Thursday, July 11, 2024

On lens hype... and a bargain vintage set

I write a lot of blog articles in reaction to external stimuli, even if this is not immediately obvious. People ask me questions in the pub or on Facebook. I need to explain something in detail to my students. A topic required documentation before I myself forget what I already know. 

This post is in reaction to those YouTube videos fronted by some egotistical talking head who pretends to be a photography expert, discovering, as if struck with a bolt from above, the merits of some old system. You know the type. They use phrases like "game-changer" and "GOAT". 

This tendency leads to particular lenses shooting up in price beyond all reason. Let me provide a few examples of over-hyped gear, before suggesting a set of vintage lenses that won't kill your bank account. 

Saturday, July 06, 2024

Field recorders in 2024

I am a trained audio engineer who wrote extensively on field recorders over many years. You can access these articles from my field recording landing page. Two years ago I provided a detailed summary of the state of the art in portable field recording devices. This article brings my research up to date for 2024. 

First, download the PDF that charts every available portable field recorder priced at under a grand. I also include a table of defunct models for historical comparison.