Canon’s EF 16-35 f/2.8 L II is a very popular lens, particularly for landscape and architectural photography. It has remained out of the reach of many enthusiast photographers due to its very high price ($1700, but at the time of this writing there is a $200 mail-in rebate). The lens is also not image stabilized, […]
Canon EF 16-35 f/4 L IS: a cheaper and stable alternative Read More
I love photography. There is seldom a moment when I am not at work and there isn’t a camera in my hand. Like all photographers, I go through camera bags like crazy. What works for one application somehow doesn’t seem to work for another. I have used such camera bags as the Billingham Hadley Pro
Naneu UrbanGear U60 Camera Backpack review Read More
I like pens. Beats the heck out of carving pictograms into rock. You know, take a harder rock and scrape it against the softer rock. The process is tedious but the results do last a long time. Pens make it a lot easier and, as everyone knows, they are mightier than swords. If only Ned
Acme Studio 7FP pen review Read More
I am a mild-mannered chemistry teacher most of the year but for two weeks out of every year I visit the Great Plains in search of the most intense weather Mother Nature can throw at us. I have been bringing a Kestrel 4000 weather meter with me to measure the temperature, dewpoint and wind speed
WeatherFlow Wind Meter review Read More
There’s a great thing about being a teacher…being entrusted with a large number of keys. Keys to my classrooms, to the different cabinets in the classroom, my desk, my filing cabinets, cabinets in different rooms, the bathroom and the goggle cabinet. I teach chemistry and there are a large number of cabinets I need to
You’ve just spent a mint on that shiny new iDevice and want to sheath it in something nice, classy, protective and did I mention classy? Here’s an interesting option for you: a thick, understated yet elegant bamboo case! This offering is from Primovisto and, while it ticks the boxes for elegant, chic, solid and classy,
Primovisto iPad Air Bamboo Case review Read More
I hate my hair. Words cannot describe how much I detest my thin, sparse hair. I’ve never been able to grow it to my satisfaction but now it just looks awful. If I grew it long I would look like a crazy radiation victim. So what do I do? I shave my head. This is
Drive your way to a smoother head: the HeadBlade ATX Read More
The Lensbaby Composer Pro is an intriguing solution to selecting the perfect focus spot in your composition. Available in mounts for several ILC and dSLR cameras, it is a fully manual lens with a manual aperture control and swivel lens. The aperture settings will determine the width of the in-focus area and the swivel lens
Tilt-shift focus on the cheap: The Lensbaby Composer Pro Read More
I have an older DVD player/receiver/amplifier that I used to play CDs on. I got tired of swapping CDs in and out a long time ago and my CDs have gone dusty on the shelf. Then I got an opportunity to review the Amped Wireless Long Range Bluetooth Speaker Adapter and music once again pours
Amped Wireless LongRange Bluetooth Speaker Adapter review Read More
I never get tired of tiny Windows machines. I’ve owned everything from the OQO to the Fujitsu UH100 to the Viliv N5 to the Dell Venue Pro 8. Now ASUS has tossed its large hat into the 8″ Windows tablet right with its new offering, the Vivo Tab Note 8. Available in 32 and 64
The tablet wars heat up: the ASUS Vivo Tab Note 8 Read More
I am a big fan of audiobooks and podcasts. I am an even bigger fan of listening to them while in the shower. In the past, I have done this by cranking up the volume on my desktop stereo system that I have hooked up to my desktop computer’s sound card. This produces enough volume
ABCO Tech Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Shower Speaker Auto FM Shower Radio review Read More
There seems to be a plethora of Bluetooth audio products out these days. I had been interested in wireless headphones but the price has been a huge factor in why I don’t have them. Battery life is also an issue…when you have a compact device, you are really limited in how long you’ll be grokking
The selfie craze has swept the nation, it has been determined that some people are even addicted to taking selfies. With smartphones having front-facing cameras, I guess this phenomenon was pretty much inevitable. Heck, I was taking selfies with my little Olympus Stylus pocket film camera back in the 1980’s, when I’d actually have to
Now they’re just enabling you: GabbaGoods #TheSelfie Camera Remote Shutter Release Read More
The iPad is a very powerful system for music creation, but it lacks any way to get music in or out of it. Numerous companies have tried to create iPad docks for this purpose, docking the iPad to a platform that has the connectivity that music creators demand. So far most of them have fallen
The ultimate iPad studio? Focusrite iTrack Professional Dock for iPad Read More
I have worn eyeglasses since I was in second grade. My first pair was short-lived, I had not gotten used to wearing them yet and I took them off every day at lunch in the cafeteria. For some reason, I had the habit of putting them in the brown paper bag that my mom packed
Magnetic Holders Eye Loop eyeglass holders review Read More
I have been an amateur astronomer for the longest time but astrophotography has always eluded me. I never had the proper equipment and getting a dedicated CCD camera for the purpose of photographing the sun, moon and planets is prohibitively expensive. A while back, a company called Scopetronix made custom milled adapters that connected point
Telescope camera adapters: attach your digicam to your telescope! Read More
I love my 17-40 f/4 L Canon wide zoom. Last year it grabbed me some tasty shots of storms and the aurora borealis! Storms aren’t that hard to shoot… until you hit low light, then the camera struggles to find that autofocus point. Same goes for the aurora. So you flip the switch and
Drive manual better: the PhotoJojo dSLR Focus Shifter! Read More
So you’re out in the wilderness, Les Stroud style, and you need a fire. Stat. You would have bought a lighter but they didn”t allow them on the plane. Fortunately, you remembered to pack your Pilot Slider USB Rechargeable Lighter! Available for $19.99 at ThinkGeek, $11.99 at Amazon and reportedly (from reviews) for less than
A lighter for computer geeks – Pilot Slider USB Rechargeable Lighter Read More
I love cameras but a nearly equal obsession of mine is finding better ways to carry them wherever I go. This has seriously piqued my interest: the MindShift Gear UltraLight Camera Cover. Available in two colors (blue or black) and three sizes to accommodate different sized camera setups. It comes with an integrated belt and
MindShift Gear Ultralight Camera Cover: Your camera will thank you! Read More
I’ve played a Moog Etherwave theremin (badly) for several years now. Hooked up to a Korg KP3 effects processor, you can get some really great effects out of it. However, plucking notes out of thin air in a continuous scale is maddeningly hard work. Unlike a guitar or piano, where the notes are clearly delineated,
All play, no touch: The Moog Theremini Read More