Picking a bag for your camera gear is not only personal, but situation specific.

I’ll go through a variety of choices here, and know that, with one exception, I have personally used.

First up is the everyday carry. The Peak design Sling 10 L

This is my perfect street photography camera bag.

This is the bag that I can put 2 bodies, 2 lenses, enough batteries, media cards, phone chargers, and extra bits, for a good day of walkabout.
The build is solid with perfectly designing adjustable inserts, enough pockets and straps to carry what you need.
One thing I particularly love about this bag is the fact that it opens TO my body, as opposed opening away. In other words, i can look down and see what I need to get out of the bag, while “shielding” the contents from those around me with the lid.

Being in a city, I like it for security and convenience. I can unzip, grab the camera, and put it back in the bag fast. And like the first part of getting the camera, the lid of the bag covers the camera upon insertion.
Plus, it has a more rigid build. Not stiff, as it can fold down for packing in a suitcase but defined. There is a handle that allows it to be slid over a suitcase metal handle for easier stacking

My usual is a body, with one lens attached, and an extra lens for street. Although, I can easily add a second body. if need be.

Then for a full tilt, mobile content carry all, we have a generic looking Manfrotto bag, called the Street Slim
This one doesn’t scream camera bag, so discreet, and has all the pockets and interiors shelves you may need to carry your phone cage, microphones, gimbal, stand, lights, batteries, and a laptop or tablet.

One of the main reason this bag is perfect for the mobile creator is the amount of compartments and sections it has, as the tools you use in mobile are generally smaller, and knowing where they are is critical for speed!

As a backpack, it has the room to carry all you may need to shoot a day of content, and, of course, an exterior pocket for a water bottle or travel tripod.

for the interior, yes, it can handle a mirrorless system, but I feel this is best for mobile gear carry.

you can also slip it over a suitcase handle for transport.

There is one bag I have used that is really the best for a more formal affair as it is leather, with a refined look, and a smaller size. Grams(28)camera Sling
With this I use a smaller camera like a Fuji X100V, enough batts, cards, and room to stash things I would carry on my person, but a cleaner look when not wanting to bulk up the suit.

There is a great Black Friday sale on these right now. And although specific in use, a great addition to your bag options.

Then we have the travel bags.
When I go to an event like a trade show out of town, the SKB hard case with a ThinkTank backpack insert is the call.

As things can get knocked around in transit, even if never leaving your side, you still may toss it in the overhead, in the back of taxi, etc. you know your gear is protected. So hard protective case, with the advantage of pack once, and then just grab the backpack when you reach your destination.

To be fair, I usually take some items out once I’m in a hotel, as I travel with more than I may need. Always be prepared!

Also, in the space between the bag, and the outer shell, I add a small light, or media card case.

On a local basis, the big case for full tilt gear is the Think Tank StreetWalker V2.0. With wheels and an option to use as a backpack, you can’t go wrong. Great for city shoots, as I’ve carried this on my back, then switched to wheels when I got closer to the gig. Yes, there is a handle that rises up for the wheeled transpo, and a zippered flap covers it when not needed.

Plus it has so many pockets, side and front,  so you can carry all of your needed bits and pieces

A new entry into the backpack category is the Lowepro ProActic 3 series and this looks like a solid choice with 2 sizes available 350 and 450.
They are on series 3 now so the series 2 is getting discounted!

https://bhpho.to/4eAvw0S
Still, there is a reason they updated so you may want to go with the latest version.

Lowepro has been a solid brand forever, and always delivered quality goods.you can see the options here as you can carry a ton of stuff ( 2 tripods?), and use it as a sling bag. Personally, I feel that if you can get your needed gear into a smaller bag, save you back, and get the right size.
This was the one that I do not have personal experience with, and if I do, I’ll share a real world review.

One thing I would suggest if you are buying the bag for yourself, is gather the gear you want to carry in it, and either go to a brick and mortar camera store, or make sure you can do a return. Then put your gear into the bag and make sure it’s the size you want.

Yes, this is why I have a bunch of bags. Like every photographer I know!
The right tool for the job.

To keep all your gear moving you need power.
Other than the camera batteries of course.
After seeing a ton of products this year, it’s clear that Anker is owning the market.
I may have a drawer full of batteries, but they are getting tired.
The latest are smaller, more powerful and faster charging. BTW, Everything below I have used, and recco!

Anker’s latest phone battery is a vast improvement on previous models as the “packs small, plays big” concept is in full view.
Their latest Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) mag safe battery has so much juice, this should keep your phone going all day even with heavy usage, plus an extra full charge!

Smaller than your phone, this battery and connect via a USB-C cable or with mag safe to your phone.
One thing I have found is that these mag safe batteries can generate a little heat and have had my phone stop charging till the temp came down a bit.
Nothing to crazy, just a note.

Then they have the bigger power bank that will connect to your laptop, tablet, phone, and even charge multiple devices in a small footprint. Anker 737 24,000 mAh

The great thing about this one is the LCD read out telling you how much power is left in %, which is better than the traditional 4 light code.
Yes, it has a little heft but it’s a great unit for a content creator full day.

One other tiny battery from the folks at Rolling Square, fits on your keychain and is a great emergency top up for your phone that is super light and easy to carry.
Called the   TAU® 2 – Emergency keyring power bank, it has lightning & USB-C cables built right in, comes with QR code stickers that you can add your contact info to, in case you misplace your keys, plus a mountable charging

with a magnetic and is a perfect stocking stuffer as well. Of course, NEVER add your address! just a contact like a cel# social media contact or 2000mAh.

BTW, more products from Rolling Square will be featured this week in additional gift guides!

As we are all moving to USB-C, there is a home charging hub from Anker, called the Prime that has 4 fast charging USB-C ports, and 2 USB-A ports.

With a programable feature so you can choose how your gear is charged, making it a smart charger, it’s perfect base unit to use for all your  charging needs. Plus, it has a clock feature, which I’m a big fan of! The 4 USB-C ports are following the move to that format as everything is going there.

And part of all of the the new upgrades, are better USB-C charging cables for fast charging.

There are built to handle the faster charging speed
Here is the Anker version:

The Scosche brand is a braided, heavy-duty cable that can handle the fast charge.

Speaking of Scosche, one more item for you shopping list is the Scosche Dual Port USB-C 65 watt charger. It’s tiny, and the plug prongs fold into the body so it’s an easy travel device. If you can imagine an iPad charger block, except with 2 ports and super fast charging capability. Perfect for travel and will let you fast charge a laptop and phone in the same hub, as we all know laptop ports are in demand and anytime you can consolidate is a win.  Perfect for working in the coffee shop, or on a plane.

And here is  USB-C hub that will be included into the travel gift posting, although fits right here as well.

A  brilliant product from Twelve South it’s the PlugBug, that not only has 4 USB-C ports, folding plug for smoother packing, this unit has a tracking device built in, in case you leave your charging hub behind ! Maybe at the coffee shop, hotel room, shared workspace, or perhaps you just forgot to pack it!

Yep, working with Find My on your iPhone, I have been alerted when it’s left behind, so I know its working!.
You can also get this with a travel case that holds all of our internal plus adaptors.

There you have! a curated collection of power tools for you and /or your giftee!.

Remember, Black Friday is coming fast, and some of the brands above are already in the zone!

This is an interesting category as many of you may have settled into your daily software of choice for your images.
I’s say there are 2 main, Adobe Lightroom, and Capture one.
As subscription based software, you do get locked into a system so choose wisely and maybe download a trial to se what works best for you.
However, Black Friday does bring deals every year, and 2024 is no different!
Adobe has just announced their deals and you can save about 50% on the creative cloud giving you a full suite of programs to handle all of you creative needs.

Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, Illustrator and soo much more.
If you just want the photo based applications you can just get those and save some dough.
Honestly I Iove Lightroom and use it for my digital asset management (DAM).
Currently have about 370K images in the system.
Here is a tip, no matter what system you use: always tag the files as you import them.
It is the best way to find them when you need them.

Then you can go to a program like Topaz. This one has options like sharpening, upscaling for enlargements, noise reduction, or even just using their AI option to clean up as you like.

Be careful and use sparingly. Testing the options is the best way, so you don’t make your images look too artificial.
Once again, download trail and see how it works for you.

You can also integrate this software directly into Lightroom as a plugin, so you can use easily.
Yes, I did buy Capture One, although found it was not my preferred everyday software.
You may have a different experience.

There are various RAW processing programs, like Iridient, although the 2 main are improving their RAW processing all of the time.

For the beginners who are looking to upgrade their game from phone apps, the perfect transition software is the Photoshop Elements package.

In one well priced standalone group of applications, you can get the photo with a video editing package for an additional $50, with the features used in the more advanced programs, it is a great gift for the aspiring photog and/or video creator. When they are ready to move to a more robust set of applications, they will be well versed.

For the mobile content creator, the current leader for video is the FREE Blackmagic phone camera app. The options to shoot the highest quality, with the most options you can with your phone is right here.
TBH, I was a longtime Filmic Pro user, and this app has taken over.
Download and take it for a spin!

There you have it for today!.

I know people have their favorite software to use, and here are just a few of the main stays.

Don’t love some of them having a subscription model, but maybe renew during black friday deals when your sub is up.

Some Black Friday sales have already begun so jump on them!

Tis the season!

For years, this next set of posts are always a favorite of mine, as it gathers ideas for you to gift to the photo/video fan in your world, and of course. maybe just purchase something to make your life easier! Plus, want to give you enough time to take advantage of the coming sales!

Come back daily for fresh categories of selected products!

A couple of things to note:

*most everything in the posts have been tested and worked with, so the reccos come from a real place.

*Cameras systems are generally not included, as it it such a personal , and expensive proposition that you should research via multiple sources, with a major one, putting a camera in your hands to make sure it it what you want to commit to.

*If someone asked me what to recco: Fuji, Nikon, Sony, or Canon my answer is – YES!

OK, to start here is a scanner that has been posted about before, and is a great product for families and extended families. I wanted to give you time to read about, buy one, scan your family photos, send it off to another family member, have them scan, and so on, creating a huge shared family history through photos.It has gone from the 640w to the 680w sinceI first saw it.

Here is a link to the latest version. 

I love to scan old photos.
Seriously, being able to scan negatives and slide from my archives is one of my favorite evening pastimes. Set it up, scan and store. It almost becomes a treasure hunt, especially with the negatives.
One thing I was not scanning much were all of the 4×6 photos in my storage boxes. You know, we all have them. The personal records of our lives.
The neg sleeves from the commercial labs, like Fromex, had a short cut to the strips, and was, honestly a bit of a pain to deal with.
There are services where you pack all of your precious family photos into a box, and send them overseas to be scanned. Scared the heck out of me, so never did it.
The I saw a demo of the Epson FastFoto 640 

When I first saw the Epson FastFoto last year, I had a feeling that this was a breakthrough product. Being able to bulk scan my family snaps, with speed, AND scan front and back for the older ones (people used to put notes on the back) was a win. And sitting on a small bit of a desktop? Worked for me!
Until I get to try these things out myself, I can’t truly comment.
After having one to test for a bit. I’m convinced.

Pure winner.
There is one downside that I’ll broach later. Continue Reading »

It’s that time of year when we all look at how to update our tools, and keep up with improvements in your equipment.
Sometimes though, we get tempted to look back at some previous gear that may still have some life.
That’s what I did.
Here are my latest 3 revivals:

Rummaging through some drawers, I came across my Canon S100, digital camera which was truly pocket sized. To give you an idea how long I had this , there was a 1GB SD card in it.

Ordered some fresh batteries, cheap on Amazon, and hit the streets.
Wow!
The color right out of camera was exceptional! With a zoom lens, multiple options for scene choices, this camera has now become a staple in my camera bag. Or my jeans.

It’s not fast, but it still shoots straight!

Then, I was looking at a video camera from DJI, the Osmo Pocket 1st gen.
This is a slim, pocket sized, all in one gimbal , and while only shooting HD, is still a handy device while on a walk about. It does have all of the standard gimbal choices of movement, and shoots stills as well, with a pano stitching feature.

It connects to the DJI Mimo app, which is pretty robust, and has tutorials.
This camera needed some tender loving care (wasn’t charging) from DJI and $70 later, it was as good as new!

DJI repairfolks were all over it and were great communicators! Checked in with call after the repair to make sure all was good.

It records to a Micro SD, and with all of the accessories I had used years before, ithas worked its way back into the content capture repertoire.

They are up to V3 with a larger viewing screen, 4K, and a $600 price tag.
This one is working fine, just needed to add my phone for a larger viewing screen and is quite handy.

The last one (for now)is a utility bit of gear. Power when you need it!

At an event, I saw one of the shooters using a Quantum Turbo SC battery pack to power his speedlight.
I was always a fan as this gave you full power with super fast recycling times, and a looooong time of usage.
I used to work a bit with Quantum lights, which have gone out of favor, but the battery pack could power a bunch of my speedlights, with proper cabling.
My pack wasn’t charging, so I found a repair place on EBAY, and for $50 he repaired the pack, and its as good as new!
I can use it with Nikon, Nissin, and of course, Quantum strobes. Like I said , just need the right cables to connect the battery to the speedlight

The lesson to me was this: I’d rather repair, than recycle.
As long as the gear can be effective.

Sure, there is nothing like getting fresh updated tech, and the dopamine hit from opening that packing , charging it up and working with it.

Sometimes though, you have some quality choices right there in your drawer.
Have a look, you may be surprised. It’s a fun journey, and productive journey.

Don’t get me started about the Contax T3 waiting for a fresh roll of film!

And next up will be the Holiday Gift Guides, so you can still get the new, while appreciating the old.