The Rokinon 8mm Ultra Fisheye lens In Manhattan

OK. When I get a new lens it is important to take it through it's paces and make sure it is worth keeping. So I took the Rokinon 8mm Ultra Fisheye lens on a field trip. My goal was to get more familiar with the lens and try to identify some good areas for my type of shooting. I mainly shot between 32nd & 8th avenue and 50th and 5th avenue. I was only able to observe a fraction of that area and I'm sure it will take awhile before I find   the holy grail. Still, it was a fun day and great opportunity. The weather was hot but dry and the sky had good detail. 

The lens continues to deliver. With it set at  f8 ( at 3 meters) I was able to get focus with no problem. The lens is consistent in its delivery. I didn't see any increase in chromatic aberrations or noticeable color shifting.  (Keep in mind this is a visual observation and not a technical one). It was easy to exchange with other lenses and light in weight (compared to my 12-24mm Tokina and 24-105 mm Canon L series lens). I personal think it's a lot like working with a Canon FD lens. 

To sum up my opinion of this lens, I'll just say it is a keeper. Here are a few of the shots I took with the Rokinon 8mm Ultra Fisheye lens in New York.

Short Review of Rokinon 8mm ultra wide f3.5 fisheye lens

I just purchased a Rokinon 8mm ultra wide f3.5 fisheye lens with the detachable lens hood. This is a fully manual lens with  aperture that ranges from f3.5 to f22. However, if you shoot at f8 (and 3 meters), you will get excellent focus. So, I wouldn't go above f11 unless you are trying slow up the shutter speed. I must say that this lens produces clean images. I did experience a little chromatic aberrations. but this is easily corrected in post. Prior to this lens my main ultra wide lens was the Tokina 12-24mm f/4 lens. Please do not misunderstand, the Tokina is still my go to lens in situations that I need a wide lens. But, the Rokinon has earned a place in my bag. I purchased the version with the detachable lens hood and I am glad I did. Firstly, it makes the lens so much easier to clean. I tried cleaning it with the hood attached just to see what it would be like if I had purchased the other model. It was a bit difficult to clean around the edge. Secondly, this version can work well with a full frame camera. Being able to remove the hood translates into an image with no visual obstructions. (keep in mind the image will be round).

 Overall I recommend this lens. Here are a few pictures I took with the Rokinon 8mm ultra wide f3.5 fisheye lens..If you like any of these images and would love to have one of them on your wall, click the link below. 

http://paul-watkins.artistwebsites.com/

Wizard World 2013

I had the opportunity to attend Wizard World 2013 in Philadelphia last weekend. I wanted to post some of the images that I took at the event. However, I thought it would be best to upload them on my Flickr account so people can find the images with ease. Here is the link to the pictures I took.

Wizard World 2013

Why I can’t recommend the HV 285 Vivitar Flash

The Vivitar HV 285 flash has been widely used by strobist for indoor and outdoor shooting. It is a cheap alternative for those of us who can’t afford to shell out 250 to 1300 bucks for a good Canon or Nikon Speedlite system. The Vivitar HV 285 flash can be used from 1/16^th to full power and only costs around 85 bucks new. Plus, it can be used with a small amount of accessories. So, “what’s the problem?” you may ask. There are many. But, I will only focus on three of them.

First is quality control. I have read countless blogs, forums and reviews from people that have had to send back a flash because it was dead on arrival. Several people have had to send their flash back after only a week or two of minimal use. I personally have one. It died after being fired less than 100 times. Of course if you get a good one, it may be well worth the cost and be considered a good value. However, the operative word is “if”.

You may say, well if it breaks, I’ll send it to the manufacture. They can fix it. Well that leads me to the second problem.

Second is customer service. There is none. The manufacturer will not honor your warranty. They will not even fix it if you pay them. There is no support for this flash. If it dies, you have lost a flash but have gained a paper weight. Now, if you are a modern day MacGyver and can fix anything; then go ahead and buy a few. However, if you’re a photographer who needs flashes that actually works, then this flash may not be for you. Speaking of work! This leads me to my third issue with the flash.

Third is functionality. When I say functionality I am referring to recycling times, flask dependability (does it fire every time) and TTL. This flash has long recycling times when used at halve and full power. If you need a lot of light and often, you will not like this flash. Even if you decide that you will only use this flash at 1/4^th to 1/16^th power, you may still be disappointed. It is not consistent. It will not always fire. It is a temperamental flash. Sometimes it’s great, other times it is infuriating. As far as TTL, it doesn’t have it. For many people this isn’t a deal breaker anyway. However, it is important enough to mention.

Overall, the Vivitar HV 285 flash has underwhelmed me. It holds a lot of promise, but it just doesn’t deliver. I would rather spend twice or three times the money if it means my flash is dependable and supported by the company that makes it. I have learned that it is best to buy from companies that stand behind their product. Even if it is an inexpensive item, they won’t just leave you to fend for yourself.

So that is why I can’t recommend the HV285 Vivitar flash. If you have had a different type of experience with this flash, I am happy for you. I’m sure there are a few out there that are built like a rock and deliver. I just think that it just isn’t worth the time or the money to try and find a good one when companies like Sunpak, Canon, Metz and Nikon are making portable and dependable flashes.  

The following pictures were taken using two Alien Bees B800 flash units. One on either side of the subject. The gradient in the background is caused by the light falloff from the flash units. Photoshop was applied to change the color and contrast of the images. Since I was curious about ways to add my logo ,they were superimposed on the images. The main purpose of this shoot was to experiment with different ways to light an image for dramatic effect. I hope anyone who views these images can appreciate the initial attempt. 

This picture includes some clothing accessories. The image represents style, class and distinction. One Alien Bees B800 at 1/16  power was used to light the images. It was shot with a Canon T2i using the 40mm pancake lens.F-stop was between 2.8 and 5.0. The shutter speed was about 1/80.

It has been a while since I made a post. This is mainly due to various shoots that I felt where not inspired. However, that is no excuse. There is no success without failure.

Anyway, since I have a few days of free time, I decided to spent as much time as possible shooting. Today, was a good day for indoor shooting. I decided to revisit high speed photography. This time a different  background was used. These shots were taken between f9 and f11. ISO 100 at around 1/250. Also, the Canon pancake lens was used for these shots. I've only had the pancake lens for a week. So, I am still getting use the the lens and identifying its strength and weaknesses. So far I am happy with its performance. It is compact, sharp, and lightweight. It tends to hunt for focus a little more than my  L series lenses. but, only a bit.