt or dust. What makes the SensorKlear Loupe unique is that it features a slot in the side so you can view the dirt and slip the SensorKlear II in to clean it while watching to make sure you’ve got the dirt.

To clean your DSLR’s image sensor/filter, you need to put the camera into the sensor clean mode. This will lock up the mirror so you can get to the sensor/filter beneath it.

This will work for most DSLRs, but you need to check your owner’s manual. The Nikon D100 for example, which I own, won’t let you activate the clean mode unless the camera is being powered by the optional AC adapter, although, there is a way around this. Attach a cable release to the D100 and lock it on bulb. This will lock the mirror up. You’ll want to do this with the camera’s battery at 100%; if the power goes too low, the mirror will release back down.

Once you have the mirror up, you simply take the Hurricane blower and holding the camera so the sensor area is facing downward, blow the air into the space to dislodge any loose dust or dirt. Then place the camera on a flat surface and place the SensorKlear Loupe atop the aperture ring. Turn on the lights and look through the Loupe to visually see if there’s any dirt. If there is, you just take the SensorKlear II and clean the sensor/filter. Most dirt or dust will by dry and you’ll be able to loosen it. Then you repeat the step using the Hurricane blower to remove the dust. Checking with the Loupe once more, you can ensure that the sensor/filter is clean. Release the camera from the clean mode and put the lens back on the camera, and you’re done.

I found the instructions simple to understand. There’s even a tutorial video on the LensPen website and YouTube so you can see exactly what to do. Once you try cleaning your DSLR’s camera sensor with the LensPen solution, you won’t be afraid of performing this maintenance in the future—I know I’m not.

Many of the latest DSLRs now incorporate a cleaning system that is either automatic or are triggered by a cleaning mode. Just because your camera incorporates such a cleaning mode, doesn’t mean you won’t have to clean your camera’s image sensor or filter in the future, especially if you change lenses often and/or shoot in dusty environments or the beach. Most of these systems are designed to dislodge dust, but it is likely that the dust or dirt will remain in the sensor chamber and find its way back. In this case, you’ll eventually have to manually clean your camera’s sensor/filter.

To find out more about LensPen and the products they offer, go to the website at www.lenspen.com.

Sensor Cleaning Disclaimer: PictureSoup blog has posted this review of the LensPen SensorKlear Loupe system in good faith. While we found the product to be of high quality and definitely work well, many camera manufacturers post disclaimers regarding sensor cleaning and how doing it yourself may alter or void a warranty. Remember that cleaning a DSLR’s image sensor is meant to be done in a clean space, (never outdoors) and you shouldn’t be rushed. We found a great website that offers a plethora of great information on sensor cleaning, the different methods on the market and what the camera makers have to say about photographers doing it themselves vs. sending cameras in for authorized service. Check out the site at www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com.

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