Category Archives: Gear

Review: Canon FTb

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Tom (Admin)

I received my Canon FTb in a box of cameras I ordered on eBay when I was bored a few years ago and have run several rolls of film through it over the years (after I repaired it) with outstanding … Continue reading →

Posted in Gear, Vintage cameras | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

DJI Mavic Pro: First Flight! (Antananarivo, Madagascar)

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Tom (Admin)

Finally, it has arrived! Back in mid-October, I heard that DJI, the company that manufactured the first drone I owned, was releasing a small, foldable drone with an integrated camera.  In other words, one that would allow me to carry … Continue reading →

Posted in Aerial photography/videography, Gear, Madagascar | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

3DR Solo: Droning in the Snow

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Tom (Admin)

I love these camera-toting quadcopters.  Partly because it’s just fun to fly stuff around (yes, I’m still about 12 at heart) but mostly because of the new opportunities they offer for photography and videography.  After seeing the first few videos … Continue reading →

Posted in Aerial photography/videography, Gear | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Swimathon: Bird’s Eye View

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Tom (Admin)

Last week I took part in a “Swimathon” in Goa, on the eastern coast of southern India.  Participants were to swim either 2 km, 1 km, or 250 meters in the calm sea.  It was a great set of races, … Continue reading →

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Review: Phantom 2 Quadcopter

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Tom (Admin)

One of my photographer friends posted a video on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and wrote something along the lines of, “This video is guaranteed to convince you to buy a GoPro and a Quadcopter…” He was right.  Proceed … Continue reading →

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What is it with computer company customer service these days? (I’m talking about you, Toshiba and Dell!)

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

I’m seeing a lot of reports these days lamenting lagging computer sales, and theorizing why that might be.  I’m of the opinion that a big part of the reason is customer service.  These days, it seems that more and more, … Continue reading →

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Diptic: The Coolest Photo App Ever (With a Mediocre Name)

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

Ever want to share a bunch of photos, but couldn’t make up your mind which? Whether you post on Facebook or attach them to an email, it would be great to combine a bunch of related shots into a single … Continue reading →

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Camera Lucida – Get Yours Now!

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

What if you could use a simple device with a prism to “trace” an object on paper that was actually in front of you.  Would this revolutionize how we do art? It turns out that according to theory, that’s exactly … Continue reading →

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Drones to Be Deployed in South Africa. Beer Drones.

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

Last week, I posted a few examples of the creative ways drones can be used to make life better (see “Got Drones” and “Build Your Own Plant Host Drone”).  Now there’s one that tops them all, because it combines things … Continue reading →

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Elgato Video Capture Solves the FireWire-USB Dilemma

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

I’ve got stacks of 8mm and “Hi8” video recordings going all the way back to 1990 when I bought my first camcorder to capture all the adventures my young wife and I were about to undertake.  Locked somewhere in those … Continue reading →

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Flickr Makes its Move

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

Over the last month, there’s been some interesting maneuvering going on in the photo-sharing community. Specifically, once-dominant Flickr, which had been stagnating in comparison to its made-for-smartphone rival, Instagram, has made a couple of moves likely to put it back … Continue reading →

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Toshiba Qosmio X875 Touchpad Issues

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

So I just received a brand new Toshiba Qosmio X875 series video editing DREAM laptop, with 16 GB of RAM, 1.75 TB of hard drive space (on two drives) and a 3D capable, 17.3 inch screen. The thing weighs a … Continue reading →

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iPhone meets Polaroid

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

File this under “How Come I Didn’t Think of This First?” I know they have little printers you can attach to your iPhone, but this is by the people who bought the very last Polaroid factory, and they’ve found a … Continue reading →

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Sony’s NEX-EA50 NXCam – interchangeable lens camcorder

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

This just-released promotional video highlights Sony’s latest interchangeable-lens video camcorder.  Once you get beyond the nonstandard English, it’s SHWEEET!  It’s due out in October, and unlike the typical still camera that “also takes good video” this is a professional grade … Continue reading →

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New Sony NEX-VG20 – low light test (wildlife at night – Onduruquea Reserve)

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

I was pretty nervous about the new camera I recently ordered – the Sony NEX-VG20 is an interchangeable-lens camcorder that boasts a sensor the size of most still cameras (23.4 X 15.6mm) – which, in addition to the versatility offered … Continue reading →

Posted in Gear, Wildlife and Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Micro Photography – Handheld Digital Microscope Review

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

So you’ve heard of macro photography – and I’ve been blogging about it recently as well.  But what about micro photography?  Ever wanted to take a picture of something you can only see under a microscope?  Well, how about video? … Continue reading →

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iPad for video and music creation

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Tom (Admin)

Although you can’t beat the price for video and music editing software when it comes to iFilm and GarageBand for the iPad, trying to create a video from top to bottom using nothing but an iPad 2 still leaves a … Continue reading →

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Sandboarding. Swakopmund. Sony Vegas

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Tom (Admin)

For years, I’ve been editing with versions of Adobe Premiere and Premiere Elements, and the one complaint I’ve always had is its tendency to lock up on most computers.  The exception has been my old desktop running XP with 512 … Continue reading →

Posted in Namibia, Software, Video Editing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Wildlife through a Loupe – Micro goes Macro

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Tom (Admin)

For my latest video, I noticed I had gradually been collecting random footage of “micro-wildlife” I have come across while working in my new garden here in Windhoek.  One of the creatures I had been continually running across is the … Continue reading →

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Sony Bluetooth Mic Tested

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Tom (Admin)

Some time ago, I stumbled across this interesting piece of equipment for sale:  a Sony ECM HW2 wireless (bluetooth) microphone. Wireless mics are commonplace, you say?  Well, this one is a little different than most: it uses bluetooth technology to … Continue reading →

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