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Canon_5296B002_Speedlite_600EX_847537The Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT is a radio controlled camera flash that collided with the 21st century to bring high-tech to lighting. It has onboard a 2.4GHz radio trigger operating system used primarily by wedding and portrait photographers giving them full remote command of the flash.

Physically the flash weighs in at a hefty 18.7 oz. and measures in at 3.3”x5.6”x4.9”.   It is powered by 4 AA batteries with an optional external battery pack holding 8-AA batteries for and additional $150.00. The flash automatically goes into standby mode after 90 seconds to conserve battery life and comes back to life when you hit the shutter button. It has a flip-down diffuser for smaller lenses, manual power mode, wireless optical and radio control and programmable lights and colors that can be seen from a distance to help determine if all systems are operating. It is compatible with all Canon cameras.

The Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT is capable of managing up to 15 flashes in groups of 5 and can actually trigger up to 15 different cameras via the remote! The size of the flash makes it quite bulky to be used on top of your camera but it can be done even with the extra pound of weight. This flash is designed more for stand-alone functions and professionals who need and can use small battery powered and remote controlled flashes such as wedding photographers.

While well powered and able to perform flash after flash with a zippy 2.5 second recovery, it is susceptible to overheating as many flashes are but it does have the programmable lighting to warn of this situation. It is quite silent in its operation and doesn’t jump or vibrate when fired. The brightness of the flash doesn’t diminish with repetitive use or low battery.

The bounce of the flash, the ability to bounce the light of other things such as ceilings and walls, is 0 to 90 degrees up, -7 degrees down, -180 degrees to the left and +90 degrees to the right. The Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT provides plenty of light in bounce situations.

The radio portion of the flash is rated to 100 feet with 2.405-2.475 GHz, 15 channels, 10,000 wireless ID’s to be combined with other photographers and not get confused, 5 group settings and the batteries will run up to 9 hours if you use the flash as a “commander” without the flash firing. Using the flash significantly reduces battery life.

The biggest complaint of the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT is the poorly designed LCD screen. It is very tiny and jammed with information making it hard to program and harder to read.

Overall the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT is an excellent professional flash best used as a stand-alone versus camera mounted due to the weight. The radio control is outstanding and very beneficial to wedding photographers who have lighting assistants to help set it up or multiple units. At $499.00 MSRP these are great for professionals but other models exist that fit on camera better like the Canon 430EX II that do an almost equally good job.

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fujifilm_16440616_x100t_digital_camera_silver_1080889The Fujifilm X100T Digital Camera is the bomb of fixed lens digital cameras! Sharp, clear, intelligent, super silent and ease of use make this an everyday camera for even the best photographers. Besides the photo quality, the Fujifilm gets such rave reviews because it is able to handle any light situation intuitively.

Physically the camera is a simple square design with a few dials and a view finder but don’t let that fool you the Fujifilm X100T Digital Camera is as well-built if not better than the Leica M240 priced 5 times more than this Fujifilm!   It has a two shutter system comprised of an electronic leaf and a fully and completely silent electronic shutter that can be toggled on or off. The camera is a hefty 15.24 ounces with the battery primarily due to the quality of construction with a metal caps on both top and bottom and it measures 2.9 inches high by 5 inches long and 2.1 inches thick.

The Fujifilm X100T Digital Camera has autofocus, real-time face recognition that functions extremely well even with the subject partially obscured.   Included is a self-timer, frame rate selection, video, fixed and a programmable ISO, light meter and a view finder in addition to an rear LCD. There is a built in flash and a hot shoe for external flashes but you will find they are not needed.

Fujifilm offers additional accessory lenses for the X100DT but due to the outstanding performance you will find little need for additional lenses unless you are after a very specific look. The lens is dynamic in all photos with excellent sharpness and a soft bokeh, background blur.   There is no discernable distortion, barrel blur or pincushion to be found even on very straight lines.

One of the biggest selling points of the Fujifilm X100T Digital Camera is its ability to take amazing pictures in any lighting.   Compared to the big DSLR cameras the X100T can decipher all the various lighting situations and automatically adjust and shoot the picture, whereas a DSLR requires fill flash and lots of fidgeting in the same circumstances.

The macro shots of the X100T are stupendous with clarity virtually unseen in other cameras even without the Macro mode in use. There doesn’t seem to be much of a difference with the mode on or off and some distortion is seen at f/2 but clears at f/4.

There are no image stabilization or vibration reduction systems on board and that keeps the camera a manageable size but it isn’t needed either with the super-fast lens, f/2 aperture and crisp high ISO’s.  The wi-fi feature is limited to Fuji’s own apps so you have to download their app to your phone or computer in order to get the full benefit of this feature.

The Fujifilm X100T Digital Camera is simply an awesome camera on all fronts. The quality of construction with the almost all metal body and dials to the supreme face recognition feature to the amazing range of light in which it takes excellent photos makes this a standard camera for any photographer as a grab and go, photos of life kind of camera.

Save big on a Fujifilm X100T Digital Camera: https://www.greentoe.com/Fujifilm_X100T6


OverviewCanon 6D

Between expensive and very expensive DSLR fare, the Canon EOS 6D is perhaps one of the more affordable options on the market. Both casual photographers looking for a major upgrade and beginner professionals will benefit from the lower cost and good quality produced by this camera body.

As one of the many inexpensive full frame DSLRs, it does sacrifice a number of basic features found in its professional grade counterparts. What’s left is a pretty good near professional grade DSLR: wireless support for GPS and Wi-Fi, a full frame sensor, HD video and image capture under a high ISO range and continuous shooting at 4.5 frames per second. All of that is contained in a compact, easy to handle body that’s compatible with most lenses.

Underneath a compact chassis is a full frame camera suited for casual and beginner professionals. This camera is especially suited for those who need exceptional video and image quality and wireless connectivity in remote areas.

Key Features: Its full frame sensor, high ISO range and Wi-Fi/GPS connectivity. People looking for a ‘bargain’ full frame DSLR camera with good video and image quality will surely like this one.

Features At A Glance

  • Full frame CMOS sensor @ 20.2MP
  • Continuous shooting mode shoots 4.5 frames per second
  • Manually controlled 1080p HD video recording
  • 11-point AF array system, featuring a one cross-type AF point
  • 3-inch LCD with 1,040,000 dots
  • Saves to SD memory
  • ISO Range: Auto, 100 – 25600 in 1/3 stops, including 50, 51200, 102400 as option
  • Auto-Focus Technology

Pros

  • The Canon EOS 6D produces great video and photo quality when paired with a great lens, mainly thanks to features like its full-frame sensor.
  • The body is pretty lightweight, easy to hold and has an overall great design.
  • Wi-Fi and GPS support make using this camera on the go a pleasure. Its Wi-Fi friendly remote camera control utilizes smartphones and tablets.
  • The camera also outputs excellent quality RAW and JPEG files across the ISO spectrum.
  • The Quick Control menu makes accessing its shooting settings rather simple.

Cons

  • While good quality, video and images are prone to artifacts when it comes to fine detail. Video is considered more prone to artifacts.
  • The Canon EOS 6D doesn’t include a built-in flash.
  • Some of the ‘basics’ for cameras of this price aren’t included, such as multiple card slots, full coverage viewfinder and the aforementioned built-in flash.
  • Burst rate is much slower than its competitors.
  • Experts may not like the Canon EOS 6D’s 11-point AF array with just one cross-type AF point.
  • The Canon EOS 6D isn’t compatible with EF-S lenses.

Why Should You Buy Canon EOS 6D Digital Camera (Body Only)?

If you’re a user searching for a good quality full frame DSLR camera, the Canon EOS 6D Digital Camera (Body Only) might be your best bet. It’s perhaps the most affordable at its price range and provides just enough amenities for casual and beginner professional photographers, despite its shortcomings for serious enthusiasts.

Those who need better quality, however, probably won’t like the video and image output of the Canon EOS 6D.

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OverviewZ-nikonD810-Front_noLens

The Nikon D810 DSLR looks intimidating when you look at the price. But underneath its hefty price tag is an incredible camera that’s well worth its weight.

Some experts might not consider this DSLR a ‘full upgrade’ when compared to other Nikon DSLRs or competitors. For others, however, this camera packs a serious punch and produces truly high quality images and video. Its impressive 36.3MP sensor and Expeed 4 processor alone help this camera capture various scenarios with impressive accuracy. Wrap those essential up with a full set of excellent features and you have a camera that’s worth its price tag.

Key Features: Impressive full frame CMOS 36.3MP image sensor and Fast Expeed 4 processor. 3.2 inch LCD with a 1,229K dot resolution. Outputs HD image and video quality.

Features At A Glance

  • Full frame CMOS sensor @ 36.3MP + Fast Expeed 4 processor
  • Continuous shooting mode shoots 7 frames per second maximum
  • 1080p HD @ 60 frames per second maximum video recording
  • Expeed 4 Image Processor boosts camera performance up to 30 percent
  • 2 inch LCD with a 1,229K dot resolution with Live View and playback viewing
  • Multi-CAM 3500FX auto-focus sensor with 51 AF points and 15 cross-type sensors
  • ISO Range: Auto, 64 – 12800, expands to 51200
  • Supports CompactFlash + SD/SDHC/SDXC memory
  • Wi-Fi connectivity only with optional transmitter

Pros

The Nikon D810 DSLR features a high resolution full frame CMOS FX-format image sensor at an impressive 36.3 megapixels. As a result, it produces excellent quality images and video. The lack of Optical Low Pass Filter produces sharp and detailed images.

Expeed 4 Image Processor boosts camera performance up to 30 percent, helping reduce artifacts and noise in both images and video. As a result, the camera captures up to 1,200 images and as much as 40 minutes of HD video.

FX and DX formats afford the camera more recording versatility.

The camera shoots at a maximum of 7 frames per second in DX mode. Video records in 1080p HD at 60 frames per second maximum.

The Nikon D810 DSLR’s Multi-CAM 3500FX auto-focus sensor features 51 AF points with 15 cross-type sensors. Group Area AF has 5 AF sensors that can be utilized in one group.

Low light performance has been improved with the camera’s wide range ISO sensitivity. ISO sensitivity maxes out at 12,800 and can be expanded up to 51,200.

The Nikon D810 DSLR has a 3.2 inch LCD with a 1,229K dot resolution and features Live View and playback viewing. Live View features split-screen display zoom for still images. Zebra highlighting display is available in video mode.

Cons

The Nikon D810 DSLR is considered rather expensive for a DSLR of its class.

Its Small Raw mode is only limited to 9MP.

The Nikon D810 DSLR doesn’t feature GPS or Wi-Fi connectivity. Wi-Fi connectivity is only available with optional transmitter.

The camera lacks 4K resolution video capture. Time lapse feature is only limited to eight hours.

The Nikon D810 DSLR outputs ‘huge’ file sizes.

Some experts don’t consider the Nikon D810 DSLR as a ‘large enough upgrade’ compared to other Nikon and competitor DSLR cameras.

Why Should You Buy Nikon D810 DSLR Camera (Body Only)?

Serious beginners, hobbyists and professionals will benefit from owning a Nikon D810 DSLR body. The concessions Nikon took to produce this camera paid off well for those who greatly favor this camera. Its high quality image sensor, processor and features all work together to produce the best quality images and video for the price.

Sure, it’s not the most ‘upgraded’ Nikon or DSLR on the market, but for those who want a great camera body the first time around, this one’s a good choice.

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