Category: Photo

Posted on

The Mystery IP Camera


I’m usually a brand name shopper, so it was uncommon for me to order an Asian no-name IP camera from geeks.com. Ends up it came from Taipei from a company called Edimax. But the mystery is just starting.

The phone is referred to by several confusing models:

-gcj51w (alleged manufacturer’s model number, per geeks.com
-MJPEG Internet Camera (on the app/doc CDROM)
-IC 1500 (in the on-board web configurator)
–IC-3010WG (from the company website picture, not features)
–IC-1500WG (from the website features, not picture)

So what is this thing? It appears to be a scaled back version of the IC-1500WG in that it doesn’t have all the bells & whistles, such as 2-way audio, etc. Check out the features pages above to see what I mean.
I got this one as it was the cheapest 802.11b/g self-contained camera I could find. I surprisingly am not disappointed.
Continue reading “The Mystery IP Camera”

Posted on

Naneu Pro Tango Upgrade

Note: Not all pictures for tutorial are shown here. For all pictures (in high resolution), see our picture gallery here

This is how you fix the Naneu Pro Tango bag to get rid of the ridiculous shoulder strap thing that nobody can figure out. It is a waste of weight, makes the bag thicker for no reason, and is built too cheaply to use even if it was a useful design.

You’ll need:

  • Sharp knife
  • Lighter
  • Seam ripper (ask your wife)
  • Pliers
  • Wire Cutters (heavy duty)
  • About 15 minutes

Start with your new Naneu Pro Tango bag:


Continue reading “Naneu Pro Tango Upgrade”

Posted on

Preparing for a Glamour/Portrait Shoot


I’ve written so many emails about this that I think I should put the info down in a blog article and simply refer models to it! The following is first person:

Clothing
I will tell you not to plan on anything ‘busy’ to wear. You need solids, and preferably nothing the same color as any desired background. Black and white are winners, as is a variety of jewelry. This holds true for both kinds of shoots.
Continue reading “Preparing for a Glamour/Portrait Shoot”

Posted on

Canon Service Sucks, Apparently


On July 4th I had a night shoot, and the next morning when I looked at my Canon 50mm f/1.2 L lens, it had condensation under the plastic focus indicator cover. I immediately sent it into thier New Jersey facility (Canon Factory Service Center 100 Jamesburg Rd Jamesburg, NJ 08831), and after about a week I am told that my lens will cost too much to repair.

Norris, a supervisor at their repair center, explained the situation to me thus:
Continue reading “Canon Service Sucks, Apparently”

Posted on

The AWESOME Heliopan Circular Polarizer

After going through several circular polarizers in the under $50 bracket for my 77mm threads (70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM), I took the plunge. Tiffen, Hoya, and all the other low-end suppliers, you know who you are. I wanted the best glass available to be in front of my 50mm f/1.2 and 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM glass. To step up from 72mm to 77mm, I used the exceptional B+W Step Up Adapter. Even though I hate Adorama, I figured even they couldn’t mess up something made by B+W!

I got the Heliopan 707741 77mm Circular Polarizer, and OMFG, it is the shizzle (do we still say that?). This is a serious piece of optics (at $150), and I even insured it with all my other camera gear.

The first thing you notice is how strong it is. It is around +2.5, and I like that. I have fast glass so I can put this kind of filter on and not have it impact my shooting. Besides, you don’t use a CP in the dark! So here are a few images from my product blog:
Continue reading “The AWESOME Heliopan Circular Polarizer”