Search results for: outdoors buying guide
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by Luke Rollins · Posted
At first glance, studio photography and the compact camera may seem strange bedfellows. The type of work associated with the studio—still life, product photography, portraiture, macro photography—usually wants cameras with larger sensors and interchangeable lenses, especially in professional applications. Compact, point-and-shoot cameras, for their part, have their natural home in everyday, travel, nightlife, and street applications, where their discretion and size become virtues.
It might seem almost cruel to introduce the compact to the
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Ever find yourself still struggling to make out a bird, even when your binoculars are trained directly on it? No matter how steady you hold yourself, you simply just don’t have the reach. You could get a stronger pair of binoculars, but these come with inherent drawbacks, such as stability issues and, of course, a heftier build. What’s our solution?
It’s only natural that after using a pair of binoculars, some birders will find that they yearn for more, and the only way to practically get more reach is to use a spotting scope. These are
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
It's only natural that after using a pair of binoculars, some birders will find that they yearn for more, and the only way to practically get more reach is to use a spotting scope. These are essentially terrestrial telescopes, using one optical path to magnify an even greater distance than our typical handheld optics can manage.
As covered in our guide to choosing a spotting scope, finding the right scope can be as
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Bird-watching, known colloquially as birding, has quickly become one of the most popular past times for nature enthusiasts of all ages. In this fast-paced digital world we find ourselves in, getting outside and winding down to the sounds and sights of birds is quite therapeutic.
Every hobby has its fair share of essential gear,
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
You don’t have to go far to capture fun and engaging images of wildlife. In fact, you may not have to go anywhere at all. A carefully landscaped yard and the right tools can attract an impressive variety of animal life to observe and photograph. Pair that with a little patience and soon you’ll be capturing stunning images from the comfort of your own home.
Attracting Birds
Birds are part of nearly every environment, from the densest cities to rural areas. While they are common, we’ll need to offer three essentials—water, shelter, and food—to
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Choosing a pair of binoculars can be as easy or as daunting as you want it to be. We’ve covered the technical aspects of binoculars, from magnification to glass quality, and how they affect your choice, but not everyone wants to get into all that. While yes, once we know the basics, we can better choose the pair that meets our particular needs, but that assumes we want to get into all that. If you do, check out our
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
You see a flutter of color outside of your kitchen window. You rush over, only to see this mystery critter as a distant speck working its way through the dense shrubs of your yard—it's just too far and too obscure to make it out. What do you do? Do you shrug it off and go about your day, or do you grab a pair of binoculars to get a closer view?
We know what our answer would be, and we feel that nearly every household could use a trusty pair of binoculars, also called "bins" for short. Whether it's for bird watching, sporting events, the opera,
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Optic size is measured by what it can do, but when you’re new to the hobby, this can be confusing. Pick up a spotting scope or any pair of binoculars and you’ll see them adorned with a set of numbers like 8x42, 7x32, or 20-60x80. What exactly do those numbers mean and what do they tell us about an optic?
At the most
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
After the smartphone revolution, it appeared that the days of the compact camera were done. How wrong we were. It’s true that a few years back, point-and-shoot options were few and far between. There were just a handful of options on the market, and some industry titans even left the market entirely. Despite the long-rumored demise of the compact camera, it seems that photo enthusiasts still desire a dedicated device without the distractions that come with a smartphone.
What is a compact or “point-and-shoot” camera? Just because a camera is
by Mary Latvis · Posted
LED panels are a key component of the LED volume walls that form the backdrop for virtual production, an increasingly popular technique used in feature film and television production. This emerging technology enables productions to recreate the look of fictional worlds, far-flung or difficult-to-access locations, or multiple real-world sites in the controlled, safer, and more comfortable environs of a soundstage. Crucial specs to look for in an LED panel include a low pixel pitch of <3mm (high-density pixel count), high brightness levels,
by Mary Latvis · Posted
Large-scale LED signage display walls have been a boon for retailers, sports broadcasts, and live events, providing clear viewing and immediate content updates. The LED volume walls used for OSVP (On-Set Virtual Production) take these massive displays a step further, upping multiple specs to produce stunningly lifelike, high-resolution video that serves as an immersive backdrop for capturing live talent and creating
by Bjorn Petersen · Posted
In a world where photographers are being asked to capture video and filmmakers need to shoot photos, having one tool that can do both is a major asset—especially in the world of wedding photography where it’s often the same team putting together both the photographs and the video. For this type of scenario, Sony’s latest camera solutions offer some of the best options for hybrid shooting.
Here are some of the best
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
When it comes to putting on a live show, knowing the specific gear to get and how to use it can be a daunting prospect. There are tons of different microphones, speaker systems, monitoring setups, and mixer environments, all of which are suited for different types of performance settings. And that's not even including power distribution, cabling, and other miscellaneous equipment you'll need to put on a proper event. But fear not reader. In this guide, we'll go over all the gear you'll want to consider and why, whether you're putting on
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
As a new product that caters to an underrepresented segment of the home/portable speaker market, the release of the somehow simultaneously big and small Sonos Play looks to represent the culmination of Sonos’s reconciliatory pilgrimage.
During the development of their new speaker lineup including the Play, Sonos has completely overhauled their mobile app design, seriously improved their tech support, updated
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Binoculars are a birdwatcher's best friend. They allow you to get close-up views of distant objects without having to actually get close. Some birders use spotting scopes and others use cameras with telephoto lenses, but you may be hard-pressed to find a serious birder without a pair of binoculars at the