Posts | Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog

Coming Soon- My First Outdoor Photography Video Course

I’m excited to announce my first instructional photography video course, Outdoor Photography Essentials, which will launch in two weeks, on September 21!

In this 80-minute course, I’ll teach you the essential skills for shooting dynamic and exciting action and people photos in the outdoors, and show you a variety of skills, tips and tricks that will help you tell amazing stories with your photographs.

Created in conjunction with Craftsy.com, this is an interactive online course that features HD video lessons that you can watch on your computer or mobile device, anytime, anywhere. In addition, you can ask me specific questions, upload your own photos and get personalized guidance from me that will help you get the most out of the lessons.

If you haven’t heard of Craftsy, they’re leading the charge with an innovative, high quality online education platform that gives students an in-class style experience and lets them learn at their own pace. I’m really excited about the course, and I worked all summer with the content director and producer to create a workshop that I feel best matches my shooting and teaching style. I can’t wait for you to see it!

With a highly practical and real-world approach, Outdoor Photography Essentials gives you a first-person look at exactly how I gauge the light and work my subjects when I’m on location.

In 7 easy-to-follow lessons, I’ll show you how to get comfortable with your camera and exposure modes, so you can react quickly and capture fast moving subjects, I’ll show you how to deal with tricky light and get the best exposure, how to use lenses in order to get the most compelling viewpoint and how to choose the best compositional techniques that will help you create the most dramatic photographs.

I don’t just talk about how to use these techniques in the video, you’ll actually see how I put them into action in real-life situations. Instead of just showing finished examples on the screen, I wanted to show you the exact methods I use to bring my scenes alive.

Filmed over the course of four days in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I tried to make it as real as possible. In each location, I had to work with whatever light we happened to have at the time, just like you do when you’re out shooting.

I had to come up with technical and creative ideas on the spot, with almost no pre-planning, and in each case, I show you exactly how I took the scene from initial observations to a great final image that I was exceptionally pleased with.

To me, this is the hallmark of Outdoor Photography Essentials. When you’re out shooting people, action and adventure, you have to deal with whatever situation you’re given, which often include fast breaking situations and quickly changing light. I wanted to create a video workshop that reflects and addresses the specific challenges you face when you’re standing there on location with the camera in your hands, not just a course that repeats the stuff you already know.

To lead up to the launch, I’m giving you a chance to win the course for free! Click this link, sign up for an account on Craftsy.com and you’ll automatically be entered into the drawing. The giveaway will end the evening before launch, on the night of September 20. If you win, you’ll get an email notification which will include the free class link.

September 9, 2015

Coming Soon- My First Outdoor Photography Video Course

Adventures with Dan, Featured Images

Read My Photo Essay WILD LABRADOR

This summer, I spent half of July exploring the northeast region of Canada as a guest photography guide with Adventure Canada and Fujifilm. The highlight of that trip was traveling up the entire coast of Labrador, and I’ve just published my first photo essay about that amazing and beautiful region.

Read WILD LABRADOR: Adventures in the Upper Right Corner and see some of my favorite images from the trip and learn just a bit about this rugged and remote corner of the world.

I posted the story on my adventure mini-site, adventures.danbaileyphoto.com. This site is designed to offer a clean, bold presentation and a simple design. As much as I love writing about my adventures here, there are some topics I feel require this treatment for maximum visual impact.

Check out the story here, and subscribe to be notified when I post future adventure photo essays.

August 26, 2015

Read My Photo Essay WILD LABRADOR

Industry News

Serif Releases Affinity Photo Software For Mac

Serif software just released a professional photo editing program for Mac called Affinity Photo. Built as a high-end alternative to Adobe Photoshop CC, Affinity Photo offers a sophisticated tool set for editing and retouching and a beautiful, intuitive user interface.

During its beta period, which had been going on since February, Serif gathered input from thousands of trial users and worked to refine the app into a rock solid performer. Reviews of the beta version noted it’s speed and reliability.

Five years in the making, Affinity Photo offers full file compatibility, RGB, CMYK, LAB and Grayscale color spaces, with full ICC color management, Adjustment Layers, RAW editing and a huge selection of creative tools, filters and customizable effects.

Best part about Affinity Photo is the price; only $49, available at the Mac App Store. Flat fee. No subscription. Obviously, this will be music to the years of everyone who’s unhappy about Adobe’s Creative Cloud pricing model, which has left a bad taste in the mouths of more than a few photographers.

Although I haven’t tried Affinity Photo yet, I’m really excited by its release, because the world needs competition. Photoshop has been the only game in town for professional photo editing for a long time and they need someone to keep them honest. In turn, they have set the bar for other companies who want to bring something new to the table. Either way, competition leads to innovation, which only makes things better for everyone.

Even though I’ve been a Photoshop user for many years, my loyalty only goes so far if I find a system that works better for my workflow. Photoshop does offer a very powerful solution when I need to go beyond Lightroom, and although I’m not necessarily ready to ditch Adobe right now, I’m always open to options, and so should you be.

It’s true, there are a number of other image editing programs out there, but nothing as full featured as Affinity Photo. Most of them do a few things really well, they just don’t do everything, or else they have limitations, like only being able to work in RGB color space, or not being able to work with 16-bit raw files.

Affinity Photo is not dumbed down in any way, it handles any task you could do in Photoshop, some better, some not, although keep in mind that is only version 1, and if they did this good right out of the gate, it will only improve.

If you’re not happy with Adobe, or if you’re looking for a viable alternative to Photoshop, check out the Serif website and see what Affinity Photo is all about- they even have a free ten-day trial period. You can also read this early review by a beta user.

August 3, 2015

Serif Releases Affinity Photo Software For Mac

Press, Interviews and Info, Publications

Read My Article in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, August 2015 Issue

I’m excited to report that my work is featured in the August 2015 issue of Outdoor Photographer Magazine. The article is called “My Move To Mirrorless, and it outlines my transition from Nikon DLSR gear to the smaller, lighter Fuji X-T1 and X-T10 for all of my photography.

The piece features a number of my recent favorite images, all shot with the X-T1, and it details exactly how I made each photo. For each example, the extended caption explains how mirrorless camera technology has influenced my work, and in most cases, how my fast moving style of outdoor action and adventure has actually benefitted from using mirrorless cameras.

Aside from being lighter and smaller, there are distinct advantages that mirrorless cameras such as the X-T1 offers over DSLRs. And I’m not the only person who has discovered these benefits- A a wide number of photographers, both pro and amateur are discovering that they don’t need clunky DSLRs in order to shoot professional quality work.

Having used SLR and DSLR cameras for well over 20 years, I did not take my switch to mirrorless lightly. The bottom line is that I can’t afford to use gear that doesn’t let me push my creative and technical limits as I continue to evolve as a photographer.

This isn’t about trends, it’s about tools. Since much of my photography revolves around very technical shooting situations that incorporate tricky light and fast breaking subject matter, I need a camera system that can perform to high standards and deliver fast, accurate autofocus, good ergonomics and high quality images with excellent color rendition. For me, the X cameras deliver all of those things, plus they’re really fun to use.

There’s still a misperception with some people that DSLRs are far superior to mirrorless cameras when it comes to quality and performance. However, some of the arguments I hear are either not entirely accurate, or they do not reflect the kinds of real-world situations that most photographers deal with on a regular basis.

The goal with this article, which the OP editors asked me to write, is to dispel these notions. While I don’t have the same extensive experience with other mirrorless camera brands, some of my points in the OP article do apply to other mirrorless setups as well. With regards to the Fuji system, here are some addition points not described in the magazine piece.

The Fuji X-Trans sensors are capable of producing results that exceed the needs of many shooters. With its irregular pattern, non-bayer color filter matrix and no optical low pass filter in front of the sensor, the Fuji X cameras produce incredibly sharp imagery that rivals full frame. I’ve seen side-by-side comparisons of the Fuji X-E2 and the Nikon D750, where the image from the X-E2 was sharper. Plus, the pixel density/size on the X-T1 is almost identical to the Nikon D810, which means it has the same, excellent low light performance.

Also, Fuji’s long history of color rendition, which stems from decades of film production, has been infused as specific color profiles into their digital cameras. I’ve always loved the Fuji colors. There’s nothing like capturing a brilliant, dynamic outdoor scene on Velvia. It was gorgeous then, and it’s gorgeous now.

Then there’s the glass. Fuji has made lenses for Hasselblad, NASA, TV and film and other uses/manufacturers for years. Their glass is as sharp as any lens you’ll ever look through, and combined with the X-Trans sensor, the X cameras produce unbelievably sharp photographs that will reproduce well, even at VERY large sizes. I’ve had photos from my X cameras blown up to 4 by 6 foot wall panels for professional clients that look absolutely stunning.

In just a few years, Fuji has built an incredible selection of 20 lenses, that encompass a wide range of fast primes and zooms, 5 of which are weather sealed, and they even have a 100-400mm lens and a teleconverter slated to come out in the next year or so. This will be an excellent combo for wildlife photographers. Also, Lensbaby has finally released an X mount version for the Fuji cameras.

Finally, with the recent v.4 firmware update, Fuji totally revamped the predictive autofocus system on the X-T1 and the new X-T10. It’s even faster and more accurate now, and as good or better than many lower priced DSLRs. Combined with the X-T1’s high buffer and 8 fps frame rate, you can max out at 47 RAW shots in full continuous mode. Is it as good as the $6,000 Nikon D4? No, but for what most people shoot, it will get the job done. I shoot lots of fast moving subjects and it gets the job done for me.

DSLRs are great, but the reality is that mirrorless cameras represent the future. As the performance gap keeps closing with each new model, I think you’ll find them to be more than adequate, if not ideal for just about everything you shoot.

The August 2015 issue of Outdoor Photographer is now on the newsstands, and you can also read the digital edition on your mobile device, or read my article online. Also, to read the full story of my move from Nikon to Fuji, check out this blog post.

Have you switched? Leave a comment and tell me your story.

July 27, 2015

Read My Article in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, August 2015 Issue

Personal and Pro Insight

Bring Back the Shadows: The Case Against HDR

Call this ode to the shadow, my attempt to rescue that wonderful, often elusive species, which has been pushed aside lately with such increasing and ruthless neglect by slider-happy photographers who banish it from existence in their images.

You know what I’m talking about. You see it every day. On Twitter, on Facebook, and especially on Instagram. Photos with such incredible, brilliant and dynamic colors that look like they’ve been cooked. Pictures with drippy, over saturated hues; like cotton candy that’s been slathered with an entire bottle of maple syrup. Google “Fantasy Art” and you’ll see the exact same tonal blueprint.

It took me awhile to figure out why I can’t stand that stuff. No, it’s not that weird alien-like edge glow that floats around the subject, or even cosmic tones that peg the gamut meter full tilt. It’s the fact that you can see everything. Nothing is hidden.

Yes, there’s some well executed HDR out there, but to me, most HDR photography, whether it’s done with a plug-in or by slamming the software sliders all the way to the right, is nothing more than sugar. Spoon fed sugar that’s shoveled right into your mouth.

It delivers calories with no work. A payoff with no effort. In every way, it’s just like that godawful, heavily compressed, crossover pop garbage that pours forth from the country stations. Noone really like that stuff, but the radio keeps playing it.

Whatever happened to subtlety? To innuendo? To suggestion?

Whatever happened to shadows…?

Whether it’s bad HDR or bad country music, if you give the viewer or listener EVERYTHING in the same level of volume, color, tone and brightness, you leave nothing to the imagination. You relegate your audience to nothing more than a passive input device with absolutely no active role in the process.

Music, photography, drawing, writing, painting or sculpture, art without the element of imagination and suggestion is meaningless. It’s just ingredients with no nourishment; no context; no message; no expression. It’s just noise.

Imagination is what makes the creative efforts and crafts of other individuals resonate with us as fellow human beings. It’s what brings us into the minds of the artist and causes us to question, think, consider and otherwise ruminate over the contents and ideas presented.

Give your viewer everything and they have nothing to do but just sit there and take it. Is that what you want? Do you want your imagery to provide your viewer with the same level of entertainment as a bland, homonogized country hit or a bad sitcom?

Or do you want to engage your viewer with a photo that invokes ideas, imagination, and an emotional response, and that makes them remember your image, long after they’ve turned the page, visited the next web site, clicked the “next” arrow, or flipped the screen up with their thumb? We have enough passive media input in our society, don’t contrite to that mess, try to make something that warrants a second glance.

We didn’t have this problem in the old days, largely because film couldn’t show everything. With such a narrow latitude, you had to be selective and make decisions about what to show in your images. You were forced to work with these technical limitations, and so the temptation of glossing up the shot wasn’t even there.

Dye sublimation printing allowed for richer color palettes and increased shadow detail over tradition prints and Cibachomes, but it still didn’t compare with what we can do with digital photography today, and that’s where the problems began.

This is where it gets tough. Just because you CAN blast colors to the edge of the spectrum and show every single detail, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. The elements of light, shadow and contrast are fundamental and essential aspects of photography, and they always have been. Let us not forget this.

Shadows are the sexy outfits that hide and suggest your subject matter. They insinuate shapes, form and identify, and they add a tremendous amount of flavor to to your shots. With many shooters, they define style.

Shadows are such an integral part of the power of photography, so please don’t drive them to the brink of extinction like the white rhino. Doing so will ruin the craft. So let them loose. Let them run free in your imagery. Embrace them and start to think more about what you can conceal rather than what you can show and your photos will take on a whole new dimension.

So pull back a little bit. Or a lot. Give your viewers part of the story and let them imagine the rest. Embrace the shadows and they’ll reward you with as much love as you give them. I promise.

Ok, let the comments begin…

July 21, 2015

Bring Back the Shadows: The Case Against HDR

Press, Interviews and Info

Check Out My Brand New iOS Photography Apps

I’m excited to announce the release of my brand new photography apps for iPhone and iPad.

Capturing Action and Capturing Landscapes are both full of photography tips designed to help you shoot better, more dynamic images, whether you use a DSLR, a mirrorless camera, or with the amazing current mobile technologies that are available, even a phone.

Each app features around 30 of my favorite images in that style, as well as detailed “behind-the-scenes” info for every one of the shots. In addition to full camera, lens, ISO, and exposure data, I’ve included a specific technical and/or compositional tip for each photo that highlights exactly what I did, or what I looked for in order to make the shot come alive.

Each apps also features an insider’s look at my Gear Bag, which includes a full list of the current equipment I use, although the images in each app span from nearly two decades of work and a variety of different cameras. Each app is self contained, so you don’t need an internet connection to run them.

Please note, that since these apps use some of the latest mobile technology, they require iOS 8 to run them. I realize that not everyone has upgraded to iOS 8, but for what it’s worth, I upgraded my iPhone 4S so I could preview these apps and so far I’ve had no problems. It runs fine.

Working with Go Mobile Masters, we wanted to create apps that inspire and educate, and I’m very excited with what we’ve done. Just as with my blog, my eBooks and my brand new print book, Outdoor Action and Adventure Photography, my goal is to help other photographers create the best, most exciting outdoor imagery possible.

Here’s the thing- I love photography, and I love it when other people get excited about their own photography.

The bottom line is that it feels the same for all of us when we see an exciting convergence of light and moment in the viewfinder and we’re able to click the shutter at just the right time, so I’m more than happy to share my experience and insight with you.

Both apps are available at the Apple iTunes Store, so either click the links below or search the iTunes store for Dan Bailey Photography. I hope you enjoy them!

Capturing Action – Dan Bailey Photography

Capturing Action – Dan Bailey Photography – for the iPad and iPhone – is an interactive education app that features detailed photo information written by an internationally published outdoor photographer. While flipping through the screens, using Flip Book technology, you’ll view a stunning collection of Dan’s action and adventure imagery, and gather photo tips along the way that will help you get shots like these.

Capturing Landscapes – Dan Bailey Photography

Capturing Landscapes – Dan Bailey Photography – for the iPad and iPhone – is an interactive education app that features detailed photo information written by an internationally published outdoor photographer. While flipping through the screens using Flip Book technology, you’ll view a stunning collection of Dan’s favorite landscape images, and gather photo tips along the way that help you get shots like these.

July 1, 2015

Check Out My Brand New iOS Photography Apps

Camera Gear

Download the New Fuji X-T1 Version 4.0 Firmware Update

Today, Fujifilm has given us a brand new camera. It’s called the X-T1. You may have heard of it, since it’s been out for almost a year and a half.

Of course, with the new version 4.0 firmware update that just became available for download today, the X-T1 feels just like a new camera. That’s because Fuji has completely revamped the autofocus system, which makes the X-T1 an even more capable performer for shooting action, sports, portraits and just about anything that moves.

The new system incorporates a number of advanced features and 9 AF modes, including Zone and Wide/Tracking modes, Eye Detection AF, Auto Macro mode, improved Movie AF, and they’ve optimized the autofocus algorithms for improved Phase Detect AF performance in low light. Before the PDAF system worked down to EV2.5; it now works down to EV0.5.

I’ve been using the new firmware for almost two months now (it comes already installed in the new X-T10), and I can attest, this is a major update. Whereas the original X-T1 predictive autofocus system was very good, the new version is remarkably better. Compared to DSLR autofocus performance, this blurs the lines even more and makes me glad I’ve switched to mirrorless.

With DSLR, much of the performance with regards to AF is tied to the physical AF sensor, which is a mechanical piece that can’t be swapped out. If you want better performance, you have to wait for the next model. With mirrorless cameras, much of the componentry is software based, so it can be improved with firmware updates, as we’ve seen numerous times with the Fuji X camera system.

That’s one of the things I really like about shooting with Fuji cameras, they’re always working to update their cameras, which gives them a long shelf life. It reminds me of when I shot film and used the same camera for a number of years before upgrading.

Version 3.0, which we saw last December, added 27 new features to the X-T1, including a host of customization options and the new Classic Chrome film simulation. With this new version 4.0 update, the X-T1 becomes an even more powerful machine.

If you have the X-T1, download v.4.0 firmware here. I guarantee, you’ll be very impressed. Check out this special Fuji site for a full detail of the new AF system to see all the new modes they’ve added.

June 29, 2015

Download the New Fuji X-T1 Version 4.0 Firmware Update

Personal and Pro Insight

Mirrorless Cameras and the Legacy of Photography

Last week, I went out shooting with my friend Ryan Greeff, who lives here in Anchorage. He also likes to photograph outdoor adventure subjects and sports like mountain biking. He’s only been shooting for a few years, but he’s got a great eye and as much enthusiasm for photography as anyone.

I first met Ryan a couple years ago when we were both shooting a cyclocross race. He drew my eye because he had the same orange Lowepro Photo Sport 200 pack that I often use, and over the past couple of years, we’ve enjoyed talking about photography whenever we get together. And although he shoots simply for fun and not money, Ryan doesn’t seem love photography any less than I do. I feel that’s the case with just about every enthusiastic photographer out there. We all do it because we love the craft.

Anyway, one evening last week, I flew us out to the Knik Glacier in my little yellow Cessna, where we spend the tail end of the day hopping around on the icebergs and shooting photos out in this incredible, rugged environment. In short, just two dudes with cameras exploring photography, just for the sake of fun and creative experimentation.

I had my new Fuji X-T10, which is an amazing little camera (read my full review here) he had his new Olympus OM-D EM-1, which he recently upgraded to from the Nikon D90. (Olympus just released their brand new OM-D EM-5 Mark II as well.) In many ways, the Fuji X and Olympus OM-D series cameras are so similar, and so it was cool to check out each other’s gear, compare features and share creative and technical ideas.

Although I’ve spent my entire photography life shooting Nikon and Fuji, I’ve always thought very highly of Olympus, and I’m impressed by their mirrorless cameras.

In my mind, Both Fuji and Olympus are running on the same track- they both are well-established camera companies who have a long legacy with traditional photography, and they’ve both transitioned very well from the film era into the digital age with capable, high performing cameras that retain this legacy and yet continue to inspire with modern technology and a host of creative features.

Both have worked hard to retain a traditional look and feel. However, this is not just a retro-marketing thing. Camera design has evolved over many decades, and some of these designs and features have been retained for a reason- they work and they make sense, both ergonomically and mechanically.

Although mirrorless cameras are largely software based inside, the design of these cameras is still based on fundamental mechanical principles that were established decades ago by companies like Zeiss, Contax, Asahiflex, Praktica, and of course, Leica, Nikon and even Kodak.

The same can be said for DSLRs. Although they’re starting to lose some ground to mirrorless cameras, they’re still solid, well designed photographic tools that can help you explore your creativity in endless ways.

It’s a very exciting time to be a photographer right now, and no matter what camera you’re using, whether it’s a Fuji, Olympus, Sony, Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, etc…

So if you came from film, or if your photography life has existed entirely in the digital age, you’re holding a great deal of history in your hands and you’re part of a wonderful legacy that continues to allow for a world of fun and personal expression.

Enjoy it. And Enjoy summer. And check out Ryan’s Instagram feed.

Flying in the #littleyellowcessna with pilot and photographer Dan Bailey. @danbaileyphoto

A photo posted by Ryan Greeff (@akgreeff) on Jun 16, 2015 at 11:12pm PDT

#knik

A photo posted by Ryan Greeff (@akgreeff) on Jun 16, 2015 at 11:15pm PDT

June 22, 2015

Mirrorless Cameras and the Legacy of Photography

Reviews and Recommendations

Solar Charging Solutions For Your Camera Batteries

Modern technology is awesome, but it sucks to be tethered all the time. As much as we depend on our gadgets, and especially our cameras, we what outdoor photographers, adventurers and travelers really long for is to be able to run free through the world without being ruled by the battery indicator.

Sure, you can always pack a handful of spare camera batteries, but if you’re on extended backcountry adventure, a long bike tour or traveling in remote areas, it’s nice to be self-sufficient, especially when it comes to powering your devices.

For years, I’ve been waiting for the right combination of product development and and adaptors that would allow me to charge my camera batters from solar, and I’m psyched to have finally found a workable solution.

Goal Zero Solar Panel

It begins with the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel. You could use any solar panel that has a USB port, and there are a few of them out there, but I like the Nomad 7. It’s a nice, compact size that easily fits in a backpack, and it provides a reasonable charge times for most small devices. It includes a dedicated USB port and a 12v port w/ adaptor cable.

Once you have the panel, you can charge any USB powered device, like a phone, iPod or GPS, or using the Goal Zero Guide 10 kit, you can charge 4 AA batteries for things like headlamps. Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the Goal Zero stuff, they seem to be hitting a stride and coming out with a wide range of very usable and compatible stuff that’s built well and clearly designed to address the needs of outdoor adventurers and travelers.

The second part of this solution is a USB charger for your camera battery. This has been the tricky part, but fortunately, we’re starting to see a number of them pop up on the market.

USB Battery Charger

For my Fuji X-T1 and X-T10, I just got the OAproda NP-126 USB Rapid Charger, which you can find at Amazon. This handles all the interchangeable X cameras, like the X-E1, X-E2 and the X-Pro1 and the X-M1 as well. (Other brands listed below)

At this point, OAproad doesn’t seem to make one for the X100, but I found this PowerSmart USB charger for the NP-95 batteries which does the same thing. And here’s a PowerSmart USB charger for the Fuji X10/20/30 NP-50 batteries.

If you live in Europe, you can get the Patona USB NP-126 battery charger. It even comes with two spare batteries.

In full sun, it takes about 4 hours to do a full charge on an empty battery, which is not bad at all. Of course, charge times will vary depending on sky conditions and light. Plus, it weighs next to nothing and fits right in the zipper pocket on the Nomad 7 Solar Panel. Of course, you could also charge right from a computer or laptop, or you can even plug it into the wall using a standard USB adaptor. For how cheap and lightweight these chargers are, it might make sense to have a couple of them.

So far, I’ve used it a few times and it seems to do the trick. I’ve also charged it from the Goal Zero Venture 30, which is a 7,800mAh battery pack that’s designed specifically for the outdoors. It’s quite rugged and built to withstand a reasonable amount of water and abuse.

The Venture 30 is designed to pair with the Nomad 7 panel, and in fact, you can buy the two items as a kit. (You save ten bucks if you buy then together.) Since the solar panel doesn’t actually store a charge, you can fill up the Venture 30 from the panel and then charge your devices later, say if you don’t have any sun.

Or, you can use it as a charge-through device. The Venture 30 has two USB ports, plus Mirco USB, so you can charge up to two devices at the same time, either straight from the Venture 30’s power, or you can transfer solar power to both right from the panel.

(Edit: Goal Zero has just released the new larger Venture 70, which is the bigger brother version. It packs 17,700 man, which allows it to charge 5-6 phones, 2 tablets, and will obviously handle over twice as many camera batteries as the Venture 30.)

There are also a number of cheaper third party batteries that even have a built-in solar panel. My friend Derek has this 12,000mAh solar battery made by Levin. He used it on our recent bikepacking trip and it seemed to work pretty well. If you look on Amazon, you’ll see more, like this 15,000mAh model made by Maozua, and this one 8,000mAh battery by ZhiZhu.

Of course, the solar panels on these batteries will take a much longer time to charge, but they’re small, light and compact, and as long as the unit has a USB port, it should work for this purpose.

At any rate, the combination of a panel like the Nomad 7, a power pack like the Venture 30 (or something similar), and USB charger offers an extremely portable and lightweight solar charging solution. I’m pretty psyched and I plan to use this kit for bike trips, backpacking and even general travel.

USB Chargers for Other Camera Brands

OAproda makes USB chargers for a huge number of mirrorless, DLSR and point and shoot camera batteries. From what I’ve seen, there’s a solution for just about just about camera. Note, when you shopping for these things, try to buy the “Rapid Charge” models, although they don’t make them for all brands.

Sony: Here’s a USB charger for the A7 series. It also works with all of the NEX series cameras, and they even have a bundle that includes two extra batteries. Also, here’s one for Sony Cyber Shot camera, like the RX100 series.

Olympus: Here’s the OAproda USB charger for the Olympus OM-D and PEN series cameras.

Nikon: Here’s the OAproda USB charger for the Nikon DLSR cameras that use the EN EL15 battery: D600, D610, D750, D800, D800E, D810 and D7100/7200 series, and the kit with two extra batteries. If you have the EN EL14 cameras, like the D5200/5300, D3200/3300 or the CoolPix P7000/7100/7700/7800 or the Nikon Df, this is your USB charging solution.

Canon: Here’s the USB Charger for the Canon DSLRs that use the LP-E6 battery, which includes the EOS 5D, 6D, 7D, 60D and 70D series cameras. If you have the LP-E8 battery cameras, like the EOS 550D, 60D, 700D, or the Rebel T series, use this USB charger.

Just in time for summer! Now that the camera battery solar charging solution has been solved, there’s no reason not to grab your camera, stuff your backpack and go lose yourself in the outdoors for a few days or weeks, or take a long road trip. Have fun out there!

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June 15, 2015

Solar Charging Solutions For Your Camera Batteries

Camera Gear, Featured Images, Reviews and Recommendations

More Action and Autofocus Tests with the New Fuji X-T10

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my full review of the new Fuji X-T10, which is now shipping. I’ve been so impressed with this little camera; it really is a hot little number. The little brother to the X-T1, the new X-T10 is wickedly small and compact, and yet it packs a tremendous punch for being a “consumer” oriented model that only costs $799.

The biggest deal is that it comes with the v.4.0 firmware update that Fuji will be making available for the X-T1 in a few days, which at this time of this writing means the tiny little X-T10 the currently the highest performing camera in Fuji’s entire lineup. At least when it comes to autofocus and shooting action.

In a DSLR, the autofocus module is a fixed piece of hardware, that can’t really be upgraded. However since the components and features inside mirrorless cameras are largely software/CPU based, they can be upgraded with new software. In just over 6 months, Fuji has introduced two huge updates that have added many new features and vastly improve the overall performance of the camera.

This latest v4.0 update totally revamped the autofocus system of the X-T1 and X-T10, and according to Fuji, it will be coming to the X-E2 near the end of 2015. It added two new autofocus modes, Zone AF and Wide AF, and improved the overall performance so that the phase detect sensors now function much better in lower light.

Autofocus performance has been the area where mirrorless cameras have lagged behind DSLRs, but gap has just been narrowed in a big way. The original X-T1 AF system was good, but this is so much better. It’s essentially like having a brand new camera. This is truly a game change and it allows you to shoot action and moving subjects with confidence.

I’ve been testing the new AF firmware for well over a month now, and I’ve found it to be an incredible upgrade. With its multiple sensor detection and predictive tracking algorithms, both thew new Zone AF mode and the Wide AF mode intelligently finds subjects, locks on quickly and follows them through the frame, even in Continuous High mode at 8 frames per second.

These photos were all shot in RAW+JPEG with the X-T10 and either the XF 14mm f/2.8 or the 50-150mm f/2.8. Even with its smaller buffer, which only allows about 6-8 frames on CH mode before starting to stutter, vs. about 20-30 frames on the X-T1, the X-T10 is totally capable of shooting fast action.

To me, this is an ideal example of typical action shooting- you know where the action is likely to unfold, so you know where to start, but when it’s all up in the air, so to speak, it’s up to the camera to actually find and track the subjects. While my success rate wasn’t perfect here, (some of that is certainly due to operator error), I was definitely impressed by the results I got when shooting these kids on the dirt jumps.

For me, the bottom line is that Fuji’s revamped AF system now lets me shoot in the style that’s always been familiar to me. In the past, I’ve had to compromise and adapt a little bit when shooting vast moving subjects with mirrorless, but those days are clearly over.

And even though the X-T1 is my camera of choice, I can’t seem to shake who lightweight the X-T10 is. I’ve been using the X-T10 to shoot everything ever since I got my hands on it a month ago. And even when the new firmware hits the X-T1, I’ll sure still use it as my main ultra lightweight adventure camera, simply because it’s so small.

This little Fuji X-T10 is definitely worth a look if you’re thinking of switching to mirrorless, or if you want a super lightweight mirrorless body for outdoor photography. And if you’re concerned about the lack of weather sealing, just don’t soak it. I just did a backcountry bike trip where we got rained on for hours. My X-T10 got pretty wet, but I was able to dry it out and it kept working fine.

The Fuji X-T10 is now shipping from both B&H Photo and Amazon. You can also check out the dedicated Fuji X-T10 website here.

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