Best products from r/photoit
We found 19 comments on r/photoit discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 17 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
- illustrations
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2. Scott Kelby's Digital Photography
- 16GB Kit (2x8GB Modules) DDR3 XMP Desktop Memory
- HyperX black features a sleek black heat spreader for greater heat dissipation to optimize reliability
- Adds high performance for increased in-game FPS and an overall faster system
- HyperX black is Intel XMP ready, with XMP profiles built into the modules
- Non-ECC 1600MHz 240-pin XMP Certified Unbuffered DIMM
- Lifetime warranty, and free technical support
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3. Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Model A09E)
- 28-75mm autofocus zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture
- Focal Length : 28-75 mm, Minimum focusing distance of 13 inches, rotation-type zoom
- Designed to meet performance characteristics of digital SLR cameras
- Smaller and lighter than most fast zoom lenses; weighs 18 ounces
- Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.6 inches long; 6-year warranty
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4. Ilford Multigrade IV RC Deluxe Resin Coated VC Variable Contrast Black & White Enlarging Paper - 8x10" - 25 Sheets - Glossy Surface
- Ilford Multigrade IV RC Deluxe Resin Coated VC Variable Contrast Black & White Enlarging Paper - 8x10" - 25 Sheets - Glossy Surface
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5. Vivitar 283 Electronic Flash
Vertical bounce flash for softer, more professional-quality lightingFlash range of 3 to 43 feetAuto Thyristor circuitry for faster recycling time and greater number of flashesRemote sensor capability4 Automatic f/stop settings
6. LumiQuest SoftScreen LQ-051M
- The Perfect Look - LumiQuest Soft Screen makes better photos a breeze for on-camera pop-up flash photographers; Super easy to use and install
- Improve Flash Photography Images - LumiQuest Soft Screen is designed to soften harsh flashes and reduce the red-eye commonly occurring from pop-up flashes; Get better, more realistic colors and impress everyone with your photographs
- Effective and Durable - The Soft Screen was designed with durability in mind; Installs directly onto the camera hot shoe
- Universal and Travel Friendly - LumiQuest Soft Screen with is suitable for photographers on the go and people who love to travel around the world; Designed to be universal, this light softener folds flat to approximately 4" x 4"
- About Us - LumiQuest began 30 years ago with one goal in mind: to help photographers create images beyond their wildest dreams; LumiQuest bounce and diffusion devices serve to improve flash photography for millions of professionals and serious amateurs around the world
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7. Opteka SB-1 Universal Studio Soft Box Flash Diffuser for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony, Sigma, Other External Flash Units
Universal Studio Soft Box Flash DiffuserProvides soft even flash illuminationOne size fits all. Attaches with the included velcro strap and grip bandFolds down flat for easy storage and portabilityDimensions: 3.5" X 5"
8. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras
- F mount lens/DX format. Picture angle with Nikon DX format 44 degree
- 52.5 millimeter (35-millimeter equivalent). Rear focusing; Manual focus override
- Aperture range: F/1.8 to 22; Dimensions(approx.) 70 x 52.5 millimeter
- Silent wave motor AF system. Accepts filter type is screw on. Lens construction: 8 elements in 6 groups
- Compatible formats is dx and fx in dx crop mode. Maximum reproduction ratio: 0.16x
- Lens not zoomable
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9. Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 APO EX DG Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras
Ultra telephoto zoom lensFast aperture of F2.8 at the 500mm and F5.6 at the 1000mm focal lengthDedicated "Attachment" ensures autofocusing at the 1000mm focal lengthSLD and three ELD glass elements provide high image quality from the maximum large apertureCompatible with corresponding AF mounts from...
10. Skin: The Complete Guide to Digitally Lighting, Photographing, and Retouching Faces and Bodies
- classic tale
- 1964 Publishing
- hardcover
- drawings by Robert Lawson
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11. Neewer 500W Professional Photography Studio Strobe Flash Light Kit - 2 Strobe Flashes, Stands, Umbrellas, Flash Trigger, & Reflectors!
12. Best Business Practices for Photographers, Second Edition
- Light shaper for shoemount flashes, combining the characteristics of a softbox and a beauty dish
- Beauty dish-like design for a soft and even illumination as well as circular reflexions
- For shoemount flashes with a girth between 21.5cm and 26cm - easy to set up and to attach
- Perfect for beauty, portrait and product photography
- Diameter: 45cm, Depth: 22cm Pack size: 20 x 26cm, Weight: 155g (incl. storage pouch 181g), Easily fits in a backpack
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13. Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras, Lens Only
17-55mm wide-angle zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Canon DSLR camerasAD and aspherical elements deliver impressive image quality through entire zoom range, Closest focusing distance : 1.15 feetImage Stabilizer lens groups shift to compensate for image shake even in dim lightingLarge circul...
14. Neewer 48 LED Ring Light for Macro Canon Nikon Sigma Tamron Lens
- 6 x Adapter Rings Included! (49mm/52mm/55mm/58mm/62mm/67mm)
- Specially designed ring shape is perfect for MACRO photography (close-up).
- This light has a double-duty power supply design which allows you to use 2 x AA batteries or DC power
- This lighting unit provide a continuous lighting (not flashing), the continuous lighting allows you handle exposure easily.
- Also great for portrait photography.
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15. SLIK Sprint Pro II Tripod with SBH-100DQ Ball Head - Gun Metal Finish
- Easy to use SLIK speed release leg locks
- Maximum height of 64 inches reaches eye level for most users
- 3 adjustable angles positions legs on uneven ground or steps
- Maximum upper leg diameter of 20mm
- Load Capacity: 4.5 lb
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Read John Harrington's book as soon as you can: Best Business Practices For Photogaphers
In the meantime, as everyone has said, charge for everything. Materials should get a small (18%) markup; figure out a cost per shot and a base creative fee -- the creative fee is paid to you for your time, vision and mastery of technique; the licensing is paid to you per shot for a given target (web, print ad, promotional material, etc.)
If it makes life easier, do the above math and then create a rate based on a set number of images, so if your creative fee is $750/day, and each image license is $350/year, then pick x number of images as a minimum, add it to the creative fee and you've got a ballpark you can use to guide your rates. You may benefit by offering the client to choose from both a per-image rate, or a package flat rate that is based on days worked (assume ten hour work days).
Dgital Photography School is great, Lightstalking.com is another good one. I'd suggest studying on composition first, then work on mastering exposure. Bryan Peterson has written arguably the best book ever on exposure (all of his stuff is worth looking at) and this series by Scott Kelby can really accelerate the learning process, there is a lot of good information in there not directly related to operating your camera that you otherwise would only learn after years of experience.
I see a lot of talk about getting a 17-55mm f/2.8 but you might want to also consider the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. I value the slight telephoto a little bit more than I do the 18mm wide end, so it ended up being my most recent purchase and I love it.
I also own the 50mm f/1.8 (albeit Nikon) and it remains my favorite lens ever, but that's because I do mostly portraiture sessions.
What kind of shooting do you want to do?
A good start would be a Vivitar 283 or 285.
They are good versatile flashes what have a form of built-in exposure calculation.
The Pentax K1000 is awesome, I miss mine. Built like a hockey puck and dumb as a rock. Excellent camera for learning manual exposure.
"Bad" light can often make for a great photo. pantsthatlast just posted this one, asking how to achieve this effect. From a basic rules standpoint, the photographer is doing things "wrong," eg. shooting into the sun. The image is overexposed, blowing out the sky and washing out the ground, but allowing you to see the subject. (If "properly" exposed, he'd be very dark.)
As always, I highly recommend the excellent book, Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. I got a copy on eBay for $7, shipped.
Get a soft box diffuser for your flash like this one. If you get a mounted flash (which most recommend), something like this will work well. I have the second one and it's great.
I suggest the 35mm 1.8DX. It's got a built-in focus motor, light weight, and included lens hood. It's much faster than the kit lens, approximates a 50mm (the standard normal prime for a film SLR) and costs only $200 brand new.
It'll allow you to shoot in much lower-light environments, focus closer and encourage you to get more creative with your composition by forcing you to a fixed focal length.
You may never need your zoom again.
Edit: I was recommending this as your "every day" lens. It's not going to give you the zoom you need for wildlife, however I'm extremely pleased with this as a "walking around" lens and for casual portraits and group shots. To get a sense, for the focal length, twist your zoom lens to the "35" marker and leave it there.
I have the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and love it. By far the sharpest lens I own, and this is counting it against the 24-70 f2.8, 24-105 f4, and 70-200 f2.8 that I have.
But supposedly, the 85 f/1.4 is even more stunning.
And of course the beast of the Sigma lineup is this baby: http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-200-500mm-Ultra-Telephoto-Nikon-Cameras/dp/B0013DAPNU
A good friend of mine recommended Skin by Lee Varis. Mind = blown.
I recently bought this kit from Amazon for £120 or so.
The quality isn't 100% great, but that doesn't matter as each individual part could be upgraded separately. (I had an external Speedlite flash already which I use to trigger them both.)
I'm very happy with them, getting results like this - NSFW which I simply couldn't have managed previously.
Well, there's the Canon 17-55 f/2.8. It's only a little bit wider, but quite a bit faster and a lot better built than the 18-55. It's not cheap though.
Or you could go off-brand and look at either the Sigma 18-50 or the Tamron 17-50
I like using this site to find some examples taken using a specific lens.
http://www.flickriver.com/lenses/
I have a Canon 100mm macro and use a cheap led ring light with it and have been surprised what a cheap ring light can do. This was taken at night with the above setup on my 50D.
I agree it was 15 in Massachusetts this morning. I was just looking at this one
The photographer's eye.
Not bad for illustrating the basic "rules" of composition
skin